Harry Potter: The Demigod Who Lived

by DGJabberwocky

Summary:

In the height of the wizarding war against Lord Voldemort, Lily Potter was cursed barren. Since the couple really wanted a child, desperate times called for desperate measures, and they sought divine intervention. Following the attack on Godric's Hollow, Harry's Godly parent whisked him away to raise him and train him for the inevitable battles ahead, both wizarding and demigod

Chapter 1

October 1979

In a dark and gloomy grotto somewhere in England, a couple were busy moving some stones and drawing on the ground. One of them was a man with dark messy hair, brown eyes and round glasses, he was placing the stones in strategic places. His companion, a woman with crimson red hair and green eyes, was drawing a circle on the ground with a piece of chalk, and the stones were situated on the edges of the circle. Meanwhile, there was an open book in the centre of the circle.

The woman placed a hand on her stomach and spoke, "James, are you sure about this? I know that you want to get back at that bitch, Alecto Carrow for her impotency curse on me. I want to skin her alive just as badly. Is this Ancient Greek fertility ritual really the answer? Also, do Sirius, Remus and Peter know about this?"

He replied, "Padfoot does, he was the one who gave it to me in the first place. He had to search pretty darn deep in the Black library. I was hoping to surprise Moony and Wormtail. Don't worry Lily, we'll get our revenge."

Finally, James finished drawing and took out his wand. Lily stepped in the circle as well and the two began chanting in Ancient Greek.

Elsewhere, in the Forest of Dean

Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, knelt and examined the fresh tracks in front of her. Her most trusted Lieutenant, Zoe Nightshade knelt next to her. Zoe spoke, "The beast won't be far now. Tis' a good hunt for us My Lady. King Lycaon's right hand man, Fenrir Greyback is proving to be a very crafty opponent."

"I agree Zoe, It won't be long before Greyback's severed head adorns my tent."

The goddess, in her adolescent form, turned to the rest of her group and signalled to them to follow her. They were making steady progress when Artemis froze in her tracks. She murmured, "In the name of my father! I haven't heard that ritual in millennia!"

The Hunters also stopped, and Zoe shot her a confused look, "My Lady?

Artemis replied, "I can feel someone trying to perform a summoning ritual! I recognise this one, it summons the closest deity to the source of the ritual. I'm sorry Zoe, I must answer this."

Zoe Nightshade stood, "Then I shall come with thee, My Lady. It could be a trap."

The goddess nodded firmly, "Very well! Phoebe! You are in charge until Zoe and I return! I shall brief you all on the specifics of this encounter when we return."

She morphed into an adult form before placing a hand on Zoe's shoulder. Then the two of them teleported to the location of the ritual. When they arrived, they saw a brown-eyed man with messy black hair and a woman with crimson red hair and piercing green eyes. Zoe laid eyes on the man, growled and nocked an arrow and prepared to take aim at him. The woman stepped in front of the man with a glare aimed at Zoe. However, Artemis stopped her lieutenant from doing something that she would regret.

"Peace, Zoe! Let us not resort to violence immediately. Now, I assume you two are the ones who performed the summoning ritual? I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, the Moon, Maidenhood and Childbirth, among others."

The man paused and studied a piece of parchment carefully before smacking his forehead. He grumbled to the woman, "Lily… remind me to neuter Padfoot. He told me it was a fertility ritual. Clearly, the git is illiterate despite seven years of education in Hogwarts. He confused a fertility ritual with a summoning ritual."

He turned to the Goddess and evidently recognised her. Not trusting himself to speak and potentially piss her off, he nudged Lily forward. His wife spoke, "Thank you for answering our prayer, Lady Artemis. I am Lily Potter and this is my husband James Potter, we are witch and wizard respectively. The thing is, we desired a child, but we are in the middle of a war with other witches and wizards of opposing ideologies."

Artemis nodded, "I see, Hecate has often spoken of a magical community. She is aware of the conflict, but as Gods, we cannot interfere with mortal or demigod affairs too much. However, Lady Hecate also firmly believes that the so-called blood status is a ridiculous reason to fight over."

Lily continued, "During one of the battles, an enemy cursed me to be barren. We have scoured so many books and manuscripts, searching for a cure, but in vain. In the end, we decided to seek some divine intervention, so to speak."

The goddess beckoned Lily, "Come Lily Potter, I shall see what I can do."

She placed her hand on Lily's shoulder and closed her eyes, murmuring in Ancient Greek. A minute later she opened them, "The bad news is that, I cannot reverse or banish this curse. However, the good news is that I may have a solution to your dilemma."

Artemis looked at the chalk circle and flicked her hand towards it. The circle altered itself a little and the goddess gestured towards it, "Step in with me and we shall begin."

They obeyed, when she suddenly had a thought. Artemis looked to the heavens and called out, "Father! I have need of your assistance!"

A few moments later, lightning crackled and a bolt struck the ground. The two mortals and Zoe instinctively looked away. When they turned back to the spot, they saw a tall, imposing man with electric blue eyes, neat shoulder-length black hair and a full beard. He also wore a dark blue pinstriped suit.

He effused such a powerful aura that James could feel the hair on his arms standing straight and an urge to kneel. Zeus spoke, "Hello daughter, you have summoned me?"

The goddess explained the couple's plight, before saying, "I wish to aid this young couple in conceiving a child. I've surmised that a Blood Ritual should suffice. Will this be in violation of my oath?"

He adopted a thinking pose with furrowed brows, "Hmm… This does offer an interesting situation. You know that your oath was on the River Styx, right? I may have to consult The Fates, but I do not think that the Blood Ritual will be in violation of your oath of maidenhood. If we are going by technicalities, you will be counted as the child's Godly parent even though you have not birthed it. Very well… I shall bear witness to this ritual!"

Both Lily and James bowed to the two gods, before taking their positions in the circle. Artemis unsheathed a dagger and handed it to Zoe, before instructing her to make a cut on both of the Goddess' palms. After that, she requested her lieutenant to do the same for the couple. Standing in between the couple, she took each of their bleeding hands, while James took Lily's free hand with his own.

From there, Artemis began chanting in Ancient Greek. As she chanted, a dull white glow formed in front of the Goddess. It travelled through her body and through James' body before it finally entered Lily's body. Soon, the ritual was over and Artemis gave a small smile as she healed all of their cuts, "Congratulations! You are with child. As far as parentage goes, both of you are the child's parents, as am I."

She paused before focusing her gaze on Lily's womb. The smile morphed into a mildly disappointed sigh, "The child is a male, I can tell. Oh well… It matters not. When the time comes, I shall still love him as my own."

Zeus gave a single nod in their direction before leaving, and only Artemis and Zoe remained. The other girl gestured to the Goddess, "Come, my Lady. The hunt waits for no one."

Just then James called out to her, "Lady Artemis!"

"Yes?"

"With this wizarding war raging, mine and my wife's safety is not guaranteed. Should anything happen to us, do you promise to take care of our child? We were thinking of naming him Harry."

The Goddess smiled, "Should anything happen to the both of you, My Hunters and I promise to look after Harry, I swear on the River Styx!"

As soon as she said that, thunder boomed in the distance. James bowed respectfully, "Thank you Lady Artemis. Farewell and good hunting."

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

July 31, 1980

Soon enough, James and Lily Potter welcomed a beautiful baby boy to the world. When the baby opened his eyes, the couple saw piercing green eyes with flecks of silver on the inside edges of his irises.

Naturally, their friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew fawned over baby Harry. A few days later, Godric's Hollow was filled with guests, including Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. His eyes twinkled in happiness upon seeing the child.

After a while, the guests began trickling back home, until the couple and the other three Marauders remained. Soon, Peter slipped out the door, with Sirius following later. Remus was the last to exit the door and he bid farewell to the newly-formed family. As they relaxed in their living room with the child, there was a flash of light, and when it died, they saw Artemis once again.

The goddess was once again in her adult form as she stepped towards the couple. Artemis saw the child and smiled. She reached out a hand and stroked Harry's cheek, "He's beautiful!"

Harry gurgled happily and reached up to clasp the Goddess' finger. Artemis then turned to the couple, "Just to forewarn you, all demigod children have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and are dyslexic. The ADHD is a side-effect of the demigods being naturally prepared for war. Meanwhile, the dyslexia makes it difficult for them to read in English. This is because their minds are hardwired to read Ancient Greek, though they can also read Latin."

Lily sighed with relief, "Oh thank goodness that most of our spells are written in Latin. Also, I think there are quills that that automatically translate from a foreign language to English and back again. James, remind me to drop by Scribbulus Writing Instruments for these special quills."

Artemis continued, "Also, demigods emit a certain aura which could potentially attract monsters. Fortunately, Hecate has informed me that wizarding wards should keep most of them out. My lieutenant, Zoe, scouted Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry last week. Her report suggests that the wards around the school will keep out monsters unless deliberately allowed in."

Lily and James' rapidly paling faces calmed down a little. Just then, the front door opened suddenly and Remus walked in, "Hey, I think I left my-".

He froze when he spotted the goddess and knelt briefly, as if by instinct, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

James sighed, "This was eventually going to come out anyway. Remus, you remember that Alecto cursed Lily to be barren, right? Sirius scouted out that ritual to help us. The idiot didn't realise it was a summoning ritual, not a fertility one. Remus, I'd like you to meet Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon."

He nodded and stayed down with his head bowed, "Ahh… That explains why I had the sudden urge to kneel. Well met, Lady Artemis."

James Potter continued, "Anyway, she performed a ritual where she helped Lily conceive. The catch is that she is also Harry's mother, if we're being really technical."

Remus got up, "I understand, and you have my thanks, Lady Artemis."

She turned to him and fixed her piercing silver eyes on him. Then the goddess spoke, "You have the mark of the Lycan, and have been fighting it."

Remus sighed, "I'm afraid so, my Lady. It is a curse that I have to bear for the rest of my life. Due to my affliction, once I register with the Ministry of Magic, employment will be hard to come by. This because the Ministry has passed several laws classifying werewolves as dark creatures and unfit for employment."

Her face grew grave, "Tis' a shame. Though I have an idea. For just over a year now, my Hunters and I have been tracking Fenrir Greyback, right hand man of King Lycaon. As a fellow werewolf, if you have any information on his movements, I would appreciate it if you pass it on to me. In return, I shall give you my blessing to suppress your werewolf instincts during the full moon."

A stunned Remus stuttered, "Th-th-th-thank you, my lady. I will not let you down."

She waved her hand and a potion materialised in front of her. Artemis handed it to Lily, explaining, "This is a potion that Lady Hecate has worked on with one of her sons' a Damocles Belby, if I'm not mistaken. She is officially calling it the Wolfsbane potion and it suppresses the werewolf's more animalistic behaviour. It isn't a cure, but it simply makes things easier for the affected werewolves. Additionally, it only works on people who have been bitten by Lycaon's minions like Greyback, not by Lycaon himself."

Just then, thunder boomed in the distance, and the goddess made for the door. She said, "I have to go now, Father is summoning us. Before I go, I want you three to promise to not reveal to anyone, Harry's true parentage until the time is right."

James, suddenly had an idea, he murmured to Lily and Remus, "Remember when Dumbledore suggested that we go into hiding at Godric's Hollow and have a Secret Keeper? I was thinking that we do the same for this secret and make Remus the Secret-Keeper. Sirius is already the Secret-Keeper for our location."

The redheaded woman nodded, "Good idea."

They quickly performed the charm and bound the secret to Remus. Admittedly, it took nearly six months before they let Sirius in on the secret, this was when he suggested that they switch Secret-Keepers and use Peter instead of him. This was mostly because the Death Eater attacks had intensified and that kept everyone busy. After they made Peter the Secret-Keeper, it was hard to get him alone to divulge the secret of Harry's lineage to him.

---

October 31st, 1981

James turned to Lily and he had a worried look on his face, "I've been trying to get hold of Peter to tell him the truth of Harry's parentage. However, he isn't answering. I've sent Sirius to check on him and bring him over."

She nodded and went to the bedroom to lay Harry to sleep. Suddenly, there was a chime, and James looked up in alarm. He cursed under his breath, "Someone's trying to break in! Peter must have squealed! If we survive this, I am going to throttle that rat!"

At the same time, Lily rushed around, grabbing a few books and her wand. Fortunately, Harry was still asleep, so she was able to work undisturbed. While all that was going on, the front door was blasted inwards, and in stepped Lord Voldemort.

A frantic James fumbled for his wand, all the while yelling, "Lily! Take Harry and go! It's Him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

The Dark Lord cackled before raising his own wand and bellowing, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

When the dreaded curse struck true, James Potter left the mortal plane. Voldemort sneered before continuing to the bedroom that housed Lily Potter and his target, Harry Potter. He forced the bedroom door open and gazed at his targets, batting away a curse that she flung at him. The Dark Lord swiftly disarmed her and advanced towards the crib.

However, she stood in his way, defiantly. She pleaded, "Not Harry, not Harry! Please. Not Harry."

Rapidly losing patience, he gritted out, "Stand aside you silly girl! Stand aside now!"

She ignored him, "Not Harry! Take me instead! Kill me instead!"

"This is my last warning"

"Not Harry! Please! Have mercy! Have mercy! Not Harry. I'll do anything!"

Patience all gone, he whipped out his wand again and cast the Killing Curse. As she slumped over, dead, he turned to his final target. Voldemort gazed at the child, who had awakened due to the commotion. He raised his wand one final time.

Outside the house, a vivid green light tinged with pink, illuminated from the windows before all was still. Minutes later, Sirius Black Apparated in and rushed inside the house. The first thing that greeted him was the sight of his brother in all but blood, lying lifeless on the floor. With dread filling his body, he rushed to the bedroom, where he saw Lily's lifeless body. Thankfully, Harry was still alive, somehow, and was bawling away.

There was no sign of Voldemort, apart from a discarded tattered black robe on the floor in front of the crib. Sirius picked up the wailing boy and gently rocked him until he fell asleep. The two walked out of the house to see a large burly man with straggly black hair and beard. Sirius approached him and gingerly handed the baby, "Hey Hagrid. I need a favour. Get Harry to Dumbledore so that he can put him somewhere safe. I'll be back after I find a certain dirty rat for betraying James and Lily. My motorbike's over there in the driveway."

With that, he Apparated away for parts unknown. Hagrid adjusted his grip on Harry and placed him in a small basket lined with soft cloth. He then climbed on the motorcycle and took off with Harry in the sidecar.

Elsewhere in Little Whinging, Surrey

Hagrid touched down in a seemingly ordinary suburb, and met two others. One was an old man with some pretty garish-looking robes. The other was a stern-looking woman with a pointed black hat. Meanwhile, Hagrid was still gingerly cradling Harry. He informed them quietly, "Little tyke fell asleep on the way here. I borrowed the bike from young Sirius Black. He told me he was off rat-hunting."

The woman spoke up, addressing the old man, "Albus, are you sure about this? I've been keeping an eye on them all day and they seem to be the worst muggles ever."

Albus sighed, "If I had any other choice, Minerva, I would have taken it. I did consider Andromeda, but I fear that there are chances of her sisters visiting, and I do not know her rapport with them. The Longbottoms are out because the Lestranges attacked them earlier. Additionally, I am not sure if Augusta will be in a position to raise both Harry and Neville. The Weasleys already have their hands full with all of their children, and Molly expecting her seventh child. Finally, the Bones' are also out because Amelia may also have her hands full with taking care of her niece, Susan, especially after her brother and sister-in-law's murders. The Dursleys are Harry's only living relatives-"

Just then, there was a flash somewhere behind them, and a voice spoke, "Tis' not a true statement."

The three of them were startled, and the two magicals raised their wands in the voice's direction. They saw a tall woman with a well-built body, dressed in a silver tunic with black leggings. She had shoulder-length auburn hair tied up in a ponytail, and striking silver eyes.

The new figure spoke, "At ease, I am not here for a fight. I am Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. I am also the Godly parent of that child."

Albus Dumbledore bowed in the direction of the goddess. Meanwhile, Minerva McGonagall was scandalized, "You mean James-"

Artemis interrupted, "Let me clarify, James Potter did not cheat on his wife. Allow me to explain, two years ago, owing to a previous attack, Lily was rendered barren due to a curse from an enemy. Sometime last year, James and Lily Potter attempted performed a fertility ritual, but mistakenly performed a summoning ritual instead. I answered the call and aided them in conceiving with a blood ritual. In essence, James and Lily Potter are still his parents, but so am I."

At that, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Hagrid calmed down. Artemis continued, "May I have my child? I swore on the River Styx to take care of him, if anything ever happened to them. In the demigod world, swearing on the Styx is a very serious oath, and can have dire consequences, if broken."

Hagrid gently handed the sleeping baby to her outstretched arms. As she cradled the child, there was another flash behind her, and a new figure appeared. This one was dark-skinned with black hair and golden eyes. However, his most striking feature was a pair of large black wings on his back.

Without turning around, Artemis said, "Greetings Lord Thanatos. What business do you have today?"

He spoke, "Lord Hades has demanded the soul of Voldemort. It appears when your son seemingly destroyed him, his soul never appeared for judgement. So I-"

Thanatos stopped and sniffed the air, then his eyes focused on the sleeping Harry. In particular, those golden eyes bore into Harry's lightning bolt scar. He had a thunderous look on his face, "That miserable wretch! He seeks to cheat me and insult Lord Hades with such a crime!"

Artemis' eyes narrowed, "What do you mean, Lord Thanatos? What does that have to do with my son?"

"Tell me, have you heard of Soul Jars? This piece of feculant mortal scum has split his soul, and a piece of it resides in your son's scar!"

Dumbledore was stunned, "He made a Horcrux!?"

"Horcruxes… I can tell that it is only a piece of his soul. There are others, but I will have to search for them, and I am not sure of the number either. Lord Hades will not be pleased at this development. Fortunately for you, Lady Artemis, I can remove it before it can settle. Any later than this would mean that the container would be harmed."

She did not hesitate, "Do it! Remove this foul taint from my son! I will not see my child harmed, if I can help it."

He placed an inky black finger on the scar, and it glowed. When he pulled it away, a dark wispy substance was pulled from the scar. Thanatos quickly grabbed it and threw it to the ground. It then sank all the way down, hopefully to the Underworld.

With a nod in their direction, Thanatos disappeared away. Artemis checked her son, and was relieved to find that he was breathing fine. She then turned to the gobsmacked trio of wizards and witches.

"I believe it is time we bid farewell. I can promise you, Harry will be well looked after. My Hunters have promised to help raise him into a fine young man. Do not worry, He shall still attend Hogwarts when he is of age. Oh, and before I leave, I must warn you that a side-effect of being a demigod is Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. This is because, demigods' brains are hard-wired for battle. Additionally, they are also diagnosed with dyslexia, so demigods can only read and write Ancient Greek or Latin"

Dumbledore bowed, "Thank you, Lady Artemis, it was an honour making your acquaintance. I look forward to seeing Mr Potter at Hogwarts soon. Worry not, we shall make the necessary arrangements when the time comes."

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

The goddess teleported away with Harry in her arms, and re-appeared in the middle of a forest. This did not faze her, because she knew that she and her Hunters had set up base nearby.

With that, she walked towards their base, still holding Harry, who snuggled into her. Before long, she reached the Hunter's camp and Zoe went to meet her first. Zoe noticed Harry in her arms and bowed, "My Lady… I take it something happened to thy son's mortal parents?"

"I'm afraid so, my Lieutenant. Harry will be staying with the Hunt for some time. When he is older, we shall send him to Camp Half-Blood."

The other Hunters also approached them. A fair number of them cooed over the baby sleeping in the Goddess' embrace. Artemis was a little thankful that the girls accepted her decision. Many of them, particularly the nymphs had joined up to escape love-crazy satyrs and gods. Others came from abusive environments, but they all knew that even though Harry was male, he was just a baby.

Just then, one of her Hunters, Celyn piped up, "My Lady, I was thinking, since we are helping raise your son, we can teach him our ways. Especially treating women and girls with respect."

Zoe nodded in her direction, "Tis' a good idea. The child is still young and a little vulnerable. It will take time for his abilities to manifest."

In the first two years with the Hunters, Harry was well taken care of. Celyn was particularly attached to the boy. This was because she had a younger brother before joining the Hunt. Tragically, a dracaena attack saw him and her mortal parents caught in the crossfire and they perished. After she got a lucky shot and killed it, the Hunters later found the 11-year-old and recruited her.

Owing to her past relationship with her sibling, Celyn had no trouble doing menial tasks like toilet-training him. A few of the newer Hunters were still hesitant to approach Harry, but they soon warmed up to him.

Four Years Later

Harry was five years old at the time, and he was able to keep up with the group while running. When she was sure that he wouldn't hurt himself, Artemis had gifted him a pair of Celestial Bronze daggers. She also procured a silver bow and a quiver full of arrows. Those weapons were able to collapse and form two silver rings, which he wore on each index finger.

When he was three, she explained the truth of his origins. This also included him being a wizard and explained the story of his parents. When she finished, it took nearly a week to console him.

Around the time he turned six, the Goddess decided that it was time he went to Camp Half-Blood. Following a couple of weeks of travel, the Hunters finally reached the outskirts of the camp. Before long, she was at the entrance with Harry next to her and the Hunters behind her. He was clad in a silver jacket and a hoodie. The boy also had both of his rings, and his daggers were sheathed at his hips.

It didn't take long before they heard a clopping of hooves, and a centaur appeared before them. He looked at the group and bowed to Artemis, "Greetings, Lady Artemis. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

She inclined her head politely, "Greetings to you as well, Lord Chiron. I'd like you to meet Harry James Potter."

He gestured to them to enter, and they all walked in and stopped in front of a large sky blue building called the Big House. He then pulled out a conch and blew on it. A few minutes later, several children, ranging between 7 and 18, lined up.

Chiron announced, "Hello campers! I would like to welcome the Hunters of Artemis to our camp."

Just then, a silvery symbol appeared above Harry's head. It depicted the crescent moon and a hunter's arrow. Chiron knelt, "All hail Harry Potter! Demigod son of Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt!"

The rest of the campers bowed as well, then the goddess herself stepped forward. She spoke, "Campers, I am sure you may be wondering if I broke my oath of maidenhood. Let me make it perfectly clear that I did not. Instead I participated in a Blood Ritual with Harry Potter's birth parents. Harry comes from Hecate's world of magic and his mortal parents are witch and wizard. Unfortunately, their world was caught up in a civil war at the time, and during a battle, Lily Potter was hit with an infertility curse. I was accidentally summoned, as they mistook an ancient Summoning Ritual for a Fertility Ritual. I aided them, but was unable to remove the curse. So with the help of the Blood Ritual, I helped Lily get pregnant. The catch was that I was counted as Harry's divine mother."

Slowly, the campers understood the message and welcomed Harry to their ranks. Artemis, eventually took Harry's hand and gently guided him to her Cabin. This was a silver building decorated with paintings and carvings of wild animals.

Harry's eyes lit up when he spotted the carving of one particular animal. He babbled, "Prongs!"

She turned to him, "Prongs?"

He rambled excitedly, "My daddy can turn into a stag and he calls himself Prongs!"

The goddess had a small smile, "Seems fitting… Now Harry, be good, train hard and make friends. Your sisters and I have to leave now, but we will visit occasionally. Remember, when you turn 11, Zoe and I will take you to get your things for Hogwarts. Goodbye my son, I will see you soon."

With that she kissed his brow and left him in the cabin. She eventually reunited with her Hunters and turned to Chiron and a bored-looking Dionysus. She said, "Lord Chiron, Lord Dionysus, I will take my leave now. Thank you for your hospitality."

Chiron nodded and Dionysus grumbled, "Yes, yes. I'll see you at Olympus when old Thunder Beard holds his next meeting."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and he got snappy, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

As time passed, Harry hung out and trained with several new friends. This included 14-year-old son of Hermes, Luke and 7-year-old daughter of Athena, Annabeth, who arrived two weeks before he did. He and the Apollo Cabin often had friendly archery competitions, as they were crack shots with the bow and arrow. Admittedly, he struggled a little with sword-fighting, but he was pretty quick with his daggers.

Among the campers, Harry was fairly average in his fighting skills. However, he did manage to rack up a few monster kills during his tenure at camp.

One time, after a successful day of training, Harry collapsed into his bed in the Artemis Cabin, exhausted. That was when he had a fairly vivid dream. He was sitting in a forest when a woman appeared before him. It was hard to describe her, as her face kept morphing. However, what was consistent was that she was stunningly beautiful.

She flashed a brilliant smile at him, "Hello Harry, it is nice to meet Artemis' son at last."

He scrambled to his feet at bowed, "Lady Aphrodite, it is an honour to meet you. If I may be so bold, your beauty does not do you justice."

The goddess tittered pleasantly, "Oh you flatter me so. You have that classic Potter charm that I love so much. Anyway… let's get down to some serious business. I have named you as my champion among wizards"

At his confused look, she conjured up a book, opened it to a certain page and handed it to him. He read the title, "A Mother's Love?"

"Indeed. As you know, Love is my domain. It does not matter if it is spousal love, sibling love or parental love, Love is Love. When your mortal mother defied that silly Dark Lord who has delusions of immortality, it tugged on my heartstrings. To willingly sacrifice yourself for your child… It is so beautifully tragic."

At this, she paused to whip out a dainty handkerchief and dab at her perfect eyes. Aphrodite continued, "This ritual that Lily Potter invoked is very old magic. So when this Voldemort tried to kill you, it invoked some of my power to protect you from that beastly man. Not to worry, I talked it over with your Godly parent and managed to convince her to let you be my champion. A lot of people have a tendency to dismiss love as weak."

She winked at him, "I say pish-posh to that! What do you think started the Trojan War? Anyway, I seem to have overstayed my welcome. I will see you when I see you. Oh! And I expect you to have a little girlfriend when we next meet!"

His face lit up with a furious blush, and she giggled. Just before she flashed away, she warned him to look away. With that, he woke up in his familiar cabin. Making up his mind, he quickly darted to the Big House to meet Chiron and reveal what Aphrodite told him. Fortunately, the book had also made its presence known in his cabin.

---

The days passed, and things looked fairly banal, though Luke helped Harry improve his sword-fighting skills. Over time, Luke and Annabeth opened up about a third friend of theirs, Thalia, daughter of Zeus, who sacrificed herself at the border of the camp. The two of them had taken the news of him being a son of Artemis pretty well. Though Annabeth did pester him a little about how she managed it without breaking her vow.

It was also worth mentioning that the Ares Cabin stayed away from him. This was because one of their own, a muscular girl called Clarisse, tried to bully him. However, when he finally snapped, a massive magical blast blew her nearly 20 feet away. That day, Chiron warned the campers about the dangers of accidental magic. Clarisse was a little banged up, but grunted out an apology when Harry visited her in the infirmary. It was also when she adopted some grudging respect for him.

On the day of his 11th birthday, the campers threw a huge party for Harry. He received lots of presents from his friends, especially Luke, Annabeth and Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite, who he looked up to as another sister. Just then, the celebrations were interrupted with the arrival of an owl with a scroll in its talons.

Annabeth took the scroll and pet the owl. She read:

"Harry Potter

Camp Half Blood

Long Island

Montauk

Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July."

She had a sudden realisation, "But today is 31st July! Harry! You must hurry!"

Obliging her, he quickly wrote a reply and walked to the edge of the forest where they usually played Capture the Flag. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he hooted once. A few seconds later, he saw an owl fly down and nip his ear affectionately. Apparently, he inherited Artemis' affinity for Zoolingualism, Annabeth had tested him with various animals when she found out, much to Luke's laughter.

He rolled up the scroll and whispered to the owl, while stroking it lovingly. Before long, he sent it on its way back to England, while he went to make an Iris-Message to Zoe and the Hunters about this new development.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

(I do not own Harry Potter nor do I own Percy Jackson and their respective characters. All rights go to JK Rowling and Rick Riordan respectively)

August 12 th , 1991

After days of travelling across New York to a harbour, and hitching a ride on a cruise ship, Harry, Zoe, Artemis and Phoebe finally reached London. Artemis managed to get the address of the Leaky Cauldron from Lady Hecate.

When the four of them entered the decrepit pub, Albus Dumbledore waved them over from a nearby table. He smiled, "Greetings, Lady Ar-"

"Call me Diana, we are incognito, after all." She lowered her voice "I also took the liberty of placing a glamour on my son. I'd rather not get mobbed, considering Harry's reputation, from what Lady Hecate told me."

He whispered back, "I understand, Greetings, Diana. I must admit, this isn't the usual protocol for the headmaster to meet a student and introduce them to the wizarding world. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall is a little stretched thin, and none of the other faculty are aware of Harry's true origins. Besides, this needed a more personal touch. Who are your companions?"

Artemis gestured to the two girls and spoke softly, "This is Phoebe, daughter of Ares, God of War, and a fellow Hunter. Next to her, is Zoe Nightshade, one of my most trusted and oldest-serving lieutenants."

The group got up and went to a certain section of the pub. Taking out his wand, Dumbledore tapped the bricks in a certain pattern. As he tapped the last brick, the wall opened up to reveal a bustling street. Several witches and wizards were moving to and fro, just going about their day.

A few stopped to politely acknowledge Professor Dumbledore, before getting on with their business. The older wizard guided Harry, Zoe, Phoebe and Diana to a snow white, multi-storied building, with the name Gringotts on it. He slipped a key into Phoebe's hand and murmured, "Once you've finished your business, meet me at that shop over there, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour."

Inside, Phoebe took note of the warning sign and mumbled, "'Enter, stranger, but take heed. Of what awaits the sin of greed. For those who take, but do not earn. Must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors. A treasure that was never yours. Thief, you have been warned, beware. Of finding more than treasure there'. Lord Hades is going to love this."

As they entered, a pair of odd-looking creatures looked at them before subtly inclining their heads. Artemis bowed back, and the other mirrored her actions. Nearby, a couple of wizarding families noticed the interactions. One of them was a man with long pale blonde hair, and his face twisted into a sneer. He muttered to himself, "Pah… who do they think they are, bowing to such lowly creatures. They merely live to serve us and keep our gold safe."

Meanwhile, another man thought to himself, "I haven't seen them before. From the looks of them, they look fairly powerful. I hope to interact with them soon. The goblins bowed to them, rather than them initiating the interaction. The boy looks like he is Daphne's age."

Back with Artemis and her group, she approached a nearby goblin teller. She spoke softly, "Greetings master goblin, I would like to procure your services."

The goblin looked up and replied back softly, "Greetings, Lady of the Moon, we heard that you sired a demigod child and are glad to know that the rumours are true. We had no idea that said child was a wizard as well. Do you have your son's vault key?"

Phoebe wordlessly handed the key to the goblin. The goblin inspected it closely and nodded, "That seems to be in order. My name is Griphook and I am the Potter account manager."

Griphook led them away from the lobby down a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. The goblin let out a piercing whistle and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them.

They climbed in and were off. Everyone was pretty unfazed at the speed of the cart. Mostly because of the Hunter's reflexes, and because Harry had gone to Disneyland with several of his fellow campers, a few times.

Eventually, the cart stopped by a small door in the passage wall, one-by-one, they all filed out of the cart. Griphook unlocked the door, and it opened with a lot of green smoke billowing out. When it finally cleared, Harry spotted mounds of gold coins, columns of silver coins and heaps of little bronze coins.

Griphook explained, "The gold ones are Galleons, the silver coins are Sickles and the bronze ones are Knuts."

Zoe inquired, "How much is that in Drachmas or American Dollars?"

The goblin tapped his gnarled chin thoughtfully, "I will have to get back to you on that. We have a branch in America, which may be able to answer. If I'm not mistaken, it is Whimsic Alley in Los Angeles, California."

Zoe nodded, "We thank thee, master goblin. Come Harry, withdraw thy allowance and we shall be off."

He nodded vigorously, "Yes, big sister Zoe!"

With that, the boy scampered in and filled a pouch with an assorted handful of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. After another thrilling cart ride, the quartet met with Professor Dumbledore at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Apparently, it was the first time Zoe had tasted ice cream, and the immortal girl practically wolfed down her cone, ignoring Harry's warning.

A moment later, she regretted it, and she clutched her head in agony. Harry rubbed her back soothingly, "I told you to slow down big sister. If you eat it too quickly, you will get brain freeze."

She groaned as she massaged her temples, "I am truly sorry for not heeding thy warning, Harry. Next time, this infernal, but delicious meal shall not best me!"

Artemis gently chided, "Zoe, I told you that nobody speaks like you do anymore. It has not been that way for centuries."

Zoe grumbled, "I hate this language. It changes too much."

Dumbledore tilted his head in confusion, "Diana? How long have you known Miss Nightshade? I know you mentioned that she is your oldest companion, but…"

She raised a hand to stop him, "I understand what you were about to ask. One of the benefits of being a Hunter is semi-immortality and eternal youth. Of course, no male has ever been accepted into the Hunt, not since Sipriotes, Orion and Hippolytus. Tragically, Orion and Hippolytus have since passed on. This immortality comes at a price, though. The girls who join, must swear off falling in love. Additionally, the immortality only lasts, so long as they do not perish in battle. Zoe has been by my side for nearly two millennia."

The wizard was impressed, and just like that, they talked for a while longer until the Headmaster had to leave and go back to Hogwarts. The Goddess elected to continue shopping for supplies, but not before he told them how to get to the Hogwarts Express.

---

After trips to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Flourish and Blotts, and getting his potions supplies, the group finally headed to Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands. As they entered, a tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop. The quartet took in the surroundings, when a quiet voice broke the silence. It spoke, "Good afternoon-".

The voice died in its throat, as the owner suddenly registered two drawn silver arrows pointing in his direction. Artemis jumped in to de-escalate the situation before things got out of hand. She sharply ordered, "Zoe! Phoebe! Stand down! Both of you!"

The goddess turned to the gulping man, "I take it you are Ollivander? I think it would be wise to not startle my companions."

"Noted, and may I say, it is truly an honour to host a Goddess in my humble shop. I am Garrick Ollivander, ah yes, yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter. You have your mother's eyes, both of them. It seems only yesterday your mortal mother was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work. Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course. Shall we get started?"

He asked Harry for his dominant arm, and to his surprise, Harry said that he was ambidextrous. Ollivander mused, "Yes… I suppose it comes from your time in The Hunt. Not to worry, I can work with that."

Harry had both arms measured, shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his head. All the while, the older gentleman was babbling about wand cores. He handed Harry his first wand, but soon had it snatched back. This continued on and on, until he finally settled on a holly wand with a phoenix feather.

As soon as he touched it, He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious... "

He kept muttering, "Curious... curious.."

Finally, Phoebe asked, "What's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother why, its brother gave you that scar on your forehead."

He gestured to the scar, which had faded a lot, but was still there.

---

Soon, Harry staggered out of the shop, 7 Galleons poorer, but with his new wand. Artemis knelt in front of Harry and held him by the shoulders. Her silver eyes met his emerald and silver eyes and she said, "Harry, listen to me loud and clear. It is not the wand that matters, it is the person behind the wand. Nothing will ever stop me from being proud of you, I'm sure your mortal parents would say the same."

He hugged her and she reciprocated the gesture. When she broke the hug, she took his hand, "Shall we go now? We have some safe houses where we can stay until it is time for you to leave for Hogwarts."

"Yes Mum."

"Come, girls. Let us depart."

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

On September 1st, Celyn and two other Hunters, Sasha and Lyra, accompanied Harry to King's Cross Station. Artemis was unable to make it, as she had her duties at Olympus, while Zoe and Phoebe could not abandon their posts, so Celyn and the two Hunters volunteered. They loaded his trunk in the back of a rental car, while Harry held a cage containing a beautiful snowy white owl called Hedwig, a gift from Annabeth. It wasn't a long journey from their safe house, but the traffic was a nightmare, and Lyra was the only one who knew how to drive.

No one really questioned it, because Celyn was fairly good at Mist manipulation, and gave Lyra the appearance of an adult woman. The only hiccup was when another car almost swiped them off the road. The occupants of that car was a large round man with a walrus moustache and a ruddy red face.

Next to him was a woman with a horse-like face, and in the back seat was an 11-year-old lump of fat throwing a tantrum. The man honked furiously and bellowed something about 'bloody useless women drivers who were better off in the kitchen.'

Somehow, all four demigods managed to ignore the vitriol spewing from his mouth. However, they all had itchy trigger fingers, and Sasha could not resist subtly flicking a small piece of Celestial Bronze at one of the tyres, ensuring a slow puncture. Celyn leaned over to Lyra and whispered, "Make a note of the license plate. I can't wait to see Lady Artemis turn them into jackalopes."

Finally, the four reached the station by 10 AM, and they set about looking for Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Five minutes later, Celyn noticed something strange about a column between Platforms 9 and 10. She murmured to her companions, "Hmm… A clever bit of Mist-Manipulation. No doubt, it is Lady Hecate's work."

Then, she spun Harry around and hugged him before smoothing down his denim jacket and adjusting his baseball cap. Celyn said, "Okay Harry, promise us you will focus on your studies? Be good, and make sure you send Hedwig over with occasional letters. Oh, and another thing, Chiron wanted me to tell you that Annabeth wants you to keep in touch, and Lou Ellen wants to compare notes when you return. If you need anything, do not hesitate to Iris Message us. Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall said that you can go to their offices to IM us."

He hugged her back, "Don't worry Celyn, I'll be in touch, and tell you girls all about it!"

Sasha playfully asked, "Also, see if you can try and get us some new recruits from magic school."

Lyra elbowed her, "Ignore her, Harry. Alright, let's go kiddo. You have your luggage? Hunting knives? Rings?"

He counted from his fingers, "Check… check… and check… Though, do I really need the weapons?"

Celyn shrugged, "As Naomi always said, 'Better to have them, and not need them, than to need them and not have them'. Just make sure you conceal them properly."

They were about to make a run for the pillar, when Harry spotted a lost-looking family. The family of three were led by a bushy-haired brunette, pushing a luggage cart, looking around. Harry eventually caught her eye and he went up to them. He spoke up, "Hey, I couldn't help noticing that you three looked a little lost."

Harry leaned in and whispered to the girl, "I'm assuming you're going to Hogwarts?"

The girl nodded excitedly and started rambling, "Yes! I've been reading all the books in preparation for Hog-".

He quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, earning him an indignant look. Harry hissed back, "Be careful! In the wizarding world, there is a Statute of Secrecy! We are in a public place, and if you shouted it out, you and your parents could get into trouble! When I was taken to Diagon Alley with my mother and some of my sisters, Headmaster Dumbledore told us about it. According to him, non-magicals who accidentally find out, have their minds wiped about the knowledge of magic. Why do you think I was whispering to you."

Her face paled, and when he removed his hand, she quietly stammered an apology. Harry shrugged and gestured them towards Celyn, Sasha and Lyra. Sasha spoke up, "Come on kiddo… you have to go, now! We'll see you at home later, either on Christmas or when the year ends."

With a nod in their direction and a wave goodbye, Harry charged at the wall, and promptly phased through it. A few seconds later, the girl also followed him. They eventually emerged on the other side of the magical barrier, and the first thing that greeted them was a massive red steam engine, with smoke billowing from its chimney. Just as they finished admiring the engine, there was a commotion behind them. Harry and the girl spun around to see a group of four red-headed boys coming through the barrier. One of them, the oldest, noticed their wide-eyed looks and spoke, "I take it you two are First-Years? Ron's a First-Year too. Why don't you three stick together and find a compartment, it'll do you good to make some friends. I'm Percy Weasley, I'm a Prefect."

The three of them quietly shuffled into an empty carriage, with Harry calling dibs on the window seat. Harry fished out a Rubik's Cube and began fiddling with it so that he could curb his ADHD tendencies. As he twisted and turned, he noticed a spot of dirt on the boy, Ron's nose, but decided to be polite and ignore it. However, the girl had no such reservations. She glanced at Ron as if he was a bug on her shoe, and spoke, "You've got dirt on your nose, you better wipe it off."

His ears glowed red in embarrassment and he took out a handkerchief and rubbed his nose vigorously. Eventually, the train moved off the platform and they were on their way. The three of them sat in an uncomfortable silence, with Harry still fixated on his Rubik's Cube, when he had a brainwave. He turned to the still unknown girl, multi-tasking.

"Hey, I'm sorry, but I don't think I got your name. I know Ron's because his brother mentioned it. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves to each other."

She flushed a little, "Sorry, I'm Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley"

He stopped fiddling and shook her hand, "Harry Potter, nice to meet you two."

Their jaws dropped, and Ron gasped, "Bloody hell! And have you really got… You know- the scar?"

Harry shrugged and took off his baseball cap, "Not much left of it, it's faded a lot."

Hermione queried, "Are you really? I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century"

Harry grimaced, "I had a look at those books too. Only Modern Magical History is accurate, that I somehow defeated him and no one knows what exactly."

She looked scandalized, "But… but… books don't lie! The other books said that you used some high-level magic to defeat You-Know-Who!"

He snapped back, "I was a baby! What kind of magic would I be able to do at the age of one? Also, books aren't the only source of information. I have never given any sort of interview about the attack, because firstly, I do not remember everything, and secondly I hate being in the spotlight! I already had enough of it back at summer camp. Suppose someone wrote a book about you and described you as a girl with blonde hair, dark skin and a missing arm?"

She crossed her arms, looked at him haughtily and retorted, "But that's not how I look!"

He put his cap back on his head and fired back, "But it was written in a book, and by your logic, books don't lie. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that history is always written by the winners. Take World War 2, for example. Everyone now knows the atrocities of the Nazis. But what if the Germans won the war? They would have written history a lot differently."

The girl flinched at the sight of his emerald and silver eyes, which looked a little intimidating. She deflated, "You're right… I'm sorry"

He turned to Ron, "And Ron, from what my adopted mum told me, the scar was actually the remnants of a Dark Curse, but she quickly consulted some experts and had the curse removed."

Ron nodded, then asked, "What's World War 2?"

Naturally, Hermione and Harry gave him a Cliff's Notes explanation. Harry revealed that the war was just a cover for Grindelwald's own actions in the conflict. Obviously, he neglected to mention demigods, since that was something he didn't want getting out just yet.

---

After a few minutes of silence, there was a small knock on the compartment door. It slid open and a round-faced boy with dirty blond hair peeped in, "Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all? I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

Ron pulled out a fat sleeping rat, "Nope! There's only Scabbers here. Sorry, mate."

Harry got up, figuring that walking around would help him not be so fidgety. He queried "Do you need me to help you search?"

His face lit up with a grateful smile, "I'd love that, thanks!"

Harry and the boy walked along the train, peering into different compartments, but there was no sign of the critter. Some politely dismissed them, others were a little more rude, especially a boy with slick blond hair.

Just then, Harry had a thought, "Hey, have you checked the lavatories? Your toad must have been looking for some cool damp places."

They hurried to the lavatories, and as soon as he entered, Harry emitted a low croaking sound. This startled the boy, who gazed at him in wonder. Just then, there was an answering croak, coming from near the wash basin. Sure enough, right under a pipe was a brown toad with warts on its back. The boy cried blissfully, "Trevor! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Harry scooped up Trevor, opened a tap and held the toad under the running water. He advised, "He was a bit too dry, I'd suggest keeping him hydrated at frequent intervals."

He thanked Harry, then asked, "Is it alright if some of my friends join you in your compartment?"

Harry grinned, "Sure thing! I'd be glad to make more friends."

With that, they split up and Harry reunited with Ron and Hermione and resumed playing with the cube. Eventually, the boy turned up again, with two girls with him. One was a tall blonde girl with pigtails, and the other was shorter with copper red hair.

The boy was a little red-faced, "Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Neville Longbottom."

He gestured to the blond and redhead, "And these are my friends, Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones."

Harry put down the cube once again and stuck out his hand, "I'm Harry Potter, that's Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

Thankfully, they didn't make such a big deal, aside from brief wide-eyed looks. As they talked, Neville had a though, "Hey Harry, when you helped me search for Trevor, were you… croaking at him?"

Harry blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Yeah… about that… Apparently, I am a Zoolingualist."

At their blank looks, he explained, "I can talk to any animal and understand them."

Susan was impressed, "Wow! That's actually pretty rare! Though if I may make a suggestion, you should keep your ability on the down low. Especially when it comes to interacting with snakes. Magical Britain doesn't look too kindly on snake-speakers, since You-Know-Who could speak to snakes, and the Ministry considers Parseltongue as dark magic."

Hannah piped up, "Outside Britain, it isn't actually considered dark magic. I remember two years ago, my family and I took a vacation to Australia. At any wizarding tourist agency, Parseltongue was a compulsory requirement for tour guides."

Ron was confused, "Why?"

She replied, "As it turns out, Australia is home to the most species of deadly snakes and spiders. So, Parselmouths are needed to warn snakes to stay away from tourists. Meanwhile, they also have to compulsorily learn the Spider-Repelling Charm."

Ron shuddered, "I don't think I like Australia. I hate spiders! When I was younger, the twins transfigured my teddy bear into a spider. Ever since then, I have been scared of them."

---

Sometime later, the compartment door flew open again. The blond boy from earlier, swaggered in, flanked by two thuggish-looking boys, one of whom, was picking his nose. He took in the six of them, "Is it true? They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

Harry immediately got a bad vibe from the boy. He seemed to be exactly the type of male that his mother would turn into a jackalope. Having lived in the Hunt for a few years, he had seen his fair share of disrespectful males, many of whom, were turned into jackalopes and hunted.

He finally packed the cube in his trunk and replied, "That's me."

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy absently gesturing to his two companions, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron choked down a snort, and Malfoy shot him a poisonous look, "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford".

He took in the others, "Longbottom… I'm surprised they let you attend. I thought you were a filthy Squib."

Neville's hand twitched, and Hannah inched closer to him, getting ready to potentially restrain him.

Malfoy glanced at Susan and Hannah, "Bones… Abbott…"

He glossed over Hermione and turned back to Harry, holding out his hand. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

Harry took his hand, but didn't shake. Instead, he spoke in a low voice, "I appreciate the advice, but I'd rather make my own conclusions about whom I wish to associate with."

With that, he squeezed Malfoy's hand, hard, making the other boy wince a little. When Harry let go, he looked at his own hand, "Apologies… It seems I underestimated my own strength."

Malfoy wiggled his hand and glowered "I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Harry's eyes narrowed, and Crabbe and Goyle instinctively flinched, as his eyes were pretty scary. He spoke menacingly, "Was that a threat, Mr Malfoy? I suggest you leave."

The boy sneered, "What if we don't want to?"

Harry noticed a still sleeping Scabbers in the corner of his eye. However, he didn't want to risk exposing his Zoo-linguistic skills, especially not in front of Malfoy.

Fortunately, he was saved when Percy Weasley suddenly appeared behind them, "Ahem… Is there a problem?"

Malfoy lingered briefly, before weighing his options and strategically retreated, muttering, "My father will hear about this!".

Percy peered at the six remaining kids, "We're getting close now, I'd suggest you all better get changed to your robes. Also, leave your luggage on the train, it'll be taken separately."

The three boys moved out of the compartment to allow the girls to change. When they were done, Harry and his new friends changed as well. Before long, the train slowed and eventually pulled into a station, where everyone disembarked. By then, it was fairly dark, but soon, there was a lit lamp in the distance and it was steadily getting bigger.

A voice called out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry? C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Very soon, a very large man emerged, and introduced himself as Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts. Armed with just a lantern, he led everyone down a rocky path, which was a little slippery. An olive-skinned boy in front of him stumbled. He quickly reached out, grabbed the boy's shoulder and steadied him. The boy shot him grateful nod before continuing. Many others slipped, but Harry had his Hunter training to thank for being sure-footed.

Eventually, they reached a massive black lake. On the other side of the lake, perched atop a high mountain, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, its windows sparkling in the starry sky.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry picked out a random boat, and was joined by a girl with honey blonde hair and aristocratic features. A sandy-haired boy joined him, along with a dark-skinned boy.

Ron, Neville and Hannah were in another boat with a girl who had a slightly upturned nose. Susan was with Hermione and a pair of Indian twin girls.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

Harry was the first one out of his boat, and offered his hand to the girl. She hesitated slightly, before taking his hand and exiting. The two boys with him, disembarked on their own, after polite refusals of help. To the three's confusion, Harry doubled back to the lake, scooped up some water and went up to Neville, who was juggling his toad. After pouring the water on Trevor, the toad calmed down. Harry shot him a pointed look, and Neville flushed and mumbled an apology, "Sorry, I forgot."

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door. Harry secretly wondered whether he was a reformed Laistrygonian.

The door swung open to reveal a tall witch with greying hair, clad in emerald-green robes. Judging from her stern appearance, she could have rivalled his mother in terms of intimidation.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. "Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide open to reveal a massive entrance hall. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts. The ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

As though she had rehearsed it, she spoke, "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points, is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Hermione turned to Ron, "How exactly do they sort us into houses?"

He grunted, "Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

Suddenly, he got startled when several ghosts casually floated in talking among themselves. Several others behind him screamed, Next to him, Hannah also screamed and clutched the nearest hand, his own.

The ghost of a fat little monk said: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

His companion retorted, "My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.

"About to be Sorted, I suppose? Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned.

One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Harry lined up behind the olive-skinned boy, with the Indian twin girls behind him. Somewhere nearby, Ron mumbled, "I really hope Fred was joking about fighting a troll".

Upon hearing that, Harry's throat tightened in fear, 'Would he be forced to expose his demigod powers already?'.

One of the twin girls noticed his terrified expression and, incorrectly guessed what was troubling him. She said, "I'm sure it won't be something like that. We're only First-Years, and going up against a troll is pretty much suicide. Hi, I'm Padma Patil, that's my sister, Parvati"

Harry fought down the urge to snicker at the irony of the statement. However, he controlled himself and gave a small nod and introduced himself. Together, everyone filed out through an imposing pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

When he took in the scenery, he could not imagine a more beautiful scene. Only Olympus could outstrip it in terms of majesty. Artemis had taken him on the day of the Winter Solstice because Lord Hades wished to speak to him. The God of the Underworld had personally bestowed upon him a quest to seek out the Horcruxes and destroy them, after Thanatos reported to him with the soul fragment from Harry's scar. The Dark Lord's wraith was also at large, but was proving too elusive for his Kindly Ones.

Bringing his mind back to the present, he gazed up at the ceiling. Inky black sky, dotted with twinkling stars, greeted him. He overheard Hermione mutter, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

When he looked back to the front of the hall, he saw Professor McGonagall put a stool in front of everyone and place a ratty-looking hat on it. Suddenly, a rip near the brim opened wide, almost like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on!

Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

With that, the whole hall reverberated as everyone burst into applause, as it finished its song.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered harshly.

Padma shot him a triumphant grin, "Your brothers were probably pranking you."

He grumbled, "Wouldn't put it past them to do that."

As they talked, Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment. She announced, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted."

Hannah was up first, and after a moment's pause the hat hollered, "HUFFLEPUFF!".

The table with students clad in yellow, cheered and clapped as she joined them. Susan Bones also joined her, while a boy called Terry Boot got sorted into Ravenclaw.

Harry caught Hannah and Susan's eyes, and sent a silent message. The meaning was clear, "No matter the House, we're still friends, right?"

They subtly nodded back, as the sorting continued. Mandy Brocklehurst became Terry's new housemate, while Lavender Brown, a blonde girl, who looked a little dolled up, became the first new Gryffindor. Harry had no doubt in his mind that the daughters of Aphrodite would love to get fashion and makeup tips from her. After Lavender, a large girl with a mix of muscle and fat, strode forward. Before long, Millicent Bulstrode joined Slytherin. Harry noted that in a fist fight between her and Clarisse, it would be a tough call. Sometime after a few more names, a boy called Justin Finch-Fletchley got sorted into Hufflepuff.

The next one of his friends to be sorted, was Hermione, who was promptly carted off to Gryffindor. More and more students got sorted, and Harry was starting to miss his Rubik's cube. He fidgeted on the spot so much, he almost missed Daphne Greengrass being sorted into Slytherin. Neville drew a few laughs when he hurried to the Gryffindor table while still wearing the hat.

Pink-faced, he handed the hat to Morag MacDougal, who got sorted into Ravenclaw. Malfoy sauntered forward, as if he owned the place, and the hat barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!".

Both of his thuggish bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle, were already there. Lily Moon headed to Ravenclaw, Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson headed to Slytherin. Surprisingly, Padma Patil and her twin sister, Parvati were split up in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, respectively. Sally-Ann Perks joined Hufflepuff.

Finally, McGonagall called out, "Potter, Harry!"

Harry stepped forward, pointedly ignoring frenzied whispers. However, he could still hear them. "Potter, did she say?"; "The Harry Potter?".

He internally rolled his eyes, 'Great… This was just like when his godly mum claimed him at Camp Half-Blood.'

As the hat dropped on his head, he heard a voice in his ear. It said gleefully, 'Oh ho! Now this just got interesting. Haven't had to sort a demigod wizard in millennia. Not since the Founders themselves! Worry not, young demigod, no one can hear this but you and I.'

His eyes widened under the hat, 'The Founders of Hogwarts were demigods!?"

'Aye... Godric was the son of Zeus, and he was mighty proud of the lad. Helga was a child of Demeter, Rowena was a daughter of Athena, and Salazar was the son of Hecate.'

Harry thought back, "But I though the Big Three pact was in place?"

'The pact was struck long after Godric's time. Anyway, let's get you sorted, Child of the Moon, people are getting suspicious. Now let's see… Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you? You are fiercely loyal to the Hunt, so Hufflepuff would love to have you. Your friend Annabeth's influence has impacted you well, so Ravenclaw is an option. I was tempted to put you in Slytherin, but I doubt the house would survive with you in it. You'll be fine, but I doubt the students there would be fine. As for courage, you have it in spades! So, it better be-'

The hat bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The red table burst into cheers, and a pair of red-headed twin boys were dancing a jig and chanting, "We've got Potter! We've got Potter!"

Just before he removed the hat, it whispered in his ear, "Come again one of these days, and I'll tell you more about the Founders."

Harry trotted over to the Gryffindor table and slotted himself next to a sandy-haired boy with freckles, called Seamus Finnigan. With that, he watched the sorting, and also noticed Professor Dumbledore seated in the middle of a very long table. He began to fidget once again, and Hermione glared a little. She hissed, "Do you mind? It's just been five minutes since you've sat down!"

He whispered back, "Sorry, I kind of have ADHD, and I'm also dyslexic."

Her glare softened to a more sympathetic look. She nodded, "I see… will it be any problem for you?"

"Well… I can't read English well, but I'm fairly okay with Latin and a little Ancient Greek. Headmaster Dumbledore told me that a lot of our spells are based on Latin. However, I may have issues with subjects like Herbology or Potions."

She smiled, "I'll tell you what, if you can teach me some Greek, I can transcribe my notes for you to read. As for homework, you can write it in Greek and I'll translate it for you. Deal?"

"Deal!", and they shook on it.

Eventually, Ron Weasley joined them, after being sorted into Gryffindor. When he came over, Percy and the twin red-heads congregated around him and patted his back enthusiastically. After Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin, Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and took the hat away.

---

After she did so, Dumbledore got to his feet and beamed at the students. He spread out his arms grandly and spoke, "Welcome, Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! "Thank you!"

Harry was just beginning to wonder if he was a bit dotty, until his empty plate shimmered and was piled high with food. Everyone dug in, but Harry got up with his plate, headed to a nearby fireplace. He closed his eyes, murmured a quick prayer to his mother and scraped a juicy chicken drumstick into the fire. It flared a little, and went back to normal.

He sat back down, amid gapes from others around him. Ron exclaimed, "Mate! What the bloody hell was that all about? What a perfect waste of a nice chicken leg!"

Harry explained, "Yeah, about that… It was just how I was raised."

He lied smoothly, "My foster family are pretty religious and this was a tradition in the household. They were originally from Greece and still worshipped some of the Greek gods. From what my foster mum told me, it is tradition to sacrifice part of your meal for the gods. You can't give them bits of food that you don't like, because it's disrespectful."

Hermione nodded in understanding, as did Parvati. Ron simply muttered, "You're bloody mental… Food is food."

Parvati shrugged, "I don't see what's wrong. My sister and I are Hindus, and our religion forbids us from eating beef."

Those listening in, nodded in understanding. Percy spoke up, "Okay Harry, these are your traditions. We're not going to question them."

After a few minutes, a ghost dressed like he was in a medieval nobleman, floated up to him. Harry looked up and smiled at him, "Hi! I'm Harry."

"I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, at your service!"

Ron blurted, "Blimey! You're Nearly-Headless Nick!"

The ghost huffed irritably, "I prefer Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, thank you very much!"

Seamus asked, "How can you be nearly headless."

Harry couldn't stop himself, "The same way the Dread Pirate Roberts was only mostly dead."

Hermione snorted in laughter, with Dean Thomas also joining her. The dark-skinned boy leaned over and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, exclaiming, "You and I… We're going to get along just fine!"

Ron, Neville, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender were a little lost. Harry gestured that he would tell them later. Meanwhile, Sir Nicholas had a smirk on his face, before he grabbed his left ear and yanked it upwards. On cue, to everyone's disgust, his whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder. Obviously, he had been beheaded, but the executioner had done a bang-up job of it. Sir Nicholas flipped his head back on properly and had a smug look at seeing their green faces, before floating on to greet other Gryffindors.

---

Eventually, they all talked about their families. Seamus said, "I'm half-and-half. Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

Neville piped up next, "Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch, but the family thought I was all- Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me. He pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned. But nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced, all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here. They thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

Harry frowned, "Stop me if I'm wrong, but isn't that child abuse? Does the wizarding world have any laws against committing child abuse? Surely your Great Uncle Algie would have been in trouble because he could have potentially killed you."

At their blank looks, he groaned.

He spoke, "Alright, my turn. Remember I spoke about living with a foster family? We live in America, but my family was originally from Greece. I'm actually the only boy there, but I have many sisters."

Everyone was a bit fascinated, then he let the next person take over. Eventually, there was a lull in the conversation, and he was slowly starting to get drowsy. He looked up at the High Table spotting Professor McGonagall talking to Headmaster Dumbledore.

He spotted a nervous-looking man in a turban, talking to another man, with greasy black hair. Harry nudged Percy Weasley, "Hey Percy, could you tell me who the professors are? Professor McGonagall introduced herself earlier, and Headmaster Dumbledore took me to Diagon Alley."

The prefect pointed, "The one with the turban is Professor Quirrell, the one he is talking to, is Professor Snape. Quirrell is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and Snape teaches Potions. He is also the Head of Slytherin House. Just a heads up though, he hates all Gryffindors on principle, and he can and will take away points for any trumped up reason. So my advice is, don't tick him off. That means, no protesting his deductions, no matter how 'unfair' it is. He will only use that as an excuse to take away more."

After finishing his talk with Quirrell, Snape made eye-contact with Harry, and something happened. Harry internally thanked Lady Hecate for warning him against mind-readers, and helping him shield his mind. The hook-nosed teacher flinched very slightly, as his Legilimency probe crashed into a barrier. Harry's emerald and silver eyes narrowed at Snape, and the faculty member shuddered slightly.

After a while, the food disappeared and Dumbledore stood up, "Ahem, just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. Finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

A few students laughed nervously, but Harry was incredulous. This so-called warning was as suicidal as a Child of the Big Three using a mobile phone outside Camp Half-Blood. This was pretty much a death sentence.

Percy was puzzled, "That's odd, he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere. The forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

Back at the head table, Dumbledore led everyone through the school song. Harry cringed a little, as he was sure that Apollo and his children would have killed the song with fire.

Once everyone was done, the Headmaster gestured for them to head off to bed.

Percy led the exhausted Gryffindors through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. After ambling up more staircases, they came to a sudden halt. Harry spotted a bundle of walking sticks floating in mid-air ahead of them.

Percy stepped forward, and the walking sticks were suddenly flung at him. The prefect dodged before whispering to the students, "Peeves, A poltergeist."

His voice rose sharply, "Peeves! Show yourself! Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

A *pop* answered him, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air. He cackled, "Oooooooh! Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

After the poltergeist made himself scarce, Percy advised, "You want to watch out for Peeves. The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

Percy stopped at the end of a corridor, in front of a portrait of a fat woman in a pink silk dress.

Fanning herself, she lazily asked, "Password?"

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it and found themselves in a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy and a female prefect directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase they found their beds at last. As the train conductor promised, their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas and fell into bed.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7

The next morning, Harry woke up by 6:00AM, as was his habit. He looked around him, and the other boys were still asleep. Ron was snoring away, but no sound came, due to Percy Weasley putting a silencing Charm around everyone's beds.

Harry dressed silently and strapped on his hunting knives and his rings. He even grabbed an emergency stash consisting of a small square of ambrosia and a bottle of nectar, before padding down the stairs. He mentally thanked Hunter Theia for teaching him how to be stealthy.

The demigod snuck out of the portrait and opted to go exploring. Admittedly, he had to dodge caretaker Argus Filch twice, but escaped both times with Filch being none-the-wiser. Eventually, he made his way to a stadium, which he guessed was used for Quidditch.

After a small warm-up, Harry set off at a jog around the entire stadium. Five laps later, he found a stray dummy, so he decided to practice his archery and knife-play. Following a bout of hacking and slashing, and firing arrows, he headed back to the castle. Harry checked his watch and was surprised to learn that only an hour had passed.

As he entered the courtyard, he began to feel a little hungry. So he headed to the Great Hall. Fortunately, there were a handful of students milling around, so he quietly took a seat. He didn't have to wait long until more students began trickling down.

Neville, Dean, Seamus and a couple of Gryffindor First-Year boys sat next to him, with the girls on the other side of the table. Harry raised an eyebrow, "Where's Ron?"

Hermione scowled, "Lazy prat refused to wake up. I told him we would be late for our first day of school."

Harry raised his hands placatingly, "Whoa! Ease up, will you! This is just the first day, and nobody is THAT strict about breakfast."

She glared at him and huffed, and he sighed in response, "Fine… I'll go get him. Give me 10 minutes."

He raced back to the tower, luckily reaching the portrait just as one of the seniors had opened it. He climbed up the stairs and entered the dorm room. Sure enough, Ron was sprawled out in his bed, lying on his stomach and snoring away. This time, the Silencing charms were down, so he got a full blast of the cacophony.

He ignored the din and made his way to Ron's bed. Harry shook the boy, "Oi! Wake up Ron! You're going to miss breakfast!"

There was no response, and Harry tried two more times. After a minute a smirk plastered itself on his face and he said to himself, "Now where do I get some ice?"

Suddenly, there was a *pop* near him. He jumped, nearly whipping out his knives in the process. The demigod spotted a small being, that was two feet tall with spindly arms and legs. The being spoke up in a high squeaky voice, "Greetings Hoggy student! I's being Flopsy. I is a House-elf. Here's being an ice cube that you's wanted"

He smiled as the house-elf, "Thank you Flopsy. It's nice to meet you, and this is perfect! I'll leave you to your duties."

The elf nodded once and popped away. Harry turned back to the snoring Ron with an evil smirk. He called out in a sing-song voice, "Oh Ron! This is my last warning! Wake up!"

The redheaded lump refused to budge and Harry sighed, "I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice."

He grabbed the back of the boy's collar and slipped the ice cube down the back of his pyjamas. Moments later, there was a howl, "BLOODY HELL! THAT'S COLD!"

Ron got up and glared at a laughing Harry. The black-haired boy composed himself, "I'm not apologising. You were not waking up, no matter what I tried. I got desperate. Now, get your butt to the showers, we're waiting downstairs for you, so that we can have breakfast together."

Ron grumbled, "Fine, fine! I'm coming."

Just as Harry left the room to give Ron some privacy, two pairs of hands grabbed him. He spun around, ready to defend himself, when he spotted the red-headed twins grinning at him. One spoke, "Hello, ickle Harrykins. I must say, that was a neat trick in waking up Ronnie boy. I'm Fred, that is my less handsome brother, George. Georgie? Why didn't we ever think of that?"

Harry shrugged, "Does he always oversleep?"

The two nodded with mad grins on their faces. Harry's own face split into a grin, "Excellent… I guess it's up to me to break him from that bad habit."

They left, and two minutes later, Ron emerged and the two of them headed to the Great Hall. Hermione spotted the two and waved them over, "There you two are! Come on! Hurry up and eat! We'll be late for class!"

Annoyed, Ron was about to retort, when Harry cut him off. He sarcastically quipped, "Umm… I missed the part where you decided to become my mum. Lighten up, will you? It's only the first day."

She glared at him.

He fixed her with his piercing emerald and silver eyes, "I understand that we're in a school and that you are eager to study. However, you have heard the phrase 'All work and no play', right?"

Hermione snapped, "That's just a myth invented by lazy people!"

He shrugged, "Suit yourself"

They ate in silence for a bit, then, Professor McGonagall came over and handed them their schedules. Fortunately, that day was a day off for them, and they were free to explore the castle, except for the Third Floor corridor.

---

Before long, everyone split up to do their own thing. Harry suddenly remembered his promise to the Sorting Hat. He trotted over to the nearest student and asked where the Headmaster's Office was. When they asked why, he simply said that he wanted to talk to him about some personal matters.

Professor Dumbledore was in his office, writing some letters, when he saw Harry step in. He smiled, "Hello Harry, may I call you Harry?"

"Only in an informal setting, sir. I'd rather you not be accused of favouritism. I was actually wondering if I could talk to the Sorting Hat. He and I were having a rather interesting conversation."

The Headmaster got up and retrieved the Hat. Once again, a tear appeared on it, forming a mouth. It spoke, "Hello again, Mr. Potter. I see that you have returned. Hello Albus… prepare for the surprise of your life. Harry Potter is the first demigod wizard since the Founders of Hogwarts."

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "You mean, the Founders were demigods too?"

"Aye… Godric was the son of Zeus, long before the Big 3 Pact. Helga was a daughter of Demeter. Rowena was a child of Athena, and Salazar was the son of Hecate."

Albus asked, "What is the Big 3 Pact?"

"Ahh… That is quite a story. You see, any child of the eldest three Gods, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, are the most powerful ones. Their existence alone, has helped shape many major world events. You remember the Second World War? It was basically a conflict with the children of Zeus and Poseidon, fighting the children of Hades. Of course, that pesky upstart, Grindelwald, took advantage of the conflict, to start his own war. After the War ended, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades swore a Pact on the River Styx to never sire any children. Now, swearing on the Styx is a very serious vow, and breaking it has massive repercussions."

Dumbledore asked, "Why did they swear it?"

"There was a prophecy. It goes like this,

'A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap

A single choice shall end his days.

Olympus to preserve or raze.'"

The Hat continued, "Anyway, Godric was actually safe, because the pact was made long after his birth. However, Salazar was partly jealous of the other three. This was because Hecate is considered a minor goddess, compared to the likes of Zeus, Demeter and Athena. In the main Olympian Council, all three of them have a seat, but Hecate did not. This was one of the biggest reasons behind the Founders' fallout. The whole Muggle-born vs Pure Blood drivel was mostly a minor reason behind it. Salazar was mostly afraid that the muggle parents would try to kill their children to purge them of magic."

Dumbledore was gobsmacked, "Incredible! This will turn the entire Wizarding World on its head! Is there proof of this though?"

The Hat hummed, "Last I heard, Salazar kept everything recorded in a journal hidden in his precious Chamber."

"Thank you, you have been most helpful."

Dumbledore turned back to Harry, "Now, I suggest you run along now"

---

After Harry left the office, he came across a thin woman wearing thick round glasses. She was draped in a gauzy shawl, and wore bangles covered with shining sequins and glittering strings of beads.

She spoke up in an ethereal voice, "Hello young child, I am Professor Trelawney. I teach Divination from third year and above as an elective course."

Suddenly she froze stiff as a board. Her mouth opened and a green mist emerged from it, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. She spoke:

"A stone of power, bathed in red.

An evil in another ' s head.

Two chosen foes will clash once more

Deep within the house of four.

Reflected is your true desire

Past might and wit and arcane fire.

A Lord of darkness, seeking life

Wishing pain and toil and strife,

Will yield to none and grasp his goal

And know new power in his soul. "

With that, the mist dissipated and she slumped forward. Luckily, Harry caught her before she fell. Half-dragging the unconscious woman, Harry called out for help. Just then, an older Ravenclaw girl with blonde hair and a prefect badge came running out to help him. She introduced herself as Penelope Clearwater as she and Harry half-carried Trelawney.

Eventually, they reached the Hospital Wing, and Harry was introduced to Healer Madam Pomfrey. Penelope explained that Harry found Professor Trelawney unconscious. This prompted a few disapproving clucks from the matron. She grumbled, "This woman probably had far too much fire whiskey. It is only the first day"

Eventually, the prefect left, and Harry half stumbled back to Gryffindor Tower. When he reached, he pulled out a notebook and wrote down the prophecy in Ancient Greek.

Afterwards, he decided not to dwell on it and went to find Hermione. He did promise to teach her Ancient Greek after all. Apparently, she was a very fast learner. In just the span of a few hours, she was able to write fluently.

On the second day of school, classes officially began. Just before he started his day, Harry told Professor McGonagall about his dyslexia and preference for writing in Ancient Greek. Since she was also aware of his heritage, she approved of his plan to have Hermione translate for him.

Classes were fairly alright, but History of Magic was a nightmare, especially for a child with ADHD. Herbology was a nice class and something he was fairly alright at, considering how much time he spent in the wilds with the Hunters. Charms was fun, as Professor Flitwick was an excitable little man. Deputy Headmistress McGonagall was hard, but fair. If Harry didn't know any better, she was either Athena in disguise or one of her Legacies.

The less said about Professor Quirrell's Defence Against the Dark Arts class, the better. In a nutshell, it was an absolute joke. When Harry first stepped inside the classroom, his senses were filled to the brim with the stench of garlic. Rumours among the seniors, was that the garlic was supposed to ward off vampires.

Having fought a couple of empousai in his youth, Harry was a bit suspicious of that statement. However, he figured that the vampires in the wizarding world were different. The stuttering man also dodged several questions about how he fought off the various dark creatures.

That Friday, he asked Dean Thomas, "What have we got today?"

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," came the reply. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. Rumor has it that he always favors them - we'll be able to see if it's true."

Percy's voice interrupted then, "Yes, I need to talk to you lot, about him. Whatever you do, do not antagonise him. Even if you feel that he is favouring Slytherin, DO. NOT. CALL. HIM. OUT. ON. IT. You will only make it worse for your house."

---

An hour later, Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors trooped down to the dungeons. A minute later, the greasy-haired man from the Opening Feast stalked in, with his black robes billowing.

Just like with Professor Flitwick, Snape started with the attendance. He paused at Harry's name and drawled condescendingly, "Ah, Yes… Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously and refused to rise to the bait. Snape continued the roll call before putting down the register.

He paced back and forth, "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect that you will really understand the beauty of a softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. That is, if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Harry was now sure that if Athena had heard him, she would have flogged him on the spot. His mum would have done a lot worse.

Suddenly he barked, "Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air, but Harry ignored her. He spoke clearly, "In addition to sloth brain and Sopophorous bean juice, you will get a powerful sleeping potion called Draught of Living Death, sir."

Snape froze slightly, before muttering, "Beginner's Luck."

Out loud, he ordered, "If I told you to find me a bezoar, where would I find it?"

"If it is unavailable in this laboratory, you can buy it in any Apothecary. Aside from that they can be found in the stomach of any farm animal like a cow, sheep, pig, horse or a goat. However, it is believed that the bezoars found in goats' stomachs are far more potent in saving people from poisons and poorly-brewed potions. Especially when compared to any other domesticated animal, sir."

One eyebrow was raised, "Finally, what is the difference between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

Harry was ready once again, "It depends on the location, sir. They are essentially the same plant. Though, in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, it is called Wolfsbane. Meanwhile in Africa, Asia and Australia, it is known as Monkshood. However, in North and South America, it is known by the name, Aconite, sir."

This time, both of Snape's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. The rest of the class, gaped at him, with their jaws dropped. Even Hermione was staring in disbelief. The professor studied Harry for a few seconds, before saying, "It seems that there is some hope for you after all… Sit down."

He agonised a little while longer before gritting out, "Five points to Gryffindor."

Snape looked at everyone else, "Well… why aren't you all copying that down?"

Everyone scrambled for their parchments, but Harry got a head-start on them. The lesson continued, with Snape dividing everybody into pairs. Hermione stuck by Harry, with Ron partnering Neville next to him. Harry looked at her and she understood his message. Together, they walked up to Snape.

Harry spoke softly, "Professor, I just wanted to forewarn you. I have been diagnosed with dyslexia, so English will be difficult for me to read. I have found that I can understand Latin, but Ancient Greek is one of my strengths. It is alright if I submit my essays and writings in that language?"

He fixed his black beady eyes on them, "You may… I am assuming, Granger will be assisting you? However, I must insist that the work be accurate. I want Granger to translate word for word. I do not want her to make any corrections for you. Just so you know, Astronomy Professor Sinistra is able to read Ancient Greek. So I will be getting her assistance while grading. You two may return to your station."

The two of them nodded, "Yes, sir."

The very first potion they brewed was a Cure for Boils potion. Both Harry and Hermione worked meticulously during the class. He copied down the notes in Greek and handed it to her for review. After making her own notes, she gave a gentle tap on his parchment with her wand and murmured a spell. Slowly, the words began to glaze over Harry's head and he was getting a bit of a headache.

When the practical segment of the class began, he fidgeted a little, when Hermione took her turn to brew the potion. Harry idly looked around the dungeon room. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Neville about to add some porcupine quills while it was still on the fire. He reacted quickly and smacked the hand away, mouthing, 'cauldron off the fire, first.'

The pudgy boy blushed before obeying Harry. Eventually, he and Hermione bottled their potion before presenting it. They both handed in their papers and Snape reviewed it. He grunted, "This work was… satisfactory. You may go."

---

At lunch time, Hedwig came swooping in with a letter clutched in her talons. Harry opened it and saw an untidy scrawl, which was murder to his dyslexic eyes. He turned to see Ron next to him, messily eating his own lunch. He tapped his shoulder, "Hey mate, can you do me a favour? I can't really read this, it's a bit messy."

Ron grinned at him and read out, "Dear Harry,

I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send an answer back with Hedwig.

Hagrid."

Harry grabbed a quill and penned his reply.

At 3PM, Harry and Ron found themselves in front of a ramshackle wooden hut. Resting by the front door, was a crossbow and a pair of galoshes. Harry grabbed the door handle and knocked thrice. He was soon answered by frantic scrabbling and booming barks. Then, Hagrid's voice ordered, "Back, Fang! Back!"

Eventually, he let them in, while he kept a firm grip on the collar of an excitable boarhound. Once the door closed, Hagrid let go and the dog made a beeline for Harry. The giant man beamed, "Oh I say! He likes ya! Usually takes a while fer him to warm up to strangers."

Then he got a good look at Ron, "Yet another Weasley, eh? I hope yer not as much trouble as those twins. Spent half me life chasing them away from the Forbidden Forest."

As their talk progressed, it became clear that Hagrid had a very low opinion on caretaker Argus Filch, and a lower one on Mrs Norris. He was also impressed that Harry managed to earn five points from Snape.

Then, the subject turned to one of Ron's older siblings. Meanwhile, Harry's wandering eyes spotted that day's edition of the Daily Prophet. He interrupted, "Hey Hagrid? Ron? What's this about a break-in at Gringotts?"

Ron perked up, "Yeah! I heard about that too! According to the goblins, the vault was empty before the break in! Good thing too!"

Hagrid chuckled a little nervously, "Heh, heh… Good thing too!"

(Huge shoutout to beaujakson on Reddit for the prophecy)

Chapter 8: Chapter 8

During the get-together in Hagrid's hut, the large man revealed that he knew Harry's birth parents. He wrote to him because he figured that Harry would want to hear some stories about them during their school days. It was there that Harry learned that his parents didn't actually get along at first. His father, James initially pined after Lily, who refused to give him the time of day.

He also learned that his father was a big prankster, along with his three friends. The game-keeper also revealed that close to his sixth year, something happened that made his father mature a lot and for Lily to begin respecting him. When pressed though, Hagrid declared that it wasn't his place to say what had happened. Thanking the man and giving one last pet to Fang, Harry and Ron left the hut and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Unfortunately, Harry did not get time to dwell on Hagrid's earlier suspicious behaviour. In fact, a lot happened in the next two weeks since his little tea party with Hagrid. Now, he was standing on the Training Grounds with the other Gryffindors for their Flying Class.

This was a class that all four houses had together, as opposed to just two houses. The class was also the first practical class, after four theory-based classes. In those lectures, Madam Hooch talked extensively about wind patterns, broom care, the various broom-maker companies, and other subjects. Finally, in last weekend's class, she talked about Quidditch and the four main positions in the sport. Now, she would be testing them to see if they could actually summon a broom and fly without being a hazard in the air.

Harry uttered a silent prayer to Zeus to not strike him out of the sky, while in his domain. While he was sure that the King of the Gods had no beef with him, it didn't hurt to be on the safe side. After the prayer, he spotted the Gryffindor Quidditch team in the background, observing himself and his fellow housemates. He cast his mind back to a week ago when there was major drama, which prompted this unusual situation.

Flashback

Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking back after a gruelling day of classes. They gave the password and the Fat Lady let them through, as expected. However, raised voices greeted the trio as soon as the portrait swung open. As they crawled through, the voices got louder and clearer. A feminine voice snapped, "Get your filthy paws off me, McLaggen! We are not a thing, so get that delusion out of your head. First and foremost, you're a creep! Secondly, I'm not interested."

A smarmy voice replied back, "Come on Bell! I'm a freaking Seeker, you should be honoured that you're my first conquest."

Harry stiffened when he heard those words and his blood boiled. He hurried through the passage, when he heard a ripping sound and a scream, "Get away from me, you pervert!"

Harry burst into the Common Room with his wand raised and the Knockback Jinx on his lips. He bellowed, "Flipendo!"

On cue, the boy, Cormac McLaggen was sent flying back and was knocked unconscious when his head hit the couch. Harry also noticed, to his disgust, that McLaggen's trousers were down. Meanwhile, the girl, Katie Bell, was cowering in a corner and desperately trying to cover up her bra-covered breasts. There was no one else in the Common Room, so he guessed that McLaggen got bold in his advances. Harry shed his own robe and tossed it to her, never taking his eyes of the unconscious McLaggen. He kicked Ron in the shin, as he was staring at Katie. Harry ordered, "Ron, get your brother, Percy. Hermione, get Professor McGonagall, I'll deal with this piece of filth."

The two darted back out of the room, leaving Harry alone with the two seniors. Still watching the boy, he spoke casually, "Are you decent, Katie?"

A small 'yes' answered him. Finally, he turned to her, "Are you okay?"

She hesitantly nodded,

He raised his hands placatingly, "It's okay… I'm right here… I can see that you need reassurance, but I won't move unless you want me to. Do you want to wait for Hermione? Or do you want one of your year mates?"

She thought about it and whispered, "It's okay… I…I… I trust you, you saved me."

He approached her very slowly and then sat down in front of her, at a respectable distance. He spoke, "Has McLaggen been bothering you much?"

Katie shuddered, "I knew he was a creep, but I underestimated how much of a pervert he was. The wanker has it in his head that since he was the House Seeker, it gave him the freedom to bed any girl he wanted. Honestly speaking, Oliver never wanted him anywhere near the team, but McLaggen was the only one who applied for Seeker. Since I only just joined as the new Chaser, he obviously saw me as an easy target."

Just then, there was a groan, and Harry's wand flew into his hand again. McLaggen moaned, "What the bloody hell happened. I feel like I was hit by a cow."

Then he spotted Harry moving in front of Katie in a protective manner. The Second-Year snapped, "Oi Potter! Stay away from my girl! I haven't even had a taste of my property."

Harry's green and silver eyes narrowed dangerously, "Your… Property? Is that all she is to you?"

"What's it to you? Get your own bird! Bell's just begging for me to deflow-"

He was cut off when Harry flicked his wand and Cormac McLaggen was replaced by a surprised-looking jackalope. Artemis had taught him how to turn people into jackalopes when he was four years old. It was also around the same time that she taught him about how to treat a woman.

Just then, Professor McGonagall's voice sounded, "What is going on here!?"

Harry undid the spell, returning a sputtering McLaggen back to human form. Katie slowly stood and shakily replied, "P-P-Professor… I was just in the Common Room minding my own business when McLaggen accosted me. He-he had p-plans to take my v-virginity. Then, Harry and his two friends came in and saved me."

McGonagall's lips thinned and her eyes were murderously trained on a cowering McLaggen. He blustered, "Professor! She's lying! She came onto me! She-"

The deputy headmistress raised a hand and looked at his downed trousers in disgust, "Mr. McLaggen… judging by your state of undress, as well as multiple witnesses, I am more inclined to believe Ms Bell. Come with me, we are going to see the Headmaster about this. Also, please do up your trousers, we are in front of decent company, after all."

Later that evening at dinner time, Dumbledore stood up with his face grave. He spoke, "My dear students, it is with deep regret that I must announce that Second-Year Gryffindor student Cormac McLaggen has been officially expelled from Hogwarts. It seems that he was caught red-handed, attempting to have his way with a female student, who shall remain anonymous, without their consent. As such, I am deducting 500 points from Gryffindor for his despicable actions."

The entire Great Hall was left in stunned silence. He continued, "Now, it has come to my attention that Mr. McLaggen's expulsion means that the Gryffindor Quidditch team is without a Seeker. As per my discretion and the approval of the other heads of House, I am allowing the team to use the upcoming First Year Flying Class practical session to scout for a potential Seeker."

That got Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus and fellow Gryffindor Kevin Farrell to whisper excitedly. Even the likes of Faye Dunbar and Robyn Thistlethwaite looked interested.

Flashback Over

Harry glanced at a nervous Neville and pat his back gently. He murmured, "Relax Nev, nothing's going to happen. Also, I'd suggest you keep an eye on that Remembrall thing that you got this morning."

Harry had to fight down a snicker when he remembered that scene. The Remembrall came at breakfast time, and it glowed red as soon as Neville touched it. The boy agonised over what he had forgotten, before Harry put him out of his misery, "You're still in your pyjamas, mate."

The boy took off back to the dorm at a speed that could rival the most determined satyr on Enchilada Day. Coming back to the present, Madam Hooch finished pacing back and forth. She lectured, "Welcome to your first practical Flying class. I am sure that many of you are excited for this. Gryffindor House, you may have noticed your Quidditch team are also in attendance. As per the Headmaster's announcement, they will scout one of you as the starting Seeker. The chosen student will be exempt from the No Broomstick rule, but I am warning you, do not be reckless and make me regret this decision. Now… Every student hold out your hand over the broom by your side and say 'Up'! Remember, be firm in your command."

He held out his right hand and firmly ordered, "Up!". With no hesitation, the broom jumped into his hand. Along with him, several other students were either successful or had mixed results. As everyone began mounting their brooms, one of the Chasers, Alicia Spinnet, passed a roll of parchment around the Gryffindor contingent. Harry signed his name and also saw Dean, Seamus, Kevin, Faye and Robyn sign up as well.

Just then, he heard a cry of alarm, and everyone watched horror-stricken as a terrified Neville Longbottom shot off the ground like a bullet. The boy swerved to and fro out of control, prompting Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson to fly out and try to get him under control. After a harrowing five minutes, Neville was back on solid ground and completely unscathed. However, Madam Hooch was not taking any chances and marched him off to the Hospital Wing. Before she did so, she ordered the team to ensure that there was no tomfoolery.

---

After she left, the team helped carry out the rest of the lesson and soon the rest of the class were hovering on their brooms. Just then, Oliver Wood noticed one of the Slytherins pick up something off the ground. He pointed to him, "Oi! You there! Malfoy, was it? What's that in your hand?"

Malfoy had a deer in headlights moment briefly before drawling, "It's Longbottom's Remembrall. The fat lump must have dropped it earlier."

Oliver held out his hand, "Okay… hand it over. It's not yours."

He didn't budge, "And if I say no?"

"Give it! Or else I'm deducting points from Slytherin!"

Malfoy blustered, "Y-You can't do that! You're not a prefect!"

Oliver Wood smirked, "News flash, Quidditch captains have almost the same authority as prefects. Now, I won't ask a second time, Hand. It. Over."

Malfoy agonised over it for a second or two before sullenly flying over and giving him the Remembrall. Oliver observed the ball in his hand, before an idea struck him. He called over his shoulder, "Oi! Johnson! Come here a sec."

The dark-skinned Chaser walked over, "What is it captain?"

He turned the Remembrall over in his hand and spoke quietly, "I reckon its about the same size as the snitch. I was thinking that one of you Chasers hold the Remembrall and try to simulate the Golden Snitch's movement."

Her eyes lit up, "Great idea! I think Bell's best suited for this. Since she's the youngest of us three, she is a lot more nimble in her movements. However, I suggest that we let the recruits borrow one of our own brooms. I don't trust the ones that they are currently using. Especially not after what happened to Longbottom."

"Okay- Oi! George! Get your arse over here!"

George Weasley flew over with a grin, "Yes? O captain, my captain?"

"Get off the broom, we're going to let the Firsties borrow it for a small drill that Angie and I cooked up."

George hopped off and handed the broom to Oliver. He then outlined the plan to Katie before calling out, "Thomas! Finnegan! Potter! Farrell! Thistlethwaite! Dunbar! Front and center!"

The six students came forward immediately and lined up. He looked at them, "Alright rookies! Here's what's going to happen. We're going to run a Snitch-catching drill. For logistical reasons, we can't use the real Snitch. So, Katie here, will use this Remembrall to simulate the Snitch's movement. Your objective is to try and get the Remembrall from her in the fastest time possible. Oh! And one more thing… No knocking into her. I don't want my players injured. Katie herself won't put up any resistance, aside from trying to dodge you."

One by one, the six of them mounted George Weasley's Cleansweep Five and had a go at chasing Katie. Dean, Robyn and Kevin were the among the fastest, with Robyn and Kevin breaking the 1:00 barrier. In fact, Robyn snatched the ball in 50 seconds. Then, Harry took the Cleansweep Five in his hands. What followed next, was an intense game of cat and mouse, which ended when he snatched the Remembrall in 30 seconds.

When he flew down, he saw dropped jaws from his year-mates. Meanwhile, Oliver Wood looked like he had just orgasmed on the spot. He could be heard muttering, "He's the one… He's the one… We're going to win this…"

He broke out of his trance and pounced on Harry. He babbled, "Bloody Nora! Where have you been all my life! You're the missing piece of the puzzle! Welcome to the team!"

He paused, before turning to Robyn, "Oh… and Thistlethwaite… I'd like you to be the reserve Seeker. You've got potential."

The Anglo-Asian girl nodded in response, before squealing in glee. Harry walked back, almost robotically, receiving handshakes and pats on the back from his classmates.

---

A few days later, in the Common Room, Harry spotted Katie sitting on a couch and made a beeline for her. He plopped down next to her, making sure to leave some space in between them. She looked up and grinned at him, "Well hello, my knight in shining armor!"

He grinned back before his face grew serious, "Hey Katie! I…er wanted to know how you were holding up, especially after all that happened. I can't say that I know how you feel, but in my foster family, I got to know a fair number of people who were almost in the same situation."

She sighed, "I'm… getting better I guess. All I know is, getting a boyfriend is bloody overrated. I've been in regular contact with Madam Pomfrey, who is also a qualified Mind Healer. I mean, she's like a psychiatrist, as the Muggles put it."

Then he had an idea, "Hey Katie, I need to talk to you about something really important. Is there anywhere private, where we can talk?"

"Yeah, I think there are a few unused classrooms."

They both left the Common Room and went to a nearby classroom. She leaned against an empty table and folded her arms, "So, what's up."

"I have a pretty big secret. Nobody else knows about this other than Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall."

Following a lengthy explanation, Katie Bell's head was close to spinning, "So… let me get this straight. The Greek gods are real? You are not just the son of Lily and James Potter, but also the son of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt."

"Yes."

"And there is a whole camp for these… demigods?"

"Yes"

"So, every time you refer to summer camp, you are talking about this 'Camp Half-Blood'?"

"That's right"

"And this foster family you keep talking about, is an all-female group who follow the goddess Artemis?"

"Yup"

"Now, you're asking me if I am interested in joining this Hunt?"

"Basically… However, there are pros and cons. Pros are, you will gain eternal youth. According to what big sister Zoe told me, you'll pretty much stop aging after you turn 18. The cons are, that you can still be killed during combat or poison, or something like that. Additionally, the Hunters are forbidden from falling in love. So, I'd understand if that is a deal-breaker for you. I was also a little worried about what your folks would think"

She snorted, "Like I said, getting a boyfriend is overrated. After what that wanker almost did to me, I'm not interested in guys at all, also, I don't swing the other way. So I guess that means, I accept!"

He was taken aback, "Just like that? Honestly, I was still sort of debating about recruiting you or not. This is because, I didn't know if your family would approve. Remember, this is still dangerous, and the demigod world is full of monsters and creatures from the Ancient Greek world."

She held up a hand to stop him, "I appreciate the concern, Harry. However, I'm an orphan. Like you, a lot of us lost our parents to the Wizarding War. I was two years old when my parents were murdered by Death Eaters in a raid. I don't have any more family, and since then, I've been moving around through different orphanages. Kept getting pulled out because of my accidental magic."

Harry nodded before he stood up and took out his wand, "According to my mother's lieutenant, Zoe, as my mother's son, I kind of have the authority to issue and accept the oath. Now, repeat after me, 'I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.'"

She also fished out her wand and repeated the oath. As soon as she was done, Harry said, "As the son of Artemis, Goddess of hunt, archery, wilderness, forests, the Moon, radiance, maidenhood, and childbirth, I hereby accept your oath."

With a flash of light from both their wands, the oath was sealed. He pocketed his wand and unexpectedly hugged the surprised girl, "Welcome to the Hunt… sister."

As she broke the hug, she mused, "You know, now there are so many things that make so much sense now. I've heard Lavender and Parvati gossiping about how you are 'scarily accurate' when it comes to casting spells. Also, I guess being raised by the Goddess Artemis makes you a lot more sensitive to how women and girls are treated. You've been taught to use a bow and arrow, I'm assuming?"

He snorted, "I can rival most of the Apollo cabin in archery. I'm also pretty good at knives and daggers. I still suck at regular swords though."

"Quick question... Will they accept me into the ranks? I am a witch, after all."

"Actually, the Hunt recruits girls from different backgrounds. We don't just have demigods, but nymphs, mortals and many others. You might be the first witch, but you will be welcomed. Also, if we're being really technical, witches and wizards are somewhat considered as demigods because the Goddess Hecate blessed our world with magic. Before Hogwarts, she taught me a little about magic. Apparently, she created the Magical world because she was bored and wanted to have her own group of followers."

Katie's eyes widened, "Wow! I think my mind has been blown!"

Harry's face grew serious, "She also warned me to keep my true lineage a secret. I can only tell people who I trust, and now, you are one of them. According to Lady Hecate, the Magical world is not ready to learn of the existence of gods. Can you imagine what it would be like?"

She shivered, "I'd imagine all these pure-bloods would be a lot more insufferable. They'd probably strut around proclaiming that everyone should bow before them. The anti-muggle-born sentiment will also go through the roof!"

He replied, "My thoughts exactly, which is why we have to keep my lineage a secret. One last thing, I'm probably going to start training you to use weapons to fight. It's your duty as a Hunter."

Katie nodded, "Understood!"

Chapter 9

One day, Harry walked into the Transfiguration classroom, ready for the first lecture of the day. Inside, he was the only one in class, except for a tabby cat perched on the professor's table. He approached the cat and gently stroked its head. Glancing around carefully, he softly mewed to the cat, "Who's pet are you? The only cat I know around here is Mrs. Norris. I hardly think any of the other students would have left their cat here."

Suddenly, he heard the startled cat yowl back, "Mr. Potter! I didn't know you could talk to animals!"

Then it was his turn to be surprised, "Professor McGonagall?! I didn't know you could turn into a cat!"

She straightened up, "All shall be explained when your classmates arrive. I assume your ability to talk to animals is a trait from your Godly parent?"

He shrugged, "Among others. Don't worry professor, I won't spoil the surprise. By the way, I wanted to ask, can I trust Madam Pomfrey with my secret? The thing is, when demigods are tired or injured, they usually have items like ambrosia and nectar. We call it food and drink of the gods. Only demigods can have it because of its healing properties, but not too much. Mortals are forbidden because it could incinerate them. Today I barely prevented Ron Weasley from eating a whole lunchbox's worth of ambrosia when he raided my suitcase. I was hoping to keep the ambrosia and nectar with Madam Pomfrey in case of emergencies."

She nodded, "Madam Pomfrey is bound by her Healer's Oath to not reveal any medical secrets. I think it is safe to keep your supplies with her. Also, I appreciate you saving your friend's life."

He nodded and took a seat, and eventually, the rest of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs entered. Ron flopped down next to Harry with a sulky expression. He groused, "I still don't get why you didn't let me have those brownies."

Harry glared fiercely, causing the redhead to flinch, "First and foremost, who gave you permission to go through MY luggage and take my stuff without my knowledge! Secondly, those were not brownies. It is a kind of medicinal food from my foster family."

Ron's ear glowed red in embarrassment, "Sorry Harry. I didn't want to steal. I was just so hungry, so I got desperate."

Harry glowered a little, "I forgive you. For now. Don't even think about going through my things without my permission. Or I swear to Hades, I will turn you into a jackalope and set you loose in the Forbidden Forest."

His companion shuddered, those eyes were bloody scary. He had no doubt that Harry could carry out his threat. Changing the subject, he asked, "Hey Harry, where's the professor?"

He shrugged, "She'll probably be along, shortly."

No sooner had he said that, the cat on the table leaped off. In mid-jump, the cat transformed into Professor McGonagall. Naturally, everyone exclaimed in wonder and excitement. Hermione's hand shot up immediately and blurted, "Wow Professor! How did you do that? Can we do it too? What books should read to do it? Do we-"

Next to her, Susan clamped the excitable bookworm's mouth. McGonagall chuckled, "My dear Miss Granger. Do take a breath."

Then her expression grew a little stern, "Also, I would appreciate it if you allowed others a chance to ask questions and answer them. This is actually a request from all the professors. We at Hogwarts wish to see all of our students grow and answer questions. They cannot do that if one student keeps denying them that chance."

The girl turned crimson in embarrassment. McGonagall continued, "As for your questions, I am an Animagus. Yes, you all can do it too-"

She raised a hand to forestall any questions, "However! This will only be taught to you when you are much older. As First-Year students, your magical cores are still developing. An Animagus transformation demands a fairly high and stable magical core. If I'm not mistaken, your cores will be strong enough by the time you are in Fourth Year."

She addressed the class, "Does anyone else have any questions about Animagi?"

A Hufflepuff boy raised his hand, "Yes, Mr Caplan?"

"So, can we all turn into cats?"

The woman's lips twitched, "Actually, you can turn into any animal that you want. However, you are only limited to one animal."

Dean raised his hand, "Professor, if we can turn into any animal, how do we know that our own pets are not Animagi."

She smiled, "Now that… is an excellent question, Mr. Thomas. As for your answer, any Animagi have to register themselves and their Animagus form in the Ministry. Of course, there may be rare cases of un-registered Animagi, but that is what the Aurors are for. As for your 'pets' question, let's conduct a small experiment. Why don't some of you bring your pets, just to satisfy your own curiosity."

Before long, Harry returned with Hedwig nuzzling him. Neville walked in with a surprisingly docile Trevor. Harry did notice that Trevor was a little damp, which explained why he was not trying his Houdini act. Ron also came in, carrying an asleep Scabbers. Ron asked, "Should I wake Scabbers up, professor?"

She waved him off, "That won't be necessary, Mr. Weasley."

With that, she began casting a spell on each pet. As expected, there was no change with them. Even Hedwig turned out to be a normal bird, to Harry's relief. He did not need to know whether one of the Athena campers could turn into an owl. Then, the spell washed over Scabbers, and things changed for the dramatic.

A bright glow enveloped the rat and suddenly transformed into a short, portly man with grubby skin, small watery eyes, and a pointed nose. McGonagall was stunned for a second, and the now-awake man took that chance to scramble away. However, her wand flew and she quickly cast a Full-Body-Bind and an Incarcerous Spell. Both hit their target, resulting in the man freezing in place and ropes wrapping around him.

Breathing heavily, she clutched at her table and placed a hand on her heart. Her eyes wandered over the stunned class before she spotted her target. She said, "Miss Bones, Could you please head over to my office and use the Floo to call your aunt?"

Susan scampered out immediately, while McGonagall sent Lavender and Hannah to fetch Percy and the twins. She also sent Seamus to fetch Professor Dumbledore. Meanwhile, Ron looked like he was going to be sick. He raced over to the window and dry-heaved as Harry rubbed his back. The redhead whimpered in shock "Bloody hell! And to think that he shared my bed for years!"

There was a flurry of activity, as Lavender and Hannah returned with a confused Percy and the twins. The next person to enter was a bemused Albus Dumbledore, with Seamus. Finally, Susan came back with an older woman who shared her copper-red hair. The woman wore all black robes and had a monocle on one eye. Along with her were a few aurors, and they all had a look at the bound man.

The woman turned to McGonagall, "What happened here?"

The professor responded, "We were just having a class when this happened. I had just shown them my Animagus form, and they asked all sorts of questions. One of the students asked whether their own pets could be Animagi. One thing led to another, and a rat turned out to be a human being."

"Did the student suspect that the man over there, was an Animagus?"

McGonagall turned to Dean, "Mr. Thomas, did you suspect that somebody's pet was an Animagus?"

The dark-skinned boy shook his head. "No, Ma'am. I just asked because I'm a muggle-born and you had just mentioned that a witch or wizard can take any animal form. So, I was just curious whether people could masquerade as ordinary pets."

The monocled woman nodded, "A perfectly valid question, Mr. Thomas. Thank you for your cooperation. Now, who's pet was this man masquerading as?"

Having recovered, Ron meekly raised his hand. She turned to him, "You're one of Arthur's children?"

He nodded, "Yes Ma'am."

"How long have you had the pet?"

Ron looked at Percy, "Been a long time, Ma'am. I inherited him from my brother, Percy."

Then it was Percy Weasley's turn to be interrogated, "Where and when did you find the rat?"

"It was a month before I was about to go into my First-Year, I found him in the garden in our home. I am currently in my Fifth-Year."

"Five years is an unusually long time for a rat to live. Did that not come off as suspicious?"

"We figured that the rat had some magical properties, contributing to its prolonged life-expectancy."

She nodded, "Understandable. Now, I want to make this very clear, neither you, nor your brother are in any trouble-"

Just then, a voice interrupted her, "Madam Bones!"

It came from Albus Dumbledore, who was busy looking at the bound man. She came over to him and he whispered, "I recognise this man. Its Peter Pettigrew."

Madam Bones looked back at him, startled. She whispered back, "Are you sure? I was under the impression that he died, Black killed him and those 12 Muggles."

"So did I. There is only one way to find out. Would you be opposed to an emergency session in the Wizengamot?"

"Of course not! The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better."

She turned to the aurors and murmured, "Dawlish, the Headmaster suspects that this man is the late Peter Pettigrew. As the Head of the DMLE, I am authorising a full Veritaserum trial. I want you to check the records for the Black trial, just to corroborate any information that may come up in this trial."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Vance, I want you, Jones, Robards and Proudfoot to pop over to Azkaban and fetch Black. Tell him that there has been an interesting and unexpected development in his case. Shacklebolt, I want you and Savage to bring Cornelius, and I just want him alone, not Umbridge. Scrimgeour, Williamson, secure the prisoner, you two are with me."

They all split up, and Madam Bones turned to Dumbledore and McGonagall. She said, "Would it be too much to ask the students to accompany us to the Wizengamot Chambers? They are witnesses, after all. This might also sound selfish, but in the event that somebody tries to run interference, they cannot deny so many witnesses."

The two Heads looked at each other before granting permission. As all the students shuffled out, Harry was confused. He murmured to a Hufflepuff next to him, "What's going on, Chiara?"

The silver-haired witch whispered back, "No idea. But I think they want us present, as witnesses."

Several Floo trips later, everyone gathered in the Wizengamot chambers. As the children sat down in the bleachers, a man with pale blonde hair demanded to know what children were doing there. Madam Bones ignored him and waited for everyone to turn up. The last ones to arrive were a red-headed husband-wife duo. Harry guessed that they were Ron, Fred, George and Percy's parents. Before long, the session began.

A man in a green bowler hat demanded pompously, "Why have you called us here, Madam Bones!"

Madam Bones spoke, "Minister Fudge, earlier today, during a Transfiguration class at Hogwarts, we discovered an illegal Animagus. The accused has been hiding with an unsuspecting family for several years. As the Head of the DMLE, I have authorised a full trial via Veritaserum. Bring the prisoner in!"

The man was brought in, restrained, and had the Full-Body-Bind removed. Madam Bones approached the struggling man and stunned him long enough to take out a potion vial with a clear liquid. Meanwhile in the bleachers, Susan explained to Harry and Hermione that Veritaserum was the strongest truth potion in existence.

Madam Bones trickled three drops into the man's open mouth and he sang like a canary.

She ordered, "What is your name?"

The monotone reply came, "Peter Patrick Pettigrew"

That drew a gasp out of everyone. Hannah muttered, "I thought he was dead, that Sirius Black killed him."

"Are you an Animagus?"

"Yes"

"What form?"

"Common brown rat"

"Why did you fake your death"

"I was scared to feel Sirius' wrath, especially after I betrayed the Potters"

There was another audible gasp in the crowd and Harry stiffened up. Instantly, Hannah and Kevin Farrell grabbed his arms, aiming to restrain him. Somehow, Madam Bones maintained a professional attitude, "What do you mean, you betrayed the Potters? Wasn't Black the Secret-Keeper?"

The answer came, "I convinced him to convince the Potters to switch Secret Keepers. Told him to think of it as an elaborate prank on the Death Eaters. Joke's on him, because I betrayed them and pinned the blame on him."

Harry was growling, this malaka was the reason why his mortal parents died at the hands of a megalomaniac with delusions of immortality.

A visibly disgusted Madam Bones said, "One final question. Do you have the Dark Mark?"

He struggled to answer, before choking out, "Yes"

"No further questions."

After being given the antidote, he was taken away. Madam Bones then called out, "Bring out prisoner #24601 Sirius Black for questioning."

At this, Fudge exploded, "What the devil are you up to, woman! Black is a dangerous criminal-"

She cut him off and fixed him with a dry look, "Really Cornelius? You have just heard that the man who Black supposedly killed is not only still alive, but confirmed himself as the real betrayer of the Potters, and a Death Eater. Don't you want to be known as the Minister who corrected a grave injustice?"

He thought for a few seconds, before he was sold on the idea. Fudge waved a dismissive hand, "Carry on then, Madam Bones."

She repeated the same process with Sirius Black.

"State your name for the record"

"Sirius Orion Black"

"You are here because you stand accused of betraying the Potters. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty"

"Are you a Death Eater?"

"No"

"So you don't have the Dark Mark?"

"I would have preferred to cast the Killing Curse on myself rather than take the Dark Mark and betray the Potters."

"Were you the Secret Keeper for the Potter's location?"

"I was, for a while."

She repeated, "For a while?"

"I switched with Peter Pettigrew."

"Why did this not come up during your earlier trial before you were sent to Azkaban?"

"Never had one."

She froze, and the audience were murmuring to each other. Madam Bones then mused, "I shall have to look into that miscarriage of justice, later on. Describe your confrontation with Peter Pettigrew."

"I went to Peter's house to find him. The house was empty and no sign of a struggle. After finding out about James and Lily, I ensured Harry's safety before going after Peter. I tracked him down and confronted him. He went crazy, shouting that I had betrayed them, he cut off his finger and sent a blasting curse, killing the 12 muggles and hit me with an overpowered Cheering Charm. After that, I assume that he transformed into his Animagus form and escaped to the sewers."

She nodded, "That will be all."

With that, the interrogation was over. After a few minutes, the results were finally in. Sirius was declared innocent, while Pettigrew was carted off to Azkaban.

---

As he waited, Madam Bones walked over, "Just so you know, Harry is here."

He looked at her, eyes shining with hope. Sirius breathed, "He is? Can I see him!"

"First make yourself look presentable. Then I shall take you to him."

A few minutes later, she ushered him into a small room and told him he had five minutes. When he entered, he saw Harry alone in the room, leaning against the wall, waiting for him. Sirius staggered a little before dropping to his knees. He held out his arms, "Harry? Is that you, pup? Merlin's beard! You've grown! I see that you're a Gryffindor, just like me and your mortal parents. Listen, I am so sorry for not taking care of you like I should have. I was too caught up in getting even with the rat for betraying your parents. After I handed you to Hagrid to take you to Dumbledore for safe-keeping, I took off. That slippery little bugger somehow pulled a fast one on me."

Harry gently hugged him and spoke up for the first time, "Mortal parents? I take it you knew of my true parentage? Anyway, I'm so happy you are innocent, Sirius. Although, you had better pray that my mother and the girls don't find out that you prioritised finding Peter over me."

He winced, "Yeah… not my smartest decision. But I was the one who scouted that ritual. I think only me and your Uncle Remus are the only ones who knew. Your father was going to tell Peter on the day that they were attacked. I have to admit, I'm glad he never found out, or he would have promptly scuttled off to his precious Dark Lord."

Harry spoke up, "By the way, do you have a place to live?"

Sirius made a face, "I have an Ancestral Home, but I despise that place."

That was when Harry had a brainwave, "I have an idea! You can stay at Camp! I'll talk to Chiron later"

"Camp? Chiron?"

"Chiron is a centaur and he is best known for training all demigods. If we're being technical, we are all blessed by Hecate. So you should be able to enter Camp Half-Blood. It's a camp for demigods and I've stayed there, whenever I was not living with the Hunters of Artemis. Also, Susan Bones was just telling me horror stories of Azkaban. Zeus knows what on earth those dementors did to you. When you do get there, ask for Lee Fletcher from the Apollo Cabin. He's one of the best healers, though Michael Yew isn't too far off."

At the mention of Zeus, thunder boomed in the sky. Harry winced, before murmuring, "Sorry."

Sirius nodded, "I'll take you up on that. I'd probably go crazy if I keep hearing my dear old mother's portrait screaming about Pureblood ideals."

A minute later, Madam Bones was back and she informed Harry that it was time for him to head back to school.

I really thought of ending the chapter at the Pettigrew reveal. However it would have been way too short, so I included the whole trial scene. I dunno if I've mucked up the trial because its been a while since I've seen the movies or read the books.

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malaka - assh*le

Chapter 10: Chapter 10

With Sirius' freedom, Harry had one more person to exchange letters with. Three days after the drama-filled day, Sirius dropped by with a broomstick-shaped package in his hand. He got Harry alone and whispered, "Congratulations! Youngest Seeker in a century! Your dad would have been boasting to the high heavens by now. Meanwhile, your mum would have been so proud."

He handed Harry the broom, "This is a Nimbus 2000, there are a few extra enchantments added for safety reasons. Trust me on this, you will need it when you play against Slytherin. I remember back in our day, Prongs was thrown off his broom twice in the same match. According to your mum, a few Slytherin students in the stands were using their wands to jinx the broom. I don't know if the attitude has improved or worsened, but its better to be safe than sorry. Lily would haunt me forever if I let anything happen to you."

Harry's eyes were wide, "Uncle Sirius! You didn't have to! This is one of the top notch brooms!"

"Don't be silly, pup! I have 11 years of birthday and Christmas presents to make up for. Also, the protection enchantments were Uncle Remus' idea."

---

Soon, Halloween arrived, and Harry had no idea how to react to this. On that day, there was only one lecture, Charms. Beyond that, everyone was free to do as they pleased, until that night's feast.

There was still a bit of time, because Charms was before lunch. That was when Harry had a brainwave. He approached McGonagall after breakfast, "Professor? I was wondering if I could possibly visit my parents' graves. I wanted to honor them on this day."

The wizened woman had a kind smile on her face, "Of course you can, dear child. I always had mixed feelings about today. Meet me at the castle entrance in 10 minutes, I will also put out a call to Sirius and Remus as well."

Harry nodded and scampered off to get ready. 10 minutes later, he slipped out of the entrance and followed Professor McGonagall. After they left the wards, she told him, "Hold my arm, we are going to Apparate to Godric's Hollow. A fair warning though, it can be a little unpleasant for first-timers."

The next thing he knew, he was being squeezed hard. This feeling was almost like his entire body was being forced through a tight rubber tube. When they landed, he staggered away and began retching in a nearby bush. After recovering, he managed to take in his surroundings. He spotted Sirius and another man with scruffy-looking clothes and a thinning moustache waiting for him.

Sirius gently hugged him, "Hello pup, how are you feeling?"

"I'm having conflicting thoughts. On one hand, I'm sad that mum and dad died on this day because of You-Know-Who. However, I'm a little excited because of the feast. Am I wrong to feel this way?"

Remus knelt and placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. He smile kindly, "I wouldn't blame you in the slightest. I admit, the larger Wizarding populace see this as the day that you defeated You-Know-Who. There are a few who see it as the day a child became orphaned. Take your friend Neville, for example. He was also a target for the Death Eaters. As a result, both of his parents were tortured and are currently residing in St. Mungo's."

He nodded, "Yeah, I thought I saw Neville earlier. He was going somewhere with Professor Sprout and an older woman with a stuffed vulture on her hat."

Sirius replied, "That would be his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. They were probably headed to St. Mungo's to visit his parents. By the way, I thought you should know, Neville's mum is your godmother, while your mum was Neville's godmother. Anyway, here we are, Harry. Welcome to St. Jerome's graveyard."

The quartet stopped in front of two graves, lying side-by-side. Sirius, Remus and McGonagall stepped back to allow Harry to have a moment alone with his parents. The boy knelt and gently traced their names on the headstones.

He whispered, "Mum… Dad… I… Words can't express how much I miss both of you. Sometimes I wish that the Dark Lord never existed, so that I could live happily ever after with you two and mother Artemis. Immediately after the attack, I stayed with her and the Hunters of Artemis. You two would have loved them, though dad may have to be a bit wary around them. They have been the big sisters I never had. They raised me, taught me, loved me, and every time they did, I feel like you two were with me, every step of the way. We finally got Sirius free from Azkaban after he was illegally incarcerated. I hope both of you are in Elysium. I miss you and love you."

With those final words, he placed a kiss on each headstone and stepped back. Remus' gentle arms wrapped around him, "That was beautiful, Harry. I'm sure they love you too. I'm sorry I wasn't around for you during your childhood. I am here now and won't go anywhere."

The next few minutes were spent wandering around Godric's Hollow. In all honesty, it was quite a quaint little village. There was a narrow road with several near-identical cottages lining up on either side of the road. Soon afterwards, McGonagall and Harry Apparated back to Hogwarts and they entered.

---

Argus Filch spotted Harry and eagerly advanced towards him. However, he spotted the Deputy Headmistress at the last moment. She fixed him with a stern glare, "At ease, Mr. Filch. Mr Potter was with me the entire time. I had taken him to visit his parents' graves."

He nodded and backed off. Eventually, Harry trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower. Along the way, he met Neville and guessed that he was back from St. Mungo's. He sidled up to the boy, "Hey Nev, you doing okay? I just got back from Godric's Hollow. Was visiting my parents' graves with Sirius and Remus. They told me that your parents were attacked as well. How are they?"

He sighed, "Still the same, Harry. Not much response from dad, but mum keeps giving me chewing gum wrappers during every visit."

Harry squeezed his shoulder, "Hope they feel better soon, mate."

"Me too, mate. In another life, we could have been like brothers."

Harry shrugged, "Yeah, maybe. I'll settle for being your friend first."

They entered and got their books for Charms class, not noticing some dirty looks thrown at them from Hermione in the Common Room. In the classroom, Professor Flitwick announced that they would be learning the Levitation spell.

Harry partnered Neville and sat down, with Hermione partnering Ron in front of them, a single feather at each table. Harry suddenly got a very bad feeling in his gut, but he ignored it for now. He was making decent progress, but Neville was struggling slightly. Fortunately, he was patient, and was able to help his partner. Together, they got their feather to sputter slightly and hover an inch or two, before it flopped back down. The same could not be said for Ron and Hermione, who were busy bickering. Ron chanted, "Wingardium Leviosa, Wingardium Leviosa! Move you stupid feather."

Hermione stopped him and lectured, "Stop! Stop! You're saying it wrong! It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

Harry winced, that was definitely out of line, and he would not blame Ron for the impending explosion. Surprisingly Ron did not yell, though he did grit out, "You do it then, if you're so clever!"

She rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand and chanted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

On cue, the feather rose up nearly four feet, attracting Professor Flitwick's attention. He praised her and she preened under the attention and shot Ron a smug look. By the end of class, he was steaming mad.

As they exited, she confronted the redhead, "Honestly Ronald! Are you usually this stupid, or do you do this just to annoy me?"

Then she whirled around to face Harry and Neville, her foot was tapping impatiently, "And you two! I overheard Malfoy spreading rumours that you two had stepped out of the castle."

Not giving them time to answer, she continued to rant, "You know that's against the rules, right? What if you two were caught? You could have been expelled! I will not have you two lose all my hard earned house points, just because you wanted to go off gallivanting-"

Harry fought hard to suppress his fury. He spoke in a low voice, "Do you know what the significance of today is?"

"It's Halloween, and the day you defeated You-Know-Who! Don't change the subject! Just because you're the Boy-Who-Lived, doesn't give you leeway to break the rules!"

Now, he lost every ounce of his patience, and he snapped, "If you must know, Neville went to St. Mungo's to visit his parents, and Professor Sprout was with him. Meanwhile, I was in Godric's Hollow because I have never seen my own parents' graves! You all may think of this day as the day I defeated a megalomaniac with a god complex. However, I think of it as the annual reminder of the day I became an orphan! SO DO EXCUSE ME FOR WANTING TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MY PARENTS ON THEIR DEATH ANNIVERSARY! And for the record, Professor McGonagall was with me the entire time."

His voice grew louder as his rant continued, and it attracted a crowd. In the end, he stormed up to the Gryffindor Tower to put away his Charms books, leaving behind a cowed Hermione. Neville shot her a look of disappointment before trudging after Harry.

Suddenly, a nearby Angelina Johnson walked up and slapped Hermione in the face, "YOU INSENSITIVE LITTLE B***H! HOW F**KING DARE YOU! ARE YOU THAT FREAKING OBSESSED WITH THE RULES!? AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THEY WERE WITH THE PROFESSORS, SO THEY BROKE NO RULES. ALSO, 'LOSE ALL YOUR HARD-EARNED POINTS'? THAT IS EXTREMELY SELFISH OF YOU. YOU WOULD VALUE MEANINGLESS POINTS OVER SOMEONE'S EMOTIONAL STATE?"

Hermione was pale, "I…I…"

She didn't say anything more, as she fled in tears. There was dead silence in the corridor, and Angelina shrugged, "I'm not sorry. She had it coming, what with her constantly trying to butt into our business and telling us to keep on studying and not allowing us to take breaks. And, the bloody hypocrite has the audacity to stake a claim on every damn book in the Library? Heck! Deidre was almost late in her Potions submission because that girl kept checking out all the reference books. You all know how Snape is like, he'd be only too happy to deduct points from Gryffindor. Let's leave her alone for a while to think over what she did."

Ron muttered darkly, "That girl's a bloody nightmare! No wonder she's having a hard time making friends."

---

Eventually, everyone split up to do their own thing. Ron returned to the tower to check up on Harry and Neville.

Soon, night-time approached and everyone filed down to the Great Hall. Harry went to look for an empty seat, when he heard Angelina call him, "Hey! Harry! Over here! We've saved you a seat. Neville, you're also welcome to join us too."

The two of them and Ron headed over to the three Chasers. Katie laid a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder, "Hey, we heard the big row with Granger. That girl was way out of line. You okay?"

He shrugged, "Still stings a little. I had a small moment at Godric's Hollow today. Sometimes I just wish I was just a normal kid without any megalomaniacs to worry about."

She gave him a gentle squeeze, "Its okay to feel bad."

Then, he had a thought, "Where's she anyway? Holed up in the library again? Madam Pince won't be too happy about that. Heard a rumour that she had to chase her away from the Restricted Section at least three times."

Alicia piped up, "After your little rant, 'Lina here, really laid into Granger. Called her 'insensitive' and more concerned with 'meaningless points' than actual people. Last I heard, she was bawling her eyes out in the first floor toilet."

He mused, "Is it weird that, now I feel bad for her? From what I can tell about her, she has little to no social skills. I think she was probably bullied when she was younger, so retreating into books is her defence mechanism. As for her obsession for rules, I think that kind of attitude has been drilled into her head. To the point that she cannot fathom that there can be rare exceptions to the rule."

"You're probably right, Harry. I suggest we stage an intervention for her."

"If we can drag her out of the bathroom."

---

Midway through the feast, a terrified Professor Quirrell burst into the Great Hall. He hollered, "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!"

He stopped in front of the Head Table, "Thought you ought to know."

The DADA professor then keeled over in a dead faint. Following the declaration, the screaming began. After a few seconds of panic, Dumbledore managed to get control of the Hall. He ordered, "Prefects! Please lead your students back to their dormitories."

Percy Weasley immediately sprang into action, ""Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

Just then, Harry froze in his tracks, and so did Ron. Harry breathed fearfully, "Skatá! Hermione doesn't know about the troll! We've got to warn her!"

Ron muttered, "I thought you were mad at her? She got pretty personal when she snapped at you."

"That may be, but I don't want her potential death on my conscience. Wait… I have an idea."

Harry hurried forward and muscled his way through the crowd, with Ron following him. He made it to Percy and tugged on his sleeve, "Percy! We're missing someone! Hermione was not at the feast, so she doesn't know about the troll."

The older boy paused, "Where was she last seen?"

"First floor girls toilet."

The prefect agonised for a few seconds, "Okay, I am probably going to regret this. According to the professors, the troll is in the dungeon. I want both of you to run as fast as you can and warn her. If you three are not back in five minutes, I will come and get you or inform one of the professors. Now go!"

The two of them scrambled away and raced towards the first floor. Just then, an awful stench filled their lungs. For Ron, it was worse than the Dung Bomb that the twins lobbed on his bed last week. Meanwhile, Harry found the smell worse than the time the Stoll brothers dunked a carton full of rotten eggs on Clarisse.

Then they heard it - a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Ron pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long. The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It waggled its long ears, making up its tiny mind, then slouched slowly into the room.

A few seconds later, there was a piercing scream from the doorway. The boys sprinted in, their wands drawn. The good news was that she was unharmed, the bad news was that the troll was advancing towards her with its club raised and smashing sinks and walls.

Ron picked up a nearby broken tap and hurled it at the troll, hitting its back. That did the trick, as the beast investigated the disruption. Unfortunately, it found a new target called Harry Potter. The troll lumbered towards him with its club raised. Harry was sorely tempted to use his daggers, but hesitated, not wanting to exposed himself.

Luckily, Ron provided the perfect distraction for the troll. He lobbed a metal pipe and hollered, "Oi, pea-brain!."

Harry took advantage of the distraction and rushed to the cowering Hermione. He grabbed her hand and yelled, "Come on, run, run!". However, she was completely frozen in shock, sitting flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.

Knowing that it was fruitless, Harry switched to plan B. In a move that would probably earn him a earful from Annabeth and Silena, he took a running jump, and parkoured over some debris before launching himself onto the troll, with his arms wrapping around its neck from behind.

He fumbled for his dagger and tried to stab it through the face. Unfortunately, his hands closed around his wand instead. He thought to himself, 'It'll do for now.'

He shoved the wand up the troll's nostril, to Ron's disgust. Naturally, the troll howled in agony. It twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life.

Ron racked his brains before getting an idea. With a swish and flick, he aimed his wand at the troll's club and bellowed, "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"

Sure enough, the club flew out of the troll's hand and hovered above its head. He released the spell, allowing the club to drop down and bonk the troll on the head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face.

Harry managed to recover and gently helped a trembling Hermione. She haltingly asked, "Is… Is it dead?"

Harry quipped, "I think its just knocked out. Let's get out of here. I don't think I want to be around when it wakes up."

---

They shuffled out and walked back in awkward silence. Then Hermione blurted, "I'm sorry! To both of you! Harry, I was way out of line when I snapped at you and Neville. I never meant to disrespect your parents' memory. I didn't know about Neville's parents being in St. Mungo's! But that's no excuse!"

Harry was silent for a minute, then he spoke, "What you said… It hurt me a lot. I've always had mixed feelings about Halloween. On one hand, I liked the holiday itself. But on the other hand, it's a constant reminder that my parents died to save me. I especially hated it when you threw the 'Boy-Who-Lived' tag in my face. That moniker is just another reminder that my parents are dead."

Suddenly, there was a canine growl, and Harry froze in his tracks. Coming just around the corner was a massive black mastiff with glowing red eyes. The huge dog was the size of a rhinoceros, and it suddenly sniffed and looked in their direction. A terrified Ron stammered, "Harry…. What is that thing!"

Harry cursed in Ancient Greek, "Skatá! It's a freaking Hellhound! Ron, Hermione… Run or hide, right now. Its looking for me"

"We're not leaving you!"

He agonised for a moment before thinking, 'Sod it! This was going to get out sooner or later.'

He unsheathed his daggers and called back, "I'll be fine!"

She spotted the daggers and yelped, "Harry! That's against the rules to carry weapons!"

He snapped back, "Do you want to be saved or not!? Look… I will explain everything later, if we survive this."

Hermione got the hint, "Right… shutting up now."

The hellhound pounced and Harry charged at it. The creature swiped at him with its paw but he ducked under it. Harry then began hacking and slashing at the beast, all the while dodging its paws and knife-like teeth. Unfortunately, it got a lucky bite on his arm and Hermione screamed. Gritting his teeth in pain, Harry rolled under it and stabbed the beast in the ribcage. On cue, the monster fell dead, just missing his body. Harry got and turned, clutching his wounded arm. He was just in time to see Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall enter and see the downed beast. Right in front of their eyes, the beast dissolved into a shadow and melted through the floor.

The Headmaster had a stunned look on his face, as did McGonagall. Then, he schooled his features back to normal, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Ms Granger. I trust there is an explanation why you three are not in your Common Rooms. Shall we take the conversation into my office? I'm sure there must be a story behind this. Minerva, can you also fetch Poppy?"

The four wordlessly walked to the Headmaster's office. Soon, Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall joined them. The nurse clucked disapprovingly before she cleaned the wound on his arm. She then reached into Harry's emergency supplies, fished out some ambrosia, broke off a piece and fed it to him.

Before their very eyes, the bite marks faded a little bit and the bleeding stopped. After that, she took a roll of bandage and wrapped his arm in it. She spoke, "Judging by the scarring, it should take a couple of days for it to heal completely."

Dumbledore smiled, "Thank you Poppy. If you would please stay back, Mr Potter will explain how he got his injuries. I think it would be wise to start from the beginning, Harry?"

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, "Okay, so before I begin, do you believe in gods?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "I'm a Christian, of course I believe in God!"

He gently corrected her, "Gods… plural. Specifically the Greek gods. They actually exist."

Ron looked lost, but Hermione's eyes widened, "They're real?"

"Yes… Back in October 1979, my mother Lily was hit with a curse, rendering her barren. So, they looked for some fertility rituals, before Sirius found something. From what I was told, he accidentally gave them a Summoning Ritual, not a Fertility Ritual."

McGonagall snorted, "I'm not surprised. He would have found the right ritual had he paid more attention in class and not focused on pranking people."

He continued, "Anyway, the Summoning Ritual called on the nearest deity to help them. Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt was the closest and answered the call. With a Blood Ritual, she was able to pass some of her essence into James' body and then into Lily Potter's womb. So, my mother was finally pregnant with me. The only caveat was that Lady Artemis is also counted as my mother. She swore an oath to remain a virgin forever, but my conception was a loophole in this oath. In other words, I am the first and only demigod son of Artemis. The creature that attacked was a hellhound from the depths of the Underworld. Though I'm curious, how did it get inside the Hogwarts wards?"

Dumbledore replied, "I believe I can answer that. We finally found the troll unconscious in the first floor girl's toilet. My theory is that somebody opened the wards to let the troll inside. I am guessing that the hellhound was also able to get inside before the wards could be closed."

Harry nodded, "It's possible. Anyway, after the attack by You-Know-Who. Lady Artemis appeared and took me away. I think you and Professor McGonagall witnessed that?"

"Indeed"

"Right, since then she and the Hunters of Artemis have been raising me. The Hunters are a group of girls who have sworn loyalty to my Godly mother. The perks are semi-immortality and eternal youth. Cons are that they have to swear off falling in love."

Hermione asked, "Semi-immortality?"

"Basically, the girls are immortal, as long as they do not break their vow of falling in love, or they are slain in battle."

Everyone nodded and Ron finally understood. Harry continued, "After I turned five, I was sent to a camp full of fellow demigods."

Ron snapped his fingers, "So THAT'S what you mean, every time you refer to summer camp! Also, what was that thing that Madam Pomfrey gave you?"

"That's right. The thing is, Lady Hecate, Greek Goddess of Magic has insisted that the larger Wizarding world should not be made aware of the existence of demigods. Only those who I can trust, can be allowed to learn my secret. Also, that food is called ambrosia. It is literally the food of the Gods of Olympus. Demigods can eat it because it has healing properties. However, eating too much of it can cause the body to literally burn up. Also, mortals are forbidden from consuming it or their bodies will burn up. So when I stopped you from eating it when you raided my suitcase, I was literally saving your life."

Dumbledore replied, "Lady Hecate fears that the Pureblood supremacists would make things a lot worse?"

"That is correct. According to her, this world are not ready to learn of the existence of gods. Ron, Hermione… I would really appreciate it if both of you kept this a secret. Please… I am trusting both of you."

The two promised him, and then Hermione blurted, "Harry? Why were you carrying the daggers?"

He said, "Hazard of being a demigod. Monsters can attack at any time. That is why we go to Camp Half-Blood. So that we can train to fight these monsters and survive. Besides, it was better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them. Also, they are not the only weapons I have-"

He took off his rings and both transformed into a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Dumbledore looked grave, "I appreciate you saving your friends like that. That being said, you will have detention for carrying these weapons. I shall decide your punishment at a later date, so let me think on it. Fortunately for you, I will allow you to keep your weapons, so long as they are well hidden and you do not use them in school unless in an emergency. Also, 30 points from Gryffindor for carrying the weapons. 10 points to Gryffindor for saving your classmates."

Finally, McGonagall turned to the trio, "Now, could you please explain why you were not in your Common Rooms?"

Hermione spoke up in a small voice, "After Charms class, I had a massive row with Harry and Neville. I jumped to some wrong conclusions and we argued about it. Afterwards, I ran off crying in the bathroom. I didn't know about the troll at all. I assume Harry and Ron came to warn me about it."

The Transfiguration professor's lips thinned, "I see. Thank you for your honesty. You three may go."

They left, with Harry still cradling his injured hand. It may be healing, but it still hurt like Tartarus.

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Skatá - Shit

So I got done with this chapter, quicker than I thought. I had some time off from work because of Easter, so I was able to work on this

Chapter 11: Chapter 11

The trio finally entered the Gryffindor Common Room. Percy and his fellow prefect, Angelica Cole immediately accosted them. Cole exclaimed, "Oh good! All three of you are okay! You three had us worried when Percy told me that we were missing someone. One of us would have gone with you, but we had to make sure the Weasley twins didn't sneak off to prank someone."

Then Percy noticed Harry cradling his bandaged arm. He steered the three of them to the couch and the other Gryffindors surrounded them. The oldest Weasley present in the school, motioned to his arm, "I take it there's a story behind that?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and came to a silent agreement. Harry lied, "Yeah, we found Hermione, but the troll kind of found us, first. Got hit with some debris while it Hulked out, but luckily Madam Pomfrey said it will heal in a couple of days. Tis' but a scratch."

Dean quipped, "Oi Harry! Quit the pop culture references and give us the story straight."

Harry grumbled, "Killjoy"

He continued, "Not much happened, Ron used the Levitation Charm to float its club away and drop it on the troll's head."

Everyone cheered, and soon split up to do their own thing. Katie suddenly sidled up to the trio, "There was more to the story, wasn't there?"

Hermione asked, "She knows?"

Harry nodded in response, "She's one of the newest Hunters of Artemis. I kind of recruited her a week after McLaggen couldn't keep it in his pants. She took the news of me being a demigod pretty well. Anyway Katie, I didn't get injured because of the troll. After we knocked it out, we were on our way back when a Hellhound attacked."

Alarmed, the Second-Year whispered, "A What!?"

"Monster from the depths of Tartarus. According to Professor Dumbledore, someone opened up the Hogwarts wards and let the troll in. However, it seems that the Hellhound was lurking nearby and managed to sneak in before the wards were closed. I managed to kill it, but I got sloppy and it got a lucky bite."

She looked down in sadness, "I should have been there. You're pretty much my brother now."

He gently pat her back, "Don't blame yourself. If anything, it was my fault for being sloppy. Also, I should start training you to use a bow and arrow. They are the primary weapons of a Hunter of Artemis. Trust me, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be rivalling the Apollo kids in accuracy."

She mused, "Huh… This could actually help us in Quidditch as well. From what I observed last year, Angelina is a pretty physical player. Basically, she can muscle her way through any defence. Alicia on the other hand, is the expert at penalty shots. As for myself, Oliver mentioned that I'm light and nimble. Now with the archery training, it can maybe improve my aim, especially in open play. By the way, how early do you wake up?"

"6AM, usually for training to fight."

"I think I'll join you. Also, Quidditch season is starting next week, so you might have to wake up early for practice. Ravenclaw have already beaten Hufflepuff last week, and next week we're up against Slytherin."

Harry winced, "Yikes! Already being thrown into the snake pit in our first game, huh?"

She nodded, "Pretty much… Angelina warned me that Oliver can get pretty fanatical. I'll tell you what, you try and work out a schedule that blends the Quidditch training, your studies and our personal training."

He agreed, and the four split up to go to bed.

---

Over the next week or so, Harry was kept quite busy. He had to juggle his schoolwork, Quidditch practices, and training Katie. To her credit, she managed to pick up archery fairly quickly. Her improved skills also translated onto the Quidditch pitch, as her open play throws were deadly accurate, not that Oliver Wood was complaining.

As for Harry's friendship with Ron and Hermione, the girl became a lot less fanatical about school work and her rule-obsession. Thought that was largely down to the fact that the entire house staged an intervention for her.

The seniors told her in no uncertain words, that their academics were none of her business. Also, she was not allowed to check out any books unless it was related to the First-Year course. Additionally, she was not allowed to hoard the books, because her own classmates need them too. When she asked why, a Seventh Year called Deidre stepped up and flatly told her that she was almost late for her Potions submission because Hermione checked out all of the reference books from the Library.

The other seniors also had similar complaints, as well as students from other houses. That was enough to silence the girl and she looked down in shame.

Meanwhile, Ron was a little nicer to Hermione, though they still argued with each other. Soon enough, the day of Gryffindor's first match dawned. Katie was a bit nervous, as were Angelina and Alicia. To their and Oliver's surprise, Harry was fairly calm. Fred aired the question hanging over everyone's heads.

He said, "Oi! Harrykins! You seem awfully calm about it, considering its your first Quidditch match."

Harry replied, "Nah, this is just like back at summer camp where we play Capture The Flag. Except, the teams are smaller and the roles are much more defined. I'll explain everything after the match."

Oliver nodded, "We'll hold you to that. Now, let's get that Quidditch Cup back into Gryffindor hands, where it belongs."

As they ate, Headmaster Dumbledore walked up and told him that he was adjusting the wards to allow for Portkey travel into the grounds. This was because, Sirius and Remus were coming to watch the game. At 11 o'clock, the seven of them trooped out of the Castle doors, ready for the first game.

Suddenly, there was a massive commotion as two figures popped out of thin air and were dumped on the ground. Moments later, three more figures hit the ground. Harry recognised all five people immediately, "Connor? Travis? Silena? What the heck are you three doing here? I was just expecting Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus!"

Silena Beauregard got up and smoothed out her jeans before glaring at the Stoll brothers. The two boys shrank in fear, and Remus explained, "I think what happened was that Sirius and I were preparing a Portkey in the form of a Dr. Pepper can. Then, these two stole it right from Sirius' pocket. Of course, we had another one ready, just in case of an emergency. Silena over here tagged along to fetch these two before they got up to any mischief."

She stalked over and grabbed the Stolls by the ears. She snapped, "And these two idiots caused a lot of chaos in my cabin when they replaced Drew Tanaka's shampoo with hair-removing solution. I was in a Councillor meeting when I heard her screams of rage."

Fred and George snickered, prompting Angelina and Katie to smack them. The dark-skinned girl warned, "Don't even think about it."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Right… Anyway, Sirius, Remus? Is there any way we can send them back to Camp? They weren't supposed to be here anyway."

Remus sighed, "Unfortunately, it takes a bit of time to create another Portkey. This is largely because the process is a little tedious, and we have to get approval from the Ministry of Magic. So until then, the three of them are stuck here. I was thinking, maybe they can stick around to watch the game. We'll make sure they don't get into trouble."

---

Soon, Harry and the Quidditch team headed to the changing rooms. Meanwhile, Silena, Connor and Travis joined Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione to head to the stands. In the changing room, Oliver gathered everyone after they changed into scarlet Quidditch robes. He opened his mouth and started off, "Alright lads and ladies. This is it! This is the big one…"

Just as he was about to continue his inspiring speech, the Weasley twins ruined the moment by imitating him. With a tick mark on his forehead, he snapped, "Do you mind! We were all having a moment! This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."

They headed out onto the field and all of them stood in front of their Slytherin opponents, decked in green. Madam Hooch stood between them with her hands on her hips. She gave them all a stern warning that she wanted a nice and clean game. Harry observed that most of her focus was aimed at the Slytherin contingent. He remembered Sirius' advice about the Slytherins not playing fair during his school days. Judging by the looks on captain, Marcus Flint's face, nothing had changed since then. Though he also noted that Slytherin Beater Erika Rath was focused on Hooch's words. Harry filed that piece of information away for later.

As Madam Hooch gave the call to mount their brooms, Harry clambered on his Nimbus 2000. He gave it a cursory look, just to ensure that all the enchantments that Sirius and Remus had placed, were still working fine. With a loud blast of Hooch's whistle, fifteen brooms went airborne.

In a built-in tower in the stands, commentator Lee Jordan was in his element. Though, aside from commentating, he was trying and failing to flirt with Angelina. Jordan only succeeded in getting repeated earfuls from Professor McGonagall.

Jordan excited screamed, "She's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet. A good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve. Here we go! Back to Johnson and – No! The Slytherins have pinched the Quaffle off her. Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- nope! Stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood."

Lee continued jabbering away, "The Gryffindors take the Quaffle on the counter-attack, leading the charge is Chaser Katie Bell. OOO! Nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt. She gets a Bludger to the back of the head, and the Slytherins take advantage. That's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger. Fred or George Weasley obviously didn't take too kindly to the stunt with Bell. Nice play by the Gryffindor Beater. Now its Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes. Golly! She's really flying, and she dodges a speeding Bludger, the goal posts are ahead! Come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

Harry simply tuned out the commentary and hunted for the snitch. Within minutes, he had his eyes on it, tracking its movements. His keen eyesight was largely thanks to his time with the Hunt. However, he made no move for it. This was because Oliver had told him to wait until the Chasers had put up at least 70 points on the board. Instead, he simply opted to fly around lazily, though his eyes rarely left the Snitch. Occasionally, he would run interference, mainly using his body to redirect Quaffle passes that were out of reach of his teammates. In the build-up to the game Hermione and fellow Gryffindor Murphy McNully pored over the Quidditch rules. One of the interesting things that they discovered was that he was legally allowed to run interference, as long as his hands were not touching the Quaffle directly.

Suddenly, he dropped into a barrel roll to avoid a Bludger from Rath. Then, Harry spotted the Snitch hovering just behind Chaser Adrian Pucey. Fellow Seeker Terrence Higgs hadn't spotted it yet, as he was on the other side of the pitch. Harry began to slowly fly over to Pucey, not enough to alert Higgs, but close enough to perform a surprise attack. Unfortunately, Jordan ruined it by pointing out where the Snitch was. Higgs came to his senses and raced over, but Harry was quicker and closer.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Flint hurtling towards him. Harry dipped low at the last moment, to avoid the captain and saw a startled Flint pass over him and nearly collide with Higgs. In the ensuing melee, the Snitch pulled a Houdini and disappeared.

Then, the Slytherins upped the ante in terms of aggression. Bludgers flew wildly from Slytherin bats, forcing Fred and George to defend, occasionally going two-handed. Harry barely missed getting brained in the head, on three occasions. Just then, his broom gave a brief lurch before calming down. Harry's eyes narrowed as Sirius' warning echoed in his head once again. In the next few minutes, there was not a peep from the broom, so he assumed that the enchantments were working.

---

Meanwhile in the teacher's box, Quirinus Quirrell was frowning and glaring as hard as he could. He wondered, 'Why wasn't the jinx working? The Potter brat should have been bucked off ages ago. His Master was not going to be pleased with this unexpected development'. Unbeknownst to him, Severus Snape cast a wary eye on him, then looked at Harry and then settled down to watch the game. He noticed Sirius and Remus earlier and figured that those two had it under control, in case Potter was in trouble.

Just then, Alicia Spinnet scored, making Gryffindor lead 90-40. As if on cue, Harry's lazy flying ceased, and he showed off the true speed of the Nimbus 2000. Terrence Higgs was also closing in and the two were side-by-side. Higgs, a Seventh Year, assumed that since he was older and bigger, the puny Firstie would be no match for him.

However, there was one thing that Harry knew that he didn't. Harry Potter was a demigod, and he had undergone several years of training with the Hunters and at Camp Half-Blood. Hence, he built up a fair bit of muscle, not that his regular robes and Quidditch robes showed it. So, when Higgs barged sideways into him, Harry didn't budge. When Higgs did it again, Harry decided that he could give just as well as he could take it.

Harry muscled Higgs out of the way and swiped the Snitch from out of the air. Just as he did that, Lee Jordan's excited shouts filled the stadium. He hollered, "He's done it! He's got the Snitch! Potter's got the Snitch!"

Madam Hooch's whistle screech pierced through the cheers and she declared, "Gryffindor win! 240-40!"

Katie was the first one to him, and practically hugged the life out of him. Alicia and Angelina were next, followed by Oliver and the Weasley twins. When the seven landed, the rest of the Gryffindors converged on them in a giant group hug. The Stolls heartily pat him on the back, while Silena hugged him and swung him around.

As everyone walked back, Lavender asked Silena, "You and Harry seem close. Are you two…?"

The demigod blinked, "Me and Harry? Oh… No… He's like a brother to me. My siblings also treat him like a little brother."

Lavender nodded, "Also, I love your make-up! Can you give me any tips?"

Silena grinned, "I'll send you a care package soon."

Later on, Sirius and Remus activated their Portkey and took Silena and the Stolls with them.

---

Afterwards, in the Common Room, Ron and Hermione sidled up to Harry once the Victory party was over and there was barely anyone. Hermione asked, "So… Silena and the Stoll brothers are demigods too?"

Harry nodded, "Yep! The Stolls are the children of Hermes, God of roads, travel, gymnasiums, athletes, diplomacy, orators, thieves, commerce, trade, and invention. Hermes also the Messenger God. The Hermes kids, especially the Stolls, are also some of the biggest pranksters I've ever seen. Thanks to them, I've kind of grown a little more vigilant in my prank detection. Meanwhile, Silena is the Daughter of Aphrodite, Goddess of love, beauty, desire, passion, pleasure and fertility."

Ron mused, "No wonder Fred and George have had such a hard time trying to prank you. Also, that Silena girl was bloody gorgeous! You think she…"

Harry laughed, "You're out of her league, mate. Besides, I think she has her eye on Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus."

He mumbled, "Worth a shot."

Hermione just muttered, "Boys…"

Chapter 12: Chapter 12

One day, Harry was summoned to Headmaster Dumbledore’s office. He pretty much assumed that this was part of the detention that he was supposed to get. He stopped outside the gargoyle statue and spoke up, “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!”

The statue moved and let him past and up the staircase. As he entered, he saw Professor Dumbledor writing a few letters as usual. Harry amusedly asked, “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, professor? I had no idea that you were a big fan.”

He smiled benignly, “Ahh! Yes… Sirius had recently sent me a gift of assorted variety of American Muggle candy. Granted, I still have a preference for Lemon Drops, but the other kinds of candy and chocolate are growing on me.”

Then his expression grew serious, “Now I assume you know why you are here?”

Harry nodded, “Yes Professor, you mentioned on Halloween that you would decide my detention.”

He replied, “That’s right, however I am treating it like a quest for you. I understand that you have undertaken various quest at Camp Half-Blood?”

“Yes Professor.”

“Very well… Hagrid has been recently reporting a disturbance in the Forbidden Forest. He says that some malevolent force is going around, killing unicorns. I do not know if it is one of these Greek monsters or if it is something else. Hence, I would like you to find the cause of this when you take your detention next week at 11 in the night. I trust you will be able to defend yourself from some of the Forest’s more unsavory inhabitants? You will be allowed to keep your weapons of course. Ms Bell will also come with you for your quest. Officially speaking, she is merely there to supervise the detention.”

Harry brought a closed fist over his heart, as a bit of a salute. He declared, “Thank you professor, you can count on us, sir.”

---

At the end of the week, Harry and Katie met with Hagrid on the edge of the Courtyard at 11PM. Just then, he spotted a sheepish Ron, a nervous Neville and a fuming Hermione. Also with them was a sullen Draco Malfoy, with a grinning Argus Filch herding them along.

Ron spotted Harry, Katie and Hagrid and had a hopeful look on his face. However, Filch shoved him from behind, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy -- it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Malfoy froze in his tracks, “The forest! We can’t go in there at night! There’s all sorts of things in there, like werewolves!”

Hermione spoke up, “What are you doing here, Harry? Katie? I thought you two were back in the Common Room.”

“This is my detention carried over from Halloween. Katie’s only here to supervise”

She nodded in understanding. Then Hagrid’s gruff voice interrupted, "Right then! Now, listen carefully, because it's dangerous what we're going to do tonight, and I don't want no one taking risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led them to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest.

Hagrid pointed, "Look there! See that stuff shining on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there been hurt badly by something. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're going try and find the poor thing. We might have to put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" Malfoy said fearfully.

Hagrid replied, "There's nothing that lives in the forest that'll hurt you if you're with me or Fang. Keep to the path. Right, now, we're going to split into two parties an' follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggering' around since last night at least."

Malfoy blurted "I want to be with you and Fang!"

Hagrid nodded, "All right, but I warn you, he's a coward but you’ll be fine with me. So decide among yourselves who will go in which group. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get your wands out and practice now -- that's it -- and if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, and we'll all come and find you -- so, be careful -- let's go."

Harry interrupted, “Whoa! Back up a minute… What are the four of you doing out here in the first place? Why did you all get detention?”

Hermione glared at Ron, “Right, you weren’t there. I think you had a meeting with Dumbledore so you had an early breakfast. Anyway, yesterday morning, Malfoy challenged us to a duel and THIS prat blindly accepted and named Neville as his second. Malfoy said that they had to meet him in the trophy room at midnight. Obviously, this was a trap and I could smell it a mile away. However, Ron refused to listen so I tagged along just to make sure they were not in over their heads. We were caught, but Malfoy was also out of bounds when he ratted us out to caretaker Filch.”

Ron whined, “I already said I was sorry!”

Harry mused, “Well, that answers that question. So, how should we split up?”

Ron led him, Katie and Hermione a little out of Neville and Draco’s earshot. He murmured, “I think its best if you two take Hermione. First of all, the three of us are the only ones who know of your secret. Also, Malfoy is a bloody bigot of the highest order. Back in the war, there was a Wizarding slur for Muggle-Borns. I’m only going to say this once, its ‘Mudblood’. Basically for the Pure-Blood bigots, it means that the Muggle-Borns have tainted blood. If she was stuck with Malfoy, he’d probably taunt her with that word through the entire trip. Don’t worry about me, I can hand that git, and I’ll look out for Neville. At least if you run into another one of those monsters, you two can handle yourselves and protect her. Hermione, I’m not saying you’re helpless, but I think Harry has more experience with those monsters. Katie’s also been training with Harry, and I’m not sure if our wands will work.”

Her slightly offended look faded as she made sense of his argument, then she nodded. Then, Ron and Neville joined Hagrid, heading in one direction, Harry, Katie and Hermione went the other way. After a few minutes of walking in the Forbidden Forest, Harry slipped off his rings, and a bow and a quiver full of arrows materialized in his hands. He tossed the weapons to Katie and unsheathed his hunting knives.

They walked in silence for a while, when suddenly, they heard the sound of millions of steps scurrying around. Hermione pressed closer to the two, her head looking around wildly in fear. Her wand arm was trembling. He nocked his bow, his eyes also scanning for danger. Then he spotted it, a large ant-like creature was ambling around a few metres to their left. Katie stuttered, “W-what’s that?”

He muttered back, “A Myrmeke. They have a pretty tough hide and they can spit acid. Be careful, don’t startle it. I don’t think its noticed us yet. Also, where there is one, there will be a whole colony nearby. Tread carefully. Trust me, I’m a decent fighter, but we can’t face an entire swarm.”

They inched away slowly, never taking their eyes off the creature, until they were far away and lost sight of it.

Eventually, they continued walking deeper into the forest. Then, Harry stopped and crouched on the ground with one leg splayed out. Hermione and Katie crouched next to him, “What is it?”

“I can see some hoofprints on the ground. They’re a little faint but they’re there. We’re on the trail now.”

He pointed to the left, “They’re headed that way, come on!”

Harry trotted off and the two girls hurried after him. Hermione puffed as she jogged after him, “How can you tell?”

“Phoebe is one of our best trackers and she taught me. I was a fast learner, and now I’m the third best after Phoebe and Zoe.”

Just then, the sky above them lit up with red sparks, in the direction that they were going. The two took that as their cue to run towards the sparks. Admittedly, Harry did slow down so that Hermione and Katie could keep up with him.

When they burst through the bushes, they spotted a worrying scene. There was a swarm of Myrmekes surrounding the group. Neville and Malfoy were unconscious, while Ron was firing spells from his wand, and Hagrid was firing arrows from his crossbow. Only Hagrid seemed to be earning a few monster kills, but Ron’s spell work was only pushing the swarm back.

Harry, Katie and Hermione joined the fray, with the younger girl also firing spells. Meanwhile, Harry quickly checked the unconscious pair before drawing his knives and leaping into the fray. Next to Ron and Hermione, Katie Bell began firing arrows in quick succession. Unfortunately, the swarm was relentless and they were barely keeping them at bay.

Ron yelled, “What the bloody hell are these things!”

Harry hollered back, “They’re called Myrmekes! Giant ants, and they have tough hides and can spit- RON WATCH OUT!”

Ron ducked as a glob of spit from a Myrmeke missed him and hit a tree. He gazed at it in fascinated horror as the saliva sizzled through the tree and caused it to topple. He snapped back to attention and kept firing spells. Hermione grit her teeth, “It’s no use! Our spells are not doing anything! Only Harry, Katie and Hagrid are able to kill them!”

Just then, several dozen arrows rained down from different directions and managed to cut down several Myrmekes. There was a sound of multiple hooves galloping, and soon a group of centaurs arrived, armed with bows and arrows. Together, Harry, Hagrid and the centaurs managed to drive away the Myrmekes until they all scurried away.

Hagrid beamed at the newcomers, “Ronan! Firenze! Torvus! Good to see you!”

One of the Centaurs gave a small bow in their direction, “Hagrid… Hello students, learn much in school? What brings you out into the forest?”

Hermione replied, “We were in a detention and we found out that something was killing the unicorns.”

A centaur inspected Neville and Draco, who were still unconscious. He mused, “Hmm… I see no physical injuries. Must have passed out upon seeing the monsters.”

Then, the one called Firenze turned to Harry and bowed, “Well met, Child of the Moon. I bring fair warning… Mars is especially bright.”

With that, they all left the area, and Harry crouched down again, before spotting a trail of silvery blood. He called out to the others, “I’ve got something!”

Hagrid hoisted Neville and Draco and draped them over his shoulders and followed the trio with Harry leading. As he moved further inland, the trail got clearer as they spotted the blood stains getting larger. Harry forged ahead with his knives drawn and his body in a battle stance. Hermione and Ron stuck as close to him and Katie as possible.

Then they saw a large white shape on the ground. Harry’s blood boiled, this creature was pure and innocent. Whoever committed this crime against nature would face his and his sisters’ wrath. Just then, a hooded figure came out of the foliage and stopped by the corpse. It then lowered its head and began to drink the unicorn’s blood. Harry let out a cry of rage and flung a knife. The figure did nothing, but the knife phased through it, and Harry suddenly felt something try to invade his mind. He firmly expelled the malevolent force out of his mind. The figure recoiled and fled, as Katie let loose an arrow. It didn’t quite hit its mark, but passed through the figure once again. Scowling, Harry retrieved the knife that embedded itself in a tree

After a few moments, some white figures stepped into the frame, and Hermione gave a small gasp. The unicorns were stunningly beautiful and they neighed mournfully at the sight of their fallen friend. Then, the herd noticed the humans nearby, and one trotted over to Hermione and nuzzled her. She giggled slightly, and it did the same to Katie. Then it locked eyes with Harry and trotted over to him

The unicorn neighed, “Child of the Moon, normally we do not approach males. However, we sense that you are pure of heart due to your heritage. We thank you for your efforts to try and expel the foul taint that has been culling our herd. We wish to ask you for a favour. With this taint still lingering, we do not feel safe in the forest. We request sanctuary in a safe haven.”

Harry whinnied back, “I thank you for your trust, noble creature. Never fear, I have an idea.”

He stepped back and pulled out a hunting horn, a gift from Zoe that came in two weeks ago. Harry put it to his lips and blew a long and loud blast. 20 minutes later, there was a sound of multiple feet running on the forest floor. Then, out of the bushes came a large group of girls in silver clothes and black leggings. Leading them was a familiar woman with auburn hair, and Harry’s face brightened.

He rushed over and hugged her, “Mother!”

She morphed back into her adolescent form and smiled, “Hello my son, we were still on the trail of Greyback when we heard your call. What is the problem? Are these your friends?”

He nodded, “Yes mother, this is Hermione, and this is Ron. I think you’re met Hagrid. Also, the unconscious boys are Neville and Draco. Draco’s the one in green, and neither of them are aware of my status.”

She waved her hand, “Alright my son, I have put them to sleep now. Why have you summoned us?”

“We heard reports of a malevolent spirit that has been killing these unicorns and drinking their blood. Headmaster Dumbledore, under the pretext of a detention, asked me to investigate the matter, especially given my demigod status. Katie was also helping me, I recruited her into the Hunt a few weeks ago. The other four being here, was a coincidence.“

Artemis looked over at Katie and had a calculating look. Then she approached as the girl knelt. She placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Rise, my child. I cannot think of anyone more worthy of being a Hunter. Welcome to the Hunt, sister. Promise me that you will look out for each other for the remainder of the year?”

The girl murmured, “Thank you for accepting me, My Lady.”

They nodded, then the goddess turned to Ron and Hermione, who were also kneeling. She crouched and gave them a once-over, “I am honoured to meet you. My son has spoken a lot about you in his letters. I hope you two will stick by him. Something is brewing in the demigod world. I am not sure what it is right now, but it may be big.”

Then Ron shakily spoke, “L-Lady Artemis, I hope you are not offended by this, but why did you change from an adult woman into a girl who is our age?”

She smiled, “Not to worry Mr. Weasley, I am not offended. You are merely curious. It is true that I can take an adult form, I prefer my adolescent form. This is because it helps me be more comfortable around my Hunters.”

Ron bowed, “Thank you Lady Artemis.”

Harry spoke up, “Mother, the unicorns do not feel safe over here, especially with this evil spirit lurking around. I was hoping some of them could remain in the Hunt, while others can head to Camp Half-Blood.”

She nodded, “It is a solid plan. I shall go on ahead and speak to Lord Chiron about it. Zoe! I wish for you and the girls to bring the unicorns to our camp.”

Just as they were being led away, one of the unicorns stopped in front of Harry. He recognised it as the one who spoke to him. It said, “Child of the Moon… I am yours, if you will have me? When you return from the school, I would be honoured to let you ride me.”

He stroked the creature’s muzzle, “It would be my honour”

Artemis began to glow and she called out, “Look away now!”

Everyone looked away instinctively, and there was a bright flash. When it died, Artemis was gone. Soon, the Hunters all left, but not before they each gave Harry a hug.

Silence reigned between the four students and one Game-keeper. Then Ron blurted, “Bloody hell! I never thought in a million years that I would meet a goddess!”

Hagrid checked his watch, “Alright I think it’s time you lot were off to bed. I got to take care of these two sleepyheads as well.”

By the time Harry and Ron flopped into bed, it was midnight. Katie had already returned his bow and arrows, which he promptly turned back into a pair of rings. He also sheathed his hunting knives. Neville was already asleep, and Ron was out like a light, as soon as he touched his pillow. After a bit of tossing and turning, Harry also fell asleep.

Chapter 13: Chapter 13

"And this figure began to drink the unicorn's blood?", came Professor Dumbledore's incredulous voice.

Harry nodded vigorously, "Yes sir. I confess, I got a little mad and threw my hunting knife at it, but the knife just phased through this… wraith. Why was it drinking the unicorn blood, professor?"

Dumbledore looked like he had aged a hundred more years and sighed heavily. He spoke, "Were circumstances different, I would be hesitant to share this information. This would have been because you are too young and need to enjoy your childhood. However, you are a demigod, and by your own admission, demigods don't have the luxury of a 'normal' childhood. I fear that the Dark Lord is not dead. His body may have been destroyed, but I think his spirit is still lingering. It is said that unicorn blood will keep someone on the brink of death, alive"

Harry nodded, "I figured as much about the Dark Lord's survival, Professor. When I was seven, Lord Thanatos visited me in a dream and told me about how You-Know-Who split his soul. One was even residing within me but he managed to extract it before the soul piece settled."

Dumbledore replied, "And you have no idea how relieved I was when it happened. In the worst case scenario, you would have had to die and I did not have sufficient knowledge to look for a safer alternative. Now, I think the first step is flushing out the wraith of the Dark Lord."

Harry had a determined look on his face, "What do you need me to do?"

Dumbledore got up and disappeared into a corner in his office. The boy could hear him rummaging around and a few muttered words. Then the older wizard emerged with a folded cloak in his arms. He said, "I originally planned to give this to you on Christmas Day. This belonged to your father and is a family heirloom. He gave it to me for study, but I was unable to return it because the Dark Lord had attacked. I felt that it is only right that you should have it. For now, we do nothing and just let nature take its course. By the way, do you have any plans for the Christmas holidays?"

Harry gave a single nod, "Yes Professor, a week after the holiday begins, I'll be leaving for Camp Half-Blood. Katie wanted to get her affairs in order and then we could leave together. For the Winter Solstice, myself and a few campers are heading to the Empire State Building where the Olympian pantheon currently resides."

Dumbledore tilted his head curiously, "I actually wondered about why the Greek Gods decided to reside in America."

Harry replied, "From what I was told, the idea of the Greek Gods never faded with the passage of time. The concept of Gods moved to Rome for a while, and they resided there, albeit with different names. There was also a time when they settled in Great Britain for several centuries. It probably explains how Lady Hecate was able to establish the wizarding world. Now the current residence is in the United States and Mount Olympus is above the Empire State Building. Of course, mortals can't see it because Lady Hecate controls the Mist. The Mist is kind of a veil that prevents mortals from seeing monsters or our weapons. For example, if I activated my rings. I would see my bow and quiver, but a mortal will only see two rings."

The headmaster stroked his beard, "This is quite fascinating. Anyway, I bid you farewell for now, and happy holidays."

Harry gave a slight bow and left. He headed straight back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Upon reaching and entering, he headed to a table and pulled out a piece of parchment and quill, ready to confirm his presence for the field trip. He spotted Ron nearby, reading a letter and frowning a little.

Harry spoke up, "Hey Ron! Is it good news?"

The redhead replied, "Just got a letter from Mum and Dad. The two of them and my little sister, Ginny, are leaving to visit our brother, Charlie. He's the second-oldest in the family after Bill, and he is working in Romania as a dragon handler."

Harry grinned, "That's cool!"

Ron continued, "Since no one will be at home, me, Percy and the twins are staying back at Hogwarts. What are your plans Harry?"

"I'll be here for a week because Katie's just settling her affairs. After that, I'll be back at camp and we've got a field trip planned for the Winter Solstice to head to the Empire State Building."

Ron mused, "Sounds fun. I heard that you and Hermione are going to meet up because she and her folks are also planning a trip to America."

"Yeah, she asked me to meet her. By the way, you could also come if you want."

Ron did a double-take, "You sure, mate?"

Harry gestured for him to come closer and Ron obliged, "I kind of wanted to show you two Mount Olympus. Honestly mate, it's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. The décor in the Great Hall here at Hogwarts is pretty much second best after it. I can also introduce you two to Luke and Annabeth. They're my friends from Camp."

Ron excitedly said, "I'll talk to Percy!"

As the redhead rushed out, Harry settled down to complete his letter. Just as he finished it, he had a brainwave. Seizing another piece of parchment, he scrawled, "Dear Fletch, how's things back home? I needed a small favour…"

---

A week later, on December 14th, Harry, Ron and Katie were on the train heading back to King's Cross Station. Hermione had already left last week in the earlier train with majority of the other students. Ron had somehow managed to convince Percy to let him stay with Harry for a few days. Sirius and Remus were going to meet them at the station, and from there they would catch a flight to New York. Sirius had decided against an International Portkey because he learnt his lesson after the Stolls nicked one from his pocket.

This was pretty much going to be Ron's first flight, and the boy was understandably nervous. Katie soothed, "It'll be fine, Ron. Nothing will happen to you. All that you need to do is not talk loudly in the aircraft. Also, when the flight takes off, you may experience some discomfort in your ears. What you need to do is either yawn or plug your nose and breathe out. It will cause your ears to pop. Also, you need to wear a seatbelt when on the plane, especially while it is taking off and landing."

Eventually, they disembarked the train and went through the barrier back to the main King's Cross Station. Sirius was waiting for the trio outside the barrier and herded them into a rental car. Remus was driving and Harry raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you could drive Uncle Remus?"

He chuckled, "Lily insisted that we all learn how to drive, and she was pretty decent herself. She was such a speed freak that I used to tease her, saying that she could give Nigel Mansell a run for his money. Your father and I were quick learners. The Rat-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was not interested. Meanwhile, Sirius crashed his car after five minutes. Took a lot of explaining to Lily's father, may he rest in peace."

Soon enough, they drove to Heathrow Airport and were finally settled into the plane. Eight hours later, Sirius shook Harry and the other two awake. They had finally touched down at New York. He glanced at Ron, who was pretty fascinated by everything and gave him a thumbs up, asking if he was okay.

The redhead murmured to Harry, "Bloody hell! This thing is faster than any broom in the world. If dad knew about this, he would not shut up for days! He's the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office."

When they exited the JFK International Airport, Harry spotted a familiar figure waiting for them. He waved frantically and rushed forward, with the other four right on his heels. Harry tackled a blonde-haired girl with grey eyes, in a hug. He cheered, "Beth! Thanks for coming!"

She laughed and hugged him back, "Hey Harry! I told you I'd be there!. There's no way I wouldn't pick up one of my best friends!"

Annabeth then turned to Ron and Katie, "Hi, I'm Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena. Nice to meet you two. So you're from Harry's magic school or whatever?"

Katie nodded, "Yep, I'm Katie, one of the newest Hunters and I'm a year older than Harry. That's Ron, who's in the same year as him."

Ron waved at her, "So, where are we headed?"

She gestured to a nearby SUV taxi and everyone clambered in. Annabeth handed the driver a few dollar bills, "Take us to Delphi Strawberry Service, Farm Road 3.141, Long Island, please."

The taxi driver grinned, "You got it, ma'am!"

After a fairly lengthy drive, they finally pulled up on the base of a hill. The driver pulled over and cheerily spoke, "Well… This is as far as we can go. You lot are going to have to go on foot from here."

Remus thanked him and they disembarked and trekked up the hill.

---

As they entered the camp borders, Harry was a little worried that Ron would have difficulty getting in. Fortunately, the camp wards allowed the redhead to pass through easily, and the same applied for Katie.

A centaur clopped up to the group, "Welcome back, Mr. Potter! I would also like to extend a warm welcome to your two companions. My name is Chiron, and I am the activities director at Camp Half-Blood. Mr. Weasley, you will be bunking in Cabin 11, the Hermes Cabin, for the time-being. Ms Bell, with your status as a Hunter of Artemis, you and Harry will be in Cabin 8, Artemis' Cabin. Mr. Weasley, the cabin system works in such a way that when the Gods claim their children, only then will they go to that particular cabin. Unclaimed demigods generally go to Cabin 11, because one of Hermes' duties is to welcome travellers and newcomers."

The trio nodded and split up, but not before Harry warned Ron to watch out for his things. The demigod explained that the children of Hermes were notorious thieves. If anything of his went missing, all he had to do was ask for Head Counsellor Luke Castellan.

A week passed with not many hair-raising incidents. Harry and Katie trained hard and honed their craft. Meanwhile, Ron developed a healthy rivalry with Malcolm Pace, son of Athena. Malcolm was regarded as one of the camp's best chess players and strategists. Currently, their record stood at eight wins apiece.

It was also worth mentioning that Ron asked the Stoll brothers for a few pranking tips. The two smirked evilly, disappeared into their bunks and came out with a DVD case with the label, 'Home Alone'. All the way in Hogwarts castle, a shiver ran down the spines of the Weasley twins. Fred looked at his brother and mused, "Brother dearest? Is it just me or are we going to get a challenger very soon?"

George dismissed the claim, "Nonsense Freddie, old chum! Nobody is as good as us in pranking, except for our idols, the Marauders. By the way, are you any closer to discerning their identities?"

"Nope! But I have a strong feeling that I'm close."

---

Before long, Chiron emerged from the Big House in his wheelchair form and gathered Harry, Luke, Annabeth, Silena, Charles Beckendorf, the Stoll brothers, Clarisse and several other campers, along with their backpacks. Ron and Katie were also joining them. They were also going to meet up with Hermione at the Empire State Building. Chiron called out, "Is everyone here? Good! Now remember, I want all of you to be on your best behaviour, because you will be gathering in front of your Godly parents. They will not tolerate any disrespect, so do not offend them at all."

As they all board a minibus, camp security guard Argus waved at them cheerily. Ron whispered to Harry, "Oi mate! Who's that bloke with the eyes all over his face and body?"

Katie also listened in as Harry murmured back, "That's our camp security guard. Think of him as a nicer version of Filch. Ironically, his name is also Argus, and no, I doubt the two of them are related."

After a pleasant drive, a train ride from the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station, and another bus ride, they finally pulled up in front of the Empire State Building, where a familiar bushy-haired figure was waiting for them. When Harry and Ron disembarked, she nearly tackled the two of them in a hug. She squealed, "Harry! Ron! So good to see you! Mum and dad dropped me here 10 minutes ago and told me to have fun with you guys. They are currently in a conference about dental healthcare and said that it may go on for a few days."

Chiron rolled up to her in his wheelchair and shook her hand, "Hello, Ms Granger, I am Chiron, though you may call me Mr. Brunner for the remainder of this excursion. And yes, I am THAT Chiron, the legendary trainer of Achilles, Ajax, Atlanta, Jason and many more heroes."

She curtseyed slightly, "I am truly honoured to meet you."

He gestured to her to join the group, "Come dear child, we should get going soon. The Winter Solstice will soon begin and we mustn't be late."

Chiron led the group to a security guard in front of the elevators. He cleared his throat, "Ahem, Hello there, I am Mr. Brunner, we had an appointment for a 'Special' tour of the Empire State Building."

The guard consulted his book, "Ahh yes. Mr. Brunner and company for the 9AM slot. You are right on time!"

He handed them a key card with the symbol of a woman with a laurel wreath on her head. The guard called after them, "Just remember! Insert the key card in the special slot and press the button that says 600th floor."

As Chiron did so, Hermione was confused, "I thought the Empire State building had 102 floors?"

Luke patiently explained, "These are the Greek Gods, anything is possible with them."

She looked defiant for a second before finally accepting the explanation. Annabeth leaned over and spoke, "You're the resident bookworm, right? Under normal circumstances, you are right, the Empire State Building has 102 floors. However, the Mist separates the Mortal world from the Demigod world. So it is possible for there to be a 600th floor where the Gods of Olympus reside. You're a logical girl right? Look… Sometimes there are things that books and logic cannot explain. Your magic is one of them, and so is the existence of the Gods."

That sent Hermione deep in thought and she kept quiet for the remainder of the elevator trip. Soon, the elevator doors slid open with a pleasant ding. There were audible gasps from Hermione, Ron and Katie. Chiron led the group out after warning them to watch their step.

Truthfully speaking, the warning was redundant, as the narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air practically promised a long and painful drop with a single mis-step. Steadily, everyone walked up a set of white marble steps, winding up the spine of a cloud, into the sky.

Nestled comfortably on the top of the clouds was a decapitated peak of a mountain with its summit covered with snow. Dotting the mountainside were dozens of mansions, enough to make any rich Pureblood green with envy.

There were several roads winding up to the peak, where the largest palace sat imposingly. In short, the whole scene resembled an Ancient Greek city in its full glory. History Channel documentaries about ancient Greek cities could not hold a candle to the sheer majesty before them right now.

The three wizards and witches' jaws were on the floor. Katie gasped, "It's beautiful! I always thought the scene in the Hogwarts Great Hall was the most majestic thing I ever witnessed."

She gestured wildly to the scene before her. "But This! This place blows it completely out of the water!"

The other two could only nod, completely speechless. Harry shed a small tear, "Been here a couple of times and this scene still gets to me."

As the group forged ahead, Harry pointed out several inhabitants to his wizarding companions. He said quietly, "Those are nymphs, those are naiads, and those half-goat beings are called satyrs."

---

Finally, they entered the largest palace, sitting resplendent in white and silver. Before long, they entered the throne room, which looked 10 times larger than the Hogwarts Great Hall. Massive columns held up a domed ceiling filled with moving constellations. Harry was pretty sure that Professor Sinistra would kill to be in this room, right this very moment. However, the main centrepiece was a set of 13 gigantic thrones placed strategically in a U-shape, with an enormous hearth crackling in the middle. On each of those thrones sat 13 men and women in giant form. The entire group knelt in front of the Gods, though Katie had to jab a gaping Ron in the back of his knees to get him to kneel.

Harry and the group could literally feel the power oozing from the gathered Gods in front of them. Smack dab in the centre of the U, Lord Zeus stood up His voice boomed, "Welcome! Young demigods, to Olympus. We are glad that you have made the trip here. Unfortunately, some our discussions are on the more sensitive. So, someone will be along to give you a tour of our domain."

The son of Artemis could have sworn that Luke's shoulders had slumped in disappointment. Just then, Hades interrupted from his own throne, "One moment, brother. I wish to speak with Harry Potter with regard to his ongoing quest. I sincerely hope that there is an update. Also, bring your wizard friends with you. I am positive that their aid will be vital."

As the rest of the campers split up, Hades got up, with his black flowing robes billowing around him. Then, he shrunk to the size of a regular human and beckoned the quartet to follow him to a corner of the throne room. Once alone, his oily voice spoke up, "Alright Potter, how goes your search for the missing soul?"

Hermione raised her hand slightly, "Forgive me, Lord Hades, but what missing soul?"

He turned to the girl, "I take it you three are familiar with Harry's tussle with the Dark Lord? It seems that the Dark Lord's soul never appeared for judgement. I have been preparing a special place in Tartarus for him."

A wide-eyed Ron blurted, "You-Know-Who is alive! I thought he was destroyed!"

The god snarled, "That wretch cheated death with the creation of soul jars! I pray you all never learn this kind of magic at all. Lady Hecate has forbidden it for a reason. Your friend's first task is to find and catch the Dark Lord's wraith. From there, we go step by step to finding his soul jars and finally bringing Olympian judgement on him. MY judgment on him."

Harry filled him in on what happened in the Forbidden Forest. The elder god stroked his chin, "You have done well to confront that monster for his crime of killing the unicorn. Now, it is your duty to flush out this wraith. Do not fail me."

Just then, his eyes were drawn to Harry's backpack. He gestured to the bag and Harry opened it. The boy rifled through his supplies, and Hades' eyes zeroed in on the invisibility cloak. He said, "I thought it was familiar. It has been millennia since it happened but I remember it like it was yesterday. Tell me, are you three familiar with the Tale of the Deathly Hallows?"

The four nodded, and then it clicked for Katie. She sharply said, "Lord Hades, are you saying that this is the cloak of Invisibility given to the last Peverell? I always thought it was just a story? And how did Harry get his hands on it?"

"I think you will find that many stories sometimes have a grain of truth in them. Believe me, Thanatos spent a century in Tartarus for that stunt. The brat paid for his insolence because he bartered away three of my precious items. He even had the gall to sneak in and cut a piece of fabric from my own robes. Thus, the Cloak of Invisibility was born."

Harry gazed at the cloak in his arms, "I was told that it was a family heirloom."

Hades replied, "Well it seems that you are descended from the last Peverell. Do not bother giving it back to me, it is useless to me now. Keep it, Potter. However, if you can find the other two items, I would like them returned back to me". He scoffed, "Master of Death, my foot!"

After a while, Chiron gathered all the campers, with Luke being the last to arrive. With that, everyone including the three magical students headed back to Camp Half-Blood. Hermione was also told to bunk in the Hermes Cabin with Ron, and given the same explanation. All in all, it was a very adventurous solstice.

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

On Christmas day, there was a celebratory game of Capture the Flag. Hermione and Ron stood to the side with Chiron and watched the game unfold. The centaur clopped forward and announced, "For tonight's game… Hermes is the blue team and has formed an alliance with Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite and Dionysus! On the other side, Apollo is allying with Demeter, Hephaestus and Ares."

Hermione piped up next to Chiron, "Five against four? Isn't that a little lop-sided? Ron! Stop staring at the children of Aphrodite!"

Chiron chuckled, "Under any other circumstances, you would be correct. However, the Aphrodite cabin don't generally participate as a whole cabin. Only a handful of them like Silena, are interested in fighting. Additionally, the Artemis Cabin only has Harry and Katie. So the teams even out a little."

He clopped forward again "Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

Everyone armoured up, including Harry. Luke then began directing everyone, assigning Katie with the other archers. Harry and Annabeth were on the advance guard. Annabeth was particularly delighted when Harry showed her his Invisibility Cloak. She signalled that he would head right, while she went left. With that, she put on her Yankees cap and turned invisible. Harry also covered himself with his cloak and snuck away towards the right.

He eventually reached the creek and carefully stepped over a few rocks jutting out of the water. There was a hairy moment when he almost bumped into Castor from the Dionysus Cabin, on border patrol.

After 10 minutes of sneaking, he finally reached the Apollo fort. Admittedly, he very nearly fell into some traps, courtesy the Hephaestus children. Fortunately, he caught himself just in time, though he came away with a few burns.

The flag was still there, guarded by two Ares campers. He sneaked over and carefully unhooked the flag, bringing it under the Cloak. Harry was halfway to the creek when he heard the cries of shock behind him. He promptly took off the Cloak and hastily folded it. Then, he broke into a sprint, ducking a few arrows and javelins. He was almost to the creek when his side exploded in pain. He glanced down and noticed that a javelin had just grazed him. Gritting his teeth, he poured on more speed, dodged the Dionysus twins and finally crossed the creek and back to friendly territory.

No sooner had he done that, Chiron blew his conch. He announced, "The blue team wins!"

In response, the blue team cheered, and many of them swept up Harry, carrying him on their shoulders to the medical tent, where Michael Yew was waiting to patch him up. Eventually, the three other Hogwarts students caught up to him after the celebration. Ron beamed, "Bloody hell, Harry! This thing looks like a lot of fun. Except for the whole weapons and maiming, of course. You reckon you could convince Dumbledore to host our own version of Capture the Flag?"

Three heads turned to him in surprise. Hermione raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Explain!"

He flushed at the attention on him, "Think of it this way, in Quidditch, there are only seven students per team. If we introduced this game, the whole house can participate. I'm thinking that the main rule is that everyone sticks to stunners, full-body binds and the incarceration spell."

Katie had a broad grin on her face, "That… sounds like a lot of fun! Also, all students earn 10 points for every successful hit regardless of which house gets the flag. Points deducted for any illegal spells, and getting the flag is worth a 100 points."

Hermione's eyes shone and she bolted for the Hermes Cabin. She hollered as she ran, "I need to write this down!"

A couple of days after Christmas, Sirius Portkeyed all four students back to Hogwarts. He managed to convince them that being at Hogwarts for the New Year was a heck of an experience. Also, Ron would deny it later, but he was starting to miss his brothers.

The first thing the quartet did was pitch the idea of Capture the Flag to Professor Dumbledore. When he heard the idea, he looked like someone had gifted him a life-time supply of Lemon Drops. He even called in the heads of house and explained the idea to them. It took some convincing, but soon everyone was sold on the idea. Professor Flitwick was practically bouncing on his heels when Dumbledore laid out the plan. Eventually, with the approval of Madam Hooch, they decided that Capture the Flag and Quidditch would be held on alternate weekends.

Three days after the New Year's celebration, which included a grand feast, Harry was busy exploring the near-empty castle. There was some drama yesterday when Hermione and Ron accidentally wandered into the Third Floor Corridor. Something evidently spooked them and they fled back to Gryffindor Tower.

At that time, it was only the three of them in the room. The twins were off pranking somewhere, Katie was sleeping in, and Percy was on patrol. Judging from Ron's frightened murmurs, there was a Cerberus in one of the rooms. Hermione noticed some other details, like a trap door under one of its paws. So, she holed herself up and an unwilling Ron in the library for some research.

That led him to where he was right now, well past curfew, so he was under his Invisibility Cloak. Harry had to dodge Caretaker Filch a few times, as well as Mrs. Norris. Then, he found himself ducking into a non-descript room.

At first glance, nothing seemed off about the room, it looked like a regular classroom. Then he spotted it, it was a large mirror, running from the ground, almost to the ceiling. As he observed its ornate gold frame, he noted that the Aphrodite children would have been all over it. Then, he spotted an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

Harry stepped in front of it, and suddenly gasped. The first thing he noticed was that he was not the only one shown. There were two other figures in the mirror, standing a step or two behind him. Quickly whipping his head around, he saw that the room was empty. However, when he turned back, the two figures were still there.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but they looked awfully familiar. Then it clicked, they were his mortal parents! Then, another familiar figure strolled into view, Mother Artemis. More and more people showed up, Zoe, Phoebe, Celyn, his other sisters, Sirius, Remus, Annabeth, Luke, Silena, Lee, Beckendorf, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and so many others. All of his family and friends. He edged closer and closer, putting a hand to the glass. As if he wanted nothing more than to reach over and be with them. Harry sat there for what felt like hours, but he gradually tore himself away and. Sneaked back into Gryffindor Tower.

As he settled down to sleep, he contemplated telling Ron and Hermione. Eventually, he elected against it, as it seemed a little too personal. The next night, he was back in front of the mirror, and this carried on for a couple more nights. One night, he looked at the inscription, 'Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'.

His mind whirred and suddenly all the pieces fell into place. He whispered in shock, "I show not your face, but your heart's desire!"

The gravity of the situation hit him, this thing, whatever it was, was dangerous. He forced his legs away muttering, "I must never come back here! This thing is addictive."

He nearly jumped out of his skin when a feminine voice sounded, "Hello, Harry!"

Harry looked up and saw a stunningly gorgeous woman, "Lady Aphrodite! Wh-what brings you here?"

She tittered, "Just keeping an eye on my champion. That mirror was my test for you. Could you overcome its power of showing you your desires? After all… There is a difference between merely seeing your heart's desire and working to fulfil it. After this, I can proudly say, you have passed, and are truly worthy of being my champion. Walk with me back to your Tower?"

As they walked, she continued speaking, "That mirror was the work of Nemesis and myself, to punish Narcissus." She gave a long-suffering sigh, "That silly boy had so many things going for him. He was smart, handsome, and so many women swooned over him."

Aphrodite then leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, "I was personally rooting for him to finally get together with that nymph, Echo."

The goddess winked at him and Harry blushed. She continued, "Anyway, Hecate requested me to bring the mirror here for something. I don't know, she was rather tight-lipped about it. According to her, its job was not done yet. Now that you know what this mirror is capable of, I trust that you won't look for it again?"

She fixed him with a pointed look and he shook his head vigorously. The goddess smiled and pecked him on the cheek, "Good! Now run along, and I'm still waiting for you to get a girlfriend! That Hermione girl looks cute, there are also a few other witches who I can't wait to match with you."

He sputtered, "B-b-but I'm only eleven! And Hermione's my friend! It'll be weird between us!"

She waved off his protests and sing-songed, "Don't knock it till you try it, sweetie!"

Before anyone knew it, the Christmas holidays were over and the castle was full with bustling students once again. Ron revealed that he managed to coax a useful titbit from Hagrid. To be precise, Hagrid scolded him and Hermione for finding out about Fluffy and that he was guarding something for Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel, before clamping his mouth shut. Come to think of it, it explained Hermione's mad rush to the library.

Unfortunately, he could not join them in that venture, because Oliver had ramped up the Quidditch practice sessions. This time around, they were facing Hufflepuff. As a result, Oliver warned that this time he had to focus on the Snitch. The Hufflepuff Seeker was Fourth-Year student Cedric Diggory. In the words of Oliver, he was an alright bloke, but was pretty ace on the field. Fred even admitted that in a few years, Harry himself could rival Diggory, but Diggory had two years of experience over him.

Wood insisted that whatever happened, he needed to ensure that he got to the Snitch first. Once again, he would wait until the Chasers had a healthy lead before hunting for the snitch. Before the game, Harry told both of his friends to keep an eye out for Malfoy. He explained that during the Slytherin game, someone tried to jinx his broom. Fortunately, Sirius and Remus had place Anti-Jinx charms based on their own experience. Ron growled, "Don't worry mate, we'll make sure none of those slimy snakes sabotage you. We all know that if Gryffindor win, they go on top of the table."

Harry shot him a look, "Ron... My beef's with Malfoy. As far as I know, the rest of the Slytherin's have pretty much left me alone. Its just Malfoy and his clique of Crabbe, Goyle, Snyde and Murk. The others have mostly left me alone, though Vole and Greengrass offered to teach me some customs about being a scion of a House."

Ron paused and then it dawned on him, "Oh right! I forgot that your dad was a pureblood, so he must have had Lordship duties."

Harry nodded, "Sirius too. In my last letter to him, he mentioned something about making me his heir. Apparently his stint in Azkaban was so bad that he was rendered sterile. So he plans to go to Gringotts sometime next year and start the process. According to him, my grandmother was a Black, so I qualify for the position of heir."

Ron grimaced, "I don't envy you, mate."

As the Hufflepuff match drew closer, Oliver Wood really put everyone through the wringer. The night before the game, Angelina Johnson was just about ready to curse him into oblivion. Wood also got into a massive argument with Katie about whether he was trying to kill them. On the day of the game, it was raining heavily, with some crackles of thunder. Oliver gave his usual pre-game speech and went over team tactics one last time. Just then, Fred peered out, "Boy! Its’ really tipping out there! I think there’s a bit of thunder and lightning as well. Hey look! the Headmaster's also here to watch the game!"

The others also crowded around, and sure enough, there he was in all his bearded glory. Both teams gathered and the captains shook hands. This time around, the atmosphere was a lot more friendly and easy-going. It was a stark contrast to the Slytherin game which was like a powder keg waiting to blow up.

As soon as the whistle blew, they were off. Katie’s Hunter training was clearly paying off, because her movements were a lot sharper and she was more agile. Additionally, most of her shots were on target, forcing saves from the opposing keeper. As she grabbed the Quaffle to line up another attack, Angelina flew next to her, “Damn girl! Where the heck did you get this good?”

She shrugged, “Took some archery lessons during the Christmas holiday. I was a fast learner.”

Angelina intercepted the pass and dodged a Bludger, “Well… I’m not complaining. I might do the same when school lets out. I’ll rope in Ally as well.”

A few metres up above them, Harry carried out his lazy flying tactic. Like in the Slytherin game, his keen eyes picked out the Snitch already and was just tracing its patterns. Brief glances behind him showed that Cedric was not-so subtly trying to tail him. Harry noted that this game was a lot harder than the Slytherin game. For one, the Chasers were a bit more competent, and the Keeper could give Wood a run for his Galleons.

After 15 minutes of a pretty close game, Alicia scored to make the score 90-60, and that was when Harry took off. Right on cue, Diggory also took off after him. Both players dodged and weaved through their teammates and rivals, while still pursuing the Snitch.

Just then, one of the Hufflepuff Beaters smashed a Bludger straight at Harry’s face. He waited until the last second to roll under his broom, letting the Bludger sail past where his body used to be, and almost give a startled Diggory his first kiss. Instead, it smacked his shoulder and sent him veering off course. Harry righted himself and continued chasing the Snitch. The rain was making it harder to see, but Harry was able to make out the Snitch in front of him. He lunged and somehow swiped it out of the air.

As soon as he did so, Lee Jordan’s excited screams filled the air. Once again, Harry found himself as the meat in a seven-layer Gryffindor sandwich. Oliver was bawling his eyes out, “One more and we finally have the trophy!”

Back in the Common Room, the party was epic. Even when McGonagall came in to warn everyone about curfew, she didn’t have the heart to stop everyone.

Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Apologies for the delay. This chapter needed a couple of rewrites just to get it right.

---

THE DAILY PROPHET

January 7^th, 1992

MIRACLE AT ST. MUNGOS! LONGBOTTOMS CURED!

The entire Wizarding World knows what happened on that fateful Halloween when the Boy-Who-Lived defeated the Dark Lord You-Know-Who. However, even after his defeat, there were still remnants of his Death Eater followers. Among them were Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolphus and brother-in-law, Rabastan. These three criminals attacked the Longbottom family and tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom to insanity. Since then, the couple have been permanent residents in St. Mungo’s, as Medi-Wizards desperately tried to cure them, but in vain.

All of that changed last night, when renowned and reclusive Greek Medi-wizard Lester Papadopoulos, walked through the doors of St. Mungo’s with his stepson Michael Yew. This reporter was able to catch up with Mr. Papadopoulos after he performed his miracle. He said that he had heard about the Longbottom case long ago, and was intrigued. Mr. Papadopoulos declared that he is regarded as one of the best Healers in the Wizarding World, but was very picky about his cases. So when he heard about the Longbottom family, he could not resist a challenge. Of course, he only turned up now, because he needed time for research and to gather his supplies.

This reporter also noted how young Mr. Papadopoulos’ stepson was. However, The Medi-wizard said that Mr. Yew is a prodigy, in his words, ‘a real chip of the old block’. So, he took him on as his apprentice, and has not regretted it ever since. This reporter begged to know the procedures used to cure the Longbottoms. At that moment, the hospital staff insisted that Mr. Papadopoulos is bound by the Asclepiad Oath to not reveal his medical practices. Dame Augusta Longbottom has been informed of her son and daughter-in-law’s recovery. Both Mr. and Mrs Longbottom will be released from hospital this afternoon to recuperate at home.

We at the Daily Prophet wish the Longbottoms a quick recovery. We also hope that they have a happy reunion with their family.

Harry had just finished reading the papers, when he heard a loud clatter across from him. He glanced up to see Hermione’s jaw drop, along with a porridge spoon on the floor, which he assumed she dropped. Reading over his left shoulder, Ron blurted, “Bloody Hell! This is massive! Where’s Neville?”

The three of them were the first ones down in the Great Hall, and thus got the newspapers first. This was also because Hedwig took her delivery job way too seriously. Hermione looked at the door, “Here he comes! I don’t think he’s aware of the situation yet.”

Neville sat down to Harry’s right, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He sleepily mumbled, “Hey guys, what’s the matter?”

Harry slowly moved the Prophet under his nose. At first, Neville didn’t react and his eyes closed. Then his eyes snapped back open and he snatched the paper from Harry. When he finished, he stared straight ahead and then keeled over backwards and fainted. Harry murmured, “Blimey! Fletch worked pretty fast and outdid himself.”

Ron tilted his head curiously and spoke, “What do you mean, mate?”

Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He said, “I may have written to Lee Fletcher from the Apollo Cabin. You remember him right? 15-year-old guy with blond hair? That’s him. I remember back on Halloween, Sirius told me about Neville’s parents. I kind of felt bad for him and wanted to do something nice for him. So I wrote to Fletcher and called in a favour that he owed me. Honestly, I was just expecting him or one of his older siblings. I definitely didn’t expect him to get his dad involved.”

Hermione’s eyes widened, “Dad? You mean-”

He nodded, “Lester Papadopoulos is an alias Apollo takes when in his mortal form. I’m guessing that he’s used it a lot to hang out in the Greek Wizarding World. So they didn’t really question it.”

Neville finally came to and snatched the newspaper once again. His face split into a broad grin and hugged all three of them. Harry pat his back, “I’m happy for you, mate! You deserve it! According to the paper, they’ll be returning home in the afternoon. You can talk to Professor McGonagall to excuse you for some time.”

The boy rushed over to the head table, where the equally stunned faculty were seated. In a daze, McGonagall allowed Neville time off to visit his parents. When he returned, an hour after lunch, the boy was deliriously happy. Even Snape, who often made his life unpleasant in Potions, decided to leave him alone.

Just then, Harry noticed something different about Neville. He said, “Hey Nev, is it just me or is that a new wand?”

The boy flushed slightly, “Yeah, I was actually using my dad’s old wand all along. It was Gran’s idea and she said that I should be honoured to use his wand. Dad wasn’t too pleased when he found out and got involved in a massive row with Gran. In the end, Dad won and Mum took me to get my own wand, 13 inches, cherry with a unicorn hair core. I’ve been able to cast spells a lot better now.”

---

A couple of weeks later, the trio were in the library researching about Nicholas Flamel, when they noticed Hagrid walking in. The large man came over to them and knelt next to Harry. The boy turned and smiled at Hagrid, “Hey Hagrid, how are you?”

His shaggy face broke into a large grin, “Just peachy, Harry. Listen, if you three are not too busy, I wanted to show you a new critter I found.”

Hermione interrupted, “Is it the Mooncalf that you were expecting yesterday? I hope it’s nothing dangerous like that Chupacabra you showed us last week. Ron’s only just got out of the Hospital Wing, and we had a really awkward conversation with Madam Pomfrey.”

He waved his hand dismissively, “Nah, its nothing like that… Well, you’ll see. The Mooncalf's arrival has been delayed by a couple of weeks.”

Later on, Hagrid ushered the trio into his hut as they tried to shield themselves from the pouring rain. It had been raining intermittently for the past few weeks, with occasional thunderstorms. When Hagrid closed the door, the first thing that hit them was the sweltering heat. Right by the fireplace was a large cauldron with a large black egg in it. Harry joked, “Hagrid, we just had lunch! Were you planning to make an omelette?”

He gave a short belly laugh, “Hahaha! Nonsense, Harry! This is a dragon’s egg! I was actually in Hogsmeade the other day. Came across an odd chap at the Hog’s Head Inn and beat him in a game of cards. Bloke had a lousy hand and I won easily. He told me that he was a lover of exotic creatures and his next expedition was to look for a three-headed dog. He said he heard some rumours of a Cerberus in Albania and wanted some tips to deal with one. Told him that all he had to do was play some music and it will drop off to sleep.”

Hermione squeaked, “Hagrid! You know that breeding dragons without a license is illegal right!? Wouldn’t it be better off in a reserve somewhere? I read that there are many dragon reserves in the country. Also, did you see that man’s face? He could have been a smuggler”

He blew off her warning, “Now, now, no need to fret. There’s all sorts of folks at the Hog’s Head Inn. The fellow heard through the grapevine that I was rather fond of dragons. So he used some of his influence to find one for me- Ah! Just in time! Look! It’s hatching!”

Sure enough, the egg was wobbling a little and there was a cracking sound. Then, it burst open to reveal a reptilian head followed by a serpentine body, and Hagrid exclaimed happily, “Isn’t he beautiful! The bloke who I won it from said that it was a sub-species of the Norwegian Ridgeback, or something like that.”

Harry suddenly blurted, “Di Immortales! That’s not a dragon!”

Everyone turned to see his pale face. Ron questioned, “It’s not?”

The demigod nodded, “There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that this is a drakon, and they are much deadlier.”

Hermione, ever eager for more knowledge, asked, “What’s the difference between a dragon and a drakon?”

He dodged a spray of venom, “Like I said, drakons are deadlier, and they are several millennia older than dragons. They’re also a lot more vicious than dragons.”

Ron yelped, “And that’s the bad news! What’s the good news?”

“This is a Thebian drakon. It’s a little less aggressive than other drakon species, but no less dangerous. Most drakon species including the Thebian drakon can spit acidic venom, and they can grow at alarming rates. I’m sorry Hagrid, it needs to go, now. Look, it’s already trying to snap at me. It has already recognised me as a demigod, and all monsters, including drakons will go to kill any demigod.”

Hagrid tried to argue, “Surely you don’t mean that, Harry. It’s just a wee little baby. It will not survive alone.”

However, Harry was firm, “Sorry Hagrid, but I’m not budging on this. Look… I like you because you’re a friend, but I don’t want to risk this drakon growing up and putting the four of us and the entire school at risk. Imagine the fallout if someone discovered it in your hut. You could get into major trouble.”

The large man agonised over it for a few minutes before his shoulders slumped. He mumbled, “I suppose you’re right. You should go and take care of it in the Forbidden Forest, outside the Castle wards.”

Ron’s voice trembled, “When you said growing at alarming rates, what do you mean by that?”

The reply came just as he dodged another venom shot, “There are reports in the demigod world that drakons can be as long as a skyscraper. It’ll take an entire army just to take down a full-grown drakon.”

“What’s a skyscraper?”

The baby drakon had begun to slither towards Harry, snapping at him, “Imagine a creature as large as Hogwarts castle and multiply it by 10. Some of the largest drakons are as tall as the Empire State Building.”

At this, Hermione was also white as a sheet. She whimpered, “Good grief! Th-th-that’s tall.”

He motioned to Hermione and Ron, never taking his eyes off the drakon as it continued to advance towards him. Harry ordered, “Do me a favour and make sure the coast is clear. I’ll try and lead it to the Forbidden Forest so that I can get rid of it.”

The two of them nodded and exited the ramshackle hut, leaving Harry to continue backing up as the baby drakon chased him. After five minutes, there was a series of knocks on the door. Harry recognised it as Morse Code, something that Annabeth had taught him.

Avoiding another attack, he quickly opened the door and ducked out, with the drakon following him. He motioned to his two friends, “Get back to the library and try and look up anything else about Flamel. I’ll join you once I’ve got rid of this monster, don’t worry about me, I can handle the bugger.”

They sprinted away, and Harry began backing towards the Forbidden Forest. In response, the drakon lunged and barely missed him. As it pounced at him again, Harry began to feel for his rings, only to touch bare skin. Turns out, he left it back in his dorm room, and he cursed his own stupidity. He instantly went for his daggers and dropped in a fighting stance, still backing up towards the Forest.

Suddenly, it leaped at him with its jaws agape and he quickly thrust one dagger and stabbed it. In an instant, the baby drakon screeched and dissolved into dust. Breathing heavily, he sheathed the daggers and shakily made his way back to the castle.

---

A few days later, the trio were no closer to finding out about Nicholas Flamel. The First-Year end of term exams were also steadily approaching so they had to study for those as well. One day, Harry trudged into the Common Room from his dorm after a short afternoon nap, and sat down at a desk. He fished out a few blocks of wood and one dagger before unconsciously carving it up.

He wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing, but cast his mind back on a weird dream. In it, he was at a beach where the sea was really rough. Additionally, there was a white horse and a golden eagle attacking each other, a little ahead of him. The eagle appeared to scream, “Where is it!? Where is it!?”

Harry could not make head or tail of it at all. Suddenly, he noticed someone sitting on the desk in front of him. He looked up and saw a smiling Lavender Brown sitting in front of him. She chirped, “Hi Harry! What are you up to?”

He shrugged, “I finished my revisions a while ago and took a nap. Now I’m just fiddling around. I have ADHD, known as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. So I have to keep my hands busy or I’ll go crazy.”

Lavender nodded sympathetically, then she looked at the block of wood that he was whittling. The only thing was, it no longer resembled a block of wood, but looked like a small wooden figurine of a roaring lion. She emitted a low whistle, “Wow! You’re pretty good at this! Looks incredibly detailed!”

Harry shrugged again and used his wand to summon a few more blocks of wood, “Back at summer camp, we had Arts and Crafts. It was a pretty good way to get creative.”

This time, he managed to carve out figurines of a snake, a badger and an eagle, the Hogwarts house mascots. Later on, Parvati also joined her friend to watch him carve. Eventually, he stopped after carving a stag, a tiger and even a hydra. He looked up and saw that Dean was also a spectator.

 Then Harry’s stomach rumbled and he blushed. Dean chuckled and tossed him a Chocolate Frog. Harry opened it gratefully and caught the frog before it could get away. Biting into it, he absently noted that the card he got was a Dumbledore card. He flipped it over and the information hit him like a ton of bricks. Fortunately, he made no outward reaction, other than to calmly get up and head out of the Common Room. Once past the portrait, he broke into a sprint, heading straight for the library. When he reached, he screeched to a halt and then calmly opened the door to enter. Sure enough, he found a bored Ron and an increasingly frustrated Hermione consulting stacks of books. He sat down between them and muttered, “I found him. I found Nicholas Flamel.”

She looked at him with hope in her eyes, “You did?”

He handed the Chocolate Frog card and she studied the information. Something clicked in her and she grabbed a nearby book. She flipped through it and jabbed s finger at a random paragraph. The girl excitedly whispered, “I knew it! Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone! This stone is said to have the ability to turn any metal into pure gold. It is also one of the key ingredients in making the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.”

Ron muttered, “Bloody hell! I can think of many people who would want to get their hands on it. You want to bet that that’s what the three-headed dog is guarding?”

Harry quipped, “He’s a Cerberus, and that’s a sucker’s bet, mate. Listen, I’m trusting you two with this information. I’ve been speaking to Dumbledore, he seems to think that You-Know-Who is not dead. At the moment, he’s my prime suspect, but I still don’t know how he will try to get it. I was also thinking about that wraith, what if that was You-Know-Who?”

Hermione suddenly had a horrible thought, “It was drinking unicorn blood. The blood is supposed to keep a person alive, even when they are close to dying.”

Harry mused, “It’s a solid theory. Also, don’t you think it was suspicious that the fellow who just so happened to have an egg of a dragon-like creature? There was also a big hole in his story because the Cerberus is native to Greece, not Albania.”

Hermione said, “We’ve got to watch out. Though I suppose, as long as Dumbledore is still in the castle, You-Know-Know won’t do a thing. Dumbledore is the only person that he ever feared. As long as the Headmaster is here, no one will make a move for the stone. So for now, let’s just focus on our exams.”

Chapter 16: Chapter 16

As the days passed, the exams crept even closer. Headmaster Dumbledore managed to catch up to Harry one day and revealed that he managed to pull a few strings with the Ministry about his dyslexia. Initially, he had approached the Hogwarts Board of Governors to rope in a Greek examiner who would be grading a dyslexic student's paper as they were more comfortable writing in Greek.

Unfortunately, one of the Board members, Lucius Malfoy, promptly shut it down. So, Dumbledore managed to go over the Board of Governors' heads and appealed straight to the Ministry. To be precise, he went to the Department of Magical Education. This pretty much ensured that the Board's hands were tied. As they talked, Dumbledore also made a curious comment about the weather. When Harry prodded further, he revealed that the wards around Hogwarts also help to keep the weather out. So it was odd that it had been raining for such a long time and within Hogwarts grounds.

Eager to solve another mystery, Harry wrote to Annabeth, though he had a bit of a suspicion. One morning, Hermione and Ron were busy revising in the Common Room when a pale Harry stumbled in. Noticing their friend's distress, Hermione got up and ushered him down between them. Ron whispered, "What's the matter, mate?"

Still in shock, the dark-haired boy put up a privacy charm that Katie had taught him. Harry murmured, "I just found out why the weather's been so wonky in the past few weeks. I was talking to Professor Dumbledore last week and he admitted that the wards around the castle normally keeps out the weather. Had a bit of a suspicion so I wrote to Beth. According to her, someone stole Lord Zeus' Lightning Bolt. Now my dream makes so much sense."

Hermione exclaimed, "What! Who did it!? When did it happen?! Wh-"

Ron clamped a hand over her mouth, "Blimey Hermione! Breathe, will you! Also, what dream, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, "No one knows who did it. He's accusing Poseidon, for some reason, though Poseidon is denying it. According to the Ancient Laws, Gods are forbidden from stealing each other's symbols of power. As for the dream bit, dreams are a pretty common occurrence for demigods and they can show the past or future. My dream showed a scene at a beach with an eagle fighting a horse. The eagle was screaming, 'Where is it? Where is it?'. I think the eagle was Zeus and the horse was Poseidon. The eagle and the horse are their sacred animals, how did I not see it before?"

Ron pat his back sympathetically, "So what's going to happen how? When the term ends, will you be able to go back to camp?"

Harry shrugged, "Maybe. I just have to pray that I don't get blasted out of the sky while on the flight. Look, there's nothing we can do now. Hopefully someone finds it and returns it to him. For now, let's concentrate on our exams then worry about the stone afterwards."

---

Before anyone knew it, exam week was upon them. Firstly, there was the practical segment, which went fairly alright in Harry's opinion. His favourite exam was DADA, where Quirrell had set up a course and each student had to send offensive spells at cardboard cut-outs of Death-Eaters and avoid hitting hostages.

They also had to complete the task in 30 seconds. Ron managed to hit seven Death-Eaters, but got a point knocked off for a stray Stunner grazing a hostage's elbow. Hermione only managed eight targets, and Quirrell noted that she took too long to decide what spell to use. Neville was actually doing decently until the eighth cut-out popped up and it appeared to resemble a tall woman with curly dark hair, thick eyebrows and long eyelashes. That was when the poor boy faltered and clammed up. When it was time for Harry to take his practical, he set a record, hitting all 10 Death-Eaters with no hostages harmed, all in the span of 15 seconds. His performance earned a nervous smile from Quirrell, and a stuttered congratulations.

Then came the written exams, and they were a little harder for the demigod. Unfortunately for him, the question papers were all in English, which did his dyslexic brain, zero favours. The first paper was Transfiguration and McGonagall informed him that Dumbledore tried to get separate question papers written in Greek. However, the Board of Governors were still smarting from Dumbledore's earlier decision to get a Greek examiner for him. So they blocked this move and were not budging on their stance.

Fortunately, Professor Flitwick came up with a solution. Harry would be placed in a different classroom with a different professor supervising, while appearing for the exam. Later on, Ravenclaw Prefect Penelope Clearwater was roped in to read the questions to him. Her own exams usually finished much earlier than his. As a Muggle-born, she was aware of conditions like dyslexia and was sympathetic, so she was willing to help him.

Finally, there was History of Magic serving as the final exam. After a painstaking couple of hours, Penelope finally read the last question to him and he dutifully wrote down the answer. After submitting the paper, he shook her hand and thanked her for her help. The girl was pretty gracious about the whole thing and wished him luck with his results. Before they parted ways, she knelt and whispered, "In my personal opinion, you did pretty well. I think it'll be a good result. Now you can go and enjoy the next few days in peace. I know that I definitely will."

A few days later, Harry made his way to the Great Hall for a small bite to eat. He sat and waited for Ron, Hermione and his other house-mates. Just then, Hedwig flew in with a small note in her talons. He opened it, and on it were the words, "It's time, Harry. I will be away on some business. I assume that you have learned of what is being guarded on the Third Floor. For the record, I have done what the Muggle folk call 'the old switcheroo'. The Philosopher's Stone in the corridor is fake. The real one is with me, and being returned to my friend Nicholas. It's up to you to keep up the ruse so as to not arouse suspicion from the Dark Lord. I need you to protect the item from him. Destroy the note after reading. I will try and return as soon as I can, should you need my help."

With a small Incendio, he burned the note and waited. A minute later, Ron and Hermione entered the Great Hall, arguing as usual. She was still hung up on their recently concluded exams. The girl complained, "I'm sure I got question 10 wrong in Astronomy! Oh… I should have ensured that all of my answers were at least 6 feet long! Oh no! Oh no! I'm going to fail!"

A fed-up Ron snapped, "Come on! Quit lying to yourself! You say this every bloody time we have a test and then you come out and top the whole damn thing!"

Harry called out, "I hate to say it, Hermione. But Ron has a point. You're just worrying over nothing. Also, six feet more of parchment? Are you planning to keep all of our professors stuck grading your First-Year papers by the time you're in Seventh-Year. Take it from me, no professor is going to have the patience to grade insanely long essays. Beth learned that lesson the hard way, when she was nine. One answer was three pages long, and the professor put a massive line across two and a half pages. Told her that she wandered well off the point and he has no patience to read three pages worth of a single answer."

She sulked for a bit, and Ron asked Harry how his final exam was. After assuring them that his exam went well, he ushered them to sit next to him. He muttered, "Got a message from Dumbledore. He has some business in the Ministry. With him out of the castle, it gives You-Know-Who the perfect opportunity to strike."

The two looked alarmed and Hermione murmured, "We'll go tonight. Harry, do you think you can take him? I mean we're all just kids…"

He whispered back, "Hermione, I've been training to fight for my life, most of my life. I'll be okay. If you want, I can help train the two of you to fight as well."

Ron was puzzled, "But mate, we have our wands. Why would we need to use swords and other weapons?"

Harry glanced at his female companion, "Hermione?"

"I agree with Ron."

Harry turned to them and raised an eyebrow, "Okay, what if you were in a duel and you got disarmed? By your logic, you would have to run away or be dead."

Ron slumped, "Yeah, you have a point. I was just a little jealous that you've had to save our arses and we were pretty much useless against those monsters."

"Which is precisely why I wanted to train both of you. Judging by both of your responses, wizards don't rely on anything other than their wands. That kind of thinking will get you killed in the real world. The worst part is that the regular mortals won't be able to do a thing to help."

He stealthily took out one dagger, "This is made from Celestial Bronze. It is the only thing that will hurt or kill any monsters. Regular swords will just go through them without harming them."

With that, he sheathed the weapon before anyone could notice. Harry continued, "Anyway, we have to protect the stone from the Dark Lord."

---

That night, Ron and Hermione waited as Harry headed upstairs to fetch his Invisibility Cloak. He stealthily opened his trunk and took the cloak and a rucksack, when a voice interrupted him.

"Harry? Is that an invisibility cloak?"

He looked up to see Neville looking at him curiously. The demigod waved him off, "Yeah, I was just going to show it to Hermione. She hasn't seen it yet."

Neville sat up, "Mate, I'm not stupid. You're planning to sneak out, aren't you? You can't! What if you get caught? When Ron, Hermione and I were caught out of bounds, we lost 50 points each! I couldn't look the rest of our housemates in the eye for weeks. We're so close to beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years."

Then he got off the bed and raised his fists, shaking slightly. He stammered, "I-I'll fight you if I have to! I won't let you and the other two lose points for Gryffindor!"

Harry paused and had an idea, "Alright, Plan B… You're coming with us."

To be honest, Neville was not expecting that response. He backpedalled in surprise, "M-me? You want me to come with you guys?"

"I didn't stutter. So yes, you're coming with us. I have a feeling you could be of big help to us. Come on mate, time to prove that you're a real Gryffindor."

He led the trembling boy down the stairs, ensuring that both of them were quiet. When he re-joined Ron and Hermione, they raised a curious eyebrow at him. He just shrugged, "Trust me on this. I have a gut feeling that he'll be a big asset."

They were able to sneak out of the portrait, because the Fat Lady was gallivanting elsewhere. Luckily, the cloak was able to cover all four of them. There was a moment when they barely dodged Filch. Hermione even had to clamp Neville's mouth shut when Mrs. Norris crossed their path. Avoiding a couple of prefect patrols, they finally reached the corridor. Since Ron and Hermione had been there before, they led the way. The trio even filled in Neville, and his eyes nearly popped out of their skull.

They stopped outside an ordinary door, but could hear a harp playing inside. Hermione raised her wand and whispered, "Alohomora", and the lock clicked open. Before he opened the door, Harry looked at his three companions, "Last chance to back out. Do you still want to do this?"

Hermione huffed, "Don't be silly Harry! What kind of friends would we be if we abandoned you?"

Ron quipped, "She's right, mate."

Neville stammered, "I-I have spoken to my dad the other day and he asked about you. He was quite happy that we're friends because he was a firm ally of your dad's. Dad insisted that no matter what happens, Potters and Longbottoms always had each other's backs. I'm not going to abandon you, either."

Harry smiled gratefully and opened the door and closed it behind all four of them. As soon as they entered and Hermione shut the door, they took off the cloak and Harry folded it up. Inside, there was a massive three-headed dog, the size of a truck. Ron and Neville whimpered in fear. Fortunately, it was sleeping, due to an enchanted harp playing a Celestina Warbeck song.

However, Harry realized that the song was just winding down. So his hand crept into his rucksack and he pulled out a flute, a gift from Hagrid. He ordered the other three, "See if you can move its paw away from the trap door. I'll keep it distracted, the harp's about to stop playing."

Sure enough, it stopped, but Harry put the flute to his lips and began to play a soft mournful tune. Hermione's eyes widened, "Is that Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen! That's one of my favourite songs!"

He nodded and kept playing, while there was not a single peep from the Cerberus. The three of them successfully moved the dog's paw and one by one, dropped down the trap door. Harry slowly began moving to the open trap door and eventually stopped playing. He quietly hopped in and closed the door. Hanging on for a second, he let go and dropped like a stone. When he landed, it was on something pretty soft.

Harry called out, "Everyone okay?"

Ron called back, "Yeah! Good thing this plant thingy is here to break our fall!"

She shrieked, "That's a good thing! Do you even recognise this plant?!"

Neville's voice piped up, "This is Devil's Snare. A real nasty piece of work."

Harry quipped, "If we weren't in mortal danger, I'd be making a hentai joke right about now."

Ron and Neville were confused, but Hermione screeched, "Harry! Don't be crude! Now let me try to remember how to kill it."

Neville helpfully called out, "It likes dark and damp conditions!"

Harry hollered, "Come on! Light a fire!"

She yelled back in panic, "But there's no firewood!"

Visibly annoyed, Ron roared, "Bloody hell, woman! Are you or are you not a witch!"

Cowed, she took out her wand, "Close your eyes! LUMOS SOLEM MAXIMA!"

A bright light filled the room and the vines all recoiled. Now that they were relatively free, the quartet escaped the vines and scampered away. As they walked away through a passageway, Ron muttered, "And they call her the brightest witch of her generation. Can't think straight in a crisis. 'There's no firewood'. Honestly!"

Just then, they heard a curious sound. Neville whimpered, "W-what's that sound?"

Harry shrugged, "Sounds like wings to me. Look! There's a light up ahead at the end of the passageway!"

They hurried down the passage and were met with a curious sight. High up above them there were hundreds of bird-like things flying up above them. Harry groaned, "They had better not be the Stymphalian birds. Otherwise we're screwed."

Neville was lost, "Stympha-what?"

Harry waved him off, "Long story. Listen, we've got to make a run for it. Hopefully they won't attack us."

To their surprise, the flock above them did not move towards them. Ron suddenly blurted, "It's locked!"

Hermione tried the Alohomora charm, but it failed. Then Harry had a good look at the flock, "What a second, those are not birds. They're winged keys!"

Then he had a good look around the room before spying his target, a set of brooms propped up against the wall. He made a bee-line towards them, "I'll take care of this. What kind of key are we looking for?"

Hermione called out, "A big old-fashioned key! Preferably a silver one, so that it matches the door handle!"

He took off and ploughed into the flock. His keen eyes searched this way and that for the key. Unfortunately, after 10 minutes of searching, he came up fruitless. Harry glided back down and picked up his rucksack, "Whoever came before us covered their tracks well and must have taken the key with them. Okay, Plan B."

He fished out a lock-picking set, "Compliments from the Stoll brothers for my 8th birthday."

In two minutes, he had successfully picked the lock and opened the door. When they entered, the first thing they saw was a life-size chess board, complete with all the pieces. Ron looked like it was Christmas, Easter and his birthday, all at once. He rubbed his hands and gloated, "My time has come! Come on guys, we'll take the black pieces. Now we've got to take the places of some of the pieces."

Harry stopped him immediately, "Are you having a laugh! There is no way that I'm risking the lives of any one of you! Ron, you can direct the pieces from the side."

They argued back and forth, but eventually Ron gave in. What followed next was in intense battle between the white and the black pieces. The white pieces were especially brutal, obliterating the black pieces as they eliminated them. In the end, Ron managed to checkmate the white king by sacrificing his knight and allowing the bishop to take the king.

When the game ended, Ron's face was so pale that they could see his freckles. He whimpered, "Bloody hell! I'm glad you talked me out of putting ourselves on the board. That knight would've been me!"

Harry shrugged, "I told you so. Now hurry up, You-Know-Who could be closing in on the stone at any moment."

They hurried through the next passageway when a familiar pungent stench filled the air. Holding his nose, Harry turned to Ron, "You think you can do the same trick as last time?"

He fished out his wand, "I'll try."

Just as they were about to open the door, a familiar voice called out to them. It said, "Not to worry, Harry, Ron and Hermione. I have stunned the troll. The stone is fine, but to be on the safe side, we'll go together."

Hermione got excited, "Professor Dumbledore is here! Come on!"

Suddenly, Harry grabbed her hand and fiercely whispered, "Wait… Think about it for a second. Trolls are incredibly resistant to spells. There is no way that a stunner could down a troll, no matter how powerful Dumbledore is. Whoever is in that room, it's not Dumbledore. Additionally, he never mentioned Neville. I've got a bad feeling."

Harry debated with himself and then his reached for his waist, where his daggers were. He whipped them out, and Ron grabbed the door handle. The redhead wrenched it open and Harry charged, brandishing his weapons. As he suspected, there was a Cyclops waiting for him, with one foot resting on a dead troll's head. The one-eyed monster grinned and grabbed a nearby spiked club, "Well, well, well… It's my lucky day. First an unconscious troll, which I took care of. Now, I finally get to kill a demigod, and it is the Moon Goddess' child."

Neville momentarily got over his fear, "What's he talking about?"

The Cyclops brought down the club, intending to turn the pesky demigod into paste. However, Harry dodged the strike and stabbed the monster in the calf. The monster roared in pain and Harry called out, "Hermione! Can you fill Neville in?! The gig's up anyway! I'd do it myself but I'm a little busy here!"

Harry ducked under another swipe, then stabbed the other calf. Then, he straddled the cyclops' back and stabbed him them. There were more roars of pain and rage. It began trying to grab the demigod with its meaty arms. Ron and Hermione tried to help by sending stinging hexes and stunners. Finally, a wild tripping jinx from Neville managed to send the cyclops on its back. This allowed Harry to straddle its chest and stab the monster in the throat. With one final roar, it crumpled and dissolved into dust.

Panting in exhaustion, Harry crumpled to his knees. His legs felt like jelly and he could barely move them. He gestured to his rucksack, "Hermione? Can you feed me some ambrosia? Just a small piece will do."

She started forward and rummaged through it. Finally, she pulled out a Tupperware box labelled 'Emergency Supplies'. As she fed him a piece she snorted, "The label is pretty apt. This definitely qualifies as an emergency."

Eventually, he was able to stand up, though he was a bit shaky. Ron and Neville got on either side and draped an arm over their shoulders. The timid boy asked, "You alright, Harry?"

He gave a single nod in reply and sheathed the daggers after cleaning them, "Yeah, I'm steadily getting my strength back. It's one of the perks of being a demigod, we can heal a little quicker. By the way, good job with the tripping jinx, Neville."

Neville flushed and mumbled, "It was nothing, really."

In the next room, there was nothing, except for a table with seven bottles of different shapes and sizes. When they fully entered the room, there was a small boom, which made Neville jump, and the room was surrounded by a huge sheet of purple fire. Hermione noticed a piece of parchment on the table and snatched it.

She read, "Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind. Two of us will help you, whichever one you find. One among us seven will let you move ahead. Another will transport the drinker back instead. Two among out number hold only nettle wine. Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line. Choose unless you wish to stay here forevermore. To help you with your choice, we give you these clues four. First however slyly the poison tries to hide, you will always find some on nettle wine's left side. Second, different are those who stand on either end. But if you would move onward, neither is your friend. Third as you see clearly, all are different in size. Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides. Fourth, the second left and second on the right, are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."

The girl gushed, "This is brilliant! It's a logic puzzle, and a fair number of wizards don't have much logic. They would be stuck in here forever, but not us, not on my watch. Give me a minute."

She paced around the table, muttering away as she kept studying the parchment. Then, she clapped her hands, "I've got it! The smallest bottle with get us through the black flames and towards the Stone."

Unfortunately, Harry noticed a small problem, "Umm… There's only enough for one person. I'll have to go it alone. Which one takes us through the purple flames?"

She pointed to a round bottle at the other end of the line. Harry took out his Invisibility Cloak and ordered, "One of you drink it and try and go back and send a letter to Professor Dumbledore. You can use Hedwig if you want, and use the cloak to evade Filch and the patrols. The other two can wait for me here or wait for the bottle to replenish."

Suddenly, Hermione hugged him, "Oh Harry! Be careful! You-you're a great wizard, you know that right?"

He shrugged sheepishly, "You're far smarter than the three of us, no offence guys."

Ron and Neville spoke in unison, "None taken."

She scoffed, "Books and cleverness can only take me so far. I realise that now. It takes a lot more than that, friendship and bravery are far more important."

With a quick swallow, she downed the larger potion and he did the same with his own. Both shuddered simultaneously and he coughed, "Blimey! It's like ice is flooding through my body."

With a deep breath he stepped through the black flames. When he entered the room, the first thing he noticed was that he was not alone. Harry blurted, "Wow! I had a feeling it was you."

The turbaned professor finally took notice of the new occupant. He smirked, "You were? Well I suppose you are smarter than I thought. I had a feeling that you would be coming, Potter. Let me guess… You were expecting Severus? He does seem the type, always swooping around like an overgrown dungeon bat. So who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell."

Harry glowered at him, but Quirrell continued talking. He said, "You know, I tried to kill you during your first quidditch game. In a spot of oversight on my part, I forgot about your mutt of a godfather. Those Blacks were always a paranoid bunch. So I should have taken into account that he had added an Anti-Jinx charm to your broom. I had planned to off you during your second game, but the Headmaster was already onto me. But that won't matter now, since I will finally be able to kill you myself."

With a snap of his fingers, roped appeared out of nowhere and wrapped him up. It was so tight that he couldn't even access his daggers nor his rings. So, Harry switched into distraction mode and decided to keep Quirrell talking. He said, "Am I assuming that the troll on Halloween and the troll in the other room were your handiwork?"

There was no need to mention the hellhound or the cyclops. Nevertheless, Quirrell obliged him, "Of course it was! The first troll was a distraction, and I have a certain affinity for them. On Halloween, I was only too happy tom send the faculty on a wild goose chase. I would have gotten away with it if it were not for Severus and you meddling kids."

Deciding to annoy him, Harry quipped, "Didn't know you were a Scooby Doo fan, professor."

He snapped, "Enough of your insolence! Now sit quietly while I examine this interesting mirror."

That was when Harry realised that Quirrell was in front of the Mirror of Erised and grinned to himself. The DADA professor muttered to himself, "The mirror is the key to finding the stone. Trust Dumbledore to come up with a contraption like this. No matter, by the time he gets back, I will be far away."

Harry tried stalling again, "To be honest, I didn't really suspect Professor Snape. He and I have no beef with each other. I actually suspected that it was the Dark Lord himself."

Quirrell paused momentarily, "Truly, you are smarter than I thought."

Harry shrugged, or tried to, "Well, the Sorting Hat did say that I could have fit into any house. Gryffindor and Slytherin were the strongest candidates. However, he doubted that Slytherin would survive with me in it."

He chortled, "Of course you wouldn't survive in Slytherin, Potter!"

Harry didn't have the heart to correct him and say that Slytherin would not survive him, and not the other way round.

By then, the deranged professor was back to observing the mirror. He murmured, "I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it? Is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"

Harry thought to himself, 'I'd love to see you break it and incur the wrath of Aphrodite and Nemesis.'

Suddenly, a chilling voice emanated, seemingly from Quirrell himself. It chanted, "Use the boy… Use the boy…"

Quirrell whirled around, "Potter! Come here!"

Harry shot him an 'are you serious' look. He deadpanned, "I'm a little tied up at the moment, you twit."

The professor scowled and loosed the ropes with a flick of his wand, "Enough of your cheek, you brat! Now, come to the mirror and tell me what you see?"

Harry dutifully obeyed and looked in the mirror. Surprisingly, it was blank except for himself. Just then, Aphrodite sauntered up to him and stood next to him. She winked and one hand reached into her glamourous dress, the other went up to her luscious red lips in a silence gesture. The hand fumbling through her dress came back out, and she was holding a red crystal-like stone. The Greek goddess of Beauty gently slipped the stone into his reflection's pocket. At the same time, Harry felt something slip in his own pocket.

Quirrell was losing his patience, "Well… I'm waiting…"

"I see my mum and dad. They are smiling and playing with me when I was a baby. N-now its changing… I'm shaking hands with Dumbledore, I've just won the House and Quidditch cups for Gryffindor."

The man growled and shoved him out of the way. Harry stumbled and slowly and stealthily tried to sneak away. Unfortunately, the disembodied voice spoke again, "The boy lies… He lies… Let me speak to him, face-to-face."

Quirrell blanched, "Master, you are not strong enough."

The voice snapped back, "I am strong enough for this."

Then, the older man began to unravel his turban. When he turned away from Harry, the boy had to fight down some bile rising up his throat. On the back of Quirrell's head was another face. This one was pasty white with glaring red eyes and slit-like nostrils. It was Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort snarled, "Harry Potter… See what I have become? Mere shadow and vapor… I have form only when I can share another's body. There have been those who were willing hosts, and unicorn blood has sustained me for the past few weeks. My vessel, Quirrell, has been most faithful, and once I have the Elixir of Life, I can create a body of my own. With that said, give me the stone in your pocket!"

Harry backed off immediately, not wanting him to get his hands on it. Voldemort cackled, "Do not be foolish, boy! Better save your own life and join me. Refuse and you will meet the same end as your parents. They died begging me for mercy."

Harry immediately raised a hand, "I'm going to stop you there. That is the biggest load of dragon dung I have ever heard in my life. Besides, why would I willingly join the man who murdered my parents?"

He spat in Voldemort's face. An enraged Quirrell raised his wand, but Voldemort stopped him. He sneered, "How touching. Yes, I lied about them. I always valued bravery, and your parents were brave. I duelled your father first, and he was a worthy opponent. However, you mother needn't have died. The silly girl was trying to protect you, now give me the stone and prove that your mother did not die in vain."

Harry bellowed, "NEVER!", and backed away. Quirrell was faster and clamped a hand on his wrist. Then the strangest thing happened, the professor began howling in agony and let go of him, clutching his blistered hand. The demigod already had a good idea why this had happened. Voldemort was busy screeching, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

Then Harry went of the offensive and grabbed Quirrell's face. The homicidal professor tried to backpedal away, but Harry had a vice-grip. After more struggles, Harry felt his strength draining, and soon fell unconscious.

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

When he came to, the first thing he registered was a straw, millimetres from his lips. He blinked and looked at the smiling face of Madam Pomfrey before taking a drink of nectar. The matron was quite delighted to see him awake. She said, “Oh wonderful! You’re up! I daresay, you’ve recovered far quicker than I thought. Though I suppose your demigod physiology must have lent a hand. You have been out of action for a week now. The official word is that Professor Quirrell was possessed by a dark spirit and abducted the four of you. The other three are alright, but you’re still recovering.”

He nodded, “When do you think I’ll be up and about?”

She pursed her lips, “I’d give it until tomorrow to be on the safe side. You will be glad to know that you will recover in time for your Quidditch game against Ravenclaw. Had you been a regular wizard, you would have been out longer and forced to miss the game.”

Harry snorted, “Oliver’s going to be thrilled.”

She waggled a finger at him, “Indeed, but no straining yourself, young man! Your father was in here, far too many times for my liking.”

He fired back, “Let’s try and keep out any Greek monsters. Turns out, we didn’t face Quirrell’s troll. A damn Cyclops snuck in and managed to kill it. Meaning that I had to kill the Cyclops. Fortunately, I don’t think Quirrell knew about it, and I’d prefer to keep it that way.”

Then she looked up, “Ahh! I think we have some company. I’ll leave you to it for now.”

Sure enough, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Katie were gathered around his bed. Katie reached over and hugged him, then she frowned and gave him a light bonk on the head. She scowled and wagged a finger at him, “That! Was for not keeping me in the loop with your little hare-brained scheme, you prat! I promised your mother that I would protect you!”

She hugged him again, “I’m glad you’re safe and sound. These three told me the full story, and Dumbledore revealed that Quirrell was possessed. Next time you get any more funny ideas, at least let me know or let me tag along. Just so that I can make sure that you lot are not in over your heads! Or at least I could have covered for you!”

He had the decency to look sheepish, “Sorry Katie… Next time something big happens, we’ll keep you in the loop.”

She sighed and tightened the hug, “I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

Neville piped up next, “Hey Harry, I have a lot of questions actually, regarding your parentage. I know Hermione told me, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

Harry explained, “From what my godly mother told me, she was accidentally summoned in a ritual that my parents performed. Prior to that, my mortal mother was cursed to be barren. Sirius looked for an ancient fertility ritual, but accidentally gave them a summoning ritual. Lady Artemis transferred some of her essence into my mortal mum’s body. So if we’re being technical, I have three parents. It was also a loophole in her oath to never fall in love and have children. Trust me, the consequences of breaking a Godly oath is very dire.”

Just then, there was a gentle cough behind them. They all turned to see Professor Dumbledore, who was cycling through various emotions. He asked Harry, “Mr Potter, may I have a word, please?”

Hermione got up and asked him politely, “Hello, professor. Would you like some privacy.”

He waved her off, “There’s no need, Ms Granger. I won’t be long. Now Harry, I wanted to ask you, what do you know of your mortal family?”

Harry shrugged, “Not much, professor. Sirius has just regaled stories of all his, uncle Remus and dad’s pranks together.”

He gave a single nod, “I see… Does the name Petunia Evans Dursley mean anything to you?”

Harry thought for a bit before shaking his head, “No sir.”

He sighed, “Petunia was your mortal mother’s sister. She was one of your last remaining relatives, aside from Sirius. In a way, I am glad that your divine mother claimed you. As the Muggle saying goes, you dodged a massive bullet, because of that. Additionally, I would have made one of the biggest mistakes of my life and lived to regret it. As you know, the school term is ending, and enrolment letters are already going out.”

He reached into his robes and pulled out a letter. Harry took it and read, “Mackenzie Dursley, Number 4, Privet Drive, The Cupboard Under the Stairs?”

Dumbledore sighed again, “I couldn’t believe it myself when I first read it. So I had to investigate it personally and there were some horrifying discoveries. Young Ms Dursley was being abused by her parents and older brother, simply because she had magic.”

Hermione looked appalled, Ron and Neville were shocked. Meanwhile, Harry growled and looked ready to storm out of his bed, if Katie had not restrained him, though she looked murderous as well.

Dumbledore raised his hands placatingly, “Not to worry, I have rescued her and she is safely in Diagon Alley. I was hoping that you and the Hunters would take Ms Dursley under your protection. Petunia and her family want nothing to do with the poor child. It also had me thinking that it could have been you in her stead. I got a message from Chiron the centaur. Someone will be picking you and Ms Bell up at Kings Cross Station. Ms Dursley will also be with them”

Harry didn’t even hesitate, “Of course we’ll take her in. She’s family after all. Also, we may be adding three more members to the jackalope community in the future. Lady Artemis may tolerate males due to my influence, but she shows no mercy to abusive ones. She is especially vengeful if females are either abusive or are abetting it. I’ll probably send a message to Zoe to stake out Number 4 and gauge how they are treating her.”

Dumbledore nodded and walked away. Hermione shivered and Katie hugged Harry tighter. The older girl declared, “If they ever dared harm a single hair on your head, I would hex them to oblivion.”

Harry quickly changed the subject, “By the way, Neville. I have a bit of a confession. Michael Yew is a demigod, the son of Apollo. I wrote to one of his older brothers, Lee Fletcher and told him about your folks. I honestly didn’t expect their dad to tag along.”

It clicked for Neville, “Y-You mean that an actual god healed my parents?”

Harry nodded once, before he found himself buried deep in his hospital bed with Neville’s arms around him. The boy was babbling, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I owe you so much, mate.”

The demigod simply pat his back, “It was my pleasure, mate. I felt bad and wanted to help.”

---

A day later, Harry was finally up and about, and returned to Gryffindor tower. As they walked back to the tower, Hermione suddenly spun around and fixed him with an expectant look while walking backwards. Harry looked at her, utterly confused, “You wanted to say something, Hermione?”

“When were you going to tell us that you could play the flute? Don’t think that I haven’t forgotten that you lulled the Cerberus to sleep with a rendition of Hallelujah.”

This was news to Katie, “He did?”

Harry rubbed the back of his head, “I’m an alright player, though I prefer an acoustic guitar. The children of Apollo are loads better, and we often play songs around the campfire.”

Things returned to normal for the most part, except that Oliver Wood really put him through the ringer. His justification was that he missed several crucial days of training, so he had to cram in several days’ worth of training to catch him up.

This time, Harry’s demigod strength and stamina was really put to the test. On the bright side, Katie and the other two Chasers did their best to reign Oliver in. It got to a point where Katie actually slapped Oliver and yelled at him, saying that Harry was no good in the game if he collapsed from exhaustion.

Finally, the day of the Ravenclaw match arrived and it was raining as usual. As everyone lined up, ready to play, Oliver marched up and down like a drill sergeant, “Alright everyone. This is it. We are finally here in the final. If we win this, the Cup is back in Gryffindor hands for the first time in a long time.”

He pointed to the Chasers, “‘Lina, Ally, Katie, I’ve gotten word from McNully that his fellow Firstie, Skye Parkins has been teaching the Claws’ her dad’s moves. I want the three of you to watch out for the Parkins’ Pincer. From what I know of it, two Chasers get on either side of an opposing Chaser while the third one rams into them. If one of you happens to be trapped in it, and you can’t muscle your way out, I want the other two to be on standby in case the Quaffle is dropped. Thistlethwaite, I have a strong feeling that the Pincer could injure one of the girls. So you’ll be a reserve Chaser.”

He turned to the twins, “Fred, George… disrupt their plays as much as you can. Also try and keep the Bludgers off our Chasers’ backs or fronts. Harry, we may need you to run interference from time to time. They’ve got a new Seeker in the form of Cho Chang. Bell, she’s in your year, right? What do you make of her?”

Katie tapped her chin thoughtfully, “She’s a nice girl. But you remember in the Hufflepuff match, right? She started flirting with Diggory and distracted him long enough to snatch the Snitch.”

Oliver gave a firm nod, “Right… So long story short, don’t fall for her flirting, Potter.”

Harry mumbled, “I’ve been raised in an all-female household, I think I’ll be fine.”

Katie had to suppress a snort, but Oliver shrugged, “Your funeral.”

The team discussed tactics a little more, before mounting their brooms and flying into the stadium. Right off the bat, the Lions knew that the Claws were going to be crafty opponents, and the rain was not helping at all. As the stereotypically smart house, Ravenclaw were well-versed with tactics, and judiciously used them to their advantage. During the game, Cho had tried to flirt with Harry a few times, but he was unfazed.

After half an hour, the score was 70-70, with neither side giving an inch. Katie fell victim to the Parkin’s Pincer twice, with Angelina and Alicia being caught in it once. Three of those attempts led to a Ravenclaw scoring. However, Katie was quick enough to prevent it from being four out of four, and scored one of her own.

When Gryffindor led 90-80, Ravenclaw pulled out the big wands. Cho had been tailing Harry during the entire game, but suddenly abandoned him and zoomed over to fly shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the Ravenclaw Chasers, who was holding the Quaffle. The other chasers and the beaters also crowded around them and began streaking towards the Gryffindor goalposts.

Oliver recognised the move and yelled, “Powerplay!”, prompting everyone to charge at the cluster. Fred and George smashed a Bludger each in their direction, before following the Bludgers. Angelina used her muscular build to her advantage and barrelled through the group. A few Ravenclaws fell, but the main Chaser was unscathed. Alicia and Katie unseated the rest before Harry suddenly flew in and body-checked the Chaser with the Quaffle. Alicia scooped up the loose ball and took off towards the Ravenclaw goalposts at breakneck speed. Since the Keeper had also been part of the attack, it left the goal posts vulnerable.

Just then, Harry suddenly darted away, evidently spotting something. Cho came to her senses and rocketed after him. The two were neck and neck, but Harry was able to outmuscle the Second-Year Ravenclaw and swiped the Snitch. Madam Hooch’s whistle blew and commentator Lee Jordan went nuts. He hollered, “He’s done it! Potter’s done it! Gryffindor have won! Final score is 250-80!”

The entire Gryffindor stand erupted into massive cheers as Harry proudly brandished the captured Snitch. Being the closest, Cho stuck out a hand for him to shake, “Great game, Potter! It was close! Though I’m curious, how come you weren’t affected by my distractions?”

He grinned back cheekily, “Perks of living in a predominantly female household. My foster family have a lot of girls and they used to enjoy teasing me. You’re going to have to do a lot better than that, Cho.”

She smirked, “Challenge accepted.”

Cho flew off, just as Harry teammates swarmed him, led by a sobbing Oliver. Up in the stands, Dean chanted at the top of his voice, “IT’S COMING HOME! IT’S COMING HOME! IT’S COMING! QUIDDITCH IS COMING HOME!”.

Slowly, the other Gryffindors picked it up and the chant grew louder. After a loud and boisterous party in the Common Room, everyone was too tired to trudge to their beds and spent the night sprawled out in the Common Room. When they woke up, there were a bunch of awkward situations, with Ron’s face somehow buried into Lavender’s chest. The two spent the rest of the day avoiding looking at each other.

Harry himself ended up as an unintentional teddy bear for Alicia. When he woke up, he desperately tried to pry himself off, but she lived up to her nickname, ‘Limpet’. When the girl finally woke up, she was unrepentant, but Katie and Angelina found it hilarious.

---

Finally, the End of Term feast kicked off in spectacular fashion. Harry made his way to the Great Hall, admiring the red and gold décor as he did so. Gryffindor had finally won the House Cup, snapping Slytherin’s 6-year stranglehold.

At the head of the Great Hall, Dumbledore stood up and held out his arms in a grand gesture. He spoke, “Another year gone, and I’m afraid I must trouble you with an old man’s wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into this delicious feast. What a year it has been! I hope your heads are nice and full, compared to the start of the year. With the holidays approaching, you have plenty of time to empty them once again, before the new term begins. Now… to business… the House Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, with 3520 points, it is Hufflepuff! In Third place, with 3630 points, its Ravenclaw! Second place is Slytherin, with 3870 points. Finally, in first place is Gryffindor with 4000 points! Congratulations to Gryffindor for a wonderful job of winning the House Cup. It is also my pleasure to announce that Gryffindor have also won the Quidditch Cup for the first time in nearly seven years.”

The red table exploded into raucous cheers and repeated goblet-banging on the table. A day later, the exam results came in, and Harry was thrilled to learn that he had passed in all of them. He even barely beat Hermione to the top rank in Defence, by one mark. The girl had topped in all other subjects, and he was a little worried that she would resent him for ruining her perfect record. When he aired that concern though, she huffed and smacked him on the head.

Hermione scolded, “Harry! I’m not that shallow! Sure, I’m disappointed that I didn’t top in DADA, but it just means that I have to work harder. In fact, I welcome the competition!”

Soon, everyone was packed and boarding the Hogwarts Express to go back home. Katie had stuck with Harry, since they were travelling together. By then, they had changed to casual wear, with Katie sporting the typical Hunter gear. Eventually, the train reached the station and students were sent out in small groups.

Before they split up, Ron made Hermione, Neville and Harry promise to write letters. He also invited them to stay with him during the summer. As Harry and Katie stepped onto a dripping wet Kings Cross Station, he spotted a familiar figure. He hollered, “Coach Hedge! What are you doing here? I thought Grover was coming to pick us up.”

The man in question was in his 40s, was a bit short and had a goatee. He was also sporting fake feet and one hand hefted a cricket bat. Hedge grinned, “Hey cupcake! Underwood’s been side-tracked a little. So the Council sent me instead.”

Hedge left to bring a rental car and Harry noticed another figure standing there. The newcomer was a little girl with curly dirty blonde hair, who was just a year younger than him. He turned and gave her a gentle smile, “Hi, you must be Mackenzie Dursley. I’m Harry Potter, and I’m your cousin.”

The girl was quite shy, but he noticed that her stance was guarded. He knelt slightly, “Hey sweetie, I’m not going to hurt you. Professor Dumbledore told me about what your mean family have been doing to you. Don’t worry, you’ll never have to go there ever again, not on my watch.”

Suddenly, she hugged him and refused to let go. He gently rubbed her back and to his surprise, was able to lift her up. She was a year younger than him, but she weighed almost nothing. Then he had a good look at her and noted that she was unnaturally thin. He thought, ‘Were those people starving her? Just because she had magic?’

As Hedge brought the car, Harry gently ushered the girl onto the front seat with Coach Hedge. Meanwhile, he got in the back with Katie. He turned to his older companion and quietly revealed his observations. He slowly murmured, “Let’s wait until we’re with the Hunters. We’ll see if we can get revenge on her behalf.”

Katie had a dark look on her face, “Agreed. Nobody should have to go through this much abuse.”

From the shotgun seat, Mackenzie innocently asked, “Where are we going?”

Harry replied, “We’re going to my home in America. By the way, this is Katie, she’s a good friend of mine, and she’s going to be staying for a while. Afterwards, we’re off to a summer camp. Kids like us generally go there for a few months or year round. Don’t worry, it’ll be fun and you’ll have lots of friends!”

Her brown eyes lit up, “Really? I can finally have friends without Dudley bullying them away from me?”

“That’s right, sweetie!”

Katie whispered to him, “You going to tell her about your status?”

He whispered back, “That can wait, let’s not overwhelm the poor thing. I’ll tell her after we reach Camp Half-Blood.”

After a bit of silence, Mackenzie fell asleep while Hedge drove. Katie looked out of the window at the pouring rain and mused, “Do you think our flight will be able to take off in this weather?”

Hedge grunted, “The big guy is still mad about his lightning bolt. Still accusing his brother, especially since rumours have emerged that his brother had a kid. Grover’s just gone to verify those rumours. I think we should be relatively alright.”

Then, he groaned, “I can’t wait until I get these stupid things off! My hooves are killing me.”

Katie was puzzled, “Wait… Hooves?”

Hedge grunted, “Right… I forgot you’re new to this. I’m a satyr, we’re usually assigned to protect demigods and guide them to camp. Potter didn’t really need one, since he had the Hunters with him. I have these fake feet to hide my hooves, otherwise I'd be having awkward conversations with the mortals.”

Following a lengthy flight, the four of them finally touched down in New York. Admittedly, it was a harrowing experience, as there was lightning and thunder all through the trip. When they left the airport, Hedge decided to part ways because he had some other duties. While walking around in the pouring rain, looking for a car, Harry heard a voice call out to him.

He and the others turned and saw another satyr hobbling up to them. He recognised the satyr as his friend, Grover Underwood. Grover exclaimed, “Man! Am I glad to see you guys. Listen, There’s not much time, we’ve got to go. J-just follow me, we have to pick up a couple of people.”

Soon enough, the group stopped at an apartment and two people came out. One was an older woman with long brown hair with grey streaks. The other was a boy, around the same age as Harry. He had jet black hair and sea green eyes. The woman looked relieved when she spotted Grover.

He bleated, “Sally! There you are! Come on! There’s no time. We have to go now.”

The satyr turned to Harry and his group, “This is Sally Jackson and her son Percy. They’re also heading the same way as us.”

Sally though for a second, “Well… the Camaro’s no longer an option.”

---

In half an hour, she rented a minivan and everyone piled in and she stomped on the gas. There was awkward silence until Percy broke it, “Hey, I’m Percy Jackson.”

“Katie Bell”

“Harry Potter”

“Mackenzie Dursley!”

Sally called out from the driver’s seat, “This is a little redundant, but I’m Sally Jackson.”

Percy addressed Grover, “How do you and my mom know each other? As far as I’m aware, I never introduced you two.”

Grover was nervous, “Well… we don’t know each other personally, but she knew I was watching over you?”

“Watching over me? W-what are you?”

Harry cut into the conversation, “He’s a satyr, half man and half goat.”

Percy was incredulous, “B-but how!? I thought satyrs were myths?”

Harry snorted, “Considering that there’s one in front of you, not so much of a myth anymore.”

Grover gulped, “Listen, it was best that you were kept ignorant of this world as long as possible. That way, you attract less monsters.”

Suddenly, there was a bellowing sound coming from a couple of miles behind them. Mackenzie clutched Harry in fear, “What was that?”

Harry grimaced, “Nothing good. That’s for sure.”

He took off his rings and handed them to Katie. The boy muttered, “Get ready for anything.”

Meanwhile, Percy and Grover were arguing and Mackenzie huddled closer to Harry. Suddenly, the minivan swerved and everyone got a glimpse of a blurry figure. Sally grit her teeth, “Come on! Come on! Come on! We’re almost there. Just one more mile.”

Then, there was a deafening booming sound and the van found itself in a ditch. The first thing that Harry did was check on Mackenzie for any injuries, and she had none. Then, he promptly opened the doors and crawled out, with the others following.

Harry observed the damage and noted that the car was a smoking ruin. Evidently, lightning had struck and blasted them off the road. The only casualty was Grover, who was unconscious and bleeding. Percy was dragging the satyr away from the wreck when lightning flashed again. A couple of hundred meters away was a bipedal figure lumbering towards the group. Harry immediately turned to Katie, “Listen, I need you to do me a favour. You see that big tree over there? Take Mackenzie and run over there as fast as you can and then come back here, with reinforcements, hopefully.”

The witch nodded firmly before taking the younger girl’s hand. Mackenzie was surprisingly cooperative, but Katie wasn’t complaining. Together, they sprinted to the property line. The two encountered some kind of ward which put up some minor resistance, but let them through. She knelt in front of the terrified child, “Listen sweetie, I need to go back and help your cousin. Wait for us here and don’t come out of the boundary line. We promise we will explain everything.”

Katie sprinted back, turning the rings into a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Back with Harry, he and Percy were dragging Grover, with Sally limping behind them. Mother and son were arguing, with Sally begging him to enter the camp borders. However, he stubbornly insisted that he wasn’t going without her. All the while, the monster closed in on them, and Harry got a good look at it for the first time.

Harry spoke to Percy in a low voice, “We’d better hurry, mate. The Minotaur’s sight and hearing is rubbish. However, that noggin of his will smell us out soon enough.”

Percy gave him a weird look, “Dude, you talk funny.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “I’m a Brit, we can argue about the English language when we’re either behind the camp wards or after that bugger is dead.”

Then, Harry made a decision, “You think you can handle him? I’ll try and make sure Grover and your Mum are safe. Have you seen the Spanish bull fights on TV? Want to play Matador with him? Here, take this.”

He unsheathed one of his Hunting knives and handed it to Percy. Harry said, “This will kill the creature. Try not to get yourself killed.”

Sally spoke up, “Percy, when he charges, wait until the last second to jump away. He can’t change directions when he is charging.”

They split up, with Percy running off on his own with Harry’s knife. Harry, Sally and Grover went the other direction, straight up the hill. The Minotaur charged at Percy, evidently perceiving him as the bigger threat. Percy waited until the last moment and dodged easily. Then, things went pear-shaped when the monster turned towards Harry and company and charged. Harry did his best to protect Sally and Grover, charging towards the Minotaur. He managed to stab it in the gut, but it bowled him over and sent him flying back into the other two.

Sally recovered quickly just as the monster charged again. She tried to take her own advice, but the creature had learned its lesson. A meaty fist grabbed her and began choking the woman. Harry was the next to recover and pounced on the Minotaur’s back, stabbing it. The creature roared in pain, but did not let go of the woman.

Suddenly, before everyone’s stunned eyes, Sally dissolved into a bright golden light and faded away. Percy screamed in rage and went on the offensive. He shucked off his rain coat, which was ironically red in color. He backed himself to a tall pine tree and waved the jacket like a matador. The Minotaur charged, with Harry still clinging on its neck. It slowed a couple of times, as two arrows embedded themselves on its back. Katie had evidently joined the party after getting Grover to safety.

Nevertheless, it continued bearing down on Percy, with both arms outstretched. Then, the boy leaped upwards, kicked off from its head, and joined Harry on the monster’s neck. Percy latched onto a horn and pulled. Harry did the same as he yanked on his knife. Finally, both of them leaped off its back, as an audible crack sounded. Harry finally freed his knife, while Percy liberated a horn from the bellowing monster. It charged once again, and as if on instinct, Percy dodge-rolled and drove the horn into its gut.

With a roar of agony, it disintegrated into dust and was blown away. The two panted for a bit, before Harry got up and offered Percy a hand. He said, “Come on, mate. Let’s get out of here before anything else shows up.”

Percy grabbed the hand, but then swayed unsteadily on his feet. Katie rushed up and the two Hogwarts students carried the weakened boy through the camp borders. As they entered, Harry hollered, “Medic!”, and a camper wearing an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt rushed over and relieved Harry and Katie off their burden.

Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Over the next couple of days, Harry, Katie and Annabeth stood vigil by the unconscious Percy Jackson’s bed. Even Grover stopped by from time to time, as he continued his own recovery. Fortunately, Percy seemed to be improving, as he kept drifting in and out of consciousness. At one point, Percy was awake when Annabeth began grilling him about the summer solstice.

Harry had to haul her out of the Big House and gave her a ticking off. He snapped, “Ease up on the bloke! It sounds like Jackson doesn’t have a clue of what we’re talking about. You didn’t see him out there against the Minotaur. He barely knew anything about being a demigod. What makes you think that he’ll know about what happened in the Solstice.”

She had the decency to blush and he walked back in, just in time to stop Percy from dropping his glass of nectar. Harry chuckled, “Whoa! Easy there, mate. That stuff isn’t cheap.”

Percy slurred and began to get up from his bed, “W-What’s going on? Where am I? This isn’t our cabin in Montauk? Where’s Grover? Where’s my mom? What about your cousin and that other girl?”

Harry gently pushed him back down, “Whoa! One at a time! Katie’s alright, she’s a tough girl. Mackenzie’s a little shaken, but she’s okay. I think Grover’s on his way here to the Big House.”

Right on cue, Grover burst in bleating frantically, “Percy! Oh thank the gods that you’re okay! I-I owe you a lot. Y-You saved my life!”

Then he offered a seemingly ordinary shoebox to the prone boy. Grover stammered, “Harry and I went back to the hill and managed to recover this. It’s the least that we could do. Sure, he helped with the kill, but you delivered the final blow.”

Harry piped up, “In short, this is yours by right of conquest. Go on, mate… take it, it’s yours.”

Percy’s reluctant hand reached in and pulled out a white horn with a black tip. He blurted, “Is this the Minotaur’s horn?!”

Harry grinned, “You bet your arse it is, Jackson. You have questions, I’m assuming? Are you up for a short walk to the patio? Come on… Chiron and Mr. D are waiting. Even Katie and Mackenzie are there. I promised my cousin that I would explain everything and I didn’t want to repeat myself.”

Harry and Grover looped Percy’s arm around their shoulders and helped him out of the room. Along the way, Grover mournfully bleated, “I’m the worst satyr in the world! I promised to protect Sally, and I failed.”

Harry snapped, “Quit beating yourself up, Grover! It wasn’t your fault. We tried our best, but that damn beast was too strong.”

Percy interjected, “He’s right, Grover. Did Mom ask you to protect me?”

The distraught satyr moaned, “No, it’s literally my job to protect people like you.”

He was puzzled, “What do you mean, people like me?”

Harry interrupted this time, “Look Jackson, I promised I’d explain everything, we’re almost there. Just be patient for five minutes.”

Then, they finally stepped out of the house and Percy uttered an audible gasp. Spread out in front of him was a scene out of an architect’s wildest fantasy. The landscape was dotted with various Greek-styled buildings. There was also an open-air pavilion, an amphitheatre and a circular arena. Somewhere nearby, a group of satyrs and children in orange T-shirts were playing volleyball.

Then, Harry led them to a porch, where Annabeth, Chiron and Mr. D were waiting. Katie and Mackenzie were also with them. Harry positioned himself between Katie and Mackenzie and the others got settled as well. Mr. D drawled, “Well I suppose I have to say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now don’t expect me to be glad to see you.”

Katie murmured, “Wow, he makes Snape sound polite.”

Harry had to suppress a snort, “How do you think I was able to handle Snape in Potions class. He’s got nothing on Mr. D.”

Then he got serious, “Hey Jackson, do you believe in gods? What about you Mackenzie?”

They both nodded, “Well, the short version is that the Greek gods are real and often roam among us. Sometimes they fall in love with mortals and have children. Those kids are known as demigods, Annabeth and I are demigods, as are you, Jackson.”

Percy looked at him weirdly, “Dude… what’s with the last name? My name’s Percy.”

Katie piped up, “Harry and I know another Percy. It’s easier for us.”

He shrugged, “Fair enough. Wait, what about Katie and Mackenzie? Are they also demigods?”

Harry replied, “Technically no. However, Katie is a Hunter of Artemis. The Hunters are maidens who are the companions of the goddess Artemis. Mackenzie isn’t a demigod, but she is a witch. Katie is also a witch, and I’m a wizard. Mackenzie is here because I was going to offer her asylum. Her parents abhor magic and treated her badly. Since I’m her cousin, she’ll be staying with me for most of the time.”

“Right… Hey Mr. Brunner? Do you work here?”

Chiron chuckled, “Actually, Mr. Brunner is a pseudonym that I use when in the mortal world. My name is Chiron, and I must say, I am pleased that you reached here safe and sound. I do not normally handle demigod affairs personally, but Grover sensed some great potential in you. I’m surprised that you’re taking this very well.”

Percy groaned, “Oh believe me, I’m actually going to have a private freak out afterwards.”

Mackenzie visibly flinched when he said the word ‘freak’. Harry noticed and bent down, “What’s the matter, ‘Kenzie?”

She murmured, “Mummy and daddy u-used to c-call me freak b-because of my magic.”

He hugged her, “Don’t listen to them, love. You’re not a freak. You just have magic, and they clearly hate it. I have magic too, and so does my friend Katie.”

Mr. D coughed, “Anyway… Grover Underwood, come with me. We must discuss your less-than-perfect performance in this assignment.”

Grover gulped and trotted after him nervously. Chiron turned to Harry, “Mr. Potter… I trust you know where to put Mr. Jackson and Ms Dursley? Ms Bell will be in Cabin Eight with you.”

Harry saluted, “Yes sir! Come on Jackson, let’s get you settled in.”

As they walked, Percy asked, “So, you’re both a demigod and a wizard? How does that work?”

“Well, both of my parents were witch and wizard. Sometime before I was born, the wizarding world was caught up in a civil war. They were fighting against a wizarding dark lord. My parents were among the good guys, during one skirmish my mum was hit with a spell, rendering her barren. So they looked for a fertility ritual. One of their friends found something but he mistook a summoning ritual for a fertility one. When mum and dad performed the ritual, the closest deity answered. In this case, it was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. She helped out with a ritual, but the caveat was that she was also counted as my mother. One of the Hunters told me that my birth was a technicality and does not go against her oath,”

“That’s cool, man.”

---

Soon, a pretty girl with long dark hair came running over to them. She came up to Harry and beamed at him, “There you are Harry! Firstly, Beckendorf wants to talk to you. Also, I just wanted to let you know that you’ve officially earned life-time entry privileges in our cabin!”

Harry laughed, “life-time entry privileges? Any reason why, Silena?”

“You just fulfilled the dreams of every little girl with your new equestrian addition. Also, Beckendorf didn’t tell me anything, he said that you have to meet him at the forge.”

He was surprised, “They made it back to camp? That took longer than I thought.”

“They came over last week. They’re very picky about their riders, though. In fact, they only let girls ride. However, one of them refuses to let anyone ride her.”

Percy made a timeout gesture, “Hold up, what are you guys talking about?”

Silena noticed Percy for the first time, “Hi, I’m Silena Beauregard, Daughter of Aphrodite. Harry rescued a herd of unicorns from some dark wizard. Half of the herd are with the Hunters, and the rest are here. All of my half-sisters have been dreaming of unicorns since they were little, and the herd had made their wishes come true.”

Percy whistled appreciatively, “Damn, dude! Major props to you.”

Harry chuckled, “Thanks bruv. Right… I’ll go see what Beckendorf wants. Katie, why don’t you come with me. I’ll ask him to craft some weapons for you, so you don’t have to keep borrowing mine. Jackson, feel free to explore a bit, but report to Luke in Cabin Eleven. Take care of Mackenzie and tell Luke that she is a guest. Also, ask him to tell the Stoll brothers that she is off limits for their pranks. Also, from what we’ve heard about unicorns, they prefer a woman’s touch, but the younger ones don’t mind males.”

“You got it, man. Come on, Mackenzie.”

She shyly followed him away, while the two Hogwarts students went in a different direction and Silena ran off elsewhere. Eventually, Harry reached the forges and met with a huge beefy camper who would not have looked out of place in an NFL squad. He grinned and waved at Harry, “Hey Harry! Come on! I’ve got a surprise for you. It just needs a few finishing touches. Can I borrow your wand for a sec?”

Harry shrugged and handed it over to the son of Hephaestus. Beckendorf took out a length of measuring tape and wrapped it around the wand. Then, he turned around and tinkered with something before handing it to Harry. He proudly said, “Worked on this baby with a little bit of help with Lou Ellen. As you can see, it’s a wand holster, but she added a charm that will transform it into a shield. The charm is voice activated and will just be keyed to your voice and a specific keyword. According to her, the spell is called, ‘Mutatio’.”

Harry high-fived him, “Thanks bruv, I owe you one.”

“Think nothing of it, Harry. Wait, let me craft a few weapons for your friend here.”

---

Back with Percy and Mackenzie, Grover was back from his discussion with Mr. D, and was giving them a tour. Mackenzie raised a hand, “Hey uhm… Grover? I couldn’t help noticing, why are three cabins empty?”

He smiled down at her, “Well… campers are decided according to who their godly parent is. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades made a pact to not have any children. It’s a long story, though Lord Hades doesn’t have a cabin here.”

“Why not?”

Grover stammered, “Well uhm… he usually sort of does his own thing in the Underworld, and doesn’t really have a throne on Olympus.”

Percy interjected, “That’s a little messed up. I mean, he is their brother, right? What about the other one?”

“There’s Hera’s Cabin, which is an honorary one. She’s not really the type to sire children with mortals. She’s the Goddess of marriage, so it kind of goes against her principles to have affairs with mortals outside her marriage to Lord Zeus. Admittedly, Artemis’ Cabin used to be empty, but like Harry said, he was an exception to her oath.”

Percy spoke up again, “So what was this about a pact between Zeus, Poseidon and Hades?”

Grover gulped, “W-well, nearly 50 years ago, after the Second World War, they vowed not to have children. This was because their kids were getting way too powerful and often affected the course of mortal history. WWII was basically a fight between the children of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, the children of Hades on the other side. Because of the devastation and the losses on both sides, the three eldest gods took the vow. Ahh… here we are at Cabin 11! We’ll talk later Perce.”

Grover peeped inside, “Hey guys! You have company!”

A voice called back, “Regular or undetermined?”

“One undetermined, the other is a guest.”

“A guest… That’s new.”

“One of them is Harry’s cousin, where’s Luke?”

“I’m here, Grover!”

A tall muscular guy with sandy blonde hair and a friendly smile came over. He looked like he’d pass off as a fairly handsome guy in a roguish way, but a thick white scar from his right eye to his jaw, ruined the image. He stuck out a hand, “Hi, I’m Luke. I’ll be your cabin counsellor until you are determined.”

“Hey dude, I’m Percy and this is Mackenzie, she's Harry's cousin. I actually have a message from Harry. He wanted me to tell you to tell the Stoll brothers that she’s off limits for their pranks.”

“Got it buddy” Luke shivered slightly, “Harry’s pretty scary when he’s mad. I remember when they pranked a kid from the Apollo Cabin. She was a newcomer and they shut her in a closet as a prank. They didn’t realise that she was claustrophobic and had a huge meltdown. Harry was furious and pranked them back viciously. Honestly, sometimes he makes me forget that he was the son of a prankster, and two of his uncles were pranksters as well. Don’t worry, I’ll let the Stolls know. I doubt they’d want to feel his wrath.”

Percy led Luke away from Mackenzie, “From what Harry mentioned, Mackenzie was abused by her parents. So she might still be a little traumatised.”

“Got it. Anyway, this is where you will be sleeping. You’ll be here until your godly parent claims you. It’s kind of our duty to take in visitors and unclaimed demigods because Hermes is the God of travellers.”

A few days passed and Percy soon managed to fall into a steady routine. He tried to learn archery, but sucked at it. Harry still wondered how he managed to shoot an arrow into Chiron’s tail when he was right next to him. So, after that happy accident, Harry asked Katie to teach him, as she was getting pretty good at archery. Meanwhile, he taught Percy the art of fighting with daggers.

Later on, Harry and Percy sparred with Luke, as the former was hoping to improve his swordplay. He and Annabeth also fielded questions from Percy about life as a demigod child. The boy asked him what made everyone so sure that he was a demigod.

Harry replied, “Firstly, you survived the Minotaur and even helped kill it. Second is the stuff we’ve been feeding you to help you heal. That’s called Ambrosia, and the drink is nectar. Regular mortals cannot consume them or else their bodies will burn up. Admittedly, demigods can’t have too much ambrosia, or their bodies will burn up as well. Being who we are, our tolerance is higher, but it could still kill us.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a raspy voice hollering, “Potter! Blondie! Newbie!”

Clarisse and a few of her siblings were sauntering up. Annabeth sighed, “What do you want Clarisse? Don’t you have better things to do, like polishing your spear?”

She sneered, “I'll get to it in sometime, so that I can run you through it."

Her face morphed into a more serious one, “Also Potter, Chiron has asked me to train you to use spears and javelins. Luke will continue training you in swordplay. Chiron wanted you to be more well-rounded in your battle style. Also, I’m looking forward to maiming you lot on Friday”

Percy asked, “Who’s Ms Sunshine and Daisies?”

Annabeth scowled, “Clarisse, daughter of Ares.”

Clarisse fixed Percy with a look, “You got a problem with that, punk?”

Before anyone could stop him, Percy blurted, “Nah, it just explains the bad smell.”

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Suddenly she grabbed Percy by his collar and dragged him off to the toilets, “Come on Prissy, we got an initiation ceremony for newbies.”

Annabeth made to grab him, but Harry held her back. She whirled around and snapped, “What are you doing! She’ll make his life miserable!”

Harry was unfazed, “Let’s wait and see. I doubt Jackson wants us to fight his battles for him. We’ll hang back for now, but if she goes too far, we’ll step in.”

They followed the group and watched as Clarisse taunted Percy. She attempted to give him a swirlie and claimed that the Minotaur probably died laughing after looking at his pathetic face. To his credit, the boy was kicking and punching as much as he could.

Then it happened... Inexplicably the plumbing in the toilet exploded. The toilet water lurched and blasted Clarisse and her siblings in the face. Oddly enough, all the other toilets, showers and sinks blasted them with water. The water eventually shoved the Ares campers out, drenching everyone, including Harry and Annabeth. Percy was the only one who was as dry as a bone.

Harry blurted, “Bloody hell, mate! Are you sure you’re not a wizard?”

Percy looked lost, “Not that I’m aware of, dude.”

Outside, Clarisse shot Percy a look of pure loathing. She swore, “You’re dead newbie, you are totally dead by the time I’m through with you.”

Unfortunately, Percy chose that exact moment to be petty, “I’d suggest you close your mouth, unless you want to gargle toilet water again.”

Enraged, she flew at him, intending to pummel him into the ground. Fortunately, her siblings saved Percy from her wrath and dragged her away. Annabeth grinned, “Percy, you’re going to be a big help in Capture the Flag.”

Harry also clapped him on the back, “Congratulations mate, you just found yourself your very own Malfoy!”

He was confused, “Who’s Malfoy?”

“Thinks that he is bane of my existence, but the reality is that he’s just an annoying prat who runs to his father to fight all of his battles for him. Nine times out of 10, the first thing he says is, ‘My father will hear of this!’. Although, he did manage to get three of my friends in detention. Though if we’re being honest, Clarisse is a lot tougher and can fight her own battles. As the daughter of Ares, fighting is in her blood. Yeah I know that she can be a bit of a bully, but if you can give as well as you can take, she’ll respect you.”

Percy didn’t know what to say, “Right…”

Soon, word spread of the confrontation, like wildfire. With that, the boy earned a lot of respect from campers who were often bullied by Clarisse. A few days later, Katie decided to part ways with Harry and re-join the rest of the Hunters. As she hugged him and Mackenzie, she promised to keep in touch and would meet them at Diagon Alley before the school year began.

On Thursday evening, a day before Capture The Flag, Percy and Harry were sparring, while Annabeth was supervising. Suddenly, the demigod asked, “So, when do you think my dad will claim me?”

Harry charged and clashed swords with him, “No clue, mate. There are lots of demigods who often go unclaimed for a long time. It may happen soon, or after a long time. Sometimes the gods can be very busy, so it takes a while. For them to notice their kids and claim them.”

Percy drew back and prepared to charge again, “Again… That’s messed up. They’re definitely not winning Parent-of-the-Year. Also, are you sure we’re safe here? I mean, if the Minotaur exists, there will definitely be other monsters, right?”

Annabeth answered him this time, “Normally, the Camp wards will keep them out. So this is pretty much a safe haven. Also, the ability to attract monsters depends on how powerful the demigod or their parents are. For a a child of Demeter or Aphrodite, they will largely ignore them. In Harry’s and my case, we are a medium threat, since children of Athena, and Harry himself is pretty powerful. Admittedly, sometimes Chiron can intentionally stock a few monsters in the forest for practice fights, but that’s it.”

Eventually, the two boys stopped sparring and walked around with Annabeth. Percy queried, “You’ve been here for long?”

She fingered her camp necklace, “I’m one of the year-rounders. I’ve been here since I was seven. Two weeks after I came, Lady Artemis and her Hunters dropped off Harry when he was six.”

“Hey Harry, you’ve been with the Hunters, right? What about your mortal parents.”

Harry scowled, “Some wannabe wizard dark lord murdered them when I was a one-year-old baby. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go meet Luke to improve my swordsmanship.”

He walked away and Annabeth whacked Percy on the back of his head. She snapped, “That was extremely rude, you idiot!”

Percy paled, “Right… I’ll go apologize.”

She grabbed his arm, “Not now, let him calm down a little. If you went now, you’ll only make things worse.”

He changed the subject, “When you were feeding me that ambrosia, you mentioned something about a summer solstice.”

Annabeth appreciated the shift, “You know something about it?”

He shrugged, “Not a thing, though I happened to overhear Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned a deadline, what’s that all about?”

She led him away to a fairly private area and looked around for eavesdroppers. Deciding not to reveal everything just yet, Annabeth explained, “Something got stolen. Something belonging to one of the gods. They’ve been pretty up in arms about the whole thing. The last time we went to Olympus, things were just so… normal. There was myself, Luke, Clarisse, Harry and a few others, who attended the Winter Solstice. Sometime after the visit, the weather started acting funny. It even spread as far as Scotland, because Harry got in touch with me to report it. According to some satyrs, if whatever was stolen wasn’t returned by the Summer. Solstice, the consequences were dire. I was hoping that maybe I could get a quest so that I could find what was stolen and bring it back. Maybe…”, she trailed off.

On that happy note, she and Percy split up and went to their respective cabins.

Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Percy’s sleep was suddenly interrupted with a pillow hitting his face. He woke up to see Harry and Luke grinning at him, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. Today’s the day for Capture The Flag. The Athena Cabin is facing off against Ares. So, Annabeth and her siblings have allied with Apollo and Hermes. Meanwhile, Ares have allied with Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, Artemis and Hephaestus. I know it sounds lopsided, but Apollo and Hermes are two of the biggest cabins, so it evens out.”

Percy scrambled out of bed to get ready, while Harry left to prepare. Luke waited and once Percy got changed, he escorted him to the forges to get his armor. As they walked, he leaned in and whispered, “In a way, I’m glad that Annabeth and Harry aren’t on the same team. She’s got a cap that makes her invisible and he has an invisibility cloak. Kind of evens up the odds.”

Soon, Percy was kitted up in a classic Greek armor, which he had to admit was quite heavy. He also donned a helmet with a blue horsehair plume and got his hands on a shield that was the size of an NBA backboard. Harry jogged up, “Looking good, Jackson. I know that we’re friends but I won’t go easy on you. Though I’ll try and rein in Clarisse and her siblings, they’re pretty much on the warpath.”

Soon, he left and Percy joined Luke, Annabeth and the other members of the blue team. The blonde girl was going over strategy and assigning various duties. She pointed at him, “Hey Percy, you’re on border patrol. Got it? Just stand by the creek and don’t let anyone from the red team over on our side. Not even Harry. Trust me, Athena always has a plan. Oh, and one more thing, try and avoid Clarisse’s spear, don’t let it touch you at all.”

He gulped, “G-got it. Glad you wanted me on the team.”

Just then, Chiron clopped forward and delivered his usual pre-game speech. As usual, he declared that magical items were allowed and no one was allowed to kill or maim. Then he blew his conch and Percy mentally guessed that it was to start the game.

With a war cry, Annabeth, Luke and several others surged forward, leaving Percy all on his own. The other campers on border patrol were out of his line of sight as well. He grumbled to himself about missing out on the fun. Suddenly, there was a low canine-like growl that made him almost jump out of his skin. Percy frantically looked back and forth, trying to find the source of the sound. At the same time, he had a horrible feeling that he was being watched, and not by a fellow camper with invisibility tricks.

Just as suddenly as it started, the growling stopped. Unfortunately, it did not put Percy at ease, because he saw the answer right in front of him. Clarisse and four of her siblings had burst through the foliage and were making a beeline for him. She yelled, “Cream the punk!”, and swung her spear threateningly. One Ares kid swung his sword, but Percy managed to dodge it sideways. Unfortunately, he quickly realized the difference between a Minotaur and five trained demigods out for blood. They soon surrounded him and Clarisse thrust her spear at him. Luckily, he used his shield to deflect it, but felt a painful tingle all over his body. His hair stood on end and his shield arm grew numb. A horrible realization struck him; the damn spear was electric!

One of her brothers took advantage of the brief moment of incapacitation and whacked Percy with the butt of his sword. The impact sent the boy tumbling and he tried to raise his sword arm. Unfortunately, Clarisse swung her electric spear and immobilized that arm as well, rendering them useless.

Percy tried to distract them, “The flag’s that way, if you’re interested.”

One guy sneered, “Screw the flag, our focus is on the guy who made our cabin look stupid. Did you seriously think that you wouldn’t get what’s coming to you?”

Percy sassed back, “I made you guys look stupid? You did that yourselves, I just helped out.”

That prompted two of them to advance, and Clarisse to poke him with her spear again. A fourth one slashed him in the arm, leaving a nasty looking gash. Percy snapped indignantly, “Hey man! Chiron said no maiming.”

The guy smirked, “Oops… I guess I forgot.”, then he shoved the boy into the creek. Somewhere behind them, Harry had finally managed to catch up to Clarisse’s troop. It was times like these when he was a little jealous of Annabeth, because her invisibility cap could make her move faster. Meanwhile, he had to make sure that he didn’t trip on his own cloak. He spotted the camper push Percy into the creek and went to get them to back off. However, what happened next made him pause and watch the scene with interest and the pieces began falling in place.

When Percy got dunked, the tables were turned. It was almost as if something had awoken in him and his senses were in overdrive. The five Ares kids waded in to continue tormenting him when he recovered very quickly. He pounced and the first guy had his helmet knocked off and he was downed soon. Two others were dealt with pretty easily, and the fourth was just beginning to realize that they were screwed. However, Clarisse kept advancing and thrust her spear again. This time, Percy was ready for her and caught the shaft between his sword and the edge of his shield. With a bit of pressure, he snapped it, and in the background, an invisible Harry winced, ‘this could either end well or end pretty badly’.

Sure enough, Clarisse went ballistic and called him every insult under the sun. She raged, “You idiot! You corpse-breath worm! You-”, then Percy bonked her hard with the butt of his sword.

Suddenly, there were more whoops and cheers coming from behind the group. Luke and a few Hermes and Apollo kids burst through the undergrowth with a red banner in Luke’s arms and a blond daughter of Aphrodite in pursuit. Harry quickly shucked off his Invisibility Cloak and charged at the group, but Lee Fletcher broke off from the group and engaged him. This bought Luke enough time to sprint over the creek and back to friendly territory. When he was safely through, the red banner turned grey, the colors of the Athena Cabin. Chiron’s conch blew and the entire blue team burst into cheers. They mobbed Luke and carried the teenager on their shoulders.

Clarisse was fuming, “It was a trick! It was a dirty trick! They tricked us!”

Percy quickly moved away to avoid her wrath. Meanwhile, Harry collected his cloak and walked over to Percy, “Nice one, mate. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

The other boy scowled, “You were here the whole time? Why didn’t you help me?”

“We were on opposite teams, bruv. Also, when you were in the creek, it looked like you had it under control.”

Then, Annabeth materialized next to them, taking off her cap. She hip-checked Percy, “Nice job, hero. Where did you learn to fight like that? It was like the other day when you were able to disarm Luke once, but couldn’t do it again.”

Harry chipped in, “That’s what I’d like to know, too. Also, what’s the deal with your arm?”

Percy shrugged, “Sword cut. Should we call a medic?”

Annabeth's eyes widened and she stammered, “Umm… Percy, it was a sword cut. Past tense.”

Confused, he glanced down, and she was right. The scar had faded dramatically and there was barely any blood. He blurted, “Whoa! I didn’t know demigods healed so quickly.”

Harry shook his head, “Actually, they don’t.”

“Then wha-”

Annabeth interrupted, “Percy, just step out of the creek for a second.”

Still puzzled, he did so and almost stumbled. Luckily both of them steadied him and let him lean on their shoulders. Harry mused, “Well… I did not see that coming.”

She was less amused, “Oh Styx! This is not good. I thought it would be-”

Annabeth never finished her sentence, because a piercing howl tore through the forest. Chiron hollered in Ancient Greek, “Stand ready! My bow!”

Everyone drew their weapon and faced the direction where the sound came from. The bushes in the distance rustled and a massive Hellhound stepped out. Its glowing lava-red eyes were trained on Percy.

Instinctively, Harry and Annabeth moved in front of Percy. Then it pounced, leaping straight over them and right on top of a stunned Percy with its jaws snapping away. Percy tried to wrestle the beast, but it got a few good bites in.

Harry immediately drew his bow and fired a few arrows at the monster. More arrows from the Apollo campers joined him and embedded themselves in the monster’s neck. The creature was killed and its dead body slumped over a struggling Percy. Eventually, he managed to lug it off him, and it dissolved into shadow.

Annabeth was in shock, “Di immortales! That was a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. How did it get in here?”

Clarisse screamed, “It’s all Percy’s fault! He summoned it!”

Harry snapped back, “Oi! The bloody thing was attacking him! Why would he summon a monster that would try and kill him, you bellend!”

Annabeth grabbed Percy and led him to the creek, “You’re injured! Come on!”

Almost as soon as he stepped in, he began to feel much better, and the crowd gasped as all of his wounds healed. However, they were not watching his wounds, but looking at his head. Percy joked, “What? Is there something on my face?”

Harry called out, “More like something above you, mate.”

He looked up and saw a hologram of a sea green circle with a trident on it. Everyone knelt as Chiron announced, “It is determined! Poseidon, Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God.”

Harry uttered, “Bloody hell! This just got interesting.”

---

Over the next couple of days, Percy was moved to Cabin Three. One could tell by looking at him that he was miserable. One morning, Percy woke up from a particularly vivid dream. He was on a beach and nearby there were two muscular bearded men clad in Greek-style tunics and they were fighting like wrestlers. One of them was shouting at the other to give something back.

Percy tried to run towards them to stop the fight, but his legs felt like lead. To make matters worse, a very creepy voice chortled evilly and it crooned, “Come down, little hero, come down”, and the earth opened up and swallowed him.

The son of Poseidon woke up and was just contemplating whether he should even turn up for training. Besides Harry, Luke and Annabeth were the only ones treating him normally. Though Luke began pushing him much harder and Annabeth slowly began acting a little weird around him.

If he was being honest, Percy was getting sick of the staring, pointing and whispering. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

He moaned petulantly, “Go away. If you want to treat me like some stupid museum piece, the least you could do is pay me.”

Harry’s voice replied back, “Doesn’t get any easier does it, mate? Welcome to my world. I know what you’re going through, I’ve been there before.”

Percy continued sulking, “Stop lying buddy. If you’re trying to make me feel any better, you’re doing a bad job.”

Harry was having none of it, he entered the room, dragged Percy’s legs off and sat on the bed. He coolly replied, “Actually, I have been there before. I’m the son of Artemis. I wasn’t technically supposed to be born. So, to the campers, I am still an anomaly. It was worse back in magic school. Remember that dark wizard I told you and Mackenzie about? The wanker murdered my mortal parents and tried to kill me. Somehow the Killing Curse rebounded back to him, thanks to my mortal mum invoking the blessing of Aphrodite.”

Percy sat up, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! The Killing Curse? Who was the idiot who invented that? They actually teach you about that in school?”

“Don’t be silly! That spell is actually forbidden and anyone caught using it is sent straight to the wizarding prison of Azkaban. Anyway, as I was saying, the curse reflected back on him and destroyed his body. Because I survived, the Wizarding World calls me the Boy-Who-Lived. Honestly mate, when I first entered the school and my name was announced, I was subjected to stares and whispers for weeks. Some crazy witch who was in her Seventh Year also tried to drug me with a love potion, because she had dreams of marrying the Boy-Who-Lived, fortunately it didn’t work. Later on in a dream, Lady Aphrodite told me that since my mortal mother invoked her blessing to protect me from the dark wizard, I’m kind of immune to love potions. I was never so thankful in my entire life. Her blessing also means that I’m an honorary child of Aphrodite.”

Harry paused for a breath, “My point is, you’re going to have to bear it for a few days. Afterwards, something new will come up and everyone will move on. By the way, who’s Gabe? And what kind of last name is Ugliano? I’m asking because one of the Hermes kids smuggled in a newspaper about this bloke reporting that his ‘deranged’ stepson abducted his wife.”

Percy scowled, “He’s my stepfather, if I can even call him that. Dude is a Grade A jerk and sometimes I wonder what mom saw in him.”

Harry clapped him on the back, “Alright mate, up and at them! We’ll plot revenge on Mr Ugly, later. Get dressed, Chiron and Mr. D want you in the Big House ASAP.”

---

Five minutes later, the duo walked out of the cabin to see overcast skies sprawled out before their eyes. Grover joined them and they nervously walked to the porch of the Big House. Chiron, Dionysus, and Annabeth were waiting for the trio. Mr. D drawled, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t our resident celebrity…”

Percy flinched, and Harry’s eyes narrowed. Mr. D was reminding him too much of Snape. The god continued, “If I had my way, I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. Unfortunately, Chiron has insisted that this goes against my ‘mission’ to safeguard all the brats in this accursed camp. There is an option for you, my colleague shall flesh out the details. As for myself, I’m needed at Olympus before Barnacle Beard and Thunder Beard begin a grudge match.”

The overcast sky rumbled, but Dionysus looked unrepentant. Instead, he somehow pulled out a security card and vanished into thin air, leaving an after-scent of fermenting grapes. Chiron sighed and gestured for everyone to sit down. He said, “Percy, what did you think of the hellhound?”

The boy stammered, “It scared me. If Harry and the others hadn’t shot it, I would have been dead. Thanks dude, I owe you.”

Harry patted his back, “You’re my friend, of course I’d save your arse.”

Chiron looked grave, “I’m afraid that the hellhound is just the start of what you with face in the near future. Especially before you are done.”

“Done? With what?”

This time it was Annabeth who spoke, “Your quest. It’s pretty much a rite of passage for most demigods.”

Chiron picked up where she left off, “Of course, the details are still a little vague. What do you think it entails, Percy?”

Percy haltingly said, “Zeus and Poseidon are fighting over something. I think something was stolen.”

Harry turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Percy flushed, “I-er… I had a dream about it. Also, Harry and Annabeth told me about something being stolen. This was after I accidentally overheard you and Grover talking about a deadline. Though I don’t know what was taken.”

Chiron nodded, “Allow me to clarify, your father and Lord Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. This was because Lord Zeus’ lightning bolt got stolen.”

Percy choked, “His what!”

The centaur chided, “Do not dare take this lightly, Mr. Jackson. This is a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade Celestial Bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives. Zeus’ Master Bolt is the symbol of his power and many lightning bolts are patterns after it. The Cyclopes forged it during the war against the Titans and it overthrew the king of Titans, Kronos. This weapon is so powerful that it makes the hydrogen bomb seem like a firecracker.”

Percy winced, “Yikes! Who do you think stole it?”

Chiron paused and then told him, “Well… Lord Zeus seems to think that you did it.”

Percy’s jaw dropped, “But… But… How?! I’ve never been to Olympus! I can’t even steal a slice of pizza, even if my life depended on it!”

Chiron nodded, “I understand that you are innocent. However, in Lord Zeus’ eyes, his brother has some influence over the Cyclopes. Especially since their forges are underwater. Since your father openly claimed you as his son, his suspicion has fallen on you. The good news for you is that you can redeem yourself. Lord Zeus has demanded that his lightning bolt be returned by the Summer Solstice. That’s 10 days from now, and as you can imagine, a civil war between the Gods will be devastating. Your quest is to find the lightning bolt and return it to Lord Zeus. Think of it as a peace offering from the son of Poseidon to return Zeus’ property and uncover the real thief. Come Percy, it is time to consult the Oracle. Head upstairs to the attic. When you come back down, we shall talk more.”

---

What followed next was an agonizing 15-minute wait, while a jelly-legged Percy trudged up the stairs. To pass the time, Harry, Grover and Annabeth played a few hands of pinochle with Chiron. Soon, a steady thumping sound greeted them and Percy stumbled in, his face in shock. Harry was at his side immediately, “You okay, mate?”

Chiron looked at him expectantly, “Well?”

The son of Poseidon breathed, “She said that I would retrieve what was stolen and see it returned.”

Grover beamed,” That’s great!”

However, Chiron was not convinced, and neither was Harry. The centaur pressed further, “What else did the Oracle say?”

“Sh-She said that we would g-go west to f-face a god who had turned,”

“And?”

He stammered again, “Th-that’s about it…”

Chiron scrutinised his face again before relenting. He spoke, “Very well, then. But know this: The Oracle’s words often have double meanings. Best not to dwell on them too much. The truth is often obscure until the events have come to pass.”

Percy had the feeling that Chiron knew that he was hiding some things. However, he wondered what the Oracle meant when she mentioned a sacrifice to save what mattered most in the end.

He changed the subject, “So, any idea who the god in the west is?”

Chiron adopted a thoughtful expression, “I might be overthinking this, but who stands to gain if Zeus and Poseidon fight?”

Percy guessed, “Someone else who wants to take over?”

Annabeth nodded, “It would have to be someone with a grudge. A god who got the short end of the stick when the world was divided. Someone who’s kingdom could grow stronger with the deaths of millions.”

Percy thought about the creepy voice from underground, “Hades”

Annabeth nodded, “It’s possible. I mean, Zeus and Poseidon forced him to swear an oath to never have children. Now, he will be thinking that they are hypocrites, since both of them have sired children, while he followed the oath to the letter. Obviously he will be furious.”

Grover spat out a scrap of aluminium, which was whatever was left of a Dr. Pepper can. He blurted, “What! How’s that possible.”

Chiron calmly said, “My dear Grover, as per your report to me, a Fury came after Percy. The Furies only obey Lord Hades. Hellhounds also fall under his domain. It’s quite possible that he had a spy in the camp and once your lineage was revealed, he could strike. The gods are forbidden from directly taking each other’s sources of power. So he must have acted through another demigod.”

Percy slammed his head on the pinochle table and moaned, “Great… That’s two major gods who want to kill me.”

Harry rubbed his back, “Welcome to my world. This is me in the Wizarding World.”

Then Percy sat up, “So let me get this straight, I have to go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead. Find the most powerful weapon in the universe. Then return it to Olympus in 10 days’ time?”

“That is correct.”

His mind was made up, “I’ll do it then. I’ll go.”

Annabeth got up as well, “I’ve been waiting for a quest for a long time, Seaweed Brain. I’m in. I’ll admit, Athena is not the biggest fan of Poseidon, but I’ll have your back.”

Harry piped up, “I’ve got some business with Lord Hades as well, so I might as well tag along. Also, just so you now, I was in Scotland for several months, I couldn’t have stolen it.”

Finally, Grover raised a hand, “Count me in, Perce. You’re my best friend. I’ll always have your back.”

Chiron clapped his hands, “Excellent! The four of you shall head out this afternoon. Argus can only take you as far as the bus terminal. After that, the four of you are on your own. Now I suggest you all go and pack.”

Chapter 20: Chapter 20

The first thing that Harry did was head to the Hermes Cabin. He poked his head in and spotted Travis, “Oi! Travis! Any idea where’s Luke or Mackenzie?”

He shrugged, “Don’t know, I think he should be somewhere around here. Last I heard, Mackenzie had gone to the stables to see the unicorn herd”

“Never mind, I’ll ask Silena.”

Travis went back to his work and Harry made his way to the Aphrodite Cabin. When he poked his head in, he spotted Silena and a few of her sisters. He beckoned to the dark-haired beauty and she came over. Silena chirped, “Hey Harry, what’s up?”

“Hey Sily, I need a big favour. I’m going on a quest with Annabeth, Grover and Jackson. Could you look after Mackenzie for me? I wanted to ask Luke first, but I couldn’t find him.”

She smiled, “Of course I will, Harry. Take care of yourself!”

As he turned to head to his cabin, he called back, “I will! Thanks Sily! You’re the best!”

Soon, he was packed and gave a tearful Mackenzie, who had returned from the stables, a hug. He told her to be good for Silena and that he would be back in 10 days. Harry and Percy also stocked up on American dollars and some golden drachmae. The demigod wizard was also surprised to learn that the camp store also doubled as a Gringotts branch. A goblin he found there told him that once his account manager Griphook had learned of his demigod status, Gringotts had gotten in touch with Chiron and were able to transfer one of their employees to work in the camp store. The goblin he found there also told him that he loved the place, and often sparred with Clarisse and the Ares kids.

The boys also stocked up on nectar and ambrosia, with Chiron explaining the basics to Percy. Annabeth had her trusty Yankees cap and a bronze knife hidden in her sleeve. Harry had his rings and daggers strapped to his sides and hidden from view. He also sported his new wand holster/shield and his wand was neatly tucked in. Additionally, he had a backpack while held all of their supplies and his Cloak of Invisibility. Grover had a set of reed pipes and wore long baggy trousers to hide his fake feet and a Rasta cap to hide his small horns. Chiron had also handed Percy a ballpoint pen which turned into a sword.

Just as they were about to leave, Luke jogged up. He panted, “Glad I caught up. Wanted to wish you guys luck. Hey Percy, I thought you could use these.”

He handed the boy a pair of ordinary sneakers and called out “Maia!”. At that command, the shoes sprouted wings and began hovering around.

Annabeth’s cheeks turned crimson when Luke came over. Harry took one look at her before his own face broke into an evil grin. This was just too perfect, he had ample ammunition to tease the Daughter of Athena with. Luke told Percy, “Those things really saved my butt during my own quest. Apparently it was a gift from Dad, though if we’re being honest I don’t have much use for them anymore. It’ll look better on you, buddy.”

Percy’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment, “Hey man, thanks. I’ll definitely treasure them.”

Luke choked out, “Listen up, a lot of hopes are riding on you, buddy. Just… kill some monsters for me, will you?”

They shook hands, Luke patted Grover on the head, between his horns, hugged a cherry-red Annabeth and gave Harry a bro-hug. After he left, Harry looked at a still blushing Annabeth and sing-songed, “Beth’s got a crush!”

That snapped her out of it and she slugged him. Furiously fighting her blush, Annabeth stomped away to a white SUV that was waiting for them out in the rain. Then Harry’s face grew serious, “Listen mate, I don’t think Luke really thought this gift through. I mean, you’re the son of the sea God. The same sea God who is feuding with his brother, the sky God. Now I’m not a son of Athena, but it’d be pretty stupid and suicidal for you to be taking joyrides in the sky.”

Percy hesitated for a split second, “Good point… Hey Grover! You want a magic item too?”

The satyr’s eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously. Before long, Harry and Percy slipped the shoes on Grover, and the world’s first flying satyr was ready for take-off. He shouted, “Maia!” and the shoes sprouted wings again. The ride lasted for a few seconds until Grover lost his balance and his backpack began dragging on the ground, weighing him down. Chiron chuckled, “You just need practice, young satyr.”

Eventually, the shoes began to act normal and Grover regained his balance. Soon, all four of them filed into the SUV, with Harry stealing the shotgun seat. With Argus driving, it meant that Percy, Grover and Annabeth were sitting at the back. There was an awkward silence for about a few miles before Percy blurted, “So far, so good. No monsters, I guess we’re in the clear.”

Annabeth shot him an irritated look, “Don’t say that! It’s bad luck to talk like that?”

Harry also called out from the front, “Don’t jinx it, mate.”

Percy faced Annabeth and grumbled, “Why do you hate me so much?”

She shot back, “I don’t hate you. It’s just… our parents are rivals, so we’re not supposed to get along.”

Harry snorted, “For someone as smart as you, that’s the dumbest excuse, Beth. Also, have you heard the phrase, the sins of the parent are not the sins of the child? Heck! My potions professor once told me that he knew my parents. He and my dad were bitter rivals and both of them loved my mum, Lily. Dad used to prank him a lot, and I’ll admit, he was a bit of a bully. I’m pretty much the everyday reminder for that professor, that he didn’t get the girl. He could have been petty and taken out his frustration on me. Especially since people used to keep telling me that I look like my dad. Instead, we worked out our differences and he treats me like any other student, what’s your excuse, Annabeth?”

The girl had nothing to say. Breaking the awkward silence, Percy asked, “So what was the beef between Athena and Poseidon?”

Annabeth answered him, “There are many reasons why. One time, they competed to be the patron god of what is now called Athens. Your dad created a saltwater spring and my mom created the olive tree. The citizens found her gift more useful.”

---

Soon, the group reached Manhattan and Argus dropped them off at a Greyhound station on the Upper East Side. After Argus left, the quartet decided to wait a little. Just then, Percy noticed a Wanted poster with his name and face on it. He ripped it down and tore it up before anyone could notice. He found the area familiar because it was close to his and his mom’s apartment.

Grover interrupted his thoughts, “You want to know why she married him? She did it for your sake. Even though he was smelly, his smell served a purpose. In other words, his smell masked your own, which pretty much hid your demigod scent from most monsters. Without him, you would have been found out long ago. She loved you so much that she put up with him for a long time.”

Percy was silent, still contemplating those words. He then thought about his real mission, to save his mom. Chiron had told him that she was not dead, but most likely held hostage by Hades. Then that blasted prophecy repeated itself in his mind,

“You shall go west to face the god who has turned

You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend

And you shall sacrifice to save what matters most in the end.”

Eventually, everyone got bored while waiting and decided to pass the time. Harry fished out his Rubik’s Cube, while Percy, Grover and Annabeth played Hacky Sack. Unfortunately, the Hacky Sack game ended prematurely when the apple got too close to Grover’s mouth and it disappeared in one mega goat bite. The scene was enough to make the other three burst out laughing as the satyr blushed.

When the bus finally arrived, the quartet lined up to board it. Just then, Grover began sniffing and Harry instantly began twiddling with his rings. Percy whispered, “What is it?”

The goat-man sniffed again and whispered tensely, “I don’t know… Maybe it’s nothing. I’m probably being paranoid.”

They boarded the bus and took seats right at the back. As more people began to board, Annabeth’s hand shot out and landed on Percy’s knee. The demigods looked up to see an old lady with a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves and a shapeless hat, enter. Just behind her were two other ladies, who were similarly attired, but with different colour schemes. All three occupied the front row and splayed out their legs in an X shape. They essentially blocked the way to the front.

As if nothing was wrong, the bus pulled out of the station and everyone was on their way. Percy murmured, “She didn’t stay dead for long… I thought they would be dispelled for months, years or even lifetimes!”

Annabeth whispered back, “Unfortunately, we’re really unlucky.”

Grover whimpered, “Di immortales! All three of the Kindly Ones!”

Harry slowly examined the windows, “Escape from the windows is out of question. They’re sealed shut. There’s no back exit either.”

With a little hope in his eyes, Percy whispered, “They won’t dare attack with many witnesses around, right?”

Annabeth whispered back, “Hard to say. The Mist might show the mortals completely different.”

By then, the bus had reached the Lincoln Tunnel. Harry slowly unzipped his backpack, ready to pull out his Invisibility Cloak. When it plunged into the tunnel, the darkness enveloped the passengers, with the occasional flashing lights.

Just then, one of the Furies got up and declared that they were going to the restroom. The other two also got up, declaring the same thing. With that, they began shuffling down the aisle, heading straight towards them. Annabeth carefully pressed her Yankees baseball cap in Percy’s hands. He looked at her questioningly, and she muttered, “They’re looking for you, Percy. Turn invisible and go up the aisle and let them pass you. You’re the most powerful of us, so we might be of little threat to them.”

Percy clearly didn’t like the stealth approach because he felt that it was too cowardly. With trembling hands, he slipped the cap on and moved to somewhere in the middle of the bus. He waited with bated breath as the Furies slowly passed him, one-by-one. There was a hairy moment when one of them, who he recognised as his evil math teacher, Mrs Dodds, stopped. She sniffed the air and her eyes turned in his direction.

After a few agonising moments, Mrs Dodds turned away and followed her sisters down the aisle. Percy made it to the front and noticed that they were just leaving the Lincoln Tunnel. He was about to press the emergency stop button when he heard screeching. The Furies finally showed their true form. Their faces were the same, but their bodies were shrivelled into leathery hag bodies, with bat wings and claws replacing their hands and feet. The lead Fury hissed, “Where is it? Where is it?!”

Annabeth yelled back, “We don’t know where he is! He’s gone!”

The passengers were all screaming and the bus driver was trying to see what the din was all about. Meanwhile, all three Furies pulled out flaming whips, prompting Annabeth and Harry to pull out their own weapons.

Seeing his friends in danger, Percy made an impulsive decision. With the driver still trying to see what the fuss was about, the demigod grabbed the steering wheel and jerked it to the left. On cue, everybody was flung to the right. The driver snapped back into action and tried to wrestle the wheel back. However, Percy was not letting go any time soon.

The bus slammed into the guardrail and ground against it, sending sparks everywhere. Eventually, the wayward bus exited the tunnel and back out into the pouring rain. Unfortunately, it was heading towards the Hudson river, so Percy whacked the emergency brake. The bus did a full 360 degree spin and crashed into a tree. With the vehicle now stationary, the driver staggered out, with the passengers barrelling after him. Meanwhile, the battle between Harry, Grover and Annabeth vs the Furies, was still raging.

Percy doubled back to help the trio and took off the invisibility cap. Mrs Dodds spotted him and sneered, “Perseus Jackson… You have offended the gods! You shall die.”

He quipped back, “I liked you better as a math teacher.”

She snarled and prepared to pounce. Meanwhile, he fished out the ballpoint pen that Chiron gave him. Percy uncapped it and it transformed into a shimmering double-edged sword.

Mrs Dodds faltered very briefly and hissed, “Submit now, and you will not suffer eternal torment!”

“No thanks.”

She cracked her whip and the other two Furies lunged, ready to tear him to pieces. The first one got batted away, while the other one got sliced open. With a shrill scream, the monster dissolved into dust. The first Fury came back for round two, but Percy was ready for her, and she joined her dead sister. Only Mrs Dodds was left, and she was busy wrestling Annabeth, while Harry shot her with arrows. Grover managed to grab her whip and tie her up with it. Just then, the hair on the back of Percy’s neck stood up and the atmosphere smelt electric. They scrambled out, but not before Harry snatched up their bags.

They disembarked, not a moment too soon, as the bus exploded. The passengers were all freaking out, and the quartet booked it into a nearby forest before anyone could realise it. As they crashed their way through the trees, they could hear Mrs Dodds screeching in rage and probably calling reinforcements.

As they trudged away, Annabeth laid into Percy for jeopardising the plan and coming back for them. Percy argued back that he couldn’t let them die for him. The bickering continued before Harry broke it up and played peacemaker. He grumbled, “Bloody hell, you two are worse than Ron and Hermione! Jackson, thanks for saving our arses, Annabeth, he did the best he could and he didn’t even know the bloody plan.”

Harry soon found a small clearing, “Let’s rest here and heal up for a bit. I’ll try and see if I can order some healing potions. They should work on you guys. I could try and brew it myself, but I’m not sure if the ingredients are available out in the wild and I don’t know how far we are from the nearest Wizarding district.“

He cupped his hands over his mouth and hooted loudly. In 2 minutes, Hedwig came swooping down and handed on his shoulder, nuzzling him. Harry got out a piece of parchment and a quill, and quickly scribbled down an order of half a dozen vials of Wiggenweld potion. He also handed her a few Galleons before she flew off.

Not long afterwards, she came flying back with three other owls. They were all sharing the burden of a fairly large container. He opened it, pocketed a few Sickles and Knuts and brought the crate back. Before handing out the vials, he warned that all potions tasted horrible. With a small countdown, they downed their potions and struggled to not throw up.

Percy screwed up his face, “Dude! That tastes horrible!”

Harry sighed, “I know jackson, but you’ve got to bear with it for now.”

They waited for a few minutes before finally getting a move on again. Grover led the group as he attempted to play a song on his reed pipes. As they walked, Annabeth fell into step next to Percy, “Hey, I appreciate you coming back for us. That was really brave.”

He shrugged, “I mean, we are a team, and I would like to consider you guys as my friends.”

Harry squeezed his shoulder, “Got that right, mate.”

As she gazed up at the evening sky, despite its cloudy nature, Annabeth mused, “In a way, I’m glad we had this quest. This was pretty much my only chance to see the real world. I’ve been in camp since I was seven and haven’t ventured out except for short field trips. I ran away from home when I was seven because my dad and I had a fight. Once I left, I was rescued from a monster attack by Luke and Thalia. Since then, we had to fend for ourselves. Harry was lucky that he had the Hunters of Artemis help raise him since he was a one year old. Even still, he has also been at camp for as long as I have.”

Percy had no idea what to say after that. Then Annabeth perked up, “You know, when the Furies were attacking they-”

Unfortunately, she was cut-off by a tuneless note from Grover’s reed pipes. Harry stopped him before he could murder three sets of ears, “Grover, how about I lead? I’d hate to let Phoebe and Zoe’s tracker lessons go to waste. No offence, mate.”

Grover grinned, “None taken, I wasn’t sure if I could remember the pathfinder song.”

So, with Harry as the lead, the group forged through the forest. After 15 minutes of tripping, swearing and shuffling from the others, Harry spotted some neon lights in the distance. With renewed hope, everyone surged forward. Finally, they came upon a deserted street, with the only landmarks being an abandoned gas station, a tattered billboard and a seemingly ordinary curio shop which also doubled as an eatery.

The sign was lost on all three demigods owing to their dyslexia. Meanwhile, Grover mused, “Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium.”

Annabeth and Percy crossed the road without hesitation. Grover fiercely whispered, “Hey! What are you doing!”

The girl justified, “Lights are on inside, we can hit the snack bar.”

Percy echoed in agreement, “Snack bar”

Harry was a bit hesitant, because something felt off about this place. As they entered the premises, the first thing that greeted them was a garden full of stone statues. Before they could knock though, Harry whispered, “Wait! Let’s just get our story straight!”

Percy was lost, “What do you mean?”

Annabeth piped up, “No, he’s right. We’re four 11 and 12-year-old kids wandering without adult supervision. That’s going to be pretty suspicious, and the last thing we need is police and CPS after us.”

Grover murmured, “So, what do we agree on?”

Harry replied, “I’ll think of something. Just let me do the talking and get the story straight.”

Meanwhile, Grover took in his surroundings, “This looks pretty creepy, guys. That statue there looks like my Uncle Ferdinand.”

The quartet entered and an empty room greeted them. However, there was some rustling in the background and Harry could hear a number of faint voices. Then a woman with a black veil stepped out of the doors leading to the kitchens. Her eyes, which was the only visible part of her, sparkled with surprise and delight!

“My, my! I didn’t realise that we were going to have customers this late?! Where are your parents?”

Harry stepped forward, “Salaam Alaikum! We were part of a school trip but got separated from our classmates. Our professors told us that if we were ever lost, then we had to go to the nearest shop or restaurant and wait there.”

Annabeth nodded, “That’s right, and we were really hungry so we stopped here.”

The veiled woman gave a gentle laugh, “Oh my dear child, I’m not a Muslim. I actually had an accident which burned my face. That’s why I have my veil! Call me Aunty Em, the owner of this little establishment.”

Percy blurted, “I’m sorry miss, but do you have company? I thought I heard a pressure cooker.”

Harry helpfully said, “I also heard several voices somewhere in the background.”

She waved him off, “Oh its nothing, I was expecting some family. However I’m not one to turn away hungry children, come and sit. I’ll fix you all something really quick.”

Harry gave a short bow, “Thank you, ma’am, and apologies for thinking that you were a Muslim. I saw the burqa and just made an assumption.”

Before long, she dished out helpings of double cheeseburgers, milkshakes and French fries. Annabeth smiled politely, “Thank you, Ma’am. This looks wonderful and delicious.”

The lady stiffened very slightly, but relaxed almost immediately, “That’s quite alright Annabeth. I must say, you have such lovely grey eyes.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his question was interrupted by Grover. He nervously asked, “Aunty Em? Wh-what’s that hissing sound?”

Her eyes widened, “Oh dear! I must had left the pressure cooker on! I’ll be right back!”

The hissing and the voices soon stopped or were reduced dramatically. Then, the hostess returned and sat down at a table next to them and watched them eat.

Trying to make casual conversation, Percy asked, “So, you sell garden gnomes?”

Her eyes brightened again, “Oh yes! As well as statues of animals and people! Sometimes I do custom orders and business has been flourishing!”

Harry was the next to ask a question, “Why do they all look terrified though? Is it a personal art style of yours?”

She replied, “Ah! Yes, it was an unfortunate habit of mine, one that I’ve been trying to break. It’s always the face! I started this statue business with my two sisters, but they have since moved on.”

Annabeth perked up, “Wait… two sisters?”

Harry also caught on, and one hand crept towards his waist where his daggers were. Aunty Em continued her story, “I was in love once, but one day, my boyfriend and I were found by another. They caused a terrible accident and my face bore the brunt of it. My sisters stayed with me for as long as they could, but eventually they moved on.”

Percy looked enthralled by the story, until Annabeth nudged him. She whispered urgently, “Percy, we have to go, our teachers are waiting for us.”

Percy didn’t move for a bit, it seemed like he was enthralled by the woman. Aunty Em looked at them and pleaded, “Please, dears, I so rarely get children as customers. Before you go, won’t you sit for a pose to commemorate the occasion? I might use it as inspiration for my next statue.”

Annabeth bounced on her heels nervously, “We appreciate the offer Aunty Em, but we’re late enough-”

Percy interrupted her, “Of course we will! It’s just a photograph, Annabeth, what’s the harm?”

The woman led everyone outside and had them stand among the statues. Harry looked at the late evening sky and mused, “Not much light for a photograph, is it?”

“Oh enough, enough for us to see each other, is it not? Now, smile for me everyone.”

Annabeth muttered in Percy’s ear, “Percy…”

Meanwhile, alarm bells also rang in Harry’s mind that something was definitely wrong.

Then, she reached for her veil, “Hang on a minute, let me get this veil off so that I can see you four better.”

The realisation struck all four of them in an instant. Thinking fast, Harry tackled everyone to the ground, ensuring that nobody was looking at the woman. Harry heard a whole bunch of raspy voices hiss, “Arrgh!!! So close!”

All four of them split up, with Harry taking cover behind a statue of a random man. He twisted his rings and turned them into his bow and arrows immediately. Harry risked a peek at his companions, spotting Grover activating the shoes. Percy was on the floor, looking dazed, but he didn’t look up. Annabeth was nowhere to be seen, so he assumed that she had gone invisible.

---

Aunty Em, better known as Medusa, was slowly advancing towards Percy. She crooned, “Such a handsome face, it would be a shame to destroy it. Stay with me Percy. All you have to do is… look up. Annabeth’s mother did this to me! She turned me from a beautiful woman, into this!”

Annabeth screamed out from somewhere, “Percy! Don’t listen to her!”

Medusa snarled, “Silence, Athena-spawn!”

She turned back in Percy’s direction and spoke sweetly, “You see why I must destroy the girl. She is my enemy’s child and I will crush her statue to dust! You on the other hand, need not suffer. Don’t be a pawn of the Olympians.”

As she monologued, Harry silently flanked her. Eventually, he hid behind a statue of Grover’s uncle Ferdinand. That vantage point meant that Medusa had her back to him. He carefully took aim at her head and prepared to fire.

Suddenly, a flying satyr divebombed from the right and nailed the distracted monster. Percy took the chance to scramble away as Grover went for another attack. As the son of Poseidon struggled to get his bearings, Annabeth materialised next to him. She took off her cap and said, “Percy! You need to cut off her head. I’d do it myself, but she has a massive grudge against me because of my mom. Also, you have a sword while I have a knife.”

She grabbed a semi-transparent crystal ball and shoved it into his hands. "Look at her through the glass, that will protect you".

She risked a peek through the ball, watching as Harry joined the onslaught, firing arrows. A few nailed the monster on the back, but Harry could hear the snakes warning her to dodge majority of them.

All of this was enough for Percy to draw his sword and begin advancing towards the monster. Just as he got within range, Medusa managed to trip the flying Grover and send him careening into Harry. As she began turning back to him, he lunged and swung his sword at her neck. There was a sickening schlock sound and something thudded on the ground. Annabeth came over, and with her eyes looking up, used the veil to wrap up the head. Finally, everyone looked down to see the wrapped up bundle. Percy struggled to hold in his cheeseburgers. After recovering, he asked, “Why didn’t the head evaporate like the rest of the body?”

Harry mused, “Spoil of war, mate. Bloody thing can still turn you into stone though, best not unwrap it.”

The quartet double-wrapped the veiled head with two plastic bags and stuffed it into a cardboard box. Percy asked, “So why was she so fixated on me and hated Annabeth?”

Harry stepped in before Annabeth could say anything. He explained, “Medusa was one of your dad’s ex-girlfriends. One time, they snuck into a temple of Athena with the help of her sisters. Obviously, Athena did not appreciate the stunt because, let’s be honest, it’s pretty disrespectful. So she turned her and her sisters into the Gorgon monsters.”

Annabeth couldn’t stop herself, “That’s why she was so sweet to you, you reminded her of him.”

Percy shot back, “Oh, so it’s my fault?”

Annabeth mockingly imitated him, “It’s just a photograph, Annabeth. What’s the harm?”

Before they could bicker, Harry jumped in and played peacemaker once again. He snapped, “Oi! Knock it off, both of you!. Now, what do we do with this bloody thing?”

Percy grabbed the box, “I have an idea.”

He disappeared with it and returned five minutes later with a delivery slip attached. He asked, “What’s the address for Olympus?”

Harry cocked his head, “Umm… Why? Wait… You’re not seriously…”

Grover agreed, “They won’t like that, they’ll think that you’re impertinent.”

Harry sighed and gave him the address. Percy filled out the slip and placed a few golden drachmae in a pouch, which he placed on top of the box. Annabeth simply raised her hands in an ‘I give up’ gesture.

Chapter 21: Chapter 21

After Percy sent the ‘care package’ the quartet left the place quickly. They walked for a while longer until it got too dark and they decided to camp for the night. Fortunately, Harry brought some tents with him and had learned how to pitch them. Being with the Hunters, he had to know how to set up camp.

Percy and Grover volunteered to take first watch for the night, so Annabeth and Harry turned in. That very night, Harry had a strange dream. He was standing in a throne room, but it was definitely not the Underworld. It was mostly dim, and the only source of light were a series of lit torches on either side of the room. In front of him were two figures, the first was a tall woman in black robes, standing in front of her throne. The woman sported dark shoulder-length hair and had black eyes. Next to her was a house elf, who looked pretty bedraggled.

Harry bowed, “Lady Hecate… I am honoured that you have visited me. Is it time for more of our lessons?”

She shook her head, “Nay, son of the Moon, I have taught you all that I could. However, this little fellow here with me has a message for you.”

Harry approached and crouched in front of the elf, “Hello young house elf, what did you want to speak to me about?”

The elf nodded excitedly, “Harry Potter! So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir! Such an honour it is. Dobby has come to tell you, sir… It is difficult. Dobby doesn’t know where to begin. Dobby’s initially be thinking of warning the Great Harry Potter to not return to Hogwarts because of great danger. However, as Dobby came to warn you, Mistress Magic appeared before Dobby. She’s be telling Dobby about the Great Harry Potter’s true heritage as the son of the Moon goddess. That is when Dobby’s deciding to change his approach. Harry Potter must protect Hogwarts and her students. Great danger lies ahead.”

Harry asked, “What kind of danger is it, Dobby?”

Dobby shook his bat-like ears, “Dobby’s not be knowing, sir. But there is a plot. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts. Dobby has known of the plot for months, but not know the details.”

Harry was about to ask if he knew who was behind the plot. However, Lady Hecate interrupted, “Dobby’s master is the one behind it, but the house elf is forbidden from revealing his master’s identity. Just know that this will be a difficult quest. Also, for the record, I am aware of this ‘Trace’ on your wand that detects magic use in non-magical areas. However, I am allowing you to use your magic and I am removing the Trace. I do control the Mist after all and the mortals will be none-the-wiser. My only warning is that you should not abuse this boon.”

Harry bowed, “Thank you, my lady. Also, thank you for the warning, Dobby. Rest assured, I will handle the threat.”

Hecate nodded, “Very well… Now young hero, it is time to wake. I shall see you soon. Also, young Dobby had intercepted your letters in his misguided bid to keep you away from Hogwarts. You will find them in your backpack.”

The next thing Harry knew, Percy was shaking him awake. He spoke, “Hey dude, it’s yours and Annabeth’s turn to keep watch.”

Harry got up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, “Alright Jackson, go get some shut-eye. Beth and I will keep watch.”

Close to dawn, Harry and Annabeth sat outside the tents, keeping watch. He was just going through the letters when she broke the silence, “Hey Harry, I guess it sort of slipped my mind in all this madness, but I forgot to ask, how was magic school?”

He perked up, “It was great! Remember I told you about Ron and Hermione? Ron and I hit it off pretty well, though Hermione was a bit uptight. I’m glad I wrote to you for advice on how to befriend her.”

She smiled at him, “You’re one of my best friends, Harry. Of course I’d help you. I’m sure Percy and Grover would love to meet them as well. They weren’t here during Christmas because Grover was busy watching out for Percy”

“Yeah, speaking of which, Ron’s invited me to his house later on. Of course, we’ll finish this quest and hopefully not die. Do you, Grover and Jackson want to tag along?”

“Absolutely!”

Harry continued, “Anyway, during the school year, headmaster Dumbledore and I were pretty much working together. He suspected that the Dark Lord who was after me was not destroyed. So, he used a trinket called the Philosopher’s Stone as bait. The first line of defence was a magically locked door housing one of Cerberus’ children. The dog was guarding a trapdoor to the next room. That room was full of vines from a plant called Devil’s Snare. The next room had a bunch of flying keys and one of them would open the door to the next room. Apparently, the Dark Lord played it smart and took the key with him. But I was able to pick the lock. The next room had a room-size chessboard with life-size pieces. After that, there was supposed to be a troll in the next room.”

She tilted her head curiously, “Supposed to be?”

“A cyclops snuck in and killed the troll. Damn nearly fooled everyone with its mimicry skills. In the end, I managed to kill it and we entered the penultimate room. This room had a table with a bunch of potion vials and a logic puzzle. When we entered, the whole room was surrounded by fire, and one would let us pass through the flames. The other would bring us back to the previous room. There was only enough potion left for me, so I entered and confronted our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, who was hosting the Dark Lord’s spirit. Eventually, we had a fierce fight and I managed to kill him.”

She was struck dumb, “Wow! That sounds like a really cool adventure.”

He looked up at the sky, “Hey, why don’t you wake those two. I’ll ask Hedwig to scout ahead and see how we can get out of here.”

She nodded and disappeared into the tents, while he hooted. On cue, Hedwig came fluttering down and perched on his arm. He hooted and barked at her, “Hey Hedwig, can you do me a favour? Could you find the closest public transport area.”

She hooted back, “Yes Harry, I’ll be right back.”

After she flew off, he got started on making breakfast. When Annabeth returned with the other two, he had already begun plating some scrambled eggs and toast. Once again, this was a skill that he had learned with the Hunters, as everyone used to take turns cooking.

Just as they finished, Hedwig’s familiar snowy white form fluttered down and perched on his shoulder. She gently hooted in his ear, “There is an Amtrak station around half a mile to the west. I read the signs and the next train leaves in two hours, only as far as St. Louis. The last train to Los Angeles left a hour ago and there won’t be another until tomorrow.”

Grover overheard the conversation and bleated, “We can’t afford to wait until tomorrow. We’ll freshen up and then get going.”

Percy was puzzled, “Go where?”

Harry replied, “While Annabeth was waking you two up, I sent Hedwig to scout ahead. According to her, there’s an Amtrak station about half a mile west of here. The next train towards the west leaves in two hours, but it goes only as far as Denver. We missed the direct train to Los Angeles by an hour and there won’t be another until tomorrow. Oh and before you ask, I can talk to animals, it’s a child of Artemis thing.”

Soon, they were on the train, west-bound towards Denver. As he sat, he read through Ron’s letter again. The redhead wrote,

“Hey Harry,

It’s Ron here. I don’t know why you haven’t been replying to my last couple of letters. Anyway, I was hoping that sometime in August you could come over to The Burrow. I’ve already sent a letter to Hermione and invited Neville. By the way, a word of warning, my little sister Ginny is obsessed with The Boy Who Lived. I know you hate that moniker and hate fangirls. Especially after that Seventh Year tried to potion you. Just prepare for Ginny to be really awkward around you for a bit. I was also kind of hoping you would maybe talk to her and get her out of that phase. I’ll see you soon, mate.”

Harry quickly penned his reply, explaining that a house elf had blocked his mail. He also explained that he was on a quest, so replies would be less frequent, however, he did promise to visit the Burrow. When the train slowed a bit, he quickly sent Hedwig with the letter. The others were asleep and he was the only one keeping watch. On a couple of occasions, Grover’s fake feet nearly fell off, but Harry quickly solved it with a Sticking Charm.

He was then startled by Percy mumbling in his sleep, “I won’t help you! I won’t!”

Harry reached over and shook him awake, “You alright, mate? You were talking in your sleep.”

He looked at Harry, bleary-eyed, before blinking his sleep away. Percy grumped, “Great… Anything else I do in my sleep? First, Annabeth points out that I drool and now you say that I talk.”

Harry shrugged, “Could be worse, my friend Ron snores and we usually have to put up Silencing Charms around his bed to block out the noise. Anyway, you were saying something about not helping someone. What were you talking about.”

Hesitantly, Percy revealed that there was some evil voice coming from a deep, dark pit. In the middle of the story, Annabeth and Grover also woke up. She mused, “That doesn’t sound like Hades. He is usually seen sitting on a black throne and never laughs.”

“He offered my mom in trade. But I don’t understand why.”

Harry adopted a thinking pose, “Doesn’t make sense. Why is he asking you for the lightning bolt if he supposedly has it. Maybe another god is involved and Lord Hades wants to find it as well, so that he can get back in the good graces of his brothers?”

Annabeth pleaded, “Look, you can’t barter with Hades. Even if his Kindly Ones were holding back-”

“Holding back? You’ve met them before?”

She instinctively fingered her necklace, “Once… But my point is, you can’t be tempted to make a deal for your mom. If it was my dad, I’d leave him there to rot.”

Percy was beginning to look angry, when Harry jumped in. He got in between them and said, “Look Beth… I understand that your home life wasn’t the best. But not all demigods had wretched childhoods. Out of the three of us, Jackson is the luckiest, because his mum was understanding. I never knew my own mortal parents so I really can’t side with either of you.”

Afterwards, everyone was silent for the rest of the trip. Finally on the second day, the train pulled into St. Louis. Annabeth gazed longingly at the Gateway Arch and sighed, “I want to do that one day.”

Percy glanced at her with an questioning expression, “Do what?”

She replied, “Build something like the Arch. I want to build something for the Gods. Something that will last for centuries.”

He was struck dumb, “Wow! I didn’t know you wanted to be an architect.”

She flushed slightly, “Yeah, I do. My mother expects her children to create things, not destroy them like a certain God of earthquakes.”

Harry smacked her shoulder, “Oi! Since when were you diagnosed with Foot-in-Mouth Syndrome”

She got the message and blushed in shame she said, “Sorry… That was mean and you didn’t deserve that.”

Percy pleaded, “Can’t we work together somehow? I’m sure Athena and Poseidon cooperated on a few occasions.”

Grover helpfully quipped, “There’s the chariot. It was Athena’s invention, but Poseidon created the horses to pull it.”

Finally, the train ground to a halt at the station. Annabeth got up, “Come on, let’s go sightseeing. This may be my last chance to ride to the top of the Arch.”

On the way to the Arch, the daughter of Athena kept rambling away and spouting facts. Meanwhile, Grover and Percy were snacking on jelly beans, with the latter mostly eating blue ones. Suddenly, the boy stopped in his tracks, everyone else also paused. He stammered, “Guys, I had a thought about our friend downstairs-”

“Hold that thought”, Harry stopped him and stealthily took out his wand. He quietly cast a Notice-Me-Not charm, “Okay, you can speak freely now.”

Percy nodded gratefully, “As I was saying, Hades has a symbol of power right? His Helm of Darkness? How do we know that he isn’t invisible right now, and watching us?”

The others thought about it, then Harry spoke, “We don’t know that, mate. We’ll just have to risk it.”

Finally, they reached the Arch with half an hour left until closing time. As they waited for the elevator, Harry and Percy looked around them. Along with them was an obese lady and her Chihuahua. There was also two families, one of them was a family of four, who were just entering the elevator. The second family had three members consisting of the parents and a girl with black ratty-looking hair. The girl looked like she was his age.

Harry also couldn’t help noticing that she looked a little familiar, but couldn’t quite place her name. It also didn’t help that her face was mostly turned away from him. Finally, the four of them and the dog lady entered the elevator when it was their turn, and it was a slight squeeze. The woman had beady eyes and was dressed in a floppy denim hat and a denim dress. She politely asked, “Hello children, where are your parents?”

Harry took the lead and stuck with the story they told Medusa, “We’re actually part of a school trip. Unfortunately, I left something behind on top and my friends here decided to accompany me.”

Strangely enough, the chihuahua growled menacingly. They lady chided her pet, “Now Sonny, behave!”

Finally, they reached the top and they all stepped out onto the observation deck. An excited Annabeth scampered out and began looking around. Then, she dragged the three of them and began yammering about the Arch. Harry once again noticed the family with the familiar-looking girl and quietly slipped away to observe them.

Then the girl turned around and recognised him, “Potter? What are you doing here?”

It took him a second to recognise her, “Wait… Parkinson? What are you doing here? Vacation?”

She replied back cordially, “Yes, it’s a vacation, and I believe I asked first.”

He shrugged noncommittally, “I’m on vacation too, and I’m here with some friends. Annabeth over there is a big lover of architecture.”

Then Pansy Parkinson’s parents noticed him and her father said, “Hello, Harry Potter, is it? We’ve heard a fair bit about you.”

He smoothly replied back, “Greetings Lord Parkinson. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“We’ll leave you two to catch up.”, her mother also spoke up and the couple moved away. As they looked out at the horizon, she said, “So Potter, I’m surprised that you’re talking to me. I figured that you hated all Slytherins on principle.”

He snorted, “The only person who I have any beef with, is Draco Malfoy. Even still, he is merely an annoyance and I am good at ignoring him. Neither you, nor the rest of your year mates have been overly antagonistic. So I have nothing against you lot.”

She blinked, “Fair enough. However, you do realise that when we are back in school, I cannot afford to have much interaction with you. Malfoy has a lot of power within Slytherin, especially since his father is in the Board of Governors.”

Her face soured, “One thing you need to know about us Purebloods is that when we start Hogwarts, we are expected to make alliances. My family had close ties with the Malfoys, so I tried to get close to him. Unfortunately for me, Snyde and Murk got to him first. The prat even had the audacity to insult me when I approached him to hopefully start an alliance. Father was furious at his disrespect and cut all ties with the Malfoy family. Since then, we have been allied to the Greengrass family. Daphne has a fair bit of political sway in the House.”

Harry nodded along, “Right, right… Greengrass and Vole have been teaching me about my future lordship duties as well. I wasn’t exactly raised in the wizarding world.”

---

Just then, a park ranger announced that they were closing soon. The first family filed into the elevator, along with Annabeth and Grover. They were about to get out when Percy convinced them to go on ahead. He and Harry would catch up with them. The only people left on the deck were the Parkinsons, Harry, Percy and the lady with her chihuahua.

The woman smiled at them, offering a glimpse of a forked tongue. Then, the chihuahua began to act up a little, jumping up and down, yapping away. His owner scolded once again, “Now, now sonny. Does this look like a good time? In front of all these people?”

The dog bared its black lips in a snarl and she sighed, “Oh well son, if you insist.”

Percy blurted, “Umm… did you call that chihuahua your son?”

She gently corrected, “Chimera dear, not chihuahua, it’s an easy mistake to make.”

With that, she rolled back her sleeve to reveal green scaly arms. She smiled again and this time, everyone could see that her teeth were like fangs and her eyes were transformed to look like slits of a reptile. Meanwhile, the dog continued barking, but with each bark, transformed into a hideous creature.

The Parkinson parents yelled in shock and reached for their pockets. However, their hands came up empty and Mr. Parkinson cursed, “Merlin’s beard! I forgot that we left them down with security!”

The now-named Chimera finished its transformation. The end result was a large creature with a lion’s head, body and hooves of a goat, and a serpent’s tail. Harry immediately went to shield the Parkinson trio. A terrified Pansy stuttered, “P-P-P-Potter? W-What in Merlin’s name is that!”

The snake lady hissed with laughter, “Be honoured Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. Your friend and the others need not die. As for who I am, I am the Mother of Monsters! I am the terrible Echidna.”

Harry slowly removed his rings and turned them into their bow and arrow form. Meanwhile, Percy looked at her in confusion, “Isn’t that some kind of anteater?”

Harry fought down a snicker, but Echidna had a different reaction. She raged, “I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me! For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you and everyone here!”

The Chimera charged, but the two demigods dodged. Percy uncapped his sword and brandished it threateningly. Harry once again positioned himself in front of Pansy and her parents. He spoke, “Stay behind me… My friend and I can handle it. I promise you that we will get out of this alive and I will explain everything.”

The monster opened its mouth and everyone got a strong whiff of smoke. Harry’s eyes widened, “Get down!”.

Percy dived away, while Harry tackled Pansy and her parents to the ground, as a sheet of flame blasted above them. The creature then burned a massive hole through the wall. Recovering, the son of Poseidon swung his sword, but it clanged against the Chimera’s collar. Then, the tail serpent sprang out and sank its fangs into his calf. Almost immediately, Harry fired an arrow and killed the snake.

Percy then positioned himself in front of the gaping hole, limping as he did. Echidna taunted, “I guess they don’t make heroes like they used to.”

Percy then caught Harry’s eye and they came to an understanding. The demigod keeled over backwards, falling out of the hole and down into the Mississippi river. Harry fired more arrows, this time he managed to kill it with three arrows through the heart and it dissolved into dust. Then he brought out his daggers and turned to attack Echidna. However, the Mother of Monsters swatted aside his first attack and grabbed Pansy by the neck. She snarled, “Back off, hero! Or your friend will be on my menu.”

Suddenly, he gave a piercing whistle and in the next moment, a small feathery white blur shot in and began clawing at her face. With a screech, she let go of Pansy, who Harry promptly pulled away from the monster. He straddled the distracted monster’s back as she tried to bat Hedwig and shake him off. Then he plunged both daggers into her neck. With a scream, she too dissolved into dust.

After a few moments, a visibly bleeding Harry ushered the shellshocked Parkinson family to the elevator and they rode down in silence. Then, Pansy hugged him and stammered, “Th-thank you Potter. You saved my life from whatever that thing was. I owe you a lot.”

He tried to brush it off, “It was nothing Pansy, can I call you Pansy?”

Her father interrupted, “It wasn’t nothing, Mr. Potter. We are grateful that you have risked your life to protect us. My daughter now owes you a Life Debt.”

With this being the first he ever heard of it, he asked, “Lord Parkinson, what does that entail?”

The man replied, “It is a magical bond created between the saviour and the person they saved. As such, my daughter may feel a compulsion to repay you by doing something that may benefit you in the future.”

He tried to protest, “But sir, I was just doing what I thought was right.”

Her father smiled, “Nevertheless, there is no way of breaking such a magical bond without harming either party.”

Harry paused and said, “Thank you Lord Parkinson. I acknowledge the Life Debt and I shall call on her to honour it someday. Anyway, I promised that I would explain, but I need something from all of you. I need you to promise to never reveal to anyone what I am about to tell you. The wizarding world at large is not ready to learn of this, Honestly speaking, I was more than happy to not reveal this to anyone, but the situation forced my hand.”

The three Parkinsons finally collected their wands and Mrs Parkinson quickly healed him before anyone could notice. Then, they all took a Magical Oath to never reveal the information about Harry’s origins. Soon, they said their goodbyes and Mr Parkinson promised to run interference with the media.

After they left, a frantic Annabeth and Grover rushed up. Grover bleated, “What happened! Where’s Percy! We heard an explosion earlier.”

Harry led them away, “Turns out, the lady and her chihuahua were actually Echidna and her son, the Chimera. Jackson got bitten by the snake head during the attack. After the Chimera blew a hole, Jackson jumped out of the hole and down into the river.”

The girl looked worried, “He will be okay, right? I mean a fall like that…”

Harry wrapped an arm around her, “I’m sure he’ll be okay. He is a son of Poseidon after all. To the water will protect him. Let’s go and try to find him.”

After half an hour, they finally saw him wading out of the river, and completely bone dry. Grover bro-hugged him and bleated, “You scared me, man! I’m just glad that you’re okay.”

Percy turned to Harry, “What happened to your friend’s family?”

Harry smiled, “The Parkinsons are okay. Mr. Parkinson has already promised to run interference and get some heat off our backs. Let’s get out of here, mate.”

The son of Poseidon interrupted, “Santa Monica! We need to go there! I met someone under the water. She said that she was a messenger from my dad. According to her, it was my dad’s will and we must go to Santa Monica before he go to the Underworld.”

Somehow, they managed to get back to the Amtrak station and hitch a ride to Denver.

Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Upon reaching the city of Denver, the group wandered into an empty car wash area. They all moved to an area near the back of the building, where there were some spare spray guns. Annabeth’s grey eyes lit up, “This is perfect! We can talk to Chiron. We need to tell him about Percy’s talk with the river spirit. We’ll IM him.”

The boy looked lost, “IM?”

Harry explained, “It’s called Iris Messaging. Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow usually carries messages for the gods. Demigods also use it as a method of communication with each other. Like an instant video call. Just need to make a rainbow. Bit of a headache to be honest. There’s got to be a better way of communication, other than letters via Owl Post.”

They finally got a thick mist going and the sun beat down on them, creating a rainbow. Annabeth grumped, “Yeah well, this is good enough for now. Harry? Drachma please?”

Harry dutifully handed it to her. She then raised it over her head, “O Goddess, accept our offering!”

Annabeth flung the coin into the rainbow and it disappeared with a shimmer. She then clearly intoned, “Show me Half Blood Hill.”

Soon enough, the familiar strawberry fields came into view and they recognised the Big House’s porch. Also present was a familiar sandy-haired figure, though his back was facing them. Harry grinned and called out, “Oi Luke! Its Harry and the gang!”

Luke spun around in surprise and his scarred face broke into a grin. He cheerfully called back, “Harry! Percy! Grover! Is that Annabeth too? Thank the gods! Are you all okay?”

Annabeth blushed and stammered, “W-We’re fine… Where’s Chiron?”

His grin melted, “Uh… He’s down by the cabins. Some of the campers are having issues.”

Just then, Harry noticed a car pull into the car wash. He quietly took out his wand to cast a silencing barrier around them. Grover also noticed the car and he tugged on Annabeth’s T-shirt, “Hey Annabeth, give Percy the nozzle. We have some company.”

Looking relieved, she pressed the spray gun into Percy’s hands and ran off. Luke continued, “Chiron had to break up a fight. Things are getting pretty tense here. Rumours began flying of a potential standoff between Zeus and Poseidon. It’s probably the same person who let in the hellhound. Everyone’s taking sides here. As far as I’ve heard, Aphrodite, Ares and Apollo are backing Poseidon. Athena is backing Zeus. The rest are staying out of it.”

Harry interjected, “Hey Luke, how’s Mackenzie? She settling in okay? Can I talk to her?”

He thought about it for a second, “Last I saw her, Silena was taking her on a ride with the Pegasi. Kid was divebombing us earlier today. You know, I wish was with you guys. Sorry we can’t help much on our end, but we’ll try and keep the peace. If you ask me, I still maintain that Hades took it.”

Percy interrupted, “But I thought that the Gods couldn’t take each other’s items of power.”

Luke shrugged, “He probably used a demigod to do his bidding. The only way that someone took it if they were invisible or something.”

Harry snapped, “Oi! Tell me you’re not insinuating what I think you’re insinuating!”

He backpedalled, “N-no! Gods no! I didn’t mean to accuse you or Annabeth! I’ve known you two for most of my life! You two are like my little brother and sister!”

Just then, the screen flickered, “Look.. we’re almost out of time. By the way Percy, how are the shoes?”

Percy flushed slightly, “Oh, uh yeah, they came in handy.”

Harry scoffed, “Are you kidding? You totally kicked Medusa’s arse with them.”

Luke grinned, “You did? Wow! That’s awesome dude! Listen! Take care of yourselves out there. And tell Grover that nobody will turn into a pine tree this time!”

Whatever he was going to say next got interrupted as the connection faded and the mist disappeared. Just then, Annabeth and Grover turned up and Harry cancelled the silencing barrier. She pressed, “So what did Luke say?”

Harry shrugged, “Things at camp are a little tense. Folks are starting to take sides in the whole matter. He didn’t say it in so many words, but we’d better hurry and find the lightning bolt.”

Percy’s stomach rumbled and everyone laughed. Harry began leading everyone away, “Come on… let’s go and grab a bite to eat.”

---

A few minutes later, the four of them were seated at a local diner. Soon, a waitress came over to take their order. She took a look at them, “You kids out here alone?”

Harry replied, “Actually, we’re waiting for my uncle. He told us that we would meet him here and to get started without him. He’s running a bit late from his meeting.”

She was still sceptical, “Can you pay for your food or will your uncle be by later to pay for your meal?”

Annabeth was about to answer before a noise interrupted them. Everyone looked out to see a large purring motorcycle roll up to the diner. The owner of the bike was clad in a red muscle shirt, black jeans and a black duster. He also had a hunting knife strapped to his thigh and wore red wrap-around sunglasses. As for his face, he could have passed off as a handsome man with an oily black crew cut, except that he had a few scars adorning his face and cheeks.

For some strange reason, Harry’s mind was filled with images of Draco Malfoy’s smarmy face and his blood boiled. He honestly would not have liked anything better than to punch his smug face in. The biker swaggered up to them and slid into the booth. He shot her what was supposed to be a charming grin and addressed the gaping waitress, “Not to worry doll, it’s on me.”

After shooing her away, he looked at Percy, “So you’re old Seaweed’s kid, huh?”

Percy bit out, “What’s it to you?”

Harry not so subtly kicked him under the table, “Oi! Jackson do you have any-”

The biker raised a hand, “Eh don’t worry, I don’t mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who is the boss. I take it you know who I am little cousin?”

Percy fumed, “You’re Clarisse’s dad. Ares, god of war.”

He grinned and took off his shades to reveal two burning eye sockets, “That’s right, punk. Heard you broke my daughter’s spear.”

Percy sassed back, “She was asking for it.”

“Probably, it's cool. I don’t fight my kids’ fights. Anyway, to business. I heard that you were in town, so I got a little proposition for you.”

Soon, the waitress returned with the food and Ares stretched out his hand with a few drachmae. At the last second, Harry stealthily transfigured the drachmae to American dollars.

He continued talking, “So I need a favour. I left my shield at an abandoned water park in town. I was on a date with my girl when we were interrupted. In our haste, I left it behind. So I want you to fetch it for me. I’d go get it myself but I don’t have the time and have better things to do.”

Percy’s eyes narrowed, “And if we say no?”

Ares leaned forward, “A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself. Are you going to be a coward? Or do you only fight near a waterbody so that your daddy can protect you.”

Percy bit out, “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re already on a quest. This isn’t a video game where we accept side quests.”

Ares’ flaming eyes glowed brighter, “I know about your quest, punk. When the damn thing was first stolen, Zeus handpicked me, Apollo and their moms,” *gesturing at Harry and Annabeth*, “to find it. Trust me, I’ve got a nose for powerful weapons, but even I couldn’t sniff out a weapon that powerful. If I can’t find it, what chance do you have? Besides, I’m the one who told him about Corpse Breath.”

Percy was incredulous, “You told him that Hades stole the bolt.”

He shrugged, “Framing someone to start a war? Oldest trick in the book. In a way, you have me to thank for your quest, so you’re welcome. Here, I’ll sweeten the deal. You help me out and I’ll arrange a ride for you and your friends. Maybe I’ll give you information about your mom.”

Percy grit his teeth, “I’m listening.”

He chuckled darkly, “Got your attention huh? The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can’t miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride.”

Percy blurted, “What spooked you hard enough to interrupt your date?”

He dodged the question, “You’re lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the other Olympians. They’re not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I’ll meet you back here when you’re done. Don’t disappoint me, chop, chop!”

---

A few minutes later, the quartet seemed to wake up from a trance. Ares was gone and everything seemed like normal.  Harry quickly polished off his hot dog and got up, wiping his mouth, “Come on. The sooner we find Ares’ shield the quicker we can get back to finding the lightning bolt.”

Percy gaped at him, “Tell me you’re not seriously considering finding that stupid shield.”

Grover bleated nervously, “Umm… We have no choice. You can’t ignore a god’s request, no matter how banal.”

Annabeth piped up, “He’s right. I don’t like Ares either but its suicidal to ignore the gods. Otherwise you will be saddled with bad fortune. Ares has the power to turn you into a rodent and will run you over if he’s mad at you.”

“Why us? Why not ask Clarisse or his other kids.”

Annabeth shrugged, “Maybe this is a problem that requires brains and strategy. Ares mostly relies on strength, but even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes.”

Harry spoke up, “Come on, let’s get this over with. He did promise to arrange a ride for us if we completed the side quest.”

By sunset, they finally found the water park, or what was left of it. Once upon a time it was called WATERLAND, but time hadn’t been kind to it. Evidently, some vandals broke in and nicked a few letters from the name, leaving it to be called WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and had barbed wire crowning it. Percy took one look at the gate and wire, and mused, “Great… How do we get in?”

Harry stepped up with his wand drawn, “Allow me, Alohomora!”

The padlock clicked open and Grover dutifully removed it. However, it took all four of them to wrench the gate open because it was pretty rusty. In silence and with weapons drawn, they slowly made their way through the park. Eventually, they came across a souvenir shop and Annabeth wasted no time in pinching several clothes. Harry searched a bit deeper and found some food, which he stocked up on.

When they were done, they continued looking for the Tunnel of Love. Percy broke the silence, “So who’s Ares’ girlfriend again?”

“Aphrodite”, came the simple answer.

“But isn’t she married to Hephaestus?”

Annabeth replied, “Yep, and he’s caught them together several times. I remember one legend goes that he caught them together in a golden net. He then proceeded to invite the other Gods to laugh at them. Hephaestus is always trying to humiliate them. So I guess that’s why an abandoned water park could be an ideal location for a brief get together.”

After a few minutes, they stumbled upon an empty pool, which was 50 meters across and shaped like a bowl. It was surrounded by several bronze Cupid statues with their wings open and nocked bows and arrows. On the far end, there was a yawning tunnel with a sign above it reading ‘Thrill Ride O Love.’

Grover noticed a small two-seater boat at the bottom of the pool. On one of the seats was a shield, which was polished very thoroughly. Percy said, “This is too easy. So we just walk down and get it?”

Harry warned, “Don’t jinx it, mate. Here.. The three of you go and get it, I’ll look for higher ground and cover for you in case things go south.”

Annabeth’s cheeks were crimson, “Are you kidding me! Me and him! How embarrassing is that! What if someone saw us?”

They argued for a minute before she relented and sullenly followed him and Grover. Meanwhile, Harry scaled a nearby fence and perched on top of it. He could not shake the feeling that something was drastically wrong.

Sure enough, there was a sound of several gears grinding together. The initial sound nearly made Harry jump and topple off the fence. The Cupid statues moved in such a way that their arrows were pointing at each other. They promptly fired, and each arrow was connected to a golden thread. The threads all interweaved to form a giant net.

Percy, Annabeth and Grover grabbed the shield and made a run for it. Harry yelled over the din, “What did you do?! What did you guys touch?!”

All the while, the Cupid heads popped open and video cameras emerged, as spotlights shone over them. A disembodied voice blared, “Live to Olympus in one minute, fifty-nine, fifty-eight…”

The nightmare didn’t end as a bunch of mirrors that Harry missed from his vantage point, opened up. From the mirrors, thousands of tiny metallic bugs and spiders came scurrying out.

Sure enough, Annabeth began to freak out. Harry cursed and hopped down from his perch before sprinting towards them. He began firing arrows in a frenzy. Percy was desperately looking around and finally spotted something. He pointed, “There! The water pipes!”

Harry fired a Blasting spell and the pipe exploded with water. Percy closed his eyes and reached out his hand. Sure enough, water came rushing out and swept the mechanical spiders away. The wave also picked up the boat and it shot towards the tunnel.

 While all of that was happening, the countdown kept going and it was down to thirty seconds. By then, Annabeth had recovered from her freak out and was helping steer the boat. Harry was nearly unseated twice before he took out his wand and placed Sticking Charms on all four of them. However, there was a new problem, as the gates at the end of the tunnel were chained up.

Harry solved that with a well-timed Bombarda, which blew the gates open. Eventually, they managed to get out of the ride, with Ares’ shield still strapped to Percy. It was just in the nick of time too, as they got out with 10 seconds to spare. The voice fell silent and the Cupids turned back to their original positions. The spotlights also shut off and the park was dark once again.

Percy scowled, “That was a close one. I hate being humiliated, and nothing’s worse than it being broadcast to the public. We need to have a little talk with Ares.”

---

As promised, the war god was there with a cocky grin on his face. He chuckled darkly, “Well, well, well, you didn’t get yourselves killed. My only regret is that you four got the hell out of Dodge before the cameras started rolling. I was hoping to see the look on that crippled blacksmith’s face when he sees a few stupid kids on TV.”

A fuming Percy chucked the shield at him, “You knew that it was a trap! You’re a Grade A jerk!”

Annabeth and Grover looked stunned, while Harry elbowed him. Sure, he was also mad, but nobody would be stupid enough to take it out on a God. As soon as Ares got hold of the shield, he spun it on his finger and it transformed into a bullet-proof vest.

He sneered and pointed, “Yeah whatever kid, a deal’s a deal. You see that truck there? That’s your ticket to LA.”

Said truck was an 18-wheeler, with a sign reading, ‘Kindness International: Humane Zoo Transport. Warning: Live Wild Animals’.

Percy was incredulous, “You’re kidding, right?”

The god snapped his fingers, “Free ride west, punk. I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Oh, and before I forget…”

He tossed a nylon blue backpack to Percy, who caught it. The son of Poseidon barely bit back a snarky retort, but slung the backpack over his shoulder.

He was about to leave when Percy yelled out, “Hey! You promised me information on my mother!”

He paused, “You sure you can handle the news? She ain’t dead. She was taken from the Minotaur before she could die. She’s probably being held hostage.”

The boy demanded, “Why!”

“You need to study war, punk. She’s a hostage. The idea is to take someone to control someone else. We’ll meet again Percy Jackson. Next time you’re in a fight, always remember to watch your back.”

With that, he revved his Harley Davidson and roared off into the distance. Percy glared hatefully at the retreating bike before Grover nudged him. He whispered urgently “Percy… We have to hurry. The truck drivers are just paying for their meal.”

That snapped everyone into action, and they quickly piled into the back of the truck. The first thing that hit them was the stench of faeces. The trailer was dark until Harry choked out, “Lumos”, and his wand lit up, illuminating the room.

What greeted them was a sight that made Harry’s blood boil. Even Grover looked equally mad at seeing three cages with a male albino lion, a zebra and antelope. Whoever was in charge of feeding them had done a lousy job, because the lion’s cage had a sack of turnips, while the other two had hamburger meat in front of them.

Harry turned to the trio, “When we get out of here, make a note of the license plate. We’re going to increase the jackalope population when my mother finds out about this.”

Unfortunately, the truck’s engine roared to life and the trailer began moving. Then, Harry got up unsteadily and pulled out his wand. He quickly vanished the faeces and tried to make the place smell a little better. The demigod wizard then intoned, “Wingardium Leviosa”, and levitated the turnips and meat away. Percy found a water jug and went to fill each bowl. The lion growled slightly, before Harry growled back, telling it that they were trying to help.

With that, the lion was more cooperative, and Annabeth placed the meat in front of it. Meanwhile, Grover divided the turnips between the antelope and the zebra. Just then, Harry noticed another small cage hidden at the back. He raised his lit wand to see what was in it, when he nearly dropped it in shock.

“Bloody hell! Is that a Golden Snidget? I thought they were extinct!”

They came rushing up, and Annabeth squealed, “Its adorable!”

Grover interrupted with his eyes narrowed, “What do you mean, ‘extinct’?”

Harry sighed, “These creatures were commonly found in Europe in the magical communities. They are well known for their extreme speed and their ability to hide. Unfortunately, around the 11^th century, wizards and witches began hunting them for sport. Later on, when it was close to extinction, the Wizard’s Council banned Snidget Hunting and declared it a protected species. Unfortunately, from what Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus told me, the hunting still continued, It wasn’t long before the Snidget was declared extinct.”

Grover let out a cry, “Man! That is such a crying shame.”

Then Harry stood up, “I’m going to free it. I’ll keep it safe with me until we find a place to release it.”

He quickly unlocked the cage and the Snidget buzzed happily before perching on its shoulder and nuzzling him. Annabeth slowly reached out a hand, “C-can I pet it?”

He nodded, “Yes, but be very, very gentle. Snidgets are pretty fragile.”

She hesitated, then reached out a finger to gently rub its head. Even Percy proved that he could be gentle and stroked its head.

After a while, the four of them were sitting in silence. Harry was busy calming the Snidget and the other three were sitting down next to each other.

Annabeth piped up, “Hey… I’m sorry for freaking out at the waterpark. I just… I hate spiders.”

Percy guessed, “The Arachne story, I’m assuming? She got turned into a spider because she challenged your mom to a weaving contest.”

She shuddered, “Ever since then, her children have had it out for children of Athena.”

Then Percy spoke, “Back when we spoke to Luke, he said something about no one being turned into a tree.”

Both Annabeth and Grover’s expressions looked sad. He mournfully brayed “I try not to think about it. It’s just hard, man! I tried to protect her, but… I thought that if you knew about what happened to Thalia, you wouldn’t want a failure of a satyr along.”

Annabeth sighed, “I was seven, I wouldn’t have survived the trip to camp on my own. When I met them, Thalia was 12 and Luke was 14. Like me, they too ran away from home. We survived two weeks before Grover found us.”

The satyr sniffed, “My orders were to escort only Thalia. Hades was after her, simply because she was the daughter of Zeus. However, I couldn’t leave Luke and Annabeth alone. I bit off more that I could chew, thinking that I could lead three demigods to camp. In my arrogance, I took some wrong turns and when monsters attacked, I froze up. So, the Kindly Ones caught up and attacked. If only I was a bit quicker…”

Annabeth sharply said, “Stop it! No one blames you!. Thalia didn’t! I don’t either!”

Grover wasn’t convinced, “It was all my fault! The Council of Cloven Elders said so.”

Percy snapped, “What did they expect you to do?! Leave Luke and Annabeth to die? That’s not fair!”

Harry piped up from where he sat, cradling the tiny bird. He said, “Look mate, We all make mistakes, but I’m sure that you will redeem yourself. Besides, which other satyr would dare venture to the Underworld.”

Percy picked up where Harry left off, “Yeah, you’ve got the biggest heart of any satyr. You’re a natural searcher, and that’s why you will be the one to find Pan!”

Grover bleated happily and hugged Percy. Then, they all decided to get some sleep.

---

Later on, at what everyone assumed was a red light, a tapping sound woke up Harry. It came again, and it sounded liked it came from the door. Harry carefully unlocked the trailer door with his wand and opened it slightly. Just then, Hedwig squeezed in through the gap and he closed it again.

He spotted a letter in her claws and took it. The snowy owl then hopped onto the floor and carried out a conversation with the Snidget. He read the letter, then put it down before cursing, “Damn it Sirius! Where the hell did you disappear off to that’s got Remus so worried?”

“What is it?”, Grover was awake and looked at him questioningly. Harry sighed, “Got a letter from Uncle Remus. According to him, Sirius took a small vacation to Vegas without telling him. It’s been a week and there’s no word from him. I hope we’re stopping off at Vegas so that I can find him and ease Remus’ worries.”

Suddenly, the truck’s engine stopped and voices could be heard. By then, Percy and Annabeth had woken up. Harry and Grover quickly huddled between them and Harry fished out his Invisibility Cloak. Annabeth moved out of the way and donned her cap.

Soon, the doors opened to reveal a large trucker. He complained, “Man I wish I hauled appliances for a living.”

He regarded the three animals in the cages as he poured water for them. His eyes fell on the lion, “You hot, big boy?”.

The trucker then proceeded to dump the rest of the contents on the lion, drenching it. Naturally, it roared in fury, but he was unbothered. He then lazily chucked a Happy Meal at the antelope before glancing at the zebra. He mockingly said, “How are you doing, Stripes? We’ll be getting rid of you at this stop. You like magic shows? Then you’re going love this one where they saw you in half.”

The terrified zebra gazed in Harry and Percy’s direction. It pleaded, “My lords, free me!”

Suddenly, a series of knocks sounded on the side of the trailer. This successfully distracted the trucker to holler at his buddy, “What do you want, Eddie?”

Eddie’s voice faintly hollered back, “Maurice? What did you say?”

“What are you banging for?”

Maurice then lumbered out cussing at Eddie and they began to argue. Back in the trailer, Annabeth materialised in front of the group and Harry pulled off his cloak. The lion confirmed that Maurice and Eddie were animal traffickers.

With a look, Percy and Harry came to the same conclusion. The son of Poseidon used his sword to slash the lock open. Meanwhile, Harry used an unlocking charm to free the antelope and the lion. The animals quickly jumped free, creating a ruckus.

Then, Annabeth donned her cap and Harry covered the three of them in his Invisibility Cloak. In the meantime, Hedwig fluttered away, and the Snidget buzzed into Harry’s shirt pocket, nestling comfortably. Together they stepped out of the trailer and carefully walked away. Fortunately, they were already in Vegas, which would make Harry's job easier. When the coast was clear, they became visible again and stopped at a nearby café. Munching on a taco, Percy asked, “So, what now?”

Harry once again fingered his letter and sighed, “I guess we’re hitting the casinos. I’ve got a godfather to find and give him a piece of my mind.”

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

The first casino that they hit was the MGM Grand. When the quartet entered, a man with expertly coiffed black hair, aristocratic features and a fancy cane walked over to them. He spoke in a genial tone, “Hello children, are you four supposed to be here? I cannot imagine that you all are coming in to try my machines, are you? I’m afraid that you are a little too young for slot machines.”

Harry flashed him an apologetic smile, “Apologies, we didn’t come here by choice. The thing is, my family and friends came here for a small vacation. We were just getting ready to leave when we noticed that my godfather was missing. He’s a bit of a ‘wild child’ and we figured that he went to sample different casinos, Mr….”

He started, “Oh, sorry, I’m Mr. Benedict. The owner of this fine establishment. Why don’t you all come with me and we’ll check the register. I’d like to think that we take care of our guests. What is your godfather’s name?”

Harry replied, “Sirius Black, sir.”

As the man perused the register at the front desk, he mused, “Sirius… Black… Sirius Black. Wasn’t he the man who was recently released from prison after being wrongfully accused of mass murder?”

“That’s right, sir. The real killer was caught and confessed that he framed him.”

He smiled, “Well… I’m delighted that justice has prevailed.”

Then his smile turned into a frown and he closed the register, “I’m terribly sorry, but I don’t seem to have any record of a Sirius Black here. Might I suggest that you check out my other hotels, The Bellagio and The Mirage? If he isn’t there, you can try Caesar’s Palace or a few other casinos. He couldn’t have gotten very far.”

Harry gave a small bow, “Thank you Mr. Benedict. Have a nice day!”

Unfortunately for them, Sirius wasn’t at the Bellagio or The Mirage. Even Caesar’s Palace was a bit of a dud. Then, Percy noticed a place called the Lotus Hotel and Casino. He gestured towards it, “Hey, let’s check in here? Maybe we’ll find him here.”

The doorman smiled and ushered the quartet inside, and the scene took their breaths away. To say that it was a giant game room, would be an understatement. It had everything, from an indoor water slide, starting from nearly 40 stories above, to a climbing wall and indoor bungee-jumping. A nearby bellhop came over, “Hi, welcome to the Lotus Hotel and Casino! How can I help you?”

As he spoke, he pressed a green plastic credit card in each of their hands. Harry smiled politely at him, “I’m looking for someone. I believe he may have come here to have some fun, but he’s been taking a bit of time. I’ve come to fetch him before my group leaves.”

He replied, “Ahh that’s a shame. I hope you find him. Also, could I convince you four to try some of our games while you search for whoever you are looking for?”

Annabeth replied, “Of course, it would be rude not to try some of your games.”

They went up to a suite that was waiting for them and couldn’t help marvelling at how posh it was. Harry thought to himself, ‘Draco Malfoy, eat your heart out.’

After freshening up, which included them gathering supplies and Percy dumping Ares’ bag, they went back down. Harry turned to the other three, “Okay let’s split up, we can cover more ground that way. Once we find Sirius, we’ll meet up by the entrance and get back to the quest.”

Annabeth nodded firmly, but Percy and Grover grinned, “We’ll also get in some play time!”

Harry rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “Okay fine. We’ll have some fun too. The gods know we deserve it after all we’ve been through so far.”

With that, they took off in different directions. As Harry walked, he felt his mind become a little foggy and a very strong urge to play a few games. If he was being honest, NBA All-Star Challenge 2 was very tempting. Instead, he slammed down his Occlumency shields and the feeling disappeared.

Finally, after what felt like 10 minutes, he found Sirius sampling Wolfenstein 3D. The man was muttering, “Come on BJ! Get that Nazi scumbag!”.

Harry waited until he finally defeated Adolf Hitler, equipped with a robotic suit and four chain guns. He grabbed the man’s shoulder, “Hey Padfoot! I found you at last!”

He turned and his cloudy eyes brightened with recognition, “Pup! So good to see you! You want to play a 1v1 with me?”

The feeling of succumbing to playtime came back, but Harry strengthened his Occlumency shields. He shook his head, “Come on Sirius, Moony is getting worried.”

The man waved a dismissive hand, “Meh… He can wait… It’s only been an hour.”

That was when Harry definitely knew something was wrong. He stammered, “Actually Padfoot, you’ve been gone for nearly a week! I think Remus had a right to be worried sick.”

Sirius’ eyes cleared briefly before it spaced out again, “Come on Harry, Moony has always been a worrywart. Now let’s play a few rounds!”

He made to drag Harry next to him, but Harry moved back with his wand in his hand. The boy pointed it at him and chanted, “Finite Incantatem!”

That did it, and Sirius’ eyes cleared for good. He blinked, “What in Merlin’s name!”

Harry was done waiting, and grabbed him by the hand. He began slowly dragging the man away. Just as they made it down the aisle, he bumped into a girl with dark silky hair and olive skin, wearing a floppy green cap. The two of them tumbled down, just missing a younger boy, who also had dark hair and olive skin.

He was on his feet immediately and helped her up, “Hey, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m Harry, Harry Potter. This is my godfather, Sirius.”

She held out a hand, “Bianca di Angelo. This is my little brother Nico. You’ve been here long? We’ve stayed here for a few weeks.”

Harry shook his head, “I just got here and Sirius has been here for an hour. But it doesn’t make sense… I mean-”

Just then, Percy came running over to us, his eyes panicked. He grabbed Harry’s arm, “Dude! Something’s seriously wrong here. I was playing against this guy called Darrin and he said something weird, ‘Groovy’. I got a bit suspicious and asked him what year it was. According to him, it was 1977.”

Nico piped up, “No it’s not, it’s 1942.”

Harry and Percy looked at each other in horror. Sirius was also slowly catching on. The two hurried forward and Percy breathed, “We’ve got to find Annabeth and Grover!”

Eventually, they found her playing an architecture-themed video game. Percy shook her, “Come on, we’ve got to get out of here!”

However, she ignored him and he shook her again. The girl snapped, “What! Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Listen… The Underworld, our quest… Harry’s found his godfather. Come on!”

She protested, “But I just got to the towers! Just give me a few more minutes!”

Harry also tried, “Beth, there are people who are in here, as far back as the 1940s, and they’ve barely aged a day. Sirius also said that he was in here for an hour, but it’s been a week!”

“So? It’s great over here! So what if you lose track of time?”

This time, Percy got impatient. He grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look in his eyes, “Spiders! Large hairy spiders!”

Sirius helpfully quipped, “Acromantulas!”

That was enough to snap her out of it. After assuring that she was okay, they finally found Grover. Together, all of them managed to drab the satyr away, much to his indignation. Eventually, the seven of them managed to exit the hotel, though the friendly bellhop looked pretty gutted.

Annabeth grabbed a nearby newspaper and her face paled, “June 20^th, 1992… We wasted five days in there!”

Bianca freaked out a little, but Nico was still lost. She breathed, ’50 years… We were in there for 50 years… All of our friends and our family…’

Harry turned to Sirius, “Padfoot, why don’t you head back to Uncle Remus. Hey Bianca, Nico… Why not go with him. Look, I get that it must be really difficult for you two. I promise you, Uncle Sirius will help take care of you. You will, won’t you, Padfoot?”

Nico asked, “Why do you keep calling him ‘Padfoot’?”

Sirius looked around him and didn’t see anyone. He grinned and turned into a shaggy black dog, and barked. He then bounded towards Nico and plastered his face in slobbery kisses. After he was done, he turned back into a human. The younger boy was delighted, “That was so cool!”

Sirius then turned to Harry, “What about you, Harry? Aren’t you and your friends coming as well?”

Harry pulled him away and told him in a low voice, “We can’t we’re on a quest. Lord Zeus’ lightning bolt was stolen. We’re trying to find it and return it by the Summer Solstice, and that’s tomorrow.” We think that Hades had something to do with it, but something smells fishy about this. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles, and we need to get there as fast as we can.”

He suddenly remembered his little feathered friend, “Oh, I almost forgot. When we came here, we stowed away on a truck and found out that they were animal traffickers. Aside from a malnourished lion, a zebra and an antelope, I found this little fellow.”

Harry reached for his front pocket and the Snidget hopped onto his palm. Sirius’ eyes widened when he saw the tiny bird, “Merlin’s saggy bollocks! I thought they were extinct.”

Harry nodded excitedly, “Precisely! Besides, the Underworld is no place for such a little guy. I was hoping that you could bring him to Hagrid. You know he loves little magical creatures.”

Sirius stroked his beard, “True, but I think bringing him to Professor Kettleburn is better. He is the Care of Magical Creatures professor, after all. I’ll take it to him. As for your transport, I have an idea.”

Sirius pulled out his wand and stuck it out. Suddenly, there was a deafening *bang* and a triple-decker purple bus materialised in front of him. He nodded at Harry, trusting him to take care of things from there. He stepped away with Bianca and Nico, and after giving them a small warning, Apparated away.

Just then, the bus door opened and a conductor in a purple uniform stepped out. He announced, “Welcome to the Knight Bus! Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you like! My name is Stan Shunpike and I’ll be your conductor today! Say, what’s your name?”

Harry thought fast, “Daniel Radcliffe! These are my friends, Percy, Grover and Annabeth!”

Stan nodded and gestured for them to hop inside. He directed them to a brass bedstead, with curtained windows and a candle burning in a small bracket. He asked, “So where are you lot headed?”

Annabeth replied, “Los Angeles! By the Santa Monica pier. We need to be there as fast as possible!”

Stan Shunpike sat down next to the driver and hollered, “Take her away, Ern!”

A second later, there was another loud bang and the quartet found themselves flattened against the bed. When they were able to extricate themselves from the mess of tangled limbs, Percy told them about his latest dream from the smuggler’s truck. It wasn’t exactly accurate, because the Lotus Casino ordeal was still fresh and had clouded some information.

The best that he could recall that the pit monster’s servant called him by a nickname. Annabeth’s brows furrowed, “The Silent One? The Rich One? Both of them are nicknames for Lord Hades.”

However, Percy was still not convinced. Even she realised that her theories were falling flat. The only other new information was that the pit monster was expecting two items. Before long, the Knight Bus halted at a local beach in Santa Monica. They staggered out and Harry handed Stan a few Sickles and Galleons before thanking him for the journey. Percy blurted, “Dude! Wizarding transport sucks.”

Harry snorted, “No argument there, mate. Personally speaking, this is the second most unpleasant mode of wizarding transport. There are five of them. In order of most to least unpleasant, there’s Apparition, the Knight Bus, Portkeys, Floo Travel and Broomsticks.”

Percy shot him a weird look, “A broomstick? Dude, stereotypical much?”

They walked to the beach, and on a whim, Percy entered the water and kept walking. Annabeth spotted him going deeper and called out a warning, but it was too late, as his head went under. What followed was an agonising wait while Annabeth fretted. Around 15 minutes later, he emerged from the water, bone dry as always. However, he was clutching something in his hand. He came over to them and spoke in a low voice, “I spoke to a Nereid and she gave me these.”

His fist opened to reveal three pearls nestled in his palm. He continued, “According to her, in times of great need, we should smash the pearl at our feet.”

Annabeth frowned, “No gift comes without a price, Percy.”

He protested, “But she gave them to me for free.”

Harry interjected, “That’s not what she meant, bruv. There’s a phrase that goes, ‘There is no such thing as a free lunch‘. There’s always a price.”

---

Eventually, after hitch-hiking to a bus station, they were on a bus to West Hollywood. Unfortunately, the driver did not know of any place called DOA Recording Studios. Percy had told them about this place from a business card he picked up from Medusa’s lair. Nevertheless, the bus driver dropped them off at the next stop.

From there, they wandered for hours and had difficulty finding the place. As night-time fell, so too did the mood of the city. There were all sorts of shady figures slinking around in the shadows. As they walked past an alley, there was a holler. Before they knew it, six boys had surrounded them, all decked in swanky clothes.

One boy advanced, and they guessed that he was the gang leader. He bore down on them, but was cut off by a punch from Harry and Percy. The boy stumbled in shock, and the quartet took that chance to bolt. Meanwhile, the thugs recovered and gave chase. They ran for a few minutes until they ducked into another alley and burst into an open store.

The group ran in and took refuge behind a waterbed, watching as the thugs ran past. Grover sighed in relief, “I think we lost them!”

A voice spoke up behind them, “Lost who? Was it those pesky kids again? I should have known. They hang around these parts every night, and more often than not, I get some unexpected, but not unwelcome customers. Greetings! I’m Crusty, owner of this fine establishment, ‘Crusty’s Waterbed Palace!’. Would you like to look at a waterbed?”

The kids whirled around to see a man dressed in a silk paisley shirt, which was unbuttoned halfway. He also wore a velvet jacket with very wide lapels. Finally, he capped off his look with numerous silver chains. As for his complexion, Crusty was tall with a bald head, grey leathery skin, thick lidded eyes and a cold reptilian smile.

With a large meaty arm, he steered everyone inside the store. As he stopped in front of a bed covered in black satin sheets and built-in lava lamps, he spread his arms proudly, “This is my most popular model! Million hand massage! Why not try it out.”

“Million-hand massage! Sweet!”, Grover cheered and dived into the bed. Then, he guided Harry and Annabeth to two other beds, which were side-by-side. They put up a bit of resistance, but he outmuscled them and pushed them onto the beds. He snapped his fingers, ‘Ergo!’, and on cue, ropes sprang from all three beds and fastened themselves onto the three helpless children, covering their bodies and wrapping around their wrists and ankles. Unfortunately for Harry, he couldn’t quite reach his wand either.

Crusty groaned, “Darn it… Almost!”

He then reached out and grabbed Percy, who was just backing away. He said condescendingly, “Don’t worry, kid. We’ll find one for you in a sec.”

A defiant Percy yelled, “Let my friends go!”

Crusty replied back, “Will do that, but I got to make sure that they fit first.”

“Fit first?”

“All beds are exactly six feet. Your friends are too short and I hate imperfect measurements. So I got to stretch them out, they might just live.”

Percy thought fast, “Your name is not Crusty, I’m assuming.”

“It’s a nickname. Short for Procrustes.”

His eyes widened in realisation, “The Stretcher!”

“Aye, but who can pronounce Procrustes? It’s a bit of a mouthful and its bad for business. Now Crusty…Everyone can pronounce that, and its catchier.”

Percy then began to keep him talking while he figured out a plan. He ran a finger across the lacquered finish of a random bed. He said, “Man! The workmanship on these beds are fantastic! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a built-in lava lamp!”

Annabeth yelled out in protest, but Percy ignored her. He continued, “What happens if a customer is more than six feet tall?”

He finally let go of Percy and reached for a huge double-bladed bronze axe. Hefting it onto his shoulder, he nonchalantly said, “I just centre the subject as best as I can, and lop off whatever hangs over on either end.”

Now terrified out of his mind, Percy gulped, “Ah… Sensible.”

While all that was going on, Harry, Annabeth and Grover were really looking like they were in trouble. Percy then pointed to a bed that had the tag, ‘Honeymoon special’. He cried out, “Hey does this really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?”

Crusty beamed, “Absolutely! Want to try it out?”

“Actually I’m curious about one thing. Will it work on a big guy like you?”

“Guaranteed!”

“No! You’re joking!”

“I’m not!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it”

Procrustes bought it, hook, line and sinker, and plonked himself onto the bed. He grinned up at the boy, “No waves, see!”

He made to get up, but Percy was faster and snapped his fingers, “Ergo!”

On cue, a whole swathe of ropes cocooned the giant, and he yelled indignantly, “Hey!”

Percy ordered, “Centre him just right”, and the ropes obeyed dutifully. They adjusted themselves in such a way that his whole head was sticking out from one end, and his feet at the other end. The son of Poseidon then brought out his sword, and Crusty began pleading and trying to bargain. The man was still bargaining when Percy raised the sword above his head and beheaded him. With Procrustes dead, he got to work chopping off the ropes binding the other three. He couldn’t help quipping, “You three look taller.”

Annabeth grumped, “Very funny, be faster next time.”

Harry mused, “Heck of a way to have a growth spurt. I wonder how I’ll explain this one.”

Grover then spotted a bulletin board nearby and noticed a bright orange flyer. It was about DOA Recording Studios, which offered commissions for heroes’ souls. It also had the address and a map to the location on it. Fortunately it was not too far away. They trooped down Valencia Boulevard until they reached an ordinary building. Outside was a black marble sign and gold letters etched on it, reading, “DOA Recording Studios. No Solicitors, No Loitering, No Living.”

---

By then it was nearly midnight, but the inside was lit and looked full. The four of them were nervous, but were not willing to outwardly say it. Percy turned to Harry, “Dude, do you mind doing most of the talking? You did say that you had some business with Hades, right.”

Harry nodded, “I do have business, thanks for the reminder. No worries, Jackson.”

Inside the lobby, soft music played, via hidden speakers. The studio’s interior looked pretty dreary, with steel grey-coloured walls and carpets. There were also pencil cacti growing in the corners. The furniture was also decked out in black leather and there were several dozens of people waiting.

Percy couldn’t help noticing that the people looked slightly transparent. They walked up to the security guard’s desk and Annabeth nudged Harry. The guard was a tall man with dark skin and bleach blonde hair in a military crew cut. He wore a pair of fancy sunglasses and a bleach blonde Italian suit.

Harry smiled at him and placed his hands in his pockets, “Hello Lord Charon, I’m Harry Potter.”

He looked up from his magazine and peered at them, “Hello, welcome to the entrance of the Underworld. Now… May I know how you all died? For the record, of course.”

Harry shook his head, “Actually, none of us are dead. However, I do have some business with Lord Hades. Information about a certain Dark Lord who has escaped from death.”

Charon’s eyes hardened, “Ahh yes, I’ve heard Thanatos throw plenty of tantrums about that pesky spirit. Well godlings, in that case I shall let you through on one condition. When you speak to Lord Hades, tell him that I need a pay raise. You have no idea how annoying it is to be forced to babysit these spirits. Always crying and grovelling, ‘Please don’t let me be dead’, ‘Please let me across for free’. By far, there are only three spirits who were the most cooperative. They were James Potter, Lily Evans and Ignotus Peverell.”

Harry brightened, “James and Lily are my parents, and Ignotus is my ancestor!”

Percy interrupted, “You deserve better, Charon. A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay.”

Harry caught on to what he was doing and slowly began stacking Drachmae and even threw in a few Galleons.

Charon whined petulantly, “I haven’t had a pay raise in three thousand years! Do you think these suits come cheap?”

Percy smoothly replied, “We can mention a pay raise to Lord Hades, if you want.”

Finally, Charon noticed the assortment of Drachmae and Galleons. His eyes gleamed greedily and then gave a huge dramatic sigh, “Oh well… Boat’s almost full anyway. I’ll just add you lot and be done with it.”

He led them to the elevator, grumbling about freeloaders. Just before he entered, he called out, “Alright you lot! No funny ideas while I’m gone or things will be unpleasant for you. And if anyone messes with my easy-listening station one more time and I’ll make good on my promise to keep you all here for a thousand years!”

As the elevator went down, Annabeth asked, “How long do these spirits wait in the lobby?”

He shrugged, “Forever… Or until I’m feeling generous.”

She swallowed nervously, “Oh… That’s fair”

Charon raised an eyebrow and scoffed, “Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Just wait until it is your turn. Where you’re going, it might come soon enough.”

Then, the descending motion stopped and they got the feeling that they were moving forward. The air turned misty and the elevator faded out and was replaced by a wooden barge. Charon’s crisp Italian suit was also swapped out for a long black robe.

Outside the barge, they were being ferried across an inky black river. On top of it were carcasses of dead fish, crushed dolls, flowers, and strangely enough, diplomas and other such paraphernalia. Grover murmured, “Is this the River Styx? But it’s so…”

Charon bitterly spat, “Polluted? That it is, young satyr, that it is. For thousands of years, humans have been dumping so many things in it. Hopes and dreams, wishes that went unfulfilled… Irresponsible waste management, if you as me.”

At that point, the four of them began to realise that they were the only living things on the boat. With that thought, they all huddled together just to reassure themselves that they were alive.

As they reached the shore, they heard a demonic howl in the distance. Charon grinned at them, or at least they assumed that he was grinning, because his face was replaced by a skull. He chortled, “Old Three-Face is hungry. Bad luck for you, godlings. Maybe this time you’ll be back as actual ghosts.”

They disembarked and followed the other spirits down a well-worn path. Suffice to say, the Underworld was nothing like they had expected. It looked like a scene out of airport security. There were three separate entrances under a giant archway that read, “YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS.”

There were metal detectors and security cameras at each entrance, oddly enough. Beyond them lay various toll booths with other black-robed people. The howling grew louder, the closer they approached. Two of the three lines had an ‘Attendant on Duty’ sign and the last one had a sign reading, ‘EZ Death’. Apparently, the EZ Death line was moving at a much faster pace than the other two.

Annabeth mused, “The EZ Death line must go straight to Asphodel. Most of those souls don’t want their lives judged in court so this is the easiest option.”

Percy looked at her in confusion, “There’s a court for dead people?”

Grover nodded, “Yeah, there are three judges, but they are constantly changing. There were judges like King Minos, Thomas Jefferson, William Shakespeare, and many more. If a person deserves a special reward then they send the soul to the Fields of Elysium. The ones who did bad are usually punished harshly. Finally, the ones who were neither here nor there are simply directed to the Field of Asphodel. It’s like standing in a wheat field in Kansas for eternity.”

Percy winced, “That’s rough.”

Grover snorted, “Tell that to that fellow there.”

They looked over to see some of the black-robed ghouls haul out a spirit and were frisking him. Then Harry caught sight of his face and gave a small gasp, “I know him! That was Professor Quirrell!”

Grover glanced at him, “Wasn’t he that guy who hosted that homicidal Dark Lord’s spirit? Well I’m not surprised that Hades will be mad at him. Only people like them get his personal attention. I’m guessing that when you finally kill that Dark Lord of yours, there will be eternal punishment waiting for him.”

They kept shuffling forward until the howls became nearly deafening. Then, a veil of green mist in front of them, dissipated. What lay before them was the path branching off into three different lanes running parallel. However, their focus was on what was standing over the paths. To be precise, they were staring at an enormous shadowy dog. Harry mused, “A Rottweiler, eh? I always pegged him for a Pitbull kind of God. But bloody hell! He’s easily 3 times bigger that the Cerberus that was guarding the Philosopher’s Stone.”

Nervously, they approached and Harry began to slowly dig through his backpack. The middle head swivelled towards them and started growling. As they moved closer, the growls grew louder and more menacing. Percy tried to distract it with a broken bedpost, but it was not impressed. Then Harry stepped up with Hagrid’s flute to his lips. He then began to play a soft lullaby on it and that was when things changed.

Each of the Cerberus’ eyelids began to droop and it swayed on its feet. Taking that as their cue, Percy, Grover and Annabeth hurried through under its legs and past the monster. Then, Harry calmly walked through like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, still playing the  flute. Finally, with a ground-shaking thud the giant dog flopped onto its belly and began to snore.

Unfortunately, the plan went off the rails when they passed the metal detectors. Alarms blared shrilly and Cerberus was soon back up on its feet again. After hiding for a while, the quartet began moving once again.

When they finally explored the depths of the Underworld, they came across millions and millions of souls. What was so unnerving about the whole experience was that none of the ghosts seemed scary, but they just felt sad and depressed. Before long, they passed through another gate that branched off into either Elysium or Eternal Damnation.

On their left side was a rocky path towards the aptly named Fields of Punishment. Although the torture souls were far away, they could still make out the punishments. Each one seemed worse than the last, and the only recognisable ones were Sisyphus’ punishment and they even spotted Tantalus chasing after an apple.

However, the right side of the path definitely looked like paradise. The valley was dotted with stunning-looking houses from every era. Harry also could have sworn that he spotted a red-haired woman in the distance. In the middle of the valley, there was also a lake with three small islands, which looked like something from a Hawaiian postcard.

Finally tearing themselves away, they forged on through the Fields of Asphodel. The deeper they went, the darker it got and everything went grayscale. When they all looked at each other, their faces and bodies looked like characters from old movies.

In the distance, there was a sound of a familiar screech and there was a glittering black obsidian palace looming on the horizon. Three dark bat-like creatures were also fluttering around. At this point, a terrified Grover began to slowly inch away, “Maybe the lightning bolt is hidden somewhere in Elysium.”

However, Harry and Annabeth yanked him back towards them. Then something truly bizarre happened. His shoes suddenly sprouted wings on their own and wrenched him away from them. Harry yelled, “Oi! Grover! Cut it out, mate!”

He hollered back desperately, “THIS ISN’T ME! MAIA! MAIA! COME ON! WHY WON’T THE WINGS DISAPPEAR!”

The possessed shoes began dragging him towards the palace, and the other three sprinted to keep up. Annabeth yelled at him to get the laces off, but the satyr couldn’t reach.

Just then, a few metres from the palace gates, the out-of-control Grover veered to the right and got dragged in the opposite direction. He was rapidly being dragged through a tunnel where the walls were beginning to narrow. Percy hollered, “Grover! Hang onto something!”

As they ran, the tunnel grew darker and chillier. The whole place reeked of evil and something really ancient. Suddenly, the tunnel opened up into a cavern and smack dab in the middle of it was a massive chasm, which could have swallowed up a hundred Hogwarts castles clustered together.

The panicking Grover finally smacked a big rock and that was enough to loosen one shoe. The other one kept tugging him, but without its twin, it was much weaker. Eventually, Harry and the others caught up and heaved him away from the chasm. The remaining shoe finally broke free and flung itself down the chasm.

The group finally dragged their friend to a safe area and collapsed on the ground to catch their breath. Grover nearly whimpered, “Wh-what was that!”

The three demigods eyed each other before Annabeth spoke, “Tartarus, the entrance to Tartarus.”

Eventually, they dragged themselves away and came back toward Hades’ palace. Along the way, Percy began struggling a little as he walked. The boy grunted, “Man! This thing’s getting heavy!”

As it turned out, he got stuck with carrying Ares’ backpack. Harry wasn’t letting his own backpack out of his sight, so he kept a hold of it throughout the whole trip. Finally, the four of them stood in front of the gates, not knowing what to expect.

 

Chapter 24: Chapter 24

The gates themselves depicted various scenes of death. This ranged from wars from ancient times, to the more modern ones. It even had scenes of numerous famine victims and tragedies of a miscellaneous nature.

Beyond the gates lay the courtyard, and immediately the scene had Harry’s hackles rising. Aside from multi-coloured mushrooms and shrubs that Harry was sure, were poisonous, and luminous plants, the garden had an assortment of statues. What really worried Harry was the fact that they looked eerily like the statues from Medusa’s lair.

As they forged deeper into the garden, they entered an orchard of pomegranate trees. The tart smell was pretty overwhelming, and Harry was forced to strengthen his Occlumency shields. Percy and Annabeth had some degree of self-control, but Harry was forced to fire a Full Body-Bind curse on Grover before he could raid the trees.

Eventually, the three of them managed to drag their frozen fourth companion out of the garden before Harry ended the curse. The group slowly walked up the steps and into the palace, between black columns and under a black marble portico. The main entrance hall had polished bronze floor, and the ceiling was replace by a cavern roof. Each doorway that they passed had a skeleton guarding it.

 Each skeleton represented different eras of soldiers, and Harry could even spot some skeletons wielding wands. None of the skeletons seemed hostile, but they felt their gazes fixed on them, which was a lot worse. Soon, they stopped at the entrance to what they guessed was the throne room. Considering that it was guarded by two skeletons in US Marine’s gear, they were bang on the money.

Harry noticed Percy struggling, “You alright, mate?”

He grunted back, “Stupid bag weighs a ton. It’s like I’ve somehow picked up a stray bowling ball. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

Before they could work up the nerve to knock, a hot wind blew down the corridor and the doors opened slowly. Percy could not help noticing that it looked exactly like the one in his dream. The only difference was that the throne was occupied by the man himself.

Unlike Dionysus and Ares, Hades absolutely exuded power. Harry noted that he was clad in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His attire was different from when Harry had met him on the Winter Solstice.

The God of the Underworld gazed down at them as they knelt and then got up from his throne. He spoke, “You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon. After what you have done to me, you are brave. I should vaporise you where you stand, but you also did me a massive favour.”

Percy gulped and looked at Harry and Annabeth, asking them about their next move. Harry mouthed, “It’s your quest, mate. You take the lead.”

Percy slowly got up, “Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests.”

Hades raised a smooth eyebrow, “Only two requests? Arrogant child! As if you have not already taken enough. Speak now!”

The boy gulped again, “Lord Hades, a war between the Gods would be really bad. I implore you to please return Lord Zeus’ Master Bolt and help me clear my name.”

His eyes grew dangerously bright, “Clear your name? You dare keep up this pretence after all that you have done?”

Percy looked lost, and so did everyone else. The god bellowed, “Do you think I want war, godling!”

Harry slowly got up, “Respectfully, my lord, we don’t know how to answer that.”

Hades scoffed, “Of course my brothers would think that I need to expand my kingdom! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the sprawl of Asphodel? Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many sub-divisions I’ve had to open? More security ghouls, traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. And I’m still waiting for that bastard Voldemort to show his miserable face in here! I used to be the God of Riches and I control all precious metals under the earth. Yet the expenses are astronomical!”

Percy blurted, “Charon wants a pay raise!”

That only riled up the god even further, “Don’t get me started on Charon! That brat has been insufferable ever since he discovered Italian suits after hobnobbing with that Maurizio Gucci fellow. I’m needed to solve every damn problem around here, and the dead keep arriving! I do not need another war!”

Percy carefully asked, “Lord Hades, If you haven’t taken the Master Bolt, who did?”

He spat back, “Isn’t it obvious? Your father may fool Zeus, but I see his plan. You were the thief during the Winter Solstice. Your father directed you into the throne room at Olympus. You took the opportunity to pinch the Master Bolt and my helmet!”

Annabeth asked, “Your helmet is also missing?”

“Precisely! I have held my silence about the helmet’s disappearance because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. Return my helmet now or I will stop death. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. You thought that by freeing my children, you would gain some favours? You thought wrong!”

Percy was starting to get angry, but refrained from yelling, “Lord Hades, I did not steal the Master Bolt, nor did I steal your Helmet.”

Hades sneered, “Is that right? Open your backpack then – No not you, Potter.”

Percy froze and then robotically took off the blue backpack and unzipped it. He then fished out a sixty centimetre-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.

The other three were stunned and Harry exclaimed, “Bloody hell! How did that get here?”

Percy now looked panicked, “I-I don’t understand. Lord Hades, this is a mistake.”

He roared, “A mistake! There is no mistake, I know why you came. You came to bargain for her.”

Hades opened his fist and let loose a large ball of gold fire. It hit the ground and exploded, revealing Sally Jackson frozen in stasis. He continued, “Yes I admit it. I took her, because I knew you would come to bargain with me eventually. She’s not dead, but if you displease me, I could remedy that.”

Percy suddenly remembered the pearls in his pocket. However, Hades’ next words caught him off guard. He drawled, “Ah… The pearls. My brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Perseus Jackson.”

The boy automatically obeyed and showed them to the god. He sighed in mock disappointment, “Only three? What a shame. You do realise that each pearl only protects a single person. Try to use them to take your mother and sacrifice two friends to spend eternity with me. Leave without her and one is still left behind. Go on then and choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms.”

The four of them huddled and conversed with each other. Percy told them quietly, “We were tricked, set up.”

Hades was losing patience, “Decide, boy!”

Harry spoke up, “I’ll stay behind and you can’t convince me otherwise. Lord Hades knows that he can’t kill me. He needs me to bring Voldemort back to face Olympian justice.”

Grover whispered, “Percy, you can’t give him the bolt. I’ll stay behind too, and you can use the third pearl for your mom.”

Annabeth interrupted, “No! Both of you go! Grover you have to protect Percy and get your searcher’s license to find Pan.”

They began bickering, but then Percy snapped, “Stop it, all of you! I know what I have to do.”

The prophecy was slowly beginning to make sense. He handed a pearl to Grover and Annabeth and turned to Harry. Percy said, “One of the lines of the prophecy said, ‘A sacrifice to save what matters most in the end’. Promise me that you will save my mom?”

Harry understood immediately, “I promise, mate. Now go on and save the day.”

Percy approached his petrified mother, “I’m sorry, I’ll find a way.”

Hades’ smug look faded, “Godling?”

“I’ll find your helmet, Uncle. I’ll return it, and please remember Charon’s pay raise.”

Percy, Grover and Annabeth smashed the pearls at their feet and the pearls exploded. Soon, they were encased in three milky-white spheres and slowly began to float upwards. All three spheres crashed through the stalactites and were soon out of sight.

---

With them gone, Hades turned to Harry, “Potter! Do you trust them?”

Harry nodded firmly, “With my life, Lord Hades. Also, I have to ask, you mentioned something about freeing your children.”

“Yes, about that… I was referring to young Bianca and Nico. Before you ask, they were born before the pact between me and my brothers. However, Zeus being as paranoid as he was, tried to kill them to circumvent the Great Prophecy. I managed to protect the two, but could not save their mother. After wiping their memories of the attack, I tasked my Furies to place them at the Land of the Lotus-Eaters. I am pleased that you have freed my children. For that I give you this… You have 15 minutes.”

He waved his hand and two ghosts floated in, two familiar ghosts. Harry’s eyes widened and rushed up to them, “Dad! Mum!”

His mother had a bright smile, “Harry! Oh my sweet little boy! I’m so proud of you. I knew that you were destined for great things, but you have exceeded my expectations. I am happy that you have liberated your cousin from that vile sister of mine. Petunia was always jealous of me and the fact that I was a witch. I tried to extend as many olive branches as I could, but she refused to make peace.”

His dad also grinned, “Hello my son! I’m glad that you have grown into a fine young man! Also, youngest seeker in a century! I’m telling you! I was grinning like a loon for weeks!”

His mother gave an exasperated sigh, “Oh you men and your Quidditch! At least I was the first to find out. You only found out later after you finished your month in the Fields of Punishment and then joined me in Elysium!”

“Dad was in the Fields of Punishment?”

“Before we got together, your father was an absolute git! He, Sirius, Remus and the Rat were infamous pranksters. So your father’s punishment was to experience all of their pranks, but 10 times worse. Also, I want you to pass on a message to Professor Snape. You may not know this, but he and I used to be friends. That lasted until he fell into the wrong crowd and became a Death Eater. Later on, he defected and has since been acting as a spy for our side. With that being said, you can trust him with the truth of your parentage. I’m relieved that he is treating you like any other student. Had he been petty and taken out his silly grudge with your father, on you, I would have haunted him until he apologised. Tell Severus to stop beating himself up about his poor choices, and try to get along with Sirius and Remus.”

Harry nodded, “Yes mum!”

After sometime Hades spoke up, “Come, James and Lily, your time is up.”

Harry teared up a little and tried to hug them. Unfortunately, his hands just phased through their bodies. After they left, Hades said, “To business then! How goes your current quest to catch the Dark Lord?”

“I managed to sort of flush out the Dark Lord’s spirit, but he got away. I’m sorry, Lord Hades.”

He waved a dismissive hand, “Not to worry, young Potter. Thanatos will soon be on his way to find him.”

Just then, Harry had a brainwave and exclaimed, “Mars is especially bright, tonight! That’s why Percy believes that Ares was the thief!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Back in Hogwarts, I met a colony of centaurs, and one of them told me that Mars was very bright. It just now clicked for me that he was referring to the real thief, Ares! Think about it, he is the God of War and a war between the Gods would only benefit him! I’m also guessing that he stole your Helm of Darkness as well.”

Hades adopted a thoughtful look, “I see your logic, Potter. Very well, then. You may go and take Perseus’ mother with you. If the boy does not return my helmet, I will be back to reclaim her. You’ll find your friends at Santa Monica Pier.”

He straightened up and snapped his fingers. On cue, the golden fire died out and Sally Jackson unfroze. She stumbled and Harry rushed forward and caught her. He soothed, “It’s okay, Mrs Jackson. You’ll be fine. Come on, let’s get you home.”

Then, Hades snapped his fingers again, and the two of them were enveloped in darkness and shadows. When it died down, the two of them found themselves in New York. Sally managed to get her bearings and hugged Harry. She murmured, “Thank you Harry. You are a good friend to my son. He is lucky to have you. Now go back to him and your other friends. I’m sure that they will need your help. Also, you and your cousin are more than welcome to live with me and Percy.”

---

With that, they parted ways and Harry took the Knight Bus back to Santa Monica. He disembarked at the pier and arrived sometime in the afternoon, just in time to see a large wave engulf a giant boar with one tusk. The other tusk was lying at Jackson’s feet. Grover and Annabeth were standing a good distance away, as Percy squared off against Ares, who was wielding a baseball bat.

Harry jogged up to the two, “Sounds like I came just in time for a right old kerfuffle, eh?”

Annabeth hugged him, “You’re okay! Is Percy’s mom…?”

He smiled, “She’s fine. I’ve dropped her back in New York and took the Bus here.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Percy challenging Ares to a duel. As Ares morphed his bat into a two handed sword, Annabeth took off her camp necklace and tied it around Percy’s neck. She murmured, “For luck.”

Grover handed him a flattened tin can, while Harry handed him his wand holster and chanted, ‘Mutatio!’. On cue, it transformed into a shield in an instant.

Ares drawled arrogantly, “You all done saying goodbye? I’ve been fighting for an eternity, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?”

Percy braced himself, and Harry jokingly called out, “I’m only letting you borrow the shield once, Jackson. Get your own one when we get back to camp!”

For his part, Percy remained a few feet away, with the surf up to his ankles. The two circled each other before Ares got bored of waiting, and charged. He brought his sword down for the kill, but Percy was no longer in the path of the sword swing.

As the battle raged, Percy was simply trying to survive, while Ares was clearly the superior fighter. Then, Percy tried to close in, but the god knocked his sword away and kicked him in the chest, sending him nearly 20 metres away. Fortunately, the soft sand cushioned the fall and he was able to recover.

Unfortunately, complications arose when they heard police sirens blaring. At least five police cars were gathering and the policemen were all pointing their guns in the direction of the battle. One cop recognised Percy from the newspaper article that had reported him missing. Another one noted that Ares was armed.

Someone, who they assumed was the chief of police ordered Percy and Ares to drop their guns. However, the god was having none of it. He bellowed for a little privacy and with a wave of his hand, engulfed all five cars in a red sheet of flames.

With that out of the way, he went back on the offensive. Percy was defending and retreating backwards towards the water. As the War God advance to deliver what he thought was the killing blow, Percy struck. It appeared that he was holding back the tide and finally let it go in a massive two-metre wall of water. He vaulted over the startled god and let the wave smash into Ares.

Thinking fast, he countered the god and stabbed him right in the heel. The subsequent roar of pain was deafening. Limping, he hobbled towards Percy with pure hatred in his eyes when something stopped him. For some reason, the light faded, there was no sound or colour, and a cold-heavy presence washed over everyone.

The god lowered his sword and darkly said, “You have made an enemy, godling. You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson, Beware!”

His entire body began to glow and the four of them instinctively looked away to avoid getting vaporised. When they turned back, Ares was absent, and in his stead was Hades’ bronze Helmet of Darkness. Percy went to pick it up, and as soon as he did so, there was a sound of three pairs of wings flapping. The Fury in the middle stepped forward, “We saw the whole thing. So it truly was not you?”

Percy tossed the helmet to her and the surprised Fury caught it. He spoke, “Please return that to Lord Hades. Tell him the whole truth and ask him to call off the war.”

They nodded and flew off, but not before giving him a stern warning. After they left, the demigod collapsed, absolutely exhausted. Harry opened his own backpack and fed him some nectar to get his strength back up. He held out his hand, “Come on, Jackson. We’re still on the clock. I’ll call the Knight Bus to take us back to New York.”

Percy sighed, “At least it was better than my idea to risk a flight back to New York.”

---

Finally, they reached the city by evening, and Percy convinced the three of them to let him go it alone. There were some initial protests, but he insisted that he had to do this alone. However, Harry shut down the argument by telling him that he promised his mother that he would look out for him.

As they left, Percy and Harry headed to the Empire State Building. It took a bit of time to haggle with the security guard, but one glimpse of the Master Bolt was enough to change his mind. As they waited in the elevator, Percy handed the shield back to Harry, who promptly transfigured it back into a wand holster.

Percy asked, “You’ve been to Olympus a lot?”

“A couple of times, and its bloody gorgeous! No matter how many times I’ve visited, it still feels like the first time. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, where did you get the sword from?”

Percy uncapped his pen and let it transform into a sword. He handed it to Harry, “It’s called Riptide and in Greek it’s called-”

“-Anaklusmos. This sword has a bit of a history. It belonged to my big sister Zoe. She is a Hunter of Artemis and gave it to Herakles to fight the drakon, Ladon. Bloody wanker took all the credit for getting past Ladon and left her to face the wrath of her father and sisters. As a result, she was cast out from the Garden of the Hesperides, and that’s when mother took her in and made her a Hunter. If she ever saw you using it, she’ll probably treat you a bit coldly. However, if you can prove yourself to be better than him, she’s possibly going to respect you.”

Finally, the doors swung open and Percy nearly had a heart attack. Harry carefully led him up the steps, through the resplendent city, and finally into the palace. The difference between Hades’ palace and the Olympian palace was pretty much night and day. Eventually after more shameless gawking, they entered the throne room. Harry observed that this time around, there were 12 thrones, as opposed to 13 during the Winter Solstice. Additionally, all thrones were empty, except for two.

He recognised Zeus and Poseidon as they approached. He whispered in Percy’s ear, “Acknowledge Zeus first, because he’s the king.”

Their attire was a complete contrast, with Zeus looking very formal and business-like. On the other hand, Poseidon looked like he was getting ready to go fishing. Neither of them spoke, but there was palpable tension in the air between them.

Percy approached and knelt before Zeus, “Lord Zeus.”

Then he knelt before Poseidon, “Father.”

Zeus rumbled, “You have been raised and advised well, boy. You but always address the master of the house first.”

He turned to Poseidon, “So you still claim him then? You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?”

Poseidon raised his hand placatingly, “I have admitted my wrongdoing. Now I wish to hear his tale.”

The king of the gods grumbled, “I shall listen. Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy and his companion down from Olympus!”

“- And risk Artemis’ wrath? I know for a fact that you personally oversaw the ritual between her and the child’s mortal parents. She has been rather attached to her son. Perseus, tell him your story.”

Just like that, Percy narrated the tale, leaving out a few bits like meeting the Parkinsons and the Di Angelo siblings. As he spoke, he took out the Master Bolt and gently laid it at Zeus’ feet. When the tale finished, the sky God opened his palm and the weapon promptly flew into it. Upon closing his fist, the metallic points crackled with electricity and soon resembled a classic thunderbolt.

After a few moments, he said, “I sense that the boy is telling the truth. But that Ares would do such a thing… It is most unlike him.”

Poseidon mused, “The man is proud and impulsive. It runs in the family.”

Then Harry nudged Percy and muttered, “The voice, mate.”

The other boys started and hesitantly spoke aloud, “My Lords?”

Both gods looked at him, “Yes?”

“Ares didn’t act alone. Someone else – something else – came up with the idea.”

From there, he described his dreams, the uneasy feeling on the beach and other such feelings. Percy also admitted that he had a hunch that Ares was having similar dreams.

Zeus was intrigued, “So you are accusing Hades, after all?”

“No sir, we’ve been in Lord Hades’ presence, and this feeling was a lot different. A lot older and more… ancient. Something powerful and evil is stirring and I think it is happening in Tartarus.”

That prompted both of them to engage in a quiet and animated discussion in Ancient Greek. Then Zeus stood up from his throne. He turned to the two of them, “You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes have accomplished as much.”

Percy’s cheeks reddened slightly, “I had help from Harry here, as well as two of our friends, Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase.”

Zeus continued, “To show my gratitude, I will spare your life. Make no mistake, I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like the implications that your arrival has on the future of Olympus. Do not presume to fly again and do not let me find you here when I return. Or else you shall taste this bolt and it shall be your last sensation.”

With a clap of thunder and a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone. Poseidon sighed and massaged his temple, “Your uncle has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would have done well as the god of theatre.”

Harry fought down a snicker before clearing his throat, “Lord Poseidon, do you have any idea what is in that pit?”

His sea-green eyes focused on the two of them, “Have you not guessed?”

Percy stammered, “Its Kronos, the king of the Titans, isn’t it.”

As soon as he uttered the name, the room darkened ever so briefly. Poseidon also gripped his trident firmly, “In the First War, my brother cut our father, Kronos, into a thousand pieces. It was what you would call karmic justice, as Kronos had done the same to his own father. The remains were cast into the deepest pits of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered and their fortress on Etna was destroyed. However, it does not mean that the Titans are dead, no more that we Gods. I’d imagine that Kronos is still alive.”

Percy replied, “He is healing, isn’t he? He’s coming back.”

His father shook his head, “Over the aeons, Kronos has stirred. He has the ability to enter people’s dreams and breathes evil thoughts. Unfortunately, Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos. Now it is time for you two, to leave. Congratulations on completing your quest.”

Percy was about to argue when he thought better of it, “As you wish, father.”

Poseidon gave a small smirk, “I take it that obedience does not come naturally, does it?”

Percy reddened, “No… sir.”

“I suppose that is partly my fault. The sea does not like to be restrained. Even you, Mr Potter are the same. Some animals do not like to be tamed, as your mother would put it. Also, when you return home, there is an important package waiting for you. You will understand when you see it. Perseus, your mother is a queen among women. I had not met such a mortal woman in a millennium. I have brought upon you a hero’s fate, and a hero’s fate is rarely happy. You did well though, do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine, a true son of the Sea God.”

---

On that note, the two boys left Olympus and were back on the streets of Manhattan. The first thing they did was head to Percy’s apartment to check on Sally. As soon as he rang the doorbell, she opened it and crushed her son into a hug. She murmured, “Oh thank goodness! Oh my baby! Harry was the one who brought me back. I think I scared Gabe out of his wits when I appeared in front of the doorstep. I was so worried! Especially when Gabe told me that you were a wanted criminal for getting involved in a bus accident and then being attacked at Santa Monica. I just got back from work actually, Gabe told me that I had a month’s salary to make up.”

Both boys scowled, but she shook her head, “He’s not going to be happy when he sees you.”

Just then, his voice echoed, “Sally! Is that meat loaf done yet or what?”

She ushered both of them inside, though Harry tried to protest, saying that he didn’t want to intrude. Moments later, he was really regretting the decision to enter. The place reeked to the high heavens and he fought the urge to gag. Then they reached the living room, and the sight that greeted them was that of four slovenly men at a table playing poker. One of them, who Harry assumed was Gabe, had a cigar in his mouth and was spilling ash haphazardly.

Gabe glanced at them and his face grew violently red. Sally ignored his rage-filled face and cheered, “Percy’s not a fugitive! He was saved from being kidnapped by a terrorist! Isn’t that wonderful, Gabe?”

He sneered, “Bad enough that I was forced to give back your life insurance money, Sally. Get me the phone. I’ll call the cops.”

Her smile was wiped in an instant, “Gabe, no!”

The slob raised an eyebrow, “Did you just say no? You think I’m going to put up with this punk again?”

“But-”

He interrupted her and raised his hand, and she instinctively flinched. Up until this moment, Harry had been restraining Percy from going feral. However, when Gabe raised his hand, he let go of the growling boy. Percy nearly flew at him, but his mother held him back.

She changed tactics and dragged the two to Percy’s room. Sally pleaded, “He’s just upset, honey. I’ll talk to him later. I’m positive that things will work out.”

Harry interrupted, “I hate to say it, Mrs Jackson. This bloke is an abusive twat. He’s not going to change.”

Percy called out, “Harry’s right, mom. We can help you!”

Harry and Sally turned to see him holding a familiar cardboard box. Under the message that Percy wrote, was another message, ‘RETURN TO SENDER’. That was when Harry had a wicked grin on his face, “Mrs Jackson, if you want Gabe gone, the answer is right here in this box.”

She shook her head frantically, “No! You can’t!”

Percy grabbed her hands and held them, “Mom, Poseidon called you a queen. He told us that he hadn’t met a woman like you in a thousand years.”

She was definitely blushing.

Percy continued, “Mom, you deserve better than him. You can finally go to college and get your degree. You can finally write that novel that you’ve been talking about since forever! You don’t have to stay with that jerk just to protect me. I’ll leave the box, and if he threatens you…”

She asked, “What about you, Percy?”

“I’ll be with Harry and my friends at Half-Blood Hill. At least when Harry isn’t busy elsewhere. Don’t worry, it won’t be forever.”

She sighed and kissed his forehead, “You’ll be a hero, Percy. You’ll be a the greatest one of all. The same goes for you, Harry. I had the pleasure of meeting your parents and they were lovely. I am positive that if they had lived, they would have raised you to be the lovely boy that you are, today. Remember, you and Mackenzie are always welcome to stay in my home.”

The three of them walked to the front door, enduring more snide comments from Gabe. It took a lot of self-control from Harry to not shoot him with his bow and arrows. The man then ordered Sally to get him his meat loaf on the double.

A brief flash of anger crossed her face before schooling her features. Sally then shot him an innocent smile, “Coming right up, dear. Meat loaf surprise!”

The last thing they saw was Sally Jackson eyeing the four poker players, as if she was envisioning how they would look as statues.

Chapter 25

A couple of days later, Grover and Annabeth swung by to pick Harry and Percy up. Together, the four of them returned back to Camp Half-Blood, and all of them received a heroes’ welcome. During the feast, they wore laurel wreaths and led a procession down to the camp bonfire.

Apparently they were the first questors to return alive since Luke, a few years ago. Since no one could guarantee anyone’s safety, there were burial shrouds built, just in case. The Athena campers created a beautiful grey silk shroud decorated with embroidered owls. Meanwhile, the Apollo cabin handled Harry’s, a silvery silk shroud with a large crescent moon and an arrow crossing it.

The Ares cabin took the responsibility of creating Percy’s and intimidated everyone else into backing off. His shroud was a plain bed sheet with painted smiley faces with crossed out eyes, and the word ‘LOSER’ in big bold words. So, the three demigods had plenty of fun burning the shrouds.

As for Grover, the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed with his performance that they granted him a shiny new searcher’s license. The only ones who were pretty sour about the whole ordeal were Clarisse and her siblings.

Soon, everything fell into a routine once again, with Harry and Percy training hard, because the fight was never over. However, Harry also managed to sit down with Mackenzie and brought her up to speed with the basics of magic. At the same time, he managed to get his summer homework done, two birds with one stone.

Back in Manhattan, Sally Jackson sold her first life-size concrete sculpture, titled The Poker Player. The winning bid came from Sirius, who wanted it, just to annoy his dear old mother. The cheque he filled out, was enough to see her buy a new apartment and have some left over to pay for first-term tuition at NYU.

On the Fourth of July, everyone gathered to watch the firework show, courtesy the Hephaestus cabin. That night, as Harry, Percy, Annabeth and Mackenzie set up their picnic blanket, Grover came trotting up. He bashfully drew circles with his hoof, “Hey guys, I thought I’d let you know that I’m heading off now. Need to get started on my quest to find Pan.”

Annabeth and Mackenzie hugged him, while Harry and Percy gave him high-fives. Percy tried to wheedle out the location of his first destination, but Grover denied him. Annabeth immediately began fussing over him, “You got enough tin cans for the trip? Remembered your reed pipes? Do you-”

He grumbled, “Jeez! Enough already! You’re starting to sound like an old mama goat.”

Soon enough, with a walking stick and backpack, he was off and away. Soon, the light show began, depicting various scenes which looked almost animated. Herakles killing the Nemean Lion, Artemis chasing a large boar, George Washington, son of Athena, crossing the Delaware.

In the thick of July, everyone got really busy training. However, Harry couldn’t help noticing that something was bothering Percy. Eventually, he thought nothing of it and left him alone. On the last day of the summer session, the campers all received their annual bead. This year’s bead was pitch black with a sea green trident in the middle.

---

In the days that followed, the Hermes cabin became embroiled in a massive prank war. Of course, Harry could not resist, and unleashed his inner Marauder. Back when he was in the Underworld, James had told him about the Marauders and made him promise to get their map back. So, Harry found himself under his Invisibility Cloak, meandering around.

Just then, he spotted Luke and Percy heading to the woods nearby and decided to follow them. Harry spotted a six-pack of Coca-Cola in Luke’s hand and was surprised to see the older boy flouting the camp rules so blatantly. As he inched closer, he heard them talking, though it was mostly Luke. Then Luke did a surprisingly uncharacteristic move. After finishing the can, he crumpled it and lazily tossed it into the creek.

Then Harry got within hearing range, “-heck with laurel wreaths. I’m not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic.”

Percy replied, “You make it sound like you’re leaving.”

Luke shot him a twisted smile, “Oh I’m leaving alright, Percy. I brought you down here to say goodbye.”

With a snap of his fingers, a small fire burned a hole in the ground by Percy’s feet. Harry’s eyes nearly bugged out when he spotted a hand-sized pitch black scorpion. Percy made to go for his pen, but Luke stopped him, “I wouldn’t do that. Pit scorpions can jump up to five metres. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You’ll be dead in sixty seconds.”

Under his Cloak, Harry was in shock. Percy stammered, “Luke, what-”.

Then, realisation struck both of them, but only Percy voiced it, “You…”

Luke shrugged and got up, “I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy. Didn’t you feel it? The darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn’t you realise how useless it all is? All the heroics – being pawns of the gods. They should have been overthrown thousands of years ago. But they’ve hung on, thanks to us half-bloods.”

Percy tried to reason with him, “Luke, those are our parents you’re talking about!”

He laughed, “That’s supposed to make me love them? Their precious ’Western civilisation’ is a disease, Percy. It’s killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground and start over with something more honest.”

“You’re as crazy as Ares!”

Luke snapped, “Ares is a fool! He never realised the true master he was serving. I wish I could explain, but I’m afraid you won’t live that long.”

All the while, the scorpion kept climbing up Percy’s leg. The son of Poseidon snarled, “Kronos… That’s who you serve. He got you to steal the master bolt and the helmet. He spoke to you in your dreams.”

Luke nodded, “You should be careful. Names have power, but you're right. When Hades went to speak with Potter, that was my chance and I took it. Kronos told me that my talents were being wasted. Do you want to know what happened in my quest? Hermes wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. I mean, was that seriously the best he could think up?”

“Herakles did it!”

“Exactly! Where’s the glory in repeating what others have done? All that the gods know how to do is relive their past exploits. The guardian dragon gave me this scar, and when I returned, all I got was pity! From then on, I wanted to tear down Olympus, stone by stone, but I bided my time. That was when I began to dream of Kronos and he convinced me to steal something worthwhile. Something that no hero had the guts to take. The Olympians are so arrogant, they never dreamed that someone would dare steal from them.”

Percy goaded him on, “So what stopped you from going directly to Kronos?”

His triumphant grin was wiped off and he scowled, “I got overconfident. Zeus sent out everyone, but it was Ares who caught me. He beat me, but then Kronos came to my aid. He helped me plant the idea in Ares' head, of a great war between the gods. All that he had to do was hide the items and watch the other gods fight. That’s when I knew I had him, hook, line and sinker.”

Luke also revealed that he was the one who summoned the hellhound. He also revealed that the flying shoes were meant to drag Percy to Tartarus and Kronos’ clutches. At this point, both Percy and Harry were fuming, and the former growled, “Thalia gave her life to save you. And this is how you repay her? You’re being used, both you and Ares.”

Luke’s mask broke, “Don’t you dare speak about her! The gods let her die, and they will all pay for it! Kronos will rise. You’ve only delayed his plans to cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves!”

“Call off the bug, fight me yourself!“

He sneered, “Nice try, Percy, But I’m not as gullible as Ares, so you can’t bait me. I have to go now.”

He was about to leave when Harry made his move. He pointed his wand through his cloak and concentrated on all of Luke’s memories of magic, “Obliviate!”

Luke’s face blanked for a few seconds, before he took out his sword and swung it, and in a ripple of darkness, he disappeared. Meanwhile, Harry quickly put away his wand and nocked an arrow. The scorpion lunged for Percy, but Harry let loose, nailing it before it could sting the boy. He then removed his cloak and hurried over to Percy, “You alright Jackson?”

Percy was pale, “Y-yeah. I can’t believe he-”

Harry’s own face twisted with rage, “Same here… I can’t believe he would do this. He was like a brother to us, to me! Bloody traitorous scum! He’s no better than Pettigrew. Come on, let’s go to the Big House. Chiron needs to know about this. I’ll go get Beth, and I’m really not looking forward to that conversation. This is going to break her heart.”

“By the way, what did you do to him?”

“Took away all his memories of magic. Can’t have him taking that sort of intel to the enemy, can I?”

---

Ten minutes later, the four were gathered in the Big House, and there was an array of emotions. Chiron looked grave as he digested the information, Annabeth looked angry for a brief moment before her expression turned sad.

“I-I can believe that he would do this. May the gods curse him. He was never the same after his quest. I’m just glad Harry was there to save you from getting stung.”

Then Harry got up, “I’m going to go get some last minute training before I head back to England with Mackenzie. Next time I see Luke, I’m turning him into a bloody pin cushion, and I don’t mean transfiguring him into one.”

He stalked out with a murderous expression on his face. Annabeth bit her lip before something clicked in her mind. She hurried out of the Big House and back to her cabin. Taking a couple of pieces of paper, she began to write,

“Dear Ron and Hermione,

This is Annabeth. We met on during the Winter Solstice. I’m writing to you because I’m really worried about Harry. I think you two may be aware of this, but Zeus’ lightning bolt was stolen. So, myself, Harry and two of our friends went on a quest to find the thief. To cut a long story short, we found the bolt and returned it. However, we later found out that the thief was none other than one of our good friends, Luke Castellan.

Yes Ron, the ‘bloke with the wicked-looking scar on his face’. Luke betrayed us and is working with an ancient enemy who is rising. I’m upset because I loved Luke like a brother. Harry on the other hand, took the betrayal much harder than me though. I know about his godfather Sirius’ situation, so I could guess why Harry was furious. That’s what I wanted to talk about today. For us demigods, we have certain mental or physical weaknesses called Fatal Flaws. All human beings have it, but it is even more dangerous for demigods.

I strongly suspect that Harry’s Fatal Flaw is holding grudges against traitors. Considering that one of his father’s best friends got him and his wife killed, as well as another friend falsely imprisoned for a decade, the signs were there. So I want both of you to promise me something. No matter what happens, please don’t betray Harry’s trust. I’m not saying that you should not argue with him, because all friends do that. However, when the going gets really tough, I want both of you to be there for him. Harry doesn’t forgive easily, so do not screw it up.

Regards, Annabeth Chase”

---

Around mid-July, Harry and Mackenzie went to the Hunter’s camp. They had set up camp somewhere in Michigan and they stayed there for a few weeks and even celebrated Harry’s twelfth birthday. During his stay, he ramped up his training and even taught Mackenzie to defend herself with hand-to-hand combat. In the middle of August, he got a letter from Ron, inviting him and Hermione to his home for the last two weeks before school began. For that, Zoe volunteered to take Harry and Mackenzie to England. Katie was also heading there, so she decided to tag along.

Percy and Annabeth also wanted to come, though Zoe was a little wary with the arrangement. Annabeth had promised Percy earlier, that she would try and repair her relationship with her father and stepmother. Unfortunately, that didn’t last very long and she was only too happy to get away. On the other hand, Percy was glad to have a distraction from brooding about Luke. Sirius had taken Percy via Portkey and would meet them at Heathrow Airport. The boy was definitely taking Zeus’ threat to blast him out of the sky, seriously.

All through the trip, Harry seemed very moody, and even Mackenzie and Katie were silent. The younger girl had heard about Luke’s betrayal and promised herself to be there for her big brother.

When they touched down that afternoon, Remus, Sirius and Percy were there to pick them up from Heathrow Airport. They also had a new addition with them in the minivan, a spiky pink-haired girl who looked like she was in her early 20s. She grinned and warned, “Hey there squirts! The name’s Tonks, just Tonks. My first name is classified and you will not call me by my first name if you value your life!”

Sirius snorted, “Come on Nymphadora-”

He suddenly yelped when she shot a Stinging Jinx at his testicles. Of course, she had to be sneaky because they were still in public, despite being in the car. Remus chuckled as he drove, “Sirius wanted to be the one to pick you up, but after his Vegas shenanigans, I didn’t trust him to be on his own. Tonks here, is a junior Auror. Officially speaking, she’s a bodyguard, but unofficially, she’s his youngest cousin. Also, as you can tell, she hates her first name.”

Harry asked, “Does she know?”

Sirius nodded, “Yes, but we swore her into secrecy. Anyway, we’re off to your friend Ron’s house. If I’m not mistaken, your other friend, Hermione arrived there just yesterday.”

Tonks quipped from the shotgun seat, “Yeah, honestly, I’m still wrapping my head around that. You three are the children of literal gods?!”

She gestured towards Zoe and Katie, “And these two are part of Harry’s mum’s all-girl immortal group?! Wow!”

Annabeth chipped in, “Percy’s actually the most powerful of us three. Especially since he is the son of Poseidon.”

Harry asked, “Hey Sirius, how are Bianca and Nico?”

“They’re settling in well. I’ve been trying to convince Nico that Exploding Snap and collecting Chocolate Frog cards is better than collecting Mythomagic figurines.”

---

By evening, the minivan entered the quaint little village of Ottery St. Catchpole. It wasn’t long before the minivan pulled into the driveway of a cottage that largely resembled a pigpen with extra rooms. The house was a couple of stories high and was assembled very haphazardly. Annabeth moaned about the house being a crime against architecture, prompting Percy and Harry to laugh.

Suddenly, Remus slammed the brakes, as he almost rammed into the back of a Ford Anglia, that was backing out. He stopped the car and got out, ready to scold Arthur Weasley for not using his mirrors, when he froze in his tracks. In the front seat and riding shotgun, were a pair of familiar redhead twins. Ron was also there, out of the car and trying desperately to get them to stop.

An indignant Remus scolded, “Hey! What are you kids up to? Does your father know that you two are taking his car for a joyride?”

One of the twins got out, “Hey mister! We had heard from Dad that Ron’s mate, Harry was coming, so we thought we’d give him a welcome party. According to Dad, he lived at Number 4 Privet Drive, so we wanted to pick him up.”

Harry poked his head out of the minivan, “Oi Fred! George! Your intel is a mite off! I actually live across the pond in America!”

Ron hollered back, “That was what I’ve been trying to tell these two numbskulls! But they told me that they were older and knew better!”

Next to Harry, Katie was pinching the bridge of her nose as she got out of the van. She groaned, “Oh for the love of the gods! I should have known they would try something stupid.”

The twins finally noticed her, “Kay-Kay? What are you doing here with Harrykins?”

She snapped, “I wrote to both of you, as well as Oliver, Angelina and Alicia, that I was living with Harry! Don’t tell me that you two twits forgot? And don’t call me Kay-Kay!”

Inside the house, a woman’s voice screeched, “FREDERICK GIDEON! GEORGE FABIAN! RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! WHERE ARE YOU!? THOSE GNOMES HAVE BETTER BE GONE! IF I FIND THAT YOU THREE HAVE BEEN UP TO SOME MISCHIEF, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!”

The adults groaned as well, and Sirius sighed, “Well… We might as well head in and smooth things over with Molly before she blows a gasket.”

He knocked on the door and a short, plump woman with a round face opened the door. Her initial scowl morphed into a smile, “Sirius Black! Come in! Come in! Oh I see that you’re brought company and several new faces! Come in and make yourselves comfortable.”

Harry and the others calmly walked in, Ron also walked in like normal. Meanwhile, Fred and George tried to sneak inside the house, but Molly Weasley cornered the three of them, “And just where were you three!?”

Sirius chipped in, “It seems that the twins tried to get a head-start in fetching Harry. The problem was that I think Arthur’s information was a touch outdated. Harry isn’t living with Lily’s sister, thank goodness for that. He’s been living in the United States all this time. I do wonder how these two would have carried out their little scheme, by going all the way across the Atlantic. Ron over here, was trying to convince them that it was a bad idea.”

Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed, “I see… Ronald, you are off the hook for now, but if you step one toe out of line…”

He gulped and nodded fearfully. She then gestured to the others, “Could you get our guests settled in? I need to deal with these two ruffians! It’s a miracle that Sirius and Remus turned up when they did! Or else your father would have been in big trouble! Honestly! We’ve never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy!”

Percy looked up, but Harry muttered, “Not you, Jackson.”

Eventually, she finished her tirade and turned to the group, all smiles. She said, “Shall we retire to the living room? We can have our introductions there! Ronald! Fetch your brothers and sister! And get Hermione as well”

Before long, the entire Weasley clan and Hermione had gathered, with the patriarch flooing in from the Ministry a few minutes after the group arrived. Harry introduced the group to Annabeth, Percy, who decided to go by Perseus, the entire time, and Mackenzie.

When Harry mentioned that Mackenzie was his cousin and starting her first year, a small red-headed girl perked up. However, when he glanced at her, her cheeks turned crimson and bolted.

Harry looked at the rest of the Weasley clan and weakly muttered, “I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?”

The oldest of the Weasley children, Bill chuckled jovially, “Nah, don’t worry about it Harry. Ginny’s just a mite starstruck to meet The Harry Potter, Hero of the Wizarding World. She pretty much worships you, and I think she even built a shrine to you once.”

Percy Jackson snorted, but Annabeth elbowed him sharply. Soon Molly Weasley began shepherding them around. She ordered, “Annabeth, Zoe, Katie, Mackenzie dear, you four will be sharing Ginny’s room with Hermione. Harry, Perseus, you two are with Ronald.”

Everyone shrugged and decided to turn in for the night, as they were all exhausted. The next morning, the Weasley children split up to do their chores. Harry ignored Molly’s protests and volunteered to help Ron with de-gnoming the garden. As they flung the gnomes, Ron grunted, “Hey Harry, will you help train me to fight the way you do?”

Harry glanced at him, “You’re serious about it, right?”

“I am. So is Hermione. I think last year with that Cy… Cy…”

“Cyclops”

“Yeah, him… That was a bit of a wake-up call. I mean, since we fought off those giant ants, I was thinking about it. But the Cyclops attack kind of sealed the deal.”

Harry nodded, “I get it… I really do. I was actually thinking of asking you if you knew any private place in the property to train. Myself, Zoe, Katie, Annabeth and Jackson will be training. You and Hermione are welcome to join. I have to ask though, what do you think you’ll be more comfortable with? There are different weapons to use. Katie, Zoe and I have our bows and arrows. Annabeth and I also have daggers and hunting knives. Jackson has a sword. I also managed to get hold of a couple of spears and javelins.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Javelins are light and can be thrown, while spears are heavier and can be used for mid-range combat. I called in a few favours from the Hephaestus Cabin and got two of each weapon.“

---

Meanwhile in the house, Ginny Weasley was watching both boys from the window of her bedroom. To be precise, she was gazing at Harry as he talked to Ron. Admittedly, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she didn’t care. Suddenly a voice spoke up behind her, “Thou art Ginevra, right?”

Ginny nearly shrieked in fright, but jumped to see Zoe standing at the door of her bedroom. She stammered, “Y-yes. But you can call me Ginny. W-was there something you wanted? Come in.”

Zoe accepted the invitation and entered, “Thou hast a, what you call it… a crush on Harry, right? No need to deny it, I can see it written all over your face.”

Ginny’s face reddened, “W-well what’s not to like about him? He’s a hero in the Wizarding World. Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived! Every girl dreams of being with the Boy-Who-Lived! And-”

Zoe interrupted, “And Harry despises his fame. I want thou to understand this. The way I see it, You are obsessed with the idea of the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry hates that title because it is a constant reminder that he lost his parents to a mad man. Let me ask you this, if Harry was not the Boy-Who-Lived, would you still like him?”

Ginny opened her mouth, then paused and thought about it. She slowly digested Zoe’s words and then she finally nodded, “Y-yes. I would. I mean, he seems like a nice bloke.”

Zoe smiled, “Then maybe you should get to know him better. But get to know him as Harry Potter, not the Boy-Who-Lived. If there is one thing I’ve learned in my entire life, fame is very fleeting. Just as quickly as people can worship someone, they can tear them down just as easily. The real question is, would you stand by him when the world is against him?”

Ginny nodded firmly, “I would.”

“That’s what I’d like to hear. Someone who is in love with the idea of the Boy-Who-Lived, would leave him at the smallest sign of trouble. So my advice is, to just treat him like any other person. Be his friend first, then if thou truly fancy him, you have my permission.”

Later on at lunch time, Ginny was acting far less bashful, but did have an occasional light blush whenever Harry spoke to her. Over the course of their stay, Harry, Ron and Hermione would sneak off to a far corner of the Weasley property to train.

Ron was steadily becoming more adept at using a spear and a shield. Hermione was also improving and she had a preference for knives and daggers. However, they did struggle with archery initially. Ron’s main issue was that his posture was all wrong and he tended to slouch. Harry corrected that by pressing his knee to the base of Ron’s spine and gently pushing his body straight.

On the other hand, Hermione did not put enough power in her shots. Harry had observed that she often pulled the drawstring halfway before letting loose. That also meant that she missed the target a few times. He and Katie then informed her that she had to pull it all the way back until the fletching was next to her cheek. Harry then pointed out that this allowed her to see down the arrow and aim better. Once she corrected herself, she improved drastically.

Sadly, Jackson and Annabeth had to leave. This was because the two of them had to start school as well. Remus and Sirius took the two back with an International Portkey, but Zoe elected to stay with Harry until he left for Hogwarts.

Soon, all of the Hogwarts-bound students received letters. Each of them left instructions to head to King’s Cross station, as well as their respective year’s book list. Harry idly noted that it was much longer than last time, and the primary culprit was DADA. There were several of them written by Gilderoy Lockhart.

Harry’s eyebrow raised when he saw the title of one particular book, ‘Giggling with Gorgons’. Having just dealt with Medusa herself, he idly opened Molly Weasley's copy of the book and skimmed through it. However, he froze halfway through it and a weird expression crossed his face. Harry didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry, because whatever methods Lockhart had used would have been useless. When he finally struggled through to the end of the book, the biggest conclusion that Harry could come up with, was that Lockhart was an absolute idiot.

---

One fine day, it was time for them to get their books. Arthur Weasley took Harry aside to try and explain the Floo network to him, but Harry told him that Sirius already taught him about it. So one-by-one, they Flooed to Diagon Alley. Unfortunately, Zoe happened to get separated from the group. According to Molly Weasley who Flooed after her, she had messed up the pronunciation.

After a harrowing few minutes, a soot-covered Zoe re-joined them, along with Hagrid. He had just about managed to drive off some drunken wizards who were crowding her. Following a clean-up from Molly, she sidled up to Harry and murmured, “I would have been fine. I was just disappointed that I did not get to shoot those lecherous perverts. I ended up in a shop called Borgin And Burke’s. I also happened to notice one of your classmates. That boy Malfoy you wrote us about? He was there with his father.”

Arthur overheard her and sharply asked, “Did Malfoy Sr buy anything?”

“I’m afraid not. He was selling something, I know not what. I was unable to see from my vantage point.”

Arthur Weasley had an evil grin, “So he’s worried. Oh how I would love to get Lucius Malfoy for something.”

Eventually, they dropped the subject and headed to Flourish and Blotts. Unfortunately, there was a massive crowd gathering. Most of the people were middle-aged women or people around the age of Mrs. Weasley. That was when they noticed a sign, saying that Lockhart was signing copies of his autobiography.

An excited Mrs Weasley began to shepherd everyone in, but Zoe skilfully dodged her, taking Harry with her. The immortal girl told her, “I sincerely apologize, but it is far too crowded and given my charge’s own status, we do not wish to be mobbed.”

Molly sighed, “I understand, my dear. Not to worry, I shall buy Harry’s books for you.”

So, as the rest of their group squeezed inside, Harry decided to get a head-start to his other supplies. He and Zoe popped into the apothecary for his Potions supplies. Inside, he noticed the familiar blonde princess curls of Cassandra Vole. She noticed him as well and cordially greeted, “Potter…”

“Vole… I take it you wished to avoid the crowd.”

“I did. Also, I’m not a big fan of Lockhart. His books read more like story books instead of text books.”

“I agree.”

“I’ll see you at Hogwarts, Potter.”

“You as well, Vole.”

---

Finally, Harry and Zoe met up with the Weasleys, Hermione, Katie and Mackenzie. However, there were mixed emotions. Most of the women seemed thrilled, with the exception of Katie. The male contingent were a bit grumpy though. Hermione beamed, “You won’t believe this, Harry! Gilderoy Lockhart is going to be our new DADA professor!”

Ron grumbled, “Speak for yourself. I got bumped out of the crowd and then dragged into a bunch of pictures with Lockhart. Bloody hell mate! I can see why you hate being famous.”

Then, a familiar smarmy voice sounded behind them, “What’s the matter? Wish you were there, Potter? Famous Harry Potter makes the front page in the Daily Prophet.”

A fuming Ginny stepped up, ready to give him a piece of her mind. However, Mackenzie beat her to the punch, “Leave Harry alone, you jerk!”

Malfoy took one look at her, “Well, well, well Potter. Have you got yourself a little girlfriend?”

Harry replied back coolly, “Sorry to burst your bubble, Malfoy, but I’m not into incest. Mackenzie is my cousin. You hurt one hair on her head and I will squash you like a Myrmeke.”

He had a brief moment of confusion, “I have no idea what you are blathering about, Potter. But when-”

He was cut off by a hand on his shoulder, it was the very man he was about to mention. Lucius Malfoy sneered at them and locked eyes with a frowning Mr. Weasley, “Well, well, well – Arthur Weasley.”

“Lucius.”

“Busy time at the Ministry, I hear. All those raids… I hope they’re paying you overtime.”

He reached into one of the kids’ cauldrons and extracted a battered Transfiguration book. He flicked through it and lazily tossed it back in one of the cauldrons, not caring whose it was. Harry also could have sworn that he slipped something in the book.

Lucius continued, “Dear me, what’s the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizardry, if they don’t pay you well for it.”

His eyes flipped towards Zoe and Hermione’s family, who had also joined their group. Malfoy Sr drawled, “The company you keep. And here I thought your family could not sink any lower-”

Mr. Weasley socked the man in the face, and Zoe’s hands twitched. However, Harry caught it and shook his head frantically. Eventually, Hagrid waded into the fray and separated the two brawling men. The older Malfoy wrenched himself from Hagrid’s grip and flounced away with his son.

Then Hagrid began scolding Mr. Weasley, “You should’ve ignored him, Arthur. Rotten to the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

After Hagrid lumbered away, Mrs Weasley laid into her husband, “A fine example to set for your children! Brawling in public! What Gilderoy Lockhart must’ve thought-”

Fred Weasley helpfully quipped that he asked a Daily Prophet photographer to work the fight into his report for ‘good publicity.’

Eventually, the group went to Ollivanders for Ginny and Mackenzie’s wands. With all of their purchases, all parties exited Diagon Alley and parted ways. As they left, Zoe told Harry and Mackenzie, “There is something off about Mr. Malfoy. It’s best if you keep an eye on him and his son.”

“I will, big sister.”

Chapter 26: Chapter 26

In the lead up to September, Harry nearly worked himself to the bone with his training. All through the remainder of the holiday, he trained and even tinkered around with several of his arrows. Lou Ellen had written to him a few days ago with tips to enchant his arrows with different spells. He was still smarting from Luke’s betrayal and wanted to get his revenge. It was only through the combined effort of Mackenzie and Katie, that he managed to ease off in the last week of August.

Finally, on September 1st, Harry, Katie and Mackenzie left one of the Hunter safehouses and made their way to King’s Cross Station. They managed to reach, with a good half an hour to spare. As they wheeled their trolleys, Harry and Katie finally stopped between platforms nine and ten. He pointed to the familiar column, ”You see that pillar ‘Kenzie? All you have to do is walk or run straight through it. Running’s only an option if you’re feeling a tad nervous.”

She nodded, took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. Then she charged towards the pillar and promptly phased through. Soon, Harry and Katie charged after her with their own luggage trolleys and entered through the portal. Upon passing through, they found themselves at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Just then, Harry spotted Neville a few meters ahead of him and called out, “Hey Neville!”

The other boy turned and grinned, “Harry! Good to see you! How was your holiday? Oh, hey Katie.”

She replied, “It was alright, Neville. How about you?”

“All good!”

The older girl nodded, “Cool, I’ll catch up with you guys later. I’m off to find Angelina and Alicia. Oh, and Harry? Remember what we talked about last year. If you lot are up to any shenanigans, let me know first, so that I can at least be there to have your backs or cover for you.”

Then, she boarded the train. After a few minutes of waiting, Harry, Neville and Mackenzie saw the barrier shimmer. Then, Hermione emerged from the barrier with her luggage. She spotted them and raced over with a big smile and hugged the three.

Some more time passed, and there was no sign of Ron or the other Weasleys. Hermione tapped them on the shoulders, “We need to board. We can’t wait for them forever. We’ll save a seat for Ron.”

Together, they all boarded the Hogwarts express. Just as they were about to enter an empty compartment, Harry turned to his cousin, “Hey ‘Kenzie, do you want to hang out with us or find some people in your own age group? I’m not going to force you to be with us and act like an overprotective big brother. I already have enough of that from the other Hunters.”

She thought about it for a second, “I-I want to make some new friends.”

He smiled and offered a hand, “Alright, come on kiddo.”

Mackenzie grasped it and they headed off. Soon, Harry spotted Penny Haywood acting all mother hen with another girl who he assumed was her sister, “Hey Penny.”

The blue-eyed blonde spotted him and flashed a dazzling smile, “Hey Harry! Who’s this?”

“This is my cousin, Mackenzie Dursley. I’m assuming that your companion is your sister?”

“Yeah, this is Beatrice. She’s starting her First Year as well.”

“Great! Why don’t we leave the two of them to be acquainted? I thought I saw Lavender somewhere and she was looking for you.”

Beatrice shot him a grateful look, but Penny didn’t notice. The Hufflepuff frowned, “Are you sure, Harry? I mean, I don’t want to leave Beatrice…”

Harry cut her off, “Relax mate, she’ll be fine. I trust Mackenzie. No need to go all mother hen.”

He eventually dragged her away and brought her to Lavender and Parvati’s compartment, nicknamed the Gossip Compartment. Finally, he returned to his own compartment with Neville and Hermione. He was just in time to see the five familiar redheads burst through the barrier with five minutes to spare. Harry waved frantically through the window and eventually got Ron’s attention. A minute later, Ron tumbled into their compartment, nearly tripping over his suitcase. Laughing, he helped his friend up and plonked him on the seat next to him.

Ron wheezed, “Bloody hell! I thought we would never make it! Had to turn back a few times because George forgot his Filibuster fireworks, then Fred forgot his broomstick and then Ginny forgot some stupid book of hers.”

Finally, they were off and the Express was happily chugging along. An hour into the journey, Hermione noticed Harry brooding a little. She asked, “Hey Harry I noticed that the weather’s alright now. Care to tell us?”

He sighed, “Remember I mentioned that someone stole Zeus’ Lightning Bolt. A lot of suspicion fell on Poseidon, because it recently transpired that he sired a son. Ron, Hermione, you two met him, Percy Jackson. So, Jackson, Annabeth, myself and a satyr friend of ours, Grover, went on a quest to clear Jackson’s name. Jackson suspected Hades, King of the Underworld. To be honest, I had my doubts but I tagged along. We had to go to the Underworld”

Hermione shrieked, “You did what!?”

Harry quickly clarified, “I didn’t die! We came close though. But anyway, we pretty much confirmed my suspicion that Hades was not the thief. That was because his Helm of Darkness was also stolen.”

Ron tilted his head in confusion, “Helm of Darkness?”

“It’s basically a helmet that turns him invisible.”

Neville blurted, “Whoa! That’s like the Invisibility Cloak from the Tale of the Three Brothers.”

Harry sheepishly chuckled, “Yeah, that part’s a true story. ‘Death’ was actually Thanatos, the God of Peaceful Death. The Invisibility Cloak was actually a piece of cloth cut from Hades’ own robes. When he found out, Thanatos spent-”

Hermione interrupted, “A century in Tartarus. I remember that when we visited Olympus.”

“Right, anyway. The real culprit was Ares, the God of War. Bloody hell! You won’t believe this! Jackson fought him in a sword fight and actually defeated him! Eventually, Jackson and I returned the Lightning Bolt and the Helm of Darkness.”

Then Harry’s face morphed into a scowl, “Then we found out that Luke, a bloke who I thought of as a brother, was the real thief and framed Jackson. Look… I don’t want to talk about it any further.”

Ron gave Harry a sympathetic squeeze of the shoulder, “We’re not going to force you mate. Also, whatever happens, we won’t betray you.”

---

Sometime later, Katie poked her head in the doorway. She asked, “Can I come in for a sec?”

The four shrugged and she settled in next to Harry and wrapped an arm around him. Katie spoke up, “Harry, I thought I’d let you know, people have begun to notice how close the two of us are. Now I know that you three know the truth behind Harry’s and my bond. But you know how strong the Hogwarts rumour mill is, right? So, we’re going to let them think that Harry and I are dating.”

Harry glanced at her, “Are you sure you’re okay with this, Katie? Let’s make it clear, I’m not kissing you because it’ll be too awkward for me to kiss someone who I consider my sister.”

She laughed, “Ew! No! We’re not going that far, silly! I’m perfectly fine with us sitting close or holding hands.”

Hermione nodded, “Don’t worry, we get it, Katie.”

Hours later, they finally reached the station and they all disembarked. They made their way through a muddy path before they saw several stagecoaches waiting for them. Harry froze when he saw what was pulling the coaches, “W-what are those things pulling the coaches?”

Ron was confused and said, “Nothing, Harry… You must be seeing things.”

A voice interrupted them, “I see them too, those are thestrals. Only those who have seen someone die can see thestrals.”

They turned to see a grim-faced Pansy Parkinson standing a few feet away from them. Ron swallowed his dislike for Slytherins and choked out, “How do you see them?-”

Hermione elbowed him, “Ron! That’s rude! You don’t ask someone if they’ve seen another person die!”

Pansy shot a brief look at Harry before simply saying, “It’s a long story.”

---

Finally, the four Gryffindors were seated at the table and waiting for the Sorting Ceremony. His eyes idly wandered to the head table and noted a couple of newcomers. He saw a man with extravagantly fancy robes, wavy blonde hair, and flashy white teeth. Harry recognised him as Gilderoy Lockhart, having seen his face plastered on the back of every one of his books. Then he did a double-take when he saw the other figure on the far end of the table. The demigod thought to himself, ‘Well… This year just got very interesting.’

Ron nudged him, “Oi, who’s that lady with that animal curled around her feet? She a new teacher?”

Harry was saved from answering by the sound of the doors of the Great Hall opening. McGonagall briskly walked in, followed by a gaggle of nervous First-Years. Harry recognised Mackenzie straightway, and next to her was Ginny, with Beatrice Haywood behind them.

Like last year, the deputy Headmistress took out a long roll of parchment and read out the names. He mostly paid attention whenever the kids were sorted into Gryffindor. Harry noticed a particularly hyperactive kid with a camera, called Colin Creevey, who was sorted into Gryffindor.

Later on, after a tense thirty seconds, Mackenzie Dursley also joined Colin in Gryffindor. Beatrice Haywood became a Hufflepuff, and he also observed an Astoria Greengrass being sorted into Slytherin. Then, girl called Luna Lovegood appeared to glide across the floor and was soon sorted into Ravenclaw. Ritchie Coote, Jimmy Peakes, Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper were in Gryffindor, along with Demelza Robbins and Natalie McDonald. Finally, Ginny Weasley became the last Gryffindor.

---

Then, Dumbledore stood up and held his arms up for silence. He announced, “Welcome! To another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Before the feast begins, I have some important announcements. Firstly, I would like to welcome Professor Lockhart as our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor!”

That announcement was met with a loud cheer from nearly every witch. Then Dumbledore signalled for silence yet again, “Additionally, it is with deep regret that I must announce that Muggle Studies professor, Charity Burbage is taking a sabbatical from teaching. On the bright side, it gives me great pleasure to announce that professor Daly will be taking over her duties. Furthermore, she has mentioned that she has a big announcement. Professor Daly, if you please?”

The dark-haired woman at the end of the table gracefully stood up and pulled out her wand. She then wrote out her name in fire-letters, ‘Cathee Daly’.

Harry muttered to himself, “Really? An anagram?”

Finally, she spoke and Harry could feel the power in her voice, “Hello students, my name is Cathee Daly. I will be your professor of Muggle Studies, or as I like to call it, Mortal Studies. I had met with professor Burbage some time ago and we began to talk about the non-magical world. Prior to this, I had been researching about the non-magical world for over four years. When I compared notes with Ms. Burbage, I found that her information was… woefully outdated. So I encouraged her to go on a fact-finding mission while I take her place for a while.”

She paused for a few seconds and gauged everyone’s reactions. Then she continued, “I am aware that my subject is available as an optional elective. However, it is my belief that the subject should be mandatory, so as to help preserve our community’s anonymity. I firmly believe that all of our students should be made aware of the non-magical world to better maintain the Statute of Secrecy.”

Suddenly, a loud obnoxious voice blurted, “What a load of tripe! The muggles are nothing but savages! What kind of progress would those simpletons have made, when we wizards are far superior to them! My father would never stand for this! He is in the Board of Governors! He will definitely hear about this and put a stop to this sham!”

Professor Daly’s pitch black eyes focused on the source of disruption, a certain Draco Malfoy. She spoke, “And you are…”

He proudly declared, “Draco Malfoy, Slytherin house!”

Daly gave a slow nod, “Well Mr. Malfoy, this is your first warning. Any more disruptions or disrespect will result in points being deducted. And the same goes for the rest of you, one warning and then points deduction. As for your father… Well… let’s just say, I can be very… persuasive. In fact, he and the Board approved of my request to make this subject mandatory. Not to worry though, I shall distribute the books whenever you all have your first lectures with me. Thank you for your patience.”

After she sat down, there was a buzz in the Great Hall as everyone discussed the radical curriculum change. By then, the food had arrived and everyone was tucking in. Harry simply mumbled to himself as he ate, “Well… I did not see that coming.”

Hermione speared a potato with her fork, “What do you mean, Harry? And what did you mean by ‘an anagram’?”

The demigod glanced around him, but only Ron and Hermione were paying attention to him. He dipped a finger in some leftover gravy and wrote ‘Cathee Daly’ and then below the name, he wrote, ‘Lady Hecate’.

Their jaws dropped, and Harry quickly wiped his plate before anyone could notice. Ron whispered, “Why would the Goddess of Magic herself be teaching Mug-Mortal Studies.”

Harry shrugged, “Not a clue, mate. She must have a reason though. But she is right in saying that the Wizarding World has no idea how much the mortals have progressed.”

Finally, the four houses split up to head to their respective dorms.

---

The next day, the four of them headed for their first lesson of the day, Herbology. As they walked, they noticed Professor Sprout looking unusually surly. They suspected that part of it was because her arms were wrapped in bandages. Another reason, in Harry's mind, was that Gilderoy Lockhart was pestering her.

He beamed at the gathered students, “Oh, hello there! I’ve just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow. Of course, don’t go thinking that I’m better at Herbology than the good professor. It’s just that I often come across several exotic plants on my travels.”

The woman grumpily directed them to greenhouse three. Naturally, this piqued everyone’s interest, as rumour had it that this greenhouse was known for housing interesting and dangerous plants. Just as Harry was about to enter, a hand seized him by the back of his robes. The boy spun around, ready to defend himself, only to see Lockhart’s grinning visage in front of him.

He said, “Harry, Harry, Harry… I’ve wanted to meet you for some time. Can’t believe that I missed you in Diagon Alley when I had my book signing. We would have made the front page.”

All the while, Harry was squirming away and eventually wrenched himself away. He slipped into the greenhouse while Lockhart continued monologuing, not realising that he was talking to himself. A relieved Professor Sprout handed him a pair of earmuffs and he slotted in between his two friends.

The squat witch announced, “Today, we will be repotting Mandrakes. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?”

Like clockwork, Hermione’s hand shot up immediately. She recited verbatim, “Mandrake or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed, to their original state.”

Sprout nodded in her direction, “Excellent, Ten points to Gryffindor. The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. However, it is also dangerous. Who can tell me why?”

Hermione’s hand shot up again, but Harry beat her to the punch, and Sprout called on him, “It is believed that the cry of a fully mature Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it. However, juvenile Mandrake cries are less fatal, but they can still incapacitate a person.”

She smiled, “Well done! Another 10 points to Gryffindor. Now, please put on your earmuffs and make sure that they are completely covered. I shall let you know when to remove them.”

Harry complied, as did the rest of the class, which comprised of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. They watched as Sprout rolled up the sleeves of her robes, and approached a row of deep trays filled with several tufty little plants that were purple and green in colour. She then yanked it hard to reveal a small, muddy and ugly baby-like plant. There were leaves growing on top of its head and had pale green, mottled skin. The baby was also bawling away, and Harry was thanking his lucky stars that he wore his earmuffs.

The Herbology professor grabbed a large pot, dumped the baby plant in it and buried it in compost. The burial continued until only the tuft of leaves was visible. Finally, she removed her earmuffs, and the class copied her actions. Sprout lectured, “As our Mandrakes are only seedlings, as Mr. Potter said, their cries are less fatal. But they can incapacitate you for a while. Now, four to a tray and there are plenty of pots and compost. A word of warning though, stay clear of the Venomous Tentacula, it is currently teething.”

With a mischievous grin, Harry muttered in Hermione’s ear, “Can I make a hentai joke.”

The unamused girl smacked him on the shoulder. A Hufflepuff boy next to Harry snickered slightly, “Good one, mate. Didn’t know you were an anime fan. I’m Justin Finch-Fletchley.”

Just then, Sprout divided everyone into groups of four. Harry found himself with Justin, Parvati Patil and Susan Bones. As they worked with their earmuffs on, Harry casually used sign language to reply to Justin’s earlier question, “I like anime. First movie I ever watched was Akira.”

To Harry’s delight, Justin signed back, “Always wanted to watch it, but never really had the chance. Before I came to Hogwarts, my name was down for Eton. Some of my mates were trying to convince me to start watching.”

Harry potted another Mandrake and signed back, “Did your mates also teach you sign language?”

He replied, “Nah, my granddad is deaf, so my family and I learned sign language to communicate with him. Anyway, that Lockhart fellow is something, isn’t he? Awfully brave chap. You read his books? I’d have died of fear if I’d been cornered in a telephone booth by a werewolf. But he stayed cool, and Zap! – just fantastic!”

Harry signed, “I learned about it because I know someone in my foster family who is deaf. Also, about Lockhart, I did read his books, but some of the things weren’t adding up. Bloke must have a lousy editor, because some of the dates and times of a few events are clashing. I mean, how can you be in two-three places at once?”

Justin replied, “Probably the editor’s fault for not cross-checking, I guess.”

All along, Susan and Parvati were a little lost on the conversation. When the class ended, the two girls caught up to Harry. Susan asked, “Hey Harry, what was with all those wild gestures?”

He replied, “Sign language. Obviously, we can’t exactly hear ourselves with the earmuffs on. So Finch-Fletchley and I were talking in sign language. His grandfather is deaf and one of my foster sisters is also deaf. So we learned to communicate in sign language. If you want, Justin and I can teach you.”

She grinned, “That’ll be great!”

---

Following a quick wash, the Gryffindors found themselves in Transfiguration class. Between the four friends, Ron struggled the most. Harry observed that his wand was more tattered than usual and had some Spellotape on it. Harry thanked his lucky stars that he used his time at camp to revise and teach Mackenzie. Obviously, Hermione had the easiest time and was Transfiguring beetles to buttons, as if she had been doing it her whole life. Neville was doing decently, now that he had his own wand.

Ron was cursing his wand under his breath, but Harry could hear him. He murmured, “Why don’t you ask your folks to buy you another one. I think you told me once, that the wand was your brother Charlie’s?”

Ron shuddered, “Hell no! I’ll probably get a Howler from Mum blaming me for buggering up the wand.”

At lunch time, Harry noticed Hermione consulting her schedule, “What’s next?”

“Defence Against the Dark Arts”, came the automatic reply.

Then he noticed something unusual about her schedule. Harry gazed at her with a teasing smirk on his face, “Umm… Hermione? Have you outlined all of Lockhart’s lessons in little hearts?”

He sniggered as she snatched her schedule and stuffed it in her backpack, blushing beet red. As they crossed the courtyard, a mousy-haired boy, who Harry recognised as Colin Creevey scampered up to him. The boy had been awkwardly staring at him for a while, but Mackenzie was usually on hand to distract him. Now, he stood in front of the trio, shuffling nervously, “Hey, umm Harry. I-I’m Colin Creevey and I’ve seen you in the Common Room a few times because I’m a Gryffindor too and-”

Harry chuckled, “Whoa there motor mouth! Calm down! I’m not THAT scary, am I?”

He flushed a little and Harry placed an arm around his shoulder, “Come on, let’s find somewhere a little private. These walls have ears.”

He gently steered the Gryffindor away and inside the castle. Then he folded his arms and looked at the boy expectantly, “So… how can I help you?”

Colin stammered, “Do you… Do you think I could take a picture? I just want to prove that I met you. I mean I know all about how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how you are celebrated for it!”

Slightly behind Harry, Ron and Hermione winced, knowing how much of a sore subject it was. Harry himself stiffened slightly and then sighed, “Colin… I’m going to be very frank with you. I normally don’t like being reminded of the attack. Sure, I did manage to defeat him somehow. However, it also means that I grew up without my parents. So while the Wizarding world sees this as they day I stopped a mad man, I see it as the day I became an orphan. Look, I’ll let you take a picture, but that’s all, deal?”

The boy was no longer acting like an excited puppy, “Sorry, I never thought about it that way, Harry. Are you sure about the picture?”

Harry smiled and ruffled his hair, “Oh course! Think of it as a memento. I’m not signing it though. One celebrity is more than enough.”

A delighted Colin snapped a picture and scurried away with a broad smile on his face.

---

Fifteen minutes later, they were in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Harry took his seat near the back of the class and Ron slid in next to him and Hermione on the other side. The redhead quipped, “Man! That could have been a lot worse. I’m just glad Ginny got out of her fangirl phase. Otherwise, the two of them would have started a fan club.”

Harry loosely began twirling his wand, “You know, Ron? The jackalope threat is still very much active.”

He got the hint and paled, “Okay… shutting up now.”

Hermione spoke up on his other side, “What is this thing with jackalopes, anyway?”

“Whenever mother comes across any disrespectful males, she would turn them into jackalopes. If those males ever harmed a girl, either physically or sexually, my sisters had free reign to hunt them down and kill them.”

Ron muttered, “Bloody hell!”

Hermione sniffed, “Well… those pigs deserve it.”

The rest of the class filed in and took their seats and Lockhart came in with a flourish. He calmly plucked Neville’s copy of Travels with Trolls and held it open to show his winking portrait.

He pointed and winked as well, “Me! Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five-time winner of Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award. But I don’t talk about that, much. After all, I didn’t get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her.”

Every girl, including Hermione, tittered, and Harry himself smirked. He was slowly amassing his arsenal to tease her with. Lockhart continued, “Well done for buying the complete set of my books. I thought we’d start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about. It’s just to check if you have read them.”

He handed out test papers and returned to the front of the class. Lockhart announced, “You have thirty minutes! Your time starts now!”

Harry looked down at his question paper and almost burst out laughing right there. He had a good look at the paper and committed it to memory. The demigod definitely planned to share the memory with Annabeth and have a good laugh.

Suddenly, a truly wicked idea came to his mind. He took up his quill and began writing his name and his answers in Ancient Greek. Eventually, half an hour ticked by and Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them.

He frowned, “Tut, tut, tut. Hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. It’s there in Year with the Yeti. Also in chapter twelve of Wanderings with Werewolves, my ideal birthday gift is harmony between all magic and non-magic people. Though I would be foolish to turn down a large bottle of Ogden’s Old Firewhisky. Also, some one has written their name and the answers in gibberish. I can't make head or tail of it. However, Miss Hermione Granger knew that my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care products! Full marks! Where is Miss Granger?”

A giddy Hermione raised a trembling hand, “Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor! Now - to business!”

He went to one corner of the classroom, where there was a covered cage. He carried it back gingerly and spoke, “Now, it is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard-kind! You may find yourself facing your worst fears in this room. However, no harm will befall you while I am around!”

Having had a close encounter with Tartarus, he very much doubted Lockhart’s words. Nevertheless, he leaned forward as Lockhart placed a hand on the cover.

With bated breath, everyone waited, until the DADA professor whipped off the cover with a flourish. He announced, “Behold! Freshly caught Cornish Pixies!”

Seamus left out a guffaw, but Harry slowly lowered his left arm and let his wand shoot out from its holster. He quickly transferred it to his right hand and prepared for the worst. Seamus then claimed that the electric blue, eight-inch tall pixies did not look dangerous. Harry muttered under his breath, “I though the same thing until a chihuahua turned into the fricking Chimera.”

Lockhart loudly announced, “Right then! Let’s see what you make of them!”

With that, he opened the cage and chaos ensued. All pixies scattered and began either harassing the students or trashing the classroom. As children ran helter-skelter, screaming, Lockhart hollered, “Come on now! Round them up! Round them up! They’re only pixies!”

Then he rolled up his sleeved and bellowed, “Peskipiksi Pesternomi!”

Unfortunately, there was no effect at all, and it only resulted in a random pixie yanking his wand away and chucking it out of a window. Lockhart stood frozen for a few second and booked it out of the classroom. He hollered as he ran, “Can some of you take care of it, please!”

A few pixies tried to divebomb Harry, but he promptly tapped his holster with his wand and chanted, “Mutatio!”

On cue, his holster turned into a Celestial Bronze shield with the emblem of a crescent moon and bow and arrow crossing it. The pixies that went for him slammed into the shield and he batted them away. Harry hollered, “Ron! Hermione! Get behind me! Use your wands to snipe the pixies!”

The two stopped cowering and sprang into action. As he stunned a pixie, Ron roared, “Can you believe him! He just bailed out on us just like that!”

An exasperated Hermione snapped, “He didn’t! He just wanted to give us some hands-on experience.”

Harry groused, “Hands on!? Hermione, this bloke doesn’t have a clue of what he’s doing!”

He dropped his voice to a whisper, “I’ve seen children of Aphrodite who are more competent than him. And I’m not talking about Silena.”

She continued to defend the man, “You’ve read his books! Look at all those amazing things he’s done!”

Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Apologies for the delay in posting. Had rescheduled my half day off to Monday instead of Wednesday because of some family outing. Was only able to finish the chapter now.

---

Finally, it was time for the very first mandatory Mortal Studies class. Unlike other classes, which fielded two houses, this class had all four houses together. As they took their places, Hermione mused, "I wonder what Professor Daly will cover in this class. I can't wait to read her books!"

Meanwhile, Harry admitted, "Also, I'm curious about why she's come to teach us. I know from Annabeth that sometimes Athena would often come to the mortal world for guest lectures. But why did Lady Hecate come all of a sudden?"

Eventually, all other Second-Years began trickling in. This also included a surly-looking Draco Malfoy, who was whining, "I still don't get why we're taking this useless class. Those Muggles are nothing but simpletons!"

Harry stopped Hermione from retorting and whispered, "Let him be. He's in for a rude shock when the class actually begins."

Two minutes later, Lady Hecate walked in, and the class instantly paid attention. Ron could instantly tell that she was a goddess because she oozed magical power. Additionally, he and Hermione had been in the presence of all the gods and felt their aura. Admittedly, hers was less powerful, but from what Harry had told them, Hecate was a minor goddess, and there was only one of her.

The goddess pulled out her wand, acacia with the tail hair of a polecat. With a casual wave, she magicked two piles of book stacked on the table. She explained, "Students, take a book from each pile. Today, we will be comparing the previous text and my own book."

Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione dutifully picked up a copy of 'Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles' and 'A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Mortals', respectively. Hecate talked about the first book and topics it covered, like Radio, plumbing, light bulbs, rotary phones, rubber ducks, transport, hairspray, toasters, roller skates and cars.

Harry could just about see the disgusted look on her face as she read about each topic and how the book mentioned that they were the latest inventions of muggles. When she finished, she slammed the book shut and thundered, "Absolute tripe! This is worse than I thought."

She spun on her heel and wrote down several words on the blackboard. Hecate wrote, Everyday Life, Politics, Business, Sports, Finance, Foreign Affairs, History, Geography, Science, Mathematics, Technology, Medicine and Entertainment. Then, Hecate conjured up a magical projector and began teaching. The first thing she spoke about was about the home life of mortals. According to her, wizarding and non-magical households were almost the same, except for the magic aspect. She talked about everyday appliances like stoves, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, washing machines and more.

Then she spoke about mobile phones, something that really confused the likes of Ron and several Purebloods. Hecate explained that telephones were still in use, but in 1984, mobile phones were invented. This gave people the power to walk anywhere and communicate with anyone without being restricted to the length of a rotary phone's cord. Next, she spoke about the British Parliament and even the Monarchy. In terms of business, she briefly explained about investing in as simple terms as possible.

In the sports section, she explained that while the wizarding world only had Quidditch, Quodpot and broomstick racing, the mortal world was more diverse. There was cricket, football, tennis, rugby, motor racing, baseball, American football, basketball, and so many varieties of sports. Before she could get to History, the bell rang, and there was an audible groan of disappointment. Hecate smiled, "Not to worry, students. We can pick this up next time."

After the class dispersed, Harry stayed behind, with his three friends hanging out by the entrance. Professor Daly glanced at him, "Mr. Potter? Anything you'd like to share?"

He approached her, "Forgive my forwardness, but I think we can drop the pretences, Lady Hecate."

She paused, "Ahh… Well, I wasn't particularly inspired when I came up with my alias. Anyway, I am guessing that you wish to know why I chose to come and teach, all of a sudden?"

"Yes, My Lady. I was a little curious."

She steepled her fingers together and looked him in the eye, "It is largely to do with the events that transpired last month. Lord Zeus may be content with ignoring it, but I am not. The other Titans are slowly beginning to rise, and monsters are stirring. A few demigods have also begun to join their side, as you know. I even heard whispers that some agents of the Titan Lord have begun to approach the minor gods. In all honesty, I wish to stay neutral, because this is not my fight. This might also sound cowardly, but in times like these, some agents will be forceful, so I am essentially hiding. Of course, at the same time, I wish to prepare the wizarding world, should this community be inadvertently dragged into the conflict. For that, I need your help, Mr. Potter."

He nodded and thumped his chest, "You can count on me, Lady Hecate. For the record, I do not think that your actions were cowardly."

The rest of the day went by and Harry went about the day very robotically. A few weeks in, he was steadily in a routine.

---

One night though, just before he could crash into his bed, Oliver Wood poked his head into the Second-Year dorm room. He called out, "Hey Potter! We have Quidditch practice tomorrow at 5 in the morning. Don't be late. That Quidditch Cup's not going anywhere this year, not on my watch."

An exhausted and pyjama-clad Harry shot him a weak thumbs up and mashed his head into his pillow, succumbing to his slumber. Sure enough, at five o'clock, Wood was there shaking him awake. The older boy was rambling, "Come on Potter. We need to get a head start to defend our crown! None of the other teams have begun practicing yet, so we need to be the first ones out of the blocks."

Finally, he was fully dressed in his Quidditch robes, wearing his rings and wand holster. He padded silently down the stairs and snuck out, before making his way to the changing rooms where the rest of the team was gathered, and they were just as exhausted. The twins were bleary-eyed, Alicia was nodding off, while Angelina and Katie were stifling yawns.

Wood immediately launched into a long-winded explanation about Quidditch tactics. Minutes passed and Harry's ADHD was going ballistic. Angelina and Alicia were already dozing off on the twins' shoulders. Meanwhile, Katie was helping distract Harry and keeping his ADHD in check.

Finally, at around 6 o'clock, the team finally flew out on their brooms. As he practiced some moves, he spotted Ron, Neville and Hermione in the stands. He flew over and hovered close to them, "Hey guys! You're right on time! We just started!"

Ron was incredulous, "You just started?! You were up at bloody 5AM!"

Harry shot his captain a nasty look, "Blame Oliver. He took flipping forever to explain the tactics and everyone was too sleepy to even pay attention. Give me Murphy McNully any day."

Just then, he heard an odd clicking sound and spotted Colin Creevey in one of the highest seats, frantically taking photographs. Fred flew over, "Oi Harrykins! Who's that bloke with the camera?"

"Colin Creevey, he's a Firstie."

Oliver flew over, "What's going on? Is he a Slytherin spy? Have they tasked him to take photos of our tactics?"

Harry shook his head, "Nah, he's in our house and he's just a mite excitable. Since he's a Muggle-born, this is all new and exciting for him. Besides, the Slytherins don't need a spy, cause I see them approaching the stadium. We better wrap this up quickly."

Wood was incensed, "Unbelievable! I booked the field for today! Come on! Let's straighten this it."

The team quickly wrapped up and landed, just as the Slytherins entered the stadium. Wood hollered, "What's going on? This is our practice time! You lot can wait!"

An unusually grumpy Marcus Flint aggressively tossed him a note and replied, "Got a specially signed note from Professor Snape. Read it yourself!"

Wood read out, "'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field, owing to the need to train their new seeker and captain.' Wait… Who's the new Seeker and new Captain?"

Flint and five other boys shifted, and a seventh, smaller boy emerged, with a cocky smirk all over his pale pointy face. It was none other than Draco Malfoy, who drawled, "You're looking at the Seeker, Captain, and soon-to-be Quidditch Cup champion, peasant."

Fred noted, "Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?"

Harry noted that Crabbe and Goyle were beaters, replacing Lucian Bole and Erika Rath, "And where's Rath and Bole? They're Third-Years, aren't they?"

Malfoy sneered, "My team, my rules. Where they are, is none of your business! Also, funny you should mention my father…"

The seven Slytherins held out seven highly polished brooms, brand new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering, spelling, 'Nimbus Two Thousand and One'. Malfoy bragged, "The very latest model! Only came out last month and I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series. Oh it gets better! It sweeps the board with the old Cleansweeps!"

Harry ignored the taunting, though Wood was growling a little. Then both groups spotted Ron, Neville and Hermione rushing towards them. Ron hollered, "Oi! What's Malfoy doing here?"

Malfoy smugly said, "Watch it Weasley… You're looking at the new Slytherin Seeker and Captain! Everyone's just admiring the brooms my father bought our team. Might as well raffle off those old Cleansweep Fives. Maybe a museum would bid for them, if you're lucky."

Harry subtly took off his rings and began preparing for the inevitable fight. Hermione primly shot back at Malfoy, "At least no one in the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent!"

Malfoy's smug grin was wiped and he sneered at her, "I don't recall asking for your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

That response triggered a huge uproar, and Harry used the din to chant, Mutatio! This transformed his rings into his bow and quiver full of enhanced arrows.

The twins nearly lunged at Malfoy, Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!". Ron pulled out his wand, but Harry was faster. The next thing anyone knew, there was a *POW* and Malfoy was sent flying a couple of feet, clutching a smarting nose. Something clattered on the ground a few feet away and Angelina blurted, "I-Is that a boxing glove arrow?"

They turned to Harry, who was clutching a drawn bow, and had another boxing glove arrow ready to fly. He snarled at Malfoy, "Don't. You. Ever. Say. That. Word. Ever. Again. You racist piece of vroma!"

He then looked at the others staring at him in surprise. Harry asked, "What? I'm a fan of Green Arrow."

Katie quickly summoned the fallen arrow back, with her wand. She clicked a small knot on the shaft and the glove folded in on itself, turning back into a regular arrow, and she stuffed it back in Harry's quiver. The demigod relaxed his stance and put his remaining arrow back. With a Finite Incantatem he turned the weapons back into rings and slipped them back on again. He wrapped an arm around a sobbing Hermione and began to lead her away. He called after the other Gryffindors, "Come on guys, we're done here! They can have the pitch if they want it."

---

The large group stumbled back to the castle. Along the way, they came across a fuming Erika Rath, who walked up to them. Obviously, they were a bit wary, but Harry manned up and asked, "Rath… Can we help you with something?"

Ron was about to angrily warn him against talking to the Snakes, but a glare from Harry's green and silver eyes silenced him. She coolly replied, "I take it you met the team? Good… I want you all to crush them. When Malfoy bumped me off, he declared that no girls were going to sully HIS team."

Wood and the team were taken aback. Alicia queried, "You do realise that you are going against your own house, right?"

Rath snapped, "I don't give a shite. Flint was furious when Malfoy forcefully usurped him as captain. Then he dumped Bole and I off the team and replaced us with his bookends. I want you all to make him eat humble pie. That'll teach him to drop me. You know, as well as I do, that I was easily the best player in the team last year. Unfortunately, Malfoy has a lot of power in the Slytherin Common Room. I want him utterly humiliated."

With that, she walked away and the stunned Gryffindors returned to the Common Room. By then, many others were up and about. Lavender spotted them, "Hey, is everything okay? Why is she crying?"

Harry growled, "Had an encounter with the Slytherin Quidditch team while we were practicing. Malfoy's the new Seeker and the captain. Turns out, he bought his way in by gifting the team Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. Hermione told him that none of us bought our way in and got in on pure talent. The wanker called her a Mudblood."

The whole Common Room gasped and was in an uproar. Lavender and Parvati wrapped the distraught girl in hugs and let her cry. Harry suddenly had a thought and called out to Wood.

The team gathered in a small corner for a small meeting. George growled, "We're going to batter them. We're doing this for Hermione. No one calls her that and gets away with it. Good shot by the way, Harry."

Harry himself mused, "I think Rath's right. I might have been imagining things, but Flint looked pretty mad on the pitch, and I suspect it's about losing the captaincy to Malfoy. I also have a feeling that we have a chance when we face them. Oliver, she's right, Rath was easily their best player last year. Bole was pretty alright, as well. I'm no Seer, but I have a strong feeling that Malfoy's decision is going to bite them in the arse. Let's make them really pay for it."

A few minutes later, the portrait opened and McGonagall entered. She looked around, before spotting him, "Mr. Potter. May I have a word, please?"

Harry followed her out of the portrait, to see Professor Snape waiting as well. McGonagall fixed him with a stern look, "Mr. Malfoy recently complained to his Head of House, saying that you viciously assaulted him in an unprovoked attack. Before I pass any judgement, Professor Snape and I wanted to know your version of events."

He nodded, "Professor, my friends and the Quidditch team were also witnesses for this incident. Also, may I know Malfoy's version of the confrontation?"

McGonagall called the team, as well as Ron and Neville. Hermione was still being consoled by her roommates. Snape spoke up, "According to Mr. Malfoy, he and the team arrived for practice earlier today. Then, you viciously assaulted him with a series of punches and broke his nose. The attack was completely unprovoked, according to him."

The Gryffindors looked mad at the barefaced lie, but Harry kept his cool. He said, "Professors, as per our testimony, yes there was a confrontation, but it was mostly verbal. Words were exchanged and Hermione Granger's parting shot was, 'At least no one on Gryffindor had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent'. Then, Malfoy said, and I quote, 'I don't recall asking for your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood'."

At that, McGonagall was outraged, and even Snape looked like he had been force fed a handful of Dumbledore's Lemon Drops. Harry continued, "Our team reacted strongly to the slur. For my role in the confrontation, I confess that I transfigured a pair of rings on my person into a bow and quiver. Then I shot Mr. Malfoy in the face with just one boxing glove arrow. I think you will find that my fellow classmates will corroborate my story. I am also willing to submit a memory of the event, if a Pensieve is available."

Both Heads of House paused and looked at the other Gryffindors, and they nodded. Snape said, "It seems, Mr. Malfoy has conveniently omitted his role as instigator. He will be summarily taken to task. However, you still assaulted a student, Mr. Potter. I leave it in Minerva's hands to mete out any punishment. If I recall correctly Professor Daly has reported hearing that slur being carelessly flung around in the halls."

He turned to McGonagall, "I think it would be wise to take her up on her offer to cast a Taboo charm that detects whenever a student uses a foul slur like that. According to her, that charm will automatically name the offender publicly and deduct points from their house."

He turned and walked away, with his black robes billowing. After he left, McGonagall's stern look faded. She said, "In light of what happened, I applaud your restraint. That said, you will still have to face a detention and 10 points from Gryffindor for fighting. You will be serving detention with Professor Lockhart at eight o'clock sharp."

Harry groaned, "Fine… Let's get this over with."

As the day dragged on, the Gryffindor Second-Years acted as a single unit. When they walked to each class, they all closed ranks, surrounding Hermione. Things even got to a head when they reached the dungeons for Potions with Slytherin. Malfoy swaggered over to begin taunting, but soon found several wands aimed at him. For once, he decided to do the smart thing and backed off.

---

Finally, with five minutes to eight o'clock, Harry begrudgingly trudged to the DADA office. He knocked, and the door instantly flew open, revealing a beaming Lockhart. He cheerily said, "Ah, here's the little scalawag! Come in, Harry! Come in!"

Reluctantly, Harry entered the office and took in the sight. The walls were lit up by several candles and they all illuminated countless framed photographs of Lockhart himself. Some of them were even signed, while a whole pile lay on his desk. Harry secretly wondered if Narcissus had somehow torn himself away from his reflection and had a son with some lucky lady.

The professor gestured to the pile, "You can address the envelopes! This first one is to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her – a huge fan of mine. Now, this next one-"

Harry let him drone on and on, while he robotically worked. Suddenly, a raspy voice hissed, "Who dares awaken me! Come! Let me rip you… let me tear you… kill you!"

Harry nearly jumped and looked around frantically. Lockhart continued yammering on without noticing anything amiss. Finally, Harry decided that his torture had gone on long enough. He called out, "Professor?"

Lockhart stopped, "What is it? Oh Great Scott! Look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! Very well, you may go Harry. Remember though, us celebrities must always revel in the limelight."

Harry coolly shot back, "Actually sir, I've learned that there are two kinds of celebrities. Those like yourself, who work hard to be well-known. And those who try hard to not be recognised and prefer their privacy. I'd like to believe that I fall in the latter category."

Lockhart paused, "Fair enough, young Potter. However, there is nothing wrong with embracing your fame. Though be warned that fame is a fickle friend."

Harry got up and gave a small bow to the professor, "Thank you sir."

Then he bolted back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He met up with Ron, Hermione and Neville. The three gathered around him and he recounted the voice that he heard. Ron asked, "Lockhart didn't hear it?"

Harry shrugged, "Didn't ask. Bloke was too busy yammering about all the fans who wrote him those letters."

Hermione quipped, "Harry, hearing voices isn't a good sign."

However, Neville had a different take, "You think you heard some animal? From what you said, it was sleeping and was rudely woken up. Obviously it's going to be a little mad at being woken up."

Soon, they all split up to go to bed.

---

Before long, October arrived and brought with it a damp chill. Several students were rushed in to treat a spate of colds. Ginny Weasley looked particularly pale, and was strong-armed into taking some potions, by her older brother, Percy. The month passed quickly and it was soon Halloween. Once again, Harry woke up on that day, a little subdued. After half a day's worth of classes, in the evening, he was hanging out with Susan, Hannah and Justin in the Great Hall, when he heard a familiar voice call his name. He looked up and spotted Bianca and Nico di Angelo standing next to Dumbledore. Harry had been corresponding with the siblings every week, since Hogwarts began. He had managed to explain the concept of the Greek Gods and revealed that they were the children of Hades. Bianca was initially sceptical but later accepted it. Nico on the other hand went on an excited babble about Mythomagic.

Harry said a quick goodbye to the Hufflepuffs and jogged up to the two demigods, "Hey, what are you two doing here?"

Nico said, "Your uncle Sirius asked us to fetch you. Said that he was planning to make a tradition out of this. He and your uncle Remus are waiting outside the castle."

Just as they were leaving, Nearly Headless Nick came floating by. He stopped in front of the siblings and bowed, "My lord… my lady… I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, the resident ghost of Gryffindor House. I must say, it is an honour to meet you two. Would you please do me the honour of attending my five hundredth Death Day party? I am sure that many of my fellow ghosts would love to meet the children of our lord."

The two smiled politely and Bianca said, "We would be delighted. If you wish, we could possibly take you to our father, one of these days. For now though, we're just taking Harry with us."

When Harry spotted Sirius and Remus, he observed that Sirius was decked in some smart-looking robes. He asked, "Hey uncle Sirius? What's with the new robes?"

He grinned, "Well… You're looking at a newly re-instated Auror! They are basically the wizarding policemen. I used to be one during the first war, but got stripped off it during my arrest and incarceration. Now, I re-applied and got re-instated into the force, last week. Now come on! Time's a-wasting!"

Once again, the three of them Apparated to Godric's Hollow and headed for the graveyard. Meanwhile, Nico and Bianca went with Sir Nicholas for his Death Day party. This time around, Harry spent nearly an hour over there. By the time they returned, it was night time and Sirius walked with Harry into the castle. He said, "Come on kiddo, let's just see if there's something left over from the feast."

However, their path was soon blocked by a crowd of students on the second floor. Sirius called over the din, "Here! What's going on?! Why have you blocked the path?"

That was when the crowd parted, to see Mrs. Norris hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. Nearby on the wall, there were foot-high words painted, reading, "THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE."

A familiar voice crowed gleefully, "Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

Right on cue, a voice reverberated through the entire castle, "80 points from Slytherin! Reason: Draco Malfoy using a foul slur."

Just then, Argus Filch came storming over, "What's going on here? What's going on?"

His eyes fell on Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror. He wailed, "My cat! My cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?"

Filch spotted Sirius, "You did something, didn't you?! You Marauders made my life a living hell, and you, Black! You were the worst one! Now you've gone and murdered my cat! I'll kill you! I'll-"

Sirius snapped back, "Filch! Remus and I only just got here with Harry! Also, I may have been a prankster, but I'm not so stupid and petty to go after your damn cat! Now stand back and let me investigate! This is Auror business now."

By then, Dumbledore arrived, with McGonagall and several other teachers in tow. They cleared the students away, but Sirius insisted that Harry stay with him. Ron, Hermione and Neville also stayed back because they were the first on the scene. Dumbledore spotted Sirius and noted his robes, "Sirius… What do you think?"

Lockhart cheerfully commented, "My office is nearest, Headmaster. Just pop upstairs and feel free to use it. It was definitely a curse that killed her. If I had to guess, it's the Transmogrifian Torture. I've seen it used many times, and I know the very counter curse that would have saved her-"

Sirius snapped, "Gilderoy, do you mind? I can't hear myself think! Besides, you're not an Auror. Now kindly leave us before I arrest you for interfering in an investigation."

Sirius then looked at Harry, who knelt down to inspect the cat. Harry examined it, placing two fingers on the cat's neck, feeling for a pulse. Then, he whispered to Sirius, "Definitely not a gorgon. Jackson killed Medusa, and last I heard, her sisters were dead. Also, I think Mrs. Norris is still alive. I checked her pulse and her heart's still beating."

Sirius took out his wand and waved it over the still cat's form. He wrote down something on a piece of parchment and frowned. Then he smiled and said aloud, "It's alright. She is alive, but only petrified."

Dumbledore nodded, "If I'm not mistaken, there is a potion that can revive her. Maybe we can pop into some Apothecaries-"

Sirius interrupted, "Yeah… About that, it's not exactly the season for Mandrakes, right now. As far as I'm aware, many of the Mandrakes are mostly babies."

Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought, "Very well then. I suppose we will have to wait until the Mandrakes mature."

Just then, Snape drawled, "What I'd like to know is, where was Potter? I did not see him at the feast."

Sirius glared at him, but prevented himself from snapping. He growled, "For the record, Severus. Harry was not in the castle at all. We were all in Godric's Hollow. So do 'excuse' him for not wanting to celebrate the day that a mad man murdered his parents."

Snape flinched very slightly, before composing himself. In the meantime, Sirius ignored him and took out a cotton swab. He approached the painted message and took a small sample of paint, before dropping it in a test tube. He nodded at Dumbledore, "I'll escort these Gryffindors back to their Common Room and get back to you with the analysis of this red paint."

As Sirius led the quartet back, he asked, "So I heard a loud voice deducting points from… Malfoy, was it? What was that all about? Not that I'm complaining. About time people were called out for using that word so brazenly and without consequence."

Hermione replied, "From what I was told, our Mortal Studies professor, Professor Daly, cast a charm declaring that slur, a taboo. Now anytime a student uses that word, points are deducted and the deductions increase with every usage of the word. As you can tell, the Slytherins used that word at least eight times. She also said that this resets at the end of the year."

Sirius grinned, "That's brilliant! This Professor Daly must be quite the clever one. Anyway, here we are, at Gryffindor tower!"

Neville asked, "How did you know where to go?"

He smirked, "I was a Gryffindor myself. I know I'm a Black, but I was the 'white sheep' of my family."

Sirius then bid farewell to the four students before leaving to collect Nico and Bianca from the Death Day party.

Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Just before Sirius left, he told Harry to continue investigations, in case he and the other aurors missed something. The following day, things were a little awkward for Harry. A number of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins went out of their way to avoid him. Only the Gryffindors stood firmly by him. Notable exceptions were Susan and Hannah, though Justin seemed a little unsure.

Finally, during the Herbology lecture, Harry had enough. He was partnered with Justin, Susan and Murphy McNully and they were taking care of the Mandrake babies. Their earmuffs were on, so Harry attempted to communicate in sign language.

He signed, “Alright, I’ve had enough of this. Why are you avoiding me like I’ve got the plague? Did I say or do anything to offend you?”

Justin hesitantly signed back, “Heard a rumour from somewhere that you were suspiciously nowhere to be seen during the feast. Then you turned up afterwards to see the crime scene.”

Harry fought the urge to facepalm and signed, “You do realise what the significance of Halloween is to me, right? I wasn’t even in the castle for most of the day! I was at Godric’s Hollow visiting my parents graves!”

He had the decency to look sheepish as Susan signed to them, “I told you so, didn’t I?”

Then Harry asked, “So what the heck is this thing about the Chamber of Secrets.”

Susan shrugged, “Don’t know. From what I heard, it was a myth. I know your godfather and my aunt Amelia are working hard to crack this case. In her letters, she’s pretty stumped. During their Hogwarts days, they heard about the rumours of the Chamber, but no one’s ever found it.”

Harry asked, “Do you think the professors might know?”

She thought about it, “Dumbledore might. He’s probably been around here long enough to know about the rumours. Or maybe Binns or McGonagall.”

He nodded, “We’ll see what we can do from our end to help investigate. We’ll coordinate with Ron, Hermione and Neville and ask them about it.”

---

In History of Magic, they endured another torturous couple of hours. Hermione was a little annoyed because she confided that there was no information about the Chamber in the library. She wanted to interrupt the class and ask the ghost right away. However, Harry stopped her and insisted that they do it after class, so that they didn’t draw too much attention. So when the bell rang, the four Gryffindors stayed behind. Before Binns could float through the wall and go… wherever he normally went, Hermione called out, “Professor Binns?!”

He looked at them, “Yes?”

“I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets?”

His dry, wheezy voice replied, “I teach History of Magic. This subject deals with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends.”

She argued back, “But sir, don’t legends have a basis in facts?”

He paused, “Well, yes. One could argue that, I suppose. In my opinion, this particular legend is a sensational and ludicrous tale. But if you insist… Let me see… The Chamber of Secrets… It all started when Hogwarts was founded thousands of years ago. The four school houses are named after the founders, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They built the castle, far away from prying eyes of muggle-folk.”

He paused briefly and continued, “The founders worked in harmony for years, seeking out promising young witches and wizards. However, for an unknown reason, a rift grew between Salazar and the other founders. No one knows for sure, but it is widely believed that Slytherin wished to be more selective. Rumour had it that he believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school. Not much is know about that argument, though. We can only speculate that it was about allowing Muggle-borns to attend Hogwarts”

Binns paused again, “Many believe that Slytherin built a hidden chamber in the castle, without the other founders knowledge. He the sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic.”

He then had an annoyed look on his face, “Of course, many have searched the school for evidence of such a chamber. Since none have found it, it does not exist, but it is merely to frighten the gullible.”

This time, Harry asked, “Professor, what kind of ‘horror’ lies in the chamber?”

He replied, “That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control”

Harry nodded, “Thank you professor, you’ve been very helpful.”

With a single nod in their direction, the ghostly professor phased through the wall. The quartet also walked away, with plenty of questions in their mind. Since History of Magic was the last lecture of the day, they were wandering aimlessly. Harry mused, "I think I can guess why Salazar Slytherin was at odds with the others. I remember last year when I was talking to the Sorting Hat, he mentioned that the Founders were also demigods."

Ron was shocked, "Really? Who were their Godly parents?"

"Godric Gryffindor was the son of Zeus, Rowena Ravenclaw was the daughter of Athena, Helga Hufflepuff was the daughter of Demeter, and Salazar Slytherin was the son of Hecate." came the reply.

Neville's jaw dropped, "Wait... Hecate as in, Professor Daly?"

"Yep! And the thing is, Hecate is still a minor Olympian, so she is not as powerful as the other Olympians. That's the biggest reason why Slytherin had a fallout with the other three. I'm guessing that he felt that he deserved some more respect, rather than just being the son of a minor Olympian."

Hermione interjected, "So where does the Muggle-born vs Pure-Blood argument fit in?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. That could have been a contributing factor though."

---

Somehow, they found themselves back at the scene of the crime. Obviously, Mrs. Norris’ petrified form had been taken away, and the floor had been mopped up.

Harry crouched down and began to investigate. He mused, ”Plenty of scorch marks here and there. Nothing really out of the ordinary…”

Then he heard a sound of hundreds of tiny voices. The voices were faint and not enough to discern what was being said. He moved towards the window and spotted an odd scene. There were several small spiders scrambling up the walls.

The arachnids were in such a frenzy that they were tumbling over each other just to try to reach and squeeze through a small crack in the wall, where it met the window.

Harry could hear their tinny voices faintly squealing, “Run away! Run away! Run away!”

He beckoned to the others, “Hey, check this out. It’s pretty weird.”

They all crept forward to get a good look. Then a terrified Ron backpedalled and clutched the wall in fright, “Bloody hell! They’re spiders!”

Harry felt like kicking himself, “Right, sorry. I forgot that you hate spiders.”

Hermione giggled a little, “Honestly Ronald! How can you be afraid of such tiny things!”

He glared at her, “It’s not funny! I still get nightmares from when I was three! Fred turned my teddy bear into a freaking baby Acromantula!”

Harry nodded sympathetically and grimaced, “I’m not going to judge. Beth and all of her siblings hate spiders. Hermione, you’ve heard the legend of Arachne, right? Since then, all of Arachne’s children have held grudges against children of Athena. Heck! During our quest for the Lightning Bolt, we got pulled into a side-quest for Ares. We had to retrieve his shield from an abandoned waterpark. Bloody place was a death trap and we barely escaped a horde of mechanical bugs and spiders.”

Ron shuddered as well, “Glad I wasn’t there.”

Just then, Neville piped up, “Hey, wasn’t the floor wet when we arrived on the scene?”

Hermione gasped, “It was! Wait… I know this place, this is Moaning Myrtle’s toilet. Hardly anyone comes here. Not many are really big fans of her crying.”

Sure enough, there was an OUT OF ORDER sign hung on the door. Harry nodded and grasped the doorknob, “Hopefully she’s there. She could have seen something that night.”

Before any of them could stop him, he opened the door to reveal a gloomy and depressing bathroom. It had clearly seen better days, as there was a large cracked and spotted mirror. Under it was a row of chipped sinks, and the floor was damp.

Venturing further inside, he spotted a ghost of a girl with Hogwarts school robes. She was floating around in the air and hadn’t seen them yet, so he cleared his throat, “Hello Myrtle…”

She turned around and flew down to them. Myrtle retorted, “This is a girl’s bathroom, three of you are not girls.”

Then she focused on Harry, “Though I can give this one a pass because of his heritage.”

Neville asked, “H-How did you know about Harry’s lineage?”

Myrtle curtly said, “Every ghost could sense it. We’ve all dreamed of going to the Underworld. Last year, many of us ghosts suspected that there was a demigod in the school. It was only when the children of our lord came on Halloween, they confirmed our suspicions. They also swore all of us into secrecy, even Peeves wouldn’t dare disobey.”

Harry nodded, “Thank you Myrtle. I wanted to ask, did you happen to see anything or anyone who might have attacked Mrs. Norris?”

She gave a wry look, “No I was at the Death Day party with the other ghosts. Peeves was trying to make fun of me as usual, but that Bianca girl stopped him. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to wallow in the miserable existence that is my ghostly life!”

With that she dived into the toilet and vanished from sight. Harry shrugged, “Well… That went about as well as we could have expected. Let’s get out of here and try and deduce whatever information we have gathered.”

---

When they were a few feet away from Myrtle’s bathroom, they stumbled upon Percy Weasley. He eyed them suspiciously, “And just what were you four up to? I didn’t see you in the Common Room.”

Harry took over and replied, “My uncle Sirius asked me to conduct some more investigations into Mrs Norris’ case. I’m a good tracker and I’ve been able to help Sirius in a couple of cases. I thought that I could see if he had missed out anything from the crime scene.”

Percy mulled over those words for a while. Then he curtly sighed, “Fine, you lot are off the hook this time. Next time, don’t let me or anyone else catch you. Now, get back to the Common Room before I change my mind and dock points.”

They did not need a second invitation and scuttled back.

Inside the Common Room, they congregated around a study table and did their Charms homework. As they worked, Hermione whispered, “Who do you think did it though? Judging from Binns’ talk, Salazar Slytherin definitely had some beef with the Muggleborns. Who’d want all Muggleborns out of Hogwarts?”

Ron snarked, “I bet it’s the same person who thinks that Muggleborns are scum. It’s got to be Malfoy, you heard the git! He was practically crowing about it.”

Harry piped up, “Well it makes sense because the Malfoy side of the family have been in Slytherin. At least that’s what Greengrass had told me when she caught me up with the lore of all the Wizarding families. However, I have a feeling that its someone else. Malfoy’s simply a braggart, all bark and no bite. Anything doesn’t go his way and his primary line is, ‘My father will hear about this’.”

Ron glowered, “Its got to be Malfoy, I’m sure of it! The family could have had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries. Handing it down from father to son.”

Hermione cautiously said, “I suppose it is possible…”

Neville whispered, “But how do we prove it? I mean, we can’t just blindly accuse Malfoy of unleashing Slytherin’s monster.”

Hermione brightened, “I have an idea! Remember a few weeks ago in Potions class, when Professor Snape mentioned Polyjuice Potion? It is supposed to transform a person into another person. We can maybe disguise ourselves as Slytherins and sneak into the Common Room. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything if we pull this off successfully. He’s probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him.”

Harry suddenly had his own brainwave, just as Ron expressed his doubts about the potion. He whispered excitedly, “Di Immortales! I almost forgot! I’ve got a better idea. How about having a mole in the Slytherin Common Room!”

Ron asked, “How would that work? The only Slytherins you’ve had a non-aggressive relationship is, Greengrass, Vole and Davis. As far as we know, they hate Malfoy, especially Greengrass.”

“No not them, Parkinson. She owes me a Life Debt.”

Ron and Neville gaped at him and Ron blurted, “How the bloody hell did you manage that!?”

Hermione asked, “What’s a Life Debt?”

Neville explained, “This is when a witch or wizard risks their own life to save the life of another witch or wizard. This only applies if it is just one person doing the saving. Remember that troll attack last year? Both Harry and Ron came after you, so a Life Debt was not triggered. That said, how did you save Parkinson?”

“That’s what I would like to know too.”, Katie’s voice interrupted them as she pulled up a chair and flopped next to Harry. “Sorry I couldn’t help overhearing you guys. Didn’t hear much, only the part where Harry mentioned that Pansy Parkinson owes him a Life Debt”

Harry discreetly looked around and cast a privacy barrier around them. He said, “During our quest to find the Lightning Bolt, we travelled to St. Louis. Annabeth wanted to go sight-seeing and see the Arch. We happened to meet Pansy and her parents at the Arch as well. Don’t worry, they don’t know about me being a demigod. Anyway, around closing time, Annabeth and our friend, Grover got to the lift first. So Jackson, myself and the Parkinson family stayed back with a lady and her chihuahua. Turns out, the chihuahua was actually the Chimera and the lady was Echidna, the Mother of Monsters.”

Ron’s eyes widened, “Bloody hell!”

“Yep! She tried taking Pansy as a hostage after I killed the Chimera. Fortunately I managed to kill her, and so now Pansy owes me a Life Debt.”

Katie asked, “And what do you need to call on this Life Debt for?”

They shifted uncomfortably for a bit before Harry confessed, “We were investigating the attack on Mrs. Norris. We didn’t find much, but heard something about Slytherin’s monster. Figured that one of the Slytherins might know something about it. Hermione suggested using Polyjuice to disguise ourselves”

Katie tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Hermione’s plan sounds good on paper, but you four are still young. What happens if you make a mistake? Also, the recipe is only available in Most Potente Potions which is in the restricted section. If you ask me, the Life Debt seems like a safer option. Though you will have to be pretty secretive about it. By the way, I just came by with a message from Wood. The first game against Slytherin is coming up in a couple of days. Oliver wants to get some last-minute practice tomorrow morning. I’d suggest you go get some sleep. Goodnight Harry.”

She reached over and gave him a small hug before heading upstairs. Half an hour later, the four Second-Years trudged back up to their respective dorms.

---

Finally, the day of the first Quidditch match arrived and Harry was a little nervous. He and the team knew that the Nimbus 2001s would be quicker than Harry’s own Nimbus 2000. During their team meeting, Oliver glanced at him, “Harry, I need you to do something for me. See if you can test out the speed of the 2001 against the 2000. We know that they’re quick, but we don’t know how fast they are compared to your broom. The rest of us only have Shooting Stars, Comets or Cleansweeps. We’ll try the best we can, but it will ultimately be down to you and Malfoy.”

Saturday, at 11AM, everyone made their way to the stadium, and the team split off to head to the locker rooms. Once again, Oliver Wood strutted back and forth for his pre-game pep talk. He announced, “Slytherin has better brooms than us. No point denying it. But we’ve got better people on our brooms. We’ve trained harder than they have, we’ve been flying in all weathers. We’re going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team! Harry, prove to everyone that you don’t need deep pockets to be a good seeker.”

As the two teams met on the pitch, Malfoy and Wood grudgingly shook hands. Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the game was underway. Right off the bat, Malfoy began flitting around and performing various stunts. Then, Harry got up alongside him to try and drag race the blond boy. He had a slight head start, but Malfoy was able to overtake him eventually. In his mind, a theory slowly formed, but needed one more test to confirm.

He spotted Marcus Flint with the Quaffle and sped up to confirm his theory. It was enough of a distraction to let Wood pull off a save. When the Chasers were on the offence, Harry floated next to his captain, “If I had to guess, the 2001s are 2-3 kilometres an hour faster than my 2000. Speed test is done, I’ll check the manoeuvrability and get back to you.”

Wood shot him a thumbs up, “Got it, Potter. You do that, we’ve got to play it smart here.”

Harry shot away, glancing at Malfoy, who was performing loop-de-loops. The Slytherin captain spotted him and smirked, “All right there, Scar Head? Are you terrified of my superiority, yet?”

Harry ignored him and sped off on a dummy run. He had already spotted the Snitch, but was just biding his time. Sure enough, Malfoy took the bait and chased after him. The demigod then executed a few different turns, starting with a gently left, then a sharp right. Then he zig-zagged and corkscrewed. Malfoy mirrored his every move, but Harry noticed one crucial difference. Evidently the company behind the Nimbus 2001 sacrificed a little bit of manoeuvrability to try and extract more speed.

Suddenly, Harry noticed Crabbe walloping a Bludger straight at him. Harry rolled over and let it pass him. George Weasley managed to whack it away from him and towards Adrian Pucey. However, Goyle intercepted it and smacked it back towards Harry. Fred soon joined in, but Crabbe knocked it back towards Harry. This led to an intense few minutes where Harry was surrounded by four Beaters, with half of them trying to hit him, and the other half trying to defend him.

He immediately guessed the Slytherin gameplan; try and knock him off and allow Malfoy to coolly look for the Snitch. By then, it had started to rain heavily and it was getting harder to see. Somewhere over the din, he faintly heard Lee Jordan and Murphy McNully announce, “Slytherin lead, 40-30! This is a close game!”

Fred grunted, “Bloody Nora! These blokes really have it out for you, Harry. What did you do to tick them off so much, mate?”

Harry panted, “Heck if I know. This must be part of their plan. I’ve got an idea though, Tell Ollie to call a time-out and I’ll explain!”

Fred thankfully managed to get Oliver’s attention and the captain called a time-out. He fumed, “Where the bloody hell were you two? One of the Bludgers went to town with the girls! Bloody thing’s broken Alicia’s wrist. Thistlethwaite, we need you to sub in for now.”

George snapped back, “We were busy stopping Malfoy’s goons from double-teaming Harry. He suspects that their plan is to take him out of the game and give Malfoy free reign to hunt for the Snitch.”

Harry piped up, “Listen, you two get back to defending Angelina, Katie and Robyn. I can handle Crabbe and Goyle, I’m tougher than I look. Besides, it’ll be harder to hunt for the Snitch with the twins hovering over me. Besides, looks like Captain Malfoy’s got other things on his mind than actually Seeking.”

Oliver mulled it over and finally nodded reluctantly, “Alright Potter, have it your way. However, just in case you need someone to bail you out, give a holler and one of the twins will toss you their bats.”

Alicia was outraged, “Are you crazy! Those two look tough! If your hunch is correct, you will effectively have the Slytherin Beaters ganging up on you!”

Harry raised his hands placatingly, “Look Alicia… just trust me on this. You remember last year when I went one on one with Higgs? Bloke tried to unseat me, but I was able to give as well as I could take.”

The injured Chaser paused and thought about it, “Alright you may have a point. However, two Beaters ganging up on you with a Bludger will be tougher than a burly Seeker. Just thought I’d warn you, anyway Madam Hooch is coming.”

The Flying instructor and Quidditch referee asked, “Are you all ready?”

They all exchanged looks and nodded. Oliver told her, “Yes we are, we’re also substituting Alicia Spinnet for Robyn Thistlethwaite. Alicia’s injured her wrist.”

She nodded and led them back to the field, leaving Madam Pomfrey to take care of Alicia. Up in the commentary booth, Lee Jordan and Murphy McNully announced Robyn Thistlethwaite’s debut, to the cheers of the Gryffindors. When they all flew out, the rain had intensified and it was harder to see.

Not even two minutes in, and Harry was once again under siege from Crabbe and Goyle. With each hit from their bats, the Bludger flew closer and closer to its target. After one particular assault, he happened to fly near George. With a signal, George tossed his bat and Harry performed a Bludger Backbeat.

He performed the trick at least three times, with him and the twins tossing the bats back and forth. Finally, Harry changed tactics and zoomed away. He glanced around, searching for Malfoy and found him. The blond was hovering nearby and had nearly fallen off his broom laughing at his rival Seeker. Unfortunately, Harry was not allowed to rest long because a Bludger came whistling back towards him. He climbed; he looped and swooped, spiralled, zigzagged, and rolled.

As he pirouetted, a nearby Malfoy hooted, “Training for the ballet, Potter?”

Harry turned to quip back at him when he spotted it. The Golden Snitch was hovering inches above Malfoy’s left ear, and he was so busy jeering that he hadn’t even noticed it. Feigning ignorance, he hollered back, “Yeah, Swan Lake, actually! Don’t worry! I’ll put in a good word for you to play the Black Swan. By the way Malfoy, are you familiar with the game, Chicken?”

In the stands, Dean Thomas burst out laughing, “Man! When the hell did Harry get so sassy!”

However, Malfoy blustered, “What are you blathering about, Potter?”

Harry ignored him and suddenly put on a burst of speed, heading straight for Malfoy. Not a moment too soon, because Goyle had fired a Bludger at him, and it sailed past where his body should have been. The other Seeker’s eyes widened and he careened to the right. Harry lunged and swiped the Snitch in mid-air and triumphantly brandished it.

Lee Jordan went nuts on the microphone and a huge cheer erupted from the Gryffindors. Seamus led a chant, “THIS SH*T CALLED MALFOY; BOUGHT HIS SEAT! BUT HARRY POTTER HAD HIM BEAT! DRACO TOOK OVER THE CAPTAINCY AND GIFTED US THE VICTORY! AND WE THANK THE SNAKES! WE THANK THE SNAKES! WE THANK THE SNAKES! AND WE THANK THE SNAKES!”

Dean also hollered, “DEMOTED IN THE MORNING! YOU’RE GETTING DEMOTED IN THE MORNING! DEMOTED IN THE MOOOOORNING! YOU’RE GETTING DEMOTED IN THE MOOOOORNING!”

As he dismounted his broom, Katie was the first one to reach him and tackled Harry to the ground with a hug. The rest of the team then dog-piled him. McNully announced the scores, 270-90, and Gryffindor had drawn first blood. As they extricated themselves, Harry heard a familiar clicking sound. He turned and spotted Colin, “Got some good shots, Colin?”

The boy nodded excitedly and began clicking away. Fred clapped Harry on the shoulder, “Unbelievable flying, Harry! Get a load of this! Flint’s just stormed up to Malfoy and ripped the captain’s badge from his robe. Bloke’s pretty ticked that Malfoy didn’t even realise the Snitch was right next to him!”

By then, Ron, Hermione and Neville caught up and hugged him. The girl beamed, “I told you that talent always wins over money! Amazing job!”

Just then, he heard another squeal and was just in time to catch Mackenzie and spin her around. She cheered, “I knew you could do it! You scared me for a few moments, but I knew you would pull through.”

---

When they reached the Common Room, the Weasley twins wasted no time in getting a party started. A few minutes of partying later, Oliver burst in, his eyes shining in excitement. He announced, “Breaking news! Flint’s publicly stripped Malfoy of the captaincy!”

Everyone cheered and Ron hollered out, “Couldn’t have happened to a better bloke!”

Oliver continued, “He’s also dropped Crabbe and Goyle, and re-hired Bole and Rath.”

That piece of news was met with a little less enthusiasm. Especially since everyone knew that Lucian Bole and Erika Rath were much more competent.

After a while, Colin tapped Mackenzie’s shoulder, “Hey listen! I’m going to develop my photographs! I’ll be back soon!”

She asked, “Need me to come with you?”

He waved her off, “I’ll be fine, Mackenzie.”

Some time passed and people were still celebrating when the portrait door swung open. McGonagall stepped through. With one look at her grim face, the party atmosphere vanished in an instant. In a slightly choked voice, she announced, “Students… There has been another petrification incident. The victim is one of our own, Colin Creevey.”

A gasp reverberated through the room. Mackenzie teared up and Harry hugged her. He whispered, “It’s okay, Kenzie, It’s okay. I know that he was your friend.”

She hiccupped, “H-he said that he was going to develop the photographs from his camera. I o-offered to go with him, b-but he said no… I should have gone with him!”

McGonagall continued gravely, “The Headmaster and I have called Auror Black once again to investigate. Since the victim is a student, the situation is even more urgent.”

She turned and walked out, and as soon as she was gone, the room broke into furious whispers. Everyone split into groups and tried to discuss the motive behind the attack. Harry left his cousin in the care of Natalie McDonald, before meeting with his friends, Katie also moved within earshot.

Ron snarled, “I bet it was Malfoy! He would have been fuming because of the lost match and losing his captaincy! Wanker must have taken it out on poor Colin!”

Harry muttered, “The motive is there, but there’s something else. Like I said, Draco’s a braggart, but maybe he might be indirectly involved. Hey Neville, didn’t you mention the other day that his father claimed to be Imperiused to serve the Dark Lord?”

The blonde boy nodded, “That’s what they say officially. Gran thinks that he was lying, though. During those times, the use of Veritaserum was not mandatory, especially for Pure-Bloods.”

Hermione asked, “Should we go ahead with the Polyjuice plan or do we go for the Life Debt? Also, are you sure that Pansy Parkinson will help us?”

Harry replied, “I believe so. When we spoke at the St. Louis Arch, she told me that she attempted to form an alliance with the Malfoy family.”

Neville shook his head in understanding, “Yeah, the Parkinsons and the Malfoys were always tight. Gran was pretty surprised when Lord Parkinson announced that he would be allying with the Greengrass family.”

Harry continued, “According to her, Malfoy openly insulted her and disrespected her. Her father was furious and cut all ties with him.”

Neville snorted and shook his head, “Boy! I knew that Draco Malfoy was thick, but this just proves that he’s an ass. The Parkinsons have a lot of influence in the Wizengamot, and the Malfoys lost a valuable ally. If I'm not mistaken, the Murks and the Snydes are not as politically powerful, so what on earth was Draco thinking?”

Harry interrupted, “Anyway, my point is that, Parkinson will likely help us out, since she owes me, big time. I just need the right time to either get her alone or pass on a message to have her meet us alone. I’m hoping that she can be our spy in the snake pit.”

Up until this point, Katie had been silent, but finally spoke up. She said, “I think it’s worth the risk. Like you said, she owes you and will not hurt you in any way.”

Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Unfortunately, for Harry, there weren’t too many opportunities to get Pansy Parkinson alone. One week after Colin’s petrification, Harry was just investigating the younger boy’s camera for clues. Sirius had managed to get it open, but the film was utterly destroyed and smoking.

One day, he was tinkering with the camera and trying to pinpoint the issue when he heard someone clear their throat. He looked up to see a bashful Mackenzie in front of him, “Harry? Umm… I was wondering if… you could… umm… Tutor me in Defence Against the Dark Arts? Lockhart’s simply telling us to read his books and act out scenes. I feel like I was in English Literature class, studying Shakespeare all over again.”

He snorted and got up, “Sure thing, Kenzie. I wasn’t making any headway with Colin’s camera, anyway. How is he?”

Her face grew sad, “Still the same. I should have gone with him. Maybe I could have helped protect him.”

Harry guided her out of the Common Room and walked around the castle. He was fortunate to have a free period, so he was perfectly fine with helping her. Eventually, they found themselves in an empty classroom and he managed to dig up his old books. He then explained, “Okay, so the first spell you learn is the Impediment Jinx. Coincidentally, the incantation is, Impedimenta. The effect that it has, is slowing the target briefly. Now, the wand movement goes like this-”

Like this, he slowly managed to get her to understand the concepts. When they were close to winding up, she suddenly asked, “Harry? Do you have any idea who did the attacks?”

He frowned, “I have a theory, but it seems very unlikely. You remember when Jackson, Grover, Annabeth and I went on the quest for the Lightning Bolt? We happened to stumble upon Medusa’s lair at the time. Jackson eventually killed her, but that got me thinking. She said that both of her sisters had passed on, leaving just her. However, I am wondering whether she was lying about it. So my biggest suspect right now, is a Gorgon.”

On that grim note, they left the classroom and decided to pay Hagrid a visit. Come to think of it, he never got a chance to thank him for taking care of the Golden Snidget, and he also wanted to introduce it to Mackenzie. However, when they entered the hut, they could immediately tell that it was a bad time. The large man’s gloved hands were a bit bloody and cradled a dead rooster.

He looked up at the two of them, “Hello Harry, and you must be Mackenzie. Aren’t you two supposed to be in class?”

Harry shrugged, “Both of us had some free lectures and Mackenzie wanted me to help tutor her in DADA. What’s the story of the rooster, Hagrid?”

The man frowned, “Second one killed this term. I can’t understand it. Me thinks it’s either the work of foxes or a blood-sucking Bugbear. I was just about to head to the Headmaster’s Office for permission to put a charm around the coop.”

Harry replied, “That’s possible. By the way, did Uncle Sirius swing by?”

Hagrid beamed, “Aye, he did, and imagine my surprise when I saw a Golden Snidget. Sirius said that you had rescued him from some smugglers.”

Harry chuckled, “Yep! And it was a heck of an adventure! Where is he?”

“Usually spends his time in the Owlery with Hedwig. Though I assume he usually takes care to stay out of sight when students come to send letters. Cause I haven’t heard a peep in the Hogwarts rumour mill.”

Mackenzie shyly said, “It is nice to meet you Mr. Hagrid.”

The large man smiled kindly, “Now, now… None of that Mr. business. It’s just Hagrid.”

After a while, the two cousins waved goodbye and returned to the castle.

---

As soon as they entered the Common Room, there was a commotion. They looked up to see an excited Seamus rush up to them. He exclaimed, “There you are Harry! Where were you?”

Harry replied, “Mackenzie asked me to clear up a few doubts in DADA, so I was helping her. Before that, I was trying to see if Colin managed to get a photograph of the attacker. Unfortunately, the film looks like its seen better days. Anyway, enough about me, what about you? You seem pretty excited.”

He exclaimed, “There’s a Duelling Club! The first meeting’s tonight! I wouldn’t mind duelling lessons, and they might come in handy someday. It’s at eight o’clock in the Great Hall!”

Harry asked, “Out of curiosity, will it just be regular duelling with wands? Or will there be something like sword-fighting or wrestling?”

He shrugged, “No clue, mate. But it sounds fun!”

Later on that evening, the whole of Second-Year gathered in the Great Hall. The long tables had disappeared, and right at the head of the room, was a golden stage. Harry spotted a familiar figure prancing around on stage and suppressed a groan. This time, Gilderoy Lockhart was sporting deep plum-coloured robes, and along with him, was Professor Snape. The Potions professor really looked like he would rather be elsewhere than tolerate the peacock.

Harry muttered to himself, “Oh for crying out loud! If this all goes tits up, I swear to Ares that I will start an underground fight club. Where the heck is Flitwick? Isn’t he a Duelling Champion?”

On the stage, Lockhart flamboyantly announced, “Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me and hear me? Excellent! Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this Duelling Club. The idea is to train you all, in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions! For full details, see my published works! Today, Professor Snape will be assisting me, as he knows a little bit about duelling. Don’t worry, you’ll still have your Potions Master by the time I’m through with him.”

Harry muttered to Ron, “I think everyone should worry about not having a DADA professor, by the end of this.”

The two faculty faced each other, and Lockhart gave a deep kowtow and brought his head, almost to the ground. Meanwhile, Snape simply inclined his head, never taking his eye off his opponent. Harry murmured, “Big mistake Lockhart… Never take your eye off your opponent. Even our youngest campers know that.”

Then, the two professors raised their wands as if they were swords. Lockhart lectured, “As you can see, we are holding our wands in the acceptable combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells and none of them will be lethal.”

They cast their respective spells, and Snape’s Expelliarmus blasted Lockhart off his feet. He flew off the stage and crashed against the wall, crumpling to the floor. There was a cry from most of the girls, and Hermione squealed, “Do you think he’s all right?”

Harry waved off her concerns, “He’s probably fine. Look! He’s getting up!”

Sure enough, Lockhart was on his feet and still had a smile plastered on his face. Staggering slightly, he said, “Well, there you have it! That was a Disarming Charm! As you see, I have lost my wand – ah! Thank you Ms Brown – Yes an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape. If you don’t mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy – however I felt it would be instructive to let them see…”

Snape’s expression clearly suggested that he was not in agreement. However, Lockhart didn’t notice, as he began splitting everyone into pairs. Hermione ended up facing Cassandra Vole, Ron was up against Seamus, Neville was facing Diego Caplan, and Harry found himself facing Padma Patil.

Lockhart ordered them to bow, and everyone did so. Harry bent his head in what he hoped was a respectful bow. However, he never took his eyes off the Indian girl. Before Lockhart could signal for them to start casting, he raised his hand. Snape glanced at him, “Yes, Mr. Potter?”

Harry queried, “Professors, are we allowed to dodge?”

The Potions professor raised an eyebrow and went to consult Lockhart. Finally, he turned back, “A valid point, Mr Potter… After all, nobody will be so dunderheaded to try and let an opponent’s spell land on them without avoiding. That being said, we want both sides to be disarmed at least once. Then you may try dodging the attacks.”

Then, he barked, “Begin!”

Harry struck first with his Disarming spell and he soon caught Padma’s wand. He then  handed her wand back and allowed her to chant, “Expelliarmus!” and his wand went flying towards her. Soon, he and Padma were dodging each other’s attacks. Elsewhere, there was a commotion where Malfoy was up against Talbott Winger. Malfoy fired a Tickling Charm, and Winger was able to choke out a Dancing Feet Spell, in retaliation. Other shenanigans included a few brawls erupting here and there, and Ron’s Spellotape-repaired wand, was acting up.

Then, the two professors began the next phase, where they wanted a mock-duel. Harry really should have seen it coming, but Snape chose Malfoy and Lockhart chose him. As they both walked to their respective ends of the stage, he spotted Snape whisper something in Malfoy’s ear. He also tuned out Lockhart’s own blustering attempts to explain blocking spells.

The two boys advanced, but both of them adopted very different postures. Malfoy was standing straight, with his wand arm extended. However, Harry crouched low with both arms out and his legs spread apart, as if he was ready to grapple. He brandished his wand with his left hand and waited for the moment to strike.

Malfoy struck first, sending a Knockback Jinx, but Harry used Protego to block it. He then fired back with a Stinging Jinx, forcing Malfoy on the defensive. Back and forth they kept going, when Harry quipped, “Hey Malfoy, I thought you ought to know something about me!”

The blond boy sneered, “What is it Potter? Are you finally admitting that I am your superior?”

Harry gave a cheeky smirk, “Actually, I… Am ambidextrous!”

With that, he swiftly transferred his wand to his right hand and resumed attacking. In the background, he heard Dean, Justin and a few Muggleborns burst into laughter. He also heard Hermione scoff, “Really Harry? You’re pulling a Princess Bride?”

Suddenly, Malfoy bellowed, “Serpensortia!”

On cue, the end of his wand exploded and a black mamba snake shot out of it. It fell heavily on the floor and raised itself, ready to strike. Harry gaped at Malfoy, clearly wondering if he was stupid. In his hesitation, Lockhart jumped forward, hoping to be useful, but only to end up pushing it further towards the crowd.

The demigod was about to call off the snake, but thought better of it. Instead, he thought quickly and bellowed, “Anima Adversario!”

His own wand exploded and a long furry animal burst forth, a mongoose. It landed on the ground and looked around bewildered, before finally rounding to face Harry. It chittered at him, “Son of the Hunt! What do you command of me?”

He began chittering and squeaking back at it, “There is a large black mamba which is about to attack my friends. I wish for you to attack the snake and keep it away. I would also prefer if you kill it.”

The mongoose shot off like a bullet and tackled the snake, just as it was about to strike at a terrified Justin Finch-Fletchley. The two animals rolled away, with the mamba hissing and snapping away at the mongoose. However, its thick hide was able to protect it. Eventually, it managed to bite the snake on the back of its neck and killed it.

The mongoose cleaned its bloody face and bounded towards Harry. It squeaked, “My task is done, Son of Artemis. The serpent shall not harm anyone else again!.”

He stroked it, “Thank you for your services.”

With a wave of his wand, he vanished the mongoose. Finally, he eyed the dead snake and got an idea. He cupped his hands over his mouth and gave a loud hoot, “Hedwig! I need your help!”

Less than ten seconds later, there was a sound of flapping, and a large owl-sized white blur burst into Great Hall. Hedwig swooped down and grasped the snake corpse in her talons and flew off. Unbeknownst to everyone, there was another blur right on Hedwig’s heels. That blur suddenly split up and Harry felt something burrow itself into his robe’s front pocket.

The whole Hall was dead silent for a few minutes. Suddenly, Malfoy adopted one of the most fake looks of terror, and blurted, “Potter’s a Parselmouth! Potter’s a Parselmouth!”

Hermione was on her feet in an instant, “He was talking to the mongoose and to his owl, you twit! Last I checked, mongooses don’t hiss! Also, I am pretty sure that snakes do not hoot!”

They were interrupted by another cry of surprise. This time it was Ron, “Bloody Hell! Is that what I think it is? I thought they were extinct!”

All eyes shifted to Harry, who was currently fussing over the Golden Snidget. The Snidget was nuzzling him happily and chirping away. He was also chirping back at it, when he noticed everyone staring at him. Harry glanced up and asked, “What?”.

Ron demanded, “Mate! Where the bloody hell did you manage to find a Golden Snidget! Many of us thought that they were extinct!”

Understanding dawned on his face, “Oh… Yeah… funny story that… I managed to rescue this little fellow from animal smugglers. I stowed away on a truck to Las Vegas and found that some Muggles were illegally smuggling an albino lion, a zebra and a gazelle. At the back of the truck, I found the Snidget in a cage. Of course, I freed the Snidget and hid him in my pocket while I informed the Muggle authorities about the other animals.”

Justin hesitantly asked, “Is what Malfoy saying, true? Are you a Parselmouth?”

He shook his head, “Of course not! I didn’t even speak to the snake even once! I could only speak with the mongoose, which is a known snake predator, my owl Hedwig, and this little fellow.”

Justin calmed, “Ahh okay. You had me worried for a minute.”

While all this was going on, Snape and Lockhart dismissed everyone.

---

As everyone walked back, the Gryffindors closed ranks around Harry, to stop everyone from staring at him. In the middle of the group, Harry scowled, “Typical… people will believe anything these days. Knowing my luck, Malfoy is probably going to twist this whole thing to make it seem like I’m a Parselmouth”

Lavender Brown spoke up from somewhere behind him, “Not on my watch, Harry! Parvati and I will try and counter him. I’m sure we can get Penny to help out. Besides, it’s his word against the three of us.”

She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Besides, Parvati, Penny and I control the whole gossip channel. You’re a nice guy, Harry. We’ll always back you up.”

His mood shifted slightly and he grinned at her, “Thanks Lavender! I owe you one!”

Inside the Common Room, Harry and Ron stayed up a while longer. Hermione had gone off to bed, as had Neville. Ron patted his friend’s back comfortingly, “Could have been a lot worse, mate. You could have told the snake to back off. But then that would have given everyone the wrong idea.”

He then looked around to make sure no one was listening. Ron murmured. “I have a feeling though, that Malfoy summoned that snake on purpose. Snape might have suspected something, because he was whispering something in Malfoy’s ear.”

Harry scowled, “Now he’s just being petty. When I spoke to my mum and dad in the Underworld, I found out that Snape used to be my mum’s neighbour and best friend. Turns out, he liked her as more than a friend and had a big rivalry with my dad.”

Ron shuddered, “I can’t imagine that greasy git with your mum.”

Harry continued, “Of course, it didn’t help that Dad, Uncle Sirius, Uncle Remus and Pettigrew, were major pranksters. Snape was often their target, so it seems that he still has a grudge. From what Mum said, Snape wasn't a helpless victim. He could give as well as he could take it.”

---

The very next day, Harry’s Charms lecture was just wrapping up, when Alicia Spinnet poked her head into the class. Flitwick nodded at her and she replied, “Sorry professor, I wanted to borrow Harry for a while. Professor Kettleburn heard a rumour that Harry rescued a Golden Snidget and wanted to ask him for his help in the Care of Magical Creatures class.”

Flitwick smiled, “Of course he can be excused, Ms Spinnet. Our lecture was almost finished anyway. Mr. Potter, do you have any lecture that could conflict with the Care of Magical Creatures class?”

Harry took out his schedule and consulted it. He shook his head, “No sir. I believe I have a free period. I can make it for the Care of Magical Creatures class. Thank you, professor.”

He soon followed his teammate out of the classroom. As they walked, Alicia asked, “There have been a number of different rumours flying around, Harry. According to the Slytherin camp, they believe that you’re a Parselmouth. However, other rumours refute this and say that you can talk to any animal. I wanted to hear it straight from the source. I mean, the Slytherins’ accusations have some wild insinuations.”

He rolled his eyes, “Let me guess, some people think that I’m the one who attacked Mrs Norris and Colin Creevey?”

She shrugged, “That’s what the Snakes are saying, and the other houses are pretty divided. Gryffindor’s firmly backing you, though.”

Finally, they reached the Care of Magical Creatures classroom, which was an open area, close to Hagrid’s hut. As they entered, a tall jovial man with grey hair and two artificial limbs spotted them. He briskly walked up to Harry and shook his hand vigorously with his one good arm.

He cheerfully said, “So you’re the one who rescued the Snidget? I have to tell you, when I visited Hagrid, I was in for quite a shock when I saw the little fellow happily fluttering around in his hut. As you know, Snidgets were thought to be extinct, so imagine my utter joy at finally seeing one in the flesh.”

Harry chuckled, “Believe me, sir… I was just as surprised when I found him and rescued him. Turns out, the smugglers thought that it was a rare golden hummingbird, or something.”

Kettleburn then said, “Mr. Potter, I was hoping that you could help out in this lesson about Golden Snidget.”

Harry grinned, “I would be delighted to, professor. Let me just fetch him. He usually stays with my owl, Hedwig, so I’ll fetch him from the Owlery.”

Five minutes later, he was back with the Snidget fluttering around him, nuzzling away. Once he arrived, Kettleburn began his lesson on Golden Snidgets. He delved into the history and what nearly drove the species into extinction. After a while, Harry shuffled away and carried out a private conversation with the Snidget. He suggested a few names and eventually settled on Buzz.

Finally, the lecture was over, so he walked back to the castle with the Fourth-Years. As they turned a corner, the Fourth-Year Care of Magical Creatures students and Harry, spotted a large gaggle of people.

---

They muscled their way through, and a horrifying sight greeted them. Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Near him was Nearly Headless Nick, except that he was not pearly white and transparent. Instead, his figure was black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock, mirroring Justin’s.

Harry sidled up to Neville, “What in Tartarus happened here?”

He breathed, “Don’t know… One of the Ravenclaws found him and Nick like that. Where were you?”

Harry gestured to Alicia and the other Fourth-Years. He said, “I was with them the whole time in Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Kettleburn needed my help because he was teaching them about the Golden Snidget. Before that, I was in Charms with you guys. My alibi is secure”

In the background, Harry heard more sounds, “It’s here! It’s here! It’s here! Run! Run! Run!”

He glanced to the side to see another line of spiders heading somewhere. Finally, Sirius showed up and took him aside, “Hey kiddo, what can you tell me about the attacks?”

Harry shrugged, “I don’t know. When Colin was attacked, I was in the Gryffindor Common Room with everyone else. According to Mackenzie, he had just gone to develop his photographs. As for Justin, I was at Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Kettleburn needed my help because he found out about my Snidget. Come to think of it, everyone knows about it.”

Sirius guided him away from the scene, “Come on… We’ll talk to Dumbledore and present our findings to him.”

In the Headmaster’s Office, Albus Dumbledore greeted the two. He nodded, “Sirius… Harry… I wish this were under better circumstances. Is there anything you can tell me?”

Harry pinpointed his own whereabouts during the crimes. Then he said, “Also, I did some digging and found something weird. There’s a lot of spiders leaving the castle and they were all screaming to run away. I might have a theory. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s the best I’ve got. Are you familiar with Greek Mythology?”

They shook their heads and Harry continued, “I think it might be a Gorgon, because they are well-known for their petrifying gaze. Heck, before the Summer Solstice, myself and a few other demigods had an encounter with Medusa. She told us that her sisters died millennia ago, but she may have been lying.”

Dumbledore stroked his beard, “I see… I do hope you have a more solid theory, Mr. Potter. We cannot afford to rush in blindly. The consequences could be disastrous. I am already doing everything I can to keep the Board of Governors from interfering and potentially jeopardising the situation. Also, I’d suggest you also look into the odd behaviour of the spiders. It may be nothing or it could mean anything.”

Harry nodded and thumped a fist over his chest. He firmly said, “Not to worry, Professor Dumbledore. I will continue my investigate and get to the bottom of it. Sirius, I’ll also coordinate with you if I get any information.”

---

Over the next few days, the whispers and finger pointing got even worse. It got to a point where he actively began going out under his Invisibility Cloak. Sometime in late November, he was in the library when he heard an interesting conversation.

He sneaked closer and found a few of his Hufflepuff year-mates arguing. Harry heard Ernie Macmillan say, “It’s got to be Potter who’s doing the attacking! You all heard that he’s a Parselmouth. It’s a sure-fire sign that he’s a Dark Lord. I also heard from Nott, who heard from Malfoy, that Potter conjured a snake in the duel and attempted to get it to bite Justin. Then, he did some freaky dark magic and got some other animals to attack him. Malfoy tried to warn us about Potter.”

Susan shot back, “That makes no sense! He defeated You-Know-Who. So that should clear him!”

Zacharias Smith spoke, “Maybe Potter was afraid of the competition when he killed You-Know-Who. Potter’s got to be after all the Muggleborns.”

Hannah also snapped, “Macmillan, Smith, you do realise that one of his best friends, is a Muggleborn, right? Also, were you even watching the same duel that I was? Besides, Granger said that Potter was talking to another animal, not a snake. Who are you going to believe? Someone who is actively antagonistic towards Harry Potter, or someone who is his best friend? Also, Penny, didn’t you say that he has a cousin who is a Muggleborn?”

Penny Haywood nodded, “Yes. Mackenzie Dursley. And Harry’s pretty protective of her. Remember when some Slytherin Seventh-Years attempted to attack her, he hexed them back. Also, if I’m not mistaken, Harry’s not a Parselmouth. According to some of my sources, during the duel, Malfoy was the one who summoned the snake. Harry conjured a mongoose and asked it to kill the snake. Then he got his owl to get rid of the snake’s corpse. Did you also miss the fact that he rescued, quite possibly one of the last Golden Snidgets in the Wizarding World? That should count for something.”

Diego Caplan spoke up, “Another big hole in your theory is Potter’s relationship with the victims. Potter and Justin were pretty friendly and bonded over something called Aneemay. No idea what that is. Also, he was pretty alright with that Creevey kid, even if the Firstie can be a little annoying, Finally, there’s Mrs. Norris. Now it’s no secret that everyone hates Filch and Norris. However, I found something odd. Mrs. Norris usually leaves Potter alone. I think he’s just scarily good with animals.”

Having heard enough, Harry snuck away and returned to his Common Room.

---

A week before the Christmas holidays, Harry finally got a chance to interact with Pansy Parkinson. During the Potions lecture, he found himself partnering Daphne Greengrass. Close to the end of class, he quickly scribbled a note on a piece of parchment when Snape’s back was turned. He slowly pushed it towards Greengrass, who read it. It said, “Tell Parkinson that I am calling in that favour. She knows what I am talking about. Have her meet in the courtyard during lunch.”

An hour later, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were hanging around in the Courtyard when they heard footsteps. They looked up and spotted Pansy Parkinson walking up to them. However, she was not alone, because Daphne, Tracey Davis, Blaise Zabini and Cassandra Vole accompanied her.

Harry stood up and raised his arms, to show that he was unarmed and to reassure the Slytherins. He said, “At ease, we’re not here for a fight. We just want to talk.”

Daphne drawled, “Forgive us, Potter, but we’re Slytherins. We don’t trust anyone outside our house.”

Pansy spoke up, “It’s okay, Daphne. I have no choice. I owe Potter a Life Debt and he was merely calling it in.”

That took all of the Slytherins by surprise and Blaise uttered, “Wow… I did not see that coming.”

Harry spoke, “Look… I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t desperate. As you can tell from the Hogwarts rumour mill, I’m a suspect behind the petrification attacks.”

Cassandra snorted, “Yes we heard… Malfoy was busy crowing about it in our Common Room. Most of our housemates are gullible idiots, as well as many other students, but we know better. Potter, we know that you have literally no reason to attack the victims. You and Finch-Fletchley were friends, you also treated the Creevey boy in a friendly manner, even though he can be annoying. Don’t bother denying it, you know it’s true. Finally, you’re the only student who Mrs. Norris leaves alone. At the time, we couldn’t understand why. However, the Duelling Club incident gave up a massive clue, you can talk to, or understand any animal.”

Tracey piped up next, “We’re still trying to figure out how the hell you’ve managed to inherit it. As far as we know, Zoolingualism is not a Potter family trait.”

Harry smirked, “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”

She pouted, “Worth a shot.”

Then Harry got serious, “My friends think that Malfoy might be behind it. Especially since he’s been very vocal about there being Muggleborns in Hogwarts. I personally believe that Malfoy’s all talk, but I do think that he is indirectly involved. I was hoping that you could find out some more about this Heir of Slytherin business. I personally just want the attacks to stop and find out the true culprit. At the same time, I can clear by own name.”

Pansy nodded immediately, “I’ll help you. But I don’t know about…”

The other Slytherins conversed with each other before Blaise gave a single nod, “We’ll help as well. Pansy’s our ally, and her business is our business.”

Harry smiled, “Thank you… I know that I’m really asking a lot out of you all, but like I said, I’m desperate. Can you all please try and find out as much as you can about this whole Heir of Slytherin and the Chamber of Secrets?”

Pansy acknowledged, “We will.”

Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Very soon, Christmas arrived and several people were going home. Among the departees were Neville and Hermione. Katie and Mackenzie also stayed back, along with the rest of the Weasleys. More importantly, Malfoy and his posse were staying back as well.

All that meant was that it was the perfect time for Pansy and her friends to spy on the blond boy. A few days later, The quartet were at lunch in the Great Hall when a shadow briefly passed over Harry and he felt something flutter onto his lap.

Subtly looking down, he saw a note and sneakily opened it. It read, “Have news. Meet in the library after lunch. Bring W with you. Will be there with G and Z.”

An hour later, Harry and Ron headed to the library. Inside, they spotted Pansy Parkinson, along with Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini. She spotted him as well, but subtly motioned for them to sit at the next table. Shrugging, Harry and Ron obeyed and sat down, with Harry’s back to Pansy.

She murmured, “Got to keep up appearances. We can’t be seen having friendly relations with anyone outside of Slytherin, especially not with Gryffindors and especially not with you, Potter. Nothing personal, but if Malfoy were to find out, he would make our lives a living hell.”

Harry whispered back, “Understood, what do you have for us?”

Daphne replied, “Potter, your suspicions were right. He has no idea who is behind the attacks. However, his father does, though he has been tight-lipped about the culprit’s identity. We listened in while he was talking to Snyde and Murk. All we know is, the Chamber was opened around 50 years ago and one student died. We also found out that the Ministry of Magic raided Malfoy Manor last week.”

Blaise chipped in, “They didn’t find much, but Malfoy being the loudmouth twat that he is, boasted of various Dark Arts objects. Even revealed something about secret chambers under his drawing room floor.”

They all sat around in silence for another 15 minutes before Harry and Ron got up. The demigod said, “Thank you for your help. We need to try and get to the bottom of this.”

Daphne said, “I hope the attacks stop soon. I don’t want Hogwarts to close down.”

---

Very soon, the Christmas holidays passed by, and Neville and Hermione were back. As the days passed, Harry stepped up Ron and Hermione’s training. Ron was getting better and better with the spear, while Hermione had a preference for daggers. Even Neville joined in, and his preferred choice of weapon was a sword.

One day, he and Neville were facing each other in their first friendly spar. Harry lectured as he held his practice sword, “Remember Nev, always wait for your opponent to strike first. That way, you can read their body language and identify any weak spots to exploit.”

With that, he lunged and Neville somehow parried the sword strike. Harry advanced, “Here’s another tip. When you have a shorter blade, get in closer. Jackson taught me that and he learnt that from Luke. That’s it… Parry, Parry, Thrust!”

Eventually, Harry was able to disarm Neville and pointed his sword at the other boy’s throat. Ron whistled in the background, “Bloody hell, Harry! You’re pretty good with a sword.”

Harry waved him off, “Actually, I’m not. Sword fighting is one of my primary weaknesses. Haven’t been able to find a sword that has the right balance for me.”

Hermione cocked her head curiously, “Is that important? I mean, surely you can pick up any sword and start fighting.”

He shook his head, “I’m afraid not. If the sword is too light, you won’t be able to control it. On the other hand, if it’s too heavy, then it will be difficult to lift, and you will be a liability in the battlefield. Anyway, good spar. We have a lot of work to do. We’ll pick this up tomorrow.”

As they walked back, and Harry hid the weapons, they entered the castle. They clambered up the stairs when they heard angry mutterings from Filch. He complained, “Not again! This one will be the death of me! Piling on even more work on me! Mopping all night, like I haven’t got enough to do! No, this is the final straw! I’m going to Dumbledore-“

The angry rant was cut off by a loud door slam and the four poked their heads around the corner. Then they spotted what the caretaker had been whining about. There was a great flood of water, stretched over half of the corridor. The source was Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, as usual. The quartet could even hear the ghost wailing inside.

Ron grumbled, “Now what’s up with her?”

Harry shrugged, “Let’s go and find out.”

They all stepped in and found her bawling her eyes out in her usual toilet. Harry hesitantly approached the ghost, “Hello Myrtle, are you alright?”

She petulantly sobbed, “Who’s that? Come to throw something else at me?”

Harry chuckled slightly, “Son or not, Mother would turn me into a jackalope if I ever dared to hit a girl. Who threw the book then?”

She shouted, “Don’t ask me! Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it’s funny to throw a book at me.”

Ron tactlessly said, “But surely you won’t feel a thing when someone throws something.”

The others winced, and Myrtle went ballistic. She shrieked, “Oh yes! Let’s all throw books at Myrtle, because she can’t feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! What a jolly game!”

Harry raised his hands placatingly, “Hey, I’m sorry for my friend, Myrtle. He has a tendency to speak without thinking. Where is that book anyway?”

Moaning Myrtle sullenly pointed and they walked over to it. Not wanting to take any chances, Hermione checked the book for Jinxes before Harry picked it up. They noted that it was a diary and it was fifty years old, belonging to one T.M. Riddle.

Ron observed, “Hold on… I know that name! T.M. Riddle got a special services award around 50 years ago. I got in detention earlier this year, and Filch made me polish the shield bearing his name, until it shone.”

Harry flipped through the pages, “It’s blank. Not a single entry in the diary at all. Maybe someone flushed it down the toilet because they saw that it was someone else’s. But that doesn’t make sense. Surely they would have given it to a professor or started writing in it, themselves. This Riddle bloke must have forgotten about it too, seeing that he never came back to reclaim it even once in 50 years.”

Having not gleaned anything from the diary right there in the bathroom, Harry pocketed it. As they walked back to their Common Room, he mused, “I wonder what the award for special services was about.”

Ron grunted, “Could have been anything. Maybe he cleared every O.W.L with distinction or saved a teacher from the giant squid.”

Just then, Hermione adopted a thoughtful look, “The Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago right? And this diary is also fifty years old?”

“Yeah?” Ron replied.

“Well what if this Tom Riddle knew about who opened the Chamber of Secrets? Maybe the Award for Special Services was for catching the Heir of Slytherin. The diary will probably tell us where the Chamber is, how to open it, and what sort of monster lives in it.”

Harry was already checking the diary and flipping through the pages as she continued her excited tirade. He interrupted her, “That’s a solid theory, Hermione, except there is one major hole. There’s nothing written in the diary. It’s completely blank.”

Unperturbed, she cast a few detection spells, checking for invisible ink. However, that turned up nothing at all, so she changed tactics and used a bright red eraser, which she called a ‘Revealer’. However, that turned out nothing at all.

In the end, they elected to investigate it another time.

---

Over the next few days, Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione tried their hardest to extract as much information from the diary, but to no avail. They even visited the trophy room and had a look at the plaque celebrating Tom Riddle and his many accomplishments.

Overall, things seemed very quiet over the next couple of weeks. One day, Harry was writing his Potions homework when he accidentally knocked over his inkwell. Fortunately, he prevented his homework from being ruined, as Snape was a hard taskmaster. However, not everything was saved, as the diary got a generous dousing. He frantically opened the book, only for an unbelievable sight to greet his eyes. The massive ink blot shone briefly before steadily melting into the book. Sadly, he did not have any more time to delve into the mystery because he spotted Percy Weasley enter the Common Room and announce that it was time for bed.

January flew by quickly, and February arrived. Things were relatively quiet, as there were no attacks, but everyone was still on edge. The school was also clearly divided into two camps, The first consisted of those who blindly believed Malfoy’s crazed rambling about him being a Parselmouth. The other camp was the group who believed that he was innocent. He had Lavender, Parvati and Penny to thank, for running interference. Harry made a mental note to send them Thank You cards for Valentine’s Day.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, Lockhart had the ‘brilliant’ idea to introduce a morale-booster. On February 14th, he and Ron entered the Great Hall, to see it completely transformed and unrecognisable. The walls were adorned with lurid pink flowers, heart-shaped confetti cascading from the ceiling and pink wallpaper plastered everywhere.

Harry murmured, “Gods above! Did Aphrodite sneak in and decorate this place? Even she is not this garish.”

Ron looked like he was about to hurl, as they both sat down next to Hermione and Neville. The boy was simply looking around, bemused, and the girl was overcome with giggles. Then he looked over at the head table and blanched. Lockhart was standing there, grinning like a loon, wearing robes, whose colours matched the walls. He was the only one in good spirits, while the other professors looked like they would rather be elsewhere.

Lockhart yammered excitedly, “Happy Valentine’s Day! And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards. I have taken the liberty to arrange this all, just for you! Guess what! It does not end there!”

He clapped his hands and the doors opened slowly. On cue, about a dozen surly-looking dwarves ambled in, and they were wearing golden wings and were carrying harps. Lockhart explained that the dwarves would deliver everyone’s valentines greetings.

Spotting a scarlet Hermione, Harry shot her a teasing grin as they got up to leave after breakfast. He said, “Let me guess, you were the first one to send Lockhart a Valentine’s card?”

Turning even redder, she mumbled, “I was the fourth one…”

Harry and Ron sniggered until they couldn't hold it in any more and began howling in laughter, clutching each other’s backs. Hermione simply gave them the stink-eye, though that effect was ruined by her apple-red face. In the afternoon, he was in the Courtyard with the others when a dwarf trotted up to him. He grunted, “You, Harry Potter?”

Harry fought down his blush, as there were a bunch of First-Year Gryffindors within earshot, including Mackenzie. He groaned, “Fine… Let’s get this over with.”

It sang horribly off-key, “His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad. His hair is dark as a blackboard. I wish he was mine, he’s really divine. The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.”

Unfortunately, Malfoy, Snyde and their cronies turned up and were guffawing away. Harry simply ignored them and walked away, but not before noticing Ginny’s scarlet face.

---

Not much happened afterwards, but he did bump into Ginny and Mackenzie in the Common Room, quite literally.

Mackenzie asked, “Are you okay, Harry?”

He smiled at her, “Perfectly fine, Kenzie. Oh by the way, Ginny. I appreciate the sentiment, but next time, I’d prefer a more personal Valentine’s gift. Good effort though!”

The youngest Weasley’s face reddened once again and he walked back up to his dorm, while they left to go somewhere else. He headed to his dorm, which was empty, and fished out the diary from his trunk, with the odd scene of the disappearing ink, wafting back into his memory. Eager to test out his theory, he wrote, “My name is Harry Potter.”

Just like before, the words shone briefly and disappeared. However, his eyes soon widened when different words appeared in front of him. “Hello Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle, How did you come by my diary?”

Harry wrote back, “Someone tried to flush it down a toilet.”

The book replied, “Lucky that I recorded my memories in a more lasting way than ink. I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

“What sort of things? There are some strange goings on this year. Something about the Chamber of Secrets. Do you know anything about it?”

“Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was nothing but a legend, and it did not exist. They lied. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who’d opened the Chamber and he was expelled. However, Headmaster Armando Dippet forbade me from telling the truth, out of shame that such a thing had taken place at Hogwarts. In the end, the ‘official’ story was that the girl died in a freak accident. All I got was a nice, shiny trophy for my trouble and warned to maintain my silence. However, I knew that it would happen again. The monster was never killed and the one who had the power to release it, was not imprisoned.”

Harry replied back, “Already, there have been three attacks. No one knows who’s behind it. Do you know who it was who opened the Chamber last time?”

“I can show you if you like. You don’t have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him.”

With that, Harry was suddenly sucked into the book. When he managed to regain his footing, he found himself in a familiar room, Professor Dumbledore’s office. The only difference was that there was someone else sitting on the headmaster’s chair.

The man in front of him was a frail-looking wizard, who was bald, except for a few wisps of white hair. Harry tried to get the man’s attention, but got ignored until it hit him that he was in a memory.

Soon, there was a knock on the door and a sixteen-year old boy with a silver prefect badge walked in.

The headmaster said, “Ahh, Mr. Riddle!”

The boy nervously asked, “You wished to see me, Professor Dippet?”

“Yes, do sit down. I was just going through the letter that you sent me. My dear boy, I cannot possibly allow you to stay in school over the summer. Surely you wish to go home for the holidays?”

The boy was a little defiant, “No, I’d much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that – to that –”

“Oh yes, I forgot that you live in a Muggle orphanage. Are you, by chance, a Muggle-born?”

Riddle reddened a little, “No sir, I’m a half-blood. Muggle father, witch mother. My mother died just after I was born, sir. The orphanage told me that she lived long enough to name me Tom, after my father, and Marvolo after my grandfather.”

Dippet nodded, “I see, I understand where you are coming from, I truly do. I would have been more than willing to make special arrangements for you, but circumstances changed.”

Riddle tilted his head, “You are referring to the recent attacks, right sir?”

“Precisely, my boy. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to stay in such a treacherous environment. Particularly in light of the recent tragedy. That poor girl who died… You orphanage would be far safer than Hogwarts, at this juncture. Furthermore, there are rumours that the Ministry of Magic is planning to close down the school. Unfortunately, we are no nearer to locating the – er – source of all this unpleasantness.”

Riddle nodded, “I understand, sir. What if the culprit was caught, sir?”

Dippet gazed at him sharply, “What do you mean? Is there something that you wish to tell me?”

Riddle hurriedly shook his head, “N-no sir!”

Harry wasn’t convinced, but Headmaster Dippet was certainly placated. He simply gestured towards the door, “You may go, Tom.”

Riddle left, and Harry decided to follow him. He observed the Sixth-Year student as he bit his lip and scrunched his forehead in thought. Just then, he paused, and then hurried off in one direction, with Harry tailing him. They didn’t meet anyone along the way, but once they reached the Great Hall, they ran into a tall wizard with sweeping auburn hair and a long beard.

When he spoke, Harry recognised him as Professor Dumbledore, immediately. Dumbledore said, “What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?”

Tom Riddle replied, “The headmaster requested an audience with me.”

He fixed the student with a penetrating stare, “Very well… hurry off to bed. Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since…”

Dumbledore big Riddle goodnight and walked away. Meanwhile, Tom Riddle continued on and headed straight for the dungeons. The boy entered a hidden passageway and stood, as if he was waiting for something, or someone.

Soon, they heard a shuffling in the main passage and someone muttering, “Come on… Got to get you out of here. Come on now, in the box.”

Harry could have sworn he had heard that voice from somewhere. Riddle made his move and stepped out of his hiding place, with Harry following him. He confronted a large boy crouching in front of an open door, with a big wooden box next to him.

Riddle drawled, “Hello Rubeus…”

His voice startled the other boy, and Harry was shocked to see none other than Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid yelped, “What are you doing down here, Tom?”

Riddle advanced towards him, ”It’s all over. I’m going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They’re talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don’t stop. Now I know you didn’t mean to kill anyone. But you have to understand that monsters don’t make good pets. I’m assuming that you let it out for some exercise, and it just–”

Hagrid cried, “It never killed no one!”

He made to block the door, and Harry could hear some bewildered voice saying, “Wh-what’s going on? What’s happening?”

Riddle continued, “Come on Rubeus, be reasonable. The dead girl’s parents will be here tomorrow. The least that Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter, is slaughtered…”

Hagrid roared, “It wasn’t him! He wouldn’t! He never!”

Tom Riddle finally lost patience and used his wand to knock Hagrid aside and blow the door open. At the same time, a large hairy body with a tangle of black legs, many eyes and razor sharp pincers, scuttled out at top speed. It yelled out, “Freedom!!!”

With that, Harry was blasted back out of the book, where he sat panting. He couldn’t believe his ears, Hagrid of all people, was accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets! Then he thought about the large figure that ran off. It was an Acromantula, a creature that he recognised from the few Care of Magical Creatures classes that he attended.

With the book in hand, he descended down the stairs of his dorm and made his way to the portrait, Just then, it opened and he crashed into Mackenzie and Ginny, sending the three of them tumbling down. He laughed, “We’ve got to stop meeting like this, Kenzie! This is getting to be a habit. Anyway, have you seen, Ron, Hermione or Neville?”

His cousin replied, “I think I saw them in the library. We just got back from there.”

Harry nodded and left through the portrait. Just then, Mackenzie noticed a black book on the floor, “Oh! I think Harry forgot about this book! He must have dropped it when he bumped into us.”

Ginny snatched it up, “I-It’s okay! I can give it to him.”

Mackenzie tilted her head curiously, “Are you sure? I mean, you still can’t talk to him normally without reducing yourself into a blushing mess. Maybe it’s better if I-”

Ginny interrupted, “No-no! I can handle it!”

Her friend shrugged, “If you say so.”

Meanwhile with Harry, his mind was still reeling as he entered the library. He slid next to Neville, who was doing his homework. Ron and Hermione were doing the same, when they noticed him. Ron raised his eyebrows and whispered, “You okay mate? You look like you’ve seen a dementor.”

Harry murmured back, “The book started writing back. Turns out, it preserved the memories of what happened 50 years ago. However, something’s still really dodgy about this whole situation. I believe Hagrid was accused of opening the chamber last time, and the monster was an Acromantula.”

Ron shuddered, “Bloody hell! The man’s mental for thinking that Acromantulas are good pets. But how do you know that the monster is not an Acromantula?”

Hermione piped up, “First of all, if its Slytherin’s monster, then it has to be a snake-like monster. Acromantulas are far from snakes. Also, I don’t think they petrify their victims. I have a feeling that Hagrid was just a scapegoat in the whole matter.”

Later on after classes, the quartet were hanging around in the Great Hall, when they spotted Sirius enter. He made a bee-line for them straightaway and he looked pretty mad. He slid in next to Neville and they asked what was wrong. Sirius scowled, “The Minister for Magic is on his way here. I believe the last time the Chamber was opened, Hagrid was involved. Cornelius Fudge is about to fudge up this entire investigation, simply because he wants the ‘Ministry to be seen doing something’. My boss, Amelia Bones, is doing everything in her power to stall him. I’m just the advance party. Come on, kiddo. Let’s go to see Hagrid and straighten this out.”

Harry got up, “Do you want my friends to come with us?”

Sirius stopped and thought, “Better not risk it. I can vouch for you because you have been helping us directly with the investigation. I even got Madam Bones to sign off on it, especially when you pointed out details that we missed. However, I can’t really vouch for your friends, because Fudge might not listen, thinking that you are all just little children. Don’t worry though, Harry will fill you in on the situation.”

He and Sirius made their way over to Hagrid’s hut, while Hermione headed to the Library again. Ron and Neville elected to stay in the Great Hall. Before she left though, Harry said, “Make sure you carry a mirror with you. It should hopefully protect you from a Gorgon’s stare/ That is, if the monster is a Gorgon”. She walked away muttering, ‘Acromantulas… Acromantulas…’.

---

Sirius knocked, and the door flew open, revealing Hagrid with a crossbow aimed at them. Instinctively, Harry brought out his shield and made to protect himself and Sirius. Seeing who it was, Hagrid was a little sheepish and closed the door behind them. He said, “Sorry, sorry. Was expecting someone else, or something else. I still haven’t caught the blighter who’s been killing my roosters.”

Sirius spoke out, “Hagrid old friend, there’s no easy way to say this. You know what’s been happening in the school, right? Apparently, our investigations revealed that something similar happened nearly 50 years ago.”

Hagrid caught on to what Sirius was saying, and his face paled, “Now wait just a minute… I would never… Aragog would never.”

Harry interrupted, “Who’s Aragog?”

The larger man clamped his hand over his mouth. Then he mumbled, “He was my pet Acromantula. But he would never-”

Harry raised his arms placatingly and said, “I believe you, Hagrid. As far as I’m aware, Acromantulas don’t petrify their victims. I’m willing to bet that the culprit is a Gorgon. Heck, three of my demigod friends and I fought and managed to kill Medusa.”

Hagrid stared nervously at the windows, and Sirius noticed it. He said, “It’s okay Hagrid. We’re so close to cracking this case. I know that Fudge has been pushing for Azkaban, but Amelia insisted that the Ministry holding cells are a better option. Like Harry said, Acromantulas don’t petrify people.”

Just then, there was another knock on the door, and Sirius opened it. In walked Headmaster Dumbledore, and a man in a pinstripe suit, scarlet tie, long black cloak and pointed purple boots. To cap off the bizarre look, he wore a lime-green bowler hat. A third person entered, and the demigod recognised the newcomer as Madam Amelia Bones.

Fudge looked at Harry and raised an eyebrow, “Mr Black? What is a child doing in here? This is adult business! Don’t you have classes to go to?”

Sirius grabbed Harry’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. He coolly said, “Actually Minister Fudge, Harry is here on my request. He has been actively helping me and the other Aurors in the investigation, and is proving to be a valuable asset.”

Fudge only nodded before sighing, “Very well then, what have you discovered?”

Harry asked him, “Before I begin, I have to ask, when Hagrid was expelled 50 years ago, what was the creature that was accused of the attacks?”

Fudge explained, as if Harry was an idiot, “What does it matter, dear boy? Mr Hagrid has a tendency to think of any dangerous beast as a cuddly little Crup.”

Harry replied, “I’m not denying that, Minister Fudge. I simply asked, because I have a few theories in mind.”

He declared, “It was an Acromantula. Bloody dangerous bugs, they are. Those things ought to be exterminated!”

Dumbledore spoke calmly, “Minister Fudge? Perhaps we can watch our tongues here. Mr Potter is 12 years old after all, and needn’t pick up such language.”

He blanched, “Apologies…”

Suddenly, a final figure entered the hut casually swinging a fancy cane, it was Lucius Malfoy. He drawled, “Already here? Good, good. I arrived as quickly as I could, and was told that the headmaster was here. Anyway, what were we discussing?”

Fudge brightened, “Well, Mr Potter has supposedly been helping in the ongoing investigation. He is aware of the previous accusation of Mr Hagrid and wished to know what kind of monster he had in his possession. I already told him that it was an Acromantula.”

Malfoy spoke condescendingly, “And what… is Mr. Potter’s ‘expert’ advice and his deduction?”

Unfazed, Harry continued, “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but Acromantulas are not known for petrifying students. As far as I’m aware, they are known for biting their victim and poisoning them. So I really don’t know if Hagrid’s pet Acromantula is the culprit. If I had to take a guess, then my biggest suspect would be gorgons.”

Malfoy Sr. sneered, “And how would you know this? If I’m not mistaken, you are just in Second Year, and too young to study an elective like Care of Magical Creatures.”

Harry shrugged, “Well sir, I have to confess that I have an affinity for animals. I’ve also been assisting Professor Kettleburn with a few lectures. I’ve grown up, mostly in the outdoors and fairly close to nature. Additionally, my care-givers were fairly fond of Ancient Greek mythology.”

Malfoy pushed, “You say that you are good with animals? Any in particular?”

Harry looked him firmly in the eye and said, “Sir, if you are insinuating what I think you are, allow me to allay your concerns.”

With that, he gave a sharp whistle, and a minute later, a small golden blur shot in. It stopped in front of Harry briefly, before darting forward and nuzzling the left side of his jaw. Hagrid and Professor Dumbledore looked absolutely delighted, with the latter’s eyes twinkling. Sirius didn’t react, because he was a little used to it. However, Fudge and Madam Bones’ jaws had dropped, and even Malfoy Sr was stunned.

As it alighted on his left finger, Harry stroked it gently with his right hand. He explained, “A few months ago, some friends and I managed to stumble upon an animal smuggling ring and I happened to discover this little guy. Of course, we saved the animals, but this one grew a little attached to me.”

After his explanation, Harry could not help noticing that Malfoy clenched his cane a little. Madam Bones interrupted, “Mr. Potter, this is all very fascinating, but I think we have wandered off the point. I will take your findings into account. For now though, I would recommend that Mr Hagrid be taken in for questioning and be held in a Ministry cell. If there are any further attacks in his absence, then we will release him.”

Fudge blustered, “Madam Bones! We at the Ministry are under a lot of pressure! We have to be seen doing something!”

She fixed her monocled eye on him, “Minister Fudge! Do not presume to tell my Aurors and I, how to do our duties! You forget, I have a niece in this school! Auror Black has his godson, and Mr. Malfoy has his own son studying in this school!”

He backed off immediately. Then Malfoy drawled, “Headmaster, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I almost forgot. The Board of Governors are worried about the attacks. So, they have collectively decided that it is time for you to step aside. Hence, we have decided to hand out an Order of Suspension. I also met with Professor McGonagall, who has just informed me that there has just been another attack. This time two students were involved. Unfortunately, I do not know their identities, as yet.”

Harry was shocked and turned to Sirius, “Uncle Sirius? May I go and analyse the crime scene?”

Sirius nodded in assent, but just before he left, Dumbledore spoke up. He said, “Mr. Potter, I shall go with you. Since I have been essentially dismissed, I had better head up to my office and pack up. I think it’s time for a vacation. I hear that Long Island is beautiful at this time of the year.”

He gave a subtle wink at Harry, before continuing, “Mr. Potter, walk with me, please.”

---

As the two walked back to the castle, Ron came rushing up, with his eyes wide in terror. He exclaimed, “Harry! There you are! Neville and I have been looking for you everywhere! There’s been a double attack and-”

Dumbledore calmly interrupted him, “Mr. Weasley, we are aware of what has transpired, right under our noses. The head of the Board of Governors has immediately ordered my dismissal, owing to the evolving situation.”

Ron was aghast, “B-But sir! With you gone, there will be no one to protect the Muggleborns!”

He gave them a gentle smile, “Mr Weasley and Mr Potter. Do not weep that I’m gone. You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts, to those who ask for it. Oh, and before I forget, remember when you spoke about the spiders leaving the castle? I’d suggest you look into that and follow them.”

With that, he parted ways with them, leaving Harry and Ron alone. Then Harry asked, “Hey Ron, what were you so panicked about?”

Ron’s face fell, “Harry, it’s Hermione… She is one of the latest victims, along with the Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater.”

Harry reeled back in shock and collapsed on the ground. He breathed, “Wh-Where are they?”

Notes:

Just found out about Robbie Coltrane last night. Rest in peace you absolute legend. Say hi to Alan Rickman and Helen McCrory for us

Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Harry rushed straight to the Hospital Wing, with Ron right on his heels. Sure enough, he spotted his bushy-haired best friend lying utterly still. Her eyes were open and glassy, with her right arm outstretched. Neville was sitting by her bedside when they came in.

He glanced over as Harry and Ron sank down next to him. Neville reached into his pocket and pressed the mirror into Harry’s hand, “Looks like she used it, but doesn’t seem to have made a difference. What now?”

Harry stood up abruptly, “We really get to the bottom of this mystery. Remember I mentioned that Hagrid had a pet Acromantula? If it’s still around, it could tell us who the real culprit is.”

Ron’s knees shook, “Y-you serious, mate? W-why did it have to be spiders, of all things! Couldn’t it have been butterflies or something?”

Harry sighed, “I know it’s hard, mate. Don’t worry, I’ll have your back. I’ll ask Katie to come as backup. Nev, you’re coming too, right?”

The pudgy boy nodded vigorously, “Absolutely! We’ll do this for Hermione. I hope we finally get to crack this mystery once and for all.”

The next day, they happened to run into Hannah, Susan and Ernie Macmillan. The boy stepped forward with an embarrassed expression, Susan had crossed her arms and given her housemate the stink-eye, and Hannah was tapping her foot expectantly. Hannah glared at Ernie and said, “Harry, I think SOMEONE needs to get something off their chest.”

Ernie sheepishly said, “I just want to say, Harry, that I’m sorry for ever suspecting you. These two have been trying to talk some sense into me for ages, and its finally hit home. I know for a fact that you’d never attack Hermione. I wanted to apologise for the stuff that I said.”

Harry said nothing for a while before he finally said, “I will forgive you this time. But I will never forget this. Next time, use your brains instead of jumping to conclusions and believing anything from the rumour mill.”

If anything, Malfoy was even more insufferable than usual. It took everything in their power to not hex him on the spot. Three days after the double-attack, in the Great Hall he loudly proclaimed, “I’m quite surprised the Mudbloods haven’t all packed their bags by now. Bet you five Galleons that the next one dies. Pity it wasn’t Granger.”

On cue, the taboo activated, deducting 150 points from Slytherin. Harry restrained Ron before loudly saying, “Malfoy, say that filthy word one more time and I will not hesitate shoot another boxing glove arrow at you. Maybe this time, I'll aim it where the sun don't shine.”

---

A few days later, Macmillan sidled up to them in Herbology. He asked, “Malfoy seems awfully smug about all of this? Do you think he’s the Heir of Slytherin? Bloke’s been throwing around that slur like Halloween candy.”

Harry scoffed, “In my honest opinion, Malfoy’s all talk. He’s nothing but a braggart. His father on the other hand, is pretty shady.”

Ernie shrugged, “Got that right, Bloke gives me the creeps, that one. I'm a Pureblood as well, and my folks happened to meet him at a Ministry function. Oh I say! What’s that?”

Harry looked and spotted a trail of spiders scuttling away. He murmured, “Bunch of spiders. Look like they’re headed for the Forbidden Forest. I wonder why though…”

That night, Harry, Ron and Neville silently crept downstairs from their dorms after curfew. Fortunately, Katie was waiting for them in the Common Room. Harry handed his Invisibility Cloak to Ron and Neville, “Here… You two will need it more than us. Us Hunters have been trained for stealth. After all, can’t have our prey be alerted of our presence, and we don't all have the luxury of an Invisibility Cloak.”

Eventually, they all crept out of the portrait and padded silently down the corridors. Harry and Katie mostly stuck to the shadows, while Ron and Neville tailed them under the Cloak. Soon, they reached the Forbidden Forest, and they stopped briefly. Harry had a backpack with an Extension Charm on it, courtesy of Katie. From there, he withdrew a spatha, which he handed to Neville, and a spear, which he handed to Ron. Katie tugged off a pair of hairclips, which transformed into a bow and quiver full of arrows. Finally, Harry pulled out his Hunting knives and they advanced.

In two minutes, Harry’s sharper eyes spotted a couple of spiders scurrying ahead of them. They stealthily followed the small arachnids for what felt like half an hour. Suddenly, a large hairy shape leaped out at them from the shadows, only to crash dead at their feet with Katie’s arrow protruding from its gut. Harry gave an appreciative whistle, “Good shot!”

She preened, “I try… And it was about time I had to save your arse from something!”

Just then, there was a quick cry from Ron, and they looked up to see more large shapes advancing on their position. They all raised their weapons, and the figures stopped. Harry took a tentative step forward, and the cart horse-sized spiders backed off even more. Deciding to risk it, he hissed and clicked at the spiders, “We’re here to see Aragog!”

One large spider recoiled, “You speak our tongue? No wizard has ever been able to speak our tongue. The only known speakers are Parselmouths, and they speak to snakes. Very well, we shall take you to Aragog.”

The Acromantula group led the four of them to a vast hollow. This hollow had been clear of trees and the stars shone on a vast horde of giant spiders. All of them were standing on a thick maze of inter-connected cobwebs, with the biggest one in the center. The spider that Harry spoke to, called out, “Aragog! Aragog!”

In response, a gap emerged from the central web and a spider, the size of an elephant, crawled out. He clicked his pincers rapidly, “What is it? I was sleeping.”

“Humans have come, seeking an audience.”

Aragog’s eight milky eyes wandered around, “Is it Hagrid?”

“No, four strangers. But two of them seem different from the others.”

Aragog sniffed a couple of times, “Yes… There is a touch of divinity among you. Step forward and announce yourself.”

Harry spoke up in his normal voice, “I am Harry Potter. Wizard and demigod. The first and only demigod son of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. My companions are Katie Bell, witch and a Hunter of Artemis. As well as two wizards, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom.”

Aragog’s pincers clicked sharply, “You lie! I know the legends of Lady Artemis being a virgin goddess! She would have never broken her oath to sire a child! We should kill you where you stand, for your insolence!”

The enraged Acromantulas advanced, ready to kill the intruders. However, Harry yelled back, “It is no lie! Lady Artemis found a loophole in her oath. My birth parents, James and Lily Potter were having trouble conceiving because of an infertility curse. They prayed for divine intervention and Lady Artemis answered the call. With the help of a Blood Ritual, she helped my mother conceive. The only caveat of the ritual was that Lady Artemis is also counted as my mother.”

That got Aragog to raise a hairy leg and the other spiders to pause. He spoke, “Is this true, young demigod?”

Harry nodded, “Yes… I am willing to swear on the River Styx, if it will get you to believe me.”

After an agonising minute, Aragog made another signal and the spiders backed off. He said, “You have my attention, Son of Artemis. What brings you and your companions to my lair. Willingly, I might add?”

Harry took a deep breath, “Hagrid is in trouble. Over the course of this year, there have been a series of petrification attacks. We learned that the same thing happened 50 years ago, and Hagrid was accused. According to those reports, you were the culprit, but I had my doubts.”

Aragog clicked his pincers fretfully, “Yes, it was years ago, and I remember it well. I was not born in this so-called Chamber of Secrets. I come from a distant land. A traveller gave my egg to Hagrid and he cared for me when I hatched. He was just a boy at the time and became my good friend. Soon, I was discovered and blamed for the death of a girl. I was forced to flee into the forest and have been living here, ever since. I never attacked anyone during that fateful year. It would have been my instinct to do so, but my respect for Hagrid always prevented me. The girl’s body was discovered in a bathroom, but my home was in a cupboard in the castle. Our kind like the dark and the quiet.”

Harry quickly translated for the others and Katie asked, “Aragog? Do you know what killed that girl, or the ones who are petrifying the students? Harry seems to think that the culprit is a Gorgon.”

Aragog shook his head, “You are on the right track, but the creature is no Gorgon. The thing that lives in the castle is an ancient creature that we spiders fear above all else. I had often sensed the beast roaming the castle and begged Hagrid to let me go. We do not speak of it, ever. I never even told Hagrid the name of the dreaded creature.”

Harry bowed respectfully, “Thank you Aragog, we will not push you any further, seeing as the subject is distressing you so. We shall take our leave now.”

“Leave? I think not. My children are hungry and I cannot deny them fresh meat. Especially when it wanders willingly in our midst. Goodbye, son of the Huntress.”

He slowly crawled back, as the other spiders emerged from their holes and began advancing, menacingly. The four students pressed their backs to each other and began hurrying out. Harry swapped out his Hunting knives for his own bow and arrow.

They all managed to crawl out of the hollow, but the horde kept advancing. One large Acromantula leaped at a terrified Ron. He slammed his eyes shut and blindly thrust out his spear. With an inhuman screech, the arachnid impaled itself and died on the spot. The swarm was relentless, but the quartet were able to keep them at bay, just barely.

Suddenly, an arrow came whistling past them and struck an Acromantula. Harry looked at Katie in askance, but she shrugged, indicating that it wasn’t her. More arrows came raining down and his heart leaped, thinking that his sisters had come to save them. Then he had a closer look at one of the arrows, noting that they were more rudimentary, and then he heard hooves galloping.

Then he saw a group of centaurs hollering and firing arrows, before spotted a familiar centaur. He yelled in surprise, “Lord Chiron?! What are you doing here?”

Chiron called back, “Hello there Mr. Potter! Glad we arrived when we did! To be honest, it is quite the story. Shall we get out of Acromantula territory before we continue our conversation?”

Then another familiar animal galloped over, the unicorn that he rescued in First Year. So, the four student made a quick getaway, with Ron, Neville and Katie riding on the backs of some centaurs. Meanwhile, Harry was riding on his unicorn. The Acromantulas gave chase for a while, before giving up and crawling back to their lairs.

Finally, they reached the edge of the forest before dismounting their respective rides. He gently pat his unicorn’s snout, “Thank you… Mistmane.” Then, Harry asked, “So Chiron, why are you here? What’s happening at Camp?”

His face grew grave, “There’s been an incident… Thalia’s tree has been poisoned. Lord Zeus was most displeased when he found out. In essence, I have been dismissed. The good news is that I was granted leeway to appoint my temporary replacement. If I remember correctly from your letters to Annabeth, your headmaster was also dismissed from his position. I met him the other day and we collectively decided to spend some time in each other’s shoes. Your deputy headmistress McGonagall, is aware of the change, as is Lady Hecate, who vouched for me.”

Harry hugged him, “I’m glad you’re here, Chiron. Or is that Headmaster Chiron, now?”

He chuckled, “Officially speaking, I am Chiron Brunner. I had to admit though, it took some time to convince Mr Malfoy, but once Professor Daly mentioned that I was a Pureblood from America, he was sold on the idea. Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore is officially the new activities director.”

Then, he morphed into his human form, as a person on a wheelchair. He wheeled himself forward, “Well enough about me for tonight. I suggest you four trot off to bed, now. We shall talk in the morning.”

They split up and the four students made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Once again, Ron and Neville were under the Invisibility Cloak, while Harry and Katie stuck to the shadows. When they were safely inside, they split up and went to bed.

---

The next morning, the events of last night eventually caught up to Harry. He reached over and shook Ron and Neville awake. The two boys woke up and he said, “Something just made sense to me. Remember Aragog mentioned something about the girl who died. He said that she was found in a bathroom. I mean, what if she never left there.”

The answer hit both of them like a ton of bricks. Ron breathed, “Blimey! You don’t think-”

The trio said in unison, “Moaning Myrtle!”

The same morning, Chiron was introduced as the temporary Headmaster in front of the whole school. Harry could hear Malfoy muttering, “Who the hell is this cripple? My father will hear about this. He promised me that he would be in charge of this school and would get rid of all the M- filth from this school.”

Then, Sprout stepped forward, “Students, It gives me great pleasure to announce that Headmaster Brunner has promised to send for some experts in Herbology to help with the Mandrakes.  Hopefully, we should be able to revive the petrified students very soon.”

That announcement was met with raucous cheers. As breakfast began in earnest, Ginny Weasley slid in next to Ron, wringing her hands nervously. Ron looked at her curiously, “Hey Gin, what’s up?”

He mumbled, “I-I need to tell you something…”

Harry gently asked, “Hey… don’t stress yourself… Take your time. We’re right here. Just breathe slowly and calm down. Then you can tell us.”

However, just as she was about to speak, Percy shuffled in, wearily. He tiredly said, “If you’ve finished eating, I’ll take that seat, Ginny. I’ve just come off patrol duty and I’m starving.”

She squeaked in fright and bolted away. In response, a concerned Mackenzie went after her. Ron shot him a confused look, “Oi Percy! What was that all about?”

Percy choked on his tea. He coughed, “Nothing! Nothing! Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was – well, never mind – the point is, she spotted me doing something. So I kind of asked her to keep it between us. It’s nothing really…”

Harry had a mischievous grin, “She didn’t walk in on you ‘in your skivvies’, did she?”

Ron also had a mischievous grin, “Oh!!! You did not! You weren't wanking yourself, were you?”

Percy was scarlet, “Don’t be ridiculous! I was not- Never mind… It’s nothing! Drop it!”

Afterwards, Harry went up to visit Chiron, who informed him that someone had poisoned Thalia’s tree with Elder Python venom. The biggest suspect was none other than Luke, prompting a fuming Harry to swear revenge.

---

Later on in between classes, Harry, Neville and Ron managed to sneak in to see Hermione in the Hospital Wing. He wanted to see if she had managed to find some extra information before her petrification. This was done under supervision from Professor McGonagall, and she left them with Madam Pomfrey before leaving. Especially since every professor had been tasked with escorting their students to their respective classes.

Ron and Neville stood by as Harry examined the still body of his friend. Then he noticed that her outstretched right hand was clutching a piece of paper, tucked firmly inside her palm. Eventually, he managed to deftly manoeuvre the parchment without tearing it.

Together, the trio read, “Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many centuries, is born from a chicken’s egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its method of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eyeball shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.”

Under the paragraph, he noted that Hermione had written the word, ‘Pipes’. The answer hit him and he staggered in shock. Harry muttered, “Skata! I’ve been going about this all wrong! This is the answer. The monster in the Chamber is a basilisk – a giant serpent! That’s why I’ve been hearing that hissing voice! Damn it! I’ve been so fixated on the fact that the culprit is a monster from Greek mythology, I forgot that the wizarding world has its own monsters as well.”

Neville asked, “But if its stare causes instant death, then how come no one’s died?”

Harry replied, “It all makes sense... Nobody has looked at it directly in the eyes. Colin saw it through his camera and the gaze simply burned the film. Justin saw it through Sir Nicholas. Obviously, Nearly Headless Nick can’t exactly die again. Hermione and Penelope Clearwater saw it through the mirror.”

Ron finished for him, “And it was flooded when Mrs. Norris was attacked. She must have seen its reflection in the water. Harry! The roosters!”

Harry snapped his fingers, “That’s right! Hagrid reported that his roosters were being killed. I bet you that someone was not taking any chances. Also, all those spiders running away from the castle!. They knew that the Basilisk was there, and wanted to escape it.”

Then Ron asked, “But surely someone would have noticed a bloody big snake in the castle! How can something that big, not be noticed by anyone?”

Harry smiled, “Hermione figured it out already. The pipes! The basilisk was using the plumbing to move around unnoticed.”

Neville paled, “B-but that means that the Entrance to the Chamber of Secrets! What if it is a bathroom!”

Harry grinned, “Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, to be precise. There’s got to be someone here, who’s a Parselmouth. I can speak to any animal, and I’ve had rock solid alibis.”

Ron stood up, “Come on… Let’s go find McGonagall! She should be in the staffroom. Harry! Get a message to Sirius! He’ll want to know about this!”

The trio walked out of the Hospital Wing, and then bolted for the staff room. As they ran, Harry said, “Neville! Can you get a message to Sirius? Also, if you happen to find Katie, tell her to meet us near Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom!”

The boy nodded, “Got it!”, and then he split off. Turning a corner, he and Ron almost ran headlong into Professor McGonagall. They froze in their tracks and her lips tightened, “Mr Potter and Mr Weasley… I trust there is a reason why you two are running around the corridors like hooligans.”

Harry bowed in apology, “Sorry professor, it won’t happen again. We think we’ve solved the mystery behind the attacks.”

Her face registered some surprise, but then grew sad, “Yes about that, I was looking for the two of you anyway. Come with me to the staffroom. I will inform you two and the faculty together. Also Mr. Potter, I think it’s time that the other faculty know the truth about you. Just the Heads of House, though. Before his dismissal, Headmaster Dumbledore and I were discussing that prospect, and Headmaster Brunner said the same thing.”

He breathed out, “Okay professor… If you think that is the best course of action, I will respect that.”

The three of them entered, and soon afterwards, Professors Snape, Flitwick and Sprout entered. Snape took a look at the two boys, “What are you two brats doing here? Up to no good, as usual.”

McGonagall interrupted sharply, “Professor Snape! They are here on my request, and this partly involves them, anyway. My dear colleagues… It has happened… Two students have been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself.”

There were various exclamations of shock from the other three Heads of House. Harry and Ron were also shocked, and the demigod stammered, “W-who were the students?”

McGonagall was white as a sheet, “Ginny Weasley and Mackenzie Dursley… I am truly sorry Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. There was a new message right underneath the first one. It read, Their skeletons will lie in the Chamber forever.”

Harry clenched his fists, “They’re not going to die… Not on my watch! I promised Mackenzie that I’d look out for her. I’m not going to break that promise now.”

He caught McGonagall’s eye, as well as Professor Daly, who happened to walk in. They both nodded and he breathed out. “Professors… There is something you all need to know about me. Long before I was born, my parents had trouble conceiving. As it turned out, my mother was hit with a curse, rendering her barren. However, they soon found an Ancient Greek ritual from the Black Library. Unfortunately, it was not a Fertility Ritual, but a Summoning one. In the process, they managed to accidentally summon Lady Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. With the help of another ritual, she helped them conceive, but the catch was that she is also counted as my parent.”

He paused and took in stunned expressions from everyone, except for those in the know. Harry continued, “I know this might sound unbelievable, but the Greek Gods are real. Many of them have often taken mortal forms and sired children with regular humans. Mother Artemis was an exception because she is a virgin Goddess and vowed to never fall in love. My conception was a loophole in her oath.”

Professor Daly spoke up from near the back, surprising everyone. She said “He’s telling the truth. I can sense that most of you are sceptical, especially you, Professor Snape. However, Harry is telling the truth.”

Then, right in front of their eyes, she transformed into another form. She was wearing white robes with ornate silver designs. Finally, she was holding two burning torches. Daly said, “I am Hecate, Greek Goddess of Magic, the Mist, crossroads and many more.”

Everyone in the room could feel her power oozing from her. Flitwick got on his knees and bowed, “My lady, it is an honour.”

She transformed back and spoke up, “Arise, please. There is no need to bow. I was merely making a point. Now Mr. Potter, I believe you have something to tell us?”

He nodded eagerly, “Yes Milady. As per our investigation, we have discovered that the Monster of Slytherin is none other than a basilisk.”

All of the professors were in shock. However, Hecate scowled, “I told that foolish son of mine that breeding a basilisk was a terrible idea. Sadly, Herpo was always a black sheep in my family.”

Snape blanched, “Y-you mean, Herpo the Foul was your son? How many Wizarding children are demigods?”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, “That are a handful of demigod wizards in this current generation, and Potter is the only one in Hogwarts. However, the Founders were also demigods. Godric was the son of Zeus, Rowena was the daughter of Athena, Helga was the daughter of Demeter and Salazar was my son. Magically speaking, my son was the most powerful. The other three inherited magic through my blessing. Anyway, we have derailed this conversation, and you have my apologies.”

Harry said, “Milady, I wish to seek permission to hunt this monster and kill it before it can harm anyone else.”

Snape scoffed, “You, Potter? What can you do, foolish boy! You are just a child! Better to leave it to us, as we are adults. Can’t have you inflate your ego, just like your fath-”

Hecate wandlessly silenced him and shot him a murderous glare. The air felt heavy in her magic and she snarled, “Have care how you speak, Severus Snape. Lady Artemis will not take too kindly to anyone who insults her. Especially when someone questions how she has raised her own child. As for Mr. Potter, his credentials as a demigod speak for themselves. Last year, the Olympian Gods were on the brink of a civil war. Someone had stolen Lord Zeus’ Lightning Bolt and his brother Poseidon was accused. Mr Potter and three others, embarked on a quest to find the Lightning Bolt and prevent this war. He and the son of Poseidon fought and killed Medusa the Gorgon. Mr Potter also singlehandedly defeated the legendary Chimaera, as well as Echidna, the Mother of Monsters. Finally, Mr. Potter and his companions journeyed to the Underworld to look for the Lightning Bolt.”

With a wave of her hand, a projection lit up and replayed all of the events of his quest. By the end, Ron’s jaw was on the floor, and the faculty were stunned into silence. Even Snape gazed at him in a new light, afterwards Hecate dispelled the projection.

Just then, the door flew open and Lockhart sauntered in, beaming. He cheerily said, “So sorry – dozed off – what have I missed?”

Sneering very heavily, Snape drawled, “Ahh, Professor Lockhart… Just the man we were looking for. Two girls have been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come.”

Lockhart blanched, and Sprout caught on to what Snape was doing, “Oh yes, I remember! Weren’t you saying last night that you’ve known all along, where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?”

Flitwick was next, “If I’m not mistaken, you mentioned that you were sure you knew what was inside it?”

With a vindictive gleam in his eye, Snape finished, “I certainly remember you saying that you were sorry you hadn’t had a crack at the monster before the Headmaster’s dismissal. According to you, the whole affair was bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?”

McGonagall hit the final nail in the coffin, “We leave it in your capable hands then, Gilderoy. Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We were thinking of sending the students home anyway, so they will be out of your way. You can tackle the monster all by yourself, a free rein at least.”

The blond peacock gazed desperately around him, but there was no help. He feebly spoke, “V-very well… I’ll – I’ll be in my office getting – getting ready.”

With that, he bolted, and McGonagall sighed with relief. After a few beats, Hecate said, “I trust that all that we have said, will not leave this room? The Wizarding World is not ready to learn of the existence of the Greek Gods. However, I trust all of you to a degree. I need all of you to swear to never reveal the truth of Mr. Potter’s lineage to anyone until we say so. Swear it on the River Styx, so that it will be binding.”

One-by-one, the professors took out their wands and swore the oath. Finally, Harry said, “Professors? Please may we go to slay the Basilisk? The longer we delay, the more danger, Ginny and Mackenzie will be in.”

Sprout asked, “Mr Potter, I’m not doubting your prowess, but wouldn’t it be wiser to call for the Aurors and go with them?”

Harry shook his head, “Professor Sprout, I’d rather not delay, because every second wasted wait for the Aurors, will put Ginny and Mackenzie at even more risk.”

McGonagall nodded, “Very well, Mr. Potter. Go and find them. Good luck.”

---

The two of them hurried out of the staffroom and went in the direction of Myrtle’s bathroom. Along the way, they met Lavender, who was looking pretty panicked. She exclaimed, “Harry! Ron! There’s been another attack and-”

Harry interrupted her, “We know, Professor McGonagall informed us. We think we know what’s been attacking the students-”

She perked up, “Let’s go find Professor Lockhart! I’m sure he will know how to beat the monster! Maybe we will feature in his next book! Parvati’s going to be so jealous!”

With that, she rushed off to the DADA office, and the two boys chased after her. As the three of them reached, they heard a lot of activity inside. The trio could hear scraping, thumps and frantic footsteps pacing about. Lavender knocked, and it cracked open to reveal one of Lockhart’s eyes.

He exclaimed, “Oh! Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Ms Brown! I’m rather busy at the moment, so if you would be quick.”

Lavender excitedly said, “Professor! Harry and Ron have some information for you. We think it might help you in your quest to slay the monster!”

He spluttered before finally opening the door. The room was completely stripped bare, except for a few posters. There were also two large trunks that were in the process of being filled. Lavender cocked her head curiously, “Umm… Professor? Are you going somewhere?”

He blustered, “Er, well, yes. Urgent call – unavoidable – got to go..”

Ron snapped, “What about my sister and Harry’s cousin!”

“Well, as to that – most unfortunate – No one regrets more than I”

Lavender squeaked, “But-but! You’re the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can’t go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!”

He replied while continuing to pack, “Well, when I took the job. This wasn’t part of the job description.”

Lavender felt her heart breaking in two, “Y-you’re running away! After all that stuff you did in your books! You were a hero! Everyone admired you! I admired you!”

He delicately replied, “Books can be misleading. Do use your common sense. My books wouldn’t have sold half as well if people didn’t think I’d done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He’d look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. The witch who banished the Bandon Banshee has a hairy chin!”

Harry was incredulous, “So you’ve just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?”

He patronisingly said, “Harry, Harry, Harry… It’s not as simple as that. There was work involved, especially tracking these people and getting their stories. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them, so they won’t remember a thing. If there was one thing I excelled in, it was Memory Charms. That being said-”

He whipped out his wand and pointed it at the three of them, “Obliviate!”

Harry was faster and activated his shield, covering himself, Ron and Lavender. The spell impacted the Celestial Bronze shield and ricocheted back, nailing Lockhart, blasting him backwards, knocking him unconscious.

There was dead silence in the room, save for Lavender Brown’s heavy breathing. The girl's heart ripped itself to shreds as she replayed the events in her head. She gasped, “I can’t believe… He was about to… He lied to all of us…”

Then she hugged Harry suddenly, “Thanks for saving us. Now go and save those two girls. I’ll spread the word about Lockhart.”

Nodding, they split up, with the girl running back to the Gryffindor tower. Finally Harry and Ron reached Myrtle’s bathroom, and Katie came jogging up a few minutes later. She handed him his rings and placed her hands on her knees, wheezing slightly. She panted “Got the message from Neville. He said that Sirius and the other Aurors are currently conducting a raid elsewhere. So they will be delayed a bit. Right now, it’s just us. What are we up against?”

Ron muttered, “A freaking Basilisk. We think that the Chamber is in Myrtle’s bathroom.”

They entered and found the ghost idly floating around. She spotted them, “Oh, it’s you. What do you want this time?”

“What happened to you when you died. We think that you were one of the victims when the Chamber was opened, 50 years ago.”

The ghost girl looked positively thrilled at the prospect and began chattering like there was no tomorrow. She explained excitedly, “OOO! It was absolutely dreadful! Happened right here and I died in this very stall. I remember it well because I was hiding here after Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked and I was crying, then I heard someone come in. They said something in a different language, I think. However, I did note that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door to tell him to go and use his own toilet. And then I died. I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away. Now I’m a ghost and I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby!”

Katie asked, “Where did you see the eyes?”

Moaning Myrtle pointed to a nearby group of sinks in the middle of the room. Harry went to observe one of them and noticed that one of the copper taps had the engraving of a tiny snake.

He tried to turn it but it refused to budge. Then Ron suggested, “Why not say something in Parseltongue? Harry, you can speak to any animal, right? Surely you can talk to snakes as well.”

He nodded, “Good idea.”

Then, Katie beckoned to Harry, “I’ve got some parchment with me. We can leave a message here for Sirius, asking for some Parselmouths. Also, Harry pass me one of your Hunting knives.”

He handed it to her and she used it to tear three strips from their robes. Harry then turned back to the sink, imagined that he was talking to a snake, and hissed, “Open up.”

A second later, a hidden mechanism activated and the sink moved away. When it finished, a large pipe, with a yawning opening big enough for people to enter, lay before them. Harry took one look at it, “For Ginny and Mackenzie. See you on the other side.”

He jumped down, with Ron and Katie hopping in after him after leaving a message for Sirius and the Aurors. Myrtle called after them, "If you die, you're welcome to share my toilet! If you live, do put in a good word for me to go to Elysium?! Heck! I'll even take the Fields of Asphodel!"

The trio slid down a seemingly endless slide. Harry threw up his arms and whooped, “Whoo! This is just like at Disneyland!”

Eventually, the pipe levelled out and they shot out of the end. Ron landed with a wet thud, but the other two tucked and rolled before stopping with a crouch. Getting their bearings, they observed the dark room surrounding them. Harry retrieved his wand from its holster and chanted, “Lumos.”

Even with the light source, it was still hard to see. Soon, they heard crunching sounds from their feet, and realised that they were the bones of various small critters. Harry even noticed the remains of a few Myrmekes littered around.

Just then, Ron grabbed his shoulder, “Harry, there’s something big over there!”

Sure enough, there was something huge and curved, lying across the tunnel. However, it lay motionless, so Harry crept forward for a closer look. Just to be safe, he unsheathed one of his daggers. Then he relaxed, “False alarm. It’s just its skin.”

They surged forward, but the next room was empty, save for a pile of rubble. The bad news was that it was blocking the entry to the next room. Fortunately, there was enough space for Harry to squeeze through. Despite his lean body, he was always shorter than Ron. He carefully crawled through and called back, “See if you two can find another way through.”

Harry surged ahead and wandered through a long tunnel, until he reached a solid wall. However, there was a circular door, which had two entwined serpents on it. Once again, he hissed for the door to open and he crawled through, wondering what awaited him on the other side. He had to find Ginny and Mackenzie, he just had to.

Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Harry soon found himself at the end of a long, dimly lit chamber. Along the length of the room were several stone pillars, with carved serpents entwining them. There was a bare hint of light, but all it did was cast an odd greenish glow.

He allowed his wand to slip into his right hand, and with his left, he activated his shield. Pulling it in front of his body, he advanced with his wand resting on top of the shield, pointing forward. Suddenly, he had an idea, and he tucked his wand behind his ear. Still holding his shield, Harry reached for his back, where a backpack lay slung over his shoulder. Katie had managed to squeeze it through the hole before they split up.

Reaching inside the pack, he pulled out an amphora. He walked over to one pillar and placed it on an empty torch-holder. Harry continued placing various amphorae at strategic places at different pillars. After he was done, he zipped up his bag and turned back to face the end of the corridor, where there was a large statue of Salazar Slytherin’s face. Soon he spotted two familiar figures at the end of the room. Both Ginny and Mackenzie were lying on the floor, apparently unconscious.

He collapsed his shield and rushed towards them. Skidding to a halt, he went to shake them awake. When they didn’t respond, he checked their pulses and was relieved to hear that they were going strong. Just then, a soft voice called out from behind him, “They won’t wake.”

He jumped and aimed his wand at the source of the noise. Leaning against the nearest pillar was a familiar tall black-haired boy. For some reason, Tom Riddle appeared strangely blurred, as if Harry was looking at him from a misty window.

Tom continued, “They’re still alive, if that’s what you’re worried about. However, they’re fading fast.”

Harry asked him, “Are you a ghost? You don’t seem like one.”

Riddle calmly explained, “I’m just a memory. Preserved in a diary for nearly 50 years.”

He gestured a little away from himself, where the little black diary lay. The pieces were slowly putting themselves together in Harry's brain, “You lied to me. The Monster was not an Acromantula. It was a basilisk. Hagrid was merely a scape goat in all of this.”

A smile curled the corners of Riddle’s mouth, “You’ve caught on fairly quickly. You’re smarter than I thought... For a Gryffindor. Besides, the basilisk won’t come until it is called. I’ve waited a long time for this, Harry Potter.”

Harry asked, “What happened to Ginny and Mackenzie? What are they doing down here?”

He replied, “Well… That is an interesting question. I guess the real reason Ginny Weasley’s like this, is because she opened her heart and spilled all of her secrets to an invisible stranger.”

Harry crossed his arms, “Explain.”

Riddle’s smirk grew wider, “The diary, My diary. Young miss Ginny’s been writing in it for months and months. Telling me all her pitiful worries and woes. Her brothers’ teasing, coming to school in second-hand robes. Wanting to be worthy of being friends with Harry, just Harry. It is very boring to be forced to listen to the silly prattle of an eleven-year-old brat.”

Harry glowered at him, “Oi! She’s a great girl! Don’t talk about her like that!”

Riddle ignored Harry, “Despite all that, I was patient. I wrote back and poured out all of my sympathy. The silly child absolutely loved me.”

He mockingly imitated her, “Oh Tom! No one’s ever understood me like you! I’m so glad I got this diary to confide in. It’s like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket.”

In his normal voice, Riddle continued, “If I do say so myself, I do have a knack for charming people. So little miss Ginny poured out her soul to me, and that was exactly what I needed. All along, I fed on her deepest fears, darkest secrets, and they sustained me. I grew powerful, far more powerful than her. Then, I grew strong enough to give as well as I could take. So I started feeding her my own secrets, pouring some of my own soul back into her.”

Harry’s arms were still crossed, “And? How did that affect her?”

Riddle asked condescendingly, “Haven’t you guessed it yet? Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the roosters and painted those threatening messages on the walls. Then she set the basilisk on the four Muggleborns and the squib’s cat.”

Harry bit back, “Not willingly, I’ll bet. I haven't known her for long, but the Ginny I know, would have never attacked them at all.”

Riddle was amused, “Indeed… She was an unwilling participant, and she had no idea that SHE was the one attacking. Of course, I didn’t account for her to start fighting back later on. However in the early few months, she was at my mercy.”

He mockingly imitated her once more, “Dear Tom, I think I’m losing my memory. I found rooster feathers on my robes and have no idea how they got there. I can’t remember what happened on Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I’ve got flecks of red paint on me. I think Percy seems to have caught on to me, and so has Mackenzie. I think I’m going mad. I think I’m the one attacking everyone.”

Harry began snarling in anger, but Tom continued, “Soon, she somehow managed to fight back and dispose of the diary. However, that was when YOU came into the picture. Needless to say, I was absolutely delighted because I wanted to speak to you for a very long time. Ginny told me all about you, the famous Boy-Who-Lived.”

Harry growled, “I hate that stupid name. I still don’t understand why you framed Hagrid.”

Riddle laughed, “It was my word against Hagrid’s and mine carried a lot of weight. Who did you think Armando Dippet would believe? And orphan boy with exemplary academical prowess, school prefect, model student and so very brave. On the other hand we have big blundering Hagrid. In trouble every other week, for having illegal creatures on his person. Did you know, he was once caught red-handed trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed. He was also found sneaking into the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls. However, nobody had the brains to figure out that he couldn’t possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. Only the Transfiguration professor, Dumbledore, was convinced that Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Headmaster Dippet to keep Hagrid as the gamekeeper. He then kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid’s expulsion. Then I had the idea to preserve my sixteen-year-old self in the diary. With luck, someone would find it and finish Salazar Slytherin’s noble work.”

Harry snorted, “Too bad for you that nobody died. Very soon, the Mandrake Draught will be ready and the petrified students will recover.”

Riddle sneered, “The Muggleborns are no longer my concern. My new target is YOU, Potter. I was fuming when the next time the diary was opened, she was back instead of you. The brat must have guessed that I would spill all about her, so she stole the book back”

Harry raised his wand threateningly, “Your new target is me, eh? I think you will find that I do not go down easily.”

Riddle ignored him, “From our brief time together, it was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin’s Heir. From what the Weasley girl told me about you, I knew that you would go to any length to solve the mystery. Especially if one of your best friends was attacked.”

Harry growled, “And you made a big mistake in attacking my friend. I will make sure that you pay for that. How did you get Mackenzie involved?”

Riddle finally obliged him, “Oh yes, the Dursley girl was another suspicious one. After the second attack, she kept an annoyingly close eye on Ginny and I. Believe me, I wanted to attack many more of the Muggleborn students. However, Dursley stuck way too close to us, and we could not afford to arouse any more suspicion. Coupled with the fact that little Miss Weasley had been fighting me, only made my job harder. When she came to confess to you, I knew I had to get rid of my pawn. As for the Dursley girl, all I had to do was stun her and take her with us, so that she would not be a problem. Finally, I made Ginny write her own farewell as well as Dursley’s, and now, the two of them are sustaining me.”

Harry snapped, “Let them go! They didn’t do anything to you! If it’s me you want, why involve them?”

Tom Riddle smiled sinisterly, “I need Weasley, because she put too much of herself into the diary, into me. Enough for me to leave its pages. Come Harry Potter, I have questions for you.”

Harry grew increasingly worried at those words, but decided to play along for now. He crossed his arms, “Fire away, then. What do you want to know.”

Riddle asked, “How is it that you managed to escape and defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape Lord Voldemort’s wrath with nothing but a scar?”

Harry said slowly, “Why do you care? Wasn’t You-Know-Who after your time?”

Riddle smiled again, “Fancy that… You defeated him, but you’re still too afraid to say his name. Voldemort is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…”

He then took out a wand, which Harry recognised as Mackenzie’s, and wrote, TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. With a wave of the wand, the letters rearranged themselves to read, I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Harry couldn’t help thinking to himself, “Seriously? What is with the Wizarding World’s obsession with anagrams?”

Riddle spoke softly, “You see? It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. Did you really think that I would use my filthy Muggle father’s name forever? The blood of Salazar Slytherin runs in my veins, through my mother’s side. Why should I keep the name of a foul common Muggle who abandoned me before I was born? All because he found out that his wife was a witch? No – I fashioned myself a new name, one that wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak. Especially when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!”

Harry wanted to laugh, this megalomaniac became a psychopath because of daddy issues? Also, a half-blood was the champion of Pure-blood propaganda? The irony was slapping Harry in the face.

Finally, Harry spoke, “You’re not the greatest sorcerer in the world. Terribly sorry to disappoint you, but that title belongs to Albus Dumbledore. You admitted yourself that while you had Headmaster Dippet fooled, Dumbledore was not convinced. He saw through you in school and he still frightens you to this day. Also, you mock me for being afraid to say your name? If there is one thing I’ve learned, is that names have power, and it would not be wise to invoke them so flippantly.”

Riddle’s smirk vanished and was replaced by a sneer, “The old fool has been driven out of this castle at the mere memory of ME!”

Harry snarked back, “Keep telling yourself that. You’re not fooling anyone.”

Suddenly, there was a sound of music emanating from somewhere. To Harry, it sounded eerie, spine-tingling and unearthly. He even felt the hair on his scalp and forearms straightening. It steadily grew louder and soon a crimson bird, the size of a swan, appeared. The bird had a glittering golden tail and gleaming golden talons. Said talons were clutching a ragged bundle, and the bird made a beeline for Harry.

It circled the room once and landed on Harry’s shoulder, dropping the bundle on his lap. Harry recognised the bird as Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix. Tom Riddle stared at the golden bird and the cloth bundle, briefly and mused, “That’s a phoenix. And that is the old Sorting Hat. Hahaha! This is what Dumbledore sends his great defender! A stupid songbird and an old hat! Tell me, Potter, do you feel safe now?”

Harry smirked at him, “Actually I do. I am armed, after all, and Fawkes and the Sorting Hat must be the backup plan!”

He then thought to himself, ‘If I can figure out what that plan is. Darn it Dumbledore! I hate it when you get cryptic.’

Riddle continued speaking, “Well, Potter! Twice you have defeated me – in your past and my future – How did you survive? Tell me everything, the longer you talk, the longer you stay alive.”

Harry finished in his head, ‘And Ginny and Mackenzie will be closer to dying. But not on my watch.‘

Harry already knew the answer to how he survived, but he wasn’t going to tell Voldemort that. He lied, “No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me. The details are a little fuzzy to me, but you couldn’t kill me because my mother died to save me. My Muggleborn mother stopped you from killing me. I’ve seen the real you last year. You were a wreck and barely alive! THAT is the price for your lust for power!”

Riddle’s face contorted before he shot Harry another sinister smile, “So, your mother died to save you? Yes, that’s a powerful counter-charm. There’s nothing special about you after all. You and I, we are the same. Both half-bloods, both orphans, and I am certain that you are a Parselmouth, though I have to applaud you for taking great lengths to hide it. Now comes the real battle. The powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Harry Potter, armed with the ‘best weapons’ Dumbledore can provide him.”

He spun on his heels, opened his mouth and hissed, “Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four!”

Immediately, Harry dropped into a fighting stance, with his wand raised. Fawkes took flight and hovered in the air, just as there was movement from the statue. Salazar’s mouth opened wider and wider, until it created a huge gaping hole. He also heard something stirring from inside the statue, something big slithering up from its depths.

Harry suddenly remembered the cloth strip that Katie had cut from his robes. He grabbed it from his pocket and tied it around his eyes, backing away slowly. Harry heard a dull thud as something his the stone floor of the Chamber.

Riddle hissed, “Kill him!”

Sure enough, Harry heard the Basilisk slithering towards him. He raised his wand and fired off several spells in what he guessed, was its direction. Voldemort guffawed, “It is useless, Potter! Basilisk hides are incredibly resilient against spells.”

Harry listened extremely carefully, and was able to roll away from the Basilisk when it struck out at him. There was once particular close call when he felt the air around the snake, just whistling past him. Suddenly, Harry hear the sound of more flapping, along with a few screeches. Then he heard the Basilisk hiss in agony.

He heard Riddle scream in anger, “NO! LEAVE THE STUPID BIRDS! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU! YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM! KILL HIM!”

The demigod also heard a familiar voice call out, “It’s okay Harry! Buzz and I have blinded it. It is safe to look!”

Harry cautiously peeped out from under his blindfold, observing that Fawkes was clawing at its eyes, along with Hedwig. Amazingly, even Buzz was flitting around and poking the Basilisk in the eye with its needle-like beak. Satisfied that he was in no danger of dying with a look, he took off the blindfold and stuffed it back in his pocket.

He watched the snake thrash around, and Harry dodged an occasional body part. Unfortunately, the beast’s tail eventually caught him by surprise, and sent him flying. In the process, he lost his grip on his wand. It rolled next to Riddle, who picked it up and observed it. Then an evil grin plastered itself onto his face and he took the wand in both hands before snapping it in two.

When gravity decided to make itself known, he crashed down and slid until his head came upon something soft. Harry spotted Riddle with the two broken halves of his wand, and furious, “Hey! That wand was expensive, you jerk!”

Just then, Harry noticed how soft the ground was near his head. He looked and found it resting on the Sorting Hat. Before his very eyes, the hat contracted and soon something metallic was sticking out. He grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a glittering silver and bronze sword, and he groaned. He thought to himself, ‘It just had to be a sword! It couldn’t give me a set of bow and arrows.’

However, when he wielded it, there was something different. Weight-wise, it felt just right. He gave a few experimental swings, and found that it was just the right sword for him. Meanwhile, the Basilisk was still thrashing around, and Riddle was still screaming for the snake to kill him.

It managed to recover and chased after him. He noticed Ron and Katie in the corner of his eye, emerging from one section of the Chamber. Fortunately, Riddle hadn’t noticed them yet. Harry also noticed that the Basilisk was coming right next to one of the amphorae that he had placed. He managed to get Katie’s attention and discreetly signalled to fire an arrow at the amphora.

With a single nod, she nocked an arrow and fired it. As soon as it hit the amphora, it exploded in sheet of green fire. The Basilisk screeched and recoiled away, hitting the Chamber wall. It continued chasing after Harry, who kept leading it to all of his Greek Fire traps, which Katie dutifully set off. Eventually, the disoriented snake managed to corner him. Shaking its head, the serpent recovered and lunged for Harry with its jaws agape, ignoring arrows pinging off its back. It opened its maw, and Harry took that chance to strike.

He charged forward and drove the sword straight into the roof of the serpent’s mouth. As warm blood dripped down Harry’s arm, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. Turned out, one of the fangs broke off and pierced his arm. The Basilisk keeled over dead and Harry sank down onto the floor. His vision began to slowly fade, but managed to notice Fawkes land in front of him and look at him curiously.

Then, he heard echoing footsteps and saw Tom Riddle standing over him. He spoke softly, “I have to say, Potter… I did not see that coming. I don’t know what you did to create that green flame, but it matters not. You’re going to die, and even Dumbledore’s bird knows it. Look at him, he’s crying.”

Sure enough, thick pearly tears were rolling down Fawkes’ glossy feathers and some of them were dripping onto the wound. Riddle noticed Ron and Katie hurrying towards them and stopping a little further away. He walked a little further back and sat down, “I’m going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. In the Chamber of Secrets, as your friends watch on helplessly. Defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged. Don’t worry though, you will soon be reunited with your dear Mudblood mother soon. She just bought you 12 years of borrowed time. But Lord Voldemort got you in the end, didn’t I?”

In the background, Ron and Katie blanched, only just realising who they were looking at. Back in Harry’s point of view, his fading vision inexplicably stopped and he was able to see more clearly. Suddenly, Riddle spoke, “Oh right… I forgot that Phoenix tears have healing powers.”

He looked back at Harry, “But it matters not. In fact, I prefer to end you in this way. Just you and me.”

He raised Mackenzie’s stolen wand and fired a green spell, which Harry dodged. He rolled away, getting closer to the still bodies of Ginny and Mackenzie. Just then, his hand closed over the diary, and Harry froze. He and Riddle both stared at the diary for a long time. Then Harry yanked the sword from the Basilisk’s mouth and drove it straight through the book.

Riddle convulsed and emitted an unearthly scream. Ink spilled from the diary and flooded the floor. At the same time, a massive hole appeared on Riddle’s body, with Riddle himself having a shocked look on his face. Then, he was gone without a trace and the room was dead silent.

Katie rushed over and hugged him fiercely, “I’m so glad you’re okay, Harry. Man! You scared me!”

Ron also hurried over and gave him a side-hug, “Cor blimey! I can’t believe that was You-Know-Who! Katie and I heard and saw everything from when he used those fire letters to spell out his name.”

They were interrupted by a small moan, and they turned to see Ginny and Mackenzie stirring. The trio rushed to the two First-Years immediately. Ginny’s bemused eyes noted the dead basilisk, a blood-soaked Harry, as well as Ron and Katie. Finally, she saw Mackenzie, who was just as groggy, and then her eyes rested on the diary.

Ginny teared up, “I-I tried to tell you at breakfast, but I couldn’t s-say it in front of Percy. It was me! But I swear I didn’t mean to! R-Riddle made me do it. He possessed my-”

Ron awkwardly hugged her, “It’s okay Gin. He’s gone, Him and the basilisk. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Harry hugged Mackenzie, “You alright, Kenzie? Sorry, I didn’t mean to drag you into this mess.”

She hugged him back, “I’m fine, Harry. I knew you’d come to save us. You have to tell me how you did it.”

Ginny wailed, “I’m going to be expelled! I’ve been looking forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came. W-What will Mum and Dad say!”

Ron wrapped his arm tighter, “They’re not going to blame you Ginny. You weren’t in control. I’m sure Headmaster Chiron will hear you out and forgive you.”

Then, Katie noticed Harry’s broken wand on the floor, “Uh… Harry? I think that’s going to be a problem”

He spotted the forlorn pieces as well, and sighed, “Oh well, I suppose I’d better pay Ollivander a visit.”

Suddenly, the Sorting Hat, which was on Mackenzie’s head, spoke up. It said, “If I may, Mr Potter. You see that red ruby on the hilt? Press that and watch the magic.”

Harry pressed it and it suddenly morphed into a Celestial Bronze wand with silver highlights. Harry grinned, “Sweet!”

Then he had an idea and turned the wand back into a sword. Harry walked up to the corpse and with one clean stroke, beheaded the Basilisk. He looked around and noticed that one amphora was still intact. He retrieved it and was about to pour the contents on the giant snake’s body. However, Katie stopped him, “Wait… Let’s skin it first. Basilisk hide is pretty tough. Maybe we can find an expert and fashion it into a jacket.”

He paused, “Good idea.”

Taking out his daggers, the two of them expertly skinned the Basilisk’s corpse. Katie even extracted the venom carefully. Eventually, there was nothing else to harvest. With that, Harry emptied the amphora’s contents and stepped back, “Katie? Do you know any lightning spell?”

She nodded, “I do.”

Ron was puzzled, “What are you doing, Harry?”

Harry called back, “Sacrificing my kill. It’s a tradition in my family.”

Ron quickly got the message and kept quiet. However, Ginny piped up, “But what about the head?”

He replied, “Spoils of war.”

Finally, they left the burning corpse and trekked back to the room with the slide leading up to the surface. Harry looked up at the daunting slide and mused, “Well, I suppose climbing up is going to be a touch tricky.”

Just then, Fawkes chirped up, “You all can hold onto my tail feathers. Us phoenixes are strong enough to carry the weight of many people.”

Harry relayed the information to the other four before firmly clasping Fawkes’ tail. Mackenzie grabbed his hand, and soon the five of them linked hands firmly. A second later, Fawkes took to the air, and everyone felt really light. Alongside them, Hedwig and Buzz kept pace and Harry thanked both of them for their help with the Basilisk.

---

After what felt like ages, they were finally on their feet in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. The ghost goggled at them, “You’re alive! Will you please do as you promised?”

Harry smiled at her, “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to the Big Guy.”

He was about to step out, when Katie coughed deliberately, “Uh.. Harry? Sword… Wand…”

The boy blushed and turned the sword back into a wand. A few moments later, the grimy (and in Harry’s case, bloody) group trudged down the corridor. Just then, they heard multiple footsteps, and soon they saw Sirius with a group of Aurors rounding the corner. His eyes brightened, “Harry! There you are kiddo!”

Harry simply shot him a weak grin, “Now you show up? The party’s over.”

Sirius asked, “So you solved the mystery?”

“Yep, the culprit was a Basilisk. I managed to slay it with a sword. I’ve got the head in my backpack as a spoil of war.”

Sirius’ face paled and he breathed, “Show us!”

Harry carefully undid the backpack and brought out the basilisk head, wrapped up in a bunch of robes. Sirius carefully unwrapped it and the Aurors quickly verified that it was a Basilisk. The man patted Harry’s shoulder, “Why don’t you lot get cleaned up. I’ll wait for you outside the Fat Lady’s portrait.”

---

Fifteen minutes later, Harry and company were escorted to Headmaster Chiron’s office. They entered, and a split second later, there was a scream, “Ginny!”

The girl was soon wrapped up in a double hug, in between her parents. Then, Ron, Harry and Katie were the next ones to be crushed into a hug. Molly Weasley was crying, “You all saved them! You saved them! How did you do it!”

Harry looked around and saw that, aside from the Weasley’s, Chiron was there in his wheelchair form, and so was Professor Dumbledore. The older wizard gently said, “I think we would all like to know that story.”

Harry replied, “Well, it all started with a voice that I kept hearing within the walls. It sounded very snake-like, and I thought that someone lost their pet snake. So I thought nothing of it. Then came the attack on Mrs. Norris. At the time, I suspected a gorgon-”

He cut himself off and looked at Chiron expectantly. The man said, “Go ahead, child. I have already spoken to Mr and Mrs Weasley about your heritage.

Harry continued gratefully, “Yes, a Gorgon, because we had faced off against Medusa during the quest for the Lightning Bolt.”

Like that, he explained that eventually, they deduced that it was a basilisk. Then he spoke of Fawkes, Hedwig and Buzz’ timely arrival. The Sorting Hat giving him a sword, using it to slay the Basilisk.

However, he faltered, not wanting to reveal how Ginny was coerced. Then, Dumbledore spoke, “What I would like to know, is how the diary comes into play.”

Then, Ginny surprisingly spoke, “I-I’ve been writing in it. The diary belonged to a Tom Marvolo Riddle. It wrote back and I-I’ve been writing in it ever since. Somehow, I-it p-possessed me and forced me to release the Basilisk.”

Arthur Weasley was stunned, “Ginny! Haven’t I taught you anything? What have I always said? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain. Why didn’t you show the diary to me or your mother? It was clearly a Dark Object-”

She burst out, “I didn’t know! I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought that someone left it in there and forgot about it.”

Harry interrupted, “Mr. Weasley, please try and understand that Ginny wasn’t in her right mind. If you have to blame anyone, blame You-Know-Who.”

Dumbledore solemnly said, “Indeed… Before he became the Dark Lord, he was once known as Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared without a trace, after graduating. Mr. Potter is right. Miss Weasley is blameless in this ordeal, because Mr. Riddle could charm just about anybody to do his bidding. There will be no punishment, as older and wiser wizards have been hoodwinked by him. That being said, I’d suggest that Miss Weasley and Miss Dursley pop over to the Hospital Wing. Some bed rest might do them some good. Miss Bell, if you would please escort them?”

Katie nodded, “Right away Professor Dumbledore.”

After she left, Chiron smiled at them, “Harry, you have done an exemplary deed. Few heroes would dare to take on a creature as dangerous as a Basilisk and live to tell the tale. I’m sure Professor Dumbledore will agree with me in saying that you will receive a Special Award for Services to the School. Mr Ron Weasley, I think you also deserve one as well, especially for someone who is untrained in the art of war.”

Ron’s cheeks pinked and his mouth opened and closed like a fish. Then Chiron said, “It has also come to our attention that our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor is not who we think he is. According to your classmate Lavender Brown, he confessed to taking credit for other people’s deeds and erasing their memories.”

Ron nodded, “Yes sir. When Harry and I tried to tell him about the Basilisk, he confessed to us, and Lavender was with us. Then he tried to Obliviate us, but Harry managed to use a shield and it bounced back to hit him.”

Dumbledore then looked at Harry, “I see that your wand is different from when I last saw it. Something you would like to share?”

Harry placed the Celestial Bronze wand on the desk and pressed a ruby knot on the wand. On cue, it expanded into a sword, and Dumbledore’s eyes widened. He spoke softly, “Fascinating… Take a look at this.”

Harry squinted and saw a name engraved on the sword. He breathed, “Godric Gryffindor!”

Dumbledore smiled, “Only a true Gryffindor would have pulled it out of the Sorting Hat.”

Chiron also smiled, “It just goes to prove that you truly are a hero, Harry Potter. I also received word, five minutes before your arrival, from your mother. She has received your sacrifice of the Basilisk’s body, and she is proud of you.”

Harry bowed his head, "Thank you, sir."

Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Just then, Dumbledore extended his hand, gesturing Harry to pass him the sword. Harry wordlessly obeyed, and the old wizard inspected it further. He clicked on the ruby, and the sword collapsed into itself and turned into a wand.

He spoke softly, “Incredible… I knew the legend of the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, but I had no idea that it had the ability to turn itself into a wand. I don’t recognise the material, though. I’m sure that Garrick will be thrilled to get his hands on it. I’m sorry to hear that Tom Riddle snapped your previous wand, but I’m sure that this will be an excellent substitute. I also dare say, that this one will be very hard to snap.”

After a while, everyone else left, and it was just Harry, Dumbledore and Chiron. Dumbledore got up from his seat and clasped his hands together. He smiled and stood up, “Well… I suppose I must be off to the Ministry. We do need our gamekeeper back, especially now that the evidence has proven contrary to earlier accusations. In the meantime, Harry… I’d suggest that you pop over to the Hospital Wing and get that arm looked at.”

Harry took back the wand and made for the door. Suddenly, the door burst open violently, almost coming off its hinges. Lucius Malfoy strode inside, fury etched on his red face. Harry was so startled at the scene, that he almost missed a familiar figure scuttling behind Malfoy Sr. Harry spotted a heavily bandaged Dobby scurrying in and settling in front of the hem of Malfoy’s robes.

Contrary to his previous appearances at Diagon Alley and in Hagrid’s hut, Malfoy was unusually ruffled. Instead of an expertly coiffed hairdo and immaculate robes, he had a slightly dishevelled look, and his shoes were half polished.

Malfoy’s cold beady eyes zeroed in on Dumbledore, “So! You’ve come back. The governors suspended you, didn’t they? Yet, you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.”

Dumbledore had a serene look to him, “Well, you see, Lucius. The other 11 governors frantically contacted me today. I must say, I haven’t been bombarded with owls in a long time. It seems that they caught wind of a rumour that two students were killed, and rushed to re-instate me. Mr. Brunner here, has done an exemplary job, but they still believe that I was the best man for the job, no offence intended Mr. Brunner.”

In his wheelchair, Chiron calmly raised his hands, “None taken, Professor Dumbledore. It was a pleasure to take over, however short my tenure was.”

Dumbledore continued, “The governors told me some rather strange tales. Several of them were under the impression that you threatened curse their families if they didn’t agree to suspend me.”

Malfoy paled quickly, but schooled his features. He sneered, “So – have you stopped the attacks yet? Have you caught the culprit?”

Dumbledore smiled, “Indeed we have. It seems that someone, long thought dead, was the culprit. A certain Tom Riddle.”

He held up the diary, “He acted by means of this diary.”

The headmaster watched Malfoy closely, but Harry’s attention was elsewhere. He noticed Dobby behaving very strangely, he was staring right at Harry, pointing at the diary, then at Malfoy, who he guessed was his master, then bonking himself on the head.

Harry understood the message immediately, as Dumbledore continued. He said, “It was a clever plan. If Harry here, and a few others, hadn’t discovered the book, Ms Ginny Weasley might have been forced to shoulder the blame for something that was not her doing. No one would have been able to prove that she hadn’t acted on her own free will. I suspect that you can imagine the fallout. The Weasleys are one of our most prominent Pure-Blood families. This could have possibly adversely impacted Arthur Weasley’s Muggle Protection Act. It was fortunate that the book was discovered and Riddle’s memories wiped from it.”

Malfoy suddenly looked like he had swallowed a lemon, “Y-Yes… How very fortunate indeed.”

Harry then spoke up from his position by the door, “Pardon me for interrupting, sirs. But I’m still wondering how Ginny got hold of the diary. I might have an idea, though.”

Malfoy spun around and sneered at him, “How should I know how the stupid little brat got hold of it.”

Harry coolly looked at him, “I’m not sure if I can prove it, but I was there when you and Mr. Weasley had your scuffle in Diagon Alley. I remember seeing the book on your person before the altercation. I suspect that when you two bumped into the cauldron containing our books, your hand let go of the diary, and it happened to fall among Ginny’s books. But then again, I can’t prove it.”

Dumbledore picked up where Harry left off, “I quite agree with your last sentence, Mr. Potter. On that note, Lucius, I would advise you to not give out any more Dark Items. I dare say that if any more of them find their way into innocent hands, Arthur Weasley may not be so forgiving if they were traced back to you.”

Malfoy was apoplectic in rage, but said nothing, though his right hand twitched. Then he spun around and ordered, “We’re going Dobby!”

The elf dutifully scuttled over, only to be forcefully booted through with a squeal of pain. An idea formed in Harry’s head and he turned to the two, “Professors, may I please return Mr. Malfoy his property.”

Chiron smiled, “Certainly, but remember the feast. Albus here, was telling me that feasts at Hogwarts, are an unforgettable experience. I might just invite Mr. D, just to lift his spirits. Additionally, I heard that the Petrification victims should be waking up soon.”

---

Harry scampered down the stairs with the book in hand. As he ran to catch up, he fished around in his pocket and pulled out the make-shift blindfold. He opened the ruined book, hastily stuffed the strip in it, as a sort of bookmark.

Finally, he spotted them after following the sound of Dobby’s squeals of pain. Harry skidded to a halt behind the pair, who turned around to see him panting, “Mr. Malfoy! You forgot to take this back.”

He thrust the diary into Malfoy Sr.’s hands and stepped back. Furious, Lucius Malfoy flung the book away towards Dobby, “Get rid of this thing! It is of no use to me, now. As for you, Harry Potter. Your parents were meddlesome fools, too. One day, you’ll meet the same sticky end as them.”

Suddenly, Sirius’s voice interrupted them, “Was that a threat, Lucius? You harm one hair of my godson and heir, and I WILL show you why the Blacks were so feared in wizarding circles. Come Harry, let’s get you to the Hospital Wing, and afterwards you, Remus and I are going to have a little chat about how you got that wound.”

Malfoy also spun on his heel and ordered, “Come, Dobby… I said come! You stupid little elf.”

However, Dobby didn’t move. He held up Harry’s blindfold like it was the greatest treasure in the world. He exclaimed, “Master has given Dobby a piece of robe. Master gave it to Dobby. Master threw it at Dobby and Dobby caught it. Dobby is free!”

Malfoy was frozen stiff, and Harry was enjoying the look of rage on Malfoy’s face. Then Malfoy snarled and whipped out his wand, “You lost me my servant, boy! AVADA KEDAVRA!”

The spell shot towards the two, but Harry quickly activated his shield to cover himself and Sirius. The green spell impacted it and was sent skywards. Sirius then sprang out from behind the shield with his wand raised and a maniacal gleam in his eyes. He shot a Stunner at Malfoy and cackled, “I got you at last, you prick! Imperius isn’t going to save your arse this time, Lucy boy!”

Sirius’s aim was true and Malfoy was thrown backwards and down the stairs. He landed in a crumpled heap, just as Sirius lifted his Auror Badge from his robes and spoke into it. He ordered, “Attention all Aurors present at Hogwarts! Converge on my location. Lucius Malfoy attempted to cast the Killing Curse on a minor and I have personally witnessed it.”

In two minutes, several Aurors converged on their location and secured the unconscious Malfoy. One of them even checked his wand and confirmed the use of the Killing Curse. Amelia Bones who was also present, asked, “I see that Mr Potter has a shield that protected both of you. Where did you find that shield?”

Harry transfigured his shield back into his wand holster and replied, “Actually Madam Bones, I transfigured my wand holster into a shield. I started carrying one ever since my original wand accidentally broke because I accidentally sat down while it was in my pocket and it broke.”

Madam Bones smiled, “I sympathise, Mr. Potter. Accidents do happen, and I firmly believe that everyone should carry wand holsters. I’m just happy that you and your godfather survived this ordeal. Now I suggest that you get your arm looked at. That’s a nasty wound. Sirius, you’re with me for a witness statement. Bring the House Elf with you, I suspect he will be a good addition for your household. Jones! Please escort Mr. Potter to the Hospital Wing.”

An Auror came over and guided Harry down to see Madam Pomfrey. Along the way, she introduced herself as Hestia Jones. Soon, they met Madam Pomfrey who promptly directed him to a nearby bed, which just happened to be next to Mackenzie.

After Hestia left, Pomfrey came over and clucked disapprovingly. She said, “Good heavens! You did a number on yourself. Your cousin filled me in when I checked her over. She should be fine after some bed rest. Now lie still, I need to clean this wound before I give you some ambrosia.”

She deftly cleaned the wound before whispering a few spells. Finally, she spoon-fed him a couple of bites of ambrosia. As the day passed, Ron and Neville visited him. Even Lady Hecate paid him a visit, to remove the Trace from his new wand. That night, he, Mackenzie and Ginny were released and they returned to the Common Room.

As they entered, a loud cheer nearly deafened them. Many Gryffindors were celebrating and they hoisted Harry on their shoulders. As they set him down, Ron came rushing over, “There you are, mate! I was starting to get worried for a minute.”

Just then, Harry noticed something in the fireplace. He stammered, “Are… Are those Lockhart posters?”

Ron grinned, “Yep! Lavender broke the news to everyone and said that she heard it from the Professor himself. Man! I’ve never seen the lads look so smug in my entire life! All the girls went up and ripped off every single Lockhart poster and burned them. Parvati even managed to get word to Penny Haywood, who promptly spread it to the rest of the houses. I think a couple of broken relationships were quickly mended because of that confession.”

Harry snorted, “Seriously? Some girls broke up with their boyfriends just so that they could try and woo him?”

Ron grinned again, “I know, right? I can’t wait to see the look on Hermione’s face when she wakes up and finds out.”

---

The next day, Mrs. Norris, Colin, Justin, Hermione and Penelope Clearwater were revived, to the delight of everyone. When the four students entered the Great Hall, the first thing that Hermione did was race over to Harry and Ron, and hug them fiercely.

She squealed, “You solved it! You solved it!”

Justin also came over to thank him for saving them, and finally, Hagrid was the last to return, after being set free. Then, Dumbledore announced that yes, the rumours were true, that Gilderoy Lockhart had faked all of his adventures and stole other people’s achievements, passing them off as his own. However, and accident claimed his memories, and was not returning as the DADA professor next year.

In response, there were many raucous cheers mixed among the wails of the female students. Harry would have been lying to himself if he said that he, Ron and Neville didn’t enjoy the look of grief on Hermione’s face. The girl was left babbling, “B-b-but books are n-n-not supposed to lie!”

Harry helped himself to some salad and shrugged, “We tried to warn you. But you didn’t listen to us.”

He continued quietly, “For me, the first big red flag was his encounter with the Gorgon. The idiot wrote that he looked her in the eye, declared, ‘Off with your head’, and beheaded her. I freaking fought Medusa herself. Took bloody four of us to take her down, and we couldn’t look her in the eye, or we would be turned to stone. Ron and Nev were tipped off by the constantly clashing dates.”

Dumbledore also announced that from next year onwards, they would be introducing a new game for the Houses to compete in. When the students pressed for more information, he just gave a serene smile and declared that the details would be given next year at the start of the term.

Like that, the rest of the year continued as normal. Their rescheduled Quidditch game against Hufflepuff ended in a Gryffindor victory. The Chasers ran riot, and Harry barely managed to beat Cedric Diggory to the Snitch. Then came a big test for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They were facing a newly revamped Ravenclaw side.

First and foremost, the Chaser line-up had Skye Parkins herself, along with Orion Amari, who was said to be the youngest captain at Hogwarts. John Silvertongue was another newcomer, in the Beater position. Finally, Andre Egwu was playing in the Keeper position.

Once again, Cho Chang tried to flirt with him, but failed yet again. As they flew, she yelled out at him, “I almost got you there! Cedric’s grown tougher but I broke through his tough exterior, but Malfoy was absolute putty in my hands. Now, will you be any easier?”

Harry hollered back, “In your dreams, Chang! I’m made of much sterner stuff.”

They continued their game of cat and mouse, with the roles constantly switching between them. All around them, Oliver Wood was getting a heck of a workout, but did let a few goals trickle through. Finally, Angelina brought the score to 100-80. Then, Harry shot off like an arrow racing towards a target. Cho raced after him. The spotted Snitch ducked and weaved, with both Seekers following its movement. Harry and Cho danced in between their respective Chasers, with the former giving Alicia a bit of a helping hand, with a deflection off his back. They spiralled around a Ravenclaw goalpost, and even flew underneath the stands. Finally, Harry lunged and swiped the Snitch in mid-air, winning the game. Gryffindor were officially two-time Quidditch Cup champions.

As the weeks passed, Harry was able to help Hermione and Justin catch up on their studies with the rest of them. He even helped tutor Ginny, Mackenzie and Colin, especially in DADA. As for Penelope Clearwater, he figured that one of her peers would be able to help, though she was grateful to him for helping solve the mystery.

Hermione and Neville even begged to see the Basilisk corpse, just so that they could see what Harry was up against. Ginny and Mackenzie elected to stay back, as they were traumatized enough, but promised to cover for them. This time around, Harry decided to be smarter and asked for a set of stairs in Parseltongue. Katie also tagged along, as she was also curious and she wasn’t taking any chances if another Basilisk popped up.

Neville fainted when he first spotted the 60-foot beast, obviously without its head. The head was currently back in the Artemis Cabin as a spoil of war. Dumbledore had earlier announced that his brief suspension reminded him that he needed a small vacation, so Chiron Brunner would continue as headmaster until the end of the year. Harry was able to catch up with Dumbledore and asked him to take the Basilisk head back to Camp Half-Blood.

On a whim, Harry hissed out the password and Salazar Slytherin’s mouth opened. Sharing a look with the other four, Harry crawled inside the gaping mouth. Inside, he was relieved to find that there were no nests or eggs. However, he did find a set of four journals, with the Hogwarts crest emblazoned on them.

He passed the journals out, and crawled out, not finding anything else. Immediately, Hermione pounced on the books, eager to read them, but something stopped her when she opened one. They were all written in Ancient Greek, and it seemed that her limited knowledge was not enough to transcribe them.

When they returned upstairs, they headed straight to Chiron’s office. The centaur was in his original form, and was very interested in learning about the journals. He gingerly took them and promised to let them know about the contents.

At long last, the exams came by, and Hermione got into one of her frantic moods again. After a particularly tough paper, Harry somehow managed to calm her down and got her to relax. He did that by dragging her to a secluded area near the Forbidden Forest, and then he and Katie engaged her in a knife fight.

Two hours later, the sweaty trio sneaked back to their Common Rooms with a visibly calmer Hermione. The last exam was Potions, which was relatively difficult. A week later, McGonagall came by and told everyone about the Third Year electives. She even handed out a set of permission slips to allow them to enter the village of Hogsmeade. Harry was honestly tempted by the likes of Ancient Runes. However, he chose Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

When he submitted his electives, McGonagall raised an eyebrow. She said, “I understand Care of Magical Creatures, owing to your heritage and affinity for animals. However, why choose Divination? In my opinion, it is a rather woolly subject.”

Harry replied, “Actually professor, in our line of work, prophecies are very real. For any demigod, prophecies are our bread and butter. Mine and my demigod friends’ quest to find Lord Zeus’ Lightning Bolt was all via a prophecy.”

She steepled her fingers, “Could you recite the prophecy for me, and tell me the events that corresponded with it.”

Harry cleared his throat, “My friend Percy Jackson told me about it You shall go west to face the God who has turned. You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned. You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend. And you shall sacrifice to save what matters most in the end.”

He explained, “At the time, we thought that the God who had turned, was Hades, because he resided west and could have gained from Zeus and Poseidon fighting. However, it was actually Ares, who was complicit in stealing the Lightning Bolt. He did not steal it himself, as Gods are forbidden from taking each other’s sacred symbols. The next line was about us finding the Lightning Bolt and returning it to Zeus. The third line talks about Luke, a fellow demigod who we all thought was our friend. He was the real thief and betrayed all of us. Finally, I was the sacrifice, but not in the way you were thinking. Before entering the Underworld, we had three pearls that would encase us in a protective bubble and take us away. However, there were four of us, and Percy’s mother as a hostage. I think you saw all of that through my memories. I stayed back because I knew that Lord Hades needs me to bring back the soul of the Dark Lord to him. So no harm would have befallen me.”

Finally, McGonagall sighed, “Very well, Mr Potter. I do believe that you have made a compelling argument. I shall see you next year.”

---

All too soon, it was time to leave again and Harry found himself boarding the Hogwarts Express. He flopped down on his seat, with Ron, Hermione and Neville moving in as well. Eventually, Ginny peeped inside the compartment, “Umm… Can we come in?”

Harry nodded in assent, and she came in along with Mackenzie and another girl with waist-length dirty blonde hair. Ginny motioned to the new girl, “This is my friend Luna Lovegood. She’s in Ravenclaw. You don’t mind if…”

Harry smiled, “Of course she can.”

Neville spoke up, “So what electives did you all take? I’m taking Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runs. Gran wanted me to take Divination, but mum and dad said no.”

Ron mumbled, “Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. Percy said that both would be an easy A.”

Hermione replied, “I’m hoping to try and convince McGonagall to let me take all of them.”

Suddenly Katie’s voice interrupted them, “Bad idea. You’ll only stress yourself out. Trust me on this.”

They looked, to see her leaning by the doorway. Hermione tried to argue, “Come on! I can handle it!”

Katie scoffed, “The last person who said that… In the middle of the term, he stood up in the Great Hall, pointed his wand at his neck, and cast the Killing Curse right then and there. I was in First-Year when it happened. Bunch of us were traumatised for weeks. Poor Joshua.”

Upon hearing that, Hermione paled considerably. She whispered, “Umm… Okay… I think I’ll take Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy.”

Katie smiled, “Happy to help, I’ll see you later, Harry”, and she left.

Neville turned to Harry, “What about you, Harry?”

“Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.”

Suddenly, Luna interrupted them. She spoke in an airy voice, “I’m not surprised by your choices. The Nargles told me that you attended a few Care of Magical Creatures classes. Also, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something different about you. There are definitely Wrackspurts, but they’re… different…”

Hermione looked lost, “Nargles? Wrackspurts?”

Ginny rolled her eyes, “Don’t mind Luna. She’s a little… quirky. Unfortunately, not too many people appreciate it, and many people, including her own housemates call her Loony.”

They talked for a bit, played some games and napped for some time. After a while, Fred and George dropped by to check in on them. The twins set off the last of their Filibuster fireworks to liven up the compartment. As they approached King’s Cross, Harry had a thought.

He tapped Ginny’s shoulder, “Hey Ginny… Back when you were about to tell us about the diary, Percy interrupted. He said something about you walking in on him doing something. Of course, Ron and I took the mickey out of him. Did you catch him in his skivvies or wanking?”

She blushed slightly, and then suppressed a giggle, “You’re close. Percy’s got a girlfriend!”.

Fred was so startled that he dropped a set of books on his twin’s head. Ginny nodded excitedly and continued, “That Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater. He’s been writing to her all summer and they’ve been meeting up everywhere in the school. I actually walked in on them kissing. Oh Merlin! Please don’t tease him!”

Fred and George sniggered, “Wouldn’t dream of it Gin-Gin.”

Harry chortled as well, “No promises.”

Suddenly, Luna sat ramrod straight, “I know! Your aura is that of the moon! But… You’re not a werewolf… It makes no sense.”

Harry shared a slightly uncomfortable look with Mackenzie, silently asking her if Luna could be trusted. She nodded and then he sighed, “Luna, you’re half right. I am trusting you with this information. The others know about it, and Ginny was there in the office with her parents when they found out. Fred, George, I'm trusting the two of you as well”

Ginny interrupted, “Yes, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

Harry sighed again, “I’m a demigod. Meaning that one of my parents is a God. To be precise, I am the only son of Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon.”

Luna snapped her fingers, “That explains it! I knew there was something different about you. But isn’t Artemis a virgin Goddess?”

“Yeah, she made a vow to never fall in love and sire a child. I was actually a loophole in her oath. My mother Lily was cursed to be barren, but my parents looked for a ritual to help her conceive. However, they accidentally stumbled on a Summoning Ritual instead of a Fertility Ritual, and Lady Artemis answered the call.”

“Hmm… Yes, that makes sense.”

Soon enough, everyone changed back into their normal clothes. Later on, the Hogwarts Express pulled up in front of the station. Just before their crossed the magical barrier, Hermione scribbled a number on a parchment, “This is my home number, keep in touch.”

Harry gave a small laugh, “Yeah… That’s not happening. In my world, using a phone will most likely attract monsters. I’ll Iris Message you. By the way, what are your vacation plans?”

She grinned, “Well… Dad wrote to me last week and said that he won a family trip to Vegas. After that we’re headed to Disney in Florida.”

Harry grinned then his face grew serious, “That’s great! Word of warning though. Do NOT step inside the Lotus Hotel and Casino. That place is a time trap. During the Lightning Bolt quest, we took a detour to Vegas because Sirius had gone missing for a week. When we found him in the hotel, he said than an hour had passed. Meanwhile, my group was in there for five minutes, but five days passed. Heck! We even rescued two other demigods who were stuck there since 1945, and for them, only a few months had passed.”

Her face was pale, “O-okay… We’ll try and avoid that place.”

---

As they crossed over, Harry and Mackenzie spotted a harried-looking Annabeth. He called out, “Hey Beth! What are you doing here?”

She grabbed their suitcase trolley and began wheeling it away towards a nearby taxi. Annabeth puffed, “There’s no time! We have a situation. I’ve got a flight to New York booked already. Percy contacted me, saying that Grover’s in trouble. I’ll explain on the way.”

In the car, she explained, “Percy had a dream about Grover and that he’s in trouble. According to him, Grover was running away from something. Something big. Was saying something about getting away and warning us.”

They rode in silence until they reached Heathrow Airport. After a long flight, they touched down in New York. From there, they headed straight to Percy’s apartment, finding only Sally there, who confirmed that Percy was in school. They deposited Harry’s suitcase, fished out his backpack and filled it with supplies before exiting. As they left, Annabeth said, “Come on! We have to get to Meriwether College Prep. That’s where Percy is studying.”

An hour later, the two of them were walking down the street towards where the school was supposed to be. Annabeth whispered, “You got your Invisibility Cloak?”

He nodded and she sighed in relief, “Good! I’ll hide under it with you. My cap only works with one person and I won’t be able to see you unless I’m under the cloak with you.”

They soon reached the front gates and Harry subtly unzipped his backpack and fished out his Cloak. Making sure that no one was looking, he draped it over the two of them and they began moving. Their progress was slow, but steady and they were soon inside the school building.

Up ahead of them, they spotted a bunch of children running around the yard. Harry’s keen eyes searched and spotted his target. Next to him was a massive hulking figure that stood two metres tall. He muttered, “Is that what I think it is?”

Annabeth cursed under her breath, “Di immortales it just had to be THAT of all things. Damnit Seaweed Brain… You’re in danger from that thing.”

Harry laid a hand on her shoulder, “Careful Beth, your personal bias is showing. By my reckoning, it’s just a baby, and it’s not showing signs of hostility towards Jackson.”

She glared at him, “Come on! You know what he is! We’ve fought plenty of Cyclopes!”

He snapped back, “And one of my good friends from Hogwarts is a half giant, what’s your point? Besides, I’m more worried about that group confronting Jackson and the baby Cyclops.”

She grumbled, “I hate it when you’re right and the only one making sense.”

Just then, the bell rang and all the students moved in. Harry and Annabeth silently followed the group and slipped inside the school. They wandered around for a bit before the bell rang again. Annabeth whispered in his ear, “Let’s go to the gymnasium. I think Percy will have PE next.”

After a painfully slow walk, they finally entered the empty gymnasium, slipped off the Cloak and waited by the bleachers. As the time passed, Harry filled in Annabeth on the events of his past school year. Needless to say, she was proud of him for expertly avoiding the stigma of being a Parselmouth. She was also impressed with him slaying a 60-foot Basilisk, even with some minor help with his birds and the Phoenix.

Just as he was winding up the doors unlocked and Harry quickly threw the Cloak back over them. They watched as Percy and the Cyclops formed a group with the stereotypical nerdy children, and the stereotypical bullies on the other end for a game of dodgeball. The ones that Harry marked as hostile, were obviously on the side of the bullies.

The coach, looked like someone who should have retired long ago. Judging by the bored expression and the Sports Illustrated magazine, he could care less. Harry simply muttered, “Pfft… Mortals…”

Down by the court, things were looking gristly. Percy’s team were getting massacred, and there was no killing happening, yet. Just then, one of the hostiles grinned at Percy as he yelled, “You could kill somebody!”

The hostile said, “I hope so, Perseus Jackson! I hope so!”

With that, they began to steadily grow in size and their form changed. Now, instead of beefy-looking children, they resembled two and a half metre tall giants with wild eyes, pointy teeth and hairy arms littered with tattoos of snakes, hula women and Valentine hearts.

One of them, who had a name tag calling him Joe Bob, had a bicep tattoo saying ‘JB luvs Babycakes’. One of the kids began freaking out, “Whoa! You’re not from Detroit! Who…”

Percy yelled, “Let them go!”

Joe Bob growled, “And lose our tasty morsels? No, Son of the Sea God. We Laistrygonians aren’t just playing for your death. We want lunch!”

With a wave of his hand, he created a new batch of dodgeballs. This time though, the balls were made of Celestial Bronze and were the size of a Quaffle. Harry saw it coming from a mile away, but when Percy yelled for the coach’s help, he was of no use.

The Laistrygonians proceeded to trap everyone by barricading all exits. Then, they began tossing the balls at Percy’s team. As a ball came streaking towards Percy, Annabeth was about to intervene, but Harry stopped her. He pointed and she saw the Cyclops stop two balls in their tracks. He then sent them back to their owners at top speed, where they exploded against their chests and disintegrated the giants.

Harry swore, “Sod it! Bloke’s out of his depth.”

He threw off his Cloak and stuffed it in his backpack. With that, they leaped into the fray with their weapons drawn, him with the Sword of Gryffindor and Annabeth with her knife. Together, the trio made short work of all the giants. One of the normal kids goggled at her, “Y-you’re her! You’re the girl…”

She socked him in the face, “And you! Lay off my friend!”

Percy babbled, “Annabeth! Harry! How did you two…”

Harry snapped, “Talk later.”

Not a moment too soon, the barricaded doors finally opened, and a man came bustling in, Harry quickly hid his sword behind his back and turned it back into a wand. The man stammered, ‘Percy Jackson? What… How…’

Harry explained, “Sorry for the damage sir. A bunch of delinquents sneaked into the school and Percy tried to save everyone. My friend and I were nearby and were able to help.”

The man, who Harry guessed was the headmaster, stared at him for a couple of beats, and then nodded, “Thank you. You three may go.”

As they exited, Percy rounded on Annabeth, "Th- that shadow I saw yesterday... Oh my gods! You were looking in my bedroom window!"

Harry stared at his two demigod friends and cackled, "Wow Beth! I knew you were many things, but I didn't peg you for a pervert! Oi Jackson! I hope for your sake that she didn't catch you wanking."

Red-faced, Annabeth punched him on the shoulder, "Shut up Harry!"

Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Harry and Annabeth soon met Percy and the Cyclops by an alley near Church Street. When they were alone, Harry stepped up, “So Jackson… Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. Who’s the big guy?”

Annabeth demanded, “Yeah, where did you find him! Do you even know what he is?”

Percy got mad, “He’s my friend! You have a problem with that?”

Harry stepped between the two glaring demigods, “Oi! Cool it, you two! Beth, I’m handling this, and watch your tone. Jackson, don’t mind her, where did you find him?”

The boy shrugged, “That’s Tyson, he’s homeless. Why don’t you ask him? He can hear you and he can talk.”

Harry turned to the Cyclops, who was staring at Annabeth. He murmured, “I talk… you are pretty.”

Annabeth looked a little revolted, but Harry chuckled and spoke up, “She is, isn’t she? Unfortunately, pretty lady doesn’t like you so much. It’s nothing personal, mate.”

Percy blurted, “Tyson! Your hands! They aren’t even burnt!”

Tyson wasn’t paying attention, instead reaching out to touch Annabeth’s blonde hair. Harry smacked it away, “Hey big guy! No touchy. Though I’m surprised that the Laistrygonians had the balls to attack you with Tyson around.”

Percy tilted his head in confusion, “Laistry-what???”

Annabeth explained, “Laistrygonians. The monsters in the gym were a race of giant cannibals who used to live in the far north. Ulysses encountered them in the Odyssey.”

Harry tugged on his hand, “Come on mate, let’s get back to your apartment. Our stuff is there, along with Mackenzie. We’ll pick her up and head to camp. It’s in a spot of bother.”

Percy replied, “My mom said something along those lines. What kind of trouble?”

Annabeth piped up, “We’ll explain later. I don’t know the details myself, but I think Harry does. I’ve been attacked from Virginia, all the way until I reached the airport to pick up Harry.”

Eventually, they reunited with Mackenzie, and the five of them walked down the streets. Percy turned to Harry, “So what did you mean by those Laistrygonians having the guts to attack me with Tyson around?”

Harry motioned to Tyson, “He’s a cyclops. Probably a baby, from the looks of him.”

Just then, Annabeth began digging in her backpack and fished out a drachma. She chanted, “Anakoche Harma epitribeios!”, before throwing the drachma onto the street.

On cue, the area around the coin darkened and it melted into a rectangular pool. This pool was the size of a parking space and was filled with bubbling red liquid. Then, a smoky grey taxi erupted from it and parked right in front of them.

The name on the taxi was unclear, mostly because of Harry’s and Percy’s dyslexia. However, Mackenzie confirmed that this was the Gray Sisters Taxi. The window rolled down, revealing an old woman with a mop of grizzled hair. She murmured, “Passage? Passage?”

Annabeth opened the back door and called out, “Five to Camp Half-Blood.”

However, the woman screeched, pointing at Tyson, “Ach! We do not take HIS kind!”.

Harry quickly negotiated with an extra three drachmae, a deal that was quickly accepted. Everyone squeezed in, with Mackenzie sitting on Harry’s lap. Inside, there was a surprising sight, with three old ladies sitting in the front seat, and one of them was driving. Next to the frizzy-haired woman was a lady with short curly hair, and the last one was a woman with straight stringy hair.

The taxi’s interior was smoky grey and resembled a typical taxi in New York. Meanwhile, the three women up front had bony hands and charcoal-coloured sackcloth dresses. The frizzy haired one, Harry was going to refer to her as Winifred, stomped in the throttle. On cue, all of the passengers were flattened in their seats.

As the taxi zoomed fast enough to make Ayrton Senna jealous, a pre-recorded voice sounded on a nearby speaker. It cheerily said, “Hi! This is Ganymede, cup-bearer to Zeus! When I’m out buying wine for the Lord of the Skies, I always buckle up!”

Harry hollered over his friends’ screams, “Oi Annabeth! Who are the Sanderson siblings look-alikes?”

Annabeth yelled back, “They’re the Gray Sisters! Dammit Harry! I knew we should not have let the Stolls host a movie marathon!”

Eventually, the women began arguing, and Harry could finally put names to the faces. The driver was called Wasp, the middle sister was called Tempest, and the last one was called Anger. They were squabbling about an eye.

As the front seat passengers squabbled, Tyson was beginning to look queasy. Harry grumbled, “Give me the Knight Bus any day over this!”

Percy quipped, “For the record, I think we’re all going to die.”

Annabeth tried to sound reassuring, “Don’t worry. The Gray Sisters know what they’re doing. They’re really very wise.”

Anger agreed, “Yes, wise! We know things!”

Wasp bragged, “Every street in Manhattan! The capital of Nepal!”

Tempest added, “The location you seek!”

Mackenzie piped up, “What location?”

Tempest clamped her mouth shut, while the other two pummelled her on either side. However, Percy caught on, “Tell us about this location.”

They screamed in unison, “No!”

Tempest trembled, “The last time we told, it was horrible!”

Anger helpfully supplied, “Eye tossed in a lake! Years to find it again! Give it back, Wasp!”

Wasp shrieked, “No!”

In response, Wasp got a whack to the back of her head. On cue, something flew out of her face and her wild swing only succeeded in batting it behind. Percy understandably freaked out when the eye landed on his lap. Just like that, the eyeball rolled off and barely missed getting stepped on.

Annabeth screamed, “Give her the eye! It’s there by your foot!”

Percy yelled back, “I’m not picking that thing up! It’s gross!”

Harry snapped exasperatedly, “Just do it, Jackson! I’ll clean up your hands later!”

The son of Poseidon shuddered and then picked up the eye. Anger cooed, “Nice boy, please give it back!”

Percy started to hand it over, but suddenly had a thought. He said, “One condition. What is the location that I seek?”

Tempest cried, “There’s no time!”

Annabeth warned, “Percy… What are you doing? Just give them the stupid eye!”

However, he wasn’t budging, “Either they tell us, or I throw the eye out of the window!”

They wailed, “No!”

“I’m rolling the window down!”, he sing-songed.

That did it, they all blurted, “Thirty! Thirty one! Seventy five! Twelve! That’s all we can tell you! Give us the eye! Almost to camp!”

Satisfied, Percy tossed the eye to the driver, and Harry promptly cleaned his hands with the Scourgify spell. The driver slammed the brakes, prompting the car to spin a few times and stop in the middle of the road, right at the base of Half-Blood hill.

Everyone staggered out, and Tyson belched, “Better now.”

---

The taxi sped off, and Harry looked towards camp. He groaned, “Oh bollocks! We’ve got to hurry, camp’s under attack!”

Harry unsheathed his hunting knives and pressed them into Mackenzie’s hand. He said, “I take it that you know how to use them, Kenzie? I know that Phoebe took you back to the Hunter camp and personally trained you while we were looking for the Lightning Bolt.”

She nodded vigorously and adopted a steely look on her face. With that, everyone rushed towards camp, and it looked like a literal warzone. All of that was the work of two elephant-size bronze bulls, and a platoon of demigods facing them. Worryingly, the bulls were running amok, even breaching the camp borders.

Harry got out his bow and arrows, and began to charge with the others right on his heel. He heard Jackson mutter, “I freaking hate bulls. First the Minotaur and now these jerks.”

In the distance, he heard a familiar voice yell, “Campers! To me! Miss Beauregard, please lead the non-participants to the safety of their cabins! The rest of you try to close the bulls in!”

Percy turned to Tyson as they ran, “Tyson, stay here. I don’t want you taking any more-”

Harry interrupted, “Quit going all mama bear, Jackson. He’s a cyclops, he’ll be fine.”

Annabeth hollered in agreement, “Yes, we need him! Those are the Colchis bulls, made by Hephaestus himself. Cyclops’ can withstand the heat, we can’t!, Here, take this!”

She began rummaging in her backpack before fishing out something. She squirted some kind of lotion on her palm and rubbed it all over herself before tossing the lotion to Harry. He studied it and read the label, which was thankfully in Ancient Greek, Medea’s Sunscreen SPF 50,000. He quickly slathered himself before passing the lotion to Mackenzie, who passed it to Percy.

Percy unsheathed his own sword as the campers, led by Clarisse, began to scatter in a panic. The daughter of Ares was already trying to get her troops back under control. She was frantically ordering them to get into a phalanx formation. The few that managed to obey, lined up shoulder-to-shoulder and locked their shields together. A host of spears poked out through gaps in the ox-hide and bronze wall, and they all held firm.

One of the bulls was chasing four campers, who’s helmets were on fire. A quick Aguamenti from Harry doused the flames and there was minimal damage to their faces. Meanwhile, Annabeth charged at the bull and distracted it. Once she was sure that it was after her, she put on her cap and turned invisible, confusing the beast.

The second raging bull charged towards Clarisse, with Percy and Mackenzie rushing to help her. Mackenzie was about to use her wand, but Harry yelled, “Wait! We haven’t got the Trace removed from your wand yet!”

That got her to pause and then she brandished Harry’s hunting knives. The first bull lost interest in Annabeth, but Harry was able to keep it busy. He then activated his shield and tossed it to Percy like a frisbee. Harry yelled, “Oi Jackson! Go join the phalanx!”

Percy immediately obeyed and slotted in next to one of the campers. Fortunately, said camper was not a child of Ares. As it turned out, they were still sulking about him defeating their father. Bull number 2 impacted against the phalanx, sending Clarisse and a couple of other campers flying. The beast itself continued past, like a freight train.

Then it wheeled around and charged straight towards a recovering Clarisse. Percy grabbed her by the armour and dragged her away, just before it could steamroll her. He drew his sword Riptide and cut a huge gash in the bull’s side. Unfortunately, Clarisse was not the least bit grateful for him saving her butt, as she began to pummel his hand.

Suddenly, a jet of water splashed into the side of the bull facing them. Albus Dumbledore had joined the party. He fired a slew of spells at the bull, just as it began to charge at him. Pointing his wand at himself, he chanted, “Wingardium Leviosa!”.

On cue, his body flew up in the air. With a startled moo, the bull barrelled into where his body used to be, and nearly went headlong into a tree. In the distance, Tyson was struggling to get past the camp’s borders, whatever was left of it. Harry declared, “I Harry James Potter, give Tyson the Cyclops permission to enter camp!”

There was a rumble of thunder and Tyson managed to squeeze through. He dived between Percy and one of the charging bulls. Not a moment too soon, because it unleashed a massive sheet of flame from its nostrils and it engulfed Tyson. Percy understandably freaked out, but was left utterly dumbfounded when the flames died and Tyson was completely unscathed.

The bull was in for the surprise of its life at not having its Cyclops steak well-done. Instead, the only meal it received was a Cyclops-sized knuckle sandwich right on the noggin. Tyson yelled, “BAD COW!”, and punched it again. This time, it staggered and fell on its back, with its legs kicking feebly in the air. Meanwhile, Harry and the Apollo campers turned the second bull into a pin cushion before it went down for the count.

Harry regrouped with Annabeth and Percy, just as Clarisse came storming up. She pulled off her helmet, to reveal a strand of stringy brown hair, smouldering away, and a murderous look on her face. The girl screamed, “Damnit Percy! I had it under control! You ruined everything!”

Harry snapped, “I believe the words you’re looking for are, ‘Thank you for saving my arse’. Look, this is not the time to get into a pissing contest, we’ve got wounded campers!”

That got her to back off a little and she stomped away to assess the damage. Mackenzie came trotting back and gave Harry his weapons back as he checked her over. She was a little singed, here and there, but was still in one piece.

---

Later on, Clarisse returned, wiping soot off her forehead. She jerked her thumb towards the Big House, “If you can still move, get a move on. We need to carry the wounded back to the Big House and meet up with Dumbledore.”

Percy was confused, “Dumbledore?”

She replied impatiently, “He’s the new activities director. Mr. D was a little sulky because he wanted Tantalus, but got overruled.”

He was still bewildered, “New activities director? What happened to Chiron? And Argus? Isn’t he the head of security?”

She snapped, “Argus got fired temporarily. As for Chiron, Potter knows where he is. Besides, THAT happened.”

Clarisse pointed to Thalia’s tree. They turned and were shocked by what they saw. It had clearly seen better days, because the needles were yellow and a huge pile of dead ones were nestled at the base. However, the thing that stood out was a puncture mark, the size of a bullet hole, oozing green sap. Thalia’s tree was dying and the magical borders were failing.

Inside the camp, the mood looked very grim. A few of them were a little wary of Tyson, but a glare from Harry made them back off. As for Tyson himself, he looked like a person who had not stepped out of his room for years. He was pointing and asking questions, with Percy and Harry humouring him.

Tyson asked about the cabins and Percy was clearly uncomfortable. Harry managed to steer the conversation away from that though. Finally, they entered the Big House, where they saw Dumbledore sitting down and helping himself to a chocolate. Harry smiled, “Hello Prof- Sorry, force of habit. I guess its director Dumbledore, now?”

The old wizard smiled serenely, “Yes… I do believe that is the case. I presume this young lady is Annabeth, and this young man is Perseus? I know Miss Dursley, but who’s your other friend?”

Percy couldn’t help himself, “I prefer Percy, actually. What happened to Chiron?”

Tyson had a different response though. He cried in total rapture, “Santa!”

Percy face-faulted, but Harry and Mackenzie did their best to suppress their laughter. Dumbledore had no such reservations, and he laughed until he cried. Wiping away his tears, he chuckled, “Dear me! That is a new one for me. Often, many of my fellow wizards have compared me to Merlin. This is the first time that someone mistook me for Father Christmas.”

Harry managed to control himself before he turned to Percy. He said, “Basically, Chiron’s kind of taken the heat for what happened to Thalia’s tree. They did give him leeway to choose his temporary replacement until we all solve this crisis. Mr D had to punish someone.”

Annabeth was incredulous, “But this is ridiculous! He couldn’t have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia’s tree!”

Dumbledore spoke up again, “Coincidentally, during Harry’s school year, there were a series of incidents. Some sort of monster was petrifying students, and after a point, I was dismissed from my position as Headmaster of Hogwarts for not stopping the attacks.  Of course, I later discovered that many of the board members were strong-armed into the decision. They re-instated me, but I managed to ask them to give me some time off as a vacation of sorts. I will admit that I doubt that I would live up to Lord Chiron’s reputation, but I shall try my best to look after all of you. I must say though, I haven’t enjoyed a skirmish like that since I fought Grindelwald.”

Harry asked, “Director Dumbledore, do you have any idea what is wrong with the tree?”

He waved a dismissive hand and replied, “No need for that honorific. You may call me Albus, or Dumbledore if you wish. As for the tree, Chiron did some investigation and he theorised that the venom came from a monster that was located quite deep in the pits of Tartarus.”

Percy exclaimed, “Then we all know who did it! It has to be Luke and his new master.”

Dumbledore looked grave, “It seems that there are a few who share that sentiment. Sadly, the tree only has a few weeks of life. According to Chiron, there was one thing that could save it. One source of magic that is powerful enough to reverse the poison, but it was lost, centuries ago.”

Percy jumped to his feet, “We’ll go and find it!”

Harry grabbed him and pulled him back down, “And how the bloody hell are you going to find it? According to Chiron and Dumbledore, whatever this thing is, it has been lost for centuries!”

Dumbledore nodded gravely, “Indeed Mr. Jackson. Chiron warned me that you in particular, have a tendency to act rashly. He was against you coming over to camp this summer, since it has become far more dangerous. However, what’s done is done, so stay here and train hard.”

Percy exclaimed defiantly, “But why? We have to do something! If the borders fail, then the camp will be overrun with monsters!”

Dumbledore raised his arms placatingly, “I understand your concerns, I truly do, but Lord Chiron fears that this could be a trap, courtesy the Titan Lord and his allies.”

Dumbledore then turned to Harry and Annabeth, “I wish for all of you to be safe. Lord Chiron told me that there was an ancient prophecy, and Percy will be a key figure.”

Percy raised his hand, “Is this the same prophecy that everyone is forbidden from telling me about?”

Harry patted his shoulder, “It’s nothing personal mate. Prophecies suck, trust me, I speak from experience.”

Then Dumbledore began to move for the door, “Come, shall we be off? Your friend here can stay with me in the Big House.”

---

With that, Harry, Percy, Mackenzie and Annabeth split off to head to their respective cabins. Soon, a conch horn blew, signalling that it was time for dinner. The Athena Cabin were the first to enter the Dining Pavilion, followed by the Ares Cabin. Harry and Mackenzie were up next and slid into their own table. Charles Beckendorf led the Hephaestus Cabin, with Demeter, Apollo, Aphrodite, Dionysus, and more. Finally, the Hermes Cabin brought up the rear, as they were the largest cabin.

After the campers, dozens of Naiads, Dryads and Satyrs filed in. Percy felt a pang in his heart, as he remembered his best friend, Grover. Finally, Dionysus shuffled in, followed by Dumbledore and Tyson. All conversations stopped and every pair of eyes were trained on the baby Cyclops. An Apollo camper muttered, “Who invited that thing?”.

He soon yelped, as Harry flicked a projectile to the back of his head. The son of Artemis quietly snapped, “Zip it! He saved our butts from the raging bulls.”

Dionysus lazily eyed the campers and sighed, “Yes, I suppose I have to say it, welcome back, you brats. Now to business, what to do with the monster?”

Dumbledore deliberately coughed, “Now, now Lord Dionysus. It is rather rude to insult someone who helped save the camp. Also, I believe his name is Tyson.”

The God drawled, “Is it? I don’t care. Now let us decide the creature’s fate.”

Tyson looked absolutely terrified, but Percy sent him a pacifying look. Dumbledore stood up and held out his arms, “Welcome! Young campers, to another day at Camp Half-Blood. I am truly honoured to be nominated by Lord Chiron to be your temporary Activities Director. Now, I have been in conversation with Mr. D, and we have decided to reinstitute a new game. If I am not mistaken, it is Chariot Racing!”

The whole camp broke out into murmurs of excitement and disbelief. Even Harry could hardly believe it himself. Chariot racing had been discontinued, the year he came to Camp Half-Blood.

Then Mr. D spoke up, “You will also be relieved from your duties in order to prepare your chariots. The winning charioteers will receive golden laurels and will have no chores for a month.”

The whispers turned into heightened chatter. However, Clarisse suddenly stood up, “But sir, what about patrol duty? We can’t just drop everything just to prepare our chariots.”

That declaration triggered several other campers to shout their agreements. However, Dumbledore pulled out his wand and shot a cannon blast in the air. He announced, “I understand your concerns, Miss Clarisse. Border patrol is mandatory, regardless of who wins. After all, everyone’s safety takes priority.”

That seemed to pacify everyone for the moment. Then Dumbledore gestured to Tyson, “Now, we seem to have picked up an unusual guest. I am aware that he will not be able to fit in the Hermes Cabin. So, young Tyson here shall stay-”

He was interrupted by a brilliant sea-green light floating above Tyson’s head. Percy’s stomach dropped as he saw a glowing green trident. Everyone at camp was in awe, as Dumbledore announced, “Welcome Tyson, son of Poseidon.”

---

Over the next few days, Percy faced a lot of bullying from many campers, particularly from the Ares Cabin. However there were other tormentors, like some idiot from the Aphrodite Cabin who asked him if he wanted to borrow some eyeliner for his eye, sorry eyes. A week later, the camper fell victim to a Nose-biting cup, as he was taking his morning coffee. As for the Ares campers, they woke up one morning to find Dung bombs under their beds.

Unfortunately, some of the bullying was getting to Percy. There were a fair number of occasions where he would try to keep Tyson at an arm’s distance. Whenever the Cyclops was not around, he would protest Tyson’s relationship and call him his half-brother. Annabeth was cycling between sympathetic and distant, so she wasn’t much help.

After a point, Harry got fed up and dragged the boy away for a private talk. Harry smacked him right in the face, “What the heck is wrong with you, Jackson? Why are you acting like Tyson has the bloody plague? Do you realise how lucky you are to have a sibling? Sure, he’s not going to win any beauty pageants, but you can’t choose your family.”

He sulkily snapped back, “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who has a monster as a half-brother. Last year, I was the cool guy who brought back the Lightning Bolt and save everyone from being vaporised by a vengeful God. Now I’m the poor schmuck with a monster for a half-brother.”

Harry sighed, “Look mate, it’s not going to be easy. Did I tell you about what happened in my Second-Year in school?”

“No?”

“Right, so basically, there was a spate of attacks at Hogwarts. The victims didn’t die, but they were turning up petrified. For some very, very odd reason, I was suspected in the attacks. We had a Duelling Club and I was facing off against Malfoy, which I kind of suspect was not an accident. He conjured a snake and attempted to out me as a Parselmouth. Though I have no idea where he got that idea.”

“What’s a Parselmouth?”

“A person who can talk to snakes. In the Wizarding world, the Dark Lord that I supposedly defeated, could speak to snakes. So this wanker wanted me to out myself as one. Fortunately, I was smarter and summoned a mongoose. I told the mongoose to attack the snake, and Malfoy tried to claim that I was a Parselmouth.“

“Then what happened?”

“A fair number of idiots believed him and spread rumours. Fortunately I was friendly with some of the gossip queens and they managed to get the story straight. It still left the school divided. Bloody hell! I remember having to defend myself from a fair number of hexes. My point is, you can’t stop rumours from spreading and kids can be cruel. Just… think about what I said. I’m sure Dumbledore will curb most of the bullying. Also, I found out from Sirius the other day, that Malfoy and I are related. Turns out, Uncle Sirius has a cousin who married Malfoy’s dad.”

He shuddered, “I pity you, dude. I wonder if that Malfoy fellow knows.”

Harry scoffed, “Wanker’s too much of a moron to figure it out.”

---

Later on that week, Percy got his first Flying lesson on the back of a pegasus. Turned out, he adapted very quickly, though if Harry had to guess, it was largely because his father’s connection to horses. That day, he and Harry had a small race and Percy barely beat him. Tyson wanted to ride the ‘chicken ponies’, but they were too skittish around him. Harry was able to calm him down by explaining that he was too big and heavy.

The only ones who had no problems with Tyson, were the Children of Hephaestus. Since the Lord of the Forge often worked with Cyclopes, the courtesy sort of extended to his children. In fact, Charles Beckendorf even took the baby Cyclops under his wing.

One day, Percy and Annabeth were working on their chariot. He was still pretty bothered about the teasing. She grumbled, “Just ignore them. It isn’t your fault that you have a monster for a brother.”

Percy snapped back, “He’s my half-brother! And he’s not a monster!”

She raised an eyebrow, “Don’t get mad at me! And technically, he is a monster. I didn’t expect your dad to claim him. After all, Cyclopes are the most deceitful, treacherous-”

Percy was steaming, “Oh yeah? What do you have against Cyclopes anyway? You’re treating him like he’s this horrible thing! He saved my life!”

Then she got mad, “Fine! Then maybe you should design the stupid chariot with him!”

He yelled back, “Maybe I will!”

She stormed off and he was still fuming. Harry walked over to him from where he was working on his own chariot with Mackenzie. He mused, “Don’t worry mate. Beth’s pretty stubborn. She’s got some history with Cyclopes, but that’s not my position to say anything. Give her some time to calm down.”

The next few days passed without much incident, and the day of the first chariot race drew closer. One evening after dinner, he and Harry were hanging out at the top of Half-Blood Hill. They watched various dryads wandering around and singing to the dying pine tree. Satyrs also came by and played songs on their reed pipes. For brief moments, the pine needles perked up. At the same time, the flowers adorning the hill began to bloom and smelt sweeter. However, once the music stops, the feeling died out and it felt like there was a sickness in the air. Just then, he had a thought and turned to Harry, “Hey man, I wanted to talk to you. I’ve been getting these strange dreams lately. Of Grover, I think he’s in trouble. Could just hear snatches of his voice but couldn’t make out anything. I think he said something about ‘He likes sheep’. Thought of telling Annabeth, but since she pretty much hates me, that’s out of the window.”

Harry’s eyebrows scrunched up in thought. He said, “I don’t know mate. Maybe we should talk to Dumbledore and ask for a quest.”

The son of Poseidon lay on the grass and sighed, “Yeah we should…”

Then he got up, “Come on dude, it’s getting late and I don’t want to stick around for the harpies to catch us, and we’ve got the race tomorrow.”

---

The next morning, Percy stumbled out of his cabin, looking pretty haggard. Harry managed to stop him from faceplanting into his oatmeal, and shook him back awake. He asked, “You alright? You look like shite.”

He mumbled, “Bad dream. Grover again. He was in a wedding dress for some reason and it looked like he was weaving something.”

Harry sniggered, “Grover dressed in drag? Now that’s something I got to see.”

Percy snickered as well before controlling himself. He continued, “Anyway, he’s stuck on an island somewhere in the sea. Told me he got a little turned around somewhere in Florida. Then he talked about someone who is a shepherd and he has something. Said that this thing’s magic is so powerful that it smelt like the great god Pan.”

Harry asked, “So who is this shepherd bloke?”

He shrugged, “Grover said his name was Poly-something. Couldn’t quite catch it. All I know is that he’s a Cyclops and he thinks that Grover is a lady Cyclops and wanted to marry him. He can’t see very well because someone poked his eye out and he’s still half blind.”

Harry fought the urge to laugh and asked, “So where is this island?”

He replied, “Grover called it the Sea of Monsters. He doesn’t know where exactly it is though.”

Harry sighed, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, I suppose. Tell you what, meet me after the race and we’ll go tell Dumbledore and Mr. D.”

They soon finished breakfast and headed to their respective chariots. Percy’s was blue and white with wave designs on the sides. At the front, there was a trident painted in the middle. Harry’s chariot, which he was piloting with Mackenzie, was red and gold with a lion emblem and a crescent moon encircling it.. Percy snarked, “Big fan of Iron Man?”

Harry shot back, “Kenzie and I are Gryffindors. Deal with it.”

That morning was quite hot and humid, and there was an unusual sight. There were several birds roosting in the trees, and Percy eyed them warily.  Harry noticed his friend’s strange looks and nudged him, “Knut for your thoughts?”

He grunted, “Those pigeons look weird and sound funny. That metallic sound kind of reminds me of a submarine radar.”

Harry eyed them as well and began twisting his rings, “We’ll keep an eye on them. It may be nothing, but let’s be prepared just in case.”

The makeshift racetrack was built on a grassy field between the archery range and the woods. Several feet away, were rows of stone steps where the spectators would sit. Dumbledore and Dionysus were there already, and the non-participating campers took their seats.

Dumbledore stood up and announced, “Racers! You all know the rules! Two laps around this quarter-mile track. Two horses per chariot and each team consists of a driver and a fighter. Weapons are allowed, but please try not to maim anyone.”

Beckendorf led the Hephaestus team with a sick-looking bronze and iron chariot. The horses were magical automatons and made from the same materials. Both Harry and Percy vowed to stay clear, as it would clearly be rigged with booby traps.

Clarisse was manning a blood-red chariot, pulled by two grisly horse skeletons. The daughter of Ares loaded a bunch of javelins, spiked balls, caltrops and more. Apollo’s chariot was trim and graceful and completely gold, pulled by two beautiful palominos. Hermes’s chariot was green and looked fairly rickety, but with the Stoll brothers at the helm, everyone would be wary. Finally, Mistmane and a pegasus called Ace, who had taken a liking to Mackenzie, saddled up. Before the race, Percy made an attempt to approach Annabeth, but she blew him off. Harry guided him back, "I told you that we would talk about it later."

As they made their way to their respective chariots, Percy could not help noticing that more birds had joined the party. He made eye contact with Harry, who nodded and passed his rings to Mackenzie. It took a while for Percy to convince the pegasi that Tyson was harmless, but they too, were saddled up eventually.

Dumbledore pointed his wand towards his mouth and cast a Sonorus Charm. He hollered, 'Charioteers! Take to your marks! Ready? Set? Go! Go! Go!'

With that, everyone was off and the race was on.

Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Everyone set off, with Harry’s chariot getting a little bit of wheelspin and they were running dead last, behind the Hephaestus chariot. Heading into the first turn, there was a loud crash. Just ahead of them, the Stolls rear-ended the Apollo chariot and the wrecked chariots were nearly blocking the track. Harry swerved to avoid them, cutting across the inside of the turn.

In the process, they managed to overtake Beckendorf, who had taken the outside line. Harry whooped, “Whoo! Pass in the grass, baby!”

As Harry drove, Mackenzie was his rear gunner and his spotter. Lou Ellen was in the pit lane, ready to make any necessary repairs. Harry focused on the chariots ahead of him. Athena was leading and pulling away slightly, Jackson and Tyson were hot on Annabeth’s heels, while Clarisse was struggling to catch up.

Harry was soon side-by-side with Percy and they were jostling for the lead. Behind them, Beckendorf pressed a button and a panel slid open on the side of his chariot. He called out, “Sorry guys! Two birds, one stone!”

On cue, a bunch of balls and chains shot towards them. Mackenzie cried out a warning and Harry dodged them. Meanwhile, Tyson smacked the deterrents away with a pole. Harry hollered, “Cute… Our turn! Kenzie, deploy the Frisbees!”

She dutifully pressed a button, releasing a few frisbees. The only exception was that the frisbees had teeth lining the edges. As Beckendorf dodged, Mackenzie hollered, “Where did you get those?!”

He called back, “Fanged Frisbees! Compliments from Fred and George last Christmas. They were able to sneak into Hogsmeade village and gift them to me. Thought that they could come in handy, that’s why I installed them last week.”

She smirked, “What else do we have in our little shop of horrors?”

“Fanged Flyers, Dung Bombs, Screaming Yo-Yos and a few more bits and bobs!”

Their little brainstorm session was interrupted by the sound of incessant screeching. He risked a peep and instantly grew worried at the scene unfolding. The birds had risen from the trees and were spiralling like a huge tornado, which was slowly heading for the track. Harry noticed that Jackson had also spotted the birds and kept a wary eye on them.

The son of Poseidon crept closer to Annabeth’s chariot, prompting her passenger to straighten up. He plucked a javelin and took aim, but stopped once the screaming began. The killer pigeons had begun their assault, dive-bombing the spectators. Fortunately, Dumbledore was able to erect a massive magical shield dome over everyone’s heads.

The birds pecked furiously before giving up and finding new targets. Unfortunately, the racers were the new targets. Beckendorf and his companion were mobbed and were frantically batting the birds away. The distraction. Was enough for the chariot to veer off course and crash into the strawberry fields. Clarisse and her fighter threw a screen of camouflage netting.

Annabeth finally noticed the danger and slowed down, so that she, Percy and Harry were racing three-wide. She yelled, “Stymphalian birds! Come on! We’ve got to get rid of them!”

Harry had an idea, “Mackenzie! Swap!”

The cousins promptly switched places and she began to drive. Meanwhile, he got out his bow and arrows. Annabeth drew her knife and Percy brandished his sword. By then, Clarisse had also caught up and the four chariots were neck and neck. Harry was firing two arrows at a time, and every arrow nailed a target. Percy’s wild slashes also managed to thin the flock, and Annabeth was able to stab a few birds.

In the stands, Dumbledore had dropped the shield and was firing several spells at the flock. Since the flock was focused on the charioteers, the spectators had enough time to rush to the armoury and collect their weapons. The Athena campers raced out with several shields, the Apollo campers joined Harry in sniping the birds out of the sky, and more were rushing in.

Unbeknownst to them, they all crossed the line, with Clarisse barely edging out Harry. The horses were a bit more aware, so they slowed to a stop and the riders dismounted. Annabeth suddenly had a brainwave, “Heracles used brass bells to create noise! Percy! Chiron’s collection!”

He bolted for the Big House immediately. Five minutes later, Percy came sprinting back with a boombox hefted on his shoulder. On cue, the ‘All-Time Greatest Hits of Dean Martin’ began to play, and Percy cranked up the volume. The Stymphalian birds went berserk and began flying haphazardly. This made Harry and the Apollo campers’ jobs a lot easier. Within minutes, the ground was littered with dead bronze-beaked birds.

Dumbledore gazed at the panting campers and applauded, “Excellent work everybody! All of you are still safe in one piece! I am glad that everyone’s training has paid off handsomely! Now… was anyone paying attention to the race before the unfortunate interruption?”

No one spoke for a few minutes, until a dryad hesitantly stepped forward. He smiled and approached her before conjuring a stone basin. Dumbledore calmly explained, “Now, my dear, could you please concentrate on that memory?”

He placed the tip of his wand to her temple, extracting a wispy, silvery mist, which he deposited in the basin. Slowly stirring it, Dumbledore explained, “This is a Pensieve, and it mainly stores a person’s memories, which they or others, can revisit.”

Then he cast another spell which seemingly projected an image, like a hologram. From the dryad’s perspective, everyone was dead even, but Dumbledore cast another spell, allowing him to magnify the image.

Satisfied, he dispelled the projection and announced, “It is with great delight that I must announce that the Ares Cabin have emerged victorious.”

Upon hearing that, Clarisse and her teammate whooped and celebrated with their siblings. That night, the dinner special was Kentucky Fried Stymphalian Chicken. As Harry feasted, he felt someone slide in next to him. He looked up and spotted Annabeth next to him, with Percy and Tyson sitting next to Mackenzie.

He raised his eyebrows, “What’s up?”

Annabeth replied, “Percy told me about his dream. If Grover really found it… and we could retrieve it.”

Percy cut in, “Wait, wait, wait… Are you saying that whatever Grover found, could be the one thing that could save the camp?”

She nodded, “Here’s a hint… What is a sheep’s coat called?”

Mackenzie answered, “A fleece!”

The pieces fell into place for Harry, “Oh gods! Don’t tell me, we’re talking about the Golden Fleece? The same fleece that Jason and the Argonauts went to look for?”

Annabeth nodded again, “That’s right. Remember the Grey Sisters? They said that they knew the location of the thing we seek and they mentioned Jason. Three thousand years ago, they told him how to find the Golden Fleece.”

Percy replied, “Yeah I remember that old movie with the clay skeletons.”

Annabeth looked like she wanted to smack him. Meanwhile Harry snorted, “What do you think inspired the movie? Though if we’re being honest, that movie is a watered down version.”

Exasperated, Annabeth explained, “Listen, the real story of the Fleece: There were two demigods, Cadmus and Europa. They were children of Zeus and were going to be used as human sacrifices. However, they prayed to their father and he sent a flying ram with golden wool. The ram carried them from Greece to Asia Minor. From what I know, only Cadmus survived the journey. When Cadmus reached, he sacrificed the ram to the gods and hung the fleece on a tree in the middle of the kingdom.”

Harry sat up straight, “I remember this too! The Fleece brought prosperity to the kingdom. Animals stopped getting sick, agriculture was thriving, people were healthy…”

The drachma dropped for Percy, “It could cure Thalia’s tree!”

She grinned, “Exactly! It will also strengthen the borders of Camp Half-Blood. It was missing for centuries! Tons of heroes searched for it with no luck.”

Percy said, “Well… Looks like Grover got lucky. He went looking for Pan, but stumbled onto the Fleece instead. Both of them radiate Nature magic! It makes sense, Annabeth. We can rescue him and save the camp at the same time.”

However, she frowned, “What if it’s a trap? All of this sounds just too convenient.”

Harry snapped, “Trap or not, this is Grover we’re talking about. We can’t just leave him behind. Look, I may not be as friendly with Grover as you two, but I care about him too.”

Annabeth glanced at Tyson briefly and lowered her voice. Fortunately, he was distracted with something else. She whispered, “Didn’t Grover say something about being held captive by a Cyclops? His name is Polyphemus. He’s the worst of the Cyclopes. There’s only one place where his island could be, the Sea of Monsters.”

Percy asked, “Where’s that?”

Harry shrugged, “Don’t know mate. With everything shifting to the West, the location could be different.”

The son of Poseidon nodded, “Yeah, like Mount Olympus being above the Empire State Building. The Underworld being under Los Angeles. But a who sea of Monsters… How could something like that hide from mortals?”

Annabeth replied, “Of course they would notice, but they wouldn’t understand. As far as I’m aware, the Sea of Monsters is off the east coast of the United States. Just north-east of Florida.”

Harry’s eyes widened, “You’re joking! You don’t mean the Bermuda Triangle?”

Percy smiled, “At least we know where to look now.”

Annabeth adopted an indignant look, “It’s still a huge area, Percy. Searching for one tiny island in monster-infested waters – and we’d have to get Dumbledore’s approval for a quest.”

---

Later on at the campfire, everyone was enjoying themselves, singing along. However, the mood was still a little sombre, given that Thalia’s tree was still in bad condition. Dionysus retired early, out of boredom, leaving only Dumbledore with the campers. Percy, Annabeth and Harry exchanged looks. Harry cleared his throat, catching the older wizard’s attention.

He spoke in a grandfatherly tone, “Yes, Mr. Potter?”

“Prof – sorry, old habits – Director… We have an idea which could save the camp.”

There was dead silence, broken only by the campfire flaring bright yellow. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled in curiosity, “Oh? Do enlighten us…”

Percy stepped up, “The Golden Fleece. We think we have an idea where it is.”

Annabeth took that as her cue to step up and explain the mythos of the Golden Fleece. As she spoke, the mood began to slowly shift. The campfire reflected that as the flames began to turn orange. As he listened, Dumbledore stroked his long beard in thought.

He mused, “This will be dangerous. Do you know where this Sea of Monsters, is? Much less an exact area where to look?”

Percy suddenly had a brainwave, “Yes sir! I think I have an idea! Thirty, Thirty-one, Seventy-five, Twelve! They’re sailing coordinates. Latitude and Longitude.”

It clicked for Annabeth as well, “Thirty degrees, thirty-one minutes north, seventy-five degrees, twelve minutes west! We got those coordinates from the Grey Sisters! Those coordinates put us somewhere in the Atlantic, off the coast of Florida. We need a quest!”

Dumbledore now had a huge smile on his face, “Very well then! I shall authorize a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to save the camp. Miss Clarisse, as the winner of the chariot race, you have the honour of leading this quest. Any volunteers to join her?”

Percy was about to interrupt, but Harry kicked him in the shin. He whispered, “Don’t… You’ll just sound like a spoilt and petulant brat.”

Clarisse stood up and bowed, “As the Daughter of Ares, I accept this quest.”

She gazed at the gathered campers and then spoke, “Potter, Chase, you’re with me.”

Harry and Annabeth stepped forward, “Alright.”

He then whispered in Clarisse’s ear, “Take Jackson, trust me on this. I know that you and he have had your differences, but you need to trust me on this.”

At this, she scowled, then screwed up her face in thought. Finally she grunted, “Fine… Kelp Head, you’re coming to.”

One Ares camper yelled out, “Hey, he already had his chance last year!”

Clarisse glared at him, “Shut it! My quest, my rules! Got a problem, you take it up with me.”

She turned to them and grunted, “I’ll go consult the Oracle. Rest of you get some rest and pack some supplies for the trip.”

---

The next morning dawned pretty early, Harry was up at the crack of dawn and took stock of his supplies. He then woke up Mackenzie and told her to stay with Silena while he was away. As he jogged to the beach where they would all meet, he spotted Percy with Tyson, for some strange reason. Amid the darkness, he also saw several duffel bags at Percy's feet, something that Harry found curious, but filed away for later.

Clarisse and Annabeth looked at him quizzically, as he began to shift uncomfortably. Harry voiced the unanswered question, “Oi Jackson, why the straggler?”

He sheepishly replied, “He wanted to help… I couldn’t really say no to him.”

Harry glanced at Clarisse, who shrugged. He sighed, “Fine, I guess we can use the extra muscle.”

They gazed wordlessly across the horizon before Clarisse grunted, “Look, there’s a ship in the distance. How do we get there, though? Aren’t you the son of the sea god, Prissy? Ask him for a way to get to that ship or bring it closer, cause I sure as hell am not going to swim all the way.”

Percy gazed at the horizon, “Uh… Dad? We need your help. We need to get to that ship to start our quest and save camp.”

For a few terrifying minutes, nothing happened. Suddenly, about a hundred metres out to sea, five white lines appeared on the surface. All five were streaking fairly quickly and coming closer to the shore. Just then, the surf burst apart to reveal five horses rearing out of the waves.

Each of them varied in colour, but one bore a bulrush mane. Tyson cried, “Fish ponies!”

Annabeth breathlessly corrected him, “Those are Hippocampi! They’re so beautiful! But that one looks a little different.”

Harry caught his breath, “Bloody hell! That’s a kelpie!”

Annabeth, Clarisse, Percy and Tyson quickly mounted their hippocampi, but Harry’s kelpie was being uncooperative. Finally losing patience, he conjured a bridle and used a placement charm to render it docile and rideable. Percy grinned, “Good job Harry! He was actually testing you. You passed.”

Evidently, Poseidon must have realised that one questor was a Cyclops, because one Hippocampus was larger than the others. The hippocampi were pretty quick, and Harry found himself whooping in excitement. Before long, the ship in the distance grew larger, until they could see that it was a cruise ship.

From a distance, they could tell that it was large, but when they came closer, only then did they realise the scale. The ship looked like one that could have rivalled the Titanic in terms of size. The hull was at least ten storeys high, with several decks stacked on top of each other

On the side with big black letters, was the name ‘Princess Andromeda’. Admittedly, it did take them a minute to decipher the name. On the ship’s bow was a massive masthead. This comprised of a three-storey tall woman wearing a white Greek chiton. The sculpture made it seem like the woman was chained to the ship, and her beauty was breath-taking. However, the whole image was ruined by her terror-filled expression. Annabeth hollered over the sound of the waves, “How do we get on board!”.

Harry brightened and fished out his wand. He pointed it at her and chanted, “Locomotor!”

On cue, she began to float off the back of her hippocampus. Harry slowly guided her up and she kept and eye out. Fortunately, the first deck she found was empty, so Harry put her down over there. Next he passed his Invisibility Cloak to Jackson before sending him to join Annabeth. Clarisse and Tyson were next, and finally, he levitated himself onto the deck, tucked his wand back in its holster and got his Cloak back.

It was around 5:45 in the morning, so sneaking around was fairly easy. There were a few locked doors, but Harry easily took care of that with a simple ‘Alohomora’.

Percy noted the silence around them and whispered, “Is this a ghost ship?”

Tyson fiddled with his duffel bag, “No… bad smell.”

Clarisse grunted, “I don’t smell anything.”

Annabeth mused, “Maybe Tyson is smelling monsters. Like how Grover had the ability to smell monsters.”

They forged ahead until they found an empty cabin. Over there, they silently unloaded and explored the cabin. The first thing that greeted them was a basket of chocolate goodies and bottles of sparkling soda. Then Clarisse asked, “Oi Prissy! What was with the duffel bags anyway?”

He shrugged, “Had a talk with Hermes last night in a dream. He gave me some flask. According to him it was a collector’s item, Heracles Busts Heads, or something. It’s basically a compass. Also, if we uncap is, it will release the winds from the four corners of the earth. He also gave a bottle of vitamins. No idea what they’re for.”

Harry replied, “Okay, let’s hang onto them for the time being. Lord Hermes wouldn’t give something if it wasn’t useful. Anything else in the duffel bags? Remember what happened the last time a God gifted us something, no offence Clarisse.”

She grumbled, “None taken.”

Percy opened the bags and rifled through it. He mumbled, “Extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, airtight bag full of cash, two leather pouches, one with drachmae and the other with some coins I don’t recognise. Some tools for Tyson…”

Harry latched onto the second pouch, “Ahh! This probably contains some Wizarding currency. I’ll take that.”

---

Just then, a loud whistle from the ship echoed. Harry glanced at the clock, which showed that it was six AM. A chirpy voice in an Australian accent sounded out, “Goooood morning passengers! We’ll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! Don’t forget million-dollar bingo in the Kraken Lounge at one o’clock! As for our special guests, disembowelling practice in the Promenade.”

Tyson tilted his head curiously, “The happy man said… bowling practice?”

The four demigods shared a look, and they were all thinking the same thing. Harry patted Tyson’s massive bicep, “Yeah, let’s go with that, mate.”

After freshening up, they left the cabin to explore the ship. Just then, Harry had an idea, “Hey Tyson, hang on a tick.”

The baby cyclops paused and Harry draped his Invisibility Cloak over him. Fortunately, it just about managed to cover him. Harry said, “Come on mini-Hagrid, take my hand. We need to be quiet, mate. Can you do that?”

He nodded excitedly, “Yes I can!”

The four demigod padded silently, with the cyclops clutching Harry’s hand. Eventually, people began filing out of their cabins. They didn’t bat a single eye at the four demigods. A crew member told them to enjoy their stay, and a family of swimmers declared that they were having fun.

Annabeth whispered, “This is weird. They’re all in some kind of trance”.

Harry muttered, “You’re right. Bloody hell, it’s like somebody’s cast a mass Imperius Curse.”

Clarisse and Annabeth asked, “What’s that?”

“In the Wizarding world, there are three spells that are forbidden. Casting them means a one-way ticket to prison. The Imperius Curse allows the caster to completely control another person. Then there’s the Cruciatus Curse that targets the victim’s nerves and is a torture curse. Finally, there’s the Killing Curse, which causes instant death.”

There was dead silence between everyone for a while, until they reached the cafeteria.

---

Just then, they all froze as a reptilian voice sounded down the corridor. It hissed, “Ssssix more joined yesssterday.”

Another reptilian voice replied, “Yesss. He drawssss them. Sssoon we will be sssstrong.”

Annabeth gulped, “We need to get out of here.”

Clarisse muttered, “No argument there.”

Suddenly, another voice came from the corridor, a familiar one. It snapped, “It’s only a matter of time. Don’t push me Agrius!”

A deeper and angrier voice growled, “I’m not pushing you! I’m just saying, if this gamble doesn’t pay off –”

Luke snapped, “It’ll pay off! They’ll take the bait. Now come, we’ve got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket.”

Soon, the voices faded away, and Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other. She said, “We have to find out what Luke is up to. If possible, we beat him and drag him to Mount Olympus.”

After getting their supplied, the five of them sneaked off in search of the admiralty suite. At deck thirteen, they hid as more voices filled the corridors. Annabeth donned her Invisibility Cap and vanished. Then Harry had an idea, he pointed his wand at his cloak and chanted quietly, “Engorgio!”

Surprisingly, it worked and became bigger. Percy, Clarisse slipped under it and he joined them immediately. Not a moment too soon, as there were more footsteps and more voices. One said, “You see that Aethiopian Drakon in the cargo hold?”

The other replied, “Yeah! It’s awesome!”

Clarisse stiffened when she heard the second voice. She growled, “Chris… I’m going to f**king kill you. We’re through!”

Harry fiercely whispered, “Don’t blow our cover! Focus!”

She grumbled and they forged ahead. As they walked, a cold and unpleasant sensation washed over them. It was a feeling of pure evil. Then, Clarisse slipped out from under the cloak, “Tell you what… You go on ahead and investigate! I’ll see if I can secure our ticket out of here.”

Harry nodded and the daughter of Ares split off. Five minutes later, they came across a glass wall overlooking the Promenade. The area was filled with shops, but one thing caught the group’s attention. In front of a candy store, a dozen Laistrygonian giants, two hellhounds and Scythian dracaenae, surrounded a random demigod hacking at a straw dummy.

Soon then continued on after witnessing the disturbing sight. As they walked, Harry and Percy came out from under the Cloak and Harry shrank it to normal size, so that it only covered Tyson, and Harry held the cloak tightly. At the end of the corridor, they spotted a pair of double oak doors and they advanced towards it. Harry took out his wand and with a murmured ‘Mutatio’ turned it back into the Sword of Gryffindor.

Suddenly, the doors flew open and they were face-to-face with a startled Luke. With a crooked smile, he said, “Well, if it isn’t my old friends. Welcome to my humble abode, come in and make yourselves at home.”

With him were two hairy giants armed with javelins aimed at them. They gestured for them to enter, and the group had no choice but to obey.

The room itself was absolutely stunning. Huge windows curved along the back wall, looking out over the stern of the ship. Green sea and blue sky stretched all the way to the horizon. A Persian rug covered the floor. Two plush sofas occupied the middle of the room, with a canopied bed in one corner and a mahogany dining table in the other. The table was loaded with food: pizza boxes, bottles of soda and a stack of roast beef sandwiches on a silver platter.

Unfortunately, the big elephant in the room was a three meter long golden casket. A sarcophagus, engraved with Ancient Greek scenes of cities in flames and heroes dying grisly deaths. Despite the sunlight streaming through the windows, the casket made the whole room feel cold.

He made a gesture and three dining chairs lined up dutifully. However, nobody sat and he looked a little disappointed.

“Where are my manners?" Luke said smoothly. "These are my assistants, Agrius and Oreius. Harry, you should know their story. Aphrodite ordered their mother to fall in love. She refused and ran to your mother for help. She let her become one of her maiden huntresses, but Aphrodite got her revenge. The goddess bewitched the young woman into falling in love with a bear. When Artemis found out, she abandoned the girl in disgust. Isn’t that just typical of the gods? They fight one another and the humans are left to pick up the pieces. Agrius and Oreius hate the Olympians, but they like demigods-”

Agrius shot them a blood-thirsty grin, “For lunch.”

Oreius cackled, “Hehe! Hehe!’

He kept laughing like he was having an asthmatic fit until Luke and Agrius both stared at him.

‘Shut up, you idiot!’ Agrius growled. ‘Go punish yourself!’

Oreius whimpered. He trudged over to the corner of the room, slumped onto a stool, and banged his forehead against the dining table, making the silver plates rattle.

Harry shot Oreius a slight look of pity. He reminded him a little too much of Dobby. Together, the giants reminded him of Crabbe and Goyle.

Luke casually asked, “So guys… How’s school?”

Percy snarled, “You poisoned Thalia’s tree!”

He shrugged, “Well you certainly don’t beat around the bush. Guilty as charged, so what?”

A fuming Annabeth exploded, “How could you?. Thalia saved your life! Our lives! How could you dishonour her –’

Luke roared back, "I didn’t dishonour her! The gods dishonoured her, Annabeth! If Thalia were alive, she’d be on my side.’

Harry snapped, ‘Liar!’

‘If you knew what was coming, you’d understand –’

Percy bit out, “Oh we understand alright. You want to destroy the camp! You’re a monster!”

Suddenly, Tyson’s voice yelled out, “Percy’s right!”

That startled them, and Tyson charged out from under the cloak. His fists came down towards Luke’s head, only for the two bear-like giants to stop him in his tracks. He barked out a laugh, “Well… I have to say, I did not see this coming. Travelling with a Cyclops… Talk about dishonouring Thalia’s memory! I’m surprised at you, Annabeth. You of all people –”

Harry snarked, “Says the guy who is on a cruise ship packed to the rafters with monsters, you hypocrite.”

Luke glanced at him, “Hey Harry… I see you got a new sword. This fit you okay? By the way, I know about the Fleece. What were those coordinates again? Ahh… thirty, thirty-one, seventy-five, twelve. You see, I still have friends at camp who keep me posted.”

Harry shot him a smile, “Don’t worry mate, when we get out of here and beat you to the Fleece, we’ll flush out all the rats.”

Luke turned back to Percy, “So how does it feel to have a monster for a brother? How many insults from your father can you stand, Percy? You think he’s grateful to you? You think Poseidon cares for you any more than he cares for this monster? The gods are so using you, Percy. Do you have any idea what’s in store for you if you reach your sixteenth birthday? Has Chiron even told you the prophecy?”

That got Percy to pause and a look of confusion crossed his face. Then he steeled his nerve, “I know what I need to know. Like, who my enemies are. By the way, your father sent us.”

Luke reddened in anger, “Tread very, very carefully Percy. Don’t even mention him.”

Percy could tell that he was getting under his skin. He continued, “He told us to take this boat. I thought it was just for a ride, but he sent us here to find you. He told me he won’t give up on you, no matter how angry you are.”

“Angry?’ Luke roared. ‘Give up on me? He abandoned me, Percy! I want Olympus destroyed! Every throne crushed to rubble! You tell Hermes it’s going to happen, too.”

He pointed to the sarcophagus, “Each time a half-blood joins us, the Olympians grow weaker and we grow stronger. He grows stronger.’

Percy paled, ‘Wait… you don’t mean –’

‘He is re-forming,’ Luke said. ‘Little by little, we’re calling his life force out of the pit. With every recruit who pledges our cause, another small piece appears –’

‘That’s disgusting!’ Annabeth said.

Luke sneered at her. ‘Your mother was born from Zeus’s split skull, Annabeth. I wouldn’t talk. Soon there will be enough of the titan lord so that we can make him whole again. We will piece together a new body for him, a work worthy of the forges of Hephaestus.’

‘You’re insane,’ Annabeth said.

Luke picked up a remote and pressed a red button. On cue, two uniformed crew members walked in, armed with night sticks. Like everyone else, they also looked like they were Imperiused.

He gestured to the four, “Security, I’m afraid we have some stowaways.”

They dreamily said, “Yes sir…”

Luke gestured to Oreius, “The Cyclops is harmless with you two together. You go with security to feed them to the Aethiopian drakon.”

Agrius grumbled, “My brother is a simpleton. That Cyclops…”

“Is no threat. Agrius, stay here. We have important matters to discuss. Oreius, don’t fail me. Stay in the hold to make sure that the drakon is properly fed.”

Oreius led the four of them out of the room, occasionally poking Percy with his javelin. Harry mentally thanked himself for Obliviating Luke’s memories of magic. He didn’t want to know what kind of mess THAT would create. The last thing he needed was Luke and Kronos allying with Voldemort.

Harry then spotted a gleam in Percy’s eyes. The boy then caught Tyson’s eye and barked, “Now!”

Tyson turned and backhanded Oreius so hard that he flew 10 feet and landed in a massive swimming pool. Annabeth slugged one guard, and the other guard bolted for the nearest alarm box. However, Harry was faster and knocked him out with a boxing glove arrow.

The girl gaped at Percy, “But… But… How! Luke said that Tyson was harmless in front of Agrius and Oreius!”

He called back, “Semantics! He said that together, they were unstoppable. Luke didn’t say anything about them being stronger alone.”

---

Suddenly, alarms blared through the entire ship, and everyone took that as their cue to run. Harry cursed, “Bollocks! Oreius must have triggered the alarm!”

Percy made a bee-line for one of the nearest lifeboats and began to take the covers off. Harry, Annabeth and Tyson rushed to help him. She cried, “Wait! What about Clarisse!”

Percy hollered back, “No time! Let’s get out of here! We can rendezvous with her later on!”

Meanwhile, security guards and monsters made their presence known and rushed towards them. A hellhound pounced, but got smacked away by Tyson with a fire extinguisher. There was a shower of arrows, but Percy used his sword to slash them away. Harry used his shield to protect them from a second wave. Finally, they managed to get one boat above the water and they boarded before Percy cut the ropes.

Chapter 36: Chapter 36

As they fell, another figure vaulted over the side of the ship and somehow handed on their lifeboat. Annabeth breathed a sigh of relief, “Clarisse! Oh thank the Gods!”

Clarisse had little time to answer, before Percy yelled, “Flask!”

Tyson was the first one to react, as he opened a duffel bag and fished out Hermes’ magical flask. Percy ordered, “Hang onto something!”

More arrows and javelins rained over them. Harry got his wand out and tapped his holster, transforming it into a shield. He hefted it, and everyone scrambled to get behind it. Not a moment too soon, as weapons pinged off of it. He then applied sticking charms to everyone’s feet as Percy gave the flask cap a quarter turn.

In an instant, a white sheet of wind jetted out and propelled the lifeboat forward. All this happened just before it hit the water. Soon, the boat and its occupants were whizzing along like a jet ski. There was a wail of outrage erupting from the boat, but they were soon out of danger.

Annabeth yelled over the roaring wind and spray, “Clarisse! Did you manage to arrange a ride for us? I don’t think a life boat will last very long”

She hollered back, “Yeah! Dad said that it’s waiting somewhere nearby!”

---

An hour later, Harry yelled, “Land ahoy!”

Sure enough, a long stretch of beach, lined with high-rise hotels, beckoned on the horizon. The water was speckled with a variety of fishing boats and tankers. Annabeth exclaimed, “That’s Virginia Beach! How did the Princess Andromeda travel so far so quickly! That’s like-”

Percy blurted, “Five hundred nautical miles.”

The three demigods gaped at him, while Tyson was in his own world. Clarisse demanded, “How did you know that, Prissy!”

However, Annabeth was thoughtful. She asked, “Percy, what’s our position?”

He automatically answered, “Thirty six degrees, forty four minutes north. Seventy six degrees, two minutes west. Whoa wait… How did I know that?”

Harry grinned and joked, “Well what do you know… Congratulations Jackson, you’re our human sat nav!”

Annabeth guessed, “Maybe it’s because of your dad. When you’re at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool!”

After a minute, Tyson spoke up, “Boat is coming.”

They looked, and sure enough, the coastguard vessel was heading towards them. Percy straightened up, “We can’t let them catch us. Too many awkward questions.”

Annabeth piped up, “I have an idea. Keep going into Chesapeake Bay. I know a good hideout.”

Percy carefully unscrewed the flask a little more, and a fresh burst of speed widened the gap to the coastguard, who eventually gave up pursuit. However, as they entered the river area, Percy suddenly felt lethargic. He almost collapsed face-first, but Harry managed to catch him and took over steering duties. He asked, “You alright, mate? I’m guessing that the sudden change from salt water to fresh water is a bit jarring, eh?”

He mumbled back, “You have no idea, dude.”

Annabeth assured, “Don’t worry Percy, we’re pretty close. There! Harry, take us past that sandbar.”

Harry dutifully steered the boat and beached it at the foot of a cypress tree. The five of them disembarked and buried the lifeboat with branches. Soon, they were tramping through the mud. Tyson barely missed squashing a random snake. Harry heard it hiss, “Watch it! I’m slithering here!”

There were a few mosquitoes buzzing around them as they walked. Finally, Annabeth stopped in front of what looked like an ordinary patch of brambles. She reached over and moved a woven circle of branches, revealing a camouflaged shelter.

The walls were woven from plant material, like a Native American hut, but they looked pretty waterproof. Stacked in the corner was a bunch of campout supplies – sleeping bags, blankets, an ice chest and a kerosene lamp. There were demigod provisions, too – bronze javelin tips, a quiver full of arrows, an extra sword and a box of ambrosia.

Harry whistled, “Wow Beth! You made this? Bloody hell mate, you would have been a great Hunter.”

Clarisse grunted, “Impressive, Wise Girl.”

She flushed slightly, “Thalia, Luke and I made this.”

Percy looked a little uneasy and hesitantly asked, “Think Luke would look for us, here?”

She shook her head, “We made dozens of these houses. I doubt Luke would remember them all, or even care to remember.”

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Harry quietly asked Tyson to scout for some food. He lumbered off, leaving the four demigods in more deafening silence. Harry also nudged Clarisse, “Come on, let’s see if there is anything else to salvage. We’ll also look for your dad’s ship.”

She understood the message and they left the two to have a heart-to-heart. With Percy and Annabeth, he sat down opposite her and said, “I’m sorry about what happened with Luke.”

The blonde girl shook her head, “Don’t be… It was not your fault.”

He suddenly had a thought, “I think he let us go too easily.”

She nodded, “I agree. When we overheard him talk about a gamble, and talking about someone taking the bait … I think he was talking about us.’

His face grew serious, ‘The Fleece is the bait? Or Grover?’

She studied the edge of her knife. “I don’t know, Percy. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself. Maybe he’s hoping we’ll do the hard work and then he can steal it from us. I just can’t believe he would poison the tree.”

Another thought struck him, “Was he right? Would Thalia support him in his crusade?”

Annabeth snapped, “He’s wrong! Percy, you know who you remind me of most? Thalia. You two are so much alike, it’s scary. I mean, either you two would have been best friends or you would have strangled each other.”

He gave an uncomfortable laugh, “Yeah, let’s go with best friends.”

She gave a satisfied look, “I thought as much. Thalia got angry with her dad sometimes. So do you. Would you turn against Olympus because of that?’

He stared at a small spot on the floor, “No.”

‘Okay, then. Neither would she. Luke’s wrong.’

He changed the subject, “So what did Luke mean about Cyclopes? He said you of all people –“

She had a pained look on her face, “I know what he said. He … he was talking about the real reason Thalia died. You can never trust a Cyclops, Percy. Six years ago, on the night Grover was leading us to Half-Blood Hill –”

Unfortunately, Tyson chose that exact moment to walk in, carrying a pastry box. He proudly announced, “Fifteen metres! Monster Doughnut shop just over the hill.”

Sharing uneasy looks, they followed him to the hill. Taking cover behind a tree, they spotted a non-descript doughnut shop right in the middle of the woods.

Annabeth murmured, “This shouldn’t be here. It feels wrong, somehow…”

He was puzzled, “What do you mean? It’s just a doughnut shop. It’s probably just a chain, like Dunkin Donuts or something.“

She mused, “You’re half right. It is a chain, but don’t you think it’s strange that one just happened to appear right in the middle of the woods? Maybe it’s a nest. Haven’t you ever wondered how franchise stores pop up so fast? One day there’s nothing and then the next day – boom, there’s a new burger place or a coffee shop or whatever? First a single store, then two, then four – exact replicas spreading across the country? Percy, some of the chains multiply so fast because all their locations are magically linked to the life force of a monster.”

Suddenly, she froze and her voice dropped, “Percy… No sudden moves. Turn around… slowly.”

Then he heard a scraping sound, like something being dragged through a leaf pile. Percy turned to spot a rhino-sized creature with seven necks topped with a hissing reptilian head. Its skin was leathery and it wore a plastic bib reading ‘I’M A MONSTER DOUGHNUT KID!’, one bib for each neck. Percy slowly took out his ball-point pen, but Annabeth signalled to him to not attack just yet. Most of the heads were sniffing the ground, but two of them were ravaging a familiar duffel bag. The thing had clearly been to their hideout and was on their trail. Suddenly, all seven diamond-shaped heads snapped up. Their shark-like teeth gnashed hungrily, and Annabeth yelled, “Scatter!”

The trio dived in different directions as an arc of poisonous acid barely missed them. Percy uncapped Riptide, gaining the Hydra’s attention. One head lunged towards Percy, and he swung his sword instinctively.

Annabeth yelled, “NO!”

However, it was too late, as he sliced the head clean off. Just then, a second voice yelled, “INCENDIO!”

An arc of fire blasted from Percy’s right and burned the flailing stump to a crisp. Annabeth joyfully exclaimed, “Harry! Just in time! Talk about a Deus Ex Machina! Also, could your sword do that?”

His grin morphed into a confused look, “Wait what?”

Harry glanced down at his right hand to see his sword, with the blade on fire. He shut off the spell and then facepalmed with his left hand. He moaned, “Oh bollocks! I completely forgot to turn it back into a wand.”

That didn’t faze Annabeth, “So your spells work even when it’s in sword form? That is so cool! I’m so jealous! I wish I had magic.”

The Hydra roared, reminding them that it was still there. Focusing on the current problem at hand, the four of them inched backwards while attacking the Hydra. Harry began leading them to the river.

“Steam engine!” came Tyson’s reply.

Then, they heard Clarisse yelling out orders, “There! Prepare the thirty-two-pounder! Ready? Fire!”

The three demigods and one baby Cyclops dove for cover. Not a moment too soon, as an earth-shattering boom reverberated. There was a flash of light, a column of smoke and the now six-headed Hydra exploded right in front of them.

Percy glanced behind to see a strange-looking ship. It rode low in the water like a submarine, its deck plated with iron. In the middle was a trapezoid-shaped casemate with slats on each side for cannons. A flag waved from the top – a wild boar and spear on a blood-red field. Lining the deck were zombies in grey uniforms – dead soldiers with shimmering faces that only partially covered their skulls, like the ghouls I’d seen in the Underworld guarding Hades’s palace.

He recognised the ship as an ironclad. A Civil War battle cruiser. Along the prow in moss-covered letters, was the name CSS Birmingham. Up on the deck, standing next to a smoking cannon, wearing full Greek battle armour, was Clarisse.

She sneered. “Get in losers, I told you that I would get a ride. What the Tartarus happened to you three? Glad Potter found you when he did.”

Harry hollered back, “Can’t leave these two alone for too long, eh Clarisse? Otherwise they’d either get attacked or they’d snog each other silly. Now come on! I’m not sitting around, waiting to see which other monster shows up next.

Clarisse gave them a quick tour of the ship, which had dark rooms overcrowded with dead soldiers. Other rooms included the coal bunker, boilers, engine, pilot house and the powder magazine and gunnery deck. That last one was Clarisse’s personal favourite room. The soldiers were fond of the Virginia-born Annabeth. There was some interest in Percy, owing to his last name, but they recoiled when he mentioned that he was from New York. Harry was treated with a bit more disdain because he was a Brit.

Clarisse explained, “Got this gift from my dad. Spirits on the losing side of every war owe a tribute to Ares. That’s their curse for being defeated. Now get some rest, we’re heading straight for the Sea of Monsters. Potter, there’s a small laboratory below deck for you. You mentioned something about a Potions lab, so you can use it for that. However, if you blow up my ship, I swear to the gods that I will personally feed you to the next monster. Got it, punk?”

A couple of hours later, Harry heard alarm bells ringing loudly. He looked up from some notes that Sirius and Remus had given him and sighed. His potion was in its very last stages, but an alarm was an alarm. He cast a Stasis Charm on it and quickly packed up everything. Then he heard the ship captain’s voice on the radio, “All hands on deck! Find Lady Clarisse! Where is that girl? We are approaching the entrance of the Sea of Monsters.”

He soon joined Percy, Tyson and Annabeth on the deck, and Percy looked a little freaked out. Clarisse stomped over and snatched a pair of binoculars from a nearby undead officer. Her eyes gleams, “At last! Captain, full steam ahead!”

There wasn’t much to see, as the sky was overcast. Percy muttered, “We’re somewhere off the coast of Northern Florida.”

The engine groaned as the ship picked up more speed. Tyson looked worried, “Too much strain on the pistons. Not meant for deep water.”

Harry snapped to attention and related the information to Clarisse. She screwed up her face in thought. Annabeth spoke up, “He’s a Cyclops. He knows mechanics!”

Finally she grunted, “Okay go!”

Tyson rushed off below the deck. After a few more minutes, the demigods spotted two dark splotches, which then came into focus. To the north, a huge mass of rock rose out of the sea – an island with cliffs at least thirty metres tall. About half a mile south of that, the other patch of darkness was a storm brewing. The sky and sea boiled together in a roaring mass.

“Hurricane?” Annabeth asked.

“No,” Clarisse said. “Charybdis.”

Annabeth gawked at her. “Are you crazy?”

“Only way into the Sea of Monsters. Straight between Charybdis and her sister Scylla. Can’t sail around them, they’d only re-appear in my path. ”

Annabeth interrupted, “What about the Clashing Rocks? Didn’t Jason use them?”

Clarisse shook her head, “Can’t blow up rocks with my cannons. Monsters, definitely.”

Annabeth was incredulous, “You are crazy!”

Clarisse arrogantly said, “Watch and learn, Wise Girl. Captain! Set course for Charybdis!”

Percy interjected, “Isn’t Scylla a better option?”

She sneered at him, “Scylla lives in a cave up on those cliffs. We get too close, then her snaky heads will pluck sailors off the ship. We can blow up Charybdis.”

He argued back, “I’m telling you, choose Scylla, then we can all try and get below deck.”

“No!” Clarisse insisted. “If Scylla doesn’t get her easy meat, she might pick up the whole ship. Besides, she’s too high to make a good target. My cannon can’t shoot straight up.”

Percy looked like he wanted to argue, but finally said, “Alright fine, this is your quest after all.”

As the ship edged closer, they could hear a horrible wet roar. Every time Charybdis inhaled, the ship shuddered and lurched forward. Every time she exhaled, the ship rose in the water and got  buffeted by three-metre waves.

Percy yelled, “It’s no use! She takes about three minutes to suck up everything and her range is half a mile! Still want to take your chances with her instead of Scylla?!”

Annabeth hollered back, “Can we use the flask?!”

He called back, “I don't think so! It’s way too risky! More wind will make things worse!”

Then she asked, “What about controlling the water? You’re the son of Poseidon!”

“Worth a shot”, Percy closed his eyes and tried to calm the sea. Unfortunately, he just could not focus. Charybdis was too powerful and too loud.

Suddenly, the ship lurched forward, throwing Percy onto the deck. To everyone’s horror, the ship was sucked into the whirlpool. Clarisse barked orders, “Full reverse! Get us within firing range! Make ready starboard cannons!”

A sailor burst out onto the deck with his uniform smoking. He reported, “Boiler room overheating, ma’am. The Cyclops is doing what he can, but it’s looking difficult.”

Finally, everyone had their first look at Charybdis. She was just a few hundred metres away, through a swirl of mist and smoke and water. The first thing Percy noticed was the reef – a black crag of coral with a fig tree clinging to the top, an oddly peaceful thing in the middle of a maelstrom. All around it, water curved into a funnel, like light around a black hole. Then he spotted an enormous mouth with slimy lips and mossy teeth the size of rowboats. And worse, the teeth had braces, bands of corroded scummy metal with pieces of fish and driftwood and floating garbage stuck between them.

The entire sea was sucked into that gaping maw. It didn’t matter what was in the sea, be they sharks, schools of fish, a giant squid, all of it got sucked in. Unfortunately, it looked like the CSS Birmingham was the next item on the menu.

Then Clarisse began firing at the monster, but it looked like they were barely grazing her. Suddenly, the vibrations in the deck changed and the engine sounded stronger than ever.

It looked like there was no hope in sight, but just as suddenly as Charybdis wreaked havoc, she stopped. The bad news was that no sooner had she closed her mouth, that she opened them once again. This time, she was expelling everything.

The CSS Birmingham was thrown across, and Percy had his hands full in not letting the ship capsize. Unfortunately, it seemed that Murphy’s Law was working overtime. Another sailor staggered out from the hold. He gasped, “Engine’s about to blow!”

Percy demanded, “Where’s Tyson!”

“Still down there, somehow holding everything together. Don’t know for how much longer though.”

The captain grimly said, “We have to abandon ship.”

Clarisse was fuming, “No! Absolutely not!”

“We have no choice, m’lady. The hull is already cracking apart! She can’t –’

He never finished his sentence. Quick as lightning, something brown and green shot from the sky, snatched up the captain, and lifted him away. All that was left were his leather boots.

‘Scylla!’ a sailor yelled, as another column of reptilian flesh shot from the cliffs and snapped him up. It happened so fast it was like watching a laser beam rather than a monster.

Percy sprang into action, uncapping Riptide and attempting to swipe at the monster. Harry bellowed, “Everyone get inside!”

Annabeth yelled, “Lifeboats!”

Clarisse snapped, “They’ll never get clear of the cliffs. We’ll all be eaten.”

“We have to try. Percy, the Flask.”

“I can’t leave Tyson!”

“We have to get the boats ready!”

Clarisse took Annabeth’s command. She and a few of her undead sailors uncovered one of the two emergency rowboats while Scylla’s heads rained from the sky like a meteor shower with teeth, picking off Confederate sailors one after another.

“Get the other boat.’ He chucked the flask at Annabeth. “I’ll get Tyson.”

She pleaded, “You can’t! The heat will kill you!”

However, Percy was not in a mood to listen. He charged for the hold, when suddenly, Harry yelled, “Jackson, watch out!”

Harry tackled Percy, and the next thing he knew, there was a searing pain in his left shoulder while his feet left the deck. Scylla had been aiming for Percy, but grabbed him instead. Once up in the air and in her jaws, he got a good look at her, and it was the stuff of nightmares. She was a grotesque sea monster with six long necks equipped with grisly heads. Each head contained three rows of sharp teeth and four eyes. Her body consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs and a tail and with four to six dog-heads ringing her waist. On instinct, Harry took his wand out, transformed it into Gryffindor’s Sword and stabbed the monster in one of its eyes.

With a screech, she let go, and Harry began plummeting. As he fell, he heard a deafening explosion, and Percy screaming, “TYSON!”

Eventually, Harry hit the water with a painful splash. Fortunately, he was near one of the lifeboats, one which had Clarisse, Annabeth and Percy. The three of them fished his bleeding body out of the water, dumping him back onto the boat. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Annabeth using the flask and twisting it sharply.

---

Harry soon found himself in a forest clearing, and he was not alone. A few feet away from him, was a man with greasy and ragged hair. On top of his head was a crown made of what looked like finger bones. His robes were a mix of wolf, rabbit, raccoon and deer pelts haphazardly woven together. Seeing his lithe and muscular frame and pale skin, Harry recognised him as King Lycaon.

Then, another figure walked in, and Lycaon turned to him, “What news?”

The werewolf knelt before him, “My liege, it isn’t good news I’m afraid. The Hunters of Artemis have been on the prowl and have been relentlessly hunting down our pack.”

Lycaon snarled, turned around and cleaved a tree with his sharp claws. He raged, “Damn those Hunters! Damn them all to Tartarus!”

Then he had an idea, “Where is Greyback? Find him and tell him to search for new recruits!”

The other werewolf looked unsure, “My lord? Are you sure you wish to entrust this task upon Fenrir Greyback? Many of us have observed that he has been becoming more and more deranged. He’s growing too powerful. What if he decides to stage an uprising?”

Lycaon barked, “Send him in… NOW!”

The werewolf yelped and scampered off. Not even a minute later, another werewolf came in and knelt in front of Lycaon. The newcomer was a large and vicious-looking man. Like King Lycaon, he had pointed teeth and also had yellowish fingernails.

He spoke, “You sent for me, my Lord?”

Lycaon said, “Yes I did. As you are aware, our forces are dwindling, thanks to those accursed Hunters. Your mission is to find some fresh young blood to turn to our cause.”

Greyback adopted a feral grin, “It shall be done, my liege. I know the perfect place, and who will be my first victim, ahem - recruit. Harry Potter, the wizarding world’s hero. Oh ho ho! Once he is turned, those stupid sheep will turn on him with the snap of a finger. I guess my destination is a certain school in Scotland.”

---

The dream then faded, and Harry finally came to. He noticed that he was lying on the rowboat. Annabeth and Percy were using a make-shift sail to steer. Then a wave of dizziness hit him and he groaned, “Bloody hell, feels like I took a Bludger.”

Clarisse was at his side in an instant, “Potter, rest. You’ve earned it. Don’t ever scare the crap out of me again. Silena would have killed me if you died.”

She glared at him, until her expression softened, ”Glad to see you alive, punk.”

He weakly grinned at her, “If you couldn’t kill me, what makes you think that some overgrown snake had a better chance, wanker.”

She reeled back and mock gasped, “Oh, so that’s how it is, eh? Dweeb.”

“Pillock”

“Jerk”

“Twat”

“Moron”

“Plonker”

“Idiot”

“Prat”

“Dumbass”

“Git”

“Douchebag”

“Bellend”

“Asshole”

“Tosser”

As they continued to insult each other, grins slowly broke over their faces. Percy looked really confused, but Annabeth was watching the scene with fond exasperation.

Finally Clarisse jabbed, “Cretin”

However, Harry fired back with, “Muppet!”

She paused and grumbled, “You win.”

Annabeth groaned, “Are you two quite finished?”

Harry laughed, “Yeah don’t worry, our pissing contest is over. I told you, us Brits have more creative insults.”

Eventually, Harry seemed well enough to sit up, though he still winced in pain. Clarisse and Annabeth carefully eased off his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and assessed the damage. Annabeth cleaned the wound and Clarisse plucked out a few teeth that were embedded in the wound. The daughter of Athena broke off some ambrosia and fed it to him to speed up the healing. She sheepishly said, “Sorry, I’m not as good at healing as the Apollo kids. This is the best that we can do for now. ”

He looked over at Percy, who was just gazing across the ocean in silence. Harry spoke up, “Hey Jackson, I-I’m really sorry about Tyson, mate.”

The boy shook his head, “I’m not mad at you, man. If anything I should be thanking you for saving my life. I’m actually mad at myself, more than anything. Ever since he got claimed as the son of Poseidon, I felt really embarrassed about being related to a monster. Heck, if you hadn’t slapped some sense into me, I probably would have treated him worse.”

Then Harry changed the subject, “What’s our estimate? Are we closer to finding the Fleece?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. But we’d better hurry, Grover doesn’t have much time. Polyphemus caught him trying to unravel the bridal train and gave him some magic wool that can’t be undone.”

Percy scoffed bitterly, “You can never trust a Cyclops, eh?”

Annabeth blurted, “Percy, I’m sorry. I was wrong about Tyson. I-I just wish that I could have told him that in person.”

More silence followed, then Percy asked, “What was that thing about a prophecy again?”

She bit her bottom lip, “Percy, that’s not a good idea-”

He interrupted, “I know Chiron promised the gods he wouldn’t tell me. But you didn’t promise, did you?”

“Knowledge isn’t always good for you.”

“Your mom is the wisdom goddess!”

“I know that! But every time heroes learn the future, they try to change it, and it never works. It’s like that story of Oedipus. The more you try to avoid it, it could end up getting fulfilled.”

He guessed, “The gods are worried about something I’ll do when I get older. Something when I turn sixteen.”

Finally, she replied, “Percy, I don’t know the full prophecy, but it warns about a half-blood child of the Big Three – the next one who lives to the age of sixteen. That’s the real reason Zeus, Poseidon and Hades swore a pact after World War II not to have any more kids. The next child of the Big Three who reaches sixteen will be a dangerous weapon. That hero will decide the fate of Olympus. He or she will make a decision that either saves the Age of the Gods, or destroys it.”

He snapped his fingers, “Is that why Kronos was so eager to not kill me?”

Harry interjected, “Precisely, but then again, you’re thirteen now. You still have three more years. A lot can happen in those three years.”

Annabeth picked up where he left off, “When Chiron found out about Thalia, he figured that she was the one in the prophecy. That was why he wanted to get her to camp immediately. After she got turned into a pine tree, no one knew what would happen next, until you came along.”

Percy asked, “Did Tyson qualify as a child of this prophecy? I mean, the Big Three had a lot of monster children.”

Clarisse finally spoke up, “I don’t think they count, Prissy.”

Annabeth shook her head. “The Oracle said ‘half-blood’. That always means half human, half god. There’s really nobody alive who it could be, except you.”

Percy bitterly said, “So why are they letting me live? Can’t they circumvent this stupid prophecy by killing me?”

Clarisse snapped, “It’s not as easy as that, punk. If Zeus struck you down, he’d be risking his brother’s wrath. Take Potter for instance, he’s the first son of Artemis. Sure, some of the gods could have killed him because it would be seen as her breaking her oath. However, is killing Potter really worth pissing her off?”

Annabeth picked up where she left off, “Also, think of it this way, other gods could just be watching you and waiting to see what decision you will take. The ones who don’t want to kill you, may have the hope that your presence will preserve their existence. It all hinges on what you will do in the next three years.”

As they mulled on that though, Harry gave a loud whistle. A few minutes later, Hedwig came swooping in. He began to write a letter to Sirius and Remus with his left hand, all the while Clarisse gaped at him. She demanded, “How the hell did the bird manage to find you all the way out here?!”

Harry shrugged and stroked his owl’s head with his left hand, “Hedwig’s pretty smart. She’s saved my sorry arse a few times. I can rely on her for anything. No matter when I am, she’ll always find me.”

Annabeth had another question though, “What was in the letter you’re sending anyway?”

Harry grimaced, “Had a dream earlier. This werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, is on his way to Hogwarts. Mother and the Hunters have been after him for years. Now, Lycaon, king of the werewolves, has tasked him with replenishing his pack. Greyback’s chosen Hogwarts as his target, and his first target is me. He thinks it’ll be pretty ironic for the son of Artemis and the ‘saviour of the Wizarding World’ to be a werewolf?”

Percy asked, “Is being a werewolf really that bad in the Wizarding World?”

Harry nodded, “You’re normal for most days and nights, but on the full moon, you lose complete control of yourself and become a mindless monster. Also, I’m ashamed to admit it, but Wizarding Britain is hugely discriminatory. There is a massive stigma against werewolves, that they can’t get jobs over there. Additionally, they are pretty much shunned by society. It’s sad but it is true. If I got bitten, even if I did sort of ‘save’ them from the Dark Lord when I was a baby, I would be heavily shunned.”

Clarisse and Annabeth nodded along at the explanation. Just as he was about to send the letter, he had a thought, and quickly penned another letter, this time to Zoe. He figured that if Greyback was heading to Hogwarts, the Hunters could give him a nasty surprise. Harry attached both letters and told Hedwig to deliver one to Sirius and the other to Zoe. With a single nod, the snowy owl flew off.

Chapter 37: Chapter 37

A couple of days passed and the four remaining demigods idly talked. Clarisse confirmed that not all of the teeth were out, he would need one of the Apollo kids or a wizarding healer to extract the rest, safely. Fortunately, he wasn’t in any danger of bleeding out, but was also advised to not aggravate it. Soon, Harry went back to finishing up his potion, fending off curious questions from Annabeth.

One evening, the group were surprised when a seagull swooped down out of nowhere and dropped a cluster of leaves on the deck. Annabeth looked excited, “I think there’s land nearby!”

Sure enough, they spotted a hint of black in the horizon, and it was slowly getting larger. Minutes later, they could make out an island dotted with a white collection of buildings and several bright lights. In addition to that, there was a beach and a harbour filled with several yachts and other boats, with a few airplanes and ships thrown in the mix.

Harry mumbled, “How the bloody hell did we get all the way to Monte Carlo?”

An awestruck Annabeth murmured, “I think we’re still in the Sea of Monsters… Wow! What is this place?”

As the current pulled their boat towards the dock, the four demigods saw a woman with a clipboard spotting them and briskly walking up. Her attire was similar to that of a flight attendant, a blue business suit, hair pulled back in a ponytail and high heels. She shot them a polite smile and said, “Welcome! Is this your first time with us?”

They all looked bemused, but that didn’t faze her. The woman uttered as she wrote on the board, “First-Time-At-Spa.”

Percy looked around him and saw some strange sights. Aside from several stunning yachts, there was a U.S. Navy submarine, several dugout canoes and an old-fashioned three-masted sailing ship. There was also a helipad with a ‘Channel Five Fort Lauderdale’ helicopter on it, and a short runway with a Learjet and a propeller plane that looked like a World War II fighter.”

The woman then eyed them carefully, “Hmm… I’m thinking of herbal wraps for the two ladies and complete makeovers for the young gentlemen. Right!  Well, I’m sure C.C. will want to speak with you personally before the luau. Follow me, please.”

Annabeth muttered, “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

Clarisse grunted in agreement, “Got that right. I think we’ve earned it.”

Percy shot Clarisse an odd look, “Didn’t peg you for a spa kind of girl.”

She snarled, “In case you hadn’t noticed, Prissy. I’m a girl. I may be a daughter of Ares, but even I like to be pampered from time to time.”

Harry innocently asked, “So does that mean that you’re finally going to accept Silena’s repeated pleas to attend a slumber party?”

She cuffed him on the back of the head, “Watch it Potter. Or I’ll bring back your lightning bolt scar.”

---

As they walked, Harry and Percy kept their hands close to their weapons. However, the further they ventured into the resort, Percy’s hands soon slipped away from his pockets. Harry still kept his hands close to his waist, though he had to fight the urge to relax.

At one point, they passed some fountains that formed impossible shapes, like flying eagles and galloping horses. Percy remembered Tyson’s love for horses, and nearly turned to see his reaction. However, he remembered at the last moment about the events that transpired earlier.

Then came some even stranger sights, a sea turtle napped in a stack of beach towels. A leopard stretched out asleep on the diving board. Several female resort guest lounged in deckchairs, drinking fruit smoothies or reading magazines while herbal masks dried on their faces and manicurists in white uniforms did their nails.

Heading up a staircase, into what they assumed was the main building, they all heard a woman singing. Harry thought it was so beautiful that it could give Celestina Warbeck a run for her money.

Before long, the four of them entered a big room, where the front wall was replaced by large windows. Meanwhile, the wall opposite that was replaced by a floor-to-ceiling mirror. This gave off the impression that the room was larger than it actually was. There was also a lot of expensive-looking white furniture, a few potted plants and on a table in one corner was a large wire pet cage. The cage seemed out of place, but they didn’t think about it too much.

At last, they found the owner of the voice, a lady sitting at a large loom, weaving coloured thread back and forth with amazing skill. The tapestry that she was weaving was a scene of a waterfall that looked so realistic that they could see water moving and clouds drifting across a fabric sky.

Annabeth was spellbound, “It’s beautiful!”

The lady turned, revealing her face for the first time. Her long dark hair was braided with gold threads. She had piercing green eyes and wore a silky black dress with shapes that seemed to move in the fabric. Harry recognised her immediately and his hackles rose slightly.

She glanced at Annabeth, “You appreciate weaving, my dear? You have good taste. “I’m so glad you’ve come. My name is C.C.”

In the background Harry heard some squealing, “Run away! Run away! The witch will get you!”

Annabeth led the introductions, “I’m Annabeth”

“Clarisse”

“Percy”

“Harry”

C.C., or as Harry knew her, Circe glanced at them. She lingered on himself and Percy for a bit longer before her face registered a disapproving look. Circe sighed, “Oh dear, you two do need my help. Hylla, take Annabeth and Clarisse on a tour, will you? Show them what all services we have available. The clothing is dreadful and will need to change. The hair, my goodness. We will do a full image consultation after I’ve spoken with these two young gentlemen.”

Annabeth sounded genuinely hurt, ‘But… What’s wrong with my hair?’

C.C. smiled benevolently. “My dear, you are lovely. Really! But you’re not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!”

Annabeth tilted her head curiously, “Wasted?”

“Well, surely you’re not happy the way you are! My goodness, there’s not a single person who is. But don’t worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Hylla will show you what I mean. You, my dear, need to unlock your true self! Clarisse, you as well. Not to worry about Harry and Percy, I shall personally take care of them.”

As Annabeth and Clarisse were led away, Circe took the two boys by the arm and guided them to the mirror. She spoke, “Percy, Harry, it pains me to say this, but to unlock your potential, you’ll need serious help. The first step is admitting that you’re not happy the way you are.”

The boys just stared at their bedraggled selves. Then Circe snapped her fingers, allowing a sky blue curtain to roll down the mirror. They were confused until it shimmered and they saw themselves completely transformed. Percy had some great clothes on, a confident smile, straight teeth, flawless skin, a perfect tan and a toned athletic body.

The son of Poseidon gasped, “Whoa!”

Harry also looked at his own reflection. He was taller, more athletic, tanned, the faint trace of his lightning bolt scar was gone, as were his other scars from the Basilisk and Scylla.

Circe smiled, “I can give you a full makeover.”

Percy paused, “What’s the catch? I have to like … eat a special diet?”

She waved him off, “Oh, it’s quite easy. Plenty of fresh fruit, a mild exercise programme, and of course … this.”

She stepped over to her wet bar and filled a glass with water. Then she ripped open a drink-mix packet and poured in some red powder. The mixture began to glow. When it faded, the drink looked just like a strawberry milkshake.

Circe said, “One of these, substituted for a regular meal. I guarantee you’ll see results immediately.”

He was still lost, “How is that possible?”

She laughed. “Why question it? I mean, don’t you want the perfect you right away? Harry, you first.”

Harry suddenly spoke up, “Why aren’t there any males over here? Is there a separate building for your male clients?”

Circe replied, “Oh, but there are. You’ll meet them quite soon. Just try the mixture. You’ll see. Percy, I’ll be with you in just a second.”

As she went back to the wet bar to prepare the drink of Percy, Harry slowly inched to one of the potted plants. Percy wasn’t paying attention, and Circe had her back to him. He dumped the contents of the drink into the plant, fished out his vial. He reached into his mouth and stuck something in the side of the glass. Then he transferred the vial’s contents into the glass and plucked a hair from his head, dropping it in. He was so glad that the potion was the same colour, so that Circe would not suspect a thing.

Finally, both boys had a glass of a red drink in their hands. Harry noticed that the night sky was clear and had a full moon, which was a stroke of luck for him. He proclaimed, “Well… Down the hatch!”

As soon as he drank, he felt a fiery pain in his entire body. At the same time, he felt two hearts beating in unison. He closed his eyes and concentrated, finally spotting a large quadrupedal shape in his mind.

As for Percy, he gasped, “What’s happening to me!”

Circe cooed, “Don’t worry, boys. The pain will pass. Look! As I promised. Immediate results.”

The curtain dropped away, Percy saw his hands shrivelling, curling, growing long delicate claws. Fur sprouted on his face, under his shirt and. His teeth began to feel heavy and he began to shrink. Unfortunately for him, his clothes were not part of the transformation.

Meanwhile, Harry also shrank, but not as dramatically as Percy did. He went down on all fours, his mouth elongated and he grew a lot of fur all around his body. Circe glanced at him, “Hmm… I wasn’t expecting a different animal, but then again, I can’t complain about the results.”

Percy was officially freaking out now and he desperately tried to burrow himself out from under his clothes. He tried to make a break for it, but a pair of hands grabbed him. He tried to scream for help, but could only squeak, ‘Reeet, reeet, reeet!”

Circe picked him up and carried his wriggling body to the cage. As she put him in the cage, she spoke, “You’re a guinea pig.  Lovely, aren’t you? Men are pigs, Percy Jackson. I used to turn them into real pigs, but they were so smelly and large and difficult to keep. Not much different than they were before, really. Guinea pigs are much more convenient! Now come, and meet the other men. These young fellows have been here for nearly 300 years. If you’re good, maybe we can find a nice classroom who need a guinea pig pet.”

Finally, she turned to the transformed Harry, who had quietly padded after her. She placed her hands on her hips, “Now what to do about you, my dear. I was expecting you to have the same form as your friend here, I must be losing my touch. So where-”

Suddenly, Annabeth’s voice rang out, “Miss C.C.?”

Circe cursed and hurriedly kicked Percy’s clothes out of sight. Harry stood guard next to the cage. When the girls came in, Harry’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Both of them were in sleeveless white silk dresses. Annabeth’s blond hair was washed, combed and braided with gold. Additionally, she was also wearing makeup, which was rather unusual. Clarisse’s own brown hair was also washed and combed, but no braids. Harry inwardly smirked, knowing that she would not be caught dead in that kind of hairstyle.

Annabeth glanced around the room, “Where are Harry and Percy?”

Circe waved a dismissive hand, “They’re currently undergoing one of our treatments. Don’t fret. You two look wonderful! How was the tour?”

Annabeth gushed, “I loved it! The library was amazing!”

Clarisse smirked, “Pity there wasn’t a sparring arena.”

Circe tittered, “Oh my dears, over here, you can be anything you want to be.”

Annabeth exclaimed, “An architect!”

The witch scoffed, “Pah! You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me.”

Annabeth froze, and on the side lines, Harry smirked, knowing that the Drachma had finally dropped. She hesitantly said, “A sorceress?”

Circe held up her hand and a ball of flame danced on her palm. She said, “Yes, my dear. My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men.”

Percy squealed, trying to get her attention, but Annabeth ignored him. Circe continued, “Stay with me. Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress. Learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal! You are too intelligent, my dear. You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name? Men get all the glory. The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now they were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all.”

Annabeth gasped, “Circe!”

The sorceress grinned, as Annabeth backed up. Clarisse also pulled out a sword from somewhere on her person. The daughter of Athena snapped, “What have you done to Percy and Harry!”

She shrugged, “Only helped them realise their true form.”

Annabeth scanned the room before finally spotting the caged rodents and Harry sitting next to it. Their eyes widened, but Circe continued speaking, “Don’t worry, your friends will be well cared for. Percy will be shipped to the mainland. The children will love him. As for your friend Harry, I think the zoo is more appropriate.”

“Let us think about it,’ Annabeth murmured. ‘Just … give me a minute alone. To say goodbye.’

‘Of course, my dear,’ Circe cooed. ‘One minute. Oh … and so you have absolute privacy…’ She waved her hand and iron bars slammed down over the windows. She swept out of the room and locked the door.

In an instant, Annabeth and Clarisse snapped into action, and so did Harry. He transformed back into his human form, causing everyone in the room to gape at him, animals included. He sighed in relief, “Bloody hell! I thought she’d never leave!”

Annabeth was nearly catatonic, “H-how!? I thought the transformation was permanent unless we stopped it!”

Harry shot them a cheeky grin, “Switched her potion for mine while her back was turned. Witch made the mistake of serving me first. Confession time, the potion I made is called the Animagus Potion. Granted, Sirius and Remus did most of the work, because it takes a month to prepare. They only handed it to me for the finishing touches. With this potion, I could transform into an animal at any time I want. Of course, I can’t really keep up this form for long though, I'll need to practice.”

Clarisse high-fived him, “Got to admit, Potter. That was pretty clever.”

Then, Annabeth spotted Percy’s clothes, made a bee-line for them and dug up the bottle of vitamins from a pocket. She popped a chewable in her mouth and tossed another one to Clarisse, who caught it in her mouth.

Harry froze, “Shite! She’s coming back! She can’t know of the ruse!”

He quickly transformed back into his form and the two girls turned back towards the door. Circe smiled at the girls, “So, what is your answer?”

Annabeth drew her knife with a feral smile, “This…”

At the same time, Clarisse also hefted her sword and pointed it at her.

The sorceress stepped back, but her surprise quickly passed. She sneered. ‘Really, ladies, a knife and a sword against my magic? Is that wise?”

That was when Harry decided that the jig was up. He transformed back into a human, got his wand out and called, “How about MY magic instead, Circe?”

She spun around in shock, “H-how!? Wait… Oh… Oh I see… You’re a wizard. One of my mother’s pet projects. You’re the only wizard here. Too bad that your friends aren’t.”

She sent a wisp of blue fire at Annabeth, ”Let’s see how Miss Annabeth does, as a shrew!”

However, nothing happened, except that Clarisse pounced and stuck the tip of her sword against Circe’s neck. The sorceress was aghast, “How did you avoid it! You’re not wizards or witches!”

Annabeth grinned and held up the vitamin bottle. Circe howled in frustration. “Curse Hermes and his multivitamins! Those are such a fad! They do nothing for you.”

Harry raised his wand, “Beth, Clarisse, leave her to me. Get Jackson and the other guinea pigs out of the cage.”

Harry and Circe circle each other, waiting for the other to strike first. She smiled, “Are you sure you wish to go up against me? The greatest sorceress in the world? I’m curious though, how did you know it was me?”

He replied nonchalantly, “I recognised you from your Chocolate Frog card.”

Finally, she got tired of waiting and fired a spell. He dodged it and fired a Stupefy spell. Circe batted it away and sent another spell at him. The two duelled fiercely for what seemed like ages. It soon became clear that she was superior, but he was somehow able to hold his own.

Then they heard a commotion, and they paused their duel to see Percy Jackson in human form once again. However, he was not the only one in the room. Along with them were half a dozen men who all looked disoriented, blinking and shaking wood shavings out of their hair.

One of them was a tall barrel-chested man with a long tangled pitch-black beard and bad teeth.

He bellowed, “Argggh! What’s the witch done to me!”

Clarisse gasped. “Holy shit! Edward Teach, son of Ares!”

He growled, “Aye, sister. Though most call me Blackbeard! And there’s the sorceress what captured us, lads. Run her through, and then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Arggggh!”

Circe took that opportunity to flee, along with her attendants. The pirates all gave chase, leaving the demigods behind in the room. Annabeth wrapped Percy in a hug and mumbled, “I’m glad you’re not a guinea pig.”

Then she turned to Harry, “Do you have some spell for cleaning. This makeup is so not me. Also, you are telling us how the heck you managed to do all of that! Let’s get out of here, while Circe is distracted.”

He cast a Scourgify spell at her face, wiping off all the makeup. Then they all booked it out of there and headed for the docks. Harry mused as he ran, “It’s a pity though… I was honestly having fun duelling her. Of course, she was pretty much kicking my arse, but in my defence, I’ve only been learning about magic for two school years. Bloody hell! Ron and Hermione are not going to believe it when I tell them that I duelled against THE Circe!”

---

As they reached the docks, a plethora of boats, yachts, plans and ships awaited them. Along the way, they happened to run into Blackbeard. From there, Clarisse had a brainwave and asked if they could borrow his ship, The Queen Anne’s Revenge.

After much deliberation and a promise to bring it back intact, he allowed them to borrow it. As soon as they boarded the ship, something changed for Percy. He looked like he was absolutely in his element. The boy closed his eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated. Then he yelled, “Mizzenmast!”, and on cue, there was a flurry of activity. Ropes snapped taut and secured themselves, canvases unfurled and pulleys creaked to life. Before long, the majestic ship was sailing once again into the Sea of Monsters.

Percy Jackson was truly in his element. The Queen Anne’s Revenge felt like an extension of himself, as it responded to his every command. Now that there was relatively little danger, Annabeth and Clarisse cornered Harry. The daughter of Athena demanded, “Harry, how did you manage it? Very few people have managed to resist Circe’s charms!”

He replied, “It all started about a month ago, when I wrote to Uncle Sirius and Remus. I asked them to teach me how to be an Animagus. That’s basically an ability where you can turn into an animal. The only caveat is that you are restricted to one animal. I think it’s mostly based on your personality. I figured that this ability could be an asset to my skills. One of the more common ways is to brew a potion. It’s a pretty long process and it takes a full month, because you need perfect conditions.”

Clarisse tilted her head curiously, “But it’s been barely a week, Potter. Unless you took shortcuts.”

He shook his head, “That’s why Sirius and Remus did most of the work. Later on, they sent the incomplete potion and the instructions. So I had to complete the last part myself. It was pretty much ready, before we hit Circe’s island. She made the mistake of giving me her concoction first, before preparing Jackson’s. So while her back was turned, I dumped the contents into a potted plant and then transferred my potion into the glass.”

Then Annabeth had a though, “By the way, did you have to keep something in your mouth? I thought it was just my imagination, but whenever you spoke, I sometimes caught a glimpse of something green on your tongue.”

He nodded, “Yeah, one of the instructions is to keep a leaf from the Mandrake plant in your mouth continuously for a full month. Honestly, this was the most annoying part of the entire process, but it was worth it.”

Percy, who was also listening in, said, “So what form have you taken? Can you show us?”

Harry stepped back and made sure that the trio were at a reasonable distance. Then he transformed into his Animagus form. He looked up to see Annabeth’s wide eyes, and he transformed back. She murmured, “Di Immortales! Your Animagus form is a dire wolf! Harry! That is so cool! Again, I wish I had magic!”

After that bit of excitement, silence reined over the quartet. Later on, Annabeth went below deck, as she was starting to feel sea-sick. Clarisse was also taking a nap, while Harry had gone below to continue working on his Animagus form.

A little after midnight, Harry and Annabeth arrived as he piloted the ship. In the horizon, somewhere to their left, was an island with a smoking volcano. Annabeth pointed to it, “That’s one of Hephaestus’ forges. Where he makes his metal monsters. I think it’s best we avoid it.”

Seeing the ocean bubbling and steaming around the island, Percy gulped and gave the island a wide berth. As they sailed, Percy glanced at the girl, “The reason you hate Cyclopes so much. The story of how Thalia really died. What happened.”

Harry also leaned forward, “I’m curious about that too. Of course, if you’re still uncomfortable, we’re not going to push you, mate.”

She sighed, “No, you’re right. You both deserve the truth. The Grover escorted us to camp. He got a little turned around and we took some wrong turns. The worst one was when we stumbled upon a Cyclops’s lair in Brooklyn. He managed to trick us, splitting us up “inside this maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush. And he could sound like anyone, Percy. Cyclopes have excellent mimicry skills. He lured us, one at time. Thalia thought she was running to save Luke. Luke thought he heard me scream for help. And me … I was alone in the dark. I was seven years old. I couldn’t even find the exit.”

She exhaled and continued, “I remember finding the main room. There were bones all over the floor. And there were Thalia and Luke and Grover, tied up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked hams. The Cyclops was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. I drew my knife, but he heard me. He turned and smiled. He spoke, and somehow he knew my dad’s voice. I guess he just plucked it out of my mind. He said, “Now, Annabeth, don’t you worry. I love you. You can stay here with me. You can stay forever.’”

Harry shuddered, “Back in my First Year, we were protecting this artefact called the Philosopher’s Stone. The way to get to it was through different rooms with different obstacles. Each one was tougher than the last one. In one of the rooms, there was supposed to be a mountain troll. However, as my friends and I neared it, a voice sounding exactly like Dumbledore spoke to us. Hermione, Ron and Neville nearly fell for it. I had fought Cyclopes while with the Hunters, so I knew their tricks. Still, the voice resemblance was uncanny.”

Percy asked Annabeth, “So, what did you do?”

She replied, “I stabbed him in the foot.”

They gaped at her and Percy said incredulously, “Are you kidding? You were seven years old and you stabbed a grown Cyclops in the foot?”

“Oh, he would’ve killed me. But I surprised him. It gave me just enough time to run to Thalia and cut the ropes on her hands. She took it from there.”

Harry emitted a low whistle, “Still, that was pretty brave, Beth.”

She shook her head. “We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Percy. The way that Cyclops talked in my father’s voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who’d been chasing us had time to catch up. That’s really why Thalia died. If it hadn’t been for that Cyclops, she’d still be alive today.”

Nothing else was said between them and Harry gave her a comforting hug. Percy also hesitantly reached over and hugged the girl. After a while, Harry said, “Hey Jackson, why don’t you get some rest, we’ll call if there’s anything important.”

The boy didn’t argue, as frankly, he looked ready to drop. A few minutes later, Harry heard the sound of wings flapping. He looked up and saw Hedwig flying towards him. However, she wasn’t alone, as he saw a smaller owl flying next to her. She alighted next to him and cuffed him on the back of his head with her wing. The owl began angrily barking, “Next time you decide to send a letter, don’t do it when you’re in the middle of monster-infested waters! Pigwidgeon and I barely missed getting eaten by a damn megalodon on the way back from England! I thought those things went extinct! Bloody thing just leaped out of the water, right in front of me. A couple of seagulls weren’t so lucky. Just be glad that the Weasleys didn’t send Errol! The old codger would have been fish food as soon as we entered this accursed place!”

He stroked her feathered chest softly, “Sorry love, I had no idea I was putting you in danger. It’s okay, you can rest here. What did Sirius and Remus say?”

She stuck out her claw, where Sirius and Remus’ letter was. Pigwidgeon also had a couple of letters tied to his leg. Harry took them, recognising Ron’s handwriting, as well as Hermione’s. Apparently, Ron was in Egypt with his family, Hermione was in France. However, Sirius and Remus’ letter was more worrying.

It read, “Dear Harry, I must say, thanks for the warning. We just recently heard rumours about Greyback entering British soil. Safe to say, Remus and I are not going to take any chances. We’ve just Flooed Dumbledore and told him about the warning. We were thinking that Remus will take over the DADA position, just in case. After all, who better to face one werewolf than another one. Also, on the days when there is a full moon, I will be taking over the classes to help Moony recover. I have some bad news though, the American Ministry was monitoring Greyback's movements and informed our own. Minister Fudge (You remember him, right?) had the ‘brilliant’ idea to post the Dementors of Azkaban around Hogwarts, to try and catch him. Amelia and I were furious, but the git issued an Executive Order, so our hands are tied. My only warning is, just be careful around these dementors. I don’t know what kind of monsters you’ve faced as a demigod, but these things are a lot worse.

Bye for now, Your Uncle Sirius (Padfoot)”

After he finished reading, he grabbed a nearby spyglass and looked on the horizon. He could just about make out a small blotch of land in the distance. Then he focused and saw some figures wandering about, and his eyes widened, “Oh bollocks!”

Wasting no time, he went to wake up the other three. He found Jackson just waking up from a nightmare. He also nearly got a knife to the throat from Annabeth, and got judo-flipped by Clarisse. When they joined him on the deck, Clarisse demanded, “What the hell was that, Potter?!”

He breathed fearfully, “Land a few miles ahead. We’re approaching the island of the Sirens.”

Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Harry paced up and down the deck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge. He rubbed his temples trying to fight off an impending headache. The boy deadpanned, “So let me get this straight. You want to hear the Sirens’ singing? According to the rumours, they sing the truth about your desires. They tell you things about yourself, things you didn’t even realize. That’s what’s so enchanting. If you survive, you become wiser.”

Annabeth looked back at him defiantly, with her hands on her hips, her gaze never leaving his own. He groaned, “Beth… have you gone mad? Do you have any idea what would happen if this went to pot?”

Clarisse also interjected, “He’s got a point, Wise Girl. For a daughter of Athena, this has got to be the stupidest idea ever!”

She argued back, “Come on! When else am I going to get this chance? Listen, we don’t have time! Just tie me to the mast and don’t untie me, no matter what.”

Clarisse raised her arms to the heavens in an ‘I give up’ gesture. She grumbled, “Your funeral. F**k! Fine, we’ll do it your way, then!”

Before long, they tied her up firmly, before grabbing wads of candle wax. They kneaded the wax into makeshift earplugs and stuffed them in their ears. Then, Harry had a thought, he turned to Clarisse and mimed his hands running down an invisible body. Luckily, she got the message, gave a quick pat down and relieved the bound girl of her Celestial Bronze knife.

Soon, the island came into view, a rocky black mass on the horizon. Percy steered the ship, while Harry and Clarisse kept an eye on Annabeth. For a while, she was normal, but then she got a puzzled look on her face and her eyes widened. As he steered, Percy kept well clear of the jagged rocks  looming out of the fog.

Annabeth strained against the ropes, calling for them. Except, the only sound they heard was the rush of blood in their ears. She looked absolutely miserable, but Percy willed the ship to go faster. At one point, Percy reached for his ears, but Harry reacted by pulling out his wand and raising it threateningly. He mouthed, ‘Do that, and I will not hesitate to put you in a Full Body-Bind Curse.’

The island was mostly obscured by a thick mist for a long time. However, it soon cleared and everyone got a better look at what awaited Annabeth, should she get free. The sirens resembled a flock of human-sized vultures, with dirty black plumage, grey talons and wrinkled pink necks. On top of the necks were human heads, that were constantly changing. The sight was grotesque, as their mouths were greasy and caked with remnants of old meals. They kept shifting, taking on the faces of his friends and loved ones, Sirius, Remus, his mortal parents, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Zoe, Mother Artemis, and so many more. Despite all that, their greasy mouths ruined the image.

By now, Annabeth was pleading, with tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, with a massive effort, she heaved and tore through the ropes binding her. Annabeth made a break for the side of the ship, only for Harry to tackle her to the ground. Then girl struggled and kicked him off, but he recovered quickly and pointed his wand at her. He bellowed, “Petrificus Totalus!”

Instantly, she froze up and toppled to the ground. Harry and Percy grabbed her to try and haul her back to the mast. However, as soon as they touched her, the scene changed drastically. There were three people on a picnic blanket at Central Park. A man in his 40s, with sandy hair and an athletic body. He was holding hands with a beautiful woman, who largely resembled Annabeth.

The woman wore blue jeans, a denim shirt, and hiking boots. The last person was none other than Luke. All three were talking and laughing, and when they spotted Annabeth, beckoned her to join them. In the background, was the city of Manhattan, but greatly revamped. The buildings were made of dazzling white marble, golden windows and rooftop gardens, It was almost as if Annabeth had rebuilt the entire city with her own hands.

Then, Harry blinked and the image was gone. With renewed strength, he and Percy dragged her back and secured her once again. The girl was kicking, screaming and thrashing around, and even Clarisse came rushing over to help. All the while, the Queen Anne’s Revenge continued to sail past the island at top speed. Eventually, she began to sob and she sounded absolutely heartbroken. She rested her head on Percy’s shoulder and cried her eyes out. The two boys rubbed her back reassuringly all the way and remained like that for a long time.

At last, she glanced up at them and mouthed ‘Safe’. Harry glanced around him, and the island was out of sight. Hesitantly, he plucked out his earplug, and sure enough, there was no singing. Percy and Clarisse followed suit and they finally untied her.

She mumbled, “I never realized… How powerful the temptation must be.”

Harry hesitantly spoke up, “Hey Annabeth… Sorry if this seems a bit personal, but…”

Percy finished for him, “We saw the way you rebuilt Manhattan. We also saw Luke, and your parents.”

Her cheeks flushed, “You two saw all of that?”

Percy continued, “When Luke said that spiel about starting the world from scratch. That really got to you, didn’t it?”

She curled into herself, “My fatal flaw. That’s what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is Hubris.”

Harry clarified, “That’s deadly pride, isn’t it?”

Annabeth nodded, “Precisely, thinking that you could do better than everyone else. Even the Gods themselves. Don’t you ever feel like, if the world really is messed up? What if we could do it all from scratch. No wars, no homeless, no bad things happening in the world?”

They agreed and she continued, “The West is supposed to represent the best things mankind has to offer, like The American Dream. That’s why the fire is still burning. That explains why Olympus is still around. But sometimes, the bad outweighs the good. Then you start thinking like Luke: ‘If I could tear this all down, I would do it better.’ Don’t you ever feel that way? Like you could do a better job if you ran the world?”

Percy shook his head, “Nope! Me running the world sounds like a nightmare.”

Harry was a bit thoughtful, “I will admit, there are a lot of things in the Wizarding world that I despise. However, I don’t think I have the power to change all of that. Heck, there is so much of bigotry ingrained in the system, but I don’t think I can root it out. Not all on my own.”

She mused, “You two are lucky. Hubris isn’t either of your fatal flaws. Harry, I think I can guess yours. You despise disloyalty and can hold grudges against that. I think it festered ever since your father’s supposed friend betrayed him and your mortal mother. Not only did it result in their deaths, but it almost ruined the life of another friend. I mean, when Luke betrayed us, you took it pretty badly, even more than I did.”

Harry found a spot on the floor fairly interesting to look at. He mumbled, “Yeah… I guess you’re pretty spot on.”

She continued, “Percy, I don’t know what yours is, but every hero has one. If you don’t find it and learn to control it… well, they don’t call it fatal for nothing.”

None of them said anything for a while, then Percy wadded up his lump of wax and was about to throw it. However, Harry stopped him, “Wait! Give it to me. Might still come in handy for me. Ron and Neville snore like freaking machine guns.”

Percy shrugged, and Harry stuffed a few more lumpy balls of wax into his backpack. Just then, Clarisse called out from the crow’s nest, “Land Ho!”

They looked up and Percy caught his breath, “We’re here! Thirty degrees, thirty-one minutes north, seventy-five degrees, twelve minutes west. We’ve reached the lair of Polyphemus!”

---

At first glance, the island did not scream ‘Monster Island’. Except for a rope bridge over a chasm, it seemed like a typical tropical island. The landscape was filled with lush green fields, tropical fruit trees and white beaches.

Annabeth took a deep breath, “This is the work of the Fleece, I’m sure of it!”

Clarisse spotted a small cove and pointed to it, “There! Drop me off over there and wait! If I’m not back soon, assume that something happened and I’ve been captured. Then you have my permission to save my butt.”

Harry was a bit unsure, “Mate, I’m not doubting your abilities, but this is Polyphemus, we’re talking about. I’m not having someone die on my watch.”

However, Percy cut in, “Have it your way, this is your quest.”

With a nod, she hiked up the cliff, making her way to find the Fleece. In the meantime, the other three sailed on, searching for another cove. Eventually, they docked the Queen Anne’s Revenge by some steep cliffs. The trio took a lifeboat to the craggy beach and began the slow torturous climb up. Soon, they found themselves at the top of a ravine, overlooking a lush meadow. On the meadow, they could see several flocks of sheep wandering around. It was also worth mentioning that even though they were watching from a distance, they could tell that the sheep were massive. Just past the sheep was a path leading up into a set of hills. At the top of the path, near the edge of the canyon, was a massive oak with something gold glittered in its branches.

Percy murmured, “This looks way too easy. Clarisse could just hike up there and take it.”

That was when Murphy’s Law decided to remind him that it still exists. A deer suddenly emerged from some nearby bushes and ambled into the meadow, looking for some fresh grass. The next thing that everyone knew, the sheep all bleated at once and rushed the animal. It happened so fast that the deer stumbled and was lost in a sea of wool and trampling hooves.

Grass and tufts of fur flew into the air.

A second later the sheep all moved away, back to their regular peaceful wanderings. Where the deer had been was a pile of clean white bones.

Harry smacked Percy on the back of his head, “Damn it Jackson! You jinxed us! Never ever say some shite like that again! Hey Beth, a very big If here, suppose we get the fleece back and successfully heal Thalia’s tree, what happens to the island?”

Annabeth shrugged, “Don’t know. I’m guessing that all of this will fade with time.”

Having had enough of the scene, they continued exploring. After a small dip in the terrain, they found that they had to climb even more. At one point, Percy lost his grip and was dangling off a ledge by one hand. Later on, Annabeth stepped on a slippery patch of moss, but found another foothold. The bad news was that the foothold was Percy’s face.

She sheepishly murmured, “Sorry…”

He grunted back, “It’s okay.”

Finally, the trio lugged themselves onto a ledge and rested their burning muscles. Suddenly, a loud, gruff voice bellowed, “Garrr!”

They kept quiet and Harry quickly draped his cloak over them. Below them, the voice bellowed, “You’re a feisty one!”

Clarisse’s voice shot back, “Challenge me! Give me back my sword and I’ll fight you!”

Harry muttered under his breath, “Oh bollocks… Everything’s gone tits up. We’ve got to improvise.”

They crept over to the edge and saw Clarisse tied up and dangling upside-down, over a cauldron of boiling water. They also got their first look at Polyphemus. He was a massive being, and like Tyson, he had one eye. The only different was that the eye was milky white. Polyphemus scratched his chin, “Hmm… Eat loudmouth girl now? Or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?”

Grover, who was trying not to cower, stammered, “Oh… Umm… I’m not hungry right now, dear.”

Fortunately, Clarisse did not blow his cover, as they had filled her in on Grover's predicament. Polyphemus grinned, “Does bride know good recipe?”

Grover blurted, “Mango chutney! I think there may be mangoes in the woods! You go, I’ll stay and make the other preparations.”

Clarisse roared, “Untie me so that I can rip your arms off! I’ll stuff them down your throat!”

The Cyclops grinned, “You wait here. Have to graze sheep now. Be back in 10 minutes. Wedding postponed until dinner tonight and there will be two brides!”

Her eyes widened and choked out a strangled sound, “Oh no! You’re not serious!”

Percy muttered, “I think I just threw up in my mouth.”

Harry mused, “Huh… Didn’t know that Cyclopes practiced polygamy. Or maybe Polyphemus is just a randy bastard.”

Annabeth whispered harshly, “Harry! Don’t be crude!”

Polyphemus plucked her off from the rope and chucked her body towards Grover. He grinned, “Make yourselves comfortable! I come back soon to prepare for the main event.”

Then the Cyclops whistled, and a flock of goats and sheep – smaller than the man-eaters – flooded out of the cave and past their master. As they went to pasture, Polyphemus patted some on the back and called them by name. Harry had to suppress a snigger when he found out that one of them was named Lockhart.

When the last sheep had waddled out, Polyphemus rolled a boulder in front of the doorway. He grumbled to himself, “Mangoes… What are mangoes?”

As soon as he was out of sight, Harry took off the cloak and stuffed it back in his backpack. By then, Annabeth and Percy were trying to move the boulder. Harry gestured for them to move out of the way, then he pointed his wand and ordered, “Locomotor!”

It took a bit of effort, but he was able to move it enough for them to slip inside and he soon put it back in its place. They ventured into the cave, and near the back of it, they found their targets. Grover looked thrilled, “Percy! Annabeth! Harry! Man am I glad to see you all!”

Harry turned his wand into a sword and cut Clarisse free. She fumed, “Stupid cyclops got the jump on me. I was so damn close to taking the Fleece!”

Suddenly they heard bleating, getting closer. Harry quickly threw the cloak over himself, Annabeth and Percy. Just in time too, as the stone doorway was hauled aside and Polyphemus stepped back in. Just as he was about to roll the stone back, Harry had an idea. He yelled, “Oi! Ugly!”

The Cyclops stiffened, “Who said that!?”

He continued, “Lord Voldemort!”

Polyphemus roared, “Rargh! I’m not ugly!”

Harry continued taunting, “Yes you are! Nobody told me about you. Said that you were the ugliest thing he ever met!”

The Cyclops was now enraged. He screamed, “I hate Nobody! Nobody made my life miserable! One day! One day I will get my revenge! Voldemort! You are next because you are Nobody’s friend!”

Polyphemus picked up the nearest object, the stone slab door, and threw it at the voice’s direction. By then, the invisible trio had moved safely out of harm’s way.

Harry spoke up again, “Nobody also told me that your throwing sucks arse. Good to see that he was right!”

Polyphemus howled. “Come here! Let me kill you! Then I’ll kill Nobody!’

Annabeth donned her cap from under the cloak and then slipped out. She quipped back, “You can’t kill Nobody, you stupid oaf. Come find me!”

Polyphemus barrelled down the hill towards where her voice was supposed to be. As soon as he was gone, she turned visible once again, while Harry threw off his cloak. Percy snickered, “You’d think he’s realise that there were two voices, right? And that the last Nobody was male?”

Harry quipped back, “Considering that he thought that Grover was a female Cyclops, it’s safe to say that Polyphemus is a dim-witted fruitcake.”

Suddenly, they heard some heavy clumping getting closer. The five of them scurried over to a large cot and hid under it. Harry unsheathed his sword, turning it back into a wand.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, until they came into view, a few inches away from the cot. Harry gripped his wand tighter, and suddenly Polyphemus’ ugly face filled their vision, “Got youAARRGHHHH!!!”

No sooner had he peeped under the cot, Harry thrust his wand in the Cyclops’ face. He bellowed, “LUMOS SOLEM MAXIMA!”

Needless to say, the monster was not expecting a large bright light flash point blank. He staggered back, clutching his eye in agony, “RARGH! MY EYE! BRIGHT! TOO BRIGHT!!!”

The five wasted no time and bolted out from under the bed. After a few minutes of running, Grover led everyone out of the cave and straight to a rope bridge. They booked it down the hill, all the while, Polyphemus was screaming, “I’ll grind you into sheep chow! Curse you Nobody and Voldemort!”

Percy and Harry were the last ones across the bridge, and they doubled back to cut the ropes. Unfortunately, it was too late, as Polyphemus was on their side of the bridge. He grinned nastily, “Failed! Nobody and Voldemort failed!”

Percy went ballistic at the taunting. He raised his sword and leaped into the fray. With Riptide, he jabbed the Cyclops in the belly, forcing the baby blue tuxedo-clad monster to double over. Then, he bonked the monster on the nose with his sword hilt. He went down like a sack of potatoes, and Percy towered over him, his sword inches from the milky white eye.

Polyphemus sobbed, “Please, noooo! M-m-my sheepies need me. Only trying to protect my sheep!”

Clarisse and Grover were egging Percy on to kill the monster. Annabeth started forward, but Harry held her back, “Wait… Let him make the choice.”

Percy levelled the sword at the monster’s face, “We only want the Fleece. Will you agree to let us take it?”

The monster sniffed. “My beautiful Fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace.”

Percy began to slowly lower his sword, “I’m going to step back slowly. One false move…”

Polyphemus nodded like he understood. But as soon as Percy stepped back, Polyphemus struck as fast as a cobra. He smacked the demigod to the edge of the cliff.

He bellowed, “Foolish mortal! Take my Fleece? Ha! I eat you first.”

Before anyone could react, a basketball-sized rock sailed into Polyphemus’s throat. The shot was so beautiful that it would have made Michael Jordan shed a tear in pride. The Cyclops choked, and staggered backwards, but there was no place to stagger. His heel slipped, the edge of the cliff crumbled, and the great Polyphemus tumbled into the chasm.

Everyone turned and Harry sported a broad grin at the sight in front of him. Halfway down the path to the beach, standing completely unharmed in the midst of a flock of killer sheep, was an old friend. Tyson wagged a finger and scolded, “Bad Polyphemus. Not all Cyclopes as nice as we look.”

Harry wanted to rush over and throw his arms around the friendly Cyclops. He cheered, “You big lug! Good to see you mini-Hagrid! How did you make it out alive? Not that I’m complaining.”

He excitedly said, “As I was sinking, I was picked up by Rainbow the fish pony! Tried to find you ever since! Then I caught the smell of sheep and found this island.”

Then Percy hollered, “Tyson! The Fleece! Can you get it for us!”

He looked around at the sheep, that were beginning to gather around him and nuzzle him. Harry pointed, “The gold one in the tree!”

“Oh… Pretty! Yes!”

He carefully waded through the bleating sea of wool, lifted the Golden Fleece off its branch and began his slow return. As soon as the fleece left the branch, the tree it was on, began to wither and the leaves turned yellow. However, the sheep began to slow his progress, so Tyson though fast and flung it towards them with all his might.

Percy reached up and managed to pluck it out from mid-air. He slung it over his shoulder and waiting for Tyson to make it back. Unfortunately, the cannibal sheep slowed him down even further. A few began to sniff in their direction, but Tyson successfully distracted them.

Harry hollered out, “Oi, Tyson! You think you can lead the flock away from us? We’ve got to get to our ship! Meet us back there!”

He nodded and whistled. ‘Come, sheepies! Um, people food this way!’. With that, the Cyclops jogged off into the meadow, the sheep in pursuit.

Soon, they reached the water’s edge and Percy willed the Queen Anne’s Revenge to raise anchor and come to them. After a few anxious minutes, they spotted the ship rounding the tip of the island.

Then they heard hurried footsteps and saw Tyson barrelling towards them, yelling, ‘Incoming!’. He was bounding down the path to join the group, the sheep about fifty metres behind, bleating in frustration as their Cyclops friend ran away without feeding them.

Harry and Percy exchanged glances, “Swim?”, “Swim!”

They almost made it to the ship, when they heard an enraged roar behind. Apparently, Polyphemus was still alive, and he was wading towards them with a boulder in each hand.

The good news was that the monster’s attention wasn’t on the Fleece. The bad news was that his attention was on his compatriot. Polyphemus roared in anger, “You, young Cyclops!. Traitor to your kind!”

Tyson froze, and Percy pleaded with him to not listen. The younger Cyclops glared defiantly at the older Cyclops. “I am not a traitor.”

“You serve mortals!” Polyphemus shouted. “Thieving humans!”

He lobbed a boulder, but Tyson swatted it aside with his bare fist. He charged at them, but had a visible limp, leading Harry to guess that he injured his foot in the fall. Tyson ordered, “Go! I will hold of Big Ugly!”

However, Percy insisted, “Together! We fight him together!”

Polyphemus advanced carefully, limping worse than ever. But there was nothing wrong with his throwing arm. He chucked his second boulder, forcing Percy to dodge. Then, Percy caused a six metre wave to bring him towards the killer Cyclops. The impact blast him back towards the beach.

Polyphemus coughed, “Destroy you!. Fleece stealer!”

Percy yelled back, “You stole the Fleece! You’ve been using it to lure satyrs to their deaths!”

“So? Satyrs good eating!”

“The Fleece should be used to heal! It belongs to the children of the gods!”

He bellowed, “I am a child of the gods! Father Poseidon, curse this thief.”

Percy evidently figured out that Harry’s spell blinded the Cyclops even further. He backed up as Polyphemus lunged in his general direction. Percy retorted, “Poseidon won’t curse me. I’m his son, too. He won’t play favourites.”

Tyson managed to sneak up behind him, but froze when Polyphemus called out to him. He hollered, “Young one! Where are you? Help me! You weren’t raised right! Poor orphaned brother! Help me!”

No one moved. No sound but the ocean. Then Tyson stepped forward, raising his hands defensively. ‘Don’t fight, Cyclops brother. Put down the –”

In an instant, Polyphemus grabbed a nearby olive tree and swung it at the unsuspecting Tyson. The younger Cyclops flew backwards upon impact and Polyphemus charged after him. Percy retaliated, and somehow managed to stab him in the back.

Polyphemus swung the tree, but Percy grabbed it and was sent skywards. Eventually, he landed on Polyphemus’ face, specifically on his milky white eye. Percy recovered and got away from the thrashing Cyclops. He soon raised his sword for the kill, but hesitated. Instead, he and Tyson made a break for the ship. As they boarded, Clarisse hooted, “WHOOO! Yeah Jackson! In your face, Cyclops!”

Everyone shot her a death glare as Polyphemus recovered and lobbed a boulder. Luckily it fell short, and she resumed taunting, “Yeah, yeah! You throw like a wimp! Teach you to try to marry me, you idiot!”

Percy yelled, “Shut up Clarisse!”

Polyphemus flung another boulder, and it would have sunken the ship, if Harry hadn’t brought out his wand and yelled, “PROTEGO!”

Amazingly, a massive translucent shield formed around the ship and the boulder bounced off of it. Percy wasted no time in gaining control of the ship and sailing out of there. All other chucked boulders missed, but Harry was not taking any chances and kept up the shield. Finally, he slumped over, exhausted, leaning heavily on the side of the railing. He was just in time to hear Polyphemus scream, “I curse you, Voldemort! You will die a quick and early death! I curse you to the depths of Tartarus!”

Clarisse came over and dragged him down, “You okay, Potter?”

He panted, “Yeah… Just some magical exhaustion. I’ve never made that big of a shield before. That took a lot out of me.”

The other three gathered around him and Annabeth said, “Hey, good call on the Voldemort thing. I was going to go with Nobody, again.”

He grinned weakly, “Yeah, I remember the story of Ulysses too. Except, he made the mistake of revealing his real name, and Polyphemus cursed him. Figured that if he was going to do the same thing, might as well happen to my enemy.”

An hour later, Harry had recovered enough strength to move around. Then he had a thought, “Hey… How are we going to return the Queen Anne’s Revenge back to Blackbeard?”

Clarisse shrugged, “We’ll probably leave it on a nearby island, provided it isn’t full of monsters. Jackson, you think you can arrange for some transport?”

Harry quickly interjected, “It had better not be some kind of sea monster. Hedwig was nearly eaten by a bloody megalodon!”

---

Fortunately, the next island they reached, was abandoned, so they left the ship there. Then, Tyson gave a piercing whistle, and soon, there were six lines zipping towards them and five hippocampi and one kelpie burst forth. Tyson rushed over and hugged one of them, “Rainbow!”

Very soon, they were zipping across the ocean. All the while, Percy tightened his grip on the Golden Fleece. The journey took hours, so they all took turns to keep watch while the others slept. Later on, close to sunset, Annabeth woke everyone up, noting that they were nearing Miami. A couple of miles away from the harbour, the hippocampi and kelpie slowed down and stopped.

Percy called out, “This is as far as they will go. Too many humans and too much pollution. We’re going to have to swim the rest of the way.”

Finally, they were back on dry land, but oddly didn’t get any curious looks. In an alleyway, Harry used his wand to cast Drying Charms on everyone. When they exited, Annabeth spotted a nearby Miami Herald newspaper. Her face paled, “June 18th! We’ve been away from camp for nearly 10 days. The Fleece has to be back in camp by tonight!”

Clarisse grunted, “Got any ideas?”

Harry perked up, “We can take the Knight Bus!”

He casually checked the street and noticed that no one was there. He raised his wand, and in an instant, there was a loud bang and a familiar purple bus stopped in front of him. Percy handed the Fleece to her, which had transformed into a jacket. The daughter of Ares moaned, “This was supposed to be my quest. I never should have let you idiots tag along!”

Annabeth was fuming, “Damnit Clarisse! You are the biggest-”

Percy snapped, “Stop it! Clarisse, what did the Oracle tell you?”

She hesitantly recited, “You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone. You shall find what you seek and make it your own. But despair for your life entombed within stone. And fail without friends, to go home alone”

Grover winced, “Ouch…”

However, Percy perked up, “No, wait. Clarisse, you go and take the bus alone. It’s your quest. I have a feeling that Luke won’t give up. As long as he thinks we have the Fleece, he’ll leave you alone and go after us.”

Harry grinned, “Divide and conquer. Brilliant!”

With a nod, Clarisse boarded the bus, but not before Harry handed her a bunch of Galleons. After another bang, the bus was gone, leaving the five of them alone. Harry turned his wand back into a sword and began walking, “Come on. Let’s find the nearest Wizarding District and use the Floo.”

Unfortunately, not even two minutes had passed, when Percy rounded a corner and found a sword pointed at his throat. The sword’s owner, Luke grinned, “Hey, cuz! Welcome back to the States.”

Agrius and Oreius suddenly materialised and restrained Annabeth, Grover and Harry. Before Tyson could retaliate, Luke coolly said, “Percy, tell your monster to back down or I’ll have Agrius and Oreius bash your friends’ heads together.”

Without another word, they were all frog-marched to the Princess Andromeda. The prisoners were herded onto the aft deck, in front of a swimming pool. Luke stood in front of them and mused, “So, the Fleece? Where is it?”

He used his sword to poke Grover, “Hey! That’s real goat fur under there!”

Luke smiled, “Sorry, old friend. Just give me the Fleece and I’ll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest.”

“Blaa-ha-ha!’ Grover protested. ‘Some old friend!”

Luke’s voice grew softer and more dangerous, “Maybe you didn’t hear me. Where – is – the – Fleece?”

Harry sniped, “How do you know if we even have it, Rat? For all you know, Polyphemus could have given us a choice of either Grover or the Fleece!”

However, Percy evidently decided that honesty was the best policy, “Not here. We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up.”

His eyes narrowed, “You’re lying. You couldn’t have… Clarisse?”

Percy grinned, “As we speak, she’s probably booking her flight to New York!”

Luke grit his teeth and snarled, “Agrius! Prepare my steed! I need to fly to Miami Airport, and fast!”

“But, boss –“, Agrius tried to protest.

“Do it!’ Luke screamed. ‘Or I’ll feed you to the drakon!”

The crew looked uneasy, having never seen Luke look so unhinged before. Then Percy noticed the swimming pool and the fountains spraying mist in the air, making a rainbow in the sunset. An idea formed in his head, but he needed a distraction.

Percy fumed, “You’ve been toying with us all along. You wanted us to bring you the Fleece and save you the trouble of getting it.”

Luke scowled. “Of course, you idiot! And you’ve messed everything up!”

Percy flung a drachma at Luke, yelling, ‘Traitor!”. Obviously, he dodged it easily and the coin sailed into the spray of rainbow-coloured water. Harry caught on to what he was doing and silently murmured, “O goddess, accept our offering.”

Percy yelled at Luke, “You tricked all of us! Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!”

Behind Luke, the fountain began to shimmer, but everyone’s attention was still on Percy. To further sell the performance, he uncapped Riptide.

Luke sneered. “This is no time for heroics, Percy. Drop your puny little sword, or I’ll have you killed sooner rather than later.”

Percy ignored him, “Who poisoned Thalia’s tree, Luke?”

He gloated, “I did, of course. I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus.”

“Chiron had nothing to do with it?”

“Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn’t have the guts.”

“You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?”

Luke was starting to lose patience. “You don’t understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece. At least once I was done with it.”

It hit the group like a ton of bricks. Harry was aghast, “You were going to heal Kronos!”

“Yes! The Fleece’s magic would’ve sped his mending process by tenfold. But you haven’t stopped us. You’ve only slowed us down a little.”

Percy continued, “And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up – all to help Kronos destroy the gods.”

Luke finally snapped. “You know that already! Why do you keep asking me? Are you really that stupid?”

Percy ignored the barb, but had a smirk on his face, “Actually, I’m just doing this because I wanted everybody in the audience to hear you.”

“What audience?”

His eyes narrowed and he glanced behind him, along with his goons. Seeing their gobsmacked faces was extremely worth it. Above the pool, shimmering in the rainbow mist, was an Iris-message vision of Dionysus, Dumbledore and the whole camp in the dining pavilion.

Dionysus deadpanned, “Well… That was some unplanned dinner entertainment.”

“Mr D, you heard him,” Percy pleaded. “You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn’t Chiron’s fault.”

Mr D sighed. “I suppose not.”

Dumbledore had a serene smile, “I daresay Mr. Jackson, this has been a rather clever plan!”

Luke bellowed with rage. He slashed his sword through the fountain and the Iris-message dissolved, but the deed was done. He growled, “Kronos was right, Percy. You’re an unreliable weapon. You need to be replaced.”

With those words, he took out a brass whistle and blew it. Dozens of warriors burst out and surrounded the five. Luke grinned, “You lot will never leave this boat alive.”

Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Minutes passed and neither side made a move. Then, Agrius appeared on the deck, leading a bucking jet black pegasus. Luke glanced at the uncooperative steed, and Percy winced a little. The stallion definitely had a mouth on him, as he was swearing up a storm and calling Luke all sorts of unsavoury names. Luke said, “Sorry guys, I’d love to stick around and chat, but I have a certain Daughter of Ares to intercept.”

However, Percy levelled his sword and snarled, “Fight me! One on one! What are you so afraid of?”

Luke looked back at him, “I told you last summer, Percy. You can’t bait me into a fight.”

However, Percy responded, “Why are you so keen to avoid a duel? Afraid that your warriors will see you get whipped?”

The older boy paused and then seemingly came to a decision. He drew his own sword, called Backbiter, “Fine. You wanted a duel, you’ve got one. Don’t worry, I’ll make your death swift.”

He let out a sharp whistle and one of his men threw him a round leather and bronze shield. In response, Harry activated his own shield and tossed it to Percy. As he did so, he joked once again, “Oi Jackson! This is the last time, mate. Get your own shield next time.”

The two boys circled each other, just waiting for the other to strike first. While all that was happening, Percy tested the shield’s weight. It was a little heavier that he would have liked, but then again, Harry was taller and bigger built than him. Soon, Luke got tired of waiting and lunged with a savage slash. Luckily, he blocked with the shield and counter-attacked with Riptide.

Luke shot him an appraising look, “You’re gotten better, Percy. I’m impressed.”

He attacked again, this time going for the head, but Percy parried and returned fire with a thrust. Luke dodged it easily and jabbed again. This time, Percy jumped back and landed in the pool. With a new surge in strength, he created a funnel cloud and blasted out of the deep end, right at Luke’s face. The older teen spluttered and cough and the force of the water knocked him down.

Luke recovered quickly, dropped to a crouch and stabbed him in the thigh where the shield did not cover him. Percy doubled over in pain and collapsed. Luke hacked downwards for the killing blow, but Percy rolled behind a deckchair and avoided the blade. Luke swung again, cleaving the chair in half, but missed his target again. However, Percy was struggling to a crawl, and his opponent was nonchalantly following him, prolonging his misery.

Luke smiled nastily, “One thing I want you to watch before you die, Percy. You can eat your dinner now, Oreius. Bon appétit.”

Oreius grabbed Harry by his hair and lifted the struggling wizard, before the unexpected happened. There was a whistling sound, followed by a loud THWACK! The next thing anybody knew, a red-feathered arrow embedded itself in a startled Oreius’ maw. Needless to say, he went down like a sack of potatoes.

Agrius bellowed in grief, “Brother!”

He let go of the pegasus stallion’s reins, only to be bucked violently and for the pegasus to fly off neighing "Freedom!". The rest of the army stared at the twins’ corpses in slack-jawed disbelief. Then, the silence was broken by a whooping war cry and the thundering of hooves. A moment later, multiple centaurs stormed the boat, and among them were some familiar figures.

Percy yelled joyfully, “Chiron!”

Harry also yelled, “Firenze! Torvus! Wait… Mistmane! How did you…? Never mind, I’m not looking at gift centaurs in the mouth!”

Aside from Chiron, the Hogwarts centaurs and the unicorn, there were several centaur factions. Some wore brightly coloured T-shirts with Day-Glo letters that read PARTY PONIES: SOUTH FLORIDA CHAPTER. Some were armed with bows, some with baseball bats, some with paintball guns. One had his face painted like a Comanche warrior and waved a large orange Styrofoam hand making a big Number #1. Another was bare-chested and painted entirely green. A third had googly-eye glasses with the eyeballs bouncing around on Slinky coils, and one of those baseball caps with soda-can-and-straw attachments on either side.

Luke shook off his surprise first and raised his sword to rally his troops. However, a leather boxing glove arrow made love to his scarred face and knocked him into the swimming pool. Harry cried indignantly from atop Mistmane, “Hey! No fair! I trademarked that!”

Several enemy warriors were downed in the initial surprise attack. Meanwhile, Chiron had rescued Annabeth, Tyson and Grover from the chaos. A fuming Luke crawled out and ordered, “Attack, you fools!”

Not a moment later, alarms blared out from below deck. The enemy warriors shook off their surprise and charged, but the heroes were ready. Tyson smacked several opponents off the ship, Harry and the other centaurs were firing arrows frantically, while Annabeth was stabbing opponents with her dagger.

Chiron called out, “Withdraw brethren!”

Luke’s warrior’s regrouped, but by then the centaurs and lone unicorn had vacated the premises. As they disembarked though, Harry discreetly placed a Tracking Charm on the Princess Andromeda with his sword. The motley group thundered down the streets of Miami, and Percy couldn’t help wondering what the heck the locals were actually witnessing.

Very soon, they sped out of the city, racing through marshy fields of tall grass, ponds and stunted trees. When the herd finally slowed down, they were in a trailer park at the edge of a lake.

One beefy centaur bragged, “Dude! Did you see that bear guy? He was all like, ‘Whoa! I have an arrow in my mouth!’”

Another centaur, this one with googly-eyed glasses, cheered, “Totally! That was awesome! Head slam!”

They charged at each other full force and bonked their heads together. After the impact, they staggered away with crazy grins on their faces.

Chiron groaned as he set up a picnic blanket, “This… is why I prefer my British cousins. I wish this lot wouldn’t slam their heads together. They don’t have the brain cells to spare.”

Firenze was also facepalming, “Indeed… Our American counterparts are more… hooligan-like.”

Percy said, “Chiron, thanks for saving us.”

He smiled wryly, “Well now, I couldn’t very well let you die. Especially since you all have cleared my name. I was able to eavesdrop on Percy’s Iris-message and trace the signal. Iris and I have been friends for centuries. I asked her to alert me to any important communications in this area. It then took no effort to convince my cousins to ride to your aid. As you see, centaurs can travel quite fast when we wish to. Distance for us is not the same as distance for humans.”

As they talked, Tyson was hanging out with the other centaurs. Apparently, they were teaching him how to operate with a paintball gun.

Harry swallowed a bite of a hotdog, “So, what so we do now?”

Percy nodded, “Yeah. I mean, do we just let Luke get away scot free? Kronos is aboard that ship, or at least parts of him.”

Chiron knelt, “I’m afraid that today might be considered a draw. I’m afraid that we did not have overwhelming numbers. On a similar vein, Luke was clearly not expecting us, so nobody won.”

Annabeth was puzzled, “But we got the Fleece, didn’t we? Clarisse should be in camp by now.”

He nodded, “Yes indeed, and I commend you all for that. You are all true heroes. Rest for some time and they we shall return to Half-Blood Hill. Percy, that looks like a nasty wound, let’s get you patched up immediately.”

Percy looked hopeful, “You’re coming with us?”

He smiled, “Oh yes, Percy. I’ll be relieved to get home. My brethren here simply do not appreciate Dean Martin’s music. Besides, I must have some words with Mr D. There’s the rest of the summer to plan, as well. Additionally, I wish to see the Fleece.”

Just then, Tyson fired a blue projectile, knocking a centaur into the lake. He crawled out, covered in muck and blue paint, before whooping hysterically. Chiron rolled his eyes good-naturedly, “Annabeth, my dear? Could you, Harry and Grover help Firenze supervise the other centaurs? I’d rather they not teach each other too many bad habits.”

The two demigods understood the message and dragged a protesting Grover away. As they confiscated the paintball guns, Harry raised his eyebrows at Annabeth, “What do you think they’re talking about?”

She sheepishly replied, “I may have let slip that we spoke to Percy about the Prophecy. I don’t think we should get into too much trouble since we gave him the bare minimum, though.”

---

Eventually, after some rest and healing for Percy, they were off once again. Admittedly, even with the speed of the centaurs,  it still took two days to reach Long Island. Apparently, the camp had somehow managed to stay standing in the two weeks that they were absent. Dumbledore had tried his best, and even brought Madam Pomfrey to help.

They arrived just in time to see the camp being rebuilt after being besieged by a Draco Aionius. The Arts and Crafts cabin was already reduced to ashes, but the rest of the camp was relatively intact. Eventually, the campers, with the help of Clarisse, all managed to kill it. After the beast was felled, Clarisse draped the Golden Fleece on the lowest bough.

Not even a moment later, the moonlight appeared to brighten, turning from grey to liquid silver. A cool breeze rustled in the branches and rippled through the grass, all the way into the valley. Everything came into sharper focus – the glow of the fireflies down in the woods, the smell of the strawberry fields, the sound of the waves on the beach.

As for the tree itself, the brown needles slowly began to turn green. With that, a loud cheer echoed through the camp. Of course, the tree had not fully healed, and nobody could guarantee that one of Luke’s agents would not just simply pinch it and run off. Chiron and Dumbledore ordered a twenty-four/seven guard duty until they found a permanent guardian.

Clarisse was pretty much treated like royalty when she returned. At dinner, she stopped briefly in front of Percy’s table. She whispered, “Just because you were cool one time, Prissy, don’t think you’re off the hook with Ares. I’m still waiting for the right time to pulverize you.”

The next morning, Dumbledore announced that he was leaving and heading back to Hogwarts. So Chiron elected to stage a special chariot race for him. Tyson wasn’t particularly thrilled, but was willing to let Percy team up with Annabeth. Meanwhile, he and Harry would act as the pit crew.

Preparations were soon underway and everyone worked hard. The day of the race, Harry knocked on the door of the Poseidon cabin, “Oi Jackson! Get your arse up! It’s race day! Come- You alright mate?”

He heaved himself up, “I don’t know, dude. I got another visit from Hermes, last night. Letter from my dad.”

Harry crossed his arms and looked on expectantly, “And?”

“Nothing! He just said two damn words! ‘Brace Yourself’. I mean, why go through all that trouble to write a letter and just write two words?”

Harry flopped on the bed next to him, “I don’t know, mate. Maybe he’s being cagey for a reason. Remember, Lord Zeus is still a bit paranoid, so your dad is just trying not to tick him off. Maybe it’s his way of saying that shite is about to hit the fan. Now come on, no point brooding about this. Let’s go and get that chariot win! Oh by the way, Tyson wanted me to give you this.”

He handed Percy a wristwatch. There wasn’t anything special about it – just a white-and-silver clock face, a black leather strap. Harry gave him a wry look, “Eh… It’s a nice watch, though I have a preference for digital watches.”

At that moment, Tyson lumbered in, “Hey brother! Sorry, I didn’t finish in time for the trip. Sorry, sorry. If you need protection in race, hit the button.”

Percy was speechless, “Ah, okay. I’ll treasure the watch. And, hey, um, Tyson… I wanted to say, well…”

Tyson stared at his feet, “I know what you will tell me. Poseidon did care for me after all. He sent you to help me. Just what I asked for. For a friend. Young Cyclopes grow up alone on the streets, learn to make things out of scraps. Learn to survive.”

Harry whistled, “Bloody hell, mate! That’s pretty harsh.”

Tyson shrugged, “Makes us appreciate blessings, not be greedy and mean and fat like Polyphemus. But I got scared. Monsters chased me so much, clawed me sometimes–“

Percy breathed, "The scars on your back?"

A tear welled in his eye, “Sphinx on Seventy-second Street. Big bully. I prayed to Daddy for help. Soon the people at Meriwether found me. Met you. Biggest blessing ever. Sorry I said Poseidon was mean. He sent me a brother.”

Harry pat his back, “Well… You’ve got us, now. Okay Jackson, get dressed, Beth is waiting.”

In 10 minutes, Percy and Annabeth were in a tricked out chariot. Tyson handed them two javelins, each with three buttons on the shaft. The first button primed the javelin to explode on impact, releasing razor wire that would tangle and shred an opponent’s wheels. The second button produced a blunt bronze spearhead designed to knock a driver out of his carriage. The third button brought up a grappling hook that could be used to lock on to an enemy’s chariot or push it away.

Harry also pointed out various buttons on the inside of the chariot. He said, “Right, so I got in touch with Fred and George the other day. You two remember them, right? They sent me a shipment of these items from Zonko’s Joke Shop. This button deploys Dung bombs, it is exactly as it sounds. Then this one deploys Nose-Biting Teacups, and this last one throws Fanged Frisbees. Don’t worry, they’re pretty harmless.”

Then, Chiron signalled for everyone to head to the start line. Once he was sure that everyone was ready, he blew the starting signal. The horses that they used, instantly knew what to do. He and Annabeth shot down the track, fast enough to give anyone whiplash.

The wheels glided as if it was running on a smooth surface. They had such a head start that they reached the first turn a full chariot-length ahead of Clarisse. Annabeth yelled out a warning, just as she threw a grappling hook javelin to knock away a lead-weighted net. The distraction allowed the Apollo charioteers to close in. The camper threw a javelin at their right wheel snapping a few spokes.

Somehow the chariot kept going and they were neck and neck with the Apollo chariot. Hephaestus was coming up close behind. Ares and Hermes were falling behind, riding side by side as Clarisse went sword-on-javelin with Connor Stoll.

As the camper yelled confidently, Annabeth grabbed her second javelin and threw it. It grew a heavy spear point while in mid-air and her aim was true. It caught the driver in the chest, knocking him against his teammate and sending them both toppling out of their chariot in a backwards somersault. The horses felt the reins go slack and went crazy, riding straight for the crowd.

Campers scrambled for cover as the horses leaped the corner of the stands and the golden chariot flipped over. The horses galloped back towards their stable, dragging the upside-down chariot behind them.

Percy and Annabeth’s chariot was on tenterhooks, but somehow still running. Eventually, it was the final lap and the Hephaestus chariot was bearing down on them. Beckendorf grinned as he pressed a button on his command console. Steel cables shot out of the front of his mechanical horses, wrapping around the back rail of Percy’s own chariot. With much resistance, Beckendorf’s winch system began reeling in its victims as he pulled himself forward.

Annabeth desperately tried to hack at the cables, but they were too thick. Then, Percy made a split second decision, “Switch with me! Take the reins! Trust me.”

They performed the swap, and Percy drew Riptide and slashed down, severing the cable. Their chariot surged ahead, but the Hephaestus chariot drew alongside them. Beckendorf swiped at Annabeth with his sword, but Percy deflected the blade away.

Then he grabbed a leather pouch from his chariot. He yelled, “See you, Percy! Here’s a little parting gift!”

He threw the pouch into the chariot, and it stuck to the floor immediately and began billowing green smoke. Annabeth yelled in alarm, “Greek fire!”

Percy kept parrying Beckendorf’s attacks, while trying to kick the pouch away. Then he remembered the watch and punched the stopwatch button. Instantly, the watch changed. It expanded, with the metal rim spiralling outwards like an old-fashioned camera shutter, a leather strap wrapping around his forearm. This lasted until he was holding a round war shield a metre wide, the inside soft leather, the outside polished bronze engraved with intricate designs.

In the pit area, Harry whistled appreciatively, “Ooo! Fancy! And it was about time he got a bloody shield! I was tired of letting him borrow mine”.

Meanwhile, Percy blocked another attack and clobbered Beckendorf in the chest. The impact sent the son of Hephaestus flying off, and Percy turned back to the Greek fire pouch. With the tip of his sword, he flipped the pouch straight into the Hephaestus chariot. Needless to say, the driver yelped and abandoned the chariot, which exploded a couple of seconds later.

Clarisse and the Stolls swerve to avoid the wreck, allowing Annabeth to navigate the final turn and go across the finish line. As the crowd roared in approval, Annabeth yelled over the din, “Hold up! Listen! It wasn’t just us!”

The crowd were uncooperative, but Harry took out his wand and fired a cannon blast in the air, silencing everyone. She nodded at him appreciatively, “We couldn’t have done it without somebody else! We couldn’t have won this race or got the Fleece or saved Grover or anything! We owe our lives to Tyson, Percy’s…”

Percy loudly finished for her, “Brother! Tyson, my baby brother.”

Tyson blushed as the crowd cheered louder. Annabeth pecked Percy on the cheek, and Harry shot her a teasing grin. She rolled her eyes and mouthed, “Shut up”.

Before long, the entire Athena cabin lifted Percy, Annabeth, Harry and Tyson onto their shoulders and carried them towards the winner’s platform, where Chiron was waiting to bestow the laurel wreaths.

---

The good news didn’t stop there, as Grover got some time off before resuming his quest for Pan. As it turned out, the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that they granted him a two-month break and a new set of reed pipes. Grover immediately put them to use, much to everyone else’s horror.

One day, Chiron trotted over to Harry and Percy. He smiled, “I don’t know what you did, but you’re not in any trouble with Meriwether Prep, Percy.”

Harry sheepishly said, “Actually Chiron, that may have been my doing. I spun a story saying that a bunch of delinquents sneaked into the school and were wreaking havoc. Percy over here, stepped in to save his fellow students. I told them that I happened to be passing by with Annabeth, and they bought it.”

He nodded, “Excellent work! One day, when both of you are ready, I will show you how to manipulate the Mist. Unfortunately, Percy is still expelled.  Your headmaster, Mr Bonsai, said you had – how did he put it? – un-groovy karma that disrupted the school’s educational aura. But you’re not in any legal trouble, which was a relief to your mother.”

Chiron led them to a fountain as he talked. Then he handed Percy a coin, “Oh, and speaking of your mother, I think it is high time you called her.”

Percy initiated the Iris Message and braced himself. Thank goodness that he did so, because Sally Jackson really let loose. Finally, she took a deep breath, “Oh, I’m just glad that you’re safe. I’ll get started on looking up schools for you.”

Then, Harry spotted movement in the background and recognised the figure. He blurted in surprise, “Uncle Remus? W-What are you doing there? Wait… Are… Are you two? Wh-When?”

Remus Lupin looked like a deer in headlights, “First off, yes, it is exactly what it looks like. We’re just taking it slowly and seeing where we’re going from here. Sirius was the one who convinced me to go out there. Also, just listening to that little tirade, I'm kind of glad that Sally doesn't know about Howlers”

Harry asked, “Have you told her about the you-know-what?”

“I-I-I’m getting around to it!”

“Don’t take too long! Oh and another thing, can you get in touch with Tonks? I need her and Sirius’ help with something urgent.”

“Will do that Harry. I’ll see you in school. You did get our letter, right?”

Harry nodded, “Yes I did, bye Uncle Remus!”

With that, Percy cut the connection and Harry breathed out, “Well… That was unexpected.”

---

Honestly, life was pretty good. Harry and his friends continued training hard. One morning, Tyson came bounding over to Percy and Harry, “Dream came from Daddy last night. He wants me to visit. Wants me to go underwater for the rest of the summer. Learn to work at Cyclopes’ forges. He called it an inter – an intern –“

Harry asked, “An internship?”

“Yes”

After an uncomfortable silence, Percy asked, “When would you leave?”

“Now.”

Percy was a little aghast, “Now. Like … NOW now?”

Tyson nodded, “Now.”

Percy let that piece of information sink in before choking out, “I’m happy for you, big guy. Seriously.”

The Cyclops’ lower lip quivered, “Hard to leave my new brother. But I want to make things. Weapons for the camp. You will need them.”

Percy pat his back, “You’ll make the best weapons ever. I bet they’ll tell good time, too.”

Tyson sniffled. “Brothers help each other.”

Percy assured, “You’re my brother. No doubt about it.”

Tyson began making his way to the beach and waded into the water. He whistled and Rainbow the Hippocampus burst out of the waves. He turned back and called out, “Use the shield well! Save your life one day!”

Harry hollered out, “I’ll see you around mini-Hagrid!”

On those parting words, Tyson and Rainbow rode off and submerged underwater. Once they were gone, Percy pressed the button on the watch and it transformed into a shield. For the first time, he had a good look at it, and Harry whistled appreciatively, “Damn… Looked better than mine!”

He was right, as there were Ancient Greek style pictures hammered into the bronze. The scenes in questions were from their recently concluded quest. There was Annabeth slaying a Laistrygonian dodgeball player, Percy fighting the bronze bulls on Half-Blood Hill, Tyson riding Rainbow towards the Princess Andromeda, the CSS Birmingham blasting its cannons at Charybdis. Harry firing his Flame spell at the Hydra, and many more.

---

A day later, Sirius and Tonks Flooed into the Big House’s fireplace and met with Harry. With Chiron present, Harry outlined his plan. He said, “So during our confrontation with Luke, he mentioned that he had some spies in our camp. I was actually in two minds about this. Plan A was to try and root out the spy. However, Plan B is we place our own spy in Luke’s camp. That’s where Tonks comes in, I’m hoping. Hey Tonks, didn’t you mention that you were a Meta-Meta-something.”

The pink-haired girl, who looked like she was in her early 20s, giggle-snorted, “I’m a Metamorphmagus. Basically, I can alter my physical body any way I want!”

With that, she morphed into an exact copy of him. When she spoke, it was in his own voice, “As you can see, I can even change my gender. This ability is actually something you’re born with. It can’t be taught.”

He grinned, “Brilliant! Sirius? Would it be too much to ask for Tonks to infiltrate Luke’s ship and feed us information on their whereabouts?”

Sirius Black thought about it, before he too, had a grin on his face, “Well… Bones did say that your final test would be a long-term assignment, and she asked me to ‘leave it to my imagination’.”

Chiron clapped his hands, “Excellent! Now Mr. Potter, Ms Tonks will be your responsibility. I trust that you can teach her some basic fighting skills? If I remember correctly, you removed Luke’s memories of magic before he returned to his own camp. As per your line of thinking, you didn’t want him taking that kind of intel to the enemy. So Ms Tonks, I would advise you to avoid using your wand. Mr. Potter and his friends will train you in sword-fighting, archery, knife-fighting and other skills. So you won’t be defenceless.”

She nodded, “Yes sir! I am looking forward to it.”

From there, Harry, Percy and Annabeth began training Tonks. That night, there was a storm raging in the area, but Camp Half-Blood remained untouched. The magic of the Fleece was clearly working and strengthening the borders.

The very same night, Harry was shaken awake by Silena Beauregard. He sat up, “What is it?”

She shook her head, “I don’t know, but something’s come up. Word is that it’s to do with the tree.”

That jolted him out of bed, because Annabeth and Mackenzie were guarding the tree. Hastily getting ready, he seized his wand, as well as his bow and arrows and rushed outside with his weapons primed. As he hurried forward, he saw Percy scrambling out from the Poseidon cabin with Grover hot on his heels.

When they finally reached the top of the hill, the Fleece was still dangling from its perch. However, the base of the tree beheld an unexpected sight. A girl was lying unconscious, with two other girls attempting to revive her.

Harry recognised Annabeth and Mackenzie as the conscious girls. Chiron galloped up and then exclaimed, “Curse the Titan Lord! He’s tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy.”

Up above, the storm had broken, but the dawn sky was blood-red. Percy glanced at the centaur, “What do you mean?”

He uttered, “The Fleece… The Fleece did its work too well. It healed the tree. And poison was not the only thing it purged.”

Annabeth spotted them and ran towards Chiron. She babbled, “It … she … just suddenly there…”

Harry and Percy sprang into action and rushed over to help Mackenzie. They inspected the unfamiliar girl. She had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and goth – a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with badges from a bunch of bands.

Percy placed a hand to her forehead and then spoke up, “She needs nectar and ambrosia.”

Harry turned to Mackenzie, “Can you go get some nectar and ambrosia? Jackson and I can take it from here. We’ll get her to the Big House.”

She nodded and rushed off, as Percy lifted the girl into a sitting position. He cradled her head gently on his shoulder and turned to the campers who were watching the scene. He snapped, “Come on! What’s wrong with all of you? Let’s get her to the Big House.”

Finally, the girl groaned, took a shaky breath and coughed. Her eyes opened, revealing that they were electric blue. She glanced at the two in bewilderment, “What- who-”

Harry spoke to her gently, “It’s alright mate. You’re okay now. Come on, can you stand? We’ll get you to the Big House so that you can get healed up.”

They hoisted the girl, draped each of her arms around their shoulders and began the slow trek. Ten minutes later, they finally managed to ease her onto a bed in the Big House. By then, Mackenzie had joined them and was busy treating her. Apparently, she had been getting lessons from Lee Fletcher.

Percy caught Harry’s eye and they both reached an understanding. They both recognised who the girl was, and Harry couldn’t help thinking that things were about to get very interesting. Mackenzie spoon-fed a bite of ambrosia and asked, “Hi, I’m Mackenzie Dursley! What’s your name?”

The girl shakily said, “I’m Thalia. Daughter of Zeus.”

Harry glanced at Percy again, “Do you want to do it or shall I?”

He motioned to Harry, “You do it. I suck at this kind of stuff.”

Harry let out a long-suffering sigh, “Fine, fine! So I guess it falls on me, mate. Oi Jackson, are they all still outside, staring like blinking idiots?”

Percy peeped out of the window, “Uhh… Yeah. Everyone’s still so shocked.”

Harry sighed again, “Alright, you’re at Camp Half-Blood now. Most of us are demigods here. Everyone outside is pretty shocked, because let’s be honest, you were technically dead. Also, now there are two players for the prophecy. That’s Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon.”

She turned to Percy and gave a weak wave, “Sup… Cousin…”

“I’m Harry Potter, first and only son of Artemis. And you have no idea how bloody good it feels to be able to introduce myself.”

Her eyes snapped to him, “Son of Artemis? Impossible! I thought she was a virgin Goddess!”

He grinned sheepishly, “Well… There was a loophole involved. Apparently, my mum was unable to conceive so they prayed for divine intervention. Lady Artemis answered and she performed a ritual that got mum pregnant. The only caveat was that Lady Artemis was also counted as my mother as well.”

Thalia nodded, “Hmm yeah that actually makes sense. I’m just surprised that the Hunters were able to tolerate you.”

He shrugged, “Well it was a heck of an adjustment period, but they’re now sort of used to me. Heck, some of them are pretty darn overprotective!”

She chuckled, then she nearly jumped off the bed in shock, “Wait! I was with three others! What-”

Harry instantly reacted and went to calm her down, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa mate! Relax! Everyone’s fine-ish… Grover’s outside, so’s Annabeth. Luke... It's complicated. You’ve been out of commission for… Is it five years, Jackson?”

He did some quick mental math, “I think six years. Annabeth’s a year older than you, so she’s 13.”

Harry turned back to her, “Yeah, a lot has happened. In a way, it’s good that you’re lying down. We’ve got a lot to tell you, mate.”

She tilted her head curiously, “You talk funny? I’m not your mate.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Bloody hell, not you too! I’m a Brit. We can argue about the English language later on.”

Percy sniggered behind him, only to yelp when Harry shot a Stinging Hex at him. Thalia goggled at him, “Whoa! How did you do that?”

“Yeah, that’s another thing. When the gods migrated from Ancient Greece and moved westwards, they made a brief pit stop in Great Britain for a couple of centuries. Hecate, Goddess of Magic, got a little busy and created a little community of magic users of her own. Thus, witches and wizards were created. We’ve got our own communities in different parts of the world. Aside from being a son of Artemis, I’m also a wizard. Mackenzie over there, is a witch, and she’s my cousin. I used my wand to hit Jackson with a Stinging Hex because he was being a prat.”

“Oh, cool, cool.”

“You going to be okay? Just rest here for a while, we’ll move you to the Zeus cabin when you’re able. Good night.”

Chapter 40: Chapter 40

It took a long time for the campers’ shock to subside at seeing two children of the Big Three. Luckily, Annabeth and Grover came around very quickly, as did Chiron. The girls quickly got Thalia settled into her cabin, and Chiron informed her about the camp rules.

A couple of days later, when she had recovered well enough, they offered to catch her up on training. Tonks trained alongside her and the two got along pretty well. Harry could still recall their first meeting. While in the Big House, Harry was talking to Thalia when Tonks sauntered in, “Hello munchkins! Hey Harry, who’s your new friend.”

Thalia stuck out her hand, “Thalia. Just Thalia. I like your hair…”, she motioned to Tonks’ bright pink spiky hair.

Tonks grinned, “Wotcher! The name’s Tonks. Just Tonks. That’s my last name, in case you were wondering.”

Harry also grinned, “You two really are a pair, eh? One hates her last name, and the other hates her first name.”

Tonks flopped down on a seat next to Harry, “Oh? Do tell!”

Thalia made a face, “My last name is… Grace. My mom was Beryl Grace, former TV starlet. She had a massive drinking problem and pulled all sorts of stupid stunts. I guess she thought she was a big shot because she got knocked up by the King of the Gods. She died in a car crash  sometime before I ran off with Luke and Grover.”

Tonks choked out, “My first name is Nymphadora. You won’t believe the amount of teasing I got from that stupid name. Since then, I’ve only gone by Tonks.”

Thalia snickered a little, “You have my sympathy. Hey Harry, where’s Luke? I’m surprised he hasn’t been by to visit.”

Harry chuckled slightly, “Yeah… About that… It’s complicated.”

Then Annabeth appeared at the doorway, “Yeah… I think its best if I told you. Harry, Tonks, can you give us some privacy?”

They shrugged, “Okay, see you two in a bit.”

When they emerged afterwards, Annabeth’s eyes were tear-stained and Thalia looked pretty angry.

---

The month of June soon passed by and everyone’s training was getting along nicely. Then, around mid-July, Sirius came over to take him and Mackenzie back to England as they were spending the rest of the summer with the Weasleys. Before that, he got Sirius to sign his permission slip to enter Hogsmeade. This was only after repeated assurances that he will watch his back, with Greyback lurking around. Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia decided to tag along, because they had nothing better to do, and school had not started yet.

The first thing that Ron did was wrap him in a bro hug. Then Harry noticed something sticking out from Ron’s pocket, “Oi, what’s that? Is that a wand? Looks a little odd, doesn’t it?”

The redhead grinned and pulled out a curved wand, “You like it! It’s made of ivory. Bill got it for me from some client of his in Egypt. Come to think of it, he also received a bunch of gifts from his client for a ‘job well done’. Here, come to the kitchen!”

He dragged Harry and the demigods to the kitchen, where a someone, or something, was cooking. Ron grinned, “They’re called she.. shabby…sha-”

Ginny was passing by and began giggling, “They’re called Shabti, Ron! In essence, they are magical constructs, like golems. Bill’s client, Julius Kane explained the concept, except this prat was not paying attention.”

“Oi! I resent that!”

She stuck her tongue out at him. Then tapped her foot expectantly, and Ron suddenly looked very bashful. He stammered, “Uhh… Mate? Please don’t be mad at me, but Ginny wants in on our training. She... er, may have walked into my room and discovered me with my spear. Now, she wants training in exchange for not telling Mum and Dad.”

Harry chuckled, “Don’t worry mate, I was planning to train your siblings as well. Was wondering how to broach the subject.”

Just then, a sharp whistle came from the living room. It came from Mr. Weasley, who had just been talking to Sirius in hushed whispers. He called out, “Okay everyone! Family meeting, now!”

Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. Sirius opened it to see Remus and Hermione, the latter of whom, was clutching a suitcase. Arthur smiled, “Oh good! Everyone is here. Harry, Mackenzie, Hermione? I think you three had better attend this meeting, because this concerns you all, as well.”

Harry spoke up, “Mr. Weasley, I think I might know what you are talking about. Mackenzie knows as well.”

He was a little surprised, and asked, “Sirius told you?”

Harry sheepishly chuckled, “Actually, it was the other way round. By the way, do I have your permission to tell everyone about the you-know-what?”

Arthur perked up, “Yes! Yes, of course!”

Harry cleared his throat and all of the Weasleys and Hermione, focused on him. He said, “So, we have a big situation here. Fenrir Greyback is on his way to Hogwarts. Apparently, the werewolf pack has been dwindling, so Greyback was tasked with replenishing it. He plans to go after the students. I’m probably his biggest target because of my heritage.”

Charlie raised a hand, “Wait… Greyback was tasked? I thought he was the leader of the werewolves. From what I’ve heard about him, he’s not the type to follow orders.”

Harry shook his head, “Greyback is actually one of the top lieutenants to the leader of the werewolves, King Lycaon. Listen, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, there is something you need to know. Ron and Hermione found out in our First-Year. Ginny and your parents found out in Second-Year. Myself and three of my friends here, are demigods. Children of one mortal and one Greek God or Goddess.”

Bill was puzzled, “Wait… You’re saying that the Greek Gods are real? And they went and had children with regular people?”

“Precisely. This all kind of ties in. King Lycaon was once a human king. He once played host to Lord Zeus in his home. He wanted to test his immortality, so he served him human meat. This included him killing one of his own sons and serving his flesh.”

Everyone’s faces turned green. Harry waited for them to recover and continued, “Obviously, Zeus was enraged and turned him into the first werewolf.”

Then, Percy Weasley spoke up a bit sceptically, “Potter, you say that you are a demigod, right? I thought your parents were James and Lily. Did-”

Harry interrupted him with a piercing glare that made him shudder, “Don’t even finish that sentence. Neither of my parents cheated on each other. From what I was told, during the war, my mother was hit with a curse, rendering her barren. They then searched for Fertility Ritual. Sirius did his best to help, but accidentally gave them an Ancient Greek Summoning Ritual. One thing led to another and they summoned Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon. She performed another ritual, which helped my mother get pregnant, with the only condition being that Lady Artemis is counted as my mother.”

Ron chipped in, “That explains why Harry’s scarily accurate with his spell-casting. His mother’s primary weapon is a bow and arrow, so obviously, Harry inherited her skills.”

Hermione picked up where he left off, “Another thing that Harry told us, is that all demigods have a condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD. Basically, no demigod can really sit still, because they have battle-born reflexes.”

Then Annabeth spoke up, “Demigods also have dyslexia, which means that they cannot read English very well. However, they can read and write Ancient Greek or even Latin. Like Harry said, I’m a demigod. I’m the daughter of Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. That’s Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea. Finally, this is Thalia, daughter of Zeus, God of the sky and King of the Gods. That’s Grover, he’s a satyr.”

On cue, Grover kicked off his fake feet, making everyone’s eyes widen. He half bleated, “Satyrs are half human and half goat. We’re not demigods, but we are tasked with bringing them to safety. One of the biggest hazards of being a demigod is that monsters from the Ancient Greek world, could attack. Right now, we are relatively safe, because I think there are some wards that keep out monsters.”

Harry rolled his left shoulder, which was aching a little, and finished up, “The more powerful the demigod, the more monsters they attract. Jackson and Thalia are the most powerful demigods, because they are the children of the oldest gods. Power-wise, they are stronger than Annabeth or myself”

Thalia interrupted, “That’s actually half true. From what I’m aware of, the first-born child of any God is usually very powerful. So, Harry is pretty powerful in his own right.”

Bill spoke up, “That’s all very well and good, but that doesn’t explain how Harry knew about Greyback before anyone else.”

Annabeth answered him, “Another thing about demigods is that sometimes we get dreams. It could be about our or someone’s past or future. Those dreams are almost always true. So Harry dreamed about Greyback getting his mission from King Lycaon.”

Finally, Arthur wrapped up the meeting, “Children, now that you all know what is at stake. Promise me you all won’t go looking for trouble? Greyback is not one to be trifled with. Unfortunately, the bad news doesn’t stop there. Our Minister for Magic, in his ‘infinite wisdom’ has decided to place the Dementors of Azkaban around Hogwarts. Be very, very careful around them because they are very dangerous.”

Suddenly, Percy Weasley spoke up a little pompously, “So what does this demigod world have to do with the Wizarding World? I hardly see how this is our problem.”

Jackson fixed him with a hard stare, “It has everything to do with it. There is a war coming up and an ancient enemy called Kronos is rising. One of our own betrayed us and in the process of resurrecting him. Kronos is the Titan Lord of Time and he has the power to destroy the world. Just imagine what he can do to the Wizarding World, should he ever find out about it.”

Harry also piped up, “Also, I’m hardly the first demigod wizard. The Founders of Hogwarts were demigods too.”

That got everyone’s attention, even Sirius and Remus. Sirius asked, “Really?”

Harry nodded, “Yep, Godric Gryffindor was the son of Zeus, Rowena Ravenclaw was the daughter of Athena. Helga Hufflepuff was the daughter of Demeter and Salazar Slytherin was the son of Hecate. Hecate was actually the one to create the Wizarding World. In her words, she was bored and wanted her own followers. If we’re being really technical, witches and wizards are demigods as well.”

That explanation satisfied everyone, and Sirius had them swear an oath to never reveal this information without his approval. He warned that if the wrong people got hold of this information, the Wizarding World could be dragged into an unwanted war, woefully unprepared.

Before long, Ginny had joined their training, and she was quite vicious with a sword and shield. Fred and George fancied a pair of clubs with Celestial Bronze studs. Percy got comfortable with a spear, and finally, Bill and Charlie preferred daggers. In mid-July, Harry took Mackenzie aside during a sparring session. He handed her a small box, and she opened it, revealing a pair of earrings shaped like a dagger. Harry told her, “I figured that I can’t be around all the time. Also, you can handle yourself while in a pinch. I think I’ve trained you as much as I could. Plus, I have way too many weapons in my arsenal. My bow and arrow, and the sword are enough for me. I got Lou Ellen to enchant the hunting knives into a pair of earrings for you.”

She wrapped him in a tight hug before he helped her put them on.

---

The following day, the demigods went back to New York, while Sirius took Harry and the others to Diagon Alley. As they passed Quality Quidditch Supplies, they noticed a large crowd gathered. Sirius glanced over and grinned, “Well what do you know. It seems that the rumours were true after all. That there’s the Firebolt! Fastest broom in the world! Word on the street is that the Irish National team have already placed an order for seven of these beauties.”

He looked down at Harry and Mackenzie, “You two pups interested? This thing’s got an acceleration of 150 miles an hour in ten second! The best part is that it boasts of an Unbreakable Braking Charm.”

Harry chuckled, “I don’t know about ‘Kenzie, but I think my Nimbus 2000 hasn’t really failed me just yet.”

Eventually, he tore himself away and trotted off to the apothecary to replenish his potions supplies. Harry was also outgrowing his robes, so he paid a visit to Madam Malkin’s. While getting measured, he couldn’t help noticing that some of Malkin’s aides were blushing as the tape measures wrapped around his muscles and lean frame. He internally rolled his eyes and thought to himself, ‘Oh for crying out loud!’

Then he winced a little, as the tape measure wrapped around his shoulders a little too hard. Finally, once that torture was over, he dropped by Flourish and Blotts to pick up his new books, as well as to collect his Divination and Care of Magical Creatures book.

Inside, he spotted a large iron cage, holding several copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. Each of those book were going at it like a bunch of cage fighters. Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

The manager made a pained face, drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books’ cage. He complained, “I’ve already got bitten five time already! Who’s bloody big idea was it to recommend this book? I’m never stocking them again, never! It’s been bedlam! I thought we’d seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility — cost a fortune, and we never found them.”

The manager somehow snagged the book, and it whirled around, trying to bite him. Quicker than the eye could blink, Harry whipped out his wand and shot a Stupefy spell. The man looked so relieved that he hugged him tightly and babbled, “Thank you so much! You just made my life so much easier! What else do you need? Your next book is on the house!”

Harry consulted his book list, “Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky.”

He smiled, “Starting Divination, eh? Here you are! Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods, palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails.”

Soon, they met up with the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione. The latter was carrying an enormous ginger cat. She beamed, “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he? His name is Crookshanks!”

Harry found it a little hard to agree with her. The cat’s ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall.

Finally, they all went back to the Burrow with their wares. When it was finally time to leave on September 1st, they all piled their suitcases neatly, with a wicker basket sitting next to the pile. Hedwig, Errol and Pigwidgeon were next to the basket, perched on their respective cages. Harry sighed and approached the owls. Pigwidgeon gave him the stink-eye, but Hedwig glared at them.

He hooted at them, “Listen Pigwidgeon, I am really sorry about putting you in danger. I didn’t realise that the monsters would try and get you. I promise that it won’t happen again.”

Pigwidgeon barked, “See that it does not, Moon-Child! Just be glad that the old codger didn’t make the trip! He would have died at the hands of the snake-ladies. Luckily, Hedwig and I were quick enough to dodge them, but that big arse shark nearly got me!”

Ron looked at him questioningly, but Harry indicated that he would tell him later. 20 minutes later, they were at the station. After crossing through, Harry looked for Neville. Percy Weasley spotted a familiar figure and smoothed back his hair. His cheeks pinked as he said, “Ah, there’s Penelope!”

He walked off to meet the Ravenclaw girl, with his chest puffed out, proudly showing off his Head Boy badge. Harry quickly bolted into the train, Ginny hot on his heels. Once inside an empty compartment, they collapsed in laughter, clutching each other’s backs. Harry snorted, “Oh I am so taking the mickey out of him for this!”

---

Finally, Mackenzie, Ron and Hermione joined them with Neville in tow. As the train moved off, Ron asked, “Hey Harry, what were you telling Pigwidgeon?”

His face grew red, “Yeah, uhh. Pigwidgeon is a little ticked at me. I was on another quest at the time, and he nearly got eaten when delivering a letter.”

Hermione leaned forward, “What was this quest about? I saw Annabeth rush you and Mackenzie off in a bit of a hurry.”

Mackenzie piped up, “It was an emergency. Luke had poisoned the tree that marked the camp’s borders. So Harry, Jackson, Annabeth and Clarisse went on a quest to find the Golden Fleece. If the tree died, the camp would be overrun by monsters”

Hermione’s eyes widened, “The Fleece is real! And you found it!?”

Harry replied, “Yeah, we had to sail into the Sea of Monsters to find it. The Sea of Monsters is the modern day Bermuda Triangle. Apparently, Pig was nearly eaten by a megalodon. That’s why he was so mad at me. Hedwig was pretty mad, initially.”

She shrieked, ”A freaking megalodon! I thought it was supposed to be extinct, millions of years ago!”

Neville asked, “What’s a megalodon?”

She shuddered, “You remember when Professor Daly spoke to us about non-magical wild life? She talked about the great white shark and showed a picture. Now, imagine that shark, but a lot bigger. At least the size of this compartment.”

Everybody else paled at that. Harry continued, “Apparently, the Fleece did its job a little too well. Remember I told you about Thalia’s tree? Turns out, she wasn’t dead. Her dad just turned her into a pine tree. So when the Fleece healed the tree, it also sort of resurrected Thalia.”

Just then, the compartment door opened, revealing Sirius and Remus. Hermione smiled at them, “Hello Mr Black and Mr. Lupin, what are you two doing here?”

Sirius grinned, “Extra security. Neville, are you aware that Fenrir Greyback is on the loose?”

The boy shivered, “Yeah, mum and dad told me about it. They’ve signed my Hogsmeade form, but told me to be careful, anyway. Gran was hesitant, but dad managed to convince her.”

Remus scowled, “Well, the Minister has deployed the dementors to try and stop him. Rather foolish of him, if you ask me.”

Hermione piped up, “But he is the Minister, isn’t he? Surely he knows what’s best for everyone.”

This time it was Sirius’ turn to scowl, “I wouldn’t be so sure. I’ve heard that he used to take most of his advice from Lucius Malfoy”.

Then he grinned, “You should have seen him blustering about when we arrested Lucius last year, for casting an Unforgivable.”

Remus cleared his throat, “Our point is, Minister Fudge only deployed the dementors because he wants the Ministry to be seen ‘doing something’. That’s why we’re here. I will be taking over the DADA position. Sirius is here in his Auror capacity, and if I’m unwell, he can take over in my stead.”

Sirius ruffled Mackenzie’s head, “Okay kiddos, we’re just going to walk around and meet with the Head Boy and Head Girl. We’ll be back soon.”

With that, they left and the six of them were idly talking. After a while, Luna came skipping over and joined them. Hermione asked, “Do you know much about Hogsmeade? I’ve read it’s the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain —”

“Yeah, I think it is,” said Ron in an offhand sort of way, “but that’s not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!”

“What’s that?” said Hermione.

“It’s this sweetshop,” said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, “where they’ve got everything. . . . Pepper Imps — they make you smoke at the mouth — and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you’re thinking what to write next —”

“But Hogsmeade’s a very interesting place, isn’t it?” Hermione pressed on eagerly. “In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack’s supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain —”

“— and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you’re sucking them,” said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

Hermione looked around at Harry as she released Crookshanks from his cage.

“Won’t it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?”

Harry grinned, “You’re darn right, it will!”

Ginny grumped, “If only we were old enough to go! It’s not fair!”

Harry raised his hands placatingly, “Hey, hey, don’t worry, we’ll get you some goodies.”

---

A few hours later, there was relative silence, as a few of them napped. Later on, the compartment door flew open to reveal a scowling Malfoy, with Crabbe, Goyle, Snyde and Murk. He drawled, ““Well, look who it is. Potty and the Weasel. I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley. Did your mother die of shock?”

Harry shot up before Ron and Ginny could retaliate. With an almost perfect imitation of Malfoy’s drawl, he fired back, “Malfoy… Agrius Jr… Oreius Jr… Snyde… Murk… Well… I’m curious to know about YOUR father. I heard he earned some reservations at a fancy hotel. Five star service at Hotel de Azkaban.”

Ron fought down his laughter, while Malfoy’s face twisted in fury, “You have no proof! Father said that he was Imperiused by the Dark Lord!”

Harry cocked his head sideways and shot him a disarming smile, “I didn’t say anything about him being Imperiused. I’m talking about when he was caught red-handed, casting the Killing Curse on a minor.”

Merula Snyde and Draco Malfoy’s right hands twitched. Finally, he muttered resentfully, “Come on!”, and they trooped away.

Ron grinned and slapped Harry’s back heartily, “That was brilliant, mate!”

The rest of the trip was fairly silent, and Harry stared out the window, where it was starting to rain. The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks.

Suddenly, the train began to slow down and the brakes squealed noisily. Hermione looked up as she lazily stroked Crookshanks, “We can’t be there yet. Why are we stopping?”

Harry peeped out the door, and saw that several other students were doing the same. He spotted Anthony Goldstein and called out, “Oi, what’s happening? The Express has conked out or something?”

The Ravenclaw shrugged, “Don’t know. Since this runs on magic, can it actually conk out?”

Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness. Harry heard shuffling behind him, and then Hermione yelped, “Ron! That’s my foot!”

Harry shut the door and carefully retreated. He then heard Luna idly comment, “Harry, you’ve got a silver glow around you, keeping the Nargles and Wrackspurts at bay. Is it because of your mother?”

He declined to comment, instead pulling out his bow and arrows and switched into battle mode. The demigod called out, “Shh! Everyone, sound off!”

“Hermione!”

“Ron!”

“Neville”

“Luna”

“Ginny”

“Mackenzie!”

Harry called back, “’Kenzie… flank my right…”

His sharper eyesight saw her carefully make her way over to him and take off her earrings. The hunting knives materialised in her hands and she dropped to a crouch, legs spread out, ready to attack.

Just then, an intense cold swept over them all. Mackenzie glanced at Harry, “What do you think? Hyperborean giant?”

He shrugged, “Honestly, I don’t know. It could be any-”

Harry got cut off as the door slid slowly open. It revealed a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry’s eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak.

Then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings. The air grew colder, and the two cousins retreated backwards into their compartment. Harry’s vision was starting to go black, when the shadows in the corner darkened.

---

Suddenly, Bianca di Angelo of all people, leaped out from the shadowed corner. The girl placed herself between them and the figure and raised her hand. The figure recoiled sharply as she ordered, “Back! Back, I say! You shall not harm them! Nor anyone on this train! All of the students here, are off limits!”

Harry’s vision cleared as the figure retreated. Bianca had a serious expression on her face as she appeared to listen to something. Then she spoke, “Whoever it is, you are looking for, nobody is harbouring him! You do not belong here! You will come back with me to see father!”

The figure continued retreating and then stopped. It appeared to be saying something, because she replied, “You have three weeks. After that, you and your kind will return to the Underworld! Father needs you to take up posts in Tartarus.”

It nodded and floated off. Not even a minute later, there was a thundering of footsteps. Sirius and Remus burst into the compartment, “Is everyone okay? Bianca? What are you doing here?”

She replied, “Father contacted me a few days ago and told me about the Dementors. He had allowed Hecate to borrow them for some time, but forgot to summon them back. They were originally stationed as guards in Tartarus. The Dementor that was here, told me about their task to find Fenrir Greyback. I gave them three weeks, after which I shall return them back to the Underworld.”

As she explained, Lupin was handing out bars of chocolate to Harry and the others. Harry devoured his chocolate and hugged the girl, “Thanks for the save! I thought we were toast!”

She hugged him back, “Of course! You’re like a brother to me. Also you helped rescue us from the Lotus Casino.”

He asked, “Where’s Nico?”

“Father is still training him. I was able to master Shadow Travel a lot quicker.”

Hermione piped up, “Is that how you suddenly appeared here from nothing but shadows?”

She nodded, “Yeah, our training is getting along fine. We should be ready to join you at Camp by next year.”

With a wave, she Shadow-Travelled back to wherever she came from. The two adults went back to their rounds, revealing that they were ten minutes away from Hogwarts. Finally, the seven of them slumped in their seats. Neville whimpered, “It was horrible. Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?”

Ginny was shivering in the corner and rocking back and forth. Harry and Mackenzie got rid of their weapons and wrapped comforting arms around the redheaded girl.

Before long, the train pulled into the station and they disembarked. Mackenzie was startled when she saw the thestrals for the first time. Ginny couldn’t see them, but Luna airily said, “I see them too, you’re just as sane as I am.”

As always, the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars. Harry spotted another two dementors, who drifted further away. He gave a low whistle, “Wow! Bianca worked pretty quick!”

Hermione leaned out of the tiny window in their carriage, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and the quartet got out.

Soon, everyone trooped inside the castle and assembled outside the Great Hall. It soon swung open and the enchanted ceiling beckoned. This time, the ceiling was black and cloudy, and they all took their seats. Harry sat next to Katie, who wrapped him in a one-armed hug.

They didn’t have to wait long before McGonagall entered with the First-Years, and the Sorting began. Finally, Dumbledore stood up, “Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.

He continued, “They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds. And while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises. It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors.”

He paused to gauge the glum reaction of the students. Then Dumbledore smiled, “On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. We also have Auror Black, who will be on standby to keep the dementors under control and as an occasional assistant to Professor Lupin.”

After some scattered applause, Dumbledore announced, “As to our second new appointment. Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.”

There was a more enthusiastic reception to this announcement. Finally, he said, “It also gives me great pleasure to announce that, aside from Quidditch, we will be introducing a new activity!”

That got everyone whispering excitedly. Katie leaned in and whispered, “Is this activity what I think it is?”

He nodded, “I think so.”

She pumped her fist, “Yes!”

Dumbledore once again called for silence, “Last term, I was temporarily dismissed from my position as headmaster, owing to a series of unfortunate events. Mr. Chiron Brunner took over and convinced me to take over his old position of a summer camp counsellor. Needless to say, I found many camp activities exciting, but only one resonated with me. It is called, Capture The Flag. For our benefit, the way it works is that two houses will compete at a time. The goal of the students of one house is to get the opposing house’s flag and bring it back. The flags will be located in the respective house’s Common Room. Yes, this does mean for the first time ever, students from one house can enter the common room of another house. Obviously, while some students look for their opponents flags, they also have to defend their own flag. You may use magic, but you are restricted to Stunning spells and low level Jinxes. A successful hit on an opponent gives you 10 points. Bringing the flag back ends the game and earns you 150 points. However, any unauthorised spells will result in a points deduction and a detention for that student.”

With that, he sat down, and the hall exploded into cheers. When the feast was over, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville rushed over to congratulate Hagrid. Finally, they trooped up the marble staircase and gathered around the portrait. The Fat Lady asked, “Password?”

Percy Weasley muscled his way through and called out, “Fortuna Major!”

One by one, they crawled into the hole behind the portrait and split up to head into their respective dormitories.

Chapter 41: Chapter 41

The next day, Harry and his friends went down for breakfast in the Great Hall. He pointedly ignored Malfoy jeering at him, asking whether he cried for his mother when the big bad dementor came. Ron looked like he was about to forgo his wand and throw hands, but Harry stopped him, insisting that he was not worth it.

Harry slid in next to George, who glanced at the laughing Slytherin and his cronies. He softly said, “That little git. Wanker wasn’t such a cocky bastard last night when the dementors came. Think he nearly wet himself.”

Fred helpfully chimed in as he passed them their schedules, “Don’t know about weeing himself, but he definitely shat himself. Could get the smell right from three compartments away.”

Harry shrugged, “We probably would have been toast if Bianca hadn’t stepped in.”

The twins looked at him curiously, “Who’s Bianca? I don’t think we know any Bianca. We know a Belinda who’s a Seventh Year Hufflepuff.”

Harry clarified, “She’s one of my lot. Daughter of Hades, he’s the God of the Underworld. Turns out, Dementors were originally the guards of Tartarus, which is deep in the Underworld. That place is pretty much the most evil place on this planet. Azkaban is Disneyland compared to that place. It seems that several centuries ago, Lord Hades allowed Hecate to borrow the Dementors for something. However, he forgot to summon them back. Bianca has given them three weeks to catch Greyback. Then she’s taking them back to the Underworld. Far as I’m aware, they won’t harm her, or they’d piss off her dad.”

George gave a low whistle, “Crumbs! I didn’t know that! It’s generally accepted that the Dementors’ origins were unknown. No one knew where they came from, they just sort of existed. Anyway, forget about Malfoy, we’re going to wipe that smirk off his face when we beat Slytherin at Quidditch. I’m also curious about this Capture the Flag thing.”

Meanwhile, Hermione happily exclaimed that they were starting their new subjects that day itself. The only lessons she had in common with them was Care of Magical Creatures. Meanwhile, when he and Ron were at Divination, she would be attending Arithmancy.

Soon, Hagrid strolled in and stopped next to them. He beamed at them, “All right’ You’re in my first ever lesson! Right after lunch! Been up since five getting everything ready.... Hope it’s okay.... Me, a teacher... honestly....”

After he ambled off, Ron shuddered slightly, “Wonder what he’s got up his sleeve. Can’t be worse than Aragog or that bloody drakon.”

Fred tilted his head curiously, “What are you on about?”

Ron stammered, “In our First-Year, Hagrid somehow got hold of an egg. He thought it was a dragon egg, but when it hatched, Harry identified it as a drakon.”

George leaned forward, “What’s the difference?”

Harry explained, “Drakons are much older and they grow at a very rapid pace. Also, some species can spit poison and they can grow as large as a building. Heck, a full-grown drakon can easily coil around Hogwarts. Luckily, this one had just hatched, so I managed to get rid of it quickly.”

Fred then asked, “So who’s Aragog?”

Ron shuddered again, “He’s an adult Acromantula. Hagrid asked us to talk to him about the whole Chamber of Secrets business. Was Hagrid’s pet before he got released into the Forbidden Forest. There’s a whole bloody colony. Damn nearly died there!”

---

Before long, they noticed that the Hall was slowly emptying itself, so they scarfed down their breakfast and rushed off to get ready. It took a while, because this was the first time they were visiting the North Tower where Divination was. Harry and Ron got lost twice, before finding themselves in front of a staircase spiralling upwards. Thanks to Harry’s training, they were not so winded by the time they reached the top.

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque situated on the ceiling.

The trapdoor suddenly opened and a silvery ladder extended downwards. One by one, the students climbed up, entering the strangest-looking classroom. It resembled a cross between someone’s attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. The room had twenty small, circular tables crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs.

Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

Then a voice came from the shadows, “Welcome, how nice to see you in the physical world at last. Sit, my children, sit. Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye. So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field.”

She continued, “Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearances, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future. It is a Gift granted to few. We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. In the second term, we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens, that is.”

Suddenly, she turned to Lavender, “I wonder, dear, if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?”

Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

“Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October.”

The girl trembled a little, before Trelawney divided everyone into pairs. The woman spoke, “Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing.”

Harry and Ron paired up as expected and followed her instructions. Of course, they were careful to not burn their tongues on the scalding tea. Harry then glanced at Ron’s cup, “Right, you’ve got a crooked sort of cross. That means you’re going to have ‘trials and suffering’ — sorry about that — but there’s a thing that could be the sun… hang on... that means ‘great happiness’… so you’re going to suffer but be very happy...”

Ron snickered slightly, “You’re rubbish at this sort of thing. Okay my turn. Umm… It looks odd. I can’t make head or tail of it.”

Trelawney was at their table in an instant, “Let me see that, my dear. Two falcons… my dear, you have some deadly enemies. The club, an attack. Oh goodness, this is not a happy cup. Wait! What’s this?”

She swilled the cup one last time and gasped, “Oh! Dear child! The boulder! A great burden lies in your path! You must be strong in order to shoulder it!”

Harry was a little disturbed at her rants, but she eventually moved to another table. Not much happened in the next few minutes, as Harry ruminated the meaning of her words. Suddenly, there was a scream, and everyone’s heads snapped towards where John Silvertongue and his friend Rowan Khanna were seated,

Trelawney wailed, “My dear boy... my poor, dear boy... no... it is kinder not to say... no.... My dear, you have the Grim! The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death! Beware! Beware the serpent! Beware!”

There was dead silence in the room, and nobody moved. No one could even look at the mortified John, in the eye. Trelawney slumped down onto a seat and breathed heavily. Regaining her composure, she looked up, “I think we will leave the lesson here for today. Yes... please pack away your things.”

Surprisingly, only 45 minutes had passed during the lecture. So the Divination contingent managed to reach McGonagall’s class just in time, as they struggled to navigate the castle again. Not a word passed between Harry and Ron. The same applied for Lavender, Parvati and Seamus, who were also in their class.

---

Harry sat right at the back of the room, but still felt like there was a spotlight on him. The Divination students kept shooting furtive glances at him and John in utter confusion and slight pity. Professor McGonagall was telling everyone about Animagi, and he smirked to himself, ‘Been there, done that!’.

She transformed herself into her tabby cat form with spectacle markings around her eyes. Half of the class applauded, except for the Divination students, though Harry’s was half-hearted.

McGonagall indignant huffed, “Really! What has got into some of you, today? Not that it matters, but that’s the first time my transformation’s gotten a lukewarm response from a class.”

Parvati raised a hand, “Professor, W-we just came back from our Divination class.”

The older witch nodded sagely, “Ah, of course. There is no need to say any more, Miss Patil. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?”

Harry and John reluctantly raised their hands, though Harry said, “Well Professor… In my case, she was predicting some great burden I will be facing.”

Her lips twitched, “That’s a first, Mr. Potter. Mr. Silvertongue, do not fret, Sybil Trelawney has predicted the death of one student every year ever since she arrived at this school. None of them have died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class.”

She turned back to him and her lips twitched again, “Mr. Potter, maybe this ‘Great Burden’ will be your exams or the homework you shall receive this term.”

That got everyone to laugh, though Harry’s was forced. The rest of the lecture continued as normal. When they wrapped up and everyone was heading for lunch, Harry hung back and approached McGonagall. She looked up questioningly, “Yes, Mr. Potter? Don’t pay much attention to Professor Trelawney. It could be far worse.”

He shook his head, “Actually professor, it’s about the Animagus lesson. During the summer vacation, I decided to become one. Sirius and Remus helped me brew the potion.”

Her eyebrow raised and then she used her wand to push back the tables and chairs. She gestured to him, “Of course they did. Had he lived, your father would have done the same, probably much earlier. Please show me your Animagus form.”

He concentrated and then shifted forms immediately, his clothes melting into his body. When he changed back, his clothes were back on his body, and McGonagall had a proud smile. She exclaimed, “Well done, Mr. Potter! I do believe that you are the youngest person to achieve an Animagus form, and a powerful one. It is a dire wolf, isn’t it?”

He nodded and she replied, “Very well, follow me. We shall get you registered immediately.”

Harry trotted after her as she made her way to the Headmaster’s office. McGonagall gave the password, “M&Ms”, and they headed upstairs. Dumbledore was in his office and smiled at them, “Hello Minerva… Mr. Potter…”

McGonagall politely said, “Albus, I hope you don’t mind that we borrow your Floo for a while. Over the summer, Mr. Potter trained himself to become an Animagus and has succeeded. I’m just heading over to the Ministry to register him.”

He beamed, his eyes twinkling happily, “Capital idea, Minerva! I hope you two don’t take too long, I heard the House Elves were trying new recipes for today’s lunch.”

Together, they Flooed to the Ministry of Magic. From there, she deftly led him into the building, past a receptionist, and into an elevator that looked pretty ancient. She pressed a button that read, Level 2, and it groaned to a start and steadily lifted them up. When they stepped out, she smiled at a witch sitting at a cubicle.

McGonagall greeted, “Good afternoon, Mafalda. I hope you are not too busy today?”

The woman, named Mafalda Hopkirk, glanced up and smiled, “Hello Professor! How may I help you today?”

The Transfiguration professor gestured at Harry, “It seems that Mr. Potter has managed to successfully complete the Animagus transformation. Mr. Potter, this is Mafalda Hopkirk, she is an assistant in the Improper Use of Magic Office, and in change of the Animagus Registry.”

Hopkirk looked at him with impressed eyebrows, “Incredible! You are, how old, Mr. Potter?”

“Thirteen, ma’am. Just turned in July.”

Her smile widened, “Well! If my calculations are correct, you are the youngest Animagus. I registered Mr. Black recently, He mentioned that he, your father, and the prisoner, Peter Pettigrew, achieved it when they were 15, if I’m not mistaken.”

She led him into a room, which was empty, save for a couple of chairs. McGonagall and Hopkirk both sat down and asked him to change. Once more, he focused and changed into his dire wolf form. Hopkirk looked absolutely startled for a second, before snapping into action. She took all sorts of measurements, jotted down a few notes and waved her wand a few times.

Then, she signalled to him to change back, and he obeyed. After some more note-taking, she said, “Excellent! I have noted everything. Now, just sign here to confirm that you are officially registered as an Animagus… Thank you, Mr. Potter. Now promise me that you will not abuse this gift? After all, yours is a rare creature, so I will know if you have been taking advantage of this new form. Good day, Mr. Potter.”

---

With that, the two of them soon returned to the Castle and Harry joined his friends for lunch. He sat down next to Ron, who was having an argument with Hermione as usual. He told her, “Hermione, a Grim is a bad omen in the Wizarding World. It’s — it’s bad. My — my uncle Bilius saw one and — and he died twenty-four hours later!”

She dismissed him lackadaisically, “Oh it’s just a coincidence. Silvertongue is not going to die.”

Ron was slowly getting angry, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!”

She primly answered, “There you are, then. They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim’s not an omen, it’s the cause of death!”

Harry interrupted, “I have to disagree, Hermione. I think you’re thinking of Hellhounds, which are a lot bigger.”

Finally, they stepped out of the castle, where it was revealed that it had stopped raining. He and Neville walked side-by-side towards Hagrid’s hut, where the class would be held. The two were acting as a buffer between Ron and Hermione, who were not speaking to each other. Looking ahead, he saw Lavender and Parvati in front, and a little ahead of them, he suppressed a groan when he spotted Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

At the door of his wooden hut, Hagrid waited for his class, wearing his moleskin overcoat. Fang the boarhound lay at his heels, looking impatient to start.

He called out, “C’mon, now, get a move on! Got a real treat for you today! Great lesson coming up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!”

For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest. But he breathed a sigh of relief when Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. Hagrid called out, “Everyone gather around the fence here! That’s it — make sure you can see — now, first thing you’ll want to do is open your books —”

Malfoy drawled, “How? How do we open our books?”

Everyone fished out their books, which were all bound up. Harry gingerly reached for his own book. He seized it and tossed it up, just as it began to snap at him. In an instant, he grabbed his wand and yelled, “Stupefy!”

That did the trick, and the book was silenced. Understanding dawned on everyone and they too, stunned their books. Hagrid beamed, “That works too. But the trick is that you’ve got to stroke the spine of the book.”

Malfoy sneered, “Oh, how silly we’ve all been! We should have stroked them! Why didn’t we guess! Oh, tremendously funny! Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!”

Hagrid looked really crestfallen, so Harry tried some damage control. He said, “Hagrid… Maybe in hindsight, you should have left some instructions. I don’t think any of us were expecting a book that could bite back, literally. Anyway… You’ve told us how to handle then, end of story. Now, what do you have for us?”

The large man snapped out of his funk and hopped to his feet, “Right then! Wait right here. I’ll go and get them.”

After he was gone, Malfoy loudly complained, “God, this place is going to the dogs. That oaf teaching classes, my father-”

Harry cut him off, “You mean the same father who is in Azkaban for using an Unforgivable?”

He snapped back, “Careful Potter, there’s a Dementor behind you-”

This time, it was Lavender who cut him off, this time with a squeal. They all turned to see Hagrid leading a bunch of creatures that looked like a cross between a horse and an eagle. The front legs, wings and heads resembled an eagle, while the bodies, hind legs and tails reminded him of horses.

They came in different sizes and colours, and their beaks were steel-coloured and they had brilliantly orange eyes. Hagrid bellowed happily, “Hippogriffs! Beautiful, aren’t they? Now the first thing you have to know about them is that they are very proud creatures. They are easily offended and insulting one, will be the last thing you want to do.”

Everyone listened with rapt attention, except for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. The trio were talking in hushed whispers, and Harry’s eyes narrowed. Hagrid continued obliviously, “You always wait for the hippogriff to make the first move. It’s polite, see? You walk toward him, bow, and wait. If he bows back, you’re allowed to touch him. If he doesn’t bow, then get away from him sharpish, because those talons hurt. So… who wants to go first?”

Everyone looked hesitant, but Harry stepped up immediately. There was a gasp behind him, but he ignored them. Hagrid looked delighted, “Good man, Harry! Show everyone how it’s done! Why don’t you have a go at Buckbeak?”

He brought out a gray hippogriff, who dutifully trotted over to him. Hagrid quietly said, “Easy now, Harry. You’ve got eye contact, now try not to blink. Hippogriffs don’t trust you if you blink too much.”

Harry maintained eye contact for a few seconds before the creature’s eyes widened and bowed before him. It cawed at him, “Child of the Hunt! I am honoured! Please let me be your mount”

Hagrid was smiling so brightly that Harry thought that it would break his face. The man grinned, “Well done! 10 points to Gryffindor! I reckon he might let you ride him.”

Many of his classmates cheered, though Malfoy and his goons looked crestfallen. Harry placed his foot on top of Buckbeak’s wing and boosted himself expertly on the hippogriff’s back. Harry gently ran his fingers along Buckbeak’s neck, as if he was asking him for a comfortable handhold. Buckbeak chirped after he hit a particular spot around his neck, “Right there! Hang on little Hunter!”

With that, the twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Harry; he held on firmly to the creature’s neck, hard enough to keep himself steady and not hurt the majestic creature. In no time, he was soaring upward. Buckbeak flew him once around the paddock and then headed back to the ground.

Now that Harry had shown that the hippogriffs were harmless, the class relaxed. They all climbed into the paddock and chose a creature to practice on. Ron and Hermione practiced on a chestnut-coloured hippogriff, while Harry hung back. Just then, he spotted Malfoy and his goons with Buckbeak. Not liking the look on his face, Harry inched towards them slowly.

Malfoy drawled loudly, “This is very easy. I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it. I bet you’re not dangerous at all, are you? Are you, you great ugly brute-”

Harry was already moving when Malfoy uttered the word ‘ugly’. He body-checked the arrogant Slytherin boy out of the way, just in time too. A flash of steely talons raced over to when Malfoy used to be, only to be caught dead by Harry’s own hands.

There was an audible gasp from everyone watching the scene. Ignoring the explosion of pain in his hands, Harry glared sharply at the Hippogriff, “Hey! Back! Back, I say! Easy boy, easy. Yes I know he insulted you. Yes he’s an arrogant prick. No, it’s not worth attacking him, even if he deserved it. That’s it… Calm down… There you go, big boy. Who’s a good boy? You are!”

Malfoy adopted a fake look of terror, “Did you see that! The ugly brutish monster tried to kill me! The beast should be put down!”

Buckbeak struggled and his talons dug deeper into Harry’s hands, but the demigod didn’t let go. Instead, he continued grappling with the hippogriff, not allowing him to go after his target. Once again, he ignored his bleeding hands and called out, “Somebody shut him up before he gets us all killed! I can only hold Buckbeak back for so long.”

Ron brought out his curved wand, “With pleasure, Stupefy!”

The stunned Malfoy was dragged off and Harry was able to calm the Hippogriff down. Finally, he let go, and the Hippogriff gently nuzzled him, “I am sorry, Little Hunter. I hurt you. I have disgraced your mother.”

Harry raised his hands placatingly, “It’s okay, Buckbeak. It’s his fault for not paying attention. I only interfered because if he got hurt, you would have paid the price.”

In the meantime, Hagrid dismissed the class, grabbed Malfoy by his collar and grunted, “Someone get Harry to the Hospital Wing. As for you! 10 points from Slytherin for your stupidity and utter disregard for your classmates’ safety. You’re coming with me to the Headmaster. Can’t say he will be lenient, after the stunt you pulled.”

Harry walked back to his friends, when Hermione shrieked, “Harry! Your hands!”

Sure enough, his hands were caked in blood, but he shrugged, “I’ve had worse.”

She snapped, “Still! What were you thinking, wrestling with the Hippogriff like that!?”

Ron growled, “Trust Malfoy to mess things up for Hagrid. Bloke wasn’t paying attention. You should have let Buckbeak claw the shite out of him.”

Tracey Davis came bustling over, “Potter! Hands out! Aguamenti!”

A steady stream of water poured out from her wand, washing the blood away. Then she pointed her wand at his hands again, “Episkey!”

The deep gouges healed slightly, but the scars were still there. At least the bleeding had stopped. The Gryffindors looked at her in confusion and slight mistrust. She rolled her eyes, “I’ve started training under Madam Pomfrey to be a MediWitch. Come on Potter, I’ve done what I can, so let’s go to Madam Pomfrey.”

---

As the four Gryffindors and one Slytherin walked back, Tracey spoke up, “By the way Weasley, if Buckbeak had clawed Malfoy, he would have used his influence to get Buckbeak executed. Additionally, Hagrid would be in a lot of trouble.”

Hermione anxiously asked, “They wouldn’t fire him, would they?”

She shrugged, “If it was Malfoy, then yes. Especially since Malfoy would cook up his own version and exaggerate. This time, he can’t because he has no scars to corroborate his story. I highly doubt Potter would lie, and he would not give Malfoy any leg to stand on.”

Finally, they reached the Matron, who clucked disapprovingly, “Good Heavens, Mr. Potter! It has not even been a day and you are back here in the Hospital Wing. Even your father was not that injury-prone. Ms Davis, excellent job of providing First Aid to Mr. Potter. 10 points to Slytherin. Now please go to that cupboard. Inside, is a plastic box labelled ‘Emergency Supplies’. There is a brownie-like food inside it. Please feed a small spoonful to Mr. Potter. It is medicinal.”

Tracey wordlessly obeyed, and then watched in fascination as the scars on his hand healed up even further. Pomfrey then wrapped up both his hands in gauze bandages and told him to stay off them for a week.

A few days later, Malfoy was still fuming, and whenever they had Potions class, Snape was not very pleased with him. His punishment was that he had to help Harry prepare his potion. It was probably the last day that Harry would still be bandaged up, but he was heading to Madam Pomfrey for his check-up after Potions. That day, they were brewing a Shrinking Solution. The blonde idiot sullenly chopped up Harry’s daisy roots for him. He also had to skin Harry’s shrivelfig and slice his caterpillars.

Malfoy scowled to himself, “This was not how it was supposed to go! I should have been the one injured, so that the oaf could get fired.”

Harry whispered back, “Get used to disappointment. And for the record, I didn’t save your arse for your sake. I did it for Buckbeak.”

At the head of the class, Snape barked, “No talking in class! That’s 10 points from Gryffindor, Potter.”

“Sorry sir.”

He then turned to his next victim, who happened to be poor Neville. Eventually, the torture ended and they all filed out. Harry went straight to Pomfrey, and to his delight, his hands had healed completely. So, he promptly rushed off to join Ron, Neville and Hermione for their DADA lecture.

---

Lupin had already gone through the theory aspect, and that day was a practical demonstration. When they reached the class, he was already waiting for them. He led them out of the classroom, through a deserted corridor and around a corner. The sight that greeted them was of Peeves the Poltergeist, floating upside-down in mid-air and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves spotted them and burst into an off-key song, “Loony, loopy Lupin! Loony loopy Lupin!”

Remus Lupin ignored the taunting and simply said, “I’d take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves. Mr. Filch won’t be able to get in to his brooms.”

Peeves simply blew him a raspberry. In response, Lupin let out a small sigh and took out his wand. He pointed it at the poltergeist and chanted, “Waddiwasi!”

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves’ left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

After much laughter, he led them into a second corridor and finally into the staffroom. There was just Snape inside, who nodded stiffly and swept out. Lupin led the class to the back of the room, which housed an old wardrobe.

Professor Lupin stood next to it, and the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall. The students jumped, but he calmly said, “Nothing to worry about. There’s a boggart in there.”

However, that did little to assuage everyone. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively. Meanwhile, Harry slowly palmed his Celestial Bronze wand.

He explained, “Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks — I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock.”

Diego Caplan raised his hand, “Professor, does that mean that the ‘monster under the bed’ that we’re told about as kids, is a Boggart?”

Lupin smiled brightly, “Excellent observation! 10 points to Hufflepuff! You’re right, where do you think the expression originated from? From Boggarts.”

Then he clapped his hands once, “So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?”

Hermione put up her hand and recited, “It’s a shape-shifter. It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most.”

He nodded, “Rather verbatim, but I couldn’t have put it better myself. 10 points to Gryffindor. So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.”

He suddenly raised a finger, “But… We have one huge advantage over this particular Boggart. Anyone?”

Hermione shot her hand up again, bouncing on the balls of her feet. However, Harry was quicker in responding, and got called up, “I’m assuming that since there are so many of us, it cannot simply pick a form, because no two people have the same fear?”

Lupin smiled warmly, “Take another 10 points for Gryffindor. It’s always best to have company when you’re dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake — tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.”

He continued, “The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please . . . Riddikulus!”

The class parroted, “Riddikulus!”.

He clapped his hands again, “Okay, now all of you, come one-by-one and try your hand at battling the Boggart. Mr. Longbottom, why don’t you step up first?”

Neville nervously stepped up and the wardrobe violently shook again. Lupin looked like he was going to ask a question, but thought better of it. Remus Lupin signalled to the class, “Okay everyone, back away and give Neville some space.”

They all shifted back, with Lupin taking his place behind the group. He raised his wand towards the wardrobe, “On the count of three, Neville. One — two — three — now!”

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin’s wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

“R-R-Riddikulus!” squeaked Neville.”

“There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, “Parvati! Forward!”

Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a blood-stained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising —

“Riddikulus!” cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy’s feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

“Seamus!” roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus darted past Parvati.”

Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face — a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry’s head stand on end.

“Riddikulus!” shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then — crack! — became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before — crack! — becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

“It’s confused!” shouted Lupin. “We’re getting there! Dean!”

Dean hurried forward.

Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

“Riddikulus!” yelled Dean.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

“Excellent! Ron, you next!”

Ron leapt forward.

Crack!”

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron. Ron froze for a second before he bellowed, “Riddikulus!”. Suddenly, multiple spears rained down and turned it into a screeching pin cushion.

It rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Harry’s feet. Then, it rolled several feet away before turning into a craggy island, and Harry had a sinking feeling. A large familiar multi-snake-headed monster emerged on top of the rocks.

This time, everyone screamed at the sight of grotesque sea monster with six long necks equipped with grisly heads. Each head contained three rows of sharp teeth and four eyes. Her body consisted of twelve tentacle-like legs and a tail and with four to six dog-heads ringing her waist. Some students even fainted.

Harry paled and was frozen in fear, and then all six heads darted towards him, jaws agape. Snapping himself out of it, he roared, “Riddikulus!”

In an instant, the frightening sea monster was replaced by a cartoon-looking blue octopus. The snake-heads turned into tentacles, which wrapped him in a brief hug. When it let go, Lupin took over and the Boggart turned into a silvery-white orb. Finally, Neville stepped up and the Snape dressed in drag image, came back. This time, Harry was not paying attention, but had collapsed on the ground and was breathing heavily.

So he didn’t realize that the Boggart had exploded into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke. Harry’s breathing got faster and faster, and then a blurry figure crossed his field of vision. The voice was faint, but familiar. A pair of hands cupped his face and the voice continued, sounding a little frantic. Finally, he fainted, right into the arms of the person in front of him.

Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Harry’s eyes suddenly snapped open and the memory of Scylla’s attack and almost dying, crashed down upon him. Once again, his breathing quickened and his vision began to fade out once again. Just then, a blurry figure materialised in front of him and a pair of hands firmly cupped his face.

The figure began speaking, but he could barely hear them over the sound of his own breathing. Eventually, his vision cleared and he found himself face-to-face with the bright blue eyes of Penny Haywood. Finally, he heard her voice, “- there we go, Harry. It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s okay. Calm down. I’m right here. Nothing’s going to happen to you. That’s it. Just breathe slowly. In… and out… In… and out…”

After she let go of his face, he croaked, “H-how long was I out? Sorry about that.”

The blonde-haired girl smiled at him, “It’s only been five minutes.”

In the background, he heard Ron exclaim, “Harry!, you okay, mate?”

This was followed by the sound of multiple feet rushing, but Penny suddenly raised a hand from her knelt position on the floor, and stopped them. She snapped, “Back up! Don’t crowd him! He needs some space! Hermione, can you help me?”

As Hermione held the others back, Penny turned back to Harry and spoke softly, “Can you get up? You just had a really bad panic attack from that Boggart. It’s okay, I could recognise the attack because grandad fought in World War 1. When he came back, he was in a really bad shape with severe PTSD. I remember one particularly bad episode, it was late at night, and I heard him suddenly yelling about ‘getting those pesky Jerrys’, then there was a loud shotgun blast. Blew the bedroom door right off its hinges and with a massive hole in it. Took mum and dad two hours to calm him down.”

She stood up and offered him a hand, as he was sitting on the floor. He grasped her hand and hauled himself up. He staggered a little, but Ron and Neville quickly grabbed him and steadied him. Lupin came over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Are you okay, Harry?”

He got his breathing under control, “Sorry, don’t know what came over me. Didn’t mean to scare everyone.”

Remus soothed, “That’s okay. It can happen to anyone. Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head, “Not now. Maybe later.”

Remus straightened, “Well then. Class dismissed. Five points to everyone who tackled the Boggart. As for homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me. Do try and turn it in by Monday, that will be all.”

---

When they finally made it back to the Common Room, Katie was there to meet them. Looking at Harry’s slightly shell-shocked face, she guided him to the couch and wrapped her arms around him. The other Gryffindors were dead silent for a few minutes, when Seamus suddenly demanded, “Okay, what the f**k was that thing!?”

Harry lied, “I guess it kind of started last summer. Was on vacation in Australia and while surfing, I got attacked by a Great White shark.”

Kevin Farrell chipped in, “That didn’t look like a shark to me.”

Harry laughed sheepishly, “Yeah… Uh… About a month before starting school, Uncle Sirius kind of forced me to watch a monster movie marathon on the telly. One of those monsters was pretty darn terrifying.”

That satisfied everyone, and many of them moved off. After a few minutes, Katie cast a privacy spell around them, as well as Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the twins and Neville. She gently asked, “There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”

He nodded, “You remember when Annabeth came to pick us up and she looked panicky? Turns out, Luke snuck into camp and poisoned Thalia’s tree. It severely damaged the wards, so we went on a quest to find the Golden Fleece. Without those wards, camp would be overrun by monsters. The Fleece was located in the Sea of Monsters, which is the modern day Bermuda Triangle. The official entrance was between two islands guarded by a monster on each island.”

He grabbed a parchment and began drawing, “This, is Charybdis. She was once a beautiful giantess, who was cursed to look like a monster.”

Ron commented, “Bloody hell, she looks pretty ugly.”

Harry snorted and continued drawing, “And this… is Scylla. She was a nymph, who earned the jealousy of Circe. As a result, she was cursed into becoming this monster. Any time a ship would pass her island, each of her heads would grab a sailor to devour. Apparently, one of Scylla’s heads went for my friend Jackson. I tackled him out of the way, only to get snatched up instead.”

His audience’s eyes widened in horror, and he uttered a hollow laugh. Harry continued, “Would have probably died if I hadn’t stabbed the head that was snatching me up.”

Hermione sat down on the couch, taking his other side, and hugging him. She murmured, “I’m glad you’re okay. It’s okay, I completely understand that almost dying at the hands of a monster can be very traumatising.”

Ginny was a little confused, “Surely it couldn’t be that bad.”

Ron replied, “You weren’t there, Gin. When that Boggart transformed, it was bloody terrifying. I think everyone screamed. Lavender and Parvati even fainted at the sight of the monster.”

---

Over the next few days, DADA quickly became everyone’s favourite class. The only exception was Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Snyde and Murk. Malfoy in particular, often tried to highlight Lupin’s often shabby state of clothing. However, nobody really cared at all, since Lupin always kept his classes entertaining.

After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, who were nasty little goblin-like creatures. They lurked wherever there had been bloodshed, be it castle dungeons or potholes of deserted battlefields. Their sole purpose was to bludgeon anyone who ever had the misfortune of crossing their path.

The next creature in their curriculum, were Kappas. These were creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys. They also possessed webbed hands which were itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

As for the other classes, they carried on as usual. In Divination, he often had discussions with Trelawney about the Oracle of Ancient Greece. When October swung by, Quidditch season was just around the corner. Once again, Oliver Wood was back into one of his moods. He ran everyone through the wringer, until Angelina looked ready to strangle him with her bare hands.

With the threat of Greyback, the Gryffindor Quidditch team trained under the watchful eyes of Madam Hooch. After their final session, Oliver Wood strolled into the locker room common area. He grinned at Harry, “Hey Potter, glad you intervened when Malfoy pulled his stunt. Of course, I would have preferred that you were uninjured in the altercation. How are the hands?”

Harry wiggled his fingers, “Good as new, Cap!”

Wood grinned again, “Malfoy tried to convince Flint that he was injured in Care of Magical Creatures, but no one bought it. Our match with Slytherin is still on.”

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit.

Once again, the perennial rivals met on the pitch and the captains tried to crush each other’s hands. Over the howling winds, Harry barely heard Madam Hooch call out, “Mount your brooms!”

Harry dug his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant — they were off.

Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. He held it as steady as he could and hunted for the Snitch. As usual, his Hunter senses picked up the Snitch and was following its movements. However, the rain was making his job a little more difficult.

Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin, but kept moving in order to stay warm. Along the way, he saw red and green shapes whistling around him. A sulking Malfoy decided to tail him, his head turning left and right, in search of the Snitch.

The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger, but he managed to sense them and swerve out of the way. As the game progressed, the sky grew darker, as though night had decided to come early. When a flash of lightning showed Oliver Wood signalling to him, he flew over immediately.

“I called for time-out!” Wood roared at his team. “Come on, under here —”

They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella. Harry asked, “What’s the score?”

“We’re fifty points up,” said Wood, “but unless we get the Snitch soon, we’ll be playing into the night. Harry, forget about waiting until we get 90 on the board. Let’s end this as quick as possible.”

After another quick strategy meeting, they were back in the air. This time, Harry was flying with a vengeance. He bore down on the Snitch, which immediately flitted away. Harry stretched out his right arm, and was inches away, when something smashed into his left shoulder and his shoulder exploded in pain.

He let out a pained grunt as he clutched his shoulder. Suddenly, he felt something warm and sticky on his fingers and inspected his gloved hand to see blood coating them. Then, he felt another massive hit, this time from Captain Flint, the impact sending Harry’s broom spinning out of control. He tried to wrestle it back under control, but ended up crashing on the ground.

 Madam Hooch’s whistle blew furiously, and she was at his side in an instant. Madam Pomfrey was also hurrying over with some medical supplies, as every Gryffindor in the stands booed and jeered loudly.

Pomfrey tsked, “Okay Mr. Potter, let’s get you looked at.”

She loaded him onto a stretcher and waved her wand around his head. She mused, “Hmm… No concussion, but that shoulder looks pretty nasty.”

Oliver flew down immediately, “You okay Harry?”

Harry grit his teeth in pain, “Gah! I’m such an idiot! I completely forgot about this old injury of mine. Stupid Bludger’s gone and made it worse now. Sorry captain, looks like I’m out for the count.”

He nodded, “No hard feelings, Potter. I may be a Quidditch-obsessed nut, but I do care about my teammates.”

Harry snorted, “Tell that to Angelina after our last practice. Also, tell Thistlethwaite that the Snitch is near the Slytherin goalposts. Malfoy doesn’t seem to have spotted it yet.”

Oliver mock-scowled, “Cheeky bugger… If you weren’t injured, I’d smack you upside the head. Oi! Thistlethwaite! You’re on!”

Within minutes, he found himself back in the hospital wing, with Madam Pomfrey clucking disapprovingly, pulling off his jersey and cleaning his wound. The matron called out behind her, “Miss Lobosca, I need yours and Miss Abbott’s assistance.”

Chiara and Hannah came over, as they were volunteering in place of Tracey, who was at the game. Pomfrey pointed at Harry, “There seems to be something lodged in Mr. Potter’s left shoulder. I need both of you to hold him steady while I extract the object, or objects.”

The two girls fought down blushes as they grabbed the shirtless boy’s arms. Then, Madam Pomfrey took a pair of forceps and began carefully extracting something and depositing them in a kidney tray.

Hannah nearly shrieked, “Are-Are those, teeth?!”

He bit back a curse as the next tooth was pulled out, “Survived a shark attack during the summer hols. Bloody thing bit me in the left shoulder.”

By the time the nurse was done, there were five teeth on the kidney tray. Pomfrey then cleaned the teeth and handed them to Harry, “Here you go, Mr. Potter. A souvenir, if you will.”

A few minutes later, the team burst in, cheering away and carrying Robyn on their shoulders. Ron, Hermione and Neville entered right behind them. The group made their way over to the bed-ridden Harry, just as Hannah was wrapping his shoulder in a bandage.

Alicia took one look at Harry’s shirtless body and whistled, “Dang! And Katie gets a piece of prime beef like that? Lucky bitch!”

Harry turned scarlet, the boys roared in laughter, and Katie smacked her teammate, also blushing. Hermione asked, “Are you okay, Harry?”

He grimaced, “Bludger hit wasn’t too bad. Any other day, I could have walked it off. Turns out, I completely forgot that I had an old injury which kind of got aggravated with the hit. Remember the ‘shark attack’? Apparently, a few teeth got lodged into my shoulder, and the Bludger let the teeth dig in even further.”

Those in the know, winced in sympathy. Oliver interrupted, “Anyway, we won! Potter! Your intel was spot on, and Robyn snatched the Snitch before Malfoy even realised what was happening. Wanker was too busy laughing when you went splat!”

Then Neville nervously inched forward, “Err… Harry. I-er, I don’t know how to tell you this. When you crashed, your broom snapped in two pieces.”

Harry sighed, “Oh well. It served me well, in the last two years. I’ll ask Uncle Sirius to help me buy another broom.”

He was released later that day, and he joined the celebrations. One day in the dorms, he approached Angelina. He said, “Hey ‘Lina, I need a small favour. You know those shark teeth that Madam Pomfrey extracted, I was hoping to make them into a necklace.”

The dark-skinned girl held out her hand, “Sure thing!”

With a few underpowered Piercing Hexes, she drilled a hole in each tooth. Harry thanked her and took the teeth back. Then, he sat down at a table, unhooked his Camp necklace and carefully threaded each tooth in the necklace.

---

After the first match, the first game of Capture the Flag was going to be scheduled in two weeks. This one was also going to be a Slytherin versus Gryffindor affair. One night, Percy Weasley gathered everyone. He revealed a red flag with the Gryffindor symbol on it, and paced around the Common Room, “Okay everyone. We have a week to prepare for this game. Honestly, I have never heard of this game until Dumbledore announced it. Has anyone played it before?”

Harry, Mackenzie and Katie immediately raised their hands. Every head turned to him, and Percy spoke, “Okay, Potter. Looks like you’re taking point in this. Lay it on us.”

Harry took the flag from him and explained, “Okay, so in a nutshell. This flag will stay in our Common Room and we have to defend it. At the same time, we have to go to our opponents’ Common Room and retrieve their flag. The game ends when either their flag is in our Common Room or our flag is in theirs. In essence, it’s a race.”

Angelina nodded, “Okay, so what do you suggest?”

He stroked his chin in thought, “I think it’s best if half of us go to retrieve their flag, and the other half stay back and defend ours. I’m thinking that First-Year to Third-Year, will defend the Flag. Fourth-Year and above, will be the attack squad. My suggestion is that you all take different paths. Also, you lot have a bigger spell repertoire. Additionally, Fred, George? I need you two to stock up on pranking supplies. We’re going to create traps on the way here. In case Slytherin try to overwhelm us with numbers, the traps can thin the herd.”

The twins looked like Christmas had come early. Percy looked quite alarmed though, “P-Harry… Are you sure it is wise to unleash the twins?”

Ron quipped, “Better them than us. Besides, they’re not exactly breaking the rules. Professor Dumbledore didn’t mention anything about pranks being prohibited. It’s fair game.”

Percy threw up his hands in an ‘I give up’ gesture. He groaned, “Alright fine. You two are given free rein only for Capture the Flag.”

The twins saluted, “Yes sir! We won’t disappoint you, sir. You won’t regret a thing!”

Percy nodded, “Harry… Tomorrow is the first Hogsmeade weekend. Go with them and see what you can dig up.”

Fred rubbed his hands in glee, “Excellent! I’m almost out of Stink Pellets. Come Harrikins, strategy meeting!”

The twins led him up into the Third Year dorms. Making sure that they were alone, George closed the door, while Fred took out a large square piece of parchment that had clearly seen better days.

“This, Harry, is the secret of our success,” said George, patting the parchment fondly.

“It’s a wrench, giving it to you,” said Fred, “but we decided last night, your need’s greater than ours.”

“Anyway, we know it by heart,” said George. “We bequeath it to you. We don’t really need it anymore.”

Harry recognised it and snorted, “So that’s where it was!”

The twins were puzzled, “You know about the Marauder’s Map?”

Harry grinned, knowing that he had some arsenal over them, “Of course! I know who they are. You two, know about them, as well.”

George challenged, “You’re having us on! There’s no way!”

Harry grinned, “Want to bet?”

He pulled out his wand, touched the parchment and spoke clearly, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider’s web from the point that his wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

“Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present

THE MARAUDER’S MAP”

Fred grabbed him and shook him, “Tell us your secrets! O wise one! We must know!”

Harry smirked, “Get used to disappointment.”

They got on their knees and begged, “Please!”

He mock thought about it and emitted a dramatic sigh, “Okay fine. Padfoot is none other than Sirius Black! Moony is none other than Remus Lupin…”

“You’re joking! There’s no way! Professor freaking Lupin, was a Marauder!”

Harry grinned, “It gets better! Wormtail… is Pettigrew. We do not speak his name ever again. Which reminds me…”

He tapped the parchment with his Celestial Bronze wand again. Then fresh words showed up, “It is hereby acknowledged that Messr Wormtail has betrayed the Marauder’s Oath, and is no longer a Marauder.”

Finally, Harry said, “Last but not least, Prongs… is none other than my own father, James Potter!”

The boys gawked at him and then began worshipping him, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”

Harry briefly basked in their fawning, and then cleared his throat, “Erm… Weren’t we here for a strategy meeting?”

That got the twins to stop and they got serious again. They pored over the Map and charted the best course of action to Hogsmeade. As they wound up the meeting, Harry insisted that they not use the map during the game, as that would be cheating. Fortunately, the twins had no quarrel with that, and they let him keep the map, as it was rightfully his.

---

A day later, the Third-Years all handed in their permission slips, and then Harry split from his friends to join the twins. They stocked up on Dung bombs, Hiccup Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap, Nose-Biting Teacups, Stink Pellets, and many more goodies.

Then, they heads to The Three Broomsticks to meet with Hermione and Dean. As they sat around drinking Butterbeer, Harry said, “Hermione, Dean… You two are important to Phase 2 of this plan. Phase 1 is stocking up on our items. Time to commence Operation Home Alone.”

Dean had a massive grin on his face, “Bloody brilliant! The Snakes won’t know what hit them! I’ll write home and ask my folks to send some toys over.”

Then, Hermione raised a hand, “Question… We’re not going to hurt or injure them, are we? I mean, I detest Malfoy as much as the next person, but I don’t want to injure him too badly. Kevin McAllister’s traps have the potential to be pretty deadly.”

Harry nodded sagely, “Good point, let’s try and trim down the pranks to a more humiliating level.”

George nodded, “Gotcha. Pranks are usually fun when no one’s getting hurt. We may be pranksters, but we’re not cruel to hurt anyone. Unless they go after one of our own. That’s when the Sickles go down. No mercy.”

They talked for a little while longer, when Harry noticed movement in the corner of his eye. He spotted McGonagall walking inside the pub and then look around. Her eyes zeroed in on their group and she briskly walked towards them.

As she came within earshot, the deputy Headmistress reached into her robe and withdrew a letter. She handed the letter to Hermione and said, “Miss Granger, there is some correspondence for you, it is rather urgent.”

The girl silently took the letter and read it, before exclaiming, “WHAT! THEY CAN’T DO THIS TO ME!”

She stood up quickly and rushed out, yelling, “Crookshanks! Crookshanks! Where are you?!”

The letter was lying on the table and Harry took it. McGonagall helpfully translated for him, “Dear Hermione, we recently received a letter from your Head of House and deputy Headmistress. According to her, the cat that we recently bought for you, has been… out of control.. Since you have evidently neglected to discipline Crookshanks or train it, your mother and I felt that it was prudent that he be sent back home.”

Hermione sweetie? Remember when I asked you whether you were sure you wanted a pet? I asked that you be responsible and take the time to train him. Since you have failed that, Crookshanks will be coming home and we will be hiring a cat trainer.”

Ron muttered, “Bloody hell! Imagine the scenes if we hadn’t discovered Pettigrew in our First Year! Had Crookshanks eaten Pettigrew/Scabbers, Sirius wouldn’t have been found innocent and would have still been rotting in Azkaban. I think I caught Crookshanks in our dorm a few times.”

McGonagall nodded gravely, “Indeed, Mr. Weasley. Sometimes I feel that that girl has a tendency to get tunnel vision when it comes to studying. What I mean is that she gets so caught up studying, she starts to neglect her own health and other things around her. I'm just glad that she did not try to be over-ambitious and take all the Electives. Some of the paintings in the Common Room have often reported seeing her studying in there until nearly 2 in the morning. Then when she finally goes to sleep, she wakes up again, by 5AM. This is honestly very unhealthy behaviour.”

Hermione soon came storming back, in tears, “He’s gone! His basket is also gone! I was doing just fine, taking care of Crookshanks! Mum and dad can’t do this to me!”

McGonagall chose that moment to interject. She cast a privacy barrier around their table and sharply said, “Miss Granger! For the past few weeks, I have received multiple complaints from various students in different Houses, that your car is responsible for the deaths of at least 8 pet rats. From there, I conducted my own investigation, and what I found, was very worrying. On multiple occasions, you have simply let your cat do its own thing. As such, it has regularly wandered all over the castle and eaten many pet rats and mice.

She protested, “B-but Professor! Crookshanks is a cat! Cats eat mice! All those other students should keep their rats and mice in cages if they have such an issue!”

McGonagall was having none of it, “Miss Granger, by that same argument, Mr. Potter has an owl and owls are known to eat mice and rats. However, Hedwig, other students’ owls and the school owls have enough common sense and basic training to not attack the pet mice and rats of other students. As for your other statement, why should the other students be forced to lock up their pets while your pet has free rein to the castle? That does not sound fair, does it? Even Mrs. Norris knows not to attack the other students’ pets. Your cat is clearly untrained and you are not taking responsibility for it."

He voice lowered to a more gentle tone, "Miss Granger, you are a bright student and I hate to chastise you like this, but you need to learn some responsibility. I think it is for the best that your cat be sent away for a while, until it is properly trained.”

The bushy-haired brunette glanced down in shame, “I’m sorry, Professor. I understand what you are saying. It’s just that I was so excited to finally own a pet. I’m 14, so I thought that I was old and mature enough to care for a pet on my own.”

McGonagall smiled, “My dear girl… Age does not mean maturity. Let me give an example. Professor Snape was once a student here, at Hogwarts.”

Harry raised a hand, “Professor, I think I know this story.”

She nodded at him, “Indeed, Mr. Potter. Anyway, now Professor Snape was classmates with Mr Potter’s parents, as well as Professor Lupin and Auror Black. Potter Sr, Lupin, Black and the inmate Peter Pettigrew… were pranksters. Mr. and Mr. Weasley, I sincerely hope that you do not take after them fully. The four of them fancied themselves as pranksters, but the reality was that they were bullies. Now, Professor Snape was often a target of their pranks, but he could give back as well as he could take it. Another link between Potter Sr. and Professor Snape was that they were both very fond of Lily. You have often heard us say that Harry Potter looks like his father. Now imagine someone with the face of your tormentor. I must confess, I am rather glad that Harry takes after his mother, more than his father. Otherwise, Professor Snape could have so easily harboured a grudge and taken it out on Harry. However, he grew out of it, as did Mr. Potter’s father.”

---

Soon, she left their table, leaving the group to finish their food and drinks, silently. Later on, they trudged back to their common room. Along the way Harry bumped into Tulip Karasu, who told him that she managed to intercept a letter for Lavender Brown.

When they were close to their tower, Harry secretly cast some detection spells. The Ravenclaw girl was one of the biggest pranksters in their year, and the Weasley twins took her under their wing. Fortunately, it came up blank, so when he entered the Common Room, he caught up with Lavender.

She smiled at him and took the letter. Then her face fell and she went white in shock. Now concerned, he stepped forward, “Everything alright, Lavender?”

Her lower lip trembled, “My r-rabbit, Binky. He was killed by a fox. He was just a baby!”

His heart sank, and he gently pat her back. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed as he comforted her. Parvati came over to ask what was wrong, and he mouthed, ‘Her baby rabbit died.’

That was enough for Parvati to join the hug. Then Lavender mumbled, “W-what’s today’s date?”

Harry checked his watch, “October 16^th.”

Her face grew pale, “She was right! That thing I was dreading, ‘it will happen on the sixteenth of October!’ Remember? Although… One thing confused me.”

Hermione was puzzled, “You were dreading Binky being killed by a fox.”

Lavender shook her head, “Trelawney mentioned that I would be dreading something on the 16^th of October.”

Hermione made as if to speak up again, but Ron elbowed her. He muttered, “Hermione, there is a time for logic and a time for emotion. This is not the time for logic.”

Then Harry remembered Lavender’s last sentence, “By the way, what confused you?”

She sniffled and spoke, “Mum and dad wrote that the day after Binky was killed, the fox was found in our backyard close to our rabbit hutch, with a silver arrow in its body.”

Harry smiled, “I guess a hunter got to the fox.”

Lavender took a deep shaky breath. “Yeah, I guess.”

Chapter 43: Chapter 43

I apologise for the delay in uploading this chapter. I rewrote it a few times because I wasn’t happy with some initial ideas. Then my dad had a heart attack last week and we rushed him to the hospital. Obviously, dad’s health fell higher on the priority scale than a fanfiction chapter. Fortunately he’s back home now and is recovering from surgery.

---

DEMENTOR DISAPPEARANCE!

Some really strange and unexpected events have unfolded. Every single dementor stationed at Hogwarts has mysteriously disappeared! According to Auror Sirius Black who witnessed the event, every single dementor inexplicably abandoned their post. Black revealed that the dementors congregated near the Forbidden Forest, before a black portal opened up and the dementors flooded in.

Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge was left furious when his personal dementor guard also disappeared. There are even reports that the few dementors guarding Azkaban, have also vanished without a trace. Now the big question is, with the mass exodus of dementors, is Hogwarts exposed? Will this make things easier for Fenrir Greyback to wreak havoc on the school? Is this the work of Dark Wizards? Could someone be following in the footsteps of You-Know-Who?

Headmaster Dumbledore has recent been made aware of the situation and has insisted that he has the matter under control. With the disappearance, the DMLE has pushed for an increase in their budget, especially since Aurors will be needed to guard Azkaban and Hogwarts. The last thing the Wizarding World needs is a prison break from Azkaban. Head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones insisted that the Auror budget be increased. According to some reports, some members tried to insist that the move was not at all necessary, as the Wizarding World was at peace. However, Madam Bones countered with the suggestion that the dementors’ absence could embolden the Azkaban prisoners to try to escape.

Harry put down his copy of the Daily Prophet and emitted a low whistle. He mused, “Man! Bianca really wasn’t messing around. But then again, do you really want to get on the bad side of the God of the Underworld.”

Ron slurped his porridge, “You’ve got to be absolutely barmy.”

A few minutes later, Hermione flopped down next to Ron and across from Harry. She sighed. “There we go! I went and apologised to all of the rat and mouse owners for Crookshanks’ antics. During the Christmas break, I’ll probably head home and spend some more time with him. Hopefully by next term, I could be trusted to bring him back.”

Just then, the twins slid in on either side of Harry, “Oi Harrykins! We’ve got another strategy meeting after breakfast. Prefect Natty wanted us to deliver the message. Big Head Boy Percy said that he was busy elsewhere, but will join in later.”

Harry nodded, “Great! How are preparations getting along?”

George replied, “The seniors are brushing up on their spells. We two have scouted hiding spots around the castle on the way to Gryffindor Tower. Obviously, we can’t have all Firsties, Second-Years and Third-Years holed up in the Common Room. You’ll be picked off like Cornish Pixies.”

Harry stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully, “Great idea. I think we should have five students in the Common Room guarding the flag.”

---

The days passed and soon it was time for the first game of Capture the Flag. As the Gryffindors and Slytherins gathered in the Great Hall, Dumbledore announced that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws will be with him and the other professors in the Great Hall. The portraits and ghosts would give the audience updates, and Peeves was forbidden from interfering. Additionally, the participating students were not allowed to ask the portraits and ghosts about the location of their opponents.

Once again, Dumbledore re-iterated the rules before sending them on their way. With some input from Dean and HEAVY supervision from Hermione, the Weasley twins set up several traps. Mackenzie, Ginny and three First-Year students were chosen to guard the flag, the rest of the First, Second and Third Years were scattered around the castle.

Harry found a small cubby hole near a set of stairs. This was probably the closest hiding place that he could find. He stuck to the shadows and began the waiting game. After Dumbledore sent out a loud cannon blast to start the game, Harry pressed his body close to the wall and slowly took out his wand.

Five minutes in, a paper plane came floating down and stopped in front of him. Harry picked it up and read, “Hey Potter, I have good news, bad news and more good news. The good news is that I’ve found the Slytherins. I’m okay, so I was able to send this without them noticing. The bad news is that I think nearly the entire house is coming and they’re all grouped together. The other good news is that their own flag is probably exposed and we can bring it back. However, you lot will have to defend like hell. Jenkins is tailing them and his last message suggests that the path they’re taking will see them hit every trap.

Cheers, Natsai 'Natty' Onai”

Harry grinned, knowing that the traps would thin the herd. Then he and the others could pick off the rest. It wasn’t long before Harry heard arguing voices from the stairs. He recognised one of the voices as that of Fifth-Year student, Sebastian Sallow, the other was the familiar ‘dulcet’ tones of Draco Malfoy.

Sallow was arguing, “Malfoy, I don’t like this one bit. There are less than 20 of us left in the game. I still think that some of us should go back and defend the flag.”

Malfoy snapped back, “Come on Sallow, they’re just brainless Gryffindors. We’re Slytherins, the most superior house in Hogwarts. Those idiots won’t even know where the flag is, even if it was staring them in the face.”

Then Harry heard Daphne Greengrass speak up, “Malfoy, you’re not giving them much credit. I’m 100% sure that those traps that nearly took out our entire house, is the twins’ idea. I’m still trying to get the flour out of my hair!”

Finally, Harry spotted the group, who emerged with their backs to him. He counted at least 17 people and all of them looked bedraggled. Malfoy was limping as he clutched his groin area. A whimpering Goyle was shaking a suspiciously red hand. Everyone also had bare feet, and Sallow’s hat was smouldering. Then an idea struck Harry and he took off his rings. Harry quickly penned a note that read, “No hard feelings?”

He tied the note to an arrow and shot it so that it thudded right next to Daphne. She jumped and turned in his direction, firing a few spells, but he had already blended into the shadows. Several other Slytherins also fired a few spells in his general direction, but they all missed. Finally, she turned back and saw the note. No sooner had she opened it, she curiously said, “No hard feelings?”

Right on cue, Harry fired a bunch of stunners with his wand, downing Daphne, Malfoy and eight others. The Slytherins began to sprint away and were soon picked off by the rest of the hidden Gryffindors. To his credit, Sebastian Sallow put up a decent fight, knocking out six Gryffindors before he was downed.

Two minutes later, pounding footsteps could be heard and Harry got back into a battle stance. The footsteps were faint at first, but became louder and soon whooping voices were heard. Harry recognised Angelina Johnson's voice and sure enough, she came sprinting down the stairs with half a dozen Gryffindors behind her. Harry sprinted alongside his Quidditch teammate as she ran with a forest green flag in her grasp.

They wormed their way past the stunned Slytherins and burst into the Common Room. Once Angelina was safely in, the green flag turned red and a cherub from a nearby portrait nodded at her and left the frame. A minute latest, Dumbledore’s voice echoed, “Well done! The winner of the inaugural game of Capture The Flag, is Gryffindor! Amazingly, team Gryffindor have managed to take out every member from team Slytherin. This puts Gryffindor at 750 points to Slytherin’s 400 points. However, with Miss Angelina Johnson successfully bringing the flag back to her house Common Room, Gryffindor wins another 150 points, making the score 900-400.”

Soon, the remaining Gryffindors including Harry, swarmed Angelina. Together, they hoisted her on their shoulders and began jumping around boisterously.

As they were celebrating, Harry felt someone brush close to him and tap his shoulder. He turned around and saw Mackenzie beckoning him to follow her. He followed her up to his dorm room when she reached up and took off one of her earrings. She explained, “I’ve been thinking. It’s better if you keep one of the earring daggers. You can possibly hide it under your pillow while you sleep. Otherwise you can wear it for the day.”

He raised an eyebrow, “You sure? I have other weapons, like my bow and arrows, and the sword as well.”

She argued back, “The dagger will be quicker. I know that you usually keep your wand in your trunk at night. You do the same for your rings. The daggers will be closer, trust me on this.”

He deflated, “Okay fine. I’ll take it. Could you…?”

She smiled and carefully pierced his right earlobe and inserted the earring. Mackenzie explained, “Okay it took me a day to figure this out, but the dangling mini-dagger can be detached from the main earring and later returned to normal size. Here, I'll show you.”

---

Very soon, Halloween arrived and after breakfast, a few classes and lunch, Harry went to Godric’s Hollow with Sirius and Remus. Mackenzie also joined them because she wanted to know about her Uncle James and Aunt Lily. After sometime, they returned to the castle in time for the Halloween feast.

The cousins had a good time at the feast, though Harry couldn’t help noticing that Malfoy and his group were huddled together. Before long, the feast was over and the Gryffindors made their way back to their dorms. Suddenly, multiple screams echoed through the castle, causing them to stiffen. Percy Weasley snapped into action, “Onai, Jenkins, stay with the group. I’ll go check out what’s going on.”

He bustled off hurriedly and hollered, “Let me through, please! Excuse me, I’m Head Boy! Where’s Professor Dumbledore?”

Mackenzie huddled closer to Harry and he wrapped a protective arm around her. Ginny squeaked, “What’s going on?”

Everyone else were looking around in confusion. Minutes later, a white-faced Percy was back, with Headmaster Dumbledore following him. The Headmaster announced, “Students, I’m afraid that I have bad news. Sometime during our Halloween revelries, Fenrir Greyback managed to briefly infiltrate the castle. It seems that he attempted to unsuccessfully enter the Hufflepuff Common Room. We are unsure if he is taking refuge in any other house’s Common Rooms. So I’m afraid that all students will be sleeping in the Great Hall tonight.”

The speechless Gryffindors were led back to the Great Hall. Over there, they met the freaked out Hufflepuffs, as well as confused Ravenclaws and Slytherins. Dumbledore explained the situation to everyone and with a wave of his wand, vanished all the tables. With another wave, the floor was covered with hundreds of sleeping bags lined up neatly.

Dumbledore spoke up, “Good night students. Sleep well. The prefects will stand guard over the entrances to the hall, and the Head Boy and Girl are in charge. Auror Black, the faculty and I, will be personally inspecting each and every room in the castle.”

After he and the other adults left, Harry made a bee-line for Susan, Justin, Penny, Diego, Chiara and Hannah. He quietly asked, “You all alright?”

Penny shakily nodded, “Y-yeah… Hannah was the first on the scene and she f-found large gashes on the barrels where the entrance to our Common Room is located.”

Justin murmured, “Thank goodness that none of us were in the Common Rooms.”

Hannah shuddered, “Yeah, we got lucky that none of us got turned into werewolves. I heard from my dad who’s in the Wizengamot, that there were talks of a bill being proposed that would severely restrict the rights of werewolves. If every one of us got bitten, an entire generation of students would be pariahs in the Wizarding World.”

Susan made a face, “Yeah trust me. I’m ashamed to say it, but Wizarding Britain is hugely discriminatory. My aunt knows the person who is proposing this bill. Her name is Dolores Umbridge, and she’s a real nasty piece of work. On the outside, she tries to put up this sweet honeyed façade, but she is hugely bigoted.”

By then, Ron, Hermione and Neville had joined them. Ron muttered darkly, “Yeah, I heard horror stories from dad about her. She thinks she can get away with stuff, because she’s the Senior Under-Secretary for the Minister for Magic.”

Hermione tilted her head curiously, “But she is a person of authority-”

Susan let out a snort, “Hermione… That is actually a very naïve thought. I remember when I was eight years old, Aunt Amelia came home in a frightful temper. Apparently, Umbridge wanted to pass a law that would result in Muggleborns and Half-Bloods being denied the right to learn magic. Auntie and several allies barely managed to get it struck down.”

Hermione’s outraged response was cut off by Percy shouting, “Lights are going out now! I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!”

They all settled down as the candles were blown out. The entire hall was dark, save for the faint glow emitting from the occasional ghost that floated about. The enchanted ceiling looked like a night sky, with millions of stars dotting it. Harry lay on his back and murmured, “Wow, this feels like I’m out camping. Now if only we had tents, campfires and s’mores.”

Next to him, Susan whispered, “What are s’mores?”

He whispered back, “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Good night Susan.”

She snuggled back into her sleeping bag, “Night Harry.”

Making sure that no one was looking, Harry carefully took off the dagger from his ear, enlarged it and snuck it under his pillow before falling asleep. He did wake up a few times, as he was a light sleeper, a trait that he and the Hunters shared. Especially since they often slept out in the wild where they could be attacked by a wild animal or a monster. Around three in the morning, Harry’s eyes snapped open and heard voices. A few seconds later, he recognised the voices belonging to Professor Dumbledore and Percy Weasley.

Percy whispered, “Any sign of him, Professor?”

“No. All well here?”

“Everything under control, sir.”

“Excellent. I believe that it would be prudent to alter the protection to the House Common Rooms. The Fat Lady caught wind of the situation and is now refusing to guard the Gryffindor Common Room for fear of her own life.”

Then, Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

He heard Snape speak, “Headmaster? The whole of the third floor has been searched. He’s not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either.”

“What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney’s room? The Owlery?”

“All searched . . .”

“Very well, Severus. I didn’t really expect Greyback to linger.”

“Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?” asked Snape.

Dumbledore replied, “Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next.”

The next day, everyone was carefully escorted back to their respective Common Rooms. Instead of the Fat Lady’s portrait, a different one greeted them. It was of a knight sitting astride a fat gray pony and the knight’s name was Sir Cadogan.

Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day. The other houses also had different guardians.

“He’s a complete lunatic,” said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. “Can’t we get anyone else?”

“None of the other pictures wanted the job,” said Percy wearily.

---

A day later, Dumbledore caught up with Harry, “Mr. Potter. I would just like to let you know that I have spoken to Miss Nightshade. She and your other sisters have taken residence in the Forbidden Forest. Miss Nightshade explained that your mother is still on Mount Olympus, carrying out her duties, so she is unavailable.”

Harry shrugged, “Oh well… I suppose Mother can’t escape her duties. Professor, can I go and see Zoe and my sisters?”

The older wizard paused and stroked his beard, “Normally, I would have agreed. However, given the recent events, it is better to be safe than sorry. Already we are taking great risks in allowing the students to Hogsmeade.”

Harry swallowed a brief bout of annoyance and nodded, “I understand, Professor. Hopefully we will be able to catch Greyback.”

No sooner had he and the headmaster parted ways, a frantic-looking Ginny came rushing over to him. She babbled, “Harry! Too far! Danger! Forest! Mackenzie after them!”

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her, “Whoa! Ginny! Calm down! What’s the matter?”

She took a deep breath, “It’s Beatrice. Lately, she’s been hanging out with the likes of Merula Snyde and Ismelda Murk. She’s even changed her look to a weird style.“

Harry snorted, “I guess Beatrice is entering her emo goth phase.”

Ginny continued, “Yeah well, As far as I’m aware, Murk keeps blowing her off. She’s setting a whole bunch of different tasks for Beatrice to complete on her own and each are tougher and more daring than the last. But now Murk’s gone too far! She dared Beatrice to take a bunch of Firsties to explore the entirety of the Forbidden Forest! Said that it was some kind of initiation ceremony. Mackenzie and I were nearby and overheard them. Now Mackenzie’s gone to tail them so that they’re not in over their heads! She also asked me to get you.”

Alarm bells rang in Harry’s head. He took off his dagger earring, enlarged it and pressed it into her hand, “Okay, take this and meet me by the edge of the Forest. Make sure that no one sees you with the dagger. I’ll fetch some reinforcements.”

With a nod, she tucked it in her robes and scurried off. Meanwhile, he went to fetch Ron, Hermione, Neville and Katie. The other four were pretty panicked when they heard the news, but steeled their nerves. In five minutes, they met up with Ginny on the edge of the forest.

Taking a deep breath, they entered the forest with their respective weapons drawn. Ron had his spear, Harry and Katie had their bow and arrows, Hermione had a pair of knives, Neville was wielding a short sword and Ginny had Harry’s borrowed dagger. As they walked, Harry asked, “Ginny? How many students are we talking about?”

She thought about it, “U-ummm I think there were six of them, not including Beatrice and Mackenzie.”

Just then, Harry paused and crouched along with Katie. The two of them examined the ground before nodding at each other. Harry looked to the left, “I can see multiple footprints heading towards the left. That’s a good thing because it takes them far away from Acromantula territory. Come on!”

Two minutes later, they all froze as multiple screams echoed in the direction that they were heading. That was soon followed by the sound of multiple spells firing. The group broke into a run and soon came upon a worrying scene.

Around six students, spread across all four houses were cowering in front of a tree. Beatrice Haywood had just been knocked down with a few bleeding bruises on her face and arms. However, Mackenzie was still on her feet and she planted herself in front of the terrified kids. Her wand was in one hand and her dagger was in the other hand.

As for their opponents, there were around four girls who looked to be in their late teens. They had pale skin, flaming hair, glowing red eyes and a Celestial Bronze leg and a donkey leg each. Off to the side, there were two suspicious piles of dust.

They joined the fray as the creatures shrieked in rage. Ron yelled, “What the bloody hell are they? Some kind of weird vampires?”

Harry hollered back, “Something like that! Explain later! Kill them now.”

One creature, who Harry recognised as an empousa, stepped forward, “Come on boys… Surely you don’t want to kill us? We’ll make it worth your while. All we need, is just one little kiss.”

As they shape-shifted into beautiful teenage girls, Ron and Neville’s grips wavered. Then, they spun around to point their weapons at him, Hermione, Ginny and Mackenzie. Harry groaned to himself, “Should have seen this coming. Gamiménos Charmspeak.”

Ron charged at them with his spear, but Hermione thought fast. She yelled, "Protego" and Ron's spear bounced off a magical barrier. Not allowing them time to recover, she stunned the two boys. Meanwhile, Harry shook off the desire to obey the empousai, let loose an arrow and killed one of them. He snarled, “Your tricks won’t work on us! Clear off!”

The remaining empousai charged, and after a fierce battle, all of them were nothing but piles of dust. Harry turned to Mackenzie and the group, and she grinned at him, “Thanks for showing up, Harry!”

By then, Beatrice had been revived and she also looked frightened out of her mind. Harry beckoned to Beatrice and the kids to come over. Beatrice limped over and he spotted a nasty gash. They all huddled together, with Harry and the rescue party surrounding them with their weapons drawn.

The journey back was a bit uneventful, until they accidentally stumbled upon a Myrmeke nest. While carrying Beatrice piggyback-style, Harry signalled for them to be very quiet and they all tiptoed away very carefully. Finally, they reached the end of the Forbidden Forest and were back on school grounds.

Once they reached safely, all weapons were taken care of. Harry passed Beatrice to Ron before whirling around and glaring at the kids. They all shrank in fear under the fierce gaze of his green and silver eyes. He ran a hand over his face, “What… were… you thinking?! The headmaster said that the Forbidden Forest was off limits for a good reason! Look, I get that when someone forbids you from doing something, that makes it all the more alluring. However, you all could have been killed. If we hadn’t followed you.”

Then he focused on Beatrice, “And you… Look, I’m not going to question who you run with in your friend circle. That’s your business. I know that you hate it when Penny mother-hens you, so you rebelled. However, that does not give you the right to go trotting off on some half-baked sense of adventure. And dragging these kids with you? What if you got killed, or even worse, got them all killed?”

She protested, “But Ismelda said that this was a test to finally be able to hang out with her and her friends.”

Hermione deadpanned, “Do you really expect us to believe that? You all heard the warning about Fenrir Greyback. What if he got you and kidnapped or killed you?”

Everyone paled at the thought and were silent. Then, one timid Hufflepuff stammered, “W-w-what was that thing? A vampire? I thought they were supposed to be pale and didn’t l-like sunlight!”

Harry promptly lied, “I guess there are different kinds of vampires. Okay listen, not a word about what happened in the Forbidden Forest. With Greyback lurking around, you probably start a panic. Got it?”

Everyone nodded vigorously and kept quiet. Just then, Percy Weasley spotted all of them, “Oi! What are all of you doing near Hagrid’s hut? As far as I’m aware, he doesn’t have a class.”

Harry exchanged looks with Katie and his friends before coming to an agreement. He glanced at the bashful First-Years and Beatrice, “Sorry folks, you’re going to have to face the music.”

He turned to Percy, “We caught these Firsties trying to explore the Forbidden Forest. Luckily, Ginny and Mackenzie were able to fetch us and rescue them before any nasty surprises.”

Percy nodded stiffly, “I’ll take care of them from here. You all are off the hook because you went to rescue the students. However, I do not want this kind of stunt to happen again. Alright you lot, that will be 20 points from each of you. Ginny, get Haywood to Madam Pomfrey. The rest of you, back in the Common Room.”

---

Some days later on Saturday, Sirius dropped by, “Hey kiddo. Sorry about the Nimbus. Was a good broom and it guided you to two back-to-back titles. Obviously, James would have wanted you to keep the streak alive, and I know just the broom.”

He took Harry by the hand and half-dragged him to Diagon Alley. To be more specific, to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry made a beeline for the Nimbus 2000, but Sirius grabbed the back of his collar. He grinned, “Uh uh uh! The Nimbus is nice, but I think it’s time for an upgrade.”

He dragged him over to a specific exhibit and Harry’s eyes widened. He gasped, “Noooo! You’re kidding! You’re kidding, right? Uncle Sirius, can we really afford it?”

Sirius grinned, “Oh yes! I’m deadly Sirius!”

Harry groaned at the pun, “That’s not funny Padfoot.”

Sirius cleared his throat, “Erm well… jokes aside, you deserve the Firebolt. Only the best for you. And we can afford it, because the Black family are rather well off. Even your dad was pretty well off. The Potters and the Blacks may not be the richest, but we had enough to live comfortable lives. So why shouldn’t I splurge some galleons on my godson.”

Harry let out a fond sigh and said, “Okay, you win. I kind of wanted to prove that I didn’t need the fastest broom just to win.”

Sirius pat his back, “I get it. Really, I do. Your father was just as stubborn about his broom. He had a Cleansweep Six, which was rather worn out, but James insisted that it was still good enough. Took three years and the broomstick hitting one of the stands, to convince him to upgrade to a Comet 220.”

A few minutes later, Harry was the proud owner of a Firebolt. Of course, he wrapped it up and brought it back to the castle. After he deposited the broom, he grinned to himself, knowing that Malfoy and other seekers would not know what hit them. Just before he and Sirius parted ways, the older wizard called back, “Oh, by the way, Moony wants you to stop by his office. Said that it was important.”

Harry made his way to the DADA office and knocked on the door. Hearing Remus’ call to enter, he opened the door and slipped inside. Once inside the room, he winced a little as  Lupin looked a lot more haggard than usual. Harry asked, “Rough night, Uncle Moony?”

He smiled wanly, “Quite… Sirius tried his best to keep me company, but it wasn’t enough. Now, the reason why you’re here is because I wanted to teach you a rather useful spell. Initially, I planned to teach this to you to protect yourself from the Dementors. Knowing the life you lead, and if your Boggart was any indication, you would have been a feast for them. Of course, their mass exodus has made that point redundant. However, there is another useful trick that this charm boasts of.”

He raised his wand and chanted, “Expecto Patronum!”

A silvery white shape, burst forth from his wand and stood at attention. He spoke, “Tell Sirius Black not to be alarmed, this is just a demonstration for Harry.”

The blob, that looked suspiciously like a wolf, bounded away and Remus turned back to Harry. He lectured, “As you can see, we can use it to send messages to one another. It’s quicker than using an owl, though one drawback is the range. Now, this will not be easy, as many have struggled to cast a Patronus. This spell is well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level, or O.W.L. The trick is to focus on your happiest memory. Because it is a kind of positive force. A projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can’t hurt it. ”

Harry asked, “Does a Patronus always look like that?”

He shook his head fondly, “No, each one is unique to the wizard or witch who conjures it.”

Harry cast his mind about for a happy memory. There were a fair number to choose from. Finally, he settled on the time when he killed the mighty Python and the proud look on his mother’s face.”

He concentrated on that memory and chanted, “Expecto Patronum!”

Suddenly, a large silvery form erupted from his wand before it dissipated. Harry was ecstatic, “Did you see that, Uncle Moony?!”

He smiled warmly, “Very good effort! Now, keep practicing and try to get it to create a solid form. We’ll keep this up for the next hour and then you can go back to your dorm.”

---

A week passed, which included Hufflepuff barely getting beaten by Slytherin in Quidditch. However, Hufflepuff managed to bounce back against Ravenclaw in Capture the Flag, which was a close affair as well. Christmas also flew by without too much hassle. It seemed that Fenrir Greyback was keeping unusually quiet for the moment.

Soon, the time for Gryffindor’s match against Ravenclaw was approaching. Alicia had a spare broom, which he borrowed for practice. Though he did assure Oliver that his own broom situation was under control.

The day of the match soon dawned and Harry woke up with excitement bubbling in his stomach. He took his Firebolt, still wrapped up and trooped down the stairs of the Boy’s dorms with it. Katie spotted him and teased, “Well? Are you so secretive that you’re going to fly it while it’s still wrapped up?”

He blew her a raspberry, “Nah, I wanted to keep it a secret as long as possible. I’ll unwrap it in the locker rooms. Can’t have the identity leaking out until the last minute.”

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn’t have been more different from their match against Slytherin. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Harry took off his black school robes, checked that his wand was still in its holster and his weapons were secure.

He laid out the broom and every one of his teammate gathered around him. Oliver Wood put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot expectantly, “Well Potter? Out with it! I’m dying to see who your Nimbus 2000’s successor is.”

Harry grinned at them and tore off the paper with a flourish. Everyone’s eyes bugged out and Oliver whispered, “A Firebolt… a bloody Firebolt! How the hell did you manage to get your hands on one?”

Harry grinned, “Sirius took me to Quality Quidditch Supplies the other day. Honestly, I was perfectly happy with another Nimbus 2000, but he wasn’t having it. In his words, ‘Only the best for my godson’.”

Fred and George tried to shoot him twin puppy-dog eyes, “Harrykins? My sweet Harrykins! After we beat the snot out of the Ravens, can we please, pretty please, have a go on the Firebolt?”

Harry had been treated to better puppy dog eyes from the younger Aphrodite kids, so he didn’t break. He pretended to think about it, “Umm…. Sorry chaps, Ron’s my best mate, he gets first dibs. But I’ll put you two on the list. I’m only disappointed that we didn’t face Slytherin today. Would have loved to see Malfoy eat my dust.”

Katie patted his back in mock sympathy, “There’s always next year. Now come on, I want to count the number of dropped jaws.”

As they walked to the entrance, Harry deliberately stuck to the back of the group. Over their heads, they could hear Lee Jordan and Murphy McNully chattering animatedly in the commentary booth. They heard Jordan say, “Okay folks! A little Snidget told me that Potter has a broom at last, but he’s rather tight-lipped on the identity. Any bets on which broom he’s bought? Granger and Ron Weasley probably know him best, so what do they say? Right! Granger’s logic suggests that Potter’s bought another Nimbus 2000, because that’s what he’s used to. OOO! Looks like Malfoy wants a piece of that action, and he has bet 10 galleons that Potter’s bought a Nimbus 2001, the clearly superior broom. Hey! His words, not mine! Justin from Hufflepuff thinks he’s going for a Comet 260. Oh boy! Ron Weasley’s got a daring one! He’s bet 20 galleons that Potter’s probably gone for the Firebolt.”

Harry shared a look with the twins, “Well… Looks like Ron’s about to be a very rich boy.”

Finally, Jordan announced the Ravenclaw team and they all flew out one by one. Then he announced, “And now… We have the Gryffindor team! First up, captain and Keeper, Oliver Wood! Then we have the famous Flying Foxes, Angelina Johnson! Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell! The Twin Terrors of the skies! Fred and George Weasley! There’s a Galleon coming your way, if you can successfully tell them apart! And now, we have the Seeker who has never failed to catch the Snitch! Harry Potter! Wait… Is that a freaking Firebolt!?”

 

Gamiménos - F**king

Chapter 44: Chapter 44

There was a brief stunned silence in the stands before Ron broke it. He crowed, “I freaking called it! Pay up!”

The Gryffindors burst into raucous cheers as they spotted the shiny new broom in Harry’s hands. Madam Hooch shot the Firebolt a brief admiring look, before clearing her throat, “Wood, Davies, shake hands.”

The two captains shook before mounting their brooms. Harry kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom. It shot off the ground so quick, that he was very nearly unseated. Right off the bat, he recognised the problem, his plan to keep the broom a secret came at the cost of valuable practice time to get used to the speed.

He gripped the broom tighter and soared around the stadium, beginning his hunt for the Snitch. The good news was that Lee Jordan and Murphy McNully hadn’t noticed his early struggles. The two were far too busy chattering and fanboying over his new broom.

Lee jabbered, “They’re off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor.”

McNully replied, “ That’s right Lee! According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt’s going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year’s World Championship. If I’m not mistaken, about 45% of the teams will be purchasing one-”

McGonagall’s exasperated voice cut in, “Jordan, McNully, “would you mind telling us what’s going on in the match?”

“Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —”

“Jordan!”

“Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal . . .”

Harry half-listened to the commentary, and continued testing his broom. He gave it an acceleration test, speed test, manoeuvrability test and more. The demigod also noticed that Cho Chang was trying to tail him. He saw her pushing the limits of her own broom, while he was barely at top speed. Then a wicked idea formed in his mind and he allowed her to tail him.

Suddenly, he abruptly checked the broom’s stopping ability, brake-checking Cho at the same time. The Anglo-Asian girl nearly smacked into his back, but dodged at the last second.

Later on, she got her revenge by cutting across him and forcing him to change direction. The Gryffindor Chasers were already on the scoring board, but Harry had his own problems. Cho had evidently figured out that this was his literal first time on the Firebolt. So she resorted to making a nuisance of herself.

Just then, he spotted the Snitch lurking close to the ground, flitting near one of the stands.

He promptly plunged into a steep dive, Cho tore after him but was too far behind. Harry clutched his broom tightly as he poured on more speed, excitement flooding him. He was ten feet away and could just taste victory within his grasp.

Suddenly, a Bludger came pelting out of nowhere and heading straight for him. He grit his teeth, ‘Not this time!’.

With that, he executed a half barrel-roll, allowing the iron ball to fly harmlessly above him. Cho swerved to avoid it, and by the time the two righted themselves, the Snitch had vacated it’s spot.

The Gryffindors let out a great “Ooooooh” of disappointment. Lee continued babbling, “Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter’s really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang’s Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt’s precision-balance is really noticeable in these long —”

His fanboying was interrupted by McGonagall yelling, “JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY OR MCNULLY WILL BE THE COMMENTATOR FROM NOW ON!”

The Ravenclaw team used this time to mount a comeback, scoring three consecutive goals. Once more, Harry had his eyes on the Snitch, but decided to hang back. Cho went off to search for the Snitch on her own and Harry tailed her. She went in the complete opposite direction, not that Harry was going to tell her that. Occasionally, he turned his head back to keep an eye on the Snitch. Just then, he was forced to swerve as she brake-checked him and shot him a cheeky grin. In the background, he heard Wood roaring, “HARRY! THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN! KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!”

By then, the score was 120-50, and that was when he decided that the fun and games were over. As they hovered in the air, he glanced at Cho again, and noticed her eyes widen and her face paling. She slowly pointed a trembling hand and stammered, “W-w-what’s that!? I thought they all left.”

He smirked at her, “Nice try, Chang. I’ve seen that trick in the movies, far too many times.”

However, the crowd’s audible gasp proved to him that she was not lying. He turned and spotted some familiar dark figures on the ground staring at them. Instinctively, he grabbed his Celestial Bronze wand and bellowed, “Expecto Patronum!”.

To everyone’s utter shock, a large white wispy blob burst from his wand and he was a little disappointed that the shape was not recognisable. However, to Harry’s own horror, the Patronus did nothing. Then he spotted something about the Dementors, one had a hint of pale blonde hair peeking out. He turned back to the trembling girl and raised his hands placatingly, “False alarm. It’s just some idiots’ sick idea of a prank.”

Her eyes focused and then burned with rage before she calmed down and a wicked smile plastered itself on her face. She spoke, “Want to give them a scare?”

In unison, the two of them dived for the figures, trying to buzz them. Cho swooped in, a few feet from the figures’ heads. However, Harry dipped even lower, causing one of the ‘Dementors’ to flail and topple down, bringing down the other two. The hoods flew off, revealing Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy and three members of the Slytherin Quidditch team.

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws roared in fury, the Hufflepuffs booed, and more than half the Slytherins were facepalming. Harry spotted the Snitch a few meters ahead, glanced at Cho and quipped, “Back to business. Race you!”

He accelerated, as did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second. He was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand in the other, and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.

On cue, Madam Hooch’s shrill whistle sounded. Harry turned around in mid-air and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him so hard he was nearly pulled off his broom.

Down below he could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd.

“That’s my boy!” Wood kept yelling. Alicia, Angelina, and Katie had all peppered Harry’s cheeks with kisses; Fred and George had him in a grip so tight Harry felt as though his limbs would break.

In complete disarray, the team managed to make its way back to the ground. Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron, Hermione and Neville in the lead. Before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.

“Yes!” Ron yelled, yanking Harry’s arm into the air. “Yes! Yes!”

“Well done, Harry!” said Percy, looking delighted. “Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me —”

“Good for you, Harry!” roared Seamus Finnigan.

“Ruddy brilliant!” boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.”

Then, Harry remembered Malfoy and his ilk, and pushed everyone aside. The sight that greeted them was absolutely glorious. The six guilty Slytherins tried to desperately wriggle out of the large black robes, while McGonagall stormed towards them with fury etched on her face. Snape followed her, and he looked just as pissed as the Deputy Headmistress.

She shouted, “An unworthy trick! A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!”

The Gryffindor tsunami steadily made its way back to their Common Room and the party began. Fred and George vanished for a couple of hours, only to return with a crate full of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz and loads of Honeydukes Sweets.

---

The party lasted pretty much all day, until an irate McGonagall turned up at one in the morning to yell at them to go to bed. Sheepishly, they all went to bed in their respective dorms.

Nearly a couple of hours later, Harry’s eyes snapped open. He heard some shuffling around in his dorm room and a low growl. The growl grew closer and that was when he acted. Quicker than the eye could blink, he seized his hunting knife from under his pillow and flung it in the direction of the growl.

There was a loud thud and louder swear, before a scream from Ron’s bed ripped through the dorm room. Then there was a loud ripping sound and a large figure bolted out of the room. By then, every boy in the room had woken up. Seamus’ sleepy voice called out, “What’s going on?”

On cue, the dormitory door slammed open and Percy Weasley entered in his pyjamas, clutching a lamp. He called out sternly, “Who shouted? What’s all the noise?”

Ron’s frantic voice rambled, “Greyback! I saw Fenrir Greyback!”

Percy looked alarmed, “What?”

Ron gesticulated wildly, “Here! Just now! I heard a thudding sound! Woke me up!”

All the boys were ushered down to the Common Room in the chaos. By then, the girls had also joined them.

“You sure you weren’t dreaming, Ron?” asked Dean warily.

“I tell you, he was here!”

Percy retorted, “Preposterous! It must have been a nightmare!”

“I’m afraid it wasn’t a nightmare, Mr. Weasley”, Professor McGonagall was back and she was as white as a sheet. She pointed to the portrait of Sir Cadogan, where the canvas had been ripped by five large gashes. The knight himself was on his knees and moaning, “I’ve been bested.”

McGonagall cleared her throat, “Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?”

He wailed, “Yes milady! He didn’t have a password, so I naturally challenged him to a duel. Sadly, I was bested, and was forced to let him pass.”

Sirius was called and he investigated along with McGonagall. The only thing that they could find was a chunk of clothing that was pinned by a hunting knife. Sirius carefully pried off the knife from the wall, turned it back into a earring and pocketed it. He sniffed the patch of clothing and spoke, “Yep! Definitely Greyback’s. Will have to take it back to the Ministry for further analysis.”

Just as he was leaving, he stealthily passed Harry’s earring back and whispered, “Good shot.”

Harry congregated with Ron, Neville and Hermione. The terrified girl asked, “Are you three okay?!”

Harry whispered, “I was actually the first to realise that he was in the room. I’m a light sleeper and I’ve started sleeping with a knife under my pillow. Almost got him. Ron, that thudding sound you heard was probably my hunting knife.”

Neville whispered, “Why did you need to sleep with a knife under your pillow?”

“Whenever I’m out with the Hunters, most nights, we’re camped in the woods. Now, a bunch of demigods in the open forest with monsters lurking around, you do the math. We’re always light sleepers, so that we don’t get attacked by monsters in our sleep.”

Ron nodded, ”Yeah, that makes sense.”

No one else had a lick of sleep that night, and the next morning, the security was tightened. Professor Flitwick was spotted teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Fenrir Greyback; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes.

Meanwhile, Sir Cadogan had been relieved of his duty. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She was understandably extremely nervous, having heard what happened to Cadogan. So she agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Meanwhile, Ron was busy recalling the tale, though he tried to spin it around to make himself the hero. Harry was only too happy to let him take the credit, all the better to keep his demigod status a secret.

That morning, a letter arrived for Harry. It was from Hagrid, saying that he wanted to meet them and discuss last night’s events. Later that day, after classes, the four of them went with Sirius to Hagrid’s hut. Over there, they briefly talked about the attempted break in. Harry also revealed that he attacked Greyback and forced him to flee.

For the next couple of weeks, no students ventured out alone. Gryffindor in particular, always moved in one large group before smaller clumps broke off to enter their respective classes.

---

One day, Harry and Ron trooped up the stairs for their Divination class. Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Harry and Ron sat down together at the same rickety table.

The redhead grumbled, “I thought we weren’t starting crystal balls until next term.”

Harry whispered back “Don’t complain, this means we’ve finished palmistry. I was getting rather tired of her constantly harping about my burden, whatever that is.”

Just then, Trelawney shuffled in and the class quietened down. Her misty voice spoke up, “Good day to you! I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned. The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice.”

She continued, “Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art. I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb’s infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes. So as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class.”

Then she shuffled off to look at another table’s crystal ball. Ron leaned over and murmured, “Man, I’m kind of glad that Hermione isn’t here. I reckon she would’ve scoffed at this and stormed off in a huff.”

They both choked down their laughter and the class continued as normal. All the while, Harry and the others kept shooting pitying glances at a mortified John Silvertongue.

The Easter holidays soon arrived and it was far from relaxing. The exams were rapidly approaching and the workload had increased. As the Third-Years studied in the Common Room as one big group, Harry quipped to Hermione, “Bet you’re glad that you didn’t follow through with that hare-brained plan to take all the Electives at the beginning of the year.”

Lavender, Seamus and Parvati’s heads snapped up with abject horror. Seamus whisper-yelled, “You were going to take all the bloody electives! Madness! We know you’re brilliant, Hermione, but taking all the electives, is insane!.”

She meekly confessed, “Y-yeah. I see it now. I thought I could handle it, but Katie talked me out of it. Now, I see her point. Anyway, what’s the incantation of the Porcupine to Pincushion spell, again?”

---

Unfortunately for Harry, he also had to deal with a hyperactive Oliver Wood. This was his last year at Hogwarts and word in the corridors was that there was a scout from Puddlemere United who was going to attend the final game. Apparently, their Keeper from Ireland had announced that he planned to retire after the Quidditch World Cup in a few months’ time.

At each practice, Wood badgered Harry, “So you must catch it only if we’re more than fifty points up. Only if we’re more than fifty points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You’ve got that, haven’t you? You must catch the Snitch only if we’re —”

An exasperated Harry yelled, “I KNOW, OLIVER! I ALSO KNOW ABOUT THE SCOUT! DON’T WORRY!”

The small mercy was that the remaining games of Capture the Flag were over. Gryffindor had made mincemeat of Hufflepuff and barely got beaten by Ravenclaw. Turned out, the Weasley twins were carrying the flag when they got caught up in a trap sprung by Tulip Karasu and Zenobia Noke. By the time Nelly Oggspire grabbed it and sprinted for their Common Room, Ravenclaw’s Andre Egwu had built up a lead and made it back, two seconds before Nelly. As a result, Ravenclaw became the first champions of Capture the Flag.

Coming back to Quidditch, the build-up to the game was pretty electric. Slytherin were leading, and Gryffindor had to win against Hufflepuff to beat them. If Hufflepuff won, it would not have been enough to beat Slytherin.

By the time the holidays were over, tension between the Gryffindor and Slytherin was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears. Hufflepuffs often came over to break the fight and heal the Gryffindors.

On one occasion, Harry was even jumped by six Slytherins while rounding a corner. Fortunately, he had learnt the art of pankration from Clarisse and defeated all of them with his bare hands. When Wood found out, he congratulated him for protecting himself, but still ordered him to move around with a few bodyguards. Katie even cast a few Anti-Jinx spells on his Firebolt.

The day of the match dawned bright and early. Wood gathered the team and they discussed strategy against the Hufflepuffs. By then, the rest of the House had trickled down. After exiting the Fat Lady’s portrait, the entire House surrounded the team, as if to protect them from any jinx or hex.

Luckily, there were no incidents from there to the Great Hall. As they ate, the Hufflepuffs slowly made their way to them and wished them luck. The captain had insisted that they highly disapproved of the Slytherins’ actions, as that was not in the spirit of the game.

Soon, everyone was out on the Quidditch pitch and the captains performed the customary handshake. After mounting their brooms, Madam Hooch blew the whistle and they were off in the air.

Lee Jordan began his rapid fire commentary, “And it’s Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Hufflepuff goalposts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no — Quaffle intercepted by Chauncy. Wow! Chauncy passes to Philip and he is really tearing up the field — WHAM! — nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Philip drops the Quaffle, it’s caught by — Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina — nice swerve around Dunn — duck, Angelina, that’s a Bludger! — SHE SCORES! TEN–ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!”

Just like that, the game was on. Harry and Cedric Diggory flew around each other, just watching the game and waiting. Katie managed to score two more, before the goals began to dry up. Wood pulled off a string of fantastic saves, keeping Gryffindor in the game. At one point, Harry spotted Dunn making a play for goal. She aimed and flung the Quaffle to the left of Wood. Harry noticed that with its trajectory, the Quaffle would be just out of Wood’s reach but in line with the goal.

Coming to a decision, Harry rocketed towards the Quaffle, pretending as though the Snitch was in the same direction. The ball deflected off his back into the waiting hands of Oliver Wood. As he flew past his Keeper, Oliver gave him a salute and punted the Quaffle towards Katie. She passed the Quaffle to Alicia, who managed to score, making it 40-0.

All the while, Harry performed a few dummy runs, fooling Cedric each time. The game of cat and mouse carried on for some time, while the battle around them raged fiercely. Just then, Alicia and Katie scored a goal each, while Chauncy finally put Hufflepuff on the board. Locking his focus on the Snitch, which was hovering just above the grass, Harry shot downwards. Cedric reacted immediately, but the Firebolt proved its mettle as the fastest broom.

The Snitch made a break for it, but Harry bore down on it at breakneck speed. Everyone in the stands watched with bated breath as Harry went for the divebomb. The ground rapidly approached as gravity did its work. Diggory followed right on Harry’s heels, but soon pulled away, but Harry kept going. The grassy pitch loomed bigger and bigger, until he levelled out a few inches from the ground, and with an outstretched hand, he swiped the Snitch.

Right on cue, Madam Hooch’s whistle blew shrilly, but was soon drowned by a roar from the grandstands. Then Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them. Alicia, Katie and Angelina also slammed into them, followed by Robyn, who mounted her own broom and joined the group hug.

Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth. Not a moment later, a crimson tidal wave descended upon them and swallowed them up. Gryffindor supporters poured over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Harry had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on him. Then he, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, he saw Hagrid, plastered with crimson rosettes — “Yeh beat them, Harry, yeh beat them! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!”

There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry, were Ron, Neville and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Harry was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.

As he was being carried over to Gryffindor Tower, he hollered to Katie, “Bloody hell! This reminds me of the time Sirius took me to Old Trafford when Manchester United won the Prem for the first time! Thought the roof was going to be blown off!”

---

Celebrations lasted well into the night, until McGonagall forced them to go to bed. Unfortunately, that was the only time they got to celebrate, because June approached and the final exams drew closer. Everyone got serious and Hermione even formed a study group among the Gryffindors.

Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working; they were about to take their OWL.s. Percy and Oliver were getting ready to take their NEWTs, the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, so he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. Oliver also had to study because the Scout told him that he needed at least four Outstanding marks in order to make it into the Puddlemere United squad.

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The Third years emerged from Transfiguration at lunchtime on Monday, limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Hermione irritated the rest by fussing about how her tortoise had looked more like a turtle, which was the least of everyone else’s worries.

Just like that, more and more tests fell on the students’ heads. On the first day, Professor Flitwick tested them on the Cheering Charm, Snape ordered them to brew a Confusing Concoction, and Hagrid tested their knowledge on kelpies at the Black Lake. Safe to say, he and the students got a bit of a surprise when Harry’s kelpie approached him immediately and began nuzzling him. It even took him for a lap around the lake. Astronomy was the last exam of the night and Harry was able to identify most of the constellations.

The next day was History of Magic, Herbology, Mortal Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts as the penultimate exam. Professor Lupin set up an obstacle course outside in the sun. The students had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

Harry made short work of the Grindylow and the Red Caps. He also ignored the Hinkypunk and relied on his tracking skills. When he faced the Boggart though, Scylla greeted him once again. Harry had a minor flashback to the real Scylla, but fought down his initial terror. With a bellow of Riddikulus, he turned the sea monster into a snail.

Meanwhile, Ron was doing fine until the Hinkypunk directed him into a bog. Neville did decently, until the Boggart Snape showed up and he shut down immediately. As for Hermione, she was close to rivalling him until she reached the trunk with the Boggart. A minute later, she staggered out in tears. As he comforted her, she blubbered about Professor McGonagall failing her and sending her back to First Year.

The final exam for Harry was Divination. He and Ron trudged up the stairs to the seventh floor. In the classroom, he slotted next to Parvati who told them that Trelawney was seeing everyone separately. Soon, they sat and waited until their turn came. Ron went up and when he returned he groused, “Rubbish! Couldn’t see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don’t think she was convinced, though...”

Finally, it was his turn and with shaking knees, climbed up the ladder. The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Harry cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.

“Good day, my dear,” she said softly. “If you would kindly gaze into the Orb. . . . Take your time, now . . . then tell me what you see within it. . . .”

Harry bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as he could, willing it to show him something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened.

“Well?” Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. “What do you see?”

He carefully gazed in “Er —, a dark shape . . . um . . .”

“What does it resemble?” whispered Professor Trelawney. “Think, now . . .”

Harry squinted and then spoke hesitantly, “Some kind of scorpion-like creature.”

“Indeed!” whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. “My boy, you will face several enemies. Your heritage speaks for itself, and the danger isn’t over. Thank you, you may go.”

Harry got up to leave when a familiar green mist wafted across the floor. He whirled around to see some of the mist waft into a stricken Trelawney’s mouth and she spoke, “The time is close at hand! The Crooked One is steadily rising. So many players will play a vital role in the struggle ahead. Death lies ahead and two shall be snuffed out!”

Professor Trelawney’s head slumped forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney’s head snapped up again. She dreamily murmured, “I’m so sorry, dear boy. The heat of the day, you know . . . I drifted off for a moment. . . .”

Harry wisely chose not tell her about what happened. Five minutes later he was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney’s words still resounding in his head. People were striding past him in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time he had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Ron, Neville and Hermione.

They looked at his freaked out face and gathered around him. Ron asked, “What’s up?”.

He breathed, “I think Trelawney just gave a real prophecy! Said something about the Crooked One rising. Mentioned many players playing a big role in some kind of conflict. But the worst part is, she said that two people might die.”

---

They walked out and headed to the Great Hall. When they reached, they saw some frantic activity by the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. Spotting Sirius and Remus there, they shifted closer out of curiosity. They heard a tearful Penny frantically say, “I don’t know Mr. Black, Professor Lupin?! She said she was just going to the courtyard for some fresh air. But that was two hours ago?”

Harry nudged Susan’s shoulder, “What’s the matter?”

She turned to him and spoke, “It’s Chiara. She’s missing. We don’t know where she’s gone. Auror Black suspects that she may have been kidnapped by Greyback. So far she’s the only one missing.”

He pat her back sympathetically, “I hope she’s found. I trust Uncle Sirius. I’m sure he’ll find her.”

At that moment, Sirius and Remus took him aside to a corner of the Great Hall. Sirius said, “Listen kiddo, I’ve got a horrible feeling that Greyback’s got the Lobosca kid. Tonight’s going to be a full moon, so Remus is going to be with me. Who better to fight a werewolf than another werewolf. There’s me also, I can take him in my Animagus form. Do you want to tag along? I saw the Prophet the other day and saw a tiny snippet in the Animagus Registry section. Old Fenrir won’t know what hit him.”

They ventured out into the Courtyard to begin their investigation, as that was the last place where Chiara was seen. For five minutes, there was no sign of her. However, Harry spotted something on the ground near the fountain. It was a small note and it read, “Shrieking Shack, 10PM tonight. Bring Potter or there will be a new addition to the werewolf population.”

Chapter 45: Chapter 45

It was still afternoon, so there was plenty of time for them to prepare. Harry went straight to the Owlery to fetch Hedwig. He penned a quick letter and asked her to find Zoe or one of his sisters. He would have searched for them himself, except that they were scattered around the Forbidden Forest, so he was not about to venture in there again after last time.

He also gathered Ron, Hermione, Neville and Katie and relayed the situation to them. Their game plan was that the four students would hide in the trees near the shack. Sirius would take a shortcut that he knew about from their own school days. Meanwhile, the Hunters would surround the area and Remus would take Harry to face Greyback head on.

At around half past nine, Remus and Harry made their way to the front entrance. As they walked down the path on that cloudy night, Remus casually said, “Oh by the way, I believe Bianca has gotten a Hogwarts acceptance letter about two weeks ago.”

Harry’s head snapped up towards him in surprise, “Say what?! But isn’t she… I don’t know, thirteen years old? I know that when we rescued her and Nico, she was 11 and he was nine. Isn’t it a bit late to get a Hogwarts letter?”

Remus shrugged, “Well… Sometimes magic can manifest pretty late. Dumbledore was quite surprised when McGonagall came to him with her admission letter. Then again, maybe their time in the Lotus Casino could have suppressed her magical ability. That’s just my own theory, though. I don’t know if Nico is showing any magic though. Sirius took her to Ollivander’s shop last week and her wand is Yew with Thestral Hair. I suspect that’s largely because of her heritage as the daughter of the God of the Underworld. Sirius’ cousin, Andromeda has been bringing her up to speed with First-Year and Second-Year curriculum.”

Harry incredulously replied, “But for someone to be joining Hogwarts in their Third-Year…”

“Well, it’s not that uncommon. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about that Brazilian witch who joined after the Christmas break. What was her name again? Oh yes, Alanza Alves, she’s joined Slytherin if I’m not mistaken.”

Harry sheepishly said, “Oh, right.”

After some more silence, Remus asked, “So, are you excited about the World Cup? The Quidditch World Cup, I mean. I know the FIFA World Cup has just finished. Anyway, the Quidditch World Cup final is being held here in England itself.”

Harry had an excited look on his face, “Yeah, Ron and Seamus were gushing about it the other day. Come to think of it, they had a massive row about who would win the Final. Seamus thinks that Ireland will win, but Ron thinks that Bulgaria will crush them thanks to Victor Krum. According to Ron, Mr Weasley is expecting a bonus next week so they plan to buy tickets for the family. He’s offered one to me and Hermione. He asked Neville too, but his dad bought tickets for themselves.”

Remus smiled, “Well, Sirius has bought tickets for yourself and Mackenzie. I believe he’s bought some more for Nico and Bianca. Also included are tickets for your friends Percy, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover. Would be nice to see the demigods be a little exposed to Quidditch.”

Then Harry replied, “So how are things between you and Sally? Have you told her about your furry little problem yet?”

He made a face, “Don’t remind me… Padfoot made a very idiotic joke about my furry little problem. Sally, bless her innocent little heart, simply assured me that she didn’t mind me having a hairy chest.”

His cheeks reddened a little, “Though she did ask me to trim my nut sack. She wasn’t about to get a mouthful of hair, if she could help it.”

Harry froze briefly before collapsing in laughter. Remus mock scowled, “Yes, yes, laugh it up. Sirius had the very same reaction when he heard it. I’m just glad that Percy wasn’t around to hear it.”

Finally, they stopped in front of a rundown old shack that was on the verge of collapse. They stopped to gather themselves and Remus checked to see if Harry had his weapons on him. Before he entered the jaws of the wolf, Remus placed a hand on his shoulder. He had a serious look on his gaunt face and said, “Listen Harry… Greyback is dangerous. He was the one who bit me when I was a boy. He’s not one to be trifled with. Hopefully he has not touched Miss Lobosca, I wouldn’t put it past him, if I’m being honest.”

Harry turned and grabbed his honorary uncle’s forearm before lightly squeezing it. He smiled, “Uncle Remus, I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself. Nothing will happen to me or her. Besides, Chiara’s just a bargaining chip to him. It’s me he wants, because I’m the son of Artemis. His plan is probably to bite me first, before he attacks anyone else. His previous raids were probably intimidation tactics.”

---

Letting go, Harry slowly opened the door and entered the Shrieking Shack. Taking out his wand, he tapped his holster and activated his shield. The main hall was deserted but Harry glanced down and observed the ground. He noticed some faint marks on the wooden floor, as it someone had dragged something on the floor. He slowly followed the tracks that led to a rickety staircase.

Taking a breath to steel his nerve, Harry slowly padded up the stairs. He made sure to keep his footfalls as silent as possible. Very soon, he reached a dark landing and in the darkness, he noticed that one door at the far end was open. His sharp ears heard a small moan, followed by a gruff voice mutter, “Quiet you little brat, or I will make good on my promise to turn you.”

Harry collapsed his shield, but still had his wand out. He entered the room to find two figures. One was the familiar white hair of Chiara Lobosca, who was cowering on the floor. Facing her was a large vicious-looking man with matted grey hair. He turned around and Harry got a good look at his face for the first time. Greyback’s whiskered face lit up with a big feral smile, showing off pointed teeth.

He beckoned with yellowish nails, “Well, well… Hello Harry Potter. So nice of you to show up! Now this is a party. Welcome to this humble abode. I figured that you could not resist playing the hero, so naturally, I capitalised. If I may be honest, I was hoping to nab one of your friends, but then again, can’t complain about the results, eh, hero?”

Harry brandished his wand and aimed it at the werewolf, “Well… You’ve got me now. Let her go! She’s not part of this! It’s just between you and me.”

Greyback responded by grabbing her by the hair and yanking her to her feet. She whimpered in pain but the werewolf ignored her. He advanced and Harry retreated simultaneously. Slowly, they made their way down the stairs and finally outside the shack. Once outside, Greyback took a deep sniff of air, “Ahhh! Much better for our little show.”

He spotted Lupin in the distance, “Hello Remus… I should have known that you would be here.”

Lupin’s wand was out and aimed at the criminal, “Let the girl go!”

Greyback didn’t move for a while, before suddenly shoving the terrified Chiara towards Harry. He grabbed her and she clutched at him for dear life. Slowly, he moved towards Remus and gently pried her off him and into the older man’s arms.

Remus hurried off to bring her inside the safety of the castle, leaving Harry with Fenrir. The werewolf called out to the demigod, “Make no mistake, Potter! This isn’t mercy! I will get her eventually, right after I turn you.”

He chuckled sinisterly and ran his tongue over his sharpened teeth, “Oh ho! Imagine the delicious irony! The child of the Moon and The Boy-Who-Lived, will soon be a werewolf. I cannot wait to see the fallout with the Ministry once they find out that their hero is now a monster.”

With that, he lunged towards Harry, claws extended and jaws agape. In that very instant, Harry activated his shield and braced himself as the claws impacted the shield. Harry retaliated by using said shield to bash Greyback in the face, sending him skidding back.

The criminal wiped a small stream of blood from his mouth, “Good… Very good… I love it when I fight for my meals! Makes it much more fun for me!”

He lunged again and Harry fended him off once more. The next time Greyback attacked, Harry bashed him with his shield again, this time following it up with a Stunning spell. The spell blew him back, but did not have the desired effect.

Greyback chortled, “Tut, tut, tut, Potter. You haven’t been doing your homework. A measly little Stunning spell won’t work on me.”

Just then, the darkness became a little lighter, and Harry peeked up at the sky. The moon had come out from behind a cloud, a full moon. Greyback also looked up at the sky, and his face broke into a big smile, “Oh ho ho ho! You are in big trouble now!”

His limbs began to shake and with a snarling sound, his head lengthened. Greyback’s body did the same and his shoulders hunched. Hair began visibly sprouting from his face and hands. The hands themselves curled into clawed paws. The transforming Greyback reared, snapping his long jaws.

On cue, Harry decided to pull out his own bag of tricks. Concentrating, he immediately transformed into his dire wolf form and took up a battle stance. Once the transformation was complete, Harry went on the offense, seizing the werewolf around the neck and pulled him backward. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other and snapping away.

They must have been fighting for ages, when another dark shape impacted them. It was another werewolf, and Harry assumed that it was Lupin and he was helping in the attack. A minute later, a third, smaller shape, joined the party and attacked Greyback. This was definitely Sirius in his Animagus form.

The four of them grappled, until Harry, Sirius and Remus were thrown backwards by Greyback. Greyback lunged for Harry with his jaws agape, before emitting a roar of pain. A silver arrow protruded from his shoulder, which was quickly wrenched out and flung away. He resumed his attack, only for Remus to tackle him and both were sent rolling away. The two werewolves continued grappling until Greyback gave an almighty shove. With Lupin separated, Harry dove back into the attack with his jaws agape. He managed to get a good bite to the calf.

He roared in pain and swiped at the boy with his clawed hands. It was only Harry’s ADHD-fuelled reflexes that prevented him from being slashed in the face. He attacked and dodged repeated swipes, before Remus and Sirius leaped back into the fray. Finally, Harry managed to grab Greyback in mid lunge and flung him backwards into a tree. There was a sickening snap and the werewolf’s head slumped forward as his body went limp.

On cue, Lupin let out a victory howl at the full moon. Then with a growl, he turned towards Hogsmeade village, but Harry and Sirius surrounded him and growled threateningly. The two Animagi slowly herded the werewolf back inside the Shrieking Shack and stood guard. Harry then grabbed Greyback’s corpse and dragged it back with them. By then, the dead wizard had transformed back into human form. The two alive wizards remained in the shack, keeping Remus company.

Then, the sky darkened again as clouds obscured the moon once more. With no moon in sight, Lupin transformed back, and the other two did as well. Lupin panted, “Well… I’m glad that’s over with. He will never sully this land again. Nice Animagus form, Harry.”

Harry’s answer was cut off by the sound of a hunting horn. Moments later, door of the shack flew open to let in a large group of girls in silver hunting gear. Harry spotted the lead girl and ran up to her, “Mother!”

With a big proud smile, Artemis embraced her son. She softly spoke, “My little moon, I am so proud of you. A successful hunt, I take it?”

The goddess glanced at the corpse and turned back to Harry, “My son, could you please do the honours?”

Harry nodded and turned his wand into a sword. In one fluid motion, he separated Greyback’s head from his body. Sirius used his wand to cauterise the wound and Zoe picked it up. She spoke, “My lady, this shalt be a fine trophy for thy abode.”

Artemis turned to the two other males in the room. They had knelt before her with their heads bowed low. She raised a hand, “Rise, you two. I thank both of you for your aid in our hunt. More than that, I thank you for fighting alongside my son.”

Sirius hesitantly said, “Think nothing of it Lady Artemis. His father made me his godfather, so I was only fulfilling my duty.”

Then she turned to Lupin, “Remus John Lupin. I suppose my gratitude is in order. You have fought bravely and at risk of your own life. For that, you shall have your reward for aiding us in this hunt.”

She raised her hand and began chanting in Ancient Greek. At the same time, her hand glowed and Remus was lifted into the air. A bright flash enveloped the room and later died down. When she finished, Artemis smiled, “There… It is done. You shall henceforth live a life without fear of hurting others.”

Remus bowed, “Thank you, My lady, for your blessing.”

As the moon showed up, she smiled once more, “It is no ordinary blessing, Mr. Lupin.”

He was confused for a second before Sirius exclaimed, “Remus! The moon! B-b-but you haven’t transformed!”

Artemis answered for them, “That would be my doing. I took away the werewolf curse, but not completely. Mr Lupin is now, what you wizards call, an Animagus. Make no mistake, I cannot cure lycanthropy just like that. Those who have been tainted by King Lycaon, are beyond my power. However, Greyback was a lieutenant and it took some significant power from my end. As I said, I have not cured your lycanthropy, but I had the power to modify it to turn you into an Animagus.”

A delighted Sirius tackled Remus in a hug, “Congratulations Moony! You no longer have to worry about your furry little problem!”

Once they broke the hug, Remus bowed to Artemis once more, “Thank you, my lady. I am forever in your debt.”

Finally, Artemis turned to Zoe, “Zoe, do you mind escorting my son back to his dormitory? It is high time he went to bed.”

The girl brought a fist to her chest, “It shall be done, my lady. Come Harry, let us get thou to bed.”

---

The next morning, Harry and his friends came down to breakfast, to see Artemis talking to Dumbledore. Ron quietly nudged him, “Hey, isn’t that your mum?”

Harry nodded excitedly, ”Yeah, she’s probably here to deliver good news.”

Dumbledore got everyone’s attention and announced, “Dear students! It gives me great pleasure to announce that the threat of Fenrir Greyback is no more!”

That evoked loud cheers from everyone. When it died down, he continued, “Following the disappearance of the dementors, I took the liberty of contacting a group of mercenaries. I’d like you all to meet Diana Olympia. She and her team personally hunted the notorious Fenrir Greyback and defeated him. I think we all owe her our lives.”

Soon afterwards, Harry was called to Dumbledore’s office. After lunch, he entered to find Sirius and Remus inside as well. Dumbledore sat down in his chair and gestured for them to sit, “Well, now that the threat of Fenrir Greyback is over, I think it is time to address the elephant in the room, the Dark Lord himself. Harry, that diary you discovered last year, was a Horcrux.”

That got Sirius and Remus’ attention, as that was the first they’d heard of it. Sirius was aghast, “Wait, wait, wait… So he’s still alive? I thought Harry had defeated him for good in ‘81.”

Dumbledore nodded gravely, “Indeed. I had thought the same until Harry’s First Year and the brouhaha with Quirrell. Then last year was the Chamber, which again had shades of the Dark Lord’s work. Now, Sirius and Remus, I have an important task for the two of you. I would like the two of you to hunt down the remaining Horcruxes. I am positive that he would have made more than one. Already, two have been destroyed, the Diary, and a partial one in Harry himself.”

The two men stood up sharply, “Harry was a Horcrux?”

Dumbledore raised his hands placatingly, “A partial one, but you do not need to worry. It was discovered on the night of the attack, and Lord Thanatos, God of Peaceful Death, was the one to remove it. Remus, I’m afraid that this means that you will not be returning as the DADA teacher next term.”

Remus shrugged, “Oh well… That’s a pity. Just when I was starting to enjoy this little job.”

---

Before long, school was over and they were back on their way home. This time though, Harry and Mackenzie chose not to go to Camp Half-Blood, but elected to stay with Sirius and Remus at Sirius’s Ancestral home, Grimmauld Place A couple of months flashed by and in no time, it was August and they were packed up in a van, along with Nico and Bianca, waiting to pick up a few people, as opposed to the other way round. Sure enough, at the Portkey pickup area, he met up with Jackson, Annabeth, Thalia and Grover.

As Remus drove their minivan, Nico bounced in his seat, “Man! I can’t wait to watch my first ever Quidditch match!”

Thalia peered at Harry, “So… can you explain the basics of Quidditch again?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, “Thals! We went over this three times on the bus ride to the Portkey area.”

Thalia shot back, “You went off on a tangent about Quidditch strategies and the history of the game. How the Tartarus did you expect me to retain that insane information dump. And don’t call me Thals. Oh, by the way Harry, Wizarding travel sucks, no offence.”

Harry laughed and calmly explained, “None taken, So this is a sport that is played on flying brooms. There are seven players per team. One Keeper, two Beaters, three Chasers and one Seeker, that last one is my position. Now there are four balls in play. A Quaffle, which is handled by the Chasers and the Keeper defends the goal from them. Then there are two Bludgers, which are hard iron balls and fly on their own. The Beaters use them to knock off other players. Finally, the Seeker has to focus on catching a small cricket ball-sized ball with wings, call the Golden Snitch.”

Thalia nodded, “Okay, easy enough. What else?”

“Well, scoring a goal with the Quaffle is worth 10 points. Meanwhile, the Snitch ends the game and is worth 150 points.”

Thalia cocked her head in confusion, “So… if one team’s Chasers scores 140 points and the Seeker from the other team catches the Snitch, the first team loses?”

Sirius chirped from the front seat, “In a nutshell, yes.”

Thalia was still baffled, “That doesn’t seem very fair.”

Remus shrugged, “Oh well. We’ve been used to this sort of gameplay, so no one’s really questioned it. However, what Harry doesn’t know, is that in the Quidditch World Cup, the rules are different. Harry, we're meeting the Weasleys there, right?”

"Yep!"

The Weasley kids and Hermione were taking a Portkey to the location, along with Arthur. He explained that Molly elected not to come because ‘someone had to look after the house’. Meanwhile, Harry and company would meet them over there at the camp site.

Remus then began the long drive to the venue, a campsite owned by a Mr. Roberts in Dartmoor. As they drove, Harry and Mackenzie checked their camping supplies to see if everything was in order. Katie was also going to meet them at the site, along with Angelina, Alicia and Robyn.

Then Thalia interrupted, “So what are the World Cup rules? Harry explained the basic rules, but what makes this different?”

Sirius eagerly jumped in, “So there are several nations who could enter but they have to qualify. They are all divided into 16 groups and all teams in each group play each other in several games spread out over a span of two years. In the group stage, there is a time limit of four hours to avoid player exhaustion. If the Snitch isn’t caught, then the score decides who wins. One win earns two points, but if the gap is more than 150 points, the winning team earns three bonus points. A 100-point win margin earns two points, and a 50-point win margin earns one extra point. Then in each group, the top teams qualify for the World Cup.”

Remus picked up where Sirius left off, “So, the 16 qualified teams are ranked according to the number of points won in the qualifying stage. They matchups are decided in such a way that the team with the most points plays against the team with the least, then second highest, to second lowest, and so on and so forth.”

Bianca chipped in, “So who do you think’s going to win”

Remus sagely replied, “It’s got to be Ireland. They flattened Peru in the semi-finals.”

Sirius argued back, “Nah, it’s going to be Bulgaria. They’ve got Viktor Krum.”

Jackson asked, “Hey isn’t Krum-”

He was interrupted by Remus arguing back, “Krum’s just one decent player. The Irish have a more well-rounded team. Wish it could have been England in the final. Man! They were massacred by Transylvania, 390-10. According to one of my mates, who watched the football World Cup, the footballers were at least a little more competent. Meanwhile, Wales lost to Uganda and Scotland got a drubbing from Luxembourg.”

By late everning, they all pulled into a parking lot and disembarked. Sirius straightened his coat, “Right! We’ve got to meet Mr. Roberts. He’s non-magical, so let’s be careful about what you say.”

From there, they began the long trek to find Mr. Roberts. Before long, they found their man and got through with no problem. Though the party after them were not exactly subtle in hiding the fact that they were wizards. That led to poor Mr. Roberts getting his memory wiped.

Annabeth simply mumbled, “Wouldn’t it have been far easier to get someone who knows about magic?”

Sirius snorted, “Yeah, I agree with you there, but wizards and witches have grown so used to defying logic that they have forgotten that it even exists.”

---

Finally, they found the Weasley clan and Hermione. The brunette immediately rushed over and tackled Harry in a hug. Ron also ran up and gave him a bro-hug. Together they walked over to the tents when Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the assorted tents in disbelief.

Most looked almost ordinary, as their owners clearly tried to be inconspicuous. However, the images were ruined by the addition of chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes. However, here and there was a tent so obviously magical that Harry could hardly be surprised that Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious.

Halfway up the field stood an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature palace, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance. A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets; and a short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached, complete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.

The Weasley tent looked a bit ordinary, until Harry stuck his head inside. When he came back out, he looked furious. He ranted, “ΟΧΙ ΟΧΙ ΟΧΙ! Δεν δουλεύει έτσι! Αυτό δεν είναι καθόλου κάμπινγκ! Το κάμπινγκ υποτίθεται ότι έχει να κάνει με το να έρθετε κοντά στη φύση! Μόλις αντιγράψατε το εσωτερικό μιας έπαυλης!”

All of the wizards looked confused, and even the demigods were surprised at the rant. He stormed away and Mackenzie ran after him to calm him down. Then, understanding dawned on Annabeth’s face when she peeped inside the tent. The blonde girl shot the group an apologetic smile, “You’ll have to forgive Harry. He’s a little bit upset because he’s been camping all his life. Forgive my language but this is a bit of a bastardisation of camping, so Harry’s taking it a little personally. He said ‘NO NO NO! It doesn't work like that! This is not camping at all! Camping is supposed to be about getting close to nature! You've just copied the interior of a mansion!’”

Percy Weasley shot her a curious look, “You understood all that?”

She sheepishly laughed, “Heh, heh, yeah. Harry has a tendency to accidentally slip into Ancient Greek when he’s upset. Don’t worry, he’ll calm down in a bit. Mr. Weasley, I’m terribly sorry to undo all of your hard work, but when he gets back, we’ll show you how REAL camping is done.”

Luckily, the man was very understanding, and in a few minutes, had packed the tents away. After a good 10 minutes, Mackenzie returned with Harry, who was looking visibly calmer.

They managed to bump into Katie along the way, and they returned with her. Katie ruffled Harry’s hair, “Come on. Let’s show them how it’s really done. Good thing that you brought a lot of spares.”

In about 30 seconds flat, one tent was up. Then the three of them slowed down to show the Weasleys how to set up a non-magical tent. Mackenzie then sprinted off and returned five minutes later with an armful of fist-sized rocks. With his shoe, Harry scuffed up a circular area, and the demigods arranged the rocks on the edge of the circle. Then, Nico and Bianca went and brought several logs and twigs. Harry fetched a few flint stones, which took a while to search for. With a few deft movements, he managed to get a fire started.

Once he was done, Harry proudly exclaimed, “And THAT’S how you set up a real camp.”

It took ten minutes before everyone’s tents were up. From there, they decided to wander around. As they walked, Harry had to fight down his anger as he saw all the luxury tents sprawled out. He could be heard muttering, “I’d love to see how they would survive in REAL camping conditions. We need to establish Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts groups to teach these idiots how to really survive in the wild.”

Soon, Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth. Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their flaps open. Then, from behind them, they heard their names.

“Harry! Ron! Hermione!”

It was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindor fourth year. He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend, Dean Thomas, also of Gryffindor.

“Like the decorations?” said Seamus, grinning. “The Ministry’s not too happy.”

“Ah, why shouldn’t we show our colors?” said Mrs. Finnigan. “You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. You’ll be supporting Ireland, of course?” she added, eyeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione beadily. When they had assured her that they were indeed supporting Ireland, they set off again, though, as Ron said, “Like we’d say anything else surrounded by that lot.”

---

After a while, they returned to their own campsite and had begun cooking eggs and sausages. Suddenly, Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them. “Aha!” he said. “The man of the moment! Ludo!”

Ludo Bagman was easily the most noticeable person Harry had seen so far, He was wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and black. An enormous picture of a wasp was splashed across his chest. He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across a large belly he surely had not had in the days when he had played Quidditch for England. His nose was squashed but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosy complexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy.

“Ahoy there!” Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was plainly in a state of wild excitement.

“Arthur, old man,” he puffed as he reached the campfire, “what a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements. . . . Not much for me to do!”

Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air.

Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched. Apparently his disapproval of the way Ludo Bagman ran his department did not prevent him from wanting to make a good impression.

“Ah — yes,” said Mr. Weasley, grinning, “this is my son Percy. He’s just started at the Ministry — and this is Fred — no, George, sorry — that’s Fred — Bill, Charlie, Ron — my daughter, Ginny — and Ron’s friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Of course, you know Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. These are their wards, Annabeth, Grover, Nico, Bianca, Thalia and Percy Jackson.”

Mr. Weasley turned to the group, “Everyone, this is Ludo Bagman.”

Bagman beamed and waved his hand before leaning towards Arthur. He eagerly said, “Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?”.

On cue, he jingled what seemed to be a large amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-black robes. “I’ve already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first — I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland’s front three are the strongest I’ve seen in years — and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week-long match.”

“Oh . . . go on then,” said Mr. Weasley. “Let’s see . . . a Galleon on Ireland to win?”

“A Galleon?” Ludo Bagman looked slightly disappointed, but recovered himself. “Very well, very well… Any other takers?”

Arthur nervously laughed, “They’re a bit young to be gambling. Molly wouldn’t like —”

“We’ll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, three Knuts,” said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money, “that Ireland wins — but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh and we’ll throw in a fake wand.”

“You don’t want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that —” Percy  Weasley hissed, but Bagman thought otherwise. His boyish face shone with excitement as he took it from Fred, and when the wand gave a loud squawk and turned into a rubber chicken, Bagman roared with laughter.

“Excellent! I haven’t seen one that convincing in years! I’d pay five Galleons for that!”

“Boys,” said Mr. Weasley under his breath, “I don’t want you betting. . . . That’s all your savings. . . . Your mother —”

“Don’t be a spoilsport, Arthur!” boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. “They’re old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win but Krum’ll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance. . . . I’ll give you excellent odds on that one. . . . We’ll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we. . . .”

Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly as Ludo Bagman whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins’ names.

“Cheers,” said George, taking the slip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucking it away carefully. Bagman turned most cheerfully back to Mr. Weasley.

“Couldn’t do me a brew, I suppose? I’m keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number’s making difficulties, and I can’t understand a word he’s saying. Barty’ll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages.”

“Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?” Mr. Weasley asked as Bagman settled himself down on the grass beside them all.

“Not a dicky bird,” said Bagman comfortably. “But she’ll turn up. Poor old Bertha . . . memory like a leaky cauldron and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She’ll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it’s still July.”

“You don’t think it might be time to send someone to look for her?” Mr. Weasley suggested tentatively as Percy handed Bagman his tea.

“Barty Crouch keeps saying that,” said Bagman, his round eyes widening innocently, “but we really can’t spare anyone at the moment. Oh — talk of the devil! Barty!”

A wizard had just Apparated at their fireside, and he could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old Wasp robes. Barty Crouch was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impeccably crisp suit and tie. The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished. Harry could see at once why Percy idolized him. Percy was a great believer in rigidly following rules, and Mr. Crouch had complied with the rule about Muggle dressing so thoroughly that he could have passed for a bank manager.

Harry whispered to Sirius, “Who’s Bertha Jorkins?”

He had an uncomfortable look on his face, “Will let you know later.”

The adults talked among themselves, though Crouch and Sirius were a little cordial with each other. Afterwards, Crouch and Bagman left, and the group began to make their way to the stadium. They walked through a wooded area for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until at last they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a huge stadium. Apparently, Arthur pulled a few strings and got his family and Hermione seats in the Top Box. Sirius had a similar pull and got the same seats for Harry, Mackenzie, Katie, Jackson, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, Bianca and Nico.

---

There was a tense moment when Draco Malfoy showed up, along with a woman, who Harry assumed, was his mother. Malfoy scowled, but the group ignored him. Finally, after much fanfare, the game began. Somewhere nearby, Ludo Bagman whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said “Sonorus!” and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.

“Ladies and gentlemen . . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!”

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

Bagman’s voice boomed again, “And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce . . . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!”

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

“I wonder what they’ve brought,” said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. “Aaah!” He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. “Veela!”

Harry asked, “Veel — ?”

But a hundred figures were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry’s question was answered for him. Veela were women . . . the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen . . . except that they weren’t — they couldn’t be — human. His mind began to fog a little, until he slammed down his Occlumency shields and he was able to think clearly. The girls were not as badly affected, but the boys were squirming. Meanwhile, Grover had to be restrained.

And now,” roared Ludo Bagman’s voice, “kindly put your wands in the air . . . for the Irish National Team Mascots!”

Next moment, what seemed to be a great green-and-gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one circuit of the stadium, then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goalposts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowd gasped in wonder, as though at a fireworks display. Now the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged; they had formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome — the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you — Dimitrov!”

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

“Ivanova!”

A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out.

“Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand — Krum!”

Ron went ballistic, and Harry soon spotted Krum. Meanwhile, Bagman introduced the Irish team, “Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand — Lynch!”

“And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!”

A small and skinny wizard, completely bald but with a luxurious moustache, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the moustache, and he was carrying a large wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. Harry watched closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open — four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers, and the minuscule, winged Golden Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.

“Theeeeeeeey’re OFF!” screamed Bagman. “And it’s Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!”

This was unlike any Quidditch match that he had played. The speed of the players was incredible — the Chasers were throwing the Quaffle to one another so fast that Bagman only had time to say their names.

His sharper eyesight spotted the Hawkshead Attacking Formation. That soon evolved into the Porskoff Ploy. Then, Ireland drew first blood, courtesy of Troy. The Irish Chasers were like a well-oiled machine and they scored two more goals in the span of 10 minutes.

The match became still faster, but more brutal. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves; twice they were forced to scatter, and then, finally, Ivanova managed to break through their ranks; dodge the Keeper, Ryan; and score Bulgaria’s first goal.

Mr. Weasley bellowed, “Fingers in your ears!”

However, Harry, Annabeth and Percy had better ideas. They quickly dug out the candlewax from their Sea of Monsters quest, and stuffed their ears. Annabeth signed to him, “Glad you convinced us to hang onto the plugs.”

This time, the veela celebrations did not affect him. Suddenly, Krum and Lynch plummeted like stones, rapidly approaching the ground.

“They’re going to crash!” screamed Hermione next to Harry.

She was half right — at the very last second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiralled off. Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium. A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

Charlie hollered, “Whoa! That’s the Wronski Feint!”

Just then, Harry spotted the Snitch, but it did not seem like anyone else had. This Snitch was moving much faster than the ones at Hogwarts. When Ireland retaliated, it was their Chasers who did so, with 10 goals in fifteen minutes. Then the game evolved into a dirty one. All the stops were out.

Meanwhile, the Snitch was fluttering all over the place and Harry’s eyes never left it. Before long, Lynch was looking in the same direction that Harry was, and shot off like a bullet. Krum caught on quickly and chased after him. The two drew level and dived towards the ground yet again. Once again, Lynch lost the battle and Krum pulled back up with the struggling Snitch in his hand. The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn’t seem to have realized what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.

“IRELAND WINS!” Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match. “KRUM GETS THE SNITCH — BUT IRELAND WINS — good lord, I don’t think any of us were expecting that!”

Harry murmured, “Oh Bloody Nora, he’s not going to be happy”

---

A while later, the exhausted group staggered back to their camp and in their sleeping bags. Harry slept, dreaming of the match and perfecting the Wronski Feint. Then suddenly, he found himself being shaken awake. He was so startled that he nearly seized his hunting knife from under his pillow. Jackson reeled back to avoid getting stabbed, and Harry’s mind focused. He heard Mr. Weasley frantically yelling at everyone to wake up.

He quickly dressed and grabbed his bag, his wand and his wand holster. He could hear screams, and the sound of people running.

By the light of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field toward them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire. Loud jeering, roars of laughter, and drunken yells were drifting toward them; then came a burst of strong green light, which illuminated the scene.

Hermione and Ginny came hurrying toward them, pulling coats over their nightdresses, with Mr. Weasley right behind them. At the same moment, Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys’ tent, fully dressed, with their sleeves rolled up and their wands out. Grover and the demigods also came rushing up and looking ready for a fight.

“We’re going to help the Ministry!” Mr. Weasley shouted over all the noise, rolling up his own sleeves. “You lot — get into the woods, and stick together. I’ll come and fetch you when we’ve sorted this out!”

Bill, Charlie and Percy sprinted after their father, Sirius and Remus, while the rest of the group ran for the woods. The crowd thronged and Harry felt himself getting buffeted about by several bodies.

Harry continued running, but suddenly tripped and he blacked out. When he finally came to, he found himself alone. He hollered, “Ron! Hermione! Mackenzie! Where are you lot? Annabeth! Jackson!”

There was no answer, he was well as truly alone. Harry drew his wand and began looking around him, moving slowly and carefully. Suddenly, there was a rustle of leaves somewhere to his right and he spun around, facing that direction. He didn’t see anything, but he didn’t relax in the slightest. Another rustle sounded, and it came from behind him. Once again, he spun around, and saw nothing.

After a tense minute, he had a bad feeling and suddenly ducked as something swiped the air where his body used to be. He rolled and found himself facing a massive creature that had a man’s face, a lion’s body and a scorpion’s tail.

Said tail launched a projectile, which Harry dodged. He rolled away, trying put some distance between them. In an instant, he turned his wand into a sword, parrying away another projectile. The now identified manticore slowly and steadily circled him and spoke in a thick French accent, “Bonsoir. I am Doctor Thorn. Hello ‘Arry Potter. I know who you are. My client paid good money for this. I trust, you’ve seen my distraction? What delicious chaos those people have sown.”

Another projectile launched from his tail, and Harry dodged yet again. He kept trying to get the manticore to talk, trying to buy himself time. Then an idea struck him. He pointed his sword at the monster, before turning it skyward and shooting out red sparks.

Suddenly, his right shoulder exploded in pain as a projectile buried itself there. Gritting his teeth, he pulled it out and staggered away, his legs getting heavier with each step. Thorn tailed him, looking like he was in no hurry. He coolly said, “Don’t worry mon ami, this will not kill you. My client thinks that you are much more valuable than that.”

Harry kept staggering and slowly shucked off his backpack. He then spotted Ron in the distance as he fumbled through the bag. The redhead spotted him and his eyes widened at the sight of the manticore. That was the only thing preventing Ron from running to his aid. Harry’s hand then closed around the object he was looking for and flung it towards Ron with his last remaining strength. Finally, his vision turned black and he crumpled to his knees and fainted.

Ron stared, absolutely frozen in terror as he saw the scorpion-like monster use his tail to scoop up the unconscious Harry and make off with him. So he did the next best thing, he hollered at the top of his voice, “HELP! HARRY’S BEEN KIDNAPPED! HARRY POTTER’S BEEN KIDNAPPED!”

He then rushed forward and picked up the object that Harry threw in his direction. It was a hunting horn, and the redhead knew immediately what he had to do. He raised the horn to his lips and blew a loud, long blast.

So this chapter was a little longer than I would have liked. I know I usually switch to the PJO storyline almost immediately after finishing the HP storyline, but adding the Quidditch World Cup bit from Goblet of Fire was crucial to kickstart the events of Titans Curse

Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Back in the forest, Doctor Thorn continued walking forward, carrying an unconscious Harry on his back. After a while, he stopped and then transformed into his human guise. In the process, Harry’s limp body now found itself draped over one shoulder.

Thorn continued on until he reached a clearing and stopped. Then, there were multiple loud cracks as 10 figures in dark robes and masks appeared to surround the man and his hostage. One Death Eater stepped forward and took off his mask, revealing the face of Lucius Malfoy.

The blond-haired man had a wicked grin on his face as he removed a rather full-looking bag from his robes, “Excellent work, Mr Thorn. Our little distraction worked perfectly. I have waited a full year for my revenge on the Boy-Who-Lived. Damned brat tricked me into freeing my slave and landed me in Azkaban. Took a lot of greased palms to sneak myself and the others out without that buffoon of a Minister finding out. You’re lucky that I managed to scrounge out 1 million Galleons to pay you. All those favors damn near cleaned out my Gringotts bank account.”

Thorn had his own sinister grin, before turning and walking in a different direction. Lucius Malfoy’s smirk was wiped off, “Hey! Where do you think you’re going? You dare renege our deal? Which fool would pay you more than me? Do you know I am? Us Malfoys are the richest family in Wizarding Britain, just beating the Blacks. You should be fortunate that I painstakingly parted with a million Galleons to hire you.”

Thorn stopped and turn his head back and nonchalantly said, “I am very sorry, mon ami. But I have another client who paid me 1 million Drachmae for the boy. Unfortunately for you, where I come from, One Drachma is equal to 10 Galleons. In essence, my other client paid me 10 million Galleons. I am just a mercenary after all, I just follow whoever has deeper pockets.”

Malfoy was fuming, “I am so close to my revenge! You dare deny me!?”

He and the other Death-Eaters raised their wands threateningly. Lucius snarled, “Avada-”

Only to be cut off as a sharp projectile embedded itself in his neck. With wide eyes, he gurgled as blood poured out from the wound, and Malfoy collapsed, breathing his last. The other nine Death-Eaters quickly followed him on their one-way trip to the Fields of Punishment. Thorn retracted his tail, adjusted his grip on the unconscious Harry, and sniffed, “Wizards… So arrogant. They would have made excellent allies for The Crooked One if they were not so high and mighty.”

With that, he transformed back into his real form and bounded away with his hostage, for parts unknown. In his wake, he left 10 black-robed corpses bleeding out on the forest floor.

---

Back with Ron, he picked up Harry’s sword, which he turned back into a wand. Pocketing it, the redhead bolted back the way he came, his mind in full-blown panic mode. He kept running and running, before going smack into Ginny, sending them tumbling to the ground.

She sat up indignantly, ready to tell him off, when she saw the terrified look on his face. The girl grabbed his arms and hollered, “Ron! It’s me! Hermione! I found Ron! Any luck finding Harry!?”

There were multiple footsteps, and they were soon joined by Hermione, Mackenzie, Katie, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, the two Percys, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, Nico and Bianca. A few seconds later, Arthur, Sirius and Remus joined them and Arthur hugged his youngest son, “Are you alright?”

Breathing heavily, Ron babbled, “Harry! Monster! Taken! Help!”

Sirius grabbed Ron and covered his mouth before calmly speaking, “Ron… Breathe. Calm down and take a deep breath. Now… what happened? Everyone’s in full-blown panic mode. Fudge is trying to bury everything as usual. Now, tell us what happened.”

Ron took a deep breath, “We were running to the forest, like you asked us to do. Then we realised that Harry got separated from us in the confusion. So, Hermione, Ginny, Mackenzie, the twins and I, split up to look for him. While searching, I saw some red sparks coming from somewhere and went to investigate. Then I saw Harry fighting off some kind of monster.”

Annabeth jumped in, “What did the monster look like?”

He paused and shuddered, “It had the face of a bloke, body of a large lion and a tail curved upwards, like a scorpion.”

Thalia cursed, “Di immortales! That’s a manticore! Those things are pretty nasty.”

Ron continued, “Harry got hit by one of the spikes from its tail and his movement kind of slowed. He saw me nearby and I think he had just enough strength to throw me his hunting horn. Obviously, I blew it and then the manticore went off with Harry.”

Just then, there was a sound of a hunting horn, a clear, piercing sound. Annabeth cried, “The Hunters!”

Thalia grumbled, “Oh, wonderful.”

The Hunters of Artemis came running out of the woods and gathered before their group. Zoe stepped forward and demanded, “We had heard Harry’s distress horn sound, earlier, but we do not see him. Where is my brother?”

Ron hesitantly stepped forward and knelt with his head bowed, ”Miss Zoe… He was kidnapped by a manticore. He fought bravely, but he got hit and taken somewhere. I’m sorry. I couldn’t do anything to stop the monster.”

Then, Artemis stepped out from the group and crouched low. She placed a gentle hand on his chin and made him look her in her silver eyes. The goddess spoke, “Ronald Weasley. Do not despair. You tried your best, and I am sure that he is still alive.”

Then she straightened up and turned to Zoe, “Zoe, you and the Hunters shall stay here. I shall find my son and bring him home. Mr. Black, I trust that you shall open your home to my Hunters?”

Sirius bowed low, “It shall be done, my lady.”

She sighed, “I feared that this was soon going to come to pass. Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia. Prey so old I have nearly forgotten. I had heard rumours about a Great Stirring. There was even talk of a monster that will bring about the downfall of Olympus. I will hunt down this monster and save my son, if it is the last thing I do. I must do this alone.”

Zoe looked like she wanted to protest, but eventually bowed a little stiffly, “Yes, my lady.”

Artemis stood up and broke into a run. Before long, she had disappeared into the woods. Then, Zoe turned to Sirius, “Mr. Black, may we have the address of thy abode?”

He was a little taken aback with the old way of speaking, before he said, “Number 12, Grimmauld Place, Borough of Islington, London.”

She gave him a short nod, “Very well, we shall meet thee, over there.”

Just like, that, the Hunters had all gone, running off into the woods in a different direction than the goddess. After they left, Bill let out a low whistle, “Merlin’s beard! I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d ever meet a goddess. I could feel her power from here.”

---

Before long, the group spotted Cornelius Fudge, Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Sr, bustling towards them. Before the group met them, Sirius grabbed Percy Weasley’s shoulder, “Remember what I said. Not a word about Harry’s demigod status. Not even to Crouch or the Minister.”

Fudge called out, “Is everyone alright? Terribly dreadful business. Bunch of drunk wizards somehow thought that it would be a fine idea to play a practical joke by dressing up as Death-Eaters. Even heard rumours of the Dark Mark being cast in the sky.”

Sirius snapped, “Minister, with all due respect, this was no practical joke! My godson, Harry Potter, was kidnapped in the confusion.”

He spluttered, “Surely not! All the Death-Eaters are safely in Azkaban! You-Know-Who is dead and gone! I will not have a panic on my hands!”

Sirius was close to losing his temper, when a random witch came running over. She cried out, “Minister Fudge! I think you should see this!”

Everyone hurried off deep into the forest until a sickening sight greeted them. Lying on the ground, with a Death-Eater mask loosely clutched in one hand, was Lucius Malfoy. There were nine others with Death-Eater garb and masks on. Fudge looked like he was about to go catatonic. He stammered, “B-b-but h-h-he said that he had been I-I-Imperiused. H-h-he lied about it!”

The Minister staggered away and took a minute to calm himself. Then with a deep breath, he turned to Crouch, “Barty, would you be so kind as to find Madam Bones? Tell her to get her best Aurors to find the Boy-Who-Lived.”

With that, he Apparated away, and after a few more minutes, Bagman and Crouch followed suit.

A few tense days later, there was still no word from Artemis at all. Not even of Harry’s whereabouts. As the agonising wait continued, the demigods often gathered in a large room and used it to hone their skills. Arthur decided to stay at Grimmauld Place for a while, and Molly also popped in

One week later, Ron woke up feeling absolutely miserable. He kept kicking himself because Harry was right there, and he froze up and allowed that monster to get away with his best mate. He trudged down for breakfast, but his heart wasn’t in it anymore. He glanced at Percy Jackson, who looked like he had seen a ghost. He asked in a low voice, “You alright?”

That got the group’s attention and Percy flushed a bit under the attention. He stammered, “I-I had a dream last night, about Harry. He was somewhere on a dark hill shrouded with fog. He was kneeling on the ground and the inky blackness was thicker around him. It was as if some kind of cave ceiling was crushing him. I saw Luke too, Harry was swearing up a storm and telling him that once he’s free, he’ll rip out his spine and beat him to death with it? Is that even possible?”

Sirius snorted, “Yeah he’s definitely Lily’s son. She had quite the temper, and she was pretty vicious. When Snape called her a slur, she just lost it right there and laid into him. I also remember when she accidentally got caught in one of our pranks and her hair was dripping slime. That night, she snuck into our dorms and shaved all four of us bald.”

Everyone guffawed, which immediately died when Zoe stumbled in, looking freaked out. She slumped down in shock and everyone looked at her nervously. The immortal hunter breathed, “My lady is in trouble. I had a nightmare. It is possible that she may be lost, or worse, kidnapped.”

That got the Hunters to cry out in shock and everyone else to shout frantic questions. Hermione exclaimed, “But she’s a goddess! Who would have the power to do that?”

There was dead silence before Jackson growled, “Kronos. Him and Luke.”

Suddenly, there was a sound of flames shooting out from the fireplace. The group turned to see a shell-shocked Albus Dumbledore step out of the green flames, brushing off some soot off his robes. He came forward and spoke to the group quietly, “Something odd just happened a few minutes ago. The Divination professor, Sybil Trelawney had just popped over into my office after breakfast, and we were talking for a bit. Then, some green mist overtook her and some of it entered her mouth. Then she said, “Eight shall go find the goddess and child in chains. One shall be saved in the land without rain. The bane of Olympus shows the trail. Divinity and Arcane combined prevail. The Titan’s Curse must one withstand. And one shall perish by a parent’s hand.”

Nobody knew what to say for a few minutes. Annabeth was pale, “You said ‘green mist’? I think this means that the spirit of the Oracle of Delphi temporarily possessed your faculty and delivered a prophecy! This is pretty unheard of!”

Then Zoe stood up, “Tis’ clear to me. Whoever has absconded with Harry, has also somehow managed to capture My Lady. We must rescue them. I shall go.”

Jackson stood up as well, with Annabeth, Thalia and Grover following suit, “Count us in”. Bianca also stood up, “I’m coming too! I owe it to Harry. If he hadn’t bumped into us at the Lotus Casino, who knows who long we would have been stuck there.”

Finally, Ron and Hermione got up, “We’re coming too! Harry is our friend”.

At that moment, Molly Weasley decided to voice her objections. She loudly snapped, “ABSOLUTELY NOT! You all are too young! Leave this to the adults. I’m sure the Aurors will find Harry.”

Zoe faced her, “Mrs Weasley, I understand thy concerns. However, I am older than I look. I have been alive for nearly two millennia, and have only remained youthful thanks to My Lady’s blessing. As for my companions, Perseus, Annabeth, Thalia and Bianca have been training to fight for most of their lives. Grover is a satyr and is well-versed in tracking. As for Ronald and Hermione, my brother has trained them to the best of his ability. I do not doubt him at all. They are more than ready.”

Grover helpfully said, "Also, I may not look it, but I am technically in my mid-forties. Satyrs age a lot slower than normal people."

Hermione also quipped, “Also the prophecy says ‘Divinity and Arcane’. By divinity, I’m assuming demigods, and arcane is just another word for magic. So we have to go and do this together. Besides, I don’t think any Auror will be able to face off against a monster.”

Ron also stepped up, “Mum, I need to do this. You don’t understand. I was right there when Harry was taken. I could have – I don’t know – hexed that monster and bought time for Harry to defeat it or get him away. I failed him. And don't give me the excuse about the Trace on our wands. It's an open secret among many at Hogwarts, that the Ministry can only detect magic in areas where there is not much magic, particularly in Muggle-dominated areas.”

“Oh Ron…”, Bianca sympathetically pat his back.

However, Hermione was outraged, "What?! So if I tried practicing magic at home, I could be in trouble with the law. But any pureblood would practice magic as much as they want and get away with it? That is SO UNFAIR!"

Arthur Weasley sighed wearily, "Yes, unfortunately, that is the case. This was a law introduced by some strict purebloods around the time of the Wizarding War against You-Know-Who. Sadly, no one has ever had a chance to repeal it, and any attempts have often been blocked."

Zoe spoke up again, “What worries me the most is the line about the ‘bane of Olympus’. Lady Artemis mentioned that there is talk of a monster that would be the downfall of Olympus.”

Hermione piped up, “And what is this thing about the Titan’s curse?”

Zoe had an uncomfortable look on her face, but no one noticed. Then Dumbledore clapped his hands, “So have we decided then?”

Zoe nodded, “We have.”

Suddenly, Annabeth got up, “Guys! We need to head to camp and get some supplies.”

Thalia swore, “Damn, you’re right! I left my spear and shield in my cabin.”

Sirius said, “Here… You can all use my Floo. I’ve connected it to the Big House’s fireplace.”

One by one, they Flooed to the Big House and informed Chiron and Mr. D about the situation. The centaur immediately approved of the quest, though Dionysus couldn’t care less. Before they left, Nico grabbed Bianca’s hand, “Sis? Promise me one thing. Please come back alive! You’re the only one I’ve got, please?”

She knelt and stroked his hair, “I promise, Nico. Be good, and I’ll come back with Harry. I’m sorry if I’ve been side-lining you with the excuse that you’re too young. When I come back, we’ll include you more often and step up your training, okay?”

---

Soon enough, they were kitted up and Ron’s spear and Hermione's dagger were given a few upgrades. Then they were on their way in a minivan, with Zoe driving. Since she was the oldest, it would have been a lot less suspicious. The van zoomed down the streets of Manhattan, weaving through the traffic. As they drove, Jackson settled down for a small nap.

He would later regret that decision, as he immediately drifted off into dreamland. Jackson was back in that barren cave, the ceiling heavy and low above him. Harry was down on one knee, nearly buckling under the weight of a dark mass like a pile of boulders. He was far too tired even to cry out. As he continued to support the invisible burden his legs trembled. Safe to say, Percy was seriously worried about his friend running out of strength and the cavern ceiling collapsing on top of him.

“How is our mortal guest?” an unfamiliar male voice boomed. This voice sounded nothing like Kronos. Kronos’s voice was raspy and metallic, like a knife scraped across stone. That voice never failed to haunt Jackson’s dreams as it taunted him.

Meanwhile, Luke emerged from the shadows. He walked up to a struggling Harry and crouched in front of him, “Hey Harry, I got to admit. You’re stronger than I thought. Don’t worry, help has arrived. I’m not cruel, like the gods. You’ve earned a nice break.”

Then the deep voice chuckled and then a large meaty hand thrust a familiar figure into the light – Artemis – her hands and feet bound in Celestial Bronze chains.

Her silvery dress was torn and tattered. Her face and arms were cut in several places, and she was bleeding ichor, the golden blood of the gods. The goddess’ eyes fell on her son and they flashed in anger. She snarled, “How dare you? How dare you torture my son like this!”

Luke spoke softly, “I take no pleasure in this either. Fortunately, he can be saved. You can help save him.”

Artemis did not hesitate, “Free my hands!”

Luke complied with a quick slash of his sword, Backbiter. Now free from her shackles, she rushed forward to Harry, who was straining under the burden. Artemis took the burden off his shoulders and he promptly collapsed and began twitching.

The man in the shadows chuckled. "You are as predictable as you were easy to beat, Artemis.”

“You surprised me,” the goddess grunted, straining under her burden. “It will not happen again.”

“Indeed it will not,” the unknown man said. “Now you are out of the way for good! I knew you could not resist coming to the aid of your first-born child.”

Artemis groaned. “You know nothing of mercy, you swine.”

He chuckled darkly, “On that, we can agree. Luke, you may kill the boy now.”

“No!” Artemis shouted.

Luke hesitated. "Um… sir, he may yet be useful, sir. Further bait.”

The other man snorted, “Bah! You truly believe that?”

“Yes, General. They will come for him. I’m sure.”

The now-named General tsked, “Very well, assign a guard for him here. Assuming the demigod spawn does not die from his injuries, you may keep him alive for a little while longer. After that, if our sacrifice goes as planned, his life will be meaningless. The lives of all mortals will be meaningless.”

Luke came close to pick up Harry’s body, which had stopped twitching. Suddenly, the son of Hermes reeled back as Harry’s fist connected with his nose. After using the last of his strength, Harry slumped, and Luke tentatively carried him away from the goddess. As he was dragged away, Harry feebly groaned, “I waited three years to do that, you git. It was worth it.”

Struggling under the weight, Artemis spat, “You will never find the monster you seek. Your plan will fail.”

“How little you know, my young goddess,” the man in the shadows chortled. “Even now, your darling attendants begin their quest to find you. They shall play directly into my hands. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a long journey to make. We must greet your Hunters and make sure their quest is… challenging.”

The man’s laughter echoed in the darkness, shaking the ground until it seemed the whole cavern ceiling would collapse.

---

With that, Jackson woke up with a start and was breathing heavily. Next to him, Annabeth had a concerned look on her face, “You okay, Seaweed Brain?”

He shook off his fear, “I’m fine Wise Girl. Stupid dreams again. I think I know where Artemis is. She’s with Harry, but both of them have been captured.”

Zoe’s hands tightened at the steering wheel, “We shalt get them back. I shall not fail my lady and dishonour her.”

Then Jackson looked outside the window, “Where are we, anyway?”

Hermione chipped in, “We passed New Jersey a while ago. We’ll be reaching Maryland in about an hour or so. Made a couple of fuel stops on the way though.”

After a while, they pulled into a service station for some more fuel and to stock up on food. As they waited, Grover got out a set of acorns and performed a small tracking spell.

Hermione observed her surroundings, “Hmm… If I’m not mistaken, D.C. is about 60 miles away from our location.”

Zoe groaned, “We are wasting time like this. We should just go straight to the west. Tis’ what the prophecy said.”

Ron quipped, “Bloody hell! You’re a pretty good driver. Much better than my dad with his flying car.”

Zoe replied, “I have been driving since the automobile has been invented. Come, let us go. The sooner we find Harry and my lady, the better.”

---

It took the better part of a day, but they finally reached Washington DC. Finally, Zoe parked outside a mall and they all clambered out. From there, they split up to search for clues.

Ron was with Annabeth and Grover by the main entrance, when he suddenly froze. The other two looked at him questioningly and he shakily pointed a finger. He quailed, “Th-th-that’s him. That’s the bloke who took Harry.”

They gazed out and spotted a man with a grey military haircut. He was clad in dark-tinted shades and a black overcoat. The disguised manticore got out a cell phone and spoke into it. They moved out of sight and observed him as he ended the call and made his way inside the mall.

Annabeth fished out her invisibility cap from her back pocket and whispered, “You two go warn the others. I’ll follow him.”

The boys nodded and hurried off while she tailed him. Thorn walked across the mall and entered the Museum of Natural History. There was a big sign on the door saying that it was closed for a private event.

She sneaked in behind him, making her way into a  huge chamber full of mastodons and dinosaur skeletons. There were voices up ahead, coming from behind a set of closed doors. Two guards stood outside. They opened the doors for Thorn, and she barely made it in time before they closed again.

Annabeth found herself in a huge round room with a balcony ringing the second level. At least a dozen mortal guards stood on the balcony, plus two Scythian dracaenae. Standing between them, was none other than Luke. She barely suppressed a gasp at his condition. His skin was pale and his blond hair looked almost grey, as if he’d aged ten years in just a few months. The angry light in his eyes was still there, and so was the scar down the side of his face, where a dragon had once scratched him. But the scar was now ugly red, as though it had recently been reopened. There was even a black mark around his left eye.

Next to him, sitting down so that the shadows covered him, was another man. All that Annabeth could see were his knuckles on the gilded arms of the chair, like a throne.

“Well?” asked the man in the chair. His voice was deep and strong, like the earth itself was talking. It filled the whole room even though he wasn’t yelling.

Dr Thorn took off his shades. His two-coloured eyes, brown and blue, glittered with excitement. He made a stiff bow, then spoke in his weird French accent: “They are here, General.”

“I know that, you fool,” boomed the man. “But where?”

“In the rocket museum.”

“The Air and Space Museum,” Luke corrected irritably.

Dr Thorn glared at Luke and spoke acidly. ”As you say, sir.”

“How many?’ the General demanded.

‘Eight, General,’ Thorn said. ‘The satyr, Grover Underwood. And the girl with the spiky black hair and the – how do you say – punk clothes, and the horrible shield.”

“Thalia”, Luke said.

“A Hunter, wearing a silver circlet.”

“That one, I know,’ the General growled.”

“A girl with dark skin, I don’t know her, but she has a powerful aura. There is also Perseus Jackson. The boy is a threat to us.”

“Who else?”

“The daughter of Athena.”

Luke looked a bit hopeful, “Annabeth?”

The General growled again, “You said eight, I count six. Anyone else?”

“Two others. Girl with wild brown hair and boy with flame red hair. They have the scent of Hecate, Those two are of no significance.”

The figure relaxed, “Very well. Carry on.”

Luke piped up, “Let me take them. We have more than enough –“

“Patience,” the General said. “They’ll have their hands full already. I’ve sent a little playmate to keep them occupied.”

“But –“

“We cannot risk you, my boy.”

“Yes, boy,” Dr Thorn said with a cruel smile. “You are much too fragile to risk. Let me finish them off.”

“No. The General rose from his chair, and she got her first look at him.

He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit, but looked nothing like a Wall Street broker.

The man had a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone. I felt as if I were looking at a living statue. It was amazing he could even move.

He snarled, “You have already failed me, Thorn.”

Thorn begged, “But, General –“

He roared back, “No excuses!”

Thorn flinched and looked downright tiny, compared to the General. He snapped, “I should throw you into the pits of Tartarus for your incompetence. I send you to capture a child of the three elder gods, and you bring me a the firstborn of Artemis.”

Thorn began to whine, “But you promised me revenge! A command of my own!”

He stood up sharply and looked absolutely imposing, “I am Lord Kronos’s senior commander. And I will choose lieutenants who get me results! It was only thanks to Luke that we salvaged our plan at all. Now get out of my sight, Thorn, until I find some other menial task for you.”

Thorn’s face turned purple with rage. However, he swallowed his anger, bowed awkwardly and left the room. With that out of the way, the General turned to Luke, “Now, my boy. The first thing we must do is isolate the half-blood Thalia. The monster we seek will then come to her.

Luke haltingly said, “The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of. Zoë Nightshade –“

That was clearly the wrong thing to say, because he thundered, “Do not speak her name!”

Luke barely resisted the urge to run away in fear, “I apologize, General”

The General silenced him with a wave of his hand. “Let me show you, my boy, how we will bring the Hunters down.”

He pointed to a guard on the ground level. “Do you have the teeth?”

The guy stumbled forward with a ceramic pot and stammered, “Yes, General!”

“Plant them.”

In the centre of the room was a big circle of dirt. Annabeth watched with bated breath as the guard took large pointy white teeth out of the pot and pushed them into the soil. He smoothed them over while the General smiled coldly.

The guard stepped back from the dirt and wiped his hands. “Ready, General!”

“Excellent! Water them, and we will let them scent their prey.”

The guard picked up a little tin watering can with daisies painted on it. He tipped it and poured out a dark red liquid. On cue, the soil began to bubble.

The General chortled, “Soon. I will show you, Luke, soldiers that will make your army from that little boat look insignificant.”

Luke clenched his fists and bit out. “I’ve spent a year training my forces! When the Princess Andromeda arrives at the mountain, they’ll be the best –“

“Ha!” the General boomed. “I don’t deny your troops will make a fine honour guard for Lord Kronos. And you, of course, will have a role to play –“

Luke turned pale than normal when the General said that.

“– but under my leadership, the forces of Lord Kronos will increase a hundredfold. We will be unstoppable. Behold, my ultimate killing machines.”

He scoffed, “Dinosaur teeth – ha! Those foolish mortals don’t even know when they have dragon teeth in their possession. And not just any dragon teeth. These come from the ancient Sybaris herself! They shall do nicely.”

Suddenly, a single, skeletal hand shot out of the ground, grasping at the air.

The General looked up at the balcony. “Quickly, do you have the scent?”

“Yesssss, lord,” one of the dracaenae hissed. She took out a sash of silvery fabric, like the kind the Hunters wore.

“Excellent,” the General rumbled. “Once my warriors catch its scent, they will pursue its owner relentlessly. Nothing can stop them, no weapons known to half-blood or Hunter. They will tear the Hunters and their allies to shreds. Toss it here!”

Then, more skeletons burst forth from the ground. There were twelve of them, one for each tooth the General had planted. These were growing flesh as she watched with growing horror, turning into men, but men with dull grey skin, yellow eyes and modern clothes – skin-tight grey vests, camo trousers and combat boots.

Annabeth slipped out as fast as she could and exited the place. Fortunately for her, the guards were no longer at the doors. She kept running until she was well out of the Natural History Museum. Pausing briefly to whip off her cap, she sprinted once again, making a beeline for the Air and Space Museum.

Chapter 47: Chapter 47

As she ran, she saw her friends near the Apollo space capsule, and screeched to a halt next to them. Thalia looked over at her in concern, “What’s the situation?”

The blonde girl puffed as she caught her breath, “It’s Luke, he’s here. Along with the General and the manticore, I think his name is Dr Thorn. We’re in big trouble. Where’s Percy?”

She had just noticed that Percy was not with the group. Bianca replied, “Some big black pegasus suddenly came down and told him something. Now, he’s gone off somewhere, but he said he’ll be back soon.”

Meanwhile, Zoe had other concerns as she stood ramrod straight. She sharply asked, “The General? He’s here?”

Annabeth nodded frantically, “Yes, I saw him, somewhat. But we’ve got bigger problems. Skeleton warriors-”

Thalia froze, “What! How many?”

“Twelve. And the General also mentioned some kind of playmate. A monster.”

They were interrupted by a flapping of wings and the group looked up to see Percy descending on the back of a jet black pegasus. He hopped off and fed it a sugar cube before it flew off. He nonchalantly said, “Sorry about that. Blackjack said that it was an emergency. Some sea creature was stuck in a fishing net and I had to free it. Took a while because it freaked out at the sight of my sword. So what’s up?”

Annabeth filled him in on what she overheard from Luke’s meeting with the General. Then Grover spoke up, “Lady Artemis was definitely here. There’s a powerful monster scent and she was probably tracking it.”

Suddenly, there was a loud growl and everyone froze. Hermione muttered, “Ron, please tell me that that was your stomach and not what I think it is?”

His indignant response was cut off by a small child’s excited squeal, “Kitty!”

Thalia risked a peek over her shoulder and swore, “Damnit! It just had to be the Nemean Lion!”

Zoe took charge, “Separate on my mark. Try to keep it distracted.”

“Until when?” Grover exclaimed.

She snapped back, “Until I think of a way to kill it. Go!”

Everyone scattered and Ron was the first to strike. He lobbed his spear at the creature’s back, only for it to bounce off without making a scratch on the lion. To his dismay, the tip of the spear broke. Hermione’s dagger was the next to bounce off it, and break. Zoe’s arrows didn’t faze it either. Hermione screamed, “Why aren’t our weapons hurting it!”

Annabeth screamed back, “It’s the Nemean Lion! Don’t tell me you don’t know that legend?”

The brunette hollered back, “I never really read many mythology books! They sounded way too fantastical and made up to me!”

Ron half-heartedly teased, “And here I thought that you were a bookworm!”

Annabeth dodged a swipe and snapped, “Not the time, you two! Focus!”

Then, Thalia leaped into the fray and brandished her shield in front of it. Seeing the visage of Medusa’s face was enough to see the lion visibly recoil. The monster crouched as if it was preparing to leap at Thalia. Suddenly, Percy charged at the beast and struck it with his sword.

Predictably, the sword bounced off with a shower of sparks, but it did distract the lion from its target. The lion swiped at the son of Poseidon, ripping off a chunk of his jacket. Percy backed against the railing, and just as it sprang at him, he spun around and jumped off the railing.

The boy landed on a life-size model of an old-fashioned silver airplane. It wobbled and leaned dangerously, almost pitching its passenger off. The lion also followed him by jumping on the plane. Knowing that it couldn’t take the weight of both of them, Percy hopped onto another exhibit, prompting the lion to roar with fury.

Annabeth yelled, “Guys! Target the mouth!”

The Hunter promptly reacted, firing a few arrows. Unfortunately, they all missed, and then Bianca joined in. Apparently, she had borrowed Harry’s rings, which meant that the only weapon that he had at the time of his kidnapping, was his wand/sword. As she fired and missed, she grunted, “How does Harry make this look so easy?”

Zoe hollered, “No clear shot! We need to get it to open its mouth wider!”

Percy looked around frantically before he finally spotted a gift shop. He broke into a sprint and barged inside, with Hermione tailing him. Annabeth yelled after him, “Seaweed Brain! What are you doing?!”

Zoe also yelled, “This is no time for souvenirs!”

Hermione hollered from inside the shop, “We’ve got an idea! Keep that thing occupied!”

Percy raced over to the far wall and grabbed an armful of glittery silver packets. Hermione stuck around long enough to throw a wad of dollar bills and then ran out yelling, “KEEP THE CHANGE!”

The others kept it occupied and things were looking alright until the lion swatted Thalia like a cat toy, sending her flying into the side of a Titan rocket. Her head hit the metal and she slid to the floor unconscious.

Jackson flung his sword at the lion and yelled, “Hey! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!”

The combination of the sword bouncing off, and the taunts, got its attention. The Nemean Lion snarled at him and pounced in his direction. He dodged and rolled, chucking a chunk of cellophane-wrapped freeze-dried strawberry parfait.

The lion’s eyes got wide and it gagged like a cat with a hairball. In the background, Grover was frantically playing on his reed pipes and people were running helter-skelter. Meanwhile the beast choked down the strawberry parfait, but he was ready. He tossed two packets of ice cream and a spaghetti dinner.

The lion’s eyes grew wider, it opened its mouth wide and reared up, as if it was trying to get away. Percy yelled, “Now!”

On cue, Zoe and Bianca fired several arrows into its maw. The lion thrashed wildly, turned and fell backwards. And then it was still. Grover and Annabeth helped up a recovering Thalia and they walked over. The lion’s corpse appeared to melt until there was nothing left but its glittering fur coat, and even that seemed to be shrinking to the size of a normal lion’s pelt.

Zoe motioned to the pelt, “Take it. It is a spoil of war. It is rightly thine.”

He protested, “But you and Bianca killed it.”

She shook her head and smiled, “I think thy ice cream sandwich did that. Fair is fair, Percy Jackson. Take the fur.”

As he lifted the pelt, it morphed into a full-length, golden-brown coat. Ron whistled appreciatively, “Cor! That is wicked!”

Then Grover warned, “We have to get out of here. The security guards won’t stay confused for long. A minor confusion song. I played some Barry Manilow. It works every time. But it’ll only last a few seconds.”

---

Everyone rushed to the van and made their escape. As they were crossing the Potomac, they heard a steady chopping sound. Ron looked up, “What’s that sound?”

Hermione replied, “Sounds like a helicopter. Military-grade, if I’m not mistaken. I’d recognise that sound anywhere. My house is fairly close to a military base back in Great Britain.”

Zoe grit her teeth as she drove, “They know the van. We have to abandon it.”

Grover had a hopeful tone in his voice, “Maybe the military will shoot it down.’

Annabeth shook her head, “‘The military probably thinks it’s one of theirs. How can the General use mortals, anyway?’

Zoe spat out, “Mercenaries. Tis’ distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid.”

Hermione asked, “But don’t these mortals see who they’re working for? Don’t they notice all the monsters around them?”

Zoë shook her head. “I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters.”

The chopper was steadily gaining on them when Bianca pointed. She exclaimed, “There! That parking lot! Trust me.”

Zoë shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. They ditched the van and followed Bianca down some steps.

She hurriedly exclaimed, “Subway entrance. Let’s go south. Alexandria.”

They quickly paid for their tickets and were soon aboard a southbound train. When then train finally came above the ground, they spotted the helicopter once again. Luckily, it was busy circling the parking lot.

Bianca grinned, “I remembered that there was a subway station here. I guess a lot has changed in nearly 50 years.”

Thalia, Ron and Hermione looked at her in confusion. Then it clicked for Percy, “Oh right, I forgot that you three weren’t there. Back when Annabeth, Harry, Grover and I were retrieving the Lightning Bolt, we happened to enter the Lotus Hotel and Casino. That place was a time trap. When you’re doing something fun, time flies. Only, that place took it way too literally. Bianca and Nico had been in there since the 1940s. It was only a stroke of luck that Harry happened to bump into them.”

Bianca nodded, “Yeah, anyway, as I was saying. When Nico and I lived here as kids, there was no subway.”

Just then, there was a familiar chopping sound and it was getting louder. Exchanging looks of alarm, they got up from their seats and hurried down the train. They disembarked at the next station and boarded another train. The process of changing trains occurred twice in the span of half an hour until they finally lost the helicopter for good.

---

Unfortunately, the way the world works was that good news was always followed by bad news. The bad news was that the last train they took, dropped them off at the end of the line. The surrounding area revealed itself to be an industrial district.

The location seemed to be nothing but warehouses and train tracks. Percy and the group wandered around the railway yard and saw nothing but freight cars for miles. They were also fairly alone, except for a homeless ragamuffin in front of a trashcan fire. He beckoned the group over, “Hey! Come on over! It’s going to get dark soon, and trust me, nights can get rather chilly!”

The group was pretty miserable. Ron complained, “Bloody hell. This is just perfect. We’re stuck out here in the middle of bloody nowhere and we’re no closer to finding Harry!”

The group were silent as the redhead continued to rant. Finally, the homeless man piped up, “I don’t mean to pry, but I couldn’t help but notice that you’re in a bit of a pickle. You think you’re alone and friendless, but that ain’t further from the truth. You lot need a train going west? There’s one over yonder.”

They turned and noticed a new freight train, gleaming and chuffing. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

Thalia mumbled, “That’s convenient…”

Percy shot her a dry look, “You really want to look a gift horse in the mouth? Come on! Let’s get on before it leaves without us!”

In 15 minutes, Zoe and Bianca were sleeping in a 1991 Lexus S140. Meanwhile, Grover and Ron were in a Lamborghini Diablo. Hermione was busy geeking out in a McLaren F1 and finally, Thalia and Annabeth were in an SLK Mercedes. Percy joined the latter two in the Mercedes. Thalia was busy headbanging to a heavy metal song, the name which had currently escaped his lips.

The trio listened to the song in silence for a while. After it ended, Annabeth turned off the radio, a clear sign that they needed to talk. She said, “Listen, when I was eavesdropping on Luke and the General, they said that you two were the targets. Specifically Thalia. Their plan was to isolate her so that this monster, whatever it is, would appear in front of her.”

The punk girl grumped, “Wonderful. I love being used as bait. What’s worse is that the destination is most likely San Francisco.”

Annabeth made a face, “Ughh. It just had to be there of all places.”

He was puzzled, “Why? What’s so bad about San Francisco?”

Annabeth explained, “The Mist is really thick there because the Mountain of Despair is so near. Titan magic – what’s left of it – still lingers. Monsters are attracted to that area like you wouldn’t believe.”

His confusion grew, “Mountain of Despair?

Thalia raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t know? Ask Zoë. She’s the expert.”

“What’s your deal with her anyway?”

Annabeth’s eyes widened and she shook her head furiously. Thalia’s eyes got dangerously bright and Percy was mentally cursing his big mouth. After a fearful minute, she just sighed, “Fine, I guess you deserve to know. They tried to recruit me into their ranks. Luke, Annabeth and I ran into them while we were on the run. Zoe tried to convince me and I was almost sold on the deal. The only problem was that I would have to leave Luke. We got into a fight. She told me I was being stupid. That I’d regret my choice and that Luke would let me down some day.”

He was about to speak up but Annabeth shot him a warning look. So he changed his mind, “I’m going to go check on the others. See how they’re holding up.”

Zoe and Bianca were asleep, Hermione left her McLaren and joined Ron and Grover. So he spent time with the three of them. The wizard and witch stared forlornly at their destroyed weapons as Percy told them that they were beyond repair. They talked for a while until Grover also went to sleep. They looked up at the night sky and she asked, “Not going to sleep?”

He grumbled, “Sometimes I hate sleeping. I’m scared of what I might dream of when I actually sleep.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted them. It said, “Oh, don’t be afraid of dreams.”

They whipped their heads to see the homeless guy from the railway yard. He was casually leaning against a support beam and there was a dark-haired woman next to him. His jeans were so worn out they were almost white. His coat was ripped, with stuffing coming out. Meanwhile, she was more formally dressed.

Ron scrambled to his feet, “Lady Hecate! W-what are you doing here? And who the bloody hell are you and how did you get here? I thought that you were back in the train yard!”

The man ignored him, “If it weren’t for dreams. I wouldn’t know half the things I know about the future. They’re better than Olympus tabloids.”

The man then threw up his hands dramatically,

“Dreams like a podcast!

Downloading truth in my ears!

They tell me cool stuff!”

Percy blurted, “Apollo!”

He put his finger to his lips and winked. ‘I’m incognito. Call me Lester.”

The demigod said incredulously, ‘A god named Lester?’”

He shrugged, “Eh, well… Zeus insists on certain rules. Hands off, when there’s a human quest. And it’s still less on the nose than Cathee. Even when something really major is wrong. But nobody messes with my baby sister and my favourite nephew. Nobody.”

Ron asked, “Can you help us, then?”

He shot them a conspiratorial wink, “Shhh. I already have. Haven’t you been looking outside?”

Hermione was taken aback, “The train. How fast are we moving?”

Apollo chuckled, “Fast enough. Unfortunately, we’re running out of time. It’s almost sunset. But I imagine we’ll get you across a good chunk of America, at least.”

Percy asked, “Lord Apollo, do you have any idea where Artemis is?”

The god frowned and his face darkened, “I know a lot, and I see a lot. But even I don’t know that. She’s… clouded from me. I don’t like it. Same with Harry. Always liked that kid.”

He pressed further, “What about the monster Artemis was seeking? Do you know what it is?”

He replied, “No, But there is one who might. If you haven’t yet found the monster when you reach San Francisco, seek out Nereus, the old man of the sea. He has a long memory and a sharp eye. He has the gift of knowledge that is sometimes kept obscure from my Oracle.”

Then Hecate held out her hand, “Mr Weasley, Ms Granger, may I see your wands?”

They silently handed their wands over and watched as she chanted in Ancient Greek. A couple of bright flashes later, she smiled and handed them back, “I have removed the Trace from your wands. You two are free to use magic on this quest. I did the same for Mr. Potter much earlier, and I’ll give you the same warning I gave him… ‘Do. Not. Abuse this privilege. Additionally, your wands can also turn into your preferred weapons, and they are unbreakable.”

They both bowed, “That you Lady Hecate.”

Then Apollo straightened up, “Well… We have to leave you. Good luck and I expect a haiku about your journey!”

He snapped his fingers and Percy felt his eyes close. When the group woke up early the next morning, the train was just pulling into the town of Cloudcroft, New Mexico. The group walked around for some time and he filled everyone in on his conversation with Apollo.

---

By the time they reached the city centre, there was a bit of a dark mood hanging over the group. Thalia scowled, “Great… No taxis, no car rentals… We’re screwed. Unless somebody knows how to hotwire a car.”

Fortunately, the grocery store clerk was very helpful. According to her, if they headed to Alamogordo at the bottom of the mountains, they could hail a taxi. After a while, they decided to get some breakfast outside a coffee shop.

As she took a bite out of a bagel, Zoe spoke, “Grover, can you perform that tracking spell of yours?”

The satyr chewed on his bran muffin, including the wrapper, “I think I can. I just need to-”

Suddenly, he froze and everyone glanced at him in concern. Then they all felt something. Something akin to a warm breeze, like a gust of springtime in the middle of summer. Fresh air seasoned with wildflowers and sunshine. And something else – almost like a voice, trying to say something. A warning.

Zoë gasped. "Grover, thy cup."

Grover dropped his coffee cup, which was decorated with pictures of birds. Suddenly the birds peeled off the cup and flew away – a tiny flock of doves.

He collapsed, next to his spilt coffee and the group tried desperately to wake him up. Thalia glanced over her shoulder and cursed, “Damnit! We need to get out of here. We’ve got company.”

Sure enough, they could spot a few skeleton warriors in the distance, The skeletons were wearing blue New Mexico State Police uniforms. The warriors stopped at a distance, and then drew their handguns.

Thalia tapped her bracelet. Aegis spiralled to life on her arm, but the warriors didn’t flinch. Her actions did spur the others into drawing their own weapons. Jackson hissed, “What about Grover?”

Ron stepped up, “I got this!”

He pointed his wand at the downed satyr, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

Grover immediately began to float in the air and The group tried to move, with his still body floating behind them. Unfortunately, more skeleton warriors appeared and surrounded them. Then one of the warriors raised a cell phone to his mouth and spoke into it.

Except he wasn’t speaking. He made a clattering, clicking sound, like dry teeth on bone. A chill ran down Percy's spine as he figured out that the skeletons had called for backup.

From his position in the air, Grover’s eyes snapped open and he moaned, “It’s near! The gift. The gift from the Wild.”

The feeling came back once again, but Percy ignored it and charged. The first skeleton fired a bullet, and Annabeth screamed in fear. To everyone’s amazement, he deflected it with his sword, The skeleton drew a baton, but he didn’t give him time to attack. The boy sliced off the skeleton’s arms at the elbows and then sliced his enemy through the waist and cut him in half.

With that, the skeleton’s bones unknitted and clattered to the tarmac in a heap. Almost immediately, they began to move, reassembling themselves. Percy went to town on the skeletons until one shot him in the back.

“Percy!’ Thalia and Annabeth screamed.

He landed face-down in the street, but immediately realized that he was still alive. The impact of the bullets had been dull, like a push from behind, but they hadn’t hurt.

Annabeth gasped, “The Nemean Lion’s fur! He’s bullet-proof!”

All the others, with the exception of Ron and Grover, charged. The former was still keeping up his spell, and the latter was still airborne, holding his hands out, as if he wanted to hug the trees.

Suddenly, one skeleton lunged at Bianca and she whipped out a hunting knife borrowed from Zoe. She stabbed the skeleton in the chest and it erupted in flames, leaving a pile of ashes and a police badge.

The fight stopped briefly and everyone stared at her. She nervously chuckled, “Maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of Hades?”

Annabeth shrugged, “Makes sense.”

By then, the remaining skeletons were wary of her. As they retreated, Hermione asked, “Do we have a plan?”

Annabeth grunted, “Working on it.”

The trees behind the skeletons were shivering. Branches were cracking. Then, with a mighty roar, a ten-meter high boar with a snotty pink snout and canoe-sized tusks, burst out.

“REEEEEEEEET!” it squealed, and raked the surviving skeletons aside with its tusks. The force was so great they went flying over the trees and into the side of the mountain, where they smashed to pieces, thigh bones and arm bones twirling everywhere.

From his vantage point, Grover yelled, “Don’t kill it! It’s a blessing from the wild!”

Zoe grit her teeth, “That’s the Erymanthian Boar. I don’t think we can kill it.”

It charged and everyone dived out of the way. The beast came back for another round and the group split up. Thalia raised her shield, and only succeeded in enraging it further. The boar chased her and Jackson up the hill. On the other side, Percy spotted a stretch of train tracks and dragged Thalia along.

Just ahead was a tunnel and beyond that was an old trestle bridge spanning a gorge. They sprinted into the tunnel and came out on the other side until Thalia screeched to a stop.

“No!” she screamed.

She’d turned as white as ice as the two of them stood at the edge of the bridge. Below, the mountain dropped away into a gorge about twenty metres below.

The boar was right behind us.

He tugged on her arm, “Come on! It’ll hold our weight, probably.”

She shrank back, “I can’t.”

The boar smashed into the covered tunnel, tearing through at full speed.

“Now!” he yelled at Thalia.

She looked down and swallowed. He could swear that she was turning green.

Then he made a snap decision and tackled her. That sent them both sideways off the edge of the bridge, into the side of the mountain. They slid down the mountainside on Aegis. As for the boar, it charged onto the trestle, which buckled under its weight. On cue, it fell into the gorge with an almighty squeal.

As the two slid to a stop, he glanced at her, “You’re afraid of heights?”

She growled, “Breathe a word to anyone and I will electrocute you, Kelp Head.”

A few minutes later, the rest of the gang joined them. Fortunately, less dangerously, as Ron and Hermione levitated everyone down. They glanced at the boar, which was now out cold.

“A blessing of the Wild,” Grover mused.

Zoe nodded, “I agree. We must use it.”

Thalia walked up, having just been healed by Hermione, “Hold up. Explain to me why you’re so sure this pig is a blessing.”

Grover looked over, distracted. “It’s our ride west. Do you have any idea how fast this boar can travel?”

Jackson grinned, “Fun. Like… pig cowboys.”

The satyr sighed, “Let’s go. I just wish we had more time. Sadly, it’s gone now.”

One-by-one, they mounted its hairy back. Then Ron used his wand to conjure an apple and float it in front of the boar. The boar went nuts, straining to get it.

Annabeth grinned, “Automatic steering. Great.”

Hermione still looked a bit puzzled, “What did Grover mean? This wild blessing.”

Zoe replied, “I know about it. Did you not feel it in the wind? It was so strong… I never thought I would sense that presence again.”

Ron asked, “What presence?”

She glanced at the witch and wizard, “The Lord of the Wild, of course. Just for a moment, in the arrival of the boar, I felt the presence of Pan.”

---

Just like that, they set off once again. The ride was uncomfortable for a few minutes until Hermione solved the issue with a few Cushioning Charms. The task fell on her, because Ron was preoccupied with floating the apple in front of the boar.

The beast kept on running till sunset and the scenery whizzed by. The mountains faded into the distance and were replaced by miles of flat dry land. The grass and scrub brush got sparser until they were galloping across the desert.

As night fell, the boar came to a stop at a creek bed and snorted. He started drinking the muddy water, then ripped a saguaro cactus out of the ground and chewed it, needles and all.

Grover called out, “This is our stop. It’s as far as he will go. Let’s get off while he’s eating.”

They complied and watched as the boar ripped up three cacti before it galloped back towards the east. When the questors turned back, they spotted a two-lane road half blown over with sand. On the other side of the road was a cluster of buildings too small to be a town: a boarded-up house, a taco shop that looked pretty ancient, and a white stucco post office with a sign that said GILA CLAW, ARIZONA hanging crooked above the door.

Just beyond that was a range of hills made of old cars, appliances and other bits and bobs of scrap metal. Grover sniffed the wind and had a nervous look on his face. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand, then played his pipes. They rearranged themselves in a pattern, that looked odd.

Ron had a peek and he grimaced, “Oh that’s not good.”

Hermione shot him an odd look, “You can tell?”

He snapped, “Oi! I do pay attention in Trelawney’s classes! Also helps that Harry also knew a few things about Divination.”

She raised her hands in defence, “Okay, okay… I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Grover ignored the bickering and gestured to everyone to gather around. He pointed to a small cluster of acorns, “That’s us right there.”

Then Ron pointed to another cluster, “That one looks like trouble. Not sure what it is, though.”

Annabeth guessed, “Monsters?”

Grover shook his head, “I don’t smell anything, which doesn’t make sense. But the acorns don’t lie. Our next challenge lies in that junkyard.”

With night falling, they opted to camp out over there. As they lay in sleeping bags, Zoe pointed to the sky, “Look, the stars are out.”

Bianca gazed in wonder, “Amazing! I’ve never actually seen the Milky Way.“

Zoe let out a soft snort, “Tis nothing. In the old days, there were more. Whole constellations have disappeared because of light pollution from the mortals.

Hermione mused, “You talk like you’re not human.”

Zoe turned her head towards the witch. “I am a Hunter. I care what happens to the wild places of the world. Can the same be said for thee?”

Thalia grumpily corrected, “For you, not thee.”

The Hunter protested, “But you use you for the beginning of a sentence.”

Thalia continued, “And for the end. No thou. No thee. Just you.”

Zoë threw up her hands in exasperation, “I hate this language. It changes too often!”

Grover brayed mournfully, “If only Pan were here, he would set things right. He sent us help. I don’t know how or why. But it was his presence. After this quest is done, I’m going back to New Mexico. It’s the best lead we’ve got in two thousand years. I was so close.”

---

Unfortunately, sleep was not an option, as a blinding pair of headlights hit them. Everyone rolled out of the way as a white limousine slid to a stop in front of them. The limousine’s back door opened, and the next thing that anyone knew, Jackson found a sword pointed at his throat. Zoe immediately drew her bow, followed by the others.

A familiar figure stepped out of the limousine with a cruel grin on his face. He sneered, “Not so fast now, are you, punk?”

Percy growled, “Ares.”

The god glanced at the others, who were pointing their weapons at him. He simply snapped his fingers and said, “At ease, people.”

On cue, their weapons fell to the ground in unison. Ares dug the sword a little deeper, “This is a friendly meeting. Of course I’d like to take your head for a trophy, but someone wants to see you. And I never behead my enemies in front of a lady.”

Ron blurted, “What lady?”

Ares shot him a cursory glance, “Oh… you’re one of Hecate’s eh? Never thought I’d see the day. The Grindelwald war was always one of my favourites. Though I had to admit, that Killing Curse of yours is cheating. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good death, but that instant death crap just robs the fun out of it. Now the Torture Curse… That’s a fun one. Anyway, my guest wants to see the Jackson brat. Why don’t you all go get some tacos while you wait? Only take Percy a few minutes.”

The others looked defiant, but Percy reassured them, “Go on, I’ll handle this.”

They reluctantly headed to the taco joint, which had miraculously opened. As Ares ushered him inside, he snarled, “Get inside, punk. And mind your manners. She’s not as forgiving of rudeness as I am.”

When he entered, the first thing that greeted him was the most drop dead gorgeous woman he had ever seen. She was wearing a red satin dress and her hair was curled in a cascade of ringlets. Her face was the most beautiful that he has ever seen: perfect makeup, dazzling eyes, a smile that would’ve lit up the dark side of the moon.

“Ah, there you are, Percy,” the goddess said in a melodious voice. “I am Aphrodite.’

He slid into the seat across from her and babbled like an idiot.

She smiled, “Aren’t you sweet. Hold this, please.”

She handed him a polished mirror the size of a dinner plate and dabbed at her lipstick. Aphrodite asked, “Do you know why you’re here?”

Percy stammered and she continued, “Let me rephrase. Why are you on this quest?”

He replied, “Artemis and Harry have been captured.”

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, “Oh, Artemis. Please. Talk about a hopeless case. I mean, if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she should at least be breathtakingly beautiful, don’t you think? I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!”

He protested, “But she was chasing a monster. A really, really bad monster. We have to find it! She was also looking for Harry!”

She tutted, “Always some monster. But, Harry… He is my concern. Did you know, when that silly Dark Lord went to kill him, his mortal mother invoked a protection ritual? That was one of mine. Let me tell you, there is nothing more powerful in the world, that a mother’s love. Especially when the mother is willing to lay down her own life to save her child. That actually tugged at my heartstrings. I don’t I cried that hard since I watched Casablanca. But with that ritual, that made Harry, my champion. Now, Artemis and I don’t normally see eye-to-eye, but even her own mission was to find Harry. That’s the love of a mother for you.“

She looked outside the window, “Now, run along. And do be careful in my husband’s territory. Don’t take anything. He is awfully fussy about his trinkets.”

He was about to ask what she meant, when Ares opened the door and yanked him out. He growled, “You’re lucky, punk. Be grateful that we’re being so nice. If it was up to me-”

Percy shot back, “So why haven’t you killed me?”

Ares nonchalantly said, ”I’d love to kill you, seriously. But, see, I got a situation. Word on Olympus is that you might start the biggest war in history. I can’t risk messing that up. Besides, Aphrodite is really invested in that Potter brat and she is hoping that you save him. I kill you, that means that you won't be able to have Potter. Then makes me look bad with her. But don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten my promise. Someday soon, kid – real soon – you’re going to raise your sword to fight, and you’re going to remember the wrath of Ares.”

He snapped his fingers, and Percy fell to the ground. When he recovered, the limousine had vanished, and the place was a ghost town once again.

Annabeth came over, “So who was it, that you were talking to, Seaweed Brain?”

“Aphrodite.”

Bianca chipped in, “What did she want with you?”

He saw no reason to lie, “Well, she said that she was just as invested in this quest as we are. Apparently, Harry is her champion, whatever that means. She also said that we had to be careful in her husband’s junkyard. Don’t pick up anything from there.”

Annabeth mused, “At one point, I would not have believed you. Aphrodite likes to toy with people’s emotions, but I know that she has a soft spot for Harry.”

Ron interrupted, “So, how do we get out of here?”

Zoe pointed, “That way. That is west.”

Ron was gobsmacked, “How can you tell?”

She replied, “Ursa Major is in the north. Which means that must be west. Come on, it looks like rest shall have to wait for a while.”

Slowly, they trekked to the junkyard. When they entered, that was when the scale truly hit them. Piles of metal objects glinted in the moonlight. They ranged from broken heads of bronze horses to metal legs of human statues, chariots, shields, swords, and other paraphernalia.

Ron was awestruck, “Blimey! Is that real gold?”

Thalia grimly said, “It is. Like Percy said, don’t touch anything. This is the junkyard of the gods.”

They slowly climbed the junk hills without too many incidents. The only significant one was when Annabeth smacked a broken crown from Grover’s hands before he could take a bite. Bianca picked up a silver Hunter’s bow, which turned into a hairclip. However, Zoe made her put it down.

In all honesty, it was very difficult to avoid picking up something. It got to a point where Ron and Hermione threatened to use Stunning Spells on everyone. Eventually, the edge of the junkyard beckoned, about half a mile away. To make matters even better, there was a highway in the distance, but in between them was a massive structure that resembled a set of toes.

Zoe, Annabeth and Thalia immediately came to a consensus, “Let’s go around. Far around.”

Then, Grover scared the crap out of everyone when he flicked a piece of scrap metal at the toes. After several more minutes of walking, they finally neared the highway. Zoe sighed in relief, “We made it out! Thank the gods!”

Suddenly, there was a deafening metallic sound from behind them. The group spun around to see the ten toes tilting. Connected to the toes, was a bronze giant in full Greek battle armour. He was impossibly tall – a skyscraper with legs and arms. He gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. He looked down at us, and his face was deformed. The left side was partially melted off. His joints creaked with rust, and across his armoured chest, written in thick dust by some giant finger, were the words WASH ME.

Zoe paled, “Talos! One of Hephaestus’ creations! Must be a… what do you call it… a prototype. It’s too small to be the original.”

Talos moved one hand to his sword belt and drew his weapon. The sound of it coming out of its sheath was horrible, metal screeching against metal. The blade was thirty metres long, easy. It looked rusty and dull, but I didn’t figure that mattered. Getting hit with that thing would be like getting hit with a battleship.

Zoe yelled, “Someone took something. Who took something?”

She glanced at Percy, who quickly shook his head. He exclaimed, “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a thief.”

However, he couldn’t help but notice that Bianca looked guilty. Meanwhile, Talos took a giant step towards them and everyone scattered. Thalia drew her shield and the giant swung his sword, taking out several power lines. Zoe’s arrows and Ron’s spear clattered harmlessly against Talos’ face and body.

Percy made his way to Bianca, “You took the bow, didn’t you?”

She yelped, “I didn’t take the bow! Besides, its too late!”

Then the area around them darkened as Talos’ foot came down, and the two bolted immediately. Then, Bianca dug out a small metal figurine with trembling fingers. She stammered, “It was for Nico. The only figurine he didn’t have.”

She dropped the figurine, but the giant’s rampage didn’t stop. Thalia took her own spear and a blue arc of lightning shot out, striking the giant in the knee. It staggered and fell before getting up to rise again. Then Annabeth yelled, “Percy! Look at the foot!”

There was a hole in his heel, like a large manhole, and there were red words painted, reading FOR MAINTENANCE ONLY. They reconvened with Ron and Hermione, who were shooting out spells. Percy said, “I have an idea, a crazy one. There’s a hatch for maintenance! “There may be a way to control the thing. Switches or something.”

Hermione shrieked, “How? You’ll have to stand under its foot! You’ll be crushed.’

He explained, “Distract it. I’ll just have to time it right.”

Bianca’s jaw tightened. “No. I’ll go.”

He looked at her in askance, “Are you sure?”

She nodded firmly, “It’s my fault the monster came after us. It’s my responsibility.”

Ron replied, “I don’t like this, but we’ve got no choice. If this goes tits up-”

However, Bianca broke into a sprint. She got right next to the giant’s foot, trying to balance herself on the metal scraps that swayed and shifted with his weight. Jackson ran up to its big toe and stabbed it in the foot. Talos looked down at the gash and raised his foot.

He didn’t have time to check on Bianca, but just turned and ran for it. Talos looked for a new target and saw Grover trip and fall. The monster raised his sword to smash Grover. Then he froze.

Talos cocked his head to one side, like he was hearing strange new music. He started moving his arms and legs in weird ways, before making a fist and punching himself in the face.

“Go, Bianca!” Percy whooped.

Zoë looked horrified. “She is inside?”

The monster staggered around, and the son of Poseidon realised that the danger was still there. He, Annabeth and Thalia grabbed Grover and ran with him towards the highway.

The giant hit itself in the head again and dropped his sword. A shudder ran through his whole body and he staggered towards the power lines. Suddenly, Hermione raised her wand and bellowed, “Accio Bianca di Angelo!”

Nothing happened for a frightening few seconds. Then the hatch by the giant’s foot burst open and Bianca came flying out at high speed. Thankfully, Ron placed himself in front of Hermione and caught Bianca, sending them rolling on the ground. He wheezed, “You alright, mate?”

She didn’t speak for a few seconds and just took deep breaths. Then she said, “I’m okay, I’m okay. Thank you, both of you. I honestly thought I was going to die.”

Meanwhile, Talos began to come undone in a literal sense. Body parts kept falling until his crumbled to pieces. Zoe came running over and hauled Bianca to her feet before hugging her tightly and crying. She broke the hug and spoke in a thick voice, “I thought that I had lost thee. I do not know how I would have faced Harry if thou had perished. He cares for thou and Nico like his own siblings. Come, let us get away from this accursed place.”

Chapter 48

It took a while, but they eventually managed to find an old jeep, which was somehow still in working condition. Zoe drove for a while, but her hands were shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. If Ron had to guess, it was because she was still coming to terms with the fact that they had come close to losing Bianca.

After sometime, Thalia took pity on her and elected to take over driving duties. As a 15-year-old, she had a driving license, something that made Hermione a little jealous, because the minimum age in England was 17.

The good news was that the vehicle’s presence meant that they saved a lot of time and cut down on travel distance. However, the bad news was that they did not see any gas stations during the journey. So despite a full tank at the start of the journey, all that fuel eventually ran out and the jeep juddered to a halt by a river.

The group disembarked and scanned the horizon. There wasn’t much to see, except for desert in all directions, occasional clumps of barren mountains plopped here and there. The canyon was the only thing interesting. The river itself wasn’t very big, maybe fifty metres across, green water with a few rapids, but it carved a huge scar out of the desert. The rock cliffs dropped away below them.

Just then, Grover pointed, “Look! There’s a path over there!”

Percy looked at him incredulously, “That’s a goat path, dude. Not all of us are goats.”

He argued, “We can make it! I think…”

Percy stole a quick glance at Thalia, who had gone pale. Knowing his friend’s fear of heights, he knew what to do. He firmly said, “We’ll go upstream. Buddy, not all of us are as sure-footed as goats.”

Hermione also squeaked fearfully, “I’m scared of heights! Sorry Grover, but I vote against the goat path.”

He raised his hands placatingly, “That’s okay, I’m not offended. We’ll head down the river.”

Percy thought he heard Thalia sigh in relief. They walked for about half a mile until they lucked out and stumbled upon a canoe rental station. Percy left a wad of bills on the empty counter with a note, “I.O.U. Four canoes.”

Ron and Hermione hopped in one, Annabeth and Thalia snagged another, Grover hopped in with Bianca, which left Zoe stuck with Percy. The Hunter examined the ground before speaking, “We need to go upstream.”

Hermione looked at her in shock, “But the rapids are too swift!”

Percy grinned, “We’re going to be fine. I’m pretty good in the water.”

Just before they boarded, Thalia pulled him aside, “Thanks for suggesting the river.”

He shot her a small thumbs up, “Not a problem.”

---

The best part of this trip was that his expertise was not needed. When he peered down the side, he spotted a few naiads.

They made a bubbling sound that may have been giggling. Though he was not too sure. He may have had no problems understanding sea creatures, but naiads were another story.

He tried to telepathically send a message, “We’re heading upstream. Do you think you could –“

Percy never got to finish because the naiads each chose a canoe and began pushing them up the river. They were going so fast that Grover fell into his canoe with his hooves sticking up in the air. Ron would have sniggered at the sight, except that he was in the same position.

Zoe grumbled, “I hate naiads”

On cue, a stream of water squirted up from the back of the boat and hit her in the face.

She went for her bow and snarled, “She-devils!”

He barely resisted the urge to restrain her, “Whoa! They’re just playing.”

“Cursed water spirits. They’ve never forgiven me.”

He tilted his head in confusion, “Forgiven you for what?”

She slung her bow back over her shoulder. “It was a long time ago. Never mind.”

An awkward silence hung around them. Finally he said, “We’ll find Harry, and Lady Artemis.”

She sighed, “It isn’t Harry I’m worried about. He can take care of himself. I should know, I helped my lady Artemis raise him since he was a year old, until he was six. I was talking about Bianca. I thank the gods that Ronald and Hermione were there and used their magic. Had she perished, I would have never forgiven myself. Nor would I have had the strength to face Harry. Like I told her, he cares deeply for her and her brother, like they were his own siblings.”

After a while, he absently took Riptide out of his pocket. Zoe spotted the pen and had pained look on her face. He glanced at her and it dawned on him, “You made this. Didn’t you?”

Her voice had a slight edge to it, “Who told thee?”

He hurriedly blurted, “I had a dream about it. Back when we were on the Sun West Line.”

She studied him carefully and finally spoke, “It was a gift. And a mistake.”

He curiously asked, “Who was the hero?”

Zoe fought down a scowl, ”Do not make me say his name. I swore never to speak it again.”

He hesitantly said, “Should I know him?”

She scoffed, “You should, hero. Don’t all you boys want to be just like him?”

Her voice held such bitterness that he elected to change the subject. He continued, “If I’m not mistaken, your mother was a water goddess?”

She nodded, “Yes, Pleoine. She had five daughters. My sisters and I. The Hesperides.”

“Those were the girls who lived in a garden at the edge of the West. With the golden apple tree, and a dragon guarding it.”

She had a wistful look on her face, “Yes. Ladon.”

Percy replied, “I was under the impression that there were only four sisters.”

Her sigh grew deeper, “There are now. I was exiled. Forgotten. Blotted out as if I never existed.”

He was curious, “Why?”

She gestured towards his pen, “Because I betrayed my family and helped a hero. You won’t find that in the legend either. He never spoke of me. After his direct assault on Ladon failed, I gave him the idea of how to steal the apples, how to trick my father, but he took all the credit.”

The answer slowly dawned on him, but his thoughts were interrupted the naiads, who had stopped and dragged their canoes to the shore. The group disembarked and suddenly, there was an excited squeal from Annabeth. She cheered, “Oh my gods! It’s the Hoover Dam!”

Percy rolled his eyes and shot her a fond look, “Over two hundred metres tall, built in the 1930s.”

Thalia spoke up next, “Holds over five million cubic acres of water.”

Grover also sighed, “Largest construction project in the United States.”

Annabeth finished off for them, “Was renamed the Boulder Dam during the Roosevelt administration. But the original name was restored in 1947.”

Zoe stared in shock, “How do you know all that?!”

Annabeth’s cheeks reddened, “I-er, I like architecture.”

Thalia grinned, slung an arm around the blonde and ruffled her hair, “Wise Girl here, is nuts about monuments.”

Grover also laughed, “Loves spouting facts all the time. Gets annoying at times, but we love her for it!”

Annabeth fixed her hair and then grabbed Percy by the arm and began dragging him, “Come on Seaweed Brain! Let’s go visit! I’ve been dying to see the dam and I am not letting this opportunity slip through my fingers!”

The rest had no choice but to follow the pair. They trekked for a while before stumbling upon a path leading up to the road. Grover soon began sniffing the wind and he looked nervous.

Percy glanced at him, “How close are they?”

He shrugged, “Maybe not close. The wind on the dam, the desert all around us… the scent can probably carry for miles. But it’s coming from several directions. I don’t like that.”

Thalia quickened her pace, “There’s a snack bar in the visitor’s centre. I’ve been here once to see the guardians.”

She pointed to the far end of the dam. Carved into the side of the cliff was a little plaza with two big bronze statues.

The daughter of Zeus continued, “They were dedicated to Zeus when the dam was built. A gift from Athena.”

Tourists were clustered all around them. They seemed to be looking at the statues’ feet.

Ron frowned in confusion, “What are they doing?”

“Rubbing the toes,” Thalia said. “They think it’s good luck.”

“Blimey, these people are crazy!”

Zoe gestured, “Let us find the dam snack bar. We should eat while we can.”

Grover fought down a snicker, “The dam snack bar?”

Zoë blinked, “Yes. What is funny?”

“Nothing,” Grover said, trying to keep a straight face. “I could use some dam French fries.”

Everyone else began to grin and Thalia continued the joke, “And I need to use the dam restroom.’

Annabeth helpfully supplied, “I need to use the dam water fountain.”

Bianca wheezed, “I want to buy a dam T-shirt.”

Suddenly, Percy froze up and Annabeth looked at him in askance, “What’s wrong?”

He tried to reassure her, “Nothing, nothing. You guys go on ahead, I need to check something out.“

The blonde girl eyed him carefully before shrugging and going with the others, though Grover was also looking around. As soon as they were out of sight, Percy jogged to the north edge of the dam and peered over. Sure enough, Bessie the cow serpent was trying to get his attention.

He loudly whispered, “What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you get here? I thought I told you to stay in Long Island, where it is safe.”

She swam in a circle and motioned as if she wanted him to come with her. He shook his head, “I can’t. My friend are inside.”

With a disappointed moo, she flipped and dove back underwater. Suddenly, he tensed and the hair on his arms stood on end. He turned his head to see the end of the road and spotted two men in the distance. They both wore camouflage outfits that flickered over skeletal bodies.

---

Backing away, Percy turned and ran for the visitor’s centre. The situation got worse when a black van screeched to a stop on the west side of the dam. More skeletal warriors poured out from the open doors. Wasting no time, Percy dashed into the museum entrance. He stopped long enough to get checked in, but eventually made it inside safely.

He spotted a nearby tour group and stealthily merged into it as they entered an elevator. The cheerful tour guide, a woman with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and sunglasses, said, “We’ll be going down two hundred and twenty-two metres. Don’t worry, ladies and gentlemen, the elevator hardly ever breaks.”

He sheepishly raised a hand, “Hi, er… Where does this elevator go? I was supposed to meet some friends by the snack bar.”

The woman’s gaze was a little intimidating, “To the turbines, young man,’ the lady said. ‘Weren’t you listening to my fascinating presentation upstairs?”

“I actually just got here, so I must have missed it. Sorry…”

The doors opened, “Go right ahead, folks. Another ranger is waiting for you at the end of the corridor.”

As Percy was leaving, the tour guide called him. He turned back to see that she had taken off her shades, revealing that her eyes were startlingly grey, “Young man! There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it.”

Percy steadily made his way towards the departing tour group. Suddenly, he turned a corner and ran headlong into Ron. The redhead exclaimed, “Oofff! Sorry mate, you okay? Annabeth and Thalia sent me back in case you got lost. Come on, this way.”

They hurried through a tunnel carved out of solid rock. It seemed to run forever. The walls were moist, and the air hummed with electricity and the roar of water. He and Ron came out on a U-shaped balcony that overlooked this huge warehouse area. Fifteen metres below, enormous turbines were running. It was a big room, but neither of them spotted any exits.

Another tour guide was talking over the microphone, telling the tourists about water supplies in Nevada. They worked their way through the crowd and got to the opposite side of the balcony.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a sharp Chhh! like the voice of a skeleton, coming from right behind them. Without thinking, Percy uncapped Riptide and spun, slashing with his sword. The girl behind them would have been cleaved in half if Ron hadn’t caught the sword, inches from her waist. The girl yelped and dropped her Kleenex.

She snapped. “Oh my god! Do you always kill people when they blow their nose?”

Ron saw the girl for the first time and blurted, “Rachel?! What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

She looked at them in disbelief, “Me? I live here, dummy! What are YOU doing here? How did your friend get that sword past security?”

Percy was taken aback, “Wait, you know her? And you can see that it’s a sword?”

The girl had bright red hair, a few shades darker than Ron’s. She rolled her green eyes, “Well, duh… I’m his cousin from his mum’s side. Speaking of which, do uncle Arthur and aunt Molly know that you’re here? And of course I can see it’s a sword, weirdo. Who are you? And, whoa, what is that you’re wearing? Is that made of lion fur? Oh, I’m Rachel Elizabeth Prewitt. Or, it was, until mum married Warren Dare, so I’m officially Rachel Elizabeth Dare.”

She turned back to Ron, “Now, answer my questions or I will scream for security.”

Ron raised his arms in a panic, “No! Don’t! Listen, we need your help!”

Just then, she glanced over their shoulders and her eyes widened, “Bathroom! Behind me! Now!”

Without question, they slipped into the men’s bathroom and waited by the closed door. Percy tightened his grip on his sword, but Ron grabbed his arm, “Look mate, Rachel will be fine. She can sweet-talk her way out of anything.”

Outside, she began chattering rapidly, “Oh my god! Did you see that kid? It’s about time you got here. He tried to kill me! He had a sword, for god’s sake. You security guys let a sword-swinging lunatic inside a national landmark? I mean, jeez! He ran that way towards those turbine thingies. I think he went over the side or something. Maybe he fell.”

As the skeletons moved off, she whispered, “All clear, but you better hurry. What the bloody hell were those things? Th-they looked like skeletons. Ron, you owe me an explanation. Next week I’ll catch a flight to Britain and swing by for a visit. Do. Not weasel your way out of it. Got it, mister?”

He nodded and they bolted for the exit. As they ran, Percy asked, “So how’s Rachel related to you again?”

“Did Harry ever tell you about Squibs?”

“Yeah”

“Yeah well, her mum is a Squib, but Rachel has magic. Of course, since she’s based in America, she had the option of going to Ilvermorny.”

“Ilver-what?”

“Ilvermorny. It’s basically the American counterpart of Hogwarts. I think Harry also had the option to go there as well, but he chose Hogwarts instead. By the way, how the bloody hell did those skeletons catch up?”

“I didn’t stick around to ask them, dude!”

---

Finally, the two of them managed to burst into the cafeteria. The area was packed with kids, and they spotted their group. Percy ran up, “Guys, we need to leave, right now!”

Zoe glanced outside the café windows, that wrapped all the way round the observation floor. She cursed, “He’s right, look!.”

Percy counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols. Finally, the three who had been chasing him and Ron, emerged. Then the elevator dinged open to reveal the final three skeletons.

The questors huddled together, when Hermione suddenly had a brainwave. She subtly raised her wand to the nearest group of oblivious kids and whispered, “Confundo”.

On cue, one of the kids stood up and yelled, “Food Fight!”

From there the cafeteria descended into pandemonium. Grover grabbed a burrito and flung it at a skeleton. The impact knocked its head off, and the heroes took advantage of the chaos to escape. Percy looked at the beheaded skeleton and quipped, “Well… someone took ‘knocking your block off’ too literally.”

Annabeth groaned next to him as she sprinted, “Percy! That was a horrible joke! You’ve been hanging around Harry way too much, and his sense of humour is rubbing off on you!”

Thalia teased, “Yeah, you’re such a block head!”

Annabeth whipped her head back towards her other friend, “Oh no! You don’t have room to talk! YOU are even worse.”

Zoe yelled in frustration, “Tis’ not a good time for witty banter!”

Sure enough, she was right, as they burst onto the plaza with the winged bronze statues. Unfortunately, all exits were blocked off and the 11 skeletons began advancing threateningly.

Zoe muttered, “Four against eleven. And they cannot die.”

Ron simply blustered, “Umm, can’t we just sic Bianca on them? I mean, she managed to kill one of them.”

Said girl shot him an outraged look, “Excuse me! In case you hadn’t noticed, there are 11 of them and one of me! I’m not as good with a bow as Harry! Also, I almost freaking died! So do excuse me for not wanting to risk my life again so soon!”

Properly cowed, Ron stammered an apology. Meanwhile, Percy had been eyeing the statues’ toes, “Wow! Their toes are really bright.”

As he stared at the statues’ feet, he remembered what Thalia said about people rubbing them for good luck. Then he remembered the tour guide, and remembered why she was so familiar. Levelling his sword, he called to his friend, “Thalia! Pray to your dad!”

She glared at him, “He never answers!”

Annabeth caught on to what he was trying to do and began helping him convince her. For a few frightening moments, nothing happened. The skeletons advanced and they all hefted their weapons, ready for a final stand.

A shadow fell over the group, the shadow of an enormous wing. The skeletons looked up too late. A flash of bronze, and five skeletons, all of whom were wielding batons were swept aside.

The other skeletons opened fire. Percy raised his lion coat, but it was not needed. The bronze angels stepped in front of the eight of them and folded their wings like shields. Bullets pinged off them like rain off a corrugated roof. Both angels slashed outwards, and the skeletons went flying across the road.

The first angel spoke up in a tinny and rusty voice, “Man, it feels good to stand up!”

His buddy exclaimed, “Will you look at my toes? Holy Zeus, what were those tourists thinking?”

Thalia shook off her initial shock and called up to them, “Hi! Can you get us out of here?!”

“Both angels looked down at her. Zeus’s kid?"

“Yes!”

“Could we get a please, Miss Zeus’s Kid?”

“Please!”

The angels looked at each other and shrugged.

“Could use a stretch,” one decided.

A moment later, one of them grabbed Thalia, Annabeth, Percy and Ron. The other had picked up Zoe, Bianca, Grover and Hermione. With strong flaps of their wings, they flew straight up, over the dam and the river with their cargo. The skeleton warriors rapidly shrank to tiny specks and the sound of gunfire echoed off the sides of the mountains.

Thalia and Hermione were freaking out, but Ron solved that issue by stunning them with his wand. The angels were pretty fast, because in no time, Zoe yelled that they had passed the Sierras. At the rate at which they were travelling, they would reach San Francisco in a few hours.

The angel carrying Percy’s group cheered, “Hey, hey ‘Frisco! Yo, Chuck! We could visit those guys at the Mechanics Monument again! They know how to party!”

“Oh, man,” Chuck exclaimed,. “I am so there!”

Percy was incredulous, “You guys have visited San Francisco?.”

His statue taxi replied, “We automatons got to have some fun once in a while, right?’ our statue said. ‘Those mechanics took us over to the de Young Museum and introduced us to these marble lady statues, see. And –“

Chuck quickly interrupted, “Hank! They’re kids, man.’

Hank sounded very sheepish, “Oh, right. Back to flying.”

As they flew, Grover passed the time by playing his pipes. Meanwhile, Zoe began shooting arrows at random billboards. She was especially excited, every time they passed a Target department store.

Night soon fell and Percy tried his best to get some sleep, and somehow succeeded. Soon afterwards, Hank woke him and his group up at dawn, asking them to choose a landing spot.

Zoe called out, “Put us down by the Embarcadero Building.”

Before long, the eight were back on solid ground and Ron had revived Thalia and Hermione. Percy went over to see if the daughter of Zeus was alright. He shot her an encouraging smile, “You did good, back there. Zeus listened.”

She shrugged, “Maybe… I heard from Ron that both of you were trapped in the generator room. How did both of you get out?”

He motioned towards Ron, “Met a cousin of his. She’s also a witch and was able to see through the Mist.”

Thalia mused, “Some people are like that. Especially mortals. No one really knows why.”

Fortunately, the area around the Embarcadero building was empty, save for a random homeless man. Hermione quickly Obliviated him before he could kick up a fuss. They had finally reached the West Coast and were one step closer to finding Artemis and Harry.

---

Outside a local deli, Annabeth called for a strategy meeting. She explained, “I’ve been thinking. Maybe if we find out more about this mysterious monster, it could give us a clue. Who did we have to contact again?”

Percy spoke up, “Nereus. That’s what Apollo said, ‘Find the old man of the sea’. We have to find him and force him to tell us what he knows. But where do we look?”

Zoe screwed up her face in an expression of disgust, “Old Nereus, eh? I know him. My mother was a sea goddess. He’s not too hard to find, just follow the stench. Come, I will show thee.”

They followed her as she explained her plan, “The key to this is to appear as a homeless person. Nereus would not feel threatened under such a ruse.”

She glanced at Percy, “Perseus, thou art perfect as the one to play the role.”

He scowled, “Oh come on! Why me?”

“Thou art a son of Poseidon. You stand a better chance of identifying him. He never travels very far from the water. He likes to sun himself during the day. Sneak up, act homeless. You will easily identify him by his smell.”

He groaned, not liking the plan at all. Then Ron stepped up holding something in his hand, “Oi listen. I somehow discovered this in my bag. I’m guessing this is a pranking attempt from Fred and George. This is a Dung Bomb, and yes, it is exactly was it sounds like. Now, I’m going to throw it at your T-shirt.”

Percy growled, “Just get it over with.”

In a few minutes, he was dressed up in a ragged flannel shirt and jeans three sizes too big, bright red trainers and a floppy rainbow hat. Then Ron stood at a distance and lobbed the Dung Bomb at him, staining his clothes and emitting an awful stench. Seeing himself in the mirror, Percy would have guessed that Aphrodite would have burned these eyesores in a flash.

Zoe ignored the snickering from everyone else and led the way to the waterfront. After a long time spent searching the docks, Zoë finally stopped in her tracks. She pointed down a pier where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets, waiting for the soup kitchen to open for lunch. Percy grumbled, “I hate this plan.”

Plugging her nose Hermione said, “Sorry Percy, just bear with it for a while longer. I’ll clean it up afterwards, I promise.”

The son of Poseidon trudged down the pier, muttering curses under his breath. Looking around him, there were several homeless people milling about, but none looked or smelt off.

Finally, there was a really ancient-looking geezer passed out in a patch of sunlight. He wore pyjamas and a fuzzy bathrobe that probably used to be white. He was fat, with a white beard that had turned yellow, kind of like Santa Claus, if Santa had been rolled out of bed and dragged through a landfill.

Then the smell punched him in the face. The man smelt like hot seaweed, dead fish and brine. If the ocean had an ugly side… this guy was it.

Percy slipped into a seat next to him, trying not to gag. Santa cracked an eye open and stared suspiciously. To throw off suspicion, Percy muttered something about stupid school and stupid parents. Buying the ruse, Santa Claus went back to sleep.

Percy tensed and went over the plan in his head. There were some people milling about, and according to Ron, Muggle-Repelling Charms weren’t going to be taught until their Fifth Year. So the straight-up assault was definitely going to make him look bad. Nevertheless, Percy steeled himself and jumped Santa Claus.

Predictably, the man screamed, but somehow managed to grab Percy instead of the other way around. It was as if he’d never been asleep at all. He certainly didn’t act like a weak old man. He had a grip like steel.

A few passers-by noticed, but didn’t say anything as the two rolled around. They went tumbling down the pier and Percy’s head smacked a post. The impact dazed him for a few seconds and Nereus’ grip slackened. Realizing that he was trying to get away, Percy scrambled to his feet and tackled him from behind.

He wailed, “I don’t have any money!”

Percy called back, “I don’t want money! I’m a half-blood, I want information.”

Nereus struggled harder, “Heroes! Why do you always pick on me?”

“Because you know everything!”

He growled and wriggled even more, but Percy grit his teeth and squeezed tighter. The squabbling pair staggered towards the edge of the pier and an idea struck Percy.

He adopted a look of fake terror, “Oh, no! Not the water!”

The plan worked. Immediately, Nereus yelled in triumph and jumped off the edge. Together, they plunged into San Francisco Bay. Safe to say, he was in for the surprise of his life when Percy tightened his grip. As the son of Poseidon, the ocean filled him with extra strength. But Nereus had a few tricks left, too. He changed shape, turning into a sleek black seal.

Nereus plunged straight down, wriggling and thrashing and spiralling through the dark water. Percy kept holding on like his life depended on it. The old sea god wasn’t about to give up though, as he turned into a killer whale. Instantly, Percy latched onto his dorsal fin as he burst out of the water. Tourists standing by the pier, simply went wide-eyed and cheered.

Back underwater, Nereus turned into an eel. This time, Percy went for a different tactic. He started to tie him in a knot, and Nereus changed back into human form. He wailed, “Why won’t you drown!”

“I’m the son of Poseidon.”

He whined, “Curse that upstart! I was here first!”

In the end, he collapsed on the edge of the boat dock, heaving away. The others soon came rushing up to meet them. Hermione pointed her wand and dried him before casting a Scourgify Charm. Percy took an experimental sniff, and luckily, the stench was gone.

Nereus moaned, “Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation! The normal deal, I suppose? You’ll let me go if I answer your question?”

Percy replied, “I’ve got more than one question.”

The sea god said, “Only one question per capture! That’s the rule.”

Percy locked eyes with his friends, as if they were deciding what to ask. They needed to know whether Artemis or Harry were alive. They also needed to find out about the doomsday creature.

He sighed, “‘All right, Nereus. Tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting.”

The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.

“Oh, that’s too easy,” he said evilly. “He’s right there.”

Nereus pointed to the water around them.

Percy was confused, “Where?”

Nereus gloated, “The deal is complete!

With that, he turned into a goldfish and did a backflip into the sea.

In anger, Percy yelled, “Hey! You tricked me!”

Suddenly, Thalia exclaimed, “Wait. What is that?”

“MOOOOOOOO!”

Percy glanced down to see the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. The creature nudged his shoe and gave him the sad brown eyes. The boy sighed, “Oh Bessie, not now, buddy.”

The cow serpent mooed again and Grover translated, “He says his name isn’t Bessie.”

Annabeth asked, “You can understand him?”

Grover nodded, “It’s a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus.”

Hermione repeated, “The Ophi-what?”

Thalia explained, “It means serpent bull in Greek. But what’s it doing here?”

The bull-serpent responded, “Moooooooo!”

Once again, Grover translated, “He says Percy is his protector. And he’s running from the bad people. He says they are close.”

Zoe looked at him suspiciously, “Wait… You know this cow?”

He nodded, “Yeah… Remember when Blackjack, my pegasus, carried me off somewhere? I had to rescue this fellow after he got caught in a net.”

Then, Zoe stood ramrod straight, “I am a fool! I know this story! From the war of the Titans. My… My father told me this tale millennia ago. This is the beast that My Lady was hunting.”

Ron leaned down and stroked the Ophiotaurus, “But… this thing’s too cute to destroy the world.”

Zoe explained, “Nay, not on its own. It can only happen through a sacrifice.”

The cow serpent slithered a bit uncomfortably. Percy reached over and scratched the sea creature’s ear, and it leaned into his touch.

The Hunter continued, “There is power in killing innocence. Terrible power. The Fates ordained a prophecy aeons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods.”

The Ophiotaurus began to freak out, and it took everything in Percy’s power to calm it down. Thalia stared at it, “The power to destroy the gods… how? I mean, what would happen?”

Zoe’s face was grim, ”No one knows. The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but Lord Zeus sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. ‘Twas a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn.’

Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand and it went right to her. The girl placed her hand on his head and he shivered at her touch. Percy slowly stepped forward protectively, not liking the look on her face.

He said sternly, “We have to protect him. If Luke gets hold of him –“

She nodded and muttered, “Luke wouldn’t hesitate. The power to overthrow Olympus. That’s… that’s huge.”

Suddenly, a French accented voice interrupted them, “Yes, it is, my dear. And it is a power you shall unleash.”

On cue, the Ophiotaurus submerged with a whimpering sound. Percy felt like kicking himself, they were so busy talking, that an ambush walked right up to them. Everyone drew their weapons and Ron gripped his spear. The voice belonged to Dr Thorn, the manticore himself.

The man gloated, “This is just pairrr-fect. Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia. I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change. The Titans shall honour me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!”

With a signal, two armed security guys stood on either side of him. Along with them were some mortal mercenaries. Another two stood on the next boat dock over, just in case we tried to escape that way. There were tourists, but they mostly ignored the group.

Percy risked a glance around, “Where… where are the skeletons? I thought you never left without them?”

He sneered. “Pah! I do not need those foolish undead! The General thinks I am worthless? He will change his mind when I defeat you myself!”

Percy knew that they needed to escape, but how could eight demigods and a two-hundred kilogram cow escape?

Zoë notched an arrow and aimed it straight at the manticore’s head. She growled, “Where are Lady Artemis and her son? Tell us, you scullion!”

The guards raised their guns threateningly, and Percy gestured, “Wait! Zoë, don’t!”

The manticore smiled. “Ze boy is right, Zoë Nightshade. Put away your bow. It would be a shame to kill you before you witnessed Thalia’s great victory.”

Thalia snarled, “What are you talking about?”

He laughed, “Surely it is clear, mon cherie. This is your moment. This is why Lord Kronos brought you back to life. You will sacrifice the Ophiotaurus. You will bring its entrails to the sacred fire on the mountain. You will gain unlimited power. For your sixteenth birthday, you shall overthrow Olympus.”

No one spoke for a while. Thalia would turn 16 at around December. She was a child of the Big Three. And here was a choice, a terrible choice that could mean the end of the gods. It was just like the prophecy said. Percy wasn’t sure if he was relieved, horrified or disappointed. Maybe he wouldn’t be the prophecy kid after all. Though that didn’t make it any better, as it was looking as if it was going to be one of his friends.

Thalia, for her part, looked stunned. The manticore smelled a close victory and goaded her, “You know it is the right choice. Your friend Luke recognized it. You shall be reunited with him. You shall rule this world together under the auspices of the Titans. Your father abandoned you, Thalia. He cares nothing for you. And now you shall gain power over him. Crush the Olympians underfoot, as they deserve. Call the beast! It will come to you. Use your spear.”

Percy looked at Annabeth, but she also looked terrified. He yelled, “Thalia! Snap out of it! Listen! He’s lying! Your father did help you! He was the one to send the metal angels. He was also the one to turn you into a tree to save your life!”

Thalia was still frozen in place, and Percy looked to his friends for help. Luckily, Grover understood his message and played a quick tune on his pipes.

The guards had been targeting Zoe all this time. So they were slow to switch to a new target. Grover took advantage of that by playing on his pipes. The wooden planks by the mercenaries’ feet, sprouted new branches and tangled their legs. Zoe responded by firing a couple of fart arrows. The manticore fired a few spines, but Percy shielded everyone with his coat.

Telling Grover to get the Ophiotaurus to a safe place, the eight of them sprinted out of there, with Annabeth dragging a dazed Thalia. The good news was that the Ophiotaurus obeyed orders, but the bad news was that they reached the end of the pier and were cornered. Zoe told him, “Go over the side. You can escape in the sea. Call on thy father for help. Maybe you can save the Ophiotaurus.”

Percy shook his head, “I’m not leaving you all. We fight together.”

Grover yelled, “Get word to camp! Let them know what’s going on!”

Annabeth noticed some crystals from a nearby kiosk, making rainbows. There was also a drinking fountain next to Percy. She yelled, “Percy! Fountain!”

He understood what she was asking and slashed the top off. Water burst out of the pipe, spraying everyone. Thalia finally snapped out of it and yelled at him, “Are you crazy?!”

Annabeth was already fishing her pockets and flung a Drachma into the rainbows. She yelled, “O goddess, accept my offering! Show me Camp Half-Blood.”

The mist shimmered and showed Mr D, wearing his leopard-skin jogging suit and rummaging through the refrigerator.

He looked up lazily. “Do you mind?”

Annabeth said as calmly as she could, “Lord Dionysus? Could you please tell us where Chiron is? It’s a matter of life and death!”

Mr D took a swig from a jug of grape juice, “How noble, what is the problem?’

The others fought off the guards while Annabeth and Percy talked to Mr. D. Percy was losing his patience with Dionysus’ blasé attitude. In the distance, Dr Thorn and his mercenaries were coolly advancing and time was running out. Percy told him about the Ophiotaurus, and the God of Wine looked absolutely disinterested.

Mr D mused, “Life or death? How exciting. I’m afraid Chiron isn’t here. Would you like me to take a message?”

Percy slumped, “We’re dead. Sorry guys”

Thalia gripped her spear and snarled, “Then we’ll die fighting.”

Dr Thorn and his army soon surrounded them. The man then transformed into his real self and sniggered, “Excellent. Alone and without any real help. Wonderful!”

Dionysus helpfully quipped to Percy, “You could try asking for help.”

Percy bit back a snarky retort and gazed at his friends in what could be their final stand. He thought he spotted a tear running down Thalia’s cheek. It then hit him that this was all too familiar for her. Making a final stand to save her friends, but this time, it was hopeless.

He pleaded, “Please Mr D. Help us.”

Nothing happened and the manticore grinned, “Spare the daughter of Zeus. She will join us soon enough. Kill the others.”

As the men raised their guns, a strange feeling rushed through Percy. He could also tell that the others felt it too. The sunlight had a purple tinge and the smell of grapes and wine permeated the air.

Suddenly, there was a *SNAP*, the sound of many minds breaking at the same time. The sound of madness. One guard put his pistol between his teeth like it was a bone and ran around on all fours. Two others dropped their guns and started waltzing with each other. The fourth began doing what looked like an Irish clogging dance.

Ron fought down his laughter, and even Hermione giggled a little. The only one who didn’t find the scene funny was the manticore. He roared, “No! I will deal with you myself.”

His tail bristled, but the planks under his paws erupted into grapevines that immediately began wrapping round the monster’s body, sprouting new leaves and clusters of green baby grapes that ripened in seconds as the manticore shrieked, until he was engulfed in a huge mass of vines, leaves and full clusters of purple grapes.

Mr D nonchalantly closed the refrigerator, “Well… That was fun. Don’t worry, the mortals will come out of it. Too much explaining to do if I made their condition permanent. I hate writing reports to Father.”

He addressed Thalia, “I hope you learned your lesson, girl. It isn’t easy to resist power, is it? Now get going, you lot. I’ve bought you a few hours at most. As for the beast, I do not transport livestock, that’s your problem.”

Bianca asked, “Mr. D, do you know where we can go?”

His eyes flicked to Zoe, “Oh, I think the Huntress knows. You must enter at sunset today, you know, or all is lost. Now goodbye. I’m in the mood for pizza tonight.”

He waved his hand and the image disappeared in the mist. Meanwhile, everyone glanced at an ashen-faced Zoe. She pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate Bridge. In the distance, a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer. The girl murmured, “The garden of my sisters. I must go home.”

Chapter 49: Chapter 49

The walked along the pier for a while, heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Zoe grimaced, “Our progress is too slow! The longer we take, the less time Lady Artemis and Harry have. We also need to deal with the Ophiotaurus and reach the garden by sunset.”

Ron asked, “Why? What’s so special about reaching by sunset?”

Zoe explained, “The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset. So they only allow passage into their garden as day changes into night.”

Hermione tilted her head curiously, “What happens if we miss it?”

Thalia replied, “The we’ve got to wait another day to enter. I don’t know if Harry will be alive for much longer. Besides, don’t you guys have school later on? It’s what? Mid-August.”

Hermione paled, “Oh no! You’re right! Nobody would take it well if Harry was missing. We also need a car though, but where are we going to find one?”

Suddenly, Percy had a brainwave, “Hey Annabeth! Grover! Remember back on the quest for the Lightning Bolt? Harry’s uncle summoned that crazy purple bus?”

Ron perked up, but then deflated, “The Knight Bus! Yeah… uh… that’s a solid plan in theory, but you’d need a specific location or address for Stan. I remember Harry told us about that quest. The Bus only got you there because you actually had an address to work with. Telling the driver to take us to the mountain, means that he could drop us anywhere.”

Percy then spoke up again, “What about B-the Ophiotaurus?”

Grover grinned, “I have an idea. The Ophiotaurus can appear in different bodies of water, right? So maybe we could coax him back to Long Island Sound,’ Grover said. ‘Then Chiron could help us get him to Olympus.”

Percy nodded, “Good idea, but one flaw. He has been following me. Would he know where he’s going without me?”

Grover shuffled his hooves, “I-I’ll go with him. I can show him the way. Besides Harry, I’m the only one who can talk to animals.”

The demigod was still hesitant, knowing that Grover couldn’t swim well with his hooves. So as Grover latched onto the Ophiotaurus, Percy uttered a small prayer to his father, asking him to grant safe passage for his friend.

Thalia glanced at him, “Percy… a prayer like that requires a sacrifice. Something big.”

He thought for a bit and then began shucking off his lion pelt coat. Grover bleated, “Percy, are you sure? That lion skin… that’s really helpful. Herakles used it!”

A thought struck the son of Poseidon and he glanced at Zoe. Said girl was eyeing him very carefully. He immediately knew the hero who ruined her life, got her kicked out of her family and never even mentioned how she’d helped him. Herakles, a hero that he had admired his whole life.

Percy spoke up, “If I’m going to survive. It won’t be because I’ve got a lion-skin cloak. I’m not Herakles.”

With that, he flung the coat into the bay. It turned back into a golden lion skin, flashing in the light. Then, as it began to sink beneath the waves, it seemed to dissolve into sunlight on the water.

Still clinging to the Ophiotaurus, Grover quipped, “Well… No time like the present.”

In a few minutes, the Ophiotaurus and his passenger submerged and were soon out of sight. Bianca let out a sigh, “Well… That’s one thing taken care of, what do we do about transport? Carjacking?”

Annabeth had an uncomfortable look on her face, “No, I have a better idea. Zoe’s not the only one who’s going to have an uncomfortable homecoming.”

---

The blonde girl led them down the streets, through several alleys and more, until she stopped in front of a non-assuming house with the letterbox reading, ‘Chase’. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Percy had heard Annabeth complain about her father a lot, so his expectations were flushed down the toilet when a man wearing an old-fashioned aviator’s cap and goggles, opened the door.

He was looking at a piece of paper and not really paying attention to them. Mr. Chase casually said, “Hello! Are you delivering my aeroplanes. I need three more Sopwith Camels”

Annabeth cleared her throat, “Um… Hi daddy.”

That got his attention and his eyes flicked to his sheepishly waving daughter. He straightened up, “Annabeth? Are you alright? Has something happened?”

He ushered everyone in, taking off his cap and goggles, revealing sandy-coloured hair and intense brown eyes. The interior looked like it was fairly lived in, with LEGO robots on the stairs and two cats sleeping on a sofa in the living room. The coffee table was stacked with magazines, and a child-sized jacket lay spread-eagled on the floor. Ron’s stomach grumbled as the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies hit their noses. They could also hear jazz music from the kitchen.

Then a little boy burst in screaming, “Dad! He’s taking apart my robots.”

Mr. Chase still looked absent-minded, so Annabeth stepped in. Placing her hands firmly on her hips, she yelled out, “Matthew Chase! How many times have I told you not to take apart Bobby’s robots?!”

Another boy’s voice, probably Matthew, yelled back, “Okay! Sorry! Annabeth! When did you get back?!”

Finally, a pretty Asian woman with red highlights in her hair walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She asked, “Frederick? I thought I heard… Oh, Hello Annabeth, dear. Who are your friends? Come sit at the dining table, I’ve got cookies and sandwiches.”

Frederick Chase waited until they had eaten and introduced themselves, then invited them to his study. When they stepped inside, Hermione nearly freaked out at the sight of the wall-to-wall books. Meanwhile, Percy’s attention was drawn to a huge table with miniature tanks and toy soldiers. They were strategically placed along a blue painted river, with hills and fake trees. Old-fashioned biplanes hung from the ceiling tilted at crazy angles like they were in the middle of a dogfight.

Dr Chase saw him looking and smiled, “Yes. The Third Battle of Ypres. I’m writing a paper, you see, on the use of Sopwith Camels to strafe enemy lines. I believe they played a much greater role than they’ve been given credit for.”

Hermione perked up, “Right! I learned about the battle in primary school!”

Zoe also observed the map, “The German lines were further from the river.”

Dr Chase gaped at her, “How do you know that?”

She shrugged, “I was there. Lady Artemis wanted to show us how horrible war was, the way mortal men fight each other. And how foolish, too. The battle was a complete waste.”

He rambled, “You saw the Sopwith Camels? How many of them? What were the formations?”

Annabeth giggled, “Daddy, focus. We need your help.”

His excited tirade died down, “Of course, tell me everything.”

She cleared her throat, “Daddy, remember I told you about my friend Harry? He’s in trouble. Harry got kidnapped and it is up to us to find him. Our intel says that he is most likely being held captive at Mount Tamalpais.”

He collapsed on a leather recliner and breathed out, “Of course, of course. I’ll help you in any way I can.”

Zoe spoke up, “Sir, we require transportation there and we need it immediately.”

“I’ll drive you there. My Camel would be quicker, but it only seats two.”

Zoe stood up, “With all due respect, sir. I think it would be better if I drove. I am far older than I look, and where we’re headed, is no place for mortals.”

By then, Mrs Chase had also joined the conversation. She pursed her lips, “Well, I suppose you all better get going.”

“Right!” Dr Chase jumped up and started patting his pockets. “My keys…”

His wife sighed, “Frederick, honestly. You’d lose your head if it weren’t wrapped inside your aviator hat. The keys are hanging on the peg by the front door, by the SUV’s keys”

Annabeth groaned exasperatedly, “Daaaaad! How many times have I told you to sell the SUV to the scrap yard? That thing is super old, and remember the last time I was here, you got a ticket for it?”

Her mother sighed, “I told him as well, but as you can see, he never got around to it. Annabeth? Could you be a dear and take care of it after you find your friend?”

She nodded and her father sprang into action once again and the group followed him. However, Annabeth was stopped at the front door by her step mother. She said, “Listen Annabeth. We haven’t gotten along well in the past. I just… I just want us to have a fresh start. Remember, you still have a home here. Now, go and save your friend and come back home safely, promise?”

Annabeth swallowed a lump in her throat, “I promise… Mom.”

---

Finally, the quest members were zooming out onto the streets. Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun was sinking on the horizon when the SUV finally got into Marin County and exited the highway.

The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and round the edges of steep ravines. However, Zoe kept her foot on the throttle. Since the windows were down, they could barely hear themselves, and Annabeth yelled from her seat next to Percy, “I’m surprised that Dad hadn’t sold this thing yet.”

Just then, Ron’s eyes watered, “What the bloody hell is that smell!”

Zoe gestured from the driver’s seat, “Eucalyptus. Monsters love chewing the leaves, especially dragons.”

Ron joked to Hermione, “Hey ‘Mione. Think we should tell Hagrid?”

She giggled in response. Soon, the mountain loomed in front of them. Hermione pointed, “So that’s the Mountain of Despair? Why is it called that?”

Zoe was quiet for a bit, mulling her words, “After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos’s right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides.”

Percy gazed up the mountain, which had thick clouds swirling around its peak. Thalia grit her teeth, “We need to concentrate here. The Mist is really strong here.”

Percy turned to her, “The magical kind or the natural kind?”

“Both”

The SUV left the eucalyptus forest behind and began driving on wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog. Annabeth tugged Percy’s shirt and pointed out of the window. The boy cursed, “Oh damn… Luke’s ship is here. Docked near the beach.”

They continued driving when suddenly, the hairs on the back of Percy’s neck stood on end. Thalia yelled, “Stop the car! NOW!”

On cue, Zoe slammed on the brakes and the SUV spun wildly before stopping. Everyone scrambled out, and not a moment too soon. There was a deafening BOOM, and in a flash of lightning, the car exploded. Luckily, Ron bellowed “Protego!”, erecting a shield over the group.

The shrapnel and flames licked around the shield, protected them. Thalia muttered, “One shall perish by a parent’s hand. Curse him, he would destroy me? Me?”

Percy gingerly got up, “Everyone okay?”

Zoe took in her surroundings and breathed out, “We’re close. Follow me. Do not make a sound, or you shall wake Ladon.”

The fog thickened and it was difficult trying to keep track of Zoe. Together, they stepped through the fog and when it cleared, the road changed from tarmac to dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a blood-red slash across the sea. The summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power. There was only one path to the top, directly in front of the group, winding through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight. If Percy had to guess, it looked exactly like the one in his dream.

The only thing ruining the beautiful image was an enormous sleeping dragon. The grass shimmered with silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colours they almost glowed in the dark. Stepping stones of polished black marble led round either side of a five-storey-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with literal golden apples. The fragrance was so strong that it took all of their willpower to not pick one. Bianca mused, “Kind of glad Grover isn’t here, or he would have raided the trees.”

Ron trembled when he saw the dragon. The thing was a far cry from the hatchling in their First-Year, and the various pictures that Charlie often sent back. The serpent’s body was twice as thick as an Acromantula’s body, glinting with coppery scales. It had multiple heads, as if a hundred deadly pythons had been fused together.

Then, there came a sound of beautiful eerie singing. Percy was stopped from bringing out his sword, as four figures shimmered into existence. Four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel. Silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders.

Zoe stepped forward, “Sisters”

However, one of the girls coldly said, “We do not see any sister. We see four half-bloods, two magicals and a Hunter. All of whom, shall die.”

Then the girls focused on Percy and one said, “Perseus Jackson. They say that you are a threat. They fear thee. They are unhappy that the Daughter of Zeus has not yet killed thee.”

Thalia replied with a smirk aimed at Percy, “Tempting sometimes, but no thanks. He’s my friend.”

The girl snapped, “There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus. Only enemies. Go back.”

Annabeth snapped, “Not without Harry”.

Zoe picked up where she left off, “And Artemis. We must approach the mountain.”

The Hesperid shook her head, “You know he will kill thee. You are no match for him.”

Zoe stubbornly said, “Artemis must be freed. Let us pass.”

Her former sister sneered, “You have no power here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake.”

The Hunter declared, “He will not hurt me”.

The Hesperid smiled dangerously, “No? And what about thy so-called friends?”

Suddenly, in one of the gutsiest moves ever, Zoe yelled, “Ladon! Wake!”

On cue, the dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies. The Hesperides yelped and scattered and the lead sister hissed to Zoe, “Are you mad?”

Zoe scoffed, “You never had any courage, sister. That is thy problem.”

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air. Zoë took a step forward, her arms raised.

Thalia hissed, “Zoe, don’t. You’re not a Hesperid anymore. He’ll kill you.”

Without taking her eyes off the dragon, Zoe said, “Ladon is trained to protect the tree. Skirt round the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee. It is the only way. Even the seven of us are no match for him.”

Ladon opened his mouth and hissed loudly. Ron murmured, “And here, I thought that facing the Basilisk was scary.”

Hermione muttered, “What do we do?”

Percy spoke up, “Frontal assault is not going to work. Herakles tried it and it failed. I trust Zoe’s judgement.”

Everyone sneaked away as Zoe continued approaching the dragon. She cooed, “It’s me, my little dragon. Zoe has come back.”

Ladon was clearly conflicted, as some of the heads were hissing and others were a bit docile. Zoe ignored her former sisters’ cries of ‘Fool’. She continued, “I used to feed thee by hand. Do you still like lamb’s meat?”

Percy’s group was halfway through the garden when Hermione turned around, facing Zoe’s direction, with her wand pointed. Just as they were out of the meadow, the dragon’s mood shifted. He lunged at Zoe, who was probably a bit too close for his liking. Luckily, she dodged and tumbled to the ground. She sprinted back towards them and Hermione reacted immediately, ‘Accio Zoe Nightshade!’

Zoe’s body zoomed towards them, and not a moment too soon. She did bite back a wince as a fang grazed her side. Bianca and Annabeth braced themselves and caught the Hunter. They ran up the mountain, and fortunately the dragon decided not to pursue them.

At the top of the mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they’d been half melted.

Thalia whispered, “The ruins of Mount Othrys.”

Zoe nodded grimly, “Yes. It was not here before. This is bad.”

Hermione asked curiously, “Mount Othrys?”

Zoe explained, “The mountain fortress of the Titans. In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was –“

She winced and rubbed her side. Percy stepped forward, “You’re hurt. Let me see.”

She held up a hand, “Nay! It is nothing. I was saying… in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces. It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good.”

Ron was confused, “Why?”

Taking a shuddering breath, Zoe ominously said, “This is Atlas’ mountain. Where he holds up the sky.”

Suddenly, she froze, “Or… used to hold up the sky.”

---

Everyone turned to where she was facing, and a worrying sight greeted them. They had reached the summit and ahead of them, grey clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountain top. The only thing keeping that separated were two familiar figures.

One was a 12-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress. The other was Harry Potter himself, as both were chained a rock.

Zoe rushed forward, “My Lady! Harry!”

Artemis spotted them and cried out, “Stop! It is a trap! You must leave now!”

Zoe ignored the goddess and began tugging at the chains. The others also joined in and then, a voice boomed behind them. It crooned, “Ah, how touching.”

They turned to see The General standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos.

Luke had a black eye and his smile was weak and pale, “Hello Percy, Beth, Thalia. Good to see you again.”

Annabeth snapped, “Hey! Only Harry gets to call me that!”

Thalia spat in his direction and the General chortled, “So much for old friends. And you, Zoë. It’s been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you.”

Percy levelled his sword, “You want her, you have to go through us first.”

He boomed, “You have no right to interfere, little hero. I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. I will kill you and your friends as soon as I deal with this wretched girl. This is a family matter.”

Hermione tilted her head in confusion, “Family matter?”

Zoe sighed, “Yes… Atlas is my father.”

She levelled her bow at the Titan, “Now, let Lady Artemis and Harry go!”

Atlas chuckled as he casually walked up to the chained goddess and her son. He gestured to the pair, “Oh, by all means. Perhaps you would like to shoulder the sky from them? Be my guest.”

Straining from under the weight of the sky, Harry bit out, “Zoe! Don’t you dare!”

Atlas smirked and reached his hand out to try and stroke Artemis’ face. The Goddess of the Moon bit at him, nearly raking off his fingers. He boomed in laughter, “Hoo-hoo! You see, daughter? Lady Artemis and her spawn love their new job. Perhaps I will have all the Olympians take turns sharing the burden. Once Lord Kronos rules again this will be the centre of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility!”

Still clutching their respective weapons, Ron and Hermione got a good look at the struggling Harry. His raven black hair was now streaked with grey. Annabeth whispered, “If you’re wondering about the hair, that’s from holding up the sky. The weight should have killed him.”

Hermione squeaked, “I don’t understand. Why can’t they just let go of the sky?”

Atlas’ booming laughter rang out once again, “Oh child, how little you understand. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first bought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The Sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or it will crash down upon this place. The impact would flatten the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once one assumes the burden, you cannot let go, unless someone takes it from your shoulders.”

The General paced back and forth, observing the heroes. He mused, “So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge.”

Percy raised his sword, “Fight us and find out.”

Atlas scoffed, “Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead.”

Percy sneered, “So you’re another coward?”

Atlas glowered at him before turning to Thalia, “As for you, Daughter of Zeus, it seems that Luke was wrong about you.”

Luke clenched his fist and bit out, “I wasn’t wrong! Thalia, you still can join us! All you have to do is summon the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you.”

He then waved his hand, creating a pool of water next to the group. It was large enough for the Ophiotaurus, and Percy could just imagine the serpent cow in the pool. Suddenly, he heard Grover’s panicked voice in his mind, courtesy an empathy link that the satyr set up a long time ago. He pleaded “Don’t think about him! I’m losing the Ophiotaurus! Block the thoughts!”

Percy desperately attempted to distract himself from thinking about the monster. Luke called out again, “Thalia! Call the Ophiotaurus and you will be more powerful than the gods! Don’t you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!”

Thalia adopted a fighting stance and snarled, “First, you free Harry! Let him go!”

Luke continued pleading his case, “If you join me. It can be like old times. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don’t agree… It’s my last chance. He will use the other way if you don’t agree. Please.”

Zoe gripped her bow and warned, “Do not listen to him. We must fight!”

Luke ignored her and waved his hand again. This time, he created a bronze brazier with a fire burning on top of it. On cue, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, Percy could have sworn that he saw images in the mist surrounding him and his friends. Namely, black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around them.

Luke gestured around him, “We will raise Mount Othrys right here. Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak.”

He then pointed towards the ocean, where the Princess Andromeda was docked. Percy’s heart sank as he spotted a massive army of dracaenae, Laistrygonians, monsters, half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies and many more monsters, all pouring out of the ship and marching up the mountain.

Luke grinned maliciously, “This is just a taste of what’s to come. Soon, we will be strong enough to storm Camp Half-Blood. Olympus will be next. All that we need is your help.”

For a few frightful moments, Thalia hesitated. Then she screwed up her face and levelled her spear, “You are not Luke. I don’t know you anymore.”

He pleaded, “Yes, you do, Thalia. Please. Don’t make me… Don’t make him destroy you.”

Percy suddenly noticed Harry trying to silently get his attention. They locked eyes and an understanding passed between them. Percy glanced at Thalia, Annabeth, Zoe, Bianca, Ron and Hermione. He yelled, “Now!”

With that, the seven demigods and magicals charged. Thalia and Annabeth double-teamed against Luke. Zoe and Bianca went to help Artemis, while Ron and Hermione went to rescue Harry. As for Percy, he was left with one target, Atlas himself.

The Titan’s laughter boomed as the demigod approached, “Go on then, little hero.”

A huge javelin materialised in his hands and his silk suit melted into full Greek battle armour. Zoe warned, “Percy! Beware!”

Knowing that Atlas was free to retaliate when attacked, he swung his sword. In response, the Titan knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. The impact sent Percy flying and slamming into a black wall. Zoe fired an arrow at her father. He swatted it aside and screamed gleefully, “Fool! Did you think, simply because you can challenge that petty war god, that you can stand up to me?”

Suddenly, Percy felt a jolt, but he shook it off and continued his charge. However, the javelin bore down on him rapidly. The demigod raised his sword to cut the weapon at the shaft, but his movement was sluggish. Far too late, he remembered Ares’ warning and curse. He mentally pleaded, 'Oh gods! Not now! Not now, of all times.'

The javelin struck him in the chest and he was sent flying once again. When he regained his bearing, he found himself at the feet of Artemis. Still straining under the weight of the sky, she called out, “Run, child. You must run.”

Percy weighed his options, as his sword had gone skittering away and went over the cliff. Thalia and Annabeth were still attacking Luke, Zoe and Bianca were going after Luke’s minions. Meanwhile Ron and Hermione had given up on trying to convince Harry to let go of the sky. Atlas took his sweet time to approach the downed Percy. He towered over the demigod, and grinning maliciously, raised his javelin.

The Titan crowed, “Die, little hero!”

Zoe screamed, “No!”, before firing a volley of silver arrows. Her aim was true and many of them buried themselves in a chink of his armour at the armpit. Atlas bellowed in pain and turned towards his estranged daughter.

Percy felt Riptide return to his pocket, but a thought struck him. The prophecy said, “The Titan’s curse, must one withstand.”

He knew that he had no chance in Tartarus to beat Atlas, but there was one person who could. He turned to the chained Goddess, “My Lady, please let me take the sky’s burden.”

She shook her head rapidly, her forehead beaded with metallic sweat. Artemis breathed, “No, child. You don’t know what you’re asking. It will crush you. My son also begged me, saying that he could do it alone. However, I know that a demigod’s strength has its limits. Had he taken the burden alone, he would have died. I love my son, so I cannot bear to lose him. So I stayed and shared his burden.”

Percy stubbornly insisted, “No my Lady. I assure you, I can take it. I will not let anything happen to Harry. If I can ease the burden on him, I will.”

He did not wait for her answer, so he took out Riptide and slashed through her chains and Harry's as well. Percy then stepped next to her, braced himself on one knee and held up his hands. His hands touched cold, heavy clouds, which threatened to crush him.

For a while, the three of them held the sky, until Artemis slipped out, leaving Percy and Harry. The pain was excruciating, like every muscle in both of their bodies were on fire and their bones were melting. They both felt like screaming, but lacked the strength to open their mouths. Both boys felt their knees sinking into the ground, as the sky threatened to crush them.

Suddenly, Percy felt his and Grover’s empathy link light up. The satyr bleated, “Fight back! Don’t give up!”

Percy concentrated on breathing, and heard Harry do the same. They caught glimpses of the battle as it raged around them. Atlas in full battle armour, jabbing with his javelin, laughing insanely as he fought. Lady Artemis, a blur of silver. She had two wicked hunting knives, each as long as her arm, and she slashed wildly at the Titan, dodging and leaping with unbelievable grace.

She seemed to change form as she manoeuvred. She was a tiger, a gazelle, a bear, a falcon. Percy couldn’t tell if it was real or just his stressed brain playing tricks on him. Zoe shot arrows at her father, aiming for the chinks in his armour. He roared in pain each time one found its mark, but they affected him like bee stings. He just got madder and kept fighting. Harry wheezed under his breath, but loud enough for Percy to hear, “Bloody hell! My mum’s a bad arse.”

Meanwhile, Thalia and Annabeth were battling fiercely against Luke. The son of Hermes was not immune to Thalia’s shield, wincing every so often at the sight of Medusa’s face.

Thalia yelled, “Yield! You never could beat me, Luke.”

He bared his teeth. “We’ll see, my old friend.”

Annabeth was slashing away and begging him in tears, “Luke! Stop this! It’s not too late! If you’re still the old Luke, you know that what you’re doing is wrong!”

Ron and Hermione were somehow holding their own. There was a brief moment when Hermione stabbed a dracaena, killing it, her first one. The bushy-haired girl staggered away, wide-eyed and practically in shock. She would have been cleaved by harpy, if Ron hadn’t jumped in and parried the claw with his javelin. He muttered to her, “First kill? Trust me, I was the same way when I killed an Acromantula last year.”

---

Back with Atlas and Artemis, they were still tightly locked in combat. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable. His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her.

Percy couldn’t help noticing that she was slowly backing up towards himself and Harry. Evidently, Harry had noticed the same thing and somehow managed to shift closer to Percy. He wheezed, “Get ready, mate.”

Atlas finally cornered her and laughed. He boomed, “You fight well for a girl. But you are no match for me.”

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Percy could guess what the Titan was trying and Artemis fell for it. His javelin swept round and knocked the goddess’ legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.

Zoe screamed, “No!”

The Hunter leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan’s forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn’s horn. Atlas bellowed in rage. He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks. Bianca rushed over to check on her immediately.

Harry had just enough strength to yell her name. Meanwhile, the Titan turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn’t get up.

He gloated, “The first blood in a new war”.

With that, he stabbed downward, but Artemis was quicker. She grabbed his javelin shaft and redirected it to hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backwards, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her.

The boys saw him flying towards them and braced themselves. They loosened their grip on the sky, just as the Titan crashed into them. The impact was enough to knock them both out of the way and they flopped around like rag dolls.

The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas’s back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late. He roared in rage, “NOOOOOO! NOT AGAIN!”

Percy lay there, dazed in pain, but Harry was worse off, twitching around. Meanwhile, Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. She had tears in her eyes while Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat.

He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke’s sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat.

He grinned at her, “Well? Finish it! Finish it!”

Annabeth raised her knife, but told Thalia, “Don’t kill him!”

Thalia snarled, “He’s a traitor! A traitor!”

The blonde girl continued pleading, “We’ll bring him back, Thalia. It’s not too late. We’ll bring him to Olympus. He… He can be useful.”

Luke taunted, “Is that what you want, Thalia? To go back to Olympus in triumph? To please your dad?”

The punk girl hesitated and her grip slackened on her spear. Sensing an opportunity, Luke tried to grab it, but she instinctively kicked out at him. Luke tottered as he tried to keep his balance, but it was too late. With a look of terror on his face, he toppled down.

Annabeth screamed his name and she rushed over to the cliff-side. Ron, Hermione, Bianca and Percy joined her. Below, the monster army stopped and stared at Luke’s broken form in amazement. One giant looked up at them and growled, “Kill them!”

The group scrambled away, barely avoiding a hail of javelins, though Percy had to drag Annabeth and Thalia’s weeping forms. Percy looked around and spotted Artemis kneeling on the ground. The prone form of Zoe Nightshade lay on her lap, and Harry had somehow dragged himself to the two and had his arms around Zoe. The Hunter was breathing, but her breaths were shallow.

Artemis morosely said, “The wound is poisoned.”

Percy hesitantly asked, “Did Atlas?”

She shook her head, “Nay… Not Atlas.”

The goddess revealed the wound that Ladon had given her earlier. Zoe murmured, “The stars, I cannot see them…”

Ron scrambled to unzip his backpack and pulled out a Healing Potion. He approached her, but Zoe raised a weak arm to stop him and he hesitantly obeyed. Percy was firmly aware that Kronos’ army was still coming, but he and everyone were too grief-stricken.

Suddenly, there was a strange sound, which steadily grew louder. “Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel swooped down out of the sky.

In the pilot’s seat, Dr Chase yelled, “Get away from my daughter!”

His machine guns burst into life, peppering the ground with bullet holes and startling the whole group of monsters into scattering.

Annabeth gaped at her father, “Daddy?!”

Artemis shook herself out of her grief and stared at the plane. She murmured with newfound respect, “A brave man indeed. Come, we must get Zoe away from here.”

She raised her hunting horn to her lips and blew a loud clear blast. Meanwhile, the Sopwith Camel continued to wreak havoc on the monster army. Judging by the fact that monsters were being vaporised, he must have gotten his hands on some Celestial Bronze. Just then, the moonlight brightened and a beautiful silver chariot appeared from the sky. It was drawn by the most beautiful deer that Percy had ever seen. The chariot landed next to the group, and Hermione breathed, “It’s like Santa Claus’ sleigh!”

Artemis had a small smile, “Indeed… Where do you think the legend came from? Though the presents were mostly Hermes’ jurisdiction.”

With a wave of her hand, she turned the chariot into a silvery minivan. Artemis scooped up Zoe in a bridal carry and stepped inside while Ron and Hermione half-dragged Harry. The others also boarded and the minivan took off for the sky, with Dr Chase following them like an honour guard.

Far below, Kronos’ army roared in fury, but Atlas’ swears drowned them out.

---

Close to midnight, they landed at Crissy Field, and Annabeth rushed over to her father as he disembarked. She gushed, “Dad! You flew… you shot… oh my gods! That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen! But the celestial bronze bullets! How did you get those?”

He chuckled nervously, “Well… Not bad for a middle-aged mortal. Also, you did leave a few weapons back home in Virginia. When you… left. I decided to try melting some down to make bullet casings. Just a little experiment. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be home, if you want to return, that is.”

The girl turned to see the rest of the group gathered around the prone Zoe. Harry was slowly gaining his strength and was sitting on the ground with Zoe’s head on his lap. Percy looked at the goddess, “Could you heal her with your magic, or even call Apollo? What about you guys? Don’t you have some Healing Potions or something?”

Ron replied softly, “I tried, mate. She said no. Can’t really heal someone against their will.”

Artemis spoke sadly, “Perseus, Life is a fragile thing. If the Fates will the string to be cut, there is little that I can do.”

She reached out a hand towards Zoe’s side, but the Hunter stopped her. She whispered, “My Lady… Have I served thee well?”

“With great honour” Artemis replied softly. “The finest of my attendants.”

Zoe’s face relaxed, “Rest. At last.”

She took Thalia’s hand, “I am sorry we argued. We could have been sisters.”

Thalia blinked hard, “It’s my fault. You were right about Luke, about heroes, men – everything.”

Zoe craned her neck towards Harry, Percy and Ron, “Perhaps not all men. Percy, do you still have the sword?”

Percy wordlessly handed her his pen/sword. She gripped it and smiled, “You spoke the truth, Percy Jackson. You are nothing like… like Herakles. I am honoured that you carry this sword.”

She coughed, “Harry?”

Harry tearfully stroked her forehead, “I’m here big sister. Please… Fight this! You can’t die like this! Please! All my life, I looked up to you. You were Zoe Nightshade, Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, Immortal Bad Arse and more importantly, my big sister.”

She reached out a trembling hand and stroked his now salt and pepper hair, “Oh Harry. I am proud to call you my brother. You were the one who helped me and your sisters change the way we see men. Remember this always, I love you, and nothing can change that. However, it is my time.”

Finally, she turned to Artemis, “My Lady, a word in private?”

Artemis sat down and cradled Zoe’s head. Harry and the others moved away to give them some privacy. Then the floodgates opened for Harry and he sobbed. Hermione hugged him tightly and Ron rubbed his back as his best mate bawled into Hermione's shoulder.

Finally, Artemis took Zoe’s circlet from her dying Lieutenant’s trembling fingers. Zoe’s last words were, “Stars… I can see the stars again, my Lady.”

A tear trickled down Artemis’s cheek. “Yes, my brave one. They are beautiful tonight.”

“Stars,” Zoe repeated. Her eyes fixed on the night sky. And she did not move again.

Artemis cupped her hand above Zoe’s mouth and spoke a few words in Ancient Greek. A silvery wisp of smoke exhaled from Zoe’s lips and was caught in the hand of the goddess. The girl’s body shimmered and disappeared.

Artemis stood, said a kind of blessing, breathed into her cupped hand and released the silver dust to the sky. It flew up, sparkling, and vanished.

Suddenly, Annabeth gasped in amazement. Everyone looked up in the sky, to see that the stars were brighter now. They made a new pattern – a gleaming constellation that looked a lot like a girl’s figure – a girl with a bow, running across the sky.

Artemis intoned, “Let the world honour you. Live forever in the stars. My son, would you like to do the honours and name it?”

Harry’s sobs stopped briefly and he choked out, “The Huntress. A worthy tribute to one of the bravest people I ever knew.”

Chapter 50: Chapter 50

There was no sound from the group, save for Harry’s soft sobs as his mother comforted him. Finally, she let go of him and stood up, “I must go to Olympus immediately.

She turned back to the group and approached them, starting with Annabeth, who knelt in respect. The goddess placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “My dear girl, you are brave beyond measure. When the time comes, I am sure that you will do the right thing.”

Thalia was next and she knelt as well. Lady Artemis didn’t say anything, but simply sized her up. Turning to Percy, she said, “You did well. For a man. I am honoured that my son treasures your friendship.”

Turning to Ron and Hermione, she said, “I was right about both of you. You have been loyal friends and I am honoured to have known you.”

When she spoke to Bianca, she said, “In another life, you would have been a great Hunter. But you have a bigger destiny to fulfil”

Finally, she turned to Harry, “My son… You have shown incredible strength in this ordeal. Zoe knew the risks of this quest, but she did it anyway, because she loved you. I will ensure that she is sent to Elysium, and I am sure James and Lily would agree that she did a fine job of raising you to be the man you are, today. Goodbye my son, I shall see you shortly.”

She stepped away and began to glow brightly. Everyone instinctively averted their eyes to avoid being incinerated. Moments later, she was gone, and that left Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, Bianca, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

After a while, two different sounds were heard, the flapping of large wings and the galloping of hooves. Percy’s black pegasus swooped down, along with two other pegasi. Then, Mistmane galloped up, along with three unicorns. Hermione and Thalia hollered in unison, “Dibs on the unicorns!”

Harry, Thalia, Hermione and Bianca mounted their unicorns, while Percy, Ron and Annabeth were on the pegasi. Percy appeared to listen to his pegasus and suppressed a laugh. He snickered, “Yo Harry! I think Blackjack’s got a bit of a crush on Mistmane.”

Harry chortled as well, “Hahahaha! We’ll leave the lovebirds together later. Now come on! We’ve got to get to Olympus.”

The two groups galloped for a while in reasonable silence. After a few hours, they were in New York, which was surprising for Harry. However, Mistmane confirmed to him that it was the inert magic of the unicorns and pegasi that allowed them to move faster.

They eventually gathered together outside the Empire State Building and walked inside. From there, Harry successfully negotiated with the security guard to allow them to the 600^th floor. When they reached, it was close to dawn, and in the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colours, from blood red to indigo.

Finally, the seven of them found themselves standing in front of a pair of huge silver gates. Those gates eventually opened on their own and the hesitantly walked inside into the throne room.

Inside, thirteen enormous thrones made a U round a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations – even the newest one, Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn. All seats were occupied and in the center of the room, was a large sphere of water. Inside the sphere was the Ophiotaurus, and Grover was knelt next to it, facing Lord Zeus. Surprisingly, Hades was also present.

It seemed as if Grover was just wrapping up a report. Lord Zeus made a dismissive motion and the satyr stood up. He spotted them and trotted over as fast as he could. He gave each of them a massive hug and bleated, “Man! We made it! But you have to convince them! They can’t do it!”

Then, Artemis called out from her throne, “Heroes! The Council has been informed of your deeds. They are aware that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas’s attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act. At my Lord Zeus’s command, my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans’ cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…”

She turned to face the other immortals. “These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?”

The gods simply stared at them poker-faced, not giving away anything. Then Apollo broke the silence, “I got to say. These kids did okay. Heroes win laurels –“

Hermes hurriedly interrupted, “Um, yes, first class. All in favour of not disintegrating them?”.

A few tentative hands went up – Demeter, Aphrodite.

Ares growled and pointed at Thalia and Percy, “Wait just a minute. These two are dangerous. It’d be much safer, while we’ve got them here –“

Poseidon interrupted, “Ares, they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits.”

Zeus grumbled, “Nor my daughter. She has done well.”

Hades also snapped, “Nor my children.”

Athena was the one to speak next, “I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here, with three of them, as well as the other.”

Annabeth tried to protest, “Mother!”

Athena cut her off with a firm look, “It is unfortunate that Lord Zeus and Lord Poseidon chose to break the oath. Also, I am aware that Lord Hades’ children were born before the oath, but they are no less dangerous. As thick-headed as he is, Ares has a point.”

Ares looked briefly smug, “Right!”

Then he frowned, “Hey, wait a minute. Who are you calling-”

A grapevine wrapped around him and Dionysus sighed, “Oh please, Ares. Save the fighting for later.”

Ares snarled, “You’re one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?”

Dionysus gazed down at the wary group, “I have no love for them, I admit. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?”

Athena crisply replied, “I do not pass judgement. I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide.”

Artemis snapped, “I will not have them punished. I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favour, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it.”

Apollo raised his hands placatingly, “Calm down, sis. Jeez, you need to lighten up.”

“Don’t call me sis! I will reward them.”

Zeus grumbled, “Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?”

Several gods nodded in unison. Percy was aghast, “The Ophiotaurus? You want to destroy the Ophiotaurus? He’s just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. We can’t destroy him.”

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably, “Percy, the monster’s power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or –”

Percy interrupted, “Father you can’t! Lord Zeus, controlling the prophecies never works. Isn’t that true? Besides, the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It’s just as wrong as… as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It’s wrong!”

Zeus didn’t speak for a while, and then he said, “And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast’s entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn 16 in December, just as the prophecy says.”

Annabeth cried out, “My Lord, you have to trust them.”

Artemis backed her up, “Annabeth is right. Which is why I must first make a reward. Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately.”

The two of them whispered for a bit and then sat back. Artemis announced, “Thalia, Daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?”

Stunned silence filled the room. Annabeth smiled and squeezed Thalia’s hand. Thalia stepped forward stiffly and replied, “I will. Father, I will not turn 16 in December. I will never turn 16. I won’t let this prophecy be mine. I stand with my sister Artemis. Kronos will never tempt me again.”

She knelt before the goddess and recited the oath, “I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men.”

Then Artemis announced, “Harry Potter! Step forward my son.”

Harry nervously stepped forward and knelt before his mother with his head bowed. She gazed down at him and said, “My son, this is in accordance with Zoe Nightshade’s final request before she passed on. Harry James Potter, I hereby appoint you as Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis!”

Harry’s head snapped up in surprise, “Mother? Are you sure? As far as I’m aware, no male has ever-”

She gently cut him off, “My son… Zoe and I have raised you to be a fine warrior and a good man. She knew that one day, you would be ready to be the leader. Knowing how far you have come since then, I agreed with her.”

He bowed his head again and stood up, “In that case, I will honour that. Mother, I promise to fulfil my duty to the best of my ability.”

Artemis reached into her dress and took out Zoe’s circlet. With a wave of her hand, she changed it into a badge. She stepped off her throne, morphed into a mortal form and approached him. Stopping in front of him, she pinned the badge to his T-shirt.

Before long, she was back on her throne and he robotically walked back to his friends. Annabeth, Thalia, Bianca and Hermione took turns hugging him. Percy, Grover and Ron also congratulated him.

When they were done, Harry and Thalia went to stand by Artemis’ side. Harry whispered to her, “Hey mate. I need you to do something for me. I won’t be around all the time, because I still have to attend Hogwarts. In my absence, will you take over as the leader?”

She nodded, “I will. It’s the least that I can do.”

Artemis nodded approvingly before she announced, “Now, for the Ophiotaurus.”

Dionysus warned, “This boy is still dangerous. The beast is a temptation to great power. Even if we spare the boy –”

Percy looked at the gods, “No. Please. Keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus. But you have to protect him.”

Hephaestus rumbled, “And why should we trust you?”

Percy reasoned, “I’m only fourteen. If this prophecy is about me, that’s two more years.”

Athena warned, “Two years for Kronos to deceive you. Much can change in two years, my young hero.”

Annabeth cried out exasperatedly, “Mother!”

Athena told her, “It is only the truth, child. It is bad strategy to keep the animal alive. Or the boy.”

Poseidon stood abruptly, “I will not have a sea creature destroyed if I can help it. And I CAN help it.”

He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a six-metre-long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light, “I will vouch for the boy, and the safety of the Ophiotaurus.”

Zeus also stood up and summoned his lightning bolt, “You won’t take it under the sea! I won’t have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession.”

The atmosphere was thick with tension as the two gods glared at each other.

Then,Harry raised a hesitant hand, “My lords? I think I have an idea.”

All eyes turned to him and he flushed at the attention. Ignoring his embarrassment he said, “My Lord, what if my friends and I took the Ophiotaurus with us to the Wizarding World. We can hide him in Hogwarts.”

Hermione gasped, “The Black Lake! Harry, that is perfect! The Wizarding World is neutral territory and the Ophiotaurus will have plenty of space to swim around, as opposed to an aquarium here at Olympus.”

Zeus and Poseidon locked eyes and came to a silent agreement. Zeus called out, “All in favour?”

It was an overwhelming majority, with only Athena, Dionysus and Ares abstaining.

Zeus boomed, “We have a majority. And so, since we will not be destroying these heroes… I imagine we should honour them. Let the triumph celebration begin!”

---

As the party continued, Percy was overwhelmed by the numerous gods swarming up to congratulate him. Few others even went to congratulate Harry for his appointment as Lieutenant of the Hunt. After successfully fending off Apollo’s invitations to have some archery lessons with him, the demigod came face-to-face with his father.

Poseidon smiled at his son, “You won’t let me down, I hope. You’ve done well so far.”

“Thanks, dad.”

The Poseidon’s face turned grave, “Perseus… About your former friend, Luke. He once made big promises and was Hermes’ pride and joy. I have a feeling that he’s not dead.”

Percy was a little taken aback, “Dad? Are you sure? I mean, that fall was pretty hard. Very few can survive that.”

Poseidon nodded, “I’m afraid it is the truth. It’s just a feeling that I have. His boat sails from San Francisco with the remains of Kronos even now. He will retreat and regroup before assaulting you again. I will do my best to destroy his boat with storms, but he is making alliances with my enemies, the older spirits of the ocean. They will fight to protect him.”

Percy asked, “What about Atlas? What’s to prevent him from escaping again? Couldn’t he just force some giant or something to take the sky for him?’

His father snorted in derision. “If it were so easy, he would have escaped long ago. No, my son. The curse of the sky can only be forced upon a Titan, one of the children of Gaia and Ouranos. Anyone else must choose to take the burden of their own free will. Only a hero, someone with strength, a true heart, and great courage, would do such a thing. No one in Kronos’s army would dare try to bear that weight, even upon pain of death. Which is why it is admirable that you and Harry lasted this long.”

Their conversation was interrupted by some frantic mooing. They turned to see the Ophiotaurus’ water sphere being pushed back and forth over the top of the crowd.

Poseidon grumbled, “We’d better take care of that. Can’t have the Ophiotaurus be tossed around like a beach ball.”

They made their way over, just as Hermione came to the rescue and the magicals took the sphere away. Percy watched in fascination as she, Harry and Ron somehow stuffed the giant water sphere into Hermione’s bag, whose opening seemed too small for it. Percy demanded, “Whoa! How the heck did you do that?”

She preened, “Harry’s uncle Sirius gifted it to me before our quest. This thing has an Extension Charm in it, so I can fit in anything, no matter how big. I call it my Mary Poppins bag”

Satisfied, Percy turned away, only to come face to face with Athena. In all honesty, he tried everything in his power not to sound resentful as he addressed her. After all, it did sting when she practically wrote him off.

Athena simply gave him a wry smile, “Do not judge me too harshly, half-blood. Wise counsel is not always popular, but I spoke the truth. You are dangerous.”

He tilted his head curiously, “You never take risks?”

She shrugged, “I concede the point. You may perhaps be useful. And yet… your fatal flaw may destroy us as well as yourself. Kronos knows your flaw, even if you do not. He knows how to study his enemies. Think, Percy. How has he manipulated you? First, your mother was taken from you. Then your best friend, Grover. Now, he tried it on Harry. It could have so easily been my daughter, whom you care for a lot. Your friends and loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos’s traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend, you would sacrifice the world. In a hero of the prophecy, that is very, very dangerous.”

He was starting to get a little angry, “With respect, that’s not a flaw. I just want to help my friends.”

She countered with “The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation. Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom… that is very hard indeed. I hope the Council’s decisions prove wise. But I will be watching, Percy Jackson. I do not approve of your friendship with my daughter. I do not think it wise for either of you. And should you begin to waver in your loyalties…”

They watched as Annabeth came running over, only to slow when she spotted her mother. Athena said, “I shall take your leave. For now.”

She walked away, and Annabeth came in looking worried, “You okay? She didn’t give you a hard time, did she?”

He shrugged, “We’re fine.”

Annabeth didn’t look convinced but she ran her hand through his hair. Only stopping to finger a streak of grey in his hair, a parting gift from holding up the sky. Then he changed the subject, “Care to dance?”

She smiled slowly, “Alright, Seaweed Brain, you’re on. Step on my toes and I will kill you.”

---

After what seemed like hours, the group decided to leave Olympus and part ways. Percy, Grover and Annabeth split from the group and headed to Camp Half-Blood. The others stayed back as Artemis was going to re-join the Hunters and induct Thalia into the ranks and introduce Harry as the new Lieutenant. From there, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Bianca would head to Hogwarts.

Apollo was kind enough to let them hitch a ride in his chariot and he dropped them at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. As soon as Harry stepped inside, he was seized and wrapped in an octopus hug from Mackenzie, Sirius and Remus. Molly Weasley wrapped Ron and Hermione in a big hug. Bianca also got tackled into a tight hug from Nico.

Then came the hard part, gathering the Hunters and breaking the news of Zoe’s death. None of them took it well, and Phoebe even swore that if Atlas ever got free, she would kill him herself. On a brighter note, the Hunters welcomed Thalia into their ranks. When Thalia told them that Harry was the new Lieutenant of the Hunters, they emitted a loud cheer. The next thing Harry knew, he was buried under several girls hugging him.

Finally, Katie helped him up and ruffled his salt and pepper hair. She joked, “So should we call you, Boss, from now on?”

Harry swatted her hand away, “Oi! Stop that! Besides, I’m only the leader until we head to Hogwarts. Beyond that, Thalia will take over in my absence.”

Over the next few weeks in the build-up to September 1^st, Harry and the Hunters trained hard. Then in the last week of August, Thalia and the Hunters left, leaving only Harry and Katie. Before she did, Harry unpinned his badge. It transformed into a silver circlet, which he gently placed on Thalia's head.

Sirius had been kind enough to buy all of his, Ron’s and Hermione’s Fourth-Year Books as well as Bianca and Mackenzie’s Third-Year books, while they were on the quest. Then Harry spotted something odd on his checklist, “Dress robes? What for?”

Remus shrugged, “Those are for formal occasions. There’s something big happening this year at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you what it is. Dumbledore made us promise not to tell. It’s a surprise.”

In the next room, they could hear Ron yelling in horror, “You’ve got to be kidding! I’m not wearing that! No way!”

Molly’s cross voice snapped, “Everyone wears them, Ron! They’re all like that! Your father’s got some for smart parties!”

“I’ll go starkers before I put that on,” said Ron stubbornly.

“Don’t be so silly,” Mrs. Weasley replied. “You’ve got to have dress robes, they’re on your list!”

Sirius chuckled from the doorway, “Just saw the robes that Molly’s given Ron. Four words to describe it, Kill It With Fire. I wanted to buy you a tuxedo, because, f**k tradition, but the bloody shops at Diagon Alley have no idea what that is.”

Remus snapped, “Sirius! Language!”

Sirius waved him off, “He’s 14, Moony. Harry would have heard a lot worse in the dorms.”

Harry laughed as he wrestled with his snapping Monster Book of Monsters. He casually asked, “So what’s been happening while I was missing?”

Sirius replied, “Well… There was an intruder at Mad-Eye Moody’s, a couple of days ago. Lots of carnage and poor Arthur was worked to the bone to clean up that mess.”

---

Finally, September 1^st arrived and they were on their way to Kings Cross Station. Bianca stared blankly at the pillar between Platform 9 and Platform 10. She deadpanned, “Let me get this straight… You two want me to run right at that pillar? Are you crazy?”

Harry pat her back, “Trust me, Bianca. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

She took a deep breath, “Okay then…”

The girl charged and soon disappeared through the portal. Harry and Mackenzie followed her and grinned at Bianca’s awed look. Meanwhile, the older Weasley siblings were busy teasing the younger ones with hints about the special things that awaited them that year.

Harry, Ron and Hermione soon walked into the Hogwarts Express and found a compartment. Mackenzie and Ginny had dragged Bianca away to meet their friends. Before long, Neville showed up with his parents and grandmother. The boy looked like he had lost a fair about of weight and looked more fit. He clapped Harry firmly on the back as he took a seat next to him.

Neville said, “Hey Harry. Good to see that you’re okay. Man! Everyone is talking about the World Cup fiasco. Ministry tried to bury it, suggesting that it was a bunch of drunk wizards playing a practical joke. However, Madam Bones later issued a statement saying that you were kidnapped. The Prophet was all over it, and what the hell happened to your hair?!”

Harry cast a privacy spell and replied, “To make a long story short, a Greek monster called a Manticore kidnapped me. Bloke was a mercenary and was hired by some Death Eaters. Later on, I found out that the traitor Luke, had outbid the Death Eaters. So the Manticore killed the Death Eaters and delivered me to Luke. I was imprisoned at Mount Tamalpais in San Francisco. The special thing about that place is that it is where the sky almost touches the earth. However, they cannot be allowed to meet. Otherwise the weight of the sky would flatten the earth for thousands of miles.”

Neville’s eyes were wide, “Whoa! What happened next?”

“Well, I was forced to hold up the sky for days. Bloody Hell! It was insanely heavy! Felt like my whole body was on fire. Ron and Hermione teamed up with some of my demigod friends and rescued me.”

Neville’s eyes bugged out, “YOU HELD UP THE SKY!”

Ron mumbled, “Yeah… We were right there. The quest wasn’t without casualties though.”

At this, Harry’s face grew sad and Hermione wrapped a comforting arm around him. Ron continued hollowly, “Zoe Nightshade, one of the Hunters of Artemis and sister-figure to Harry, died.”

Neville patted Harry’s arm sympathetically, “Sorry to hear that, mate.”

Harry let out a deep sigh, “Yeah… It still hurts, but I’ll probably get over it after a while. I knew that being a demigod was dangerous, but this is the first time someone close to me has died.”

They sat in silence for a while, and outside the window, it began to rain. Harry soon took down the privacy spell and they talked about more mundane things. Several off their friends dropped by, few like Seamus commented on Harry’s hair.

Then, the door burst open to reveal Malfoy and his cronies. He sneered, “Heard a rumour that Potty was sporting a new look. Had to see it for myself, you old geezer.”

Harry shot him a cool look, “You like it? Would you like me to give you a makeover as well?”

Malfoy ignored him, “So Weasley, are you going to enter? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? Heard from my mum that there’s money involved. You’ll probably be able to afford decent robes.”

“What are you talking about?” snapped Ron.

“Are you going to enter?” Malfoy repeated. “I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?”

Hermione looked up from a book that she was reading and said icily, “Either explain what you’re on about or go away, Malfoy.”

He sneered and flounced away, followed by Crabbe, Goyle, Snyde and Murk. Ron muttered darkly under his breath, “Wish I could see him take the weight of the sky. Wanker wouldn’t last a second.”

Finally, after a long journey, they reached Hogsmeade Station. Bianca split from them, joining the First-Years as they approached Hagrid. Harry and his friend left the train, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.

Hermione shivered, “Oooh! I wouldn’t fancy crossing the lake in this weather.”

Harry and Neville boarded a carriage, with Ron and Hermione joining them after a few seconds. The redhead murmured, “Bloody hell. It’s not easy seeing Thestrals.”

Finally, the bedraggled students trudged up the marble staircase. Suddenly, Harry activated his wand holster shield and braced himself as a red water balloon impacted against it. A second balloon also hit the shield and Peeves blew a raspberry. He complained, “Aww man! Shields are no fair! Spoilsport!”

Footsteps echoed across the floor and McGonagall yelled, “PEEVES! Peeves, come down here at once!”

The deputy headmistress suddenly slipped, but Harry managed to steady her. She nodded gratefully, “Thank you, Mr Potter.”

She ushered everyone inside the Great Hall, as they narrowly avoided more water balloons. Once inside, Harry turned his shield back into a wand holster. Harry and his friends then took their seats and he heard Colin Creevey from across the table. The boy excited chattered, “Guess what, Harry! My brother’s starting this year! His name is Dennis! He’s really excited!. I just hope he’s in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?”

Harry smiled at him, “Will do so, Colin!”

He gazed at the Head table and saw three empty seats. Harry observed that one was probably for Hagrid, another for McGonagall, who was supervising the cleaning of the corridor. So the last one was probably for the DADA professor after Remus voluntarily vacated the position to help Dumbledore with the Horcrux problem. According to Sirius, they managed to remove one from the Hufflepuff Cup, sometime ago. Lord Thanatos had shown up to aid them, and with his help extracted the Horcrux without destroying the Cup.

Harry was brought out of his musings by the doors opening. McGonagall walked in, leading the First-Years to the other end of the Great Hall. All of them were soaked to the bone, and Bianca also stood out as the tallest of the lot. Dean motioned towards her, “Oi, who’s she? Another late bloomer?”

Ron replied, “Guess so. Same situation as that Alves girl last year.”

McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat in front of everyone and it burst into song as usual.

“A thousand years or more ago,

When I was newly sewn,

There lived four wizards of renown,

Whose names are still well known:

Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,

Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,

Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,”

“Shrewd Slytherin, from fen.

They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,

They hatched a daring plan

To educate young sorcerers

Thus Hogwarts School began.

Now each of these four founders

Formed their own House, for each

Did value different virtues

In the ones they had to teach.

By Gryffindor, the bravest were

Prized far beyond the rest;

For Ravenclaw, the cleverest

Would always be the best;

For Hufflepuff, hard workers were

Most worthy of admission;

And power-hungry Slytherin

Loved those of great ambition.

While still alive they did divide

Their favourites from the throng,

Yet how to pick the worthy ones

When they were dead and gone?

’Twas Gryffindor who found the way,”

“He whipped me off his head

The founders put some brains in me

So I could choose instead!

Now slip me snug about your ears,

I’ve never yet been wrong,

I’ll have a look inside your mind

And tell where you belong!”

Harry mused to Hermione, “We really need to get the Hat to meet Apollo. Maybe they can improve each other’s lyrics.”

She giggled in response.

---

Then the Sorting began in earnest. Students were spread out a little unevenly between the four houses. Dennis Creevey soon joined his big brother and excitedly began telling him about falling in the lake. That jogged Harry’s memory and he got Hermione’s attention. He whispered, “You still have him?”

She nodded and whispered back, “We’ll do it tonight.”

Finally, Dumbledore stood up and called for silence. He announced, “Students, as you can probably see, we have another late transfer this year. I would like to welcome Miss Bianca di Angelo, who will be joining the Third Years.”

The slightly mortified girl sat down on the stool and had the Hat plopped on her head. Everyone waited with bated breath until it called out, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Harry and his housemates emitted a loud cheer and she made her way over to sit between Harry and Mackenzie. She excitedly whispered, “He said that it was a toss-up between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. But the fact that I went on the quest and he saw what I did, convinced him to put me in Gryffindor.”

At last, Dumbledore gave the order to tuck into their meals. As they ate, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington floated over. He noted, “You’re lucky that there was a feast tonight. Trouble in the kitchens, from Peeves. He wanted to attend the feast, but he normally wreaks havoc. The Friant wanted to give him a chance, but the Bloody Baron put his foot down. Damn nearly scared the house elves to bits.”

Harry glanced at Hermione, half expecting her to throw a fit. During their stay at Grimmauld Place, she got the impression that the house elves were slaves. That lasted until Sirius and Remus sat down with her and explained that the house-elves’ payment came in the form of their owners’ magic. Fortunately, she didn’t say anything and kept eating.

Once all the food was magically cleared away, Dumbledore stood up again. He announced, “So! Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. Caretaker Filch has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch’s office, if anybody would like to check it. As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year.”

Then he said, “I would also like to inform you that in addition to the Quidditch Cup and the Capture the Flag games, we will be announcing a new tournament!”

That got everyone talking and Dumbledore continued, “This event will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers’ time and energy — but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely.”

Before he could speak any further, the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swivelled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to limp toward the teachers’ table. Each step echoed with a dull clunk until he reached the end. Lightning flashed as the storm outside continued to rage. The lightning illuminated a very grisly-looking face.

Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. Had Harry not gone up against scarier monsters, he would have been intimidated by the man’s eyes. One was dark and beady, and the other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye — and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man’s head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

The man limped up to Dumbledore and stretched out a scarred hand. After a brief exchange, the man sat down in the only empty seat at the head table. Everyone watched as he served himself, sniffed his food and began eating.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore cheerily said, “May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alastor Moody”

There was scattered applause, as the entire student body just seemed shell-shocked. Dumbledore cleared his throat, “As I was saying, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.”

There was an audible gasp and Fred loudly proclaimed, “Cor! You’re joking!”

The tension was broken with everyone bursting into peals of laughter. Dumbledore chuckled, “I am not joking, Mr. Weasley. Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar . . .”

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

He sheepishly tapered off, “Er — but maybe this is not the time . . . no . . . Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament . . . well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.”

An outraged Hermione whispered harshly, “Death toll!”

Harry grimaced, “Seriously! I already risk my life enough, but now, to do it to entertain others?”

However, the other students were whispering excitedly.

Dumbledore explained, “There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Co-operation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. The Heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.“

That got the buzz in the crowd to grow even louder. Once again, Dumbledore called for silence. He continued, “Now, I can see that you are all excited. However, there are some stipulations. Owing to the danger that this tournament presents, there will be an age restriction. Initially, the Ministry of Magic proposed that only students who are of age, would participate.”

That piece of news was met with hundreds of groans and boos. The headmaster spoke up once again, “However, I managed to convince them that the limit should be lowered a bit, since there are younger students who are just as talented and capable. It took some negotiation, but now, students who are of the age of 14 or above, are eligible to participate.”

There was a mixed reaction to that, but majority were satisfied. Dumbledore wound up his speech, “The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop, chop!”

As they walked back, Harry looked a bit thoughtful. His three friends noticed and Ron nudged him, “Knut for your thoughts?”

He murmured, “Later… When we’re in the Common Room.”

Eventually, they reached Gryffindor Tower. They moved to an isolated corner of the Common Room and then Harry spoke, “I’m kind of in two minds about this. On one hand, I just got back after getting kidnapped and holding up the sky for several days straight. Do I really want to risk my life so soon? On the other hand, I want to enter, because it will be great training for me. Kronos’ forces are rising. Ron, Hermione, you two were there at Mount Tam. Look, I honestly don’t care about the money. I NEED to get stronger for the final battle against Kronos.”

Ron shivered, “Blimey, that army was freaking terrifying. Thousands of giants, monsters and even other demigods. We would have been overwhelmed for sure.”

Their little conversation was interrupted when one of the prefects called out, “Okay everyone! In bed, now! We’ll discuss our nominations tomorrow night after classes end.”

The next morning dawned and it was time for classes to begin. Before that, Harry was up at the crack of dawn, and he woke up Ron and Neville as well. The three boys padded down silently, and met with Hermione, who had her Mary Poppins bag.

They sneaked out, making their way to the Black Lake, avoiding Filch and Mrs Norris. Harry and Ron waded into the lake until the frigid water was up to their waists. Hermione and Neville then reached into the bag, and with some difficulty, pulled out the water sphere which contained the Ophiotaurus.

Neville’s eyes widened in amazement at the sight of the cow serpent. Harry then carefully opened the large capsule and allowed the creature to slither out. It then doubled back and coiled around him, with the cow’s head nuzzling him. Uncoiling itself, it swam off deeper into the Black Lake and was soon out of sight. Hermione dried everyone off and they all sneaked back to their Common Room.

Chapter 51: Chapter 51

When the day officially began, they had Herbology as their first lecture. In all honesty, it was an uncomfortable lesson, as they were dealing with Bubotubers and they had to extract the pus from the plant. It was a very squeamish couple of hours, but everyone endured.

Unfortunately, Care of Magical Creatures was not any better. Hagrid proudly displayed some creatures who looked like absolute abominations of nature. They were deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. The creatures gave off a very powerful smell of rotting fish. Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of one of the creatures, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.

Hagrid proudly grinned, “Blast-Ended Skrewts! Only just hatched, so you’ll be able to raise them yourselves! Thought that this would make an excellent long-term project.”

The cold voice of Malfoy sounded, “And why would we want to raise them? I mean, what do they do? What is the point of them?”

Hagrid was a little cowed and replied, “That’s next lesson, Malfoy. You’re just feeding them today. Now, you’ll want to try them on a few different things — I’ve never had them before, not sure what they’ll go for — I got ant eggs and frog livers and a bit of grass snake — just try them out with a bit of each.”

In the end, Harry and the gang were forced to grin and bear it. At the same time, they were forced to listen to Malfoy’s petulant whining. On the bright side, Harry’s natural affinity for animals meant that his Skrewt gave him an easier time. The next lesson was Divination, and Harry really was not looking forward to it.

As he sat on his chair, Trelawney ambled up to him. She spoke, “You are preoccupied, my dear. My inner eye sees past your brave facade to the troubled soul within. And I regret to say that your worries are not baseless. I see difficult times ahead for you, alas... most difficult... I fear the thing you dread will indeed come to pass... and perhaps sooner than you think.... You have been most brave to survive such an ordeal, and your altered appearance is proof of your strength.”

She stepped back and continued her lecture, “My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars. The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle with each other. Saturn is slowly getting in a position of power in the heavens.”

The gears in his head spun, and then it clicked for him, Saturn is the Roman equivalent to Kronos. He scribbled furiously on his parchment and then his mind began to wander as his ADHD kicked in. A small nudge from Ron jerked him back to his senses, noticing that the class was over and he had accidentally doodled battle plans. He hurriedly crumpled it up before anyone could notice.

---

That evening in the Common Room, the Gryffindor prefects gathered everyone and announced, “Okay, so this is what we’re going to do. Each of you discuss with your Year mates and choose one person to represent you. In essence, one person from Seventh Year, one from Sixth, one from Fifth and one from Fourth.”

Harry and the other Fourth Year Gryffindors clustered together. Lavender was the first to speak, “I think it should be Hermione. She is the smartest of us all.”

Hermione scoffed, “Sorry to burst your bubble, but I mostly excel from a theoretical basis. I still struggle with practical magic. Also, if I had to face off against Seventh-Years, I would be completely out of my depth.”

Then Ron jumped in, “I think Harry should do it. Look, he can match Hermione in the theory and you all know what he’s like in DADA. I think we should have Harry represent the Fourth-Years.”

After much debate, the rest of the Fourth-Years were in agreement, Harry sighed, “Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll submit my name in the pool.”

A few minutes later, the prefect consulted his list, “Okay, so we’ve got Blenkinsop from the Seventh-Years. Johnson from Sixth, Hackett from Fifth and Potter from Fourth. Alright, now that that’s done, good night everyone.”

The next couple of days passed by without much incident. McGonagall got them started on the Beetle to Button transfiguration. Then it was time for the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lecture. For the first time ever, all four Houses would be attending the same lecture. Harry and his friends followed the other Gryffindors to the DADA classroom and saw the other students gathers outside. Peeping in the open door, they didn’t see Moody anywhere, so they all reluctantly walked in with Harry bringing up the rear. Just then, the hairs on the back of Harry’s neck pricked up and his wand shot into his left hand. He quickly transferred it to his right hand. Then he spun around, tapping his holster. His shield instinctively unfurled itself, and just in time too.

Ron and Hermione instantly took cover behind the shield as a Stinging Hex impacted against it and was redirected skywards. More Hexes rained down on the students, coming from behind the open door. Finally, Mad Eye Moody hobbled out from his hiding place. He roared, “DEAD! ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! You there!? Potter, right? Good call with the shield! Excellent transfiguration! 10 points to Gryffindor! You two, 10 points each for taking cover. Those kind of reflexes would have saved your arses!”

Malfoy protested, “Wouldn’t a Protego spell have worked better?”

Moody replied, “Aye, that's true. But then again, multiple spells will eventually break down a Protego spell. A real shield is a solid object. Now, put your books away. You won’t need them because this is a practical demonstration.”

He took the roll and once he was done, growled, “Right then. I’ve had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you’ve had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures — you’ve covered boggarts, Red Caps, Hinkypunks, Grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?”

Everyone murmured in assent. He continued, “But you’re behind — very behind — on dealing with curses,” said Moody. “So I’m here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I’ve got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark Arts. Yeah, I’m staying just the one year. Special favour to Dumbledore. . . . One year, and then back to my quiet retirement.”

He clapped his hands once, “So — straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I’m supposed to teach you counter-curses and leave it at that. I’m not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you’re in the sixth year. You’re not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore’s got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you’re up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you’ve never seen? A wizard who’s about to put an illegal curse on you isn’t going to tell you what he’s about to do. He’s not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I’m talking.”

Lavender yelped and hurriedly tucked away her completed horoscope under the desk. Moody ignored the chuckles from the students and continued his lecture, “So . . . do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by Wizarding law?”

Several hands rose tentatively into the air, including Harry’s, Ron’s and Hermione’s. Moody pointed at Ron.

“Er,” said Ron tentatively, “my dad told me about one. . . . Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?”

“Ah, yes,” said Moody appreciatively. “Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse.”

The man got up and opened a desk drawer. Reaching a gnarled hand in, he withdrew a large glass jar. Ron recoiled, and Harry couldn’t blame him at all. That was because three large black spiders were scuttling around inside it. Moody deftly caught one and held it for everyone to see. Pointing his wand, he intoned, “Imperio!”

The spider leapt from Moody’s hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and began to tap dance.

There were several chuckles, except for Harry and Ron. Moody growled, “Think it’s funny, do you? You’d like it, would you, if I did it to you?”

The laughter died away almost instantly.

“Total control,” said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. “I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats . . .”

Moody quietly and sinisterly said, “Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. Fortunately, the Imperius Curse can be fought. I’ll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone’s got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!”

Chucking the spider back in the jar, he asked, “Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?”

Hermione and Neville’s hands flew up and Moody picked Neville. The boy gulped and said, “There’s the C-Cruciatus Curse.”

Moody’s good eye focused Neville, “Longbottom eh? Yeah, I know about that. Good to see that they’re up and about.”

Moody cleared his throat and removed the next spider. He pointed his wand at it and spoke up, “Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea, Engorgio!”

Now, it was a little bigger than a tarantula, and Ron froze up. Moody raised his wand and muttered, “Crucio!”

At once, the spider’s legs bent in upon its body; it rolled over and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. No sound came from it, but it was writhing in agony. Hermione’s green face yelled, “Stop it! I think you’ve made your point!”

Moody stopped, to everyone’s relief. Harry did notice that Neville was trembling and pat his arm discreetly. Moody softly said, “Pain. You don’t need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse. . . . That one was very popular once too.”

Harry thought to himself, ‘Yeah? Try holding up the sky for several days on the trot. Even with the help of a goddess.‘

Moody straightened up, “Any others?”

Harry’s hand went up and Moody’s eyes zeroed in on him. Harry hollowly spoke, “The Killing Curse… Avada Kedavra.”

Moody nodded grimly, “Ah… The last and the worst.”

He withdrew the last spider, which freaked out a little. Moody raised his wand and roared, “Avada Kedavra!”

In a flash of blinding green light, the spell struck the spider. It instantaneously rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead.

Moody ominously said, “Not nice. Not pleasant. And there’s no counter-curse. There’s no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he’s sitting right in front of me. Avada Kedavra is a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it — you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I’d get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn’t matter. I’m not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if there’s no counter-curse, why am I showing you? Because you’ve got to know. You’ve got to appreciate what the worst is. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you’re facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!”

Everyone jumped again, “Now . . . those three curses — Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus — are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That’s what you’re up against. That’s what I’ve got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vigilance.”

Harry raised a hand and Moody called on him, “Professor. This is a hypothetical situation. Suppose you see someone who is about to take their own life, say by jumping off a bridge. And you use the Imperius Curse to save them, then what happens?”

Moody paused and everyone stared at Harry in amazement. The man mused, “Huh… Never thought about it that way. Must bring it up with Amelia and Sirius, one of these days.”

The rest of the lesson continued without interruption. Finally, the bell rang, and everyone cleared out. As they walked, Harry, Hermione and Ron closed ranks around Neville, who was still shaking.

Afterwards, they made their way back to the Common Room where Harry saw Hedwig waiting for him with a letter. He took it and read, “Hey Harry. The search is getting along alright. We found a locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin. Well… Nico found it at Grimmauld Place and managed to negotiate with my house elf, Kreacher. Kid took a wicked looking black sword, touched the locket with it and sucked out the Horcrux. I’ll be in touch soon. Think we’ve got a lead on another one, which is supposedly a ring. Sirius”

---

Over the next two weeks, school went about as normal, though the lessons got tougher. Then one day, Moody surprised everyone when he announced that he got permission to demonstrate the Imperius Curse. This invited a storm of protest, until he roared back, “If you’d rather learn the hard way — when someone’s putting it on you so they can control you completely — fine by me. You’re excused. Off you go.”

That shut everyone up, and the demonstrations began. Dean Thomas hopped three times around the room, singing the national anthem. Lavender Brown imitated a squirrel. Neville performed a series of quite astonishing gymnastics. Not one of them seemed to be able to fight off the curse, and each of them recovered only when Moody had removed it.

Then Moody called Harry up and he reluctantly shuffled up. Moody pointed his wand at Harry and intoned, “Imperio”

Immediately, a floating sensation overtook Harry. It was as if every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. Then he shook his head and strengthened his Occlumency shields. This blocked out Moody’s voice ordering him to jump on the desk. The order came back stronger, but Harry firmly held up his mental shields.

Moody lowered his wand and smiled approvingly, He spoke, “Now, that’s more like it! Look at that, you lot . . . Potter fought! He fought it, and he beat it! We’ll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention — watch his eyes, that’s where you see it — very good, Potter, very good indeed! Anyone will have trouble controlling you! I heard about what happened at the World Cup. I suppose your ordeal has toughened you up.”

A few days later, there was a large notice at the foot of the marble staircase. It read, ‘The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o’clock on Friday, the 30^th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.’

When the day arrived the Great Hall had been decorated overnight. Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenclaw, yellow with a black badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin. Behind the teachers’ table, the largest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around a large letter H. It seemed that the professors were going all out to impress their guests. That day’s lessons went by in a bit of a blur and 6 o’clock was rapidly approaching. The Heads of the respective houses arranged all the students in different rows. The First-Years with in front, followed by the Second-Years behind them, then the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Years.

They waited for a long time and Harry was growing fidgety. His ADHD was driving him crazy. Luckily, Katie solved that by standing behind him and giving his shoulders a massage. No one batted an eye, because the two were still pretending as though they were dating. Bianca was also looking uncomfortable with her own ADHD issues until Mackenzie reached out and squeezed her hand. Ron muttered next to Harry, “How do you reckon they’re coming? The Express?”

Katie shrugged, “Not sure. Maybe they have their own methods of transportation.”

Then a random Sixth-Year pointed excitedly above the Forbidden Forest. Sure enough, a gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest. Soon, the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powder-blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen Abraxan.

The horses did a few loops and then landed. The hooves hit the ground with a crash, and the carriage soon followed. The door of the carriage bore a coat of arms (two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars) before it opened.

A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully. Then Harry saw a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage — a shoe the size of a child’s sled — followed, almost immediately, by the tallest mortal woman he had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

Dumbledore clapped, prompting the Hogwarts students to clap as well. He stepped forward to the tall woman and said, “My dear Madame Maxime,. Welcome to Hogwarts.”

“Dumbly-dorr,” said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. “I hope I find you well?”

“In excellent form, I thank you,” said Dumbledore.

Behind here, about a dozen shivering boys and girls were standing behind her.

“Has Karkaroff arrived yet?” Madame Maxime asked.

“He should be here any moment,” said Dumbledore lightly. “Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?”

“Warm up, I think,” said Madame Maxime. “But ze horses —”

Dumbledore raised his hands placatingly, “Not to worry. I can have one of my students take care of them. Unfortunately, our Care of Magical Creatures professor is a touch busy with some of his other charges.”

Madame Maxime primly said, “My steeds require — er — forceful handling. Zey are very strong....”

Dumbledore motioned to Harry, who dutifully stepped out, “Like I said, there is no need to worry. Young Harry here, is said to be a prodigy in Care of Magical Creatures. He even helped rescue one of the last wild Golden Snidgets from smugglers. Dare I say, the little fellow is rather devoted to him.”

Maxime’s beady eyes bore down on Harry, and she was a little impressed. She smiled thinly, “Very well. Just remember zat ze horses only drink single malt whiskey.”

Harry bowed and slowly approached the horses. The horses were a little unruly, until they spotted him approaching and stilled. Hermione could have sworn that he had a silvery aura around him in the darkness. Harry softly neighed, “Alright! Calm down. I know you’ve had a long journey. Don’t worry, I can help you.”

He pet one of the Abraxan and it instantly leaned down at his touch. It nuzzled him and neighed, “Son of the moon goddess. Thank you for your hospitality. Please take us to some shelter.”

Everyone except for Ron, Hermione and Neville watched in awe as Harry led the docile Abraxan to some makeshift stables. He deftly filled one trough with oats. Then he whistled, prompting a House Elf to pop next to him. He asked the little Elf to fetch some single malt whiskey and she popped away. A minute later, she was back with a large pitcher and popped away. He poured the whiskey into another trough, and the Abraxan nearly galloped towards the troughs.

One Beauxbatons girl screamed, thinking that he was in danger, but Harry emitted a sharp whistle. That was enough to stop the horses in their tracks. He neighed sharply, “Hey! Slowly! Don’t rush it, there is plenty for everyone! Now come in a nice, orderly fashion!”

With the horses situated, he stepped back in line and waited for the Durmstrang contingent. Then, Lee Jordan exclaimed, “The lake! Look at the lake!”

Sure enough, in the center of the black, murky waters, great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks. Then, a whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of the lake’s floor.

Then a ship’s mast emerged from the heart of the whirlpool. Slowly, magnificently, a ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

Harry joked, “Where did they get that one? From Davy Jones’ Locker?”

There were small snickers from a few Muggleborns in earshot. However, everyone was distracted by several students disembarking. All of the students were fairly bulkily built at first glance. However, as they drew closer, they noticed that the students were bundled up in thick shaggy cloaks. The man leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

“Dumbledore!” he called heartily as he walked up the slope. “How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?”

“Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff,” Dumbledore replied.”

Karkaroff gave a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. He spoke, “Dear old Hogwarts. “How good it is to be here, how good.... Viktor, come along, into the warmth . . . you don’t mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold....”

Ron’s eyes bugged out and he hissed in Harry’s ear, “Bloody hell! It’s Viktor Krum!”

Harry grinned, “Yep, I noticed.”

---

The Hogwarts students shuffled behind the Durmstrang contingent, whispering excitedly. Many were bemoaning that they did not have stationery on hand. While the visitors gathered outside the Great Hall, the home students took their seats. Then they walked in, with Durmstrang sitting at the Slytherin table, prompting Ron to sulk. Meanwhile, the Beauxbatons students were situated at the Ravenclaw table.

Karkaroff and Maxime took their places at the head table, and there were two empty chairs as well. Dumbledore stood up and called for silence. He said, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly, guests. I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!”

On cue, the plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than Harry had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

Harry and Ron helped themselves to the food. As they ate, Ludo Bagman and Bartemius Crouch Sr had joined the head table, taking the two empty seats. Suddenly, a hush fell over the Gryffindor table. Harry looked up from his black pudding to see everyone staring at him in awe. He tilted his head curiously and groaned, “Are you all still staring at my hair? It's been a month! Haven't had enough!”

Suddenly, a dainty pair of hands covered his eyes and he felt a familiar aura. A melodious voice sing-songed, “Gueeess whooo!!?”

A grin formed on his face, “Frenchie! I was wondering where you were!”

One hand withdrew from one eye and smacked the back of his head and he yelped. The unknown assailant snapped, “Connard! How many times have I told you? Don’t call me Frenchie!”

He spun around in his seat to come face to face with a stunningly beautiful older girl. She had a flawless face with zero blemishes. A long sheet of silvery-blonde hair fell almost to her waist. She had large, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth. The teeth disappeared as the girl pouted. He grinned at her pouting face, “Aww come on, don’t be like that. You’re still my third favourite big sister. Well… second favourite now.”

She turned up her nose, “And don’t you forget it!”

He looked around at the Gryffindor table, and the boys were close to being reduced to drooling messes. The girls had visibly relaxed, and then it hit him. He turned back to the girl, “Umm… Fleur… You’re projecting…”

Her deep blue eyes blinked in surprise, “Oh! Pardon! Force of habit. Also, I was craving some bouillabaisse.”

Harry smirked and passed the dish to her, as she concentrated. Finally, the boys’ expressions changed back to normal. He said, “Here you go, just don’t hog the thing like you usually do.”

She stuck her tongue out at him and walked back to the Ravenclaw table after serving herself. Ron snapped out of it, “Bloody hell! She’s a veela.”

Harry shrugged, “Yeah, I know.”

Hermione tilted her head curiously, “I read about Veela. No one is sure about their origins, but they can sort of hypnotise men. We saw that at the World Cup, but why weren’t you affected, Harry?”

He replied, “That’s Fleur Delacour. Met her at Summer Camp. She normally stays at Cabin 10.”

Ron and Hermione’s eyes lit up in understanding. Harry continued, “I went to camp when I was five, and she used to babysit me. Later on, she explained about her ‘Allure’. Initially, I wasn’t affected because I was too young. She said that it usually starts affecting boys who are 11 or older. Then as I grew older, you could say I developed a bit of an immunity to her ‘Allure’, especially since I’ve been around her for so long.”

Everyone listening in, was satisfied with the explanation and continued eating. Once the plates were wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. He announced, “The moment has come. The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket. Just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.”

There was polite applause for Crouch, and a more enthusiastic one for Bagman. Dumbledore continued, “Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions’ efforts.”

He motioned to Argus Filch, who was standing in a far corner of the hall. Filch disappeared behind a door and them emerged with a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. Dumbledore announced, “The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman. They have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways . . . their magical prowess — their daring — their powers of deduction — and, of course, their ability to cope with danger. As you know, three champions compete in the tournament. One from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire.”

Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall. He cleared his throat, “Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete. Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all.”

---

With this, the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students got up. As Viktor Krum passed him, Harry felt something flutter onto his lap. Next to him, Ron didn’t notice, as he was too busy gazing admiringly at Krum. Harry peeked down at the parchment, which had a simple message, “Meet tonight at 11PM where the owls roost and bring anyone in the know.”

Harry crushed the note and made his way up to the dorms. Inside the Common Room, he motioned to Ron, Hermione and Neville. Harry even managed to get Katie, Bianca and Mackenzie’s attention. He whispered, “We have a meeting tonight at 11. Let’s wait for everyone to fall asleep.”

After an agonising couple of hours, they snuck out of the Portrait. Harry and Katie were once again leading, while the other five were following them under the Invisibility Cloak. They steadily made their way to the Owlery, where they found Fleur waiting for them. However, she was not alone, as Viktor Krum was also there.

Harry snickered and used a finger to close Ron’s dropped jaw. He said, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Fleur Delacour, Daughter of Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty. And this is Viktor Krum, Son of Nike, Greek Goddess of Victory. Fleur, Viktor, these are my friends, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. This is my cousin Mackenzie Dursley. This is Katie Bell, Hunter of Artemis, and finally, Bianca di Angelo, Daughter of Hades.”

The two’s eyes widened and Fleur gasped, “Harry? Is she?...”

He shook his head, “She and her brother Nico were born before the pact, but were hidden away at the Land of the Lotus Eaters.”

Krum nodded in understanding and said in a thick Bulgarian accent, “Da, I remember Perseus mentioning that you were in for a few minutes, but when you came out, five days passed.”

Ron, Hermione and Neville could only wordlessly wave at them. Then Harry grew serious, “Fleur, Viktor? What news from camp?”

Krum shook his head and spoke up, “We’re holding up, for now. We had three demigods defect to the enemy. All of them are children of minor gods. Now, Potter, I vant to make it Very Clear. I may be the son of minor goddess as well, but I have no intention of betraying the camp. Fleur and I plan to enter this tournament to get stronger. I am assuming you are entering to do the same?”

Harry nodded. Then Fleur spoke up in an icy voice, “Oh and Harry? When were you going to tell us zat you were kidnapped after ze Quidditch World Cup?”

He chuckled nervously, “Sorry Fleur…”

She interrupted, “You silly boy! You had all of us worried! Silena was extremely close to breaking out of camp and finding you, herself!”

Finally, she hugged him, “I’m just happy zat you are safe, mon petit frere.”

Krum coughed deliberately to break up the coddling. He spoke, “So we are decided then? I suspect your Headmaster Dumbledore deliberately lowered the age limit so that you could also enter. I have no complaints about that if you are chosen. Good night. We speak tomorrow.”

Chapter 52: Chapter 52

The next day, at breakfast time, the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students submitted their names, including Viktor and Fleur. Then from Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory and another Hufflepuff submitted their names. Draco Malfoy swaggered over and put his name in, the lone Slytherin candidate. All the while, he was wearing a cocky smirk on his face. Ravenclaw sent three candidates, from different years. Finally, Harry, Angelina, Blenkinsop and Hackett put their names in the Goblet.

Harry then turned to his fellow Gryffindors, “Let’s make one thing clear. If one of us gets selected, no hard feelings?”

Angelina and the others nodded firmly. His Quidditch teammate even leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Heard some rumours about how the other houses chose their champions. The Puffs voted on it, the Claws conducted a pop quiz and the top 3 highest scorers were chosen. In Slytherin, Malfoy pulled a power move and went full dictator. Cassius Warrington’s quite miffed at him, because he wanted to submit his name.”

Harry snorted quietly, “Can’t say that I’m surprised.”

---

Later after lessons, the four friends were hanging around in the courtyard when a shadow passed over them. Harry looked up to see Pansy standing and fidgeting a little, in front of him. Along with her were Cassandra, Daphne, Tracey and Blaise. The girl spoke, “Potter, can we have a word? It’s important, and it’s been bugging me for a long time. Meet in the library, like last time?”

Ten minutes later, Ron, Hermione and Neville were in the library with the Slytherins. They were just waiting for Harry, who told them that he had something important to take care of. Finally, he showed up, but with Professor Daly in tow.

The professor led them to a far corner of the library, where they all congregated. Pansy shifted uncomfortably in her seat before speaking, “Listen Potter. I wanted to ask you about what had happened after our First-Year. My parents quickly forgot about it, but it’s still been bothering me. What the hell was that thing that you saved me from? I tried asking Tuttle because she’s crazy about magical creatures. She didn’t know what that thing was, so I went to Barnaby Lee. You do know that his uncle works in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, right?”

Hermione murmured, “We do, now.”

Pansy continued, “Even he had no idea what that thing was. His best guess was that it was some weird subspecies of a Nundu”

Harry glanced up at the only adult present and she gave a subtle nod. In response, he took a deep breath, “Okay, fair enough. You deserve to know, but I’m warning you all. Whatever I tell you, does not leave this room, no matter what. The gods of Ancient Greece are real. For centuries, many of them have been taking mortal forms and some have borne children with regular humans, sometimes even witches and wizards. Those children are known as demigods.”

Blaise drawled, “Oookayyy… So what does that have to do with you? Are you suggesting…?”

“It started when my mother was hit with a curse that rendered her barren. She and my father hunted for spells to remove the curse. My godfather Sirius Black stumbled upon a Summoning Ritual, which he mistook for a Fertility one. When my parents performed it, Lady Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon, answered the call. She helped my mother get pregnant with me, but the condition was that Lady Artemis is also counted as my mother. I am the only child of Artemis, because she is a virgin goddess. She vowed to never fall in love and have children. My conception was a loophole to her sacred oath.”

Daphne scoffed, “Please, Potter… Are you saying that you are the son of a goddess? Are you trying to prove Malfoy’s idiotic ramblings that you are arrogant and liar?”

Professor Daly’s eyes narrowed and allowed some of her raw magic leak through. She spoke icily, “I can assure you, Ms Greengrass, that Mr. Potter is telling the truth. His accolades as a demigod, are also extremely impressive for his age. I know this because-”

Then, before their very eyes, she transformed into a more regal look. She spoke with authority, “-I am Hecate… Greek Goddess of Magic.”

The Slytherins clutched each other in fear, as Hecate was looking terrifying. Mercifully, she calmed down and everyone relaxed. Then Pansy said, “Potter, you still haven’t answered my question.”

He nodded, “I was getting to that. Just like there are Greek gods and goddesses, there are also Greek monsters. Now, regular mortals, or Muggles, cannot see them. There is a magical veil known as The Mist, that distorts the view of mortals. So if there is a monster wandering around on the streets, the mortals will not see them, but they will see something else. Pansy, you were attacked by a Greek Monster known as the Chimaera. It has the head and mane of a lion, body and hooves of a goat, and a snake acting as the tail. Yes, it is as grotesque as it sounds. Yes, the lion’s head breathes fire, and the snake is venomous. The other monster is Echidna, who is known as the Mother of monsters, and the Chimaera is her son.”

Cassandra pat a pale Pansy’s back and chimed, “Well… Can’t say I don’t blame you for getting nightmares. But why should we keep it a secret?”

Hecate fielded that one, “The Wizarding World is not ready to learn of the existence of gods. Additionally, the demigod world is on the brink of war. I created the Wizarding World, and I do not wish for it to be dragged into the conflict, woefully unprepared.”

Tracey asked, “What war?”

Hecate explained, “Centuries ago, there was a war between the Gods and their predecessors, the Titans. The gods of Olympus defeated the Titans and imprisoned them in the deepest pits of Tartarus. Tartarus is a place so evil that it makes the Wizarding prison of Azkaban look like a vacation home.”

The Slytherins collectively shuddered in fear. Hecate continued, “Now, the Titans are rising again and planning to overthrow the gods. Several monsters have already been recruited, and last I heard, some of the minor gods are allying with the Titans, as well as a few demigods. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the origins of the first Titan war, else we will be here for a long time. Perhaps at a later date. Anyway, I trust that none of you shall speak a word of this unless I say so. I only allowed Mr. Potter to let you in on the secret because I was beginning to notice that Ms Parkinson was getting suspicious.”

Satisfied with the explanation, the Slytherins left, along with Hecate, who had transformed back into her Professor Daly guise. Meanwhile, Harry’s group split up to do their own thing until the Goblet chose the champions.

---

That evening before dinner, the Great Hall was full. Not many were really in the mood to eat, as they were busy craning their necks to see who would be chosen. At last, everyone was finally convinced to eat their fill, and the empty golden plates were cleared. All eyes were on the Goblet, as Dumbledore stood up.

Then, the flames turned red and spat out a charred piece of parchment. Before Dumbledore could open it, it coughed out five more pieces of parchment. With one white-haired eyebrow raised, he deftly caught the other fluttering parchments. As he read them, both eyebrows raised so high that they disappeared under his wizard’s hat. Dumbledore mused loudly, “Well… It seems that the Goblet is full of surprises. Apparently, it has bent the regulations, so to speak.”

There were confused murmurs, which only grew louder. Harry muttered to Ron, “I got a bad feeling about this”.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, “Representing Durmstrang in the Tri-Wizard Tournament are, Viktor Krum and Yuliya Popov!”

Krum stood up, along with a brown-haired girl, who looked a year younger. They walked up towards Dumbledore, turned right and entered another room. Then Dumbledore announced, “Representing Beauxbatons are Fleur Delacour and Marion Hubert!”

Fleur stood up gracefully and helped another girl to her feet. The second girl was also blonde-haired, but had a more golden sheen to it. They too disappeared into the chamber, and Dumbledore looked at the final two pieces of parchment. He intoned, “Finally, representing Hogwarts are… Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter!”

In unison, the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables exploded in cheers. Harry stood up and marched confidently towards the head table. He and Cedric met each other, and the latter grinned, “Good luck Harry.”

Harry grinned back, “Back at you, Cedric!”

Then, Cedric seized Harry’s hand and raised it in the air, as if they were in a boxing ring after a bout. In response, the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff cheers grew louder. On the back of that reception, they followed their fellow champions into the side chamber.

Once inside, Dumbledore stroked his long white beard, “Incredible… Absolutely unprecedented… I do not remember the last time there were more than three champions. On the bright side, no one can accuse the other school for gaining an advantage.”

Karkaroff looked like he wanted to protest, but held his tongue. Meanwhile, Mr. Crouch spoke curtly, “We must follow the rules, and they clearly state that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the tournament. Dumbledore, in hindsight, I am glad that you insisted on lowering the age limit. Think of the scandal it would have caused the Ministry.”

Meanwhile, Ludo Bagman looked like Christmas had already arrived, instead of being two months away. He rubbed his hands in glee, “Well, shall we crack on, then? Got to give our champions their instructions, haven’t we? Barty, want to do the honours?”

Crouch slowly walked up. In the dull light of the fireplace, he looked ill. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes and a thin, papery look about his wrinkled skin.

The man explained, “The first task is designed to test your daring. So we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard. The first task will take place on November 24th, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests.”

The six chosen nodded and were finally dismissed. Fleur and Viktor gave a single nod and departed with their respective school mates. Meanwhile, Cedric escorted him back to Gryffindor Tower. The Hufflepuff said, “So, I guess we’re facing off again. Out of curiosity, why are you competing? Is it for the fame?”

Harry scoffed, “I have my own reasons. I just want to become a stronger wizard. I don’t care about the fame, to be honest, I get enough of that with the Boy-Who-Live schtick. Don’t care about the money either. Uncle Sirius told me that the Potter family was fairly wealthy.”

Cedric nodded, “Fair enough. Good night, Harry.”

“Night, Cedric. I hope the Hufflepuffs won’t kill me for trying to steal your thunder.”

He laughed, “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll keep them in line. You do the same for the Gryffindors.”

When they split up and Harry crawled through the portrait, a cacophony of sound greeted him. The Gryffindors were in a party mood and Harry was swept into the chaos. After sometime, he finally managed to extricate himself from the thronging crowd and reunited with Ron, Hermione and Neville. The trio led him up to the boys dormitory for a bit of peace and quiet.

Hermione asked, “So, what did they say about the First Task?”

He scowled a little, “They won’t tell us. According to Crouch, it is designed to test a person’s daring and how they would react in the face of an unknown situation.”

Ron scowled too, “Well that is really bloody vague.”

Neville quipped, “What now? Do some research?”

---

Over the next couple of days, things went about as normal. Hermione was a little thrilled that the boys were voluntarily going with her to the library, as opposed to her dragging them. Meanwhile, Harry was a little worried that the Hufflepuffs would resent him. However, Susan Bones threw that notion out of the window when she sat next to him at breakfast, the day after the announcement, and talked as if they were old friends.

A week later, Harry and the Gryffindors were just heading to the Great Hall for lunch, when they bumped into Malfoy and his cronies at the entrance. The blond ponce smirked, “Oi Potter! Got a present for you.”

He, Crabbe, Goyle, Snyde and Murk then fished out five large badges which read, “Potter Stinks” in large green letters.

He snottily said, “Like them, Potter? These are just the prototypes. Spent all night on them, and we’ll be circulating them soon so that everyone knows how pathetic you are and I should have been the one chosen.”

An enraged Seamus started forward, ready to punch him. However, Ron restrained him and glanced at Harry, waiting for his reaction. Had this been in their First-Year, Ron would have joined Seamus in busting up Malfoy. Fortunately, his experiences with Harry’s demigod friends matured him. For his part, Harry simply raised a bored eyebrow at the badge.

Then he scoffed, “Juvenile…”

With that, he spun on his heels and ushered his House mates into the Great Hall. Malfoy’s triumphant smirk was wiped off in an instant and replaced with a confused look.

Snapping himself out of it, he and his group tailed Harry and called out indignantly, “Potter! Hey! Potter! Get back here, damn it!”

The boy looked at his companions, “Snyde, Murk, do something!”

Ismelda Murk had a sadistic gleam in her eyes. She quipped, “With pleasure, Draco”.

On cue, she whipped out her wand and pointed it at Harry. She roared, “AVADA KEDAVRA!”

Harry reacted instantly. With inhuman speed, he dived forward, tackling Neville, Dean and Parvati, who were right in front of him. Hermione and Ron were a little further ahead, so they had a bit more time to react. Ron dived one way, dragging Lavender, Seamus and Kevin with him. Hermione dived the other way, dragging Faye, Robyn and Jae with her. Meanwhile, Murphy McNully was thanking his lucky stars that he was on a wheelchair, because the deadly curse just about sailed above his head.

Then, there were two audible thumps and a hysterical voice screamed, “ROWAN!!!”

Meanwhile, Ismelda Murk aimed her wand lower until it was pointed at Harry. She barked, “AVADA KEDAVRA!”

This time, knowing the danger he was in, Harry had plenty of time to activate his shield. He adjusted his body, ensuring that he was sprawled over Dean and Parvati. The spell impacted against the shield and ricocheted towards the ceiling. Murk swore and aimed her wand once again, but never got a chance to fire off a third spell.

That was because Hannah Abbott and Penny Haywood sprang up from their seats. They fired a Stunning Spell and an Incarcerous Spell respectively, downing the Slytherin girl. The rest of the students were freaking out and Susan was having a hard time calming everyone down.

Harry collapsed his shield and helped his fellow classmates up. Suddenly, a voice screamed, “YOU BITCH! YOU KILLED HIM!”

Padma Patil flew at the downed Ismelda, arms outstretched, ready to claw her eyes out. She would have succeeded if Ron hadn’t stepped in and wrapped his arms around her waist, restraining her. Harry glanced behind his shoulder, and spotted a shell-shocked John Silvertongue sitting on his buttocks and blinking. Next to him was the spread-eagled and unmoving form of Rowan Khanna. Harry glanced back at Padma, who was now wailing.

With a small pang, he remembered that she and Rowan were dating. Meanwhile at the head table, Professor McGonagall shook off her shock and briskly made her way to the scene. She curtly instructed Flitwick to fetch Dumbledore and joined them. The woman turned to Susan, “Ms Bones, if you would do the honours and ask your aunt to come to Hogwarts? Tell her that it is urgent.”

Susan promptly sprinted away, and Dumbledore walked in with Flitwick. McGonagall turned to him, “Albus… A student has died. From what I observed, it started with a minor verbal altercation between Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter turned his back and continued towards his seat. Then, Mr. Malfoy asked his friends to ‘do something’. At which point, Ms Murk fired the Killing Curse at Mr. Potter’s back. Mr. Potter was quick enough to dodge and even tackled some of his fellow students out of the way. Mr. Weasley and Ms Granger were also able to save some of their classmates. The Unforgivable was about to hit Mr. Silvertongue, but Mr. Khanna leaped in the way and was hit instead. Ms Murk continued the assault with a second Killing Curse before she was finally stopped.”

Dumbledore looked grave, “I see… Minerva, I think you know what this means. Please revive Ms Murk and inform her that she is hereby expelled from Hogwarts. Mr. Malfoy, as the original instigator, I decree that you shall not be eligible to earn house points for Slytherin for two weeks. Also, I would like you to hand in that badge and any others that have been made. It is disrespectful towards your fellow classmates.”

He turned to Snape, “Severus? Would you agree that this is a just punishment?”

Snape glared at Malfoy, who looked very small. He curtly said, “I shall not argue with this, Headmaster. I assume that the DMLE are on their way to arrest Ms Murk? She may be a minor, but she has cast an unforgivable twice, which resulted in the tragedy.”

Dumbledore nodded gravely. Five minutes later, Susan was back, with her aunt Amelia and a handful of Aurors. Swiftly, the girl was revive and promptly arrested. After that drama, all of the students sat around, staring in shock.

Padma numbly sat down at the Ravenclaw table. On a whim, Harry got up from his seat and slid next to her. He murmured, “Hey Padma? I’m sorry about Rowan. I could have-”

She cut him off in a hollow voice, “Harry, don’t blame yourself. Rowan was at the other end of the hall. You couldn’t have been fast enough to save him. I am grateful that you saved Parvati though. If I had lost my twin sister, I would have murdered Murk on the spot.”

Padma sniffed and began crying again. Then, Parvati slotted in next to her sister and wrapped her in a hug, “Oh Padhu…”

Parvati began to gently rock her teary sister as they hugged. Then she softly sang,

“Yeh kooche, yeh nilaam,

Ghar dilkashi ke.

Yeh kooche, yeh nilaam,

Ghar dilkashi ke.

Ye lutate huye,

Caaravan zindagi ke.

Kahaan hai, kahan hai,

Muhafiz khudi ke.

Jinhe naaz hai hind, par wo kahaan hai.

Kahaan hai,

kahan hai,

kahan hai.” (1)

She quietly mouthed to Harry, ‘This is her favourite song. I used to sing it to her whenever she was upset’. Satisfied that Parvati had the situation under control, he quietly re-joined Ron, Neville and Hermione. Ron mouthed, "Bloody hell, both of Trelawney's predictions came true."

Hermione tilted her head curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Last year, she said that Harry would have to bear a massive burden. That burden was him holding up the sky. Then she stopped at Silvertongue's table and predicted that his cup had the Grim, meaning that death was coming."

She argued back, "But John is still alive!"

"Rowan was at the same table, Hermione. Everyone was so caught up in thinking it was Silvertongue, no one guessed that it could have meant Khanna instead."

---

A few days later, they had just wrapped up Potions class when Colin Creevey poked his head in. Snape glanced at him, “Yes? I don’t believe that I have class with the Third-Year Gryffindors until much later.”

Colin’s face turned pink and stammered, “Sir, I’ve been asked to take Harry Potter upstairs. Mr. Bagman wants him for some Tri-Wizard duties. He has to take his bags with him as well.”

Snape glanced at Harry neutrally, “Potter? Have you finished with your potion?”

“Two more minutes, sir. Just have to add one more ingredient.”

“Your partner will finish it. Go.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Harry and Colin made their way up the stairs, away from the dungeon. They entered a fairly small classroom; most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving a large space in the middle; three of them, however, had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with a long length of velvet. Five chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Ludo Bagman was sitting in one of them. He was talking to a witch in magenta robes.

Also in the room were the other champions. Cedric was talking to Yuliya and Marion. Meanwhile, Viktor and Fleur were engaging in some serious discussions. Cedric waved at him cheerily and he waved back before sidling with Viktor and Fleur. He muttered, “What’s happening?”

Krum grumpily replied, “Wand-weighing ceremony.”

Evidently, Ludo Bagman had overheard them. He bustled over and cheerfully said, “We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they’re your most important tools in the tasks ahead. The expert’s upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there’s going to be a little photo shoot.”

He gestured to the unknown woman, “This is Rita Skeeter. She’s doing a small piece on the tournament for the Daily Prophet....”

Skeeter primly replied, “Maybe not that small, Ludo.”

Harry wasn’t sure that he liked the predatory gleam in her eye. Neither did Fleur, as she subtly moved closer to him in a protective manner. Krum did the same, and Skeeter hesitantly backed off, though the gleam never left. Finally, Dumbledore swept into the room, with Garrick Ollivander following him.

Fleur whispered in his ear, “Harry… Be careful around Ms Skeeter. She has a bit of a reputation for spreading malicious rumours without an ounce of truth.”

Krum also muttered, “Da, after World Cup, she called me overrated has-been who was promoted to national team too early.”

Away from their personal discussions, Dumbledore gestured to Ollivander, “May I introduce Mr. Ollivander? He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament.”

Ollivander stepped into the empty space, “Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?”

Fleur stepped up and handed him her wand. He twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.

“Yes,” he said quietly, “nine and a half inches... inflexible... rosewood... and containing... dear me...”

Fleur proudly said, “A hair from ze head of a veela. It was my mother’s”

Harry shot her a wide-eyed look, as if asking how on earth she managed to convince Aphrodite to part with one strand of hair.

Ollivander mused, “Yes, yes, I’ve never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands... however, to each his own, and if this suits you...”

The wand-maker ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, “Orchideous!” and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand-tip.

He then checked Yuliya and Marion’s wands, finding nothing wrong with them. Then it was the men’s turn, starting with Cedric. A more enthusiastic Ollivander said, “Ah, now, this is one of mine, isn’t it? Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn... must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches... ash... pleasantly springy. It’s in fine condition.... You treat it regularly?”

Cedric grinned, “Polished it last night!”

Ollivander sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room. Then he held out his hand towards Krum. The Durmstrang student handed his wand over.

The man mused, “Hmm, this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I’m much mistaken? A fine wandmaker, though the styling is never quite what I... however... Yes... hornbeam and dragon heartstring. Rather thicker than one usually sees... quite rigid... ten and a quarter inches... Avis!”

The hornbeam wand let off a blast like a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

Finally, it was Harry’s turn and he handed his wand over. The old man’s eyes widened and he practically snatched it from Harry’s fingers. He examined it, and seemed to almost lovingly caress the wand. He gasped, “10 inches… Celestial Bronze and basilisk venom core! By the gods above! This wand… is a masterpiece. Mr. Potter, it was truly a shame that your Holly and Phoenix feather wand broke in an accident. I see that you are wearing a holster… Excellent! You’ve learned your lesson. Now, as I said, this wand is a masterpiece and I am truly glad that you are wielding such a fine wand. Would all of you mind giving a little space?”

Everyone moved back and Ollivander waved the wand. In an instant, it turned into its sword form, eliciting awed gasps from everyone in the room. He gave a few experimental swings before turning it back into a wand and handing it back to Harry.

---

The photograph session was a nightmare. Harry and Krum were particularly fidgety, and so was Fleur, but she was better at hiding it. The demigod muttered in Harry’s ear, “This why I hate ADHD.”

Finally, after what felt like hours, they were free to leave. By the time they were done, it was time for dinner. Cedric sidled up to Harry, “You okay? You were awfully squirmy in there.”

Harry groaned, “I have ADHD. That’s Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. To put it simply, I can’t sit still for too long or I’d go crazy. I also have dyslexia, meaning that I can’t read English properly. Words feel like they’re floating away and jumbling themselves.”

Diggory hummed sympathetically, “That’s got to suck. How do you manage during tests and final exams?”

“Usually there is someone who writes for me while I dictate the answers.”

“Ahh… That makes sense. Also, I heard that you are ‘scarily accurate’ in terms of spell-casting. Susan’s words, not mine.”

Harry laughed, “Haha yeah. Outside Hogwarts, I’ve taken up practicing archery as a hobby. I guess that helped me improve my aim.”

Cedric continued, “You know… I’m glad that Dumbledore didn’t stop Quidditch or Capture the Flag. Though I have a feeling that they’re probably going to squeeze the games in between the tasks. Cho also told me that they’re planning to revive the Duelling Club.”

Harry snorted, “As long as Lockhart isn’t supervising, we’re good.”

Cedric laughed as well, “Yeah, I had a lot of fun teasing Cho because she had a small crush on him.”

“I think most girls did.”

“So anyway, have you made any progress in finding out what the First Task is?”

“No clue, mate. You?”

“Haven’t the foggiest. By the way, what’s your relationship with the French girl? Delacour? I thought you and Katie were a thing?”

“Fleur and I go way back, actually. We met at summer camp when I was younger. I was around five when I went there and she was one of the people who babysat me. I consider her as a big sister. Katie knows her as well and she doesn’t mind our closeness.”

“Ahh okay. Just a heads up though. Skeeter’s a nasty piece of work. She’s probably going to spin some idiotic love triangle in her articles.”

“Thanks for the warning Cedric.”

“Also, I’ve been dying to ask, what’s the deal with the hair?”

“Oh gods! Not you too! I dyed it at a Muggle hairdresser salon.”

Diggory reached over and ruffled the salt and pepper hair, “I like it… It suits you.”

"Oi! Hands off the merchandise!"

---

(1) These are the opening lyrics to a Hindi song Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind from the 1957 movie Pyaasa.

Chapter 53: Chapter 53

A couple of weeks after the fiasco with Ismelda Murk, a funeral was held for Rowan Khanna. Both of his parents were inconsolable as the open casket was placed in front of the head table in the Great Hall.

One by one, the students walked over to the casket to pay their respects. Harry and Bianca approached together. They pulled out a drachma each and placed them over Rowan’s eyes. Bianca murmured, “Go forth to Elysium. Father will make sure of it.”

Harry also whispered, “Say hi to my parents for me. Tell them and Zoe that I love them.”

In the crowd, Parvati was a little confused at the ritual. She murmured to Hermione next to her, “What’s the deal with the coins?”

The brunette shrugged, “You can ask Harry later. Maybe it’s some kind of Greek tradition. Bianca was also raised in a similar household, I believe.”

The next day at breakfast, Harry was coolly eating some oatmeal when Fleur slipped into the seat next to him. He glanced at her beautiful face, which was full of mirth. Fighting down an urge to laugh, she slid a copy of the Daily Prophet in front of him. He read it and snorted in laughter. Harry wheezed, “This reporter couldn’t help noticing the closeness between Champion Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, and one of the Beauxbatons champions. Why are they so close? Are we about to see star-crossed lovers face off against each other? Harry Potter’s deep green eyes, the colour of the Killing Curse, glimmered…”

He paused, “What the bloody hell is this drivel? My eyes are not deep green.”

Fleur’s shoulders shook with laughter, “I know right, mon petit frere? Star-crossed-lovers my derriere. You are a bit too young for my taste, and I detest incest.”

Katie slid over to read the article and had a good laugh as well. Harry mused, “Bully for them, let them speculate our relationship.”

---

Over the next few days, Harry and his friends began furiously researching about the First Task. One night, Harry was getting ready for bed when Buzz came flitting over and perched on his shoulder, nuzzling him. He chirped in his ear, “Captain… something big happening in the Forest. Come urgently.”

He glanced around him, and Neville was the only one awake. The boy whispered, “What is it?”

“According to Buzz, there is something happening in the Forbidden Forest. I’m going to go investigate. Probably something to do with the First Task. It’s just a hunch.”

Neville nodded, “Ok, go. I’ll cover for you and open the portrait when you get back.”

Harry dug into his trunk and pulled out two hand mirrors, giving one to Neville. He said, “This was a gift from Sirius. He, Uncle Remus, Pettigrew and my dad made them when they were young. We can use them to communicate. All you need to do is say, ‘Contact’ and say the person’s name.”

With that, he snuck downstairs to an empty Common Room, with Buzz nestling into his pocket. He carefully pried open the back of the Fat Lady’s portrait and quietly padded out. Harry avoided several Prefect patrols, as well as Filch and Mrs Norris. As he stuck to the shadows, he made his way near the Beauxbatons carriage. Upon passing it, he spotted Hagrid shuffling his feet nervously outside it.

Harry his behind a broad tree and peeked out at the Gamekeeper. He observed that he was looked a little more groomed, or what passed off as groomed. Then the door opened to reveal Madame Maxime with a silken shawl over her shoulders. The demigod smirked to himself, Old Hagrid had a crush on Madame Maxime.

Harry watch on as Hagrid tried to greet Maxime, only to mangle his French. Surprisingly, the woman didn’t seem to mind, but she let herself be escorted down the steps. The two adults walked past the Abraxan stables and forged ahead. Harry discreetly tailed them and he overheard snippets of conversation.

Hagrid told Maxime, “You’ll enjoy this. Worth seeing, Trust me. Only — don’t go telling anyone I showed you, right? You’re not supposed to know.”

“Of course not,” said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes. The two adults and their hidden tail, scaled the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest. After a while, the faint sound of men and women shouting, were heard. That was soon followed by a deafening roar, and it sounded big. Hagrid and Maxime both quickened their pace, and Harry also managed to keep pace with the two, while staying out of sight.

The two adults stopped by a clump of trees, while Harry deftly scaled another tree and observed within earshot. To his horror, he spotted a bunch of men and women darting around. However, they were not alone, along with them were a bunch of massive dragons, who were fortunately tied up.

Six enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing on their hind legs and straining against thick chains around their necks. Each dragon was enclosed in a separate paddock, and the dragons were snorting flames from their nostrils. It was fairly dark, so it was hard to make out the colours, but they were all in various sizes.

There was one particularly unruly dragon, which was black in colour and vertical pupils, like a cat. It was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream. One of the men restraining it, who Harry recognised as Charlie Weasley, yelled out a warning to Hagrid, saying that the dragons could shoot flames of up to 20 feet. The one he was holding back, a Horntail, could shoot 40 feet. However, Hagrid looked like a child who had just been dropped off at a local Hamley’s and given free reign for an entire day.

Finally, the witches and wizards pulled out their wands and fired Stunning Spells, which eventually subdued the creatures. A panting Charlie walked up to Hagrid and wheezed, “All right, Hagrid? They should be okay now — we put them out with a Sleeping Draught on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet — but, like you saw, they weren’t happy, not happy at all —”

Hagrid’s eyes shone, “What breeds you got there, Charlie?”

Charlie recalled, “Common Welsh Green, Swedish Snort Snout, Chinese Fireball, Romanian Longhorn, Hebridean Black and this baby is a Hungarian Horntail. We were hoping to get an Antipodean Opaleye instead of the Horntail, but the Australian and New Zealand Magical Government weren’t budging.”

The redhead then frowned at Maxime, who was strolling away and gazing at the stunned dragons. He said, “I didn’t know you were bringing her, Hagrid. The champions aren’t supposed to know what’s coming — she’s bound to tell her students, isn’t she?”

Hagrid raised his giant meaty arms placatingly, “Just thought she’d like to see them.”

Charlie snorted, “Only you Hagrid. Only you would think that watching dangerous fire breathing dragons are a great romantic date, Hagrid.”

The gamekeeper murmured, “Six, eh? so it’s one for each of the champions, is it? What’ve they got to do — fight them?”

The man shook his head, “Just get past them, I think. We’ll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don’t know why . . . but I tell you this, The Hebridean Black is a nasty bugger. I also don’t envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. The Horntail’s back end’s as dangerous as its front, look.”

Up in his perch, Harry gazed warily at a set of long bronze-coloured spikes protruding from the tail. He then noticed Charlie speaking again and strained his ears to listen. The man said, “How’s Harry? Just hope he’s still fine after he’s faced this lot. I didn’t dare tell Mum what he’s got to do for the first task; she’s already having kittens about him. Especially after the World Cup fiasco ended with him getting kidnapped.”

Having heard enough, Harry turned away when something caught his attention. Igor Karkaroff was lurking a few hundred meters away and observing the proceedings. Silently, Harry lowered himself from the tree until he reached a thick branch. He padded lightly across it and deftly leaped into the next tree. This process continued for some time until he was at a relatively safe distance.

Checking below his feet, he saw that the coast was clear, so he clambered down the tree. To be on the safe side, he shifted into his Animagus form and sprinted through the Forbidden Forest. He kept running until he had reached the courtyard and then shifted back into human form. He snuck back inside the castle and made his way back to Gryffindor Tower. Along the way, he pulled out his mirror and whispered Neville’s name. When he reached the Fat Lady’s portrait, she was nowhere to be seen, but it swung open to reveal Neville.

As they crept back up the stairs to their dorm, he whispered, “What did you find?”

Harry whispered back, “Tell you in the morning. Need some time to process what I saw. Night Nev.”

---

Hermione’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull, “Dragons! They want you to face freaking dragons!”

The four of them were the last ones to leave the Common room to head for breakfast. Meanwhile, most of their classmates had already gone down. Hermione took a deep breath and turned to Harry, “Okay, tell me again about the different species?”

Harry counted on his fingers, “Common Welsh Green, Swedish Snort Snout, Chinese Fireball, Romanian Longhorn, Hebridean Black and Hungarian Horntail.”

Ron winced, “Blimey! The Hebridean and the Horntail are really nasty. Knowing your rotten luck, you might end up with one of them.”

Hermione’s pacing got all the more frantic, “Oh no! Oh no! That is much worse! I’ve read that the Horntail and the Hebridean Black are the most dangerous! Harry, people have died in this stupid blood sport of a tournament! Now they want people to face fire-breathing dragons!”

Harry’s face grew greener with every word, and then he snapped, “You think I don’t know that, Hermione! I’m just glad I found out when I did. It would have been much worse if I went into this completely blind.”

Ron jumped in, “Oi! Stop it, both of you! At least we know what to expect! Look Hermione, Harry will be fine. Bloke’s been through a lot of shite in the past few years. Harry, what if we relied on some of your demigod training. You’ve faced how many monsters in your life now?”

Harry screwed up his face in thought, “Yeah, I’ve fought a few empousai, who are the Greek equivalents of vampires. I fought against Medusa, the Minotaur, all three Furies, The Chimaera, Echidna, a bunch of Myrmekes, the baby Thebian drakon doesn’t count, a Cyclops, Python, helped Jackson fight a Hydra, briefly fought Circe, journeyed to the Underworld, held up the sky for several days-”

Neville did a double-take, “Whoa! Back up a sec… Did you say you fought Circe? Like THE Circe from our Chocolate Frog cards? She’s real?”

Harry nodded, “Yep… It was only briefly, and she was the better opponent. Didn’t actually defeat her because she was distracted by all her other prisoners transforming back into human forms, and escaping. Took that chance to skeddadle”

Ron interrupted, “Yeah, my point is, Harry’s been through a lot. I think he can handle a dragon. Though, can you try not to kill it? I don’t think our fellow students would be able to stomach that sight.”

By then, they had reached the Great Hall. Luckily, there were no stragglers listening in on their conversation as they walked. As the four sat down to eat, Harry stroked his chin, “Right… So how do I take down a dragon in a non-lethal manner? Multiple Stunning spells? A Sleeping spell? Try and force feed it Draught of the Living Death?”

Ron shook his head, “Bad idea, mate. According to Charlie, their hide is pretty tough, so it would be difficult to use a Stunner or a Sleep spell unless you can cast them one after the other. Also, we don’t learn to brew Draught of the Living Death until 6th Year.”

They ate in silence until a shadow passed by them and someone sat down next to Harry. He looked over to see Fleur sitting next to him with a serious and concerned look on her face. She spoke in a low voice, “Harry… A word, s’il vous plait?”

He replied back in a similar tone, “Is this about the First Task?”

“Oui, Madame Maxime told Marion et moi about what to expect. Harry… I don’t want you to die. Firstly, because I care about you. Second, Silena would kill me if anything happened to you. Third, Annabeth, Thalia and Perseus would deal with whatever is left of my corpse. Anyway, she said-”

He interrupted her, “I already know. I sneaked out last night and saw them. I figured Madame Maxime would tell you, and I saw Karkaroff there as well. So no doubt, Viktor and Yuliya are aware. I’ll get word to Cedric, since I don’t think our classmates would trust the word of a Beauxbatons or a Durmstrang student.”

“Oui, you do that. I’ll see you later, Au revoir!”

A few minutes after she left, Viktor came shuffling by and stopped in front of him. He gruffly whispered, “She told you?”

“I already know. I sneaked out last night and saw them.”

“Da… Karkaroff told me this morning. I later told Yuliya, because I do not vish for teammate to die.”

After breakfast was over, Harry hurried over to Cedric’s group. Some of the Hufflepuff senior’s friends shot him suspicious looks, but Cho and Cedric smiled at him. He cleared his throat, “Hey Cedric, can I have a word? Alone?”

The two stepped away from the group, “So what’s up, Harry?”

Harry took a deep breath, “So I snuck out last night because Buzz, my Snidget reported suspicious activity near the Forbidden Forest. The First Task involves dragons.”

Cedric’s easy-going smile melted and he grew serious, “Are you sure? We’re not supposed to know.”

“I saw Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff over there, so I’m pretty sure the Krum, Yuliya, Fleur and Marion know about it. I didn’t think it would be fair to leave you out.”

The older boy studied him for a long time, “Okay… I believe you Harry. Thanks for the warning.”

---

With that, they parted ways and Harry joined his friends to head to his first class of the day. On his way there, they heard the familiar clunking of Moody’s fake leg. He called out, “Potter! A word please? In my office please?”

Harry paused and reluctantly followed him into his office. Harry gazed around the room in wonder. It had changed a lot since he had last visited. The office was full of a number of exceptionally odd objects that Harry supposed Moody had used in the days when he had been an Auror.

On his desk stood what looked like a large, cracked, glass spinning top; Harry recognized it at once as a Sneakoscope. In the corner on a small table stood an object that looked something like an extra-squiggly, golden television aerial. It was humming slightly. What appeared to be a mirror hung opposite Harry on the wall, but it was not reflecting the room. Shadowy figures were moving around inside it, none of them clearly in focus.

“Like my Dark Detectors, do you?” said Moody, who was watching Harry closely.

“What’s that?” Harry asked, pointing at the squiggly golden aerial.

“Secrecy Sensor. Vibrates when it detects concealment and lies . . . no use here, of course, too much interference — students in every direction lying about why they haven’t done their homework. Been humming ever since I got here. Had to disable my Sneakoscope because it kept making a racket. “It’s extra-sensitive, picks up stuff about a mile around. Of course, it could be picking up more than kid stuff.”

“And the mirror?”

Moody waved a dismissive arm, “Oh that’s my Foe-Glass. See them out there, skulking around? I’m not really in trouble until I see the whites of their eyes. That’s when I open my trunk.”

He let out a short, harsh laugh, and pointed to the large trunk under the window. It had seven keyholes in a row. Harry wondered what was in there, until Moody’s next question brought him sharply back to earth.

“So . . . found out about the dragons, have you? Mighty noble thing you did, warning Diggory.”

Harry’s throat tightened, but Moody’s next words pacified him. He sat down and said, “It’s all right. Cheating’s a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and always has been. I wasn’t accusing you, laddie. I’ve been telling Dumbledore from the start, he can be as high-minded as he likes, but you can bet old Karkaroff and Maxime won’t be. They’ll have told their champions everything they can. They want to win. They want to beat Dumbledore. They’d like to prove he’s only human.”

He fixed his gaze on Harry, “So, you figured out what to do against your dragon?”

“Still brainstorming, sir.”

He hummed, “I ain’t going to hold your hand, laddie. But I will suggest that you play to your strengths. Think of what you’re good at and work your way through that.”

“Thanks professor!”

“Any time laddie! Now shoo!”

---

Afterwards, he relayed the information to his friends. They got through the rest of the day, and that night, a brainwave struck Hermione in the Common Room. She grabbed his arm and whispered, “Harry, I’ve got it! See, you’re only allowed to take your wand with you. What you can do is use the wand to transfigure your clothes into armour. Then you can activate your rings. Didn’t you mention that you have trick arrows?”

He caught on to what she was thinking, “Cor! You’re right! I can do this! All I need to do is distract the dragon long enough to complete whatever objective there is.”

Over the next few days, Harry practiced switching spells and honed his archery skills. Then, it was the day of the First Task. The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement. Lessons were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons’ enclosure — though of course, they didn’t yet know what they would find there.

Many of his Housemates wished him luck and hoping that he performed well. Just as he was about to follow Ron to the Great Hall for lunch, McGonagall came bustling over. She said, “Mr. Potter, the Champions have to come down onto the grounds now. You have to get ready for your first task.”

He wordlessly followed her out of the Hall and noted that she looked just as anxious. As she walked him down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon, she put her hand on his shoulder.

She said “Now, don’t panic. just keep a cool head. We’ve got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand. The main thing is just to do your best, and nobody will think any the worse of you. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Professor.”

She lead him toward the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest, but when they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, Harry saw that a tent had been erected, its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.

“You’re to go in here with the other champions,” said Professor McGonagall, in a rather shaky sort of voice, “and wait for your turn, Potter. Mr. Bagman is in there... he’ll be telling you the — the procedure.... Good luck.”

He nodded firmly, “Thank you professor.”

She left him at the entrance of the tent. Harry went inside. Once inside, he spotted Fleur sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn’t look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Viktor Krum looked even surlier than usual, which Harry supposed was his way of showing nerves. Yuliya was meditating and Marion was uttering a small prayer. Finally, Cedric was pacing up and down. When Harry entered, Cedric gave him a small smile, which Harry returned.

Ludo Bagman then swept into the room, “Ahh! Everyone’s here! Good-o! Come in, come in, make yourself at home! Well, now we’re all here — time to fill you in! When the audience has assembled, I’m going to be offering each of you this bag” — he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them — “from which you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different — er — varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too. Ah, yes, your task is to collect the golden egg!”

There were different reactions from everyone in the tent. They waited until there was the unmistakable sound of hundreds of pairs of feet passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking.

On cue, Bagman opened the neck of the purple silk sack. He offered it to Fleur, Marion and Yuliya, “Ladies first.”

Fleur reached in with a trembling hand and pulled out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon — a Welsh Green. It had the Number 2 around its neck. Fleur’s face morphed into a determined look. Yuliya pulled out Romanian Longhorn with the Number 4, and Marion pulled out the Swedish Snort Snout with the Number 1. Then Cedric reached in and pulled out the Chinese Fireball with the Number 3. Krum reached in and flinched when he pulled out the Hebridean Black with the Number 5. Harry’s stomach dropped to the floor when he pulled out the Hungarian Horntail with the Number 6.

Bagman cheerily said, “Well, there you are! You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I’m going to have to leave you in a moment, because I’m commentating. Ms Hubert, you’re up first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now . . . Harry . . . could I have a quick word? Outside?”

Harry wordlessly followed Bagman outside the tent and he took him a short distance away, into the trees. He kindly asked, “Feeling all right, Harry? Anything I can get you?”

He lowered his voice conspiratorially, “Got a plan? Because I don’t mind sharing a few pointers, if you’d like them, you know. I mean, you’re the underdog here, Harry... Anything I can do to help...”

Harry smiled, “I’ll be alright, sir. I have a plan.”

He smiled, “Good! Good, good! Anyway, I’ve got to run.”

Harry soon re-joined his fellow champions and Marion robotically walked out. It was worse than Harry could ever have imagined, sitting there and listening. The crowd screamed... yelled... gasped like a single many-headed entity, as Marion did whatever he was doing to get past the Swedish Short Snout. Krum was still staring at the ground. Fleur had now taken to retracing Cedric’s steps, around and around the tent. Yuliya and Cedric were both praying. Meanwhile Bagman’s commentary made everything much, much worse. Horrible pictures formed in Harry’s mind as he heard: “Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow... She’s taking risks, this one! Clever move — pity it didn’t work!”

And then, after about fifteen minutes, Harry heard the deafening roar that could mean only one thing: Marion had gotten past her dragon and captured the golden egg.

“Very good indeed!” Bagman was shouting. “And now the marks from the judges!”

But he didn’t shout out the marks; Harry supposed the judges were holding them up and showing them to the crowd.

Then Fleur shakily tottered out of the tent. There was a brief moment of silence, then he heard the sound of singing and recognised the song.

Fleur crooned,

“Nessun Dorma! Nessun Dorma!

Tu pure, o Principessa,

Nella tua fredda stanza

Guardi le stelle

Che fremono d’amore

E di speranza

Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me

Il none mio nessun saprà

No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò

Quando la luce splenderà

Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio

Che ti fa mia

Il nome suo nessun saprà

E noi dovrem, ahimè, morir

Dilegua, o notte

Tramontate, stelle

Tramontate, stelle

All’alba vincerò

Vincerò

Vincerò”

Harry smirked, “She really does love that song. Then again, it’s Pavarotti. He’s a classic.”

Then, Cedric was the next one to face his dragon, and there were plenty of oohs and ahs from the crowd. Yuliya was the next one, leaving Harry and Krum alone.

Soon, Harry was all alone as he went over his strategy. His thoughts were interrupted by the Hebridean Black belted out a horrible, roaring sound. This prompted the crowd to draw its collective breath. Bagman excitedly babbled, “That’s some nerve he’s showing — and — yes, he’s got the egg!”

When the whistle blew, he stood up in his robes and made last minute checks. Harry walked out through the entrance of the tent, past the trees and through a gap in the enclosure fence. He glanced around him to a sea of faces, all staring at him. He noticed Ron and Neville trying to calm Hermione down, who looked close to a nervous breakdown. Mackenzie, Bianca and Katie were all clutching each other with pale faces. Finally, he saw the Horntail at the other end of the large enclosure. She was crouched low over her clutch of eggs. Her wings half-furled, and her yellow eyes glaring at him warily. Her spiked tail thrashed around, digging yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground.

He took a step towards her and the dragon’s nostrils flared. Getting the hint, he took a step back and she relaxed a little. Glancing around him, he spotted various large boulders strewn across the ground. He raised his arm, and his wand shot into his left hand. Transferring it to his right hand, he tapped his holster and transfigured it into his shield. This time, it looked different from usual. Instead of a generic design, the shield had the image of a Hunter chasing after a boar. It was his way of paying tribute to Zoe. He murmured, "Artemis, give me strength."

Harry then pointed the wand at himself and shouted a spell. In an instant, his robes were transformed into full Greek armour, complete with a helmet and a silver plume. The transfiguration elicited an awed gasp from the stands. He hefted the shield onto his back and darted to hide behind one of the boulders. Harry then took off his rings and turned them into a bow and quiver full of arrows.

The demigod tuned out Bagman’s excited babbling and nocked an arrow. Unlike usual arrows, this one had no tip, but was rounded. He aimed and fired at a boulder. The arrow struck the boulder and ricocheted towards the dragon, striking the side of its face. The arrowhead exploded, releasing a kind of gas that lingered around the Horntail. It took a whiff and recoiled immediately, gagging away.

Harry took advantage of the distraction to sprint to another boulder, bringing himself closer. He fired another arrow and forced it to stumble backwards and he advanced. After a third arrow, it recovered quicker than usual, but Harry hefted the shield and protected himself from a sheet of flame from its maw. From behind the shield, he spotted the nest and saw a large golden egg among the lot.

The flames stopped briefly as the dragon drew in another breath. This time, Harry got rid of the shield as his fingers were beginning to blister from the heat. When the next torrent of fire came shooting towards him, he put up a Protego Spell and kept running. Scooping up the Golden Egg, he bolted for the exit, just about avoiding one last blast from the Horntail.

Bagman yelled, “Look at that! Will you look at that! Our youngest champion gets his egg in style! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!”

McGonagall, Moody and Hagrid came rushing over to meet him. With a wave of her wand, she transfigured his armour back into his robes and shot him a proud smile, “Mr. Potter. That was excellent! Your transfiguration skills could even rival your father’s skills! You’ll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score.... Over there, she’s had to mop up Diggory already....”

Harry walked out of the enclosure, still panting, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent, looking worried.

She snarled in a disgusted tone, “Dragons! Last year dementors, this year dragons, what are they going to bring into this school next? You’re very lucky... Just apply this Burn Heal paste to ease the blisters. Thankfully, you’ve escaped the worst of it. I do not like my students cooked well-done.”

The Matron pulled him inside the tent, which was divided into cubicles. Harry could make out Cedric’s shadow through the canvas, but Cedric didn’t seem to be badly injured; he was sitting up, at least. Madam Pomfrey examined Harry’s fingers and the rest of his body.

He sat for a few minutes, before the mouth of the tent flew open. Ron, Hermione and Neville burst in, along with Katie, Mackenzie and Bianca. There were nail marks on Hermione’s face, making it clear that she had been clutching it in fear. Ron’s face was so pale that his freckles became even more prominent. He squeaked, “Bloody hell, mate! If I hadn’t known all the shite you’ve been through, I’d be pissing myself.”

Hermione smacked him on the head, “Ron! Don’t be crude! Also, fart arrows, Harry? That is disgusting! I could get the smell from where we were seated.”

Mackenzie latched onto him like a limpet and refused to let go. He managed to manoeuvre her so that she was riding piggy back. Katie pecked him on the cheek and held out her hand, “Come on… Let’s go see your scores.”

Neville spoke up as they walked, “Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground... turned it into a dog... he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked, because he did get the egg, but he got burned as well — the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away.”

Bianca picked up where he left off, “I think you probably heard Fleur sing. Meanwhile, Krum hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs. I think he got marks docked for that, he wasn’t supposed to do any damage to them. The jerk was heavily biased. Yuliya tried to outfly hers with a Nimbus 2001, and the damn thing nearly scorched the bristles. Marion used a Disillusionment Charm to hide her from the dragon. Unfortunately, it could still smell her, and she barely escaped.”

---

Outside the medical tent, with Mackenzie still latched onto his back, he faced the five judges. Madame Maxime was the first judge. She raised her wand in the air. What looked like a long silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted itself into a large figure eight.

The crowd applauded and he mused, “Guess I got points off for the blisters on my fingers”

Mr. Crouch shot a number nine into the air.

Dumbledore, too put up a nine, prompting the crowd to cheer harder than ever. Bagman inexplicably put out a 10.

Harry title his head in curiosity, “Ten? But I didn’t get out fully unscathed. What’s he playing at?”

Finally, Karkaroff raised his wand. He paused for a moment, and then a number shot out of his wand too — six. The crowd half cheered and half booed, and his cousin whispered in his ear, “Like Bianca said, he’s pretty biased. He gave Krum a 10 despite the damage. On the bright side, you have a two point lead over Krum.”

Just then, Charlie Weasley came running over after he and his co-workers wrangled the Horntail away. He cheered, “Listen, I’ve got to run, I’ve got to go and send Mum an owl, I swore I’d tell her what happened — but that was unbelievable! Oh yeah — and they told me to tell you you’ve got to hang around for a few more minutes.... Bagman wants a word, back in the champions’ tent.”

Harry re-entered the tent to find the other champions inside. The atmosphere was a lot more jolly, and any nervousness that had built up ahead of the task, had vanished. Bagman swept in with a flourish, “Well done, all of you! Now, just a quick few words. You’ve got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth — but we’re giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you’re all holding, you will see that they open... see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg — because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!”

As they left with their eggs, Harry spotted Rita Skeeter making her way towards him. He quickened his pace and dove into the crowd.

Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Meant to come out with this chapter sooner, but my body had other ideas. Owing to a complication from a very old surgery, I was complaining of pain in my abdomen. Was admitted in hospital on Monday and only just got discharged on Friday. 

---

As he followed the crowd back inside the castle, Harry suddenly heard his name being called. He paused and glanced around before spotting Angelina Johnson wading over towards him. She reached over and grabbed his hand, “There you two are! Come on! Team meeting! Very urgent. You others are welcome to join as well.”

Angelina dragged him and Katie over to where Alicia, the twins and Robyn were sitting. The dark-skinned girl plopped Harry down on the seat and he had to juggle the egg in order to avoid dropping it. Ron, Mackenzie, Hermione and Neville also sat down, though they were horribly confused. Angelina spoke, “So I just spoke to McGonagall. She said that the Quidditch games are going to be rushed through, because they need the Pitch for the Third Task. As for our own situation, we have a big problem because we are down one person because of Oliver’s departure.”

Ron piped up, “But surely you can train Robyn for the Keeper role.”

She sighed, “Actually. She said that since Harry is now a Tri-Wizard champion, he’s ineligible to participate in Quidditch this year. Says that he has to focus on this Tournament, so Quidditch would be a distraction.”

There was a groan from most of the group. Angelina grimaced, “Yeah, I don’t like it either. So even with Robyn, we’re still a man down. Also, no offence Robyn but you’re not the right build for a Keeper.”

Then George perked up, “Oi! We can field Ronniekins as Keeper. Let Robyn be the Seeker.”

Fred picked up where his twin left off, “Then we stick with this line-up for the rest of the year. Meanwhile, Robyn can train up and possibly take up the Keeper role next year.”

Ron’s head snapped up, “Me!? You want me as the Keeper? Please tell me this is one of your jokes.”

Fred reached over and ruffled his youngest brother’s hair, “No joke little brother of mine! Or have you forgotten all of those pick-up games at the Burrow? And don’t tell us that you don’t have a broom, you can ask Harrykins to let you borrow his Firebolt.”

Ron’s eyes lit up at the prospect, but then Harry countered with a frown on his face. He said, “Actually… I think we’re better off with Robyn lending her broom to Ron and she borrows my Firebolt.”

Ron’s ears briefly glowed red in anger, but then he really thought about it. He opened his mouth, paused and then closed it again. He sighed, “Yeah you have a point. The Firebolt is the fastest broom in the world, and being a Keeper doesn’t really need too much fast flying. Sorry… Wasn’t thinking for a sec.”

Harry said exasperatedly, “Ron, you can fly on my Firebolt at any time. All you have to do is ask. Look, you’re my best mate, but think about what’s best for the team. Robyn’s going to need a fast broom to hunt for the Snitch and keep up with it.”

He turned to Angelina, “Who are we up against first?”

She shot him a wry look, “Who else but Slytherin. I swear to God, every damn season we start off by facing them! Can’t they switch it up for a change?”

He shrugged, “Anyway, now that that’s sorted, let’s go get ready for our next class. Then I’ve got to figure out the mystery of this stupid egg.”

---

Just then, Bianca and Ginny passed by, and Mackenzie got up to join them. The twins’ faces lit up like Christmas lights. They jumped to their feet and tailed after a rapidly reddening Bianca. The boys announced as they followed her, “There she is! All hail the almighty Historical exorcist!”

Her face now scarlet, Bianca scurried out as fast as she could. Harry raised a curious eyebrow, “Dare I ask?”

Alicia snorted, “Turns out, there’s a rumour going around that she accidentally exorcised Binns. He’s gone now, so Dumbledore is taking over until he finds a new History of Magic professor.”

Harry sniggered, “Well… He won’t be missed… Or wait… I take that back… He will be missed because everyone would miss their usual nap time.”

The group shared a good laugh at that and they all made their way to the Common Room. Harry was the last to tumble in, still carefully holding the Golden Egg. However, he was nearly bowled out by the uproarious cheer from the Gryffindors.

There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster’s Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks; and Dean Thomas had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Harry decked out in full battle armour. He nearly shed a tear when Dean got a particularly great shot of his shield with Zoe’s figure chasing a boar.

Meanwhile, Lee Jordan managed to liberate Harry’s egg and with a grunt of effort, lugged it onto a table. He wheezed, “Blimey! This is heavy. Come on Harry! Open it! Let’s just see what’s inside it!”

Several other voices echoed the sentiment. Lee passed Harry the egg, and Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open.

It was hollow and completely empty — but the moment Harry opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. With his hands clapped to his ears, Fred bellowed, “Shut it!”

Harry complied and waited while everyone took a moment to recover. Seamus demanded, “What was that? Sounded like a banshee.... Maybe you’ve got to get past one of those next, Harry!”

Neville suggested, “Fight the Cruciatus?”

Hermione shot him the stink-eye, “Don’t be ridiculous! That’s illegal!”

The next day, Harry bumped into a moody Cedric. He asked, “Found out about the Quidditch restrictions?”

The older boy moaned, “Yes! So unfair! I was looking forward to a rematch.”

Then his handsome face brightened, By the way, remember I mentioned that Cho heard a rumour about a Duelling Club? Well, it’s actually a competition, and again, the Tri-Wizard champions are barred from entering. At least I’m glad that we’re still eligible to play Capture The Flag.”

Harry sympathetically mumbled, “Bugger… That’s a shame. Still… Would be fun to watch.”

The next day after lunch, Dumbledore requested everyone to stay behind. He announced, “My dear students… I feel that we should do more for our esteemed guests. As a result, I believe that we should have a duelling competition!”

That aroused a cheer from the Hogwarts students. The wizard continued, “Sadly, I must inform Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory that since they are Tri-Wizard champions, they are not permitted to participate, but can still watch the tournament.”

Harry and Cedric adopted mildly disappointed looks briefly, but perked up at the second half of the sentence. One by one, every year was organised and had an opponent. However, an interesting situation cropped up when it transpired that Bianca di Angelo was left without an opponent. She was all prepared to step back when Dumbledore gently coughed, “Ms di Angelo? Do not fret. You shall still have a chance to participate. That is, if you would allow me the honour of being your opponent?”

That one statement drew a gasp out of everyone, but he simply smiled and winked at her, “Don’t worry, my dear. I shall go easy on you.”

She swallowed a small lump in her throat and nodded, “Thank you Headmaster Dumbledore. I won’t let you down!”

Bianca tottered away, wondering how the Tartarus she got herself into this situation. She flopped down next to Harry, who gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. He mumbled, “Whoa Bianca… Breathe… It’s okay… It’s just an ordinary duel. Don’t think about who your opponent is. Just focus on your spell work.”

The olive-skinned girl took a deep breath and calmed down, and they watched the duels play out. Ron and Hermione were surprisingly evenly matched, but Hermione managed to trick the redhead into a mistake and stunned him. Ginny vs Mackenzie was another fierce battle, with the latter just edging out the win. Though Harry did note that Ginny was quite the spitfire in her wand work and Mackenzie had adopted his grappling stance at the beginning of the duel.

Finally, it was Bianca’s turn, and with slightly wobbly legs, made her way to the end of platform. Dumbledore calmly took his place at the other end and took up a traditional stance. Bianca shook off her nerves and adjusted her own posture, placing her legs as if she was about to fire an arrow. Referee Professor Flitwick glanced at both opponents before raising his arm to begin the duel.

Within the next few minutes, there was a flurry of spells from both ends. Despite his old age, Albus Dumbledore was still pretty spry. Meanwhile, Bianca was mixing attack and defence, even alternating between Protego spells and using her demigod reflexes to dodge. The duel seemed to carry on for ages, until she caught him off-guard with an Expelliarmus spell. Jaws were on the floor and there was pin drop silence as Dumbledore’s wand flew into her hand and she caught it. Just as she did, a miniscule shudder overtook her body, and then she glanced at him with wide eyes. Her shocked gaze then switched to the wand in her hand, back to a proud Dumbledore, back to the wand, and back to Dumbledore.

Bianca stammered, “I-I don’t-”

Her response was drowned out by explosive cheers from everyone in the Great Hall. Still pale, she advanced towards Dumbledore and held out his wand with a trembling hand. He simply smiled genially at her, closed her fist around the wand and whispered, “Keep it, my dear. As a souvenir.”

Dumbledore then reached into his robes and pulled out another wand with a wink in her direction. Wordlessly, she staggered back to the cheering crowd. Mackenzie and Ginny were the first to reach her and hug her tightly. Harry also came running over and hugged her, cheering, “Knew you could do it! Proud of you! Nico is going to be so jealous!”

---

Soon, December arrived, bringing with it a wave of sleet and frigid winds. In Care of Magical Creatures class, the Skrewts were having a massive civil war. By the time things were relatively under control, Harry’s Skrewt was among 10 that managed to survive. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armour; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the Skrewts the most repulsive things Harry had ever seen.

Hagrid brought out several large boxes and suggested that they could see if the creatures hibernated. It got worse when Rita Skeeter came bustling by to check things out. She eyed the creatures and the damage to the class before asking Hagrid, “What are these fascinating creatures called?”.

“Blast-Ended Skrewts,” grunted Hagrid.

“Really?” said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. “I’ve never heard of them before . . . where do they come from?”

He clammed up, his eyes shifting around, searching for help. Hagrid caught Harry’s eyes and the latter decided to throw him a bone. He mouthed behind Skeeter’s back, ‘They’re origin is still a mystery, but that is what we’re trying to find out. Don’t know much about their eating, sleeping, predatory or mating habits. I was hoping that the students and I could discover it together.‘

The giant man’s eyes lit up gratefully and repeated Harry’s words aloud. This was somehow enough to satisfy the Daily Prophet journalist. When she walked away, Harry breathed a sigh of relief, “I don’t like her. One bit. Something about her smells off.”

Ron looked at him incredulously, “Smells?”

As they walked back to the castle for their Transfiguration lecture, Harry glanced around him and noticed people out of earshot. He whispered, ”I’m an Animagus. I brewed the potion after Second Year, with the help of Sirius and Remus.”

Ron was pretty fascinated, “Oh right, I remember you mentioned that, a while ago. What form was it again? I think you told us, but I don’t remember.”

“Direwolf.”

His eyes sparkled, “Wicked! Just like your dad, and uncles Sirius and Remus! Thought of a name yet?”

Harry shook his head, “Still workshopping it.”

---

At Transfiguration, they were practicing turning guinea fowl into guinea pigs. Harry had to suppress his laughter a few times, especially as memories of Percy Jackson being turned into a guinea pig, invaded his mind.

Finally, McGonagall clapped her hands sharply to get everyone’s attention. She announced, “Students, the Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —”

She ignored a shrill giggle from Lavender Brown. McGonagall continued, “Dress robes will be worn, though not compulsory. Boys are allowed to wear suits and tuxedos, and girls can also wear gowns, so long as they are not particularly scandalous. The ball will start at eight o’clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then… The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down.”

Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Harry could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.

The older witch levelled a disapproving glare at Lavender, “But that does NOT mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students I will be most seriously displeased if a student embarrasses the school in any way.”

The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Professor McGonagall called above the noise, “Potter — a word, if you please.”

Harry assured his three friends that he would be fine and they reluctantly left. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, “Potter, the champions and their partners traditionally open the ball. You are a Hogwarts champion, please do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner.”

He bowed, “Yes, professor.”

As he walked back, he mentally went over the list of girls that he knew. He did consider Hermione, but found it a bit awkward around her since she was one of his best friends. Mackenzie was also ruled out because he didn’t feel comfortable dancing with his own cousin. Ginny was an option, but she still had a tendency to be shy around him. That left only Katie and Bianca as viable option. Katie made sense because she was his ‘girlfriend’, while Bianca would be a good choice.

However, ever since she had beaten Dumbledore in a duel, her popularity skyrocketed. Also considering the fact that she did everyone in school a favour and exorcised Binns, made her even more popular. Her olive complexion, silky dark hair and freckles also made her quite the looker.

He was about to go find Katie when he bumped into Padma and a rather bashful Parvati. The Ravenclaw cheerfully said, “Hey Harry! I was looking for you! It seems my sister has something to say.”

The Gryffindor twin was still a bit nervous. Tracing circles on the ground with her toe, she stammered, “Umm… Harry? I-I was… I was wondering if you would like to go to the Yule Ball with me. I-I wanted to thank you for saving my life and thought that this would be the best way to repay you. I know you are in a relationship with Katie and I don’t want to get in the way of that! Can we go as friends?!”

He mentally thanked the Hunters, Silena and Fleur’s efforts in being more comfortable around girls and how to treat them. Harry smiled, “Of course, Parvati. I’d love to. Just as friends, though. Don’t want to fuel the infamous Hogwarts rumour mill.”

That did the trick in relaxing her a bit. Parvati laughed, “Don’t worry about that, Harry. Lavender and I practically control the rumour mill with Penny Haywood. I heard Penny got a ton of suitors, but turned them all down for Silvertongue.”

---

The next day, the list of people going home for Christmas, was completely blank. Ron watched a random group of girls walk by and moaned, “Why do they have to move in packs? How’re you supposed to get one on their own to ask them? You got a date?”

He nodded, “Parvati asked me. Was her way of saying thanks for saving her life.”

Ron grunted, “Huh… Figured you’d go with Katie, Mackenzie or Bianca.”

Harry snorted, “Going with Mackenzie would be too awkward, since she’s family. Would you take Ginny?”

Ron shuddered, “Nope! Too weird! Did not need that image in my head.”

Harry chuckled and continued, “Taking Bianca is risky, especially because of her recent rise in popularity. And you’ve got to admit, she is a looker. Think she’s the third-most popular female after Fleur and Penny Haywood. Penny’s pretty much taken herself off the market by going with her boyfriend Silvertongue. Also, McGonagall told us that the Champions cannot take each other to the Ball. Me taking Fleur would be awkward because she’s like a sister to me, and she’s too old for me. Katie also said that she was okay with me going with Parvati.”

“Ahh, okay.”

Then an idea struck Harry, “Oi! Ron! You can go with Hermione! Look mate, you two already know each other, so it makes sense.”

Ron’s eyes lit up, “Cor! I didn’t think of that!”

He scrambled off to the library with a hurried, “Thanks mate!”.

As the days passed and the Yule Ball drew closer, everyone was buzzing about it. Hermione was practically beaming when Ron asked her to the Ball. Meanwhile with the preparations, Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta. It seemed to be fact, however, that he had also booked the popular music group, Weird Sisters. Harry mused to Neville, “I wonder if they take requests.”

The boy shrugged, “Never know. Not like there’s much of a choice between them and Celestina Warbeck.”

Harry groaned, “Bloody hell! The wizarding world needs more music. Heck! The Muggle world has multiple genres and different singers and bands. Remind me to introduce you to some of them. Actually, I wonder if the Weird Sisters will know any Muggle music.”

Neville shrugged, “Maybe…”

Just then, Harry saw Viktor Krum approach him. He said stiffly, “Potter? I need help.”

Harry joked, “I already have a date Viktor, and I’m not sure if the Wizarding World is open to same-sex couples, mate.”

Krum ignored the banter, “Potter… As you know, I have fangirls because of Quidditch fame. I no need for date so… How you say… vapid and shallow. Earlier, I thought of asking bushy-haired friend… Her… Hermy-”

“Hermione?”

“Da, but she was going with Weasley friend. I wanted to ask your permission to take your cousin to Yule Ball.”

Harry nodded back at him, “Sure, go ahead Viktor. Just… Make sure you treat her right. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a letter to write.”

“I vill.”

---

Some days later, Harry was having breakfast in the Great Hall when the mail came in. He spotted Hedwig swooping in with a slightly amused look on her face, and was that a Howler?

Sure enough, she was carrying a familiar red envelope, which began twitching violently. As she landed, he eyed the envelope warily and asked, “How bad is it?”

In an amused tone, she hooted back in reply, “Nothing bad, Boss. Humiliating? No promises!”

Harry reached over gingerly, and the rest of the students waited with bated breath. It burst open and a shrill voice squealed loudly, “EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! HARRY! I AM SO, SO, SO GLAD YOU WROTE TO ME ASKING FOR HELP! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU HAVE A YULE BALL EVENT, MISTER?! NOW… DON’T YOU FRET! BIG SISTER SILENA WILL RALLY THE GIRLS TOGETHER. GIVE US THREE DAYS AND WE’LL WORK OUR MAGIC! BY THE TIME WE’RE DONE WITH YOU, YOU’LL BE THE TALK OF THE TOWN! MOM HERSELF WOULD APPROVE OF IT! OH! AND I EXPECT LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES WHEN YOU GET BACK TO CAMP! TOODLES! SILENA!”

With that, the Howler stopped screaming and then tore itself to shreds. Harry’s salt and pepper hair was blown back and standing on end. Next to him, Neville laughingly mused, “Well… Never seen a Howler used like that before.”

Harry let out a small bark of laughter, “Yeah… Silena gets very… er… passionate about fashion. Also, the Yule Ball is a pretty romance-themed event, so I’m not surprised she freaked out.”

---

The day of the Yule Ball dawned. Harry’s sleep was suddenly interrupted by someone pouncing on his bed and a cold slimy sensation on his face. He opened his eyes to see Sirius in his Animagus form perched on the bed plastering his face with slobbery kisses. He transformed back and beamed, “Wake up kiddo! It’s Christmas morning! Don’t tell me you’re going to waste the day sleeping in?”

Harry grumbled and wiped his face, “Okay, okay, you old fleabag. I’m up.”

He enjoyed a wonderful morning opening various presents and gifting presents to his friends. Sometime after lunch, the group was hanging out in the Common Room, when Hermione checked her watch. She jumped up immediately, “Well… I’ve got to go at get ready for the ball.”

Ron gaped at her incredulously, “Now?! The Ball’s bloody hours away! There’s plenty of time!”

Harry just grabbed his shoulder and cut off any protest. He said, “Mate… It’s a general unspoken rule for any girl that she needs a LOT of time to get ready for a special occasion. You don’t question why. Trust me, I say this as a bloke in an all-female household. Come on, let’s go out and have a snowball fight while we wait.”

He and the other boys spent a few hours pelting snow at each other. Initially, they split up into teams of two, but it soon evolved into a game of targeting Harry. Since every one of his shots nailed a target, they all ganged up on him.

By 6:30PM, the snow-covered boys trudged back to the Common Room to get ready. Sirius handed him a large rectangular package, which he confirmed was from Silena, and the Howler was his idea. Sure enough, his beautiful sister really came through for him. Inside the package was a really smart-looking silvery glittering tuxedo. On the breast pocket was an expertly embroidered symbol of a crescent moon and an arrow crossing over it. He also had a crisp white shirt and a small pre-made bowtie. Completing the look was a pair of jet black trousers.

He quickly managed to get ready and expertly manoeuvred the bowtie to its proper place. Then he peeped in on Ron, and practically choked on his spit. Harry coughed, “Ron… What the bloody hell is THAT?!”

He was forlornly holding up something that looked to Harry like a long, maroon velvet dress. It had a mouldy-looking lace frill at the collar and matching lace cuffs. With a miserable look on his face, Ron changed into the robes. If anything, he looked even worse.

Harry knew he had to act, and act he did. He suddenly seized Ron by the lace collar and began dragging him off. Harry babbled “OXI! OXI! OXI! You are not going to the ball like that!”

He continued dragging the protesting boy, all the way to the Beauxbatons carriage. Harry politely knocked on the door, and after a few minutes, a Beauxbatons girl with brown hair opened the door, “Oui?”

Harry replied back in perfect French, “Bonsoir, could you please tell Fleur Delacour to meet me urgently? Tell her it is a fashion emergency.”

She took a look at Ron and her eyes widened, “Un moment, s’il vous plait.”

In five minutes, Fleur opened the carriage door. She looked stunning in robes of silver-gray satin. She asked, with confusion on her face, “Harry? You needed my help with- SACRE BLEU!”

Her hands flew to her face in a perfect impression of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. She moaned, “Oh mon petite ami. You were right! Zis IS a fashion emergency.”

She reached over and seized Ron by the arm, “Cinq minute, s’il vous plait?”

With a yelp, the redhead was dragged inside and Harry coolly waited. In four minutes and 50 seconds, the door opened and Ron Weasley staggered out, completely winded and clutching his original dress robes, bundled up in his arms.. Fleur appeared right behind him and… was she blowing away a wisp of smoke from her fingertips?

Harry looked him over, and his robe was replaced by a dapper grey suit and a maroon tie. Fleur grinned, “Not bad, if I do say so myself. Oh, and Harry? You look especially dashing tonight! Silena really outdid herself. Save a dance for me!”

As they walked back, they spotted a group of Slytherins coming up the steps from their dungeon common room. Malfoy was in front; he was wearing dress robes of black velvet with a high collar, which in Harry’s opinion made him look like a vicar. Merula Snyde in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy’s arm. Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green; they resembled moss-colored boulders.

Finally, they reached their own Common Room, just in time to see Hermione and Parvati walk out from the Girls’ Dorms. Parvati was draped in a stunning white sash with gold trimmings, that seemed to loop around her waist for ages, before the end of it rested on her right shoulder and was held up by a safety pin. Underneath that, she wore a gold top that was cut off above her belly button.

Harry grinned, “Wow! Parvati! You clean up really nice! What is that?”

She had a light blush on her dark skin, “Padma and I wrote to our parents and asked for some traditional Indian saris. Should have known that Mama would go all out and order Kanjeevaram saris, straight from Kerala. Do you have any idea how expensive they are?! We would have settled for a simple salwaar kameez, but Mama had other ideas. I'm just glad that she didn't deck us out in heavy gold jewellery. I don't think my poor neck could take the weight.”

He chuckled, “I’m almost afraid to ask”

Parvati gave him a once-over and her eyebrows shot up, “By the way, you look amazing! I guess that Silena girl really came through?”

He laughed again, “And then some.”

Then he looked at Hermione, and his jaw dropped. Ron’s expression was no better, and he simply murmured, “Bloody hell! I’ve hit the jackpot.”

Harry gasped, “Wow! Hermione! You clean up really nice! Actually… That’s an understatement.”

The girl blushed violently and rubbed her forearms. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow — or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. She was also smiling — rather nervously, it was true — but the reduction in the size of her front teeth was more noticeable than ever. She stammered, “Th-thanks Harry… Ron… Both of you look incredible!”

Harry regained his senses, “Sorry if we kept you waiting. Had to deal with a fashion emergency. Silena came through for me and she’s outdone herself. I promised her pictures. Meanwhile, we had to rush to Fleur because Ron’s original dress robes were an eyesore.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Surely it couldn’t be that bad…”

Ron shot her a deadpan look and unfurled his dress robes. Hermione practically gagged, “Oh! Gods! No! I would not be caught dead next to someone wearing that! No offence, Ron.”

He grumbled, “None taken… You should have seen the row I had with Mum before the start of the year. This thing belonged to her great aunt.”

With everyone ready to go, they climbed out of the portrait. Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.

The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff was scowling as he watched Krum and Mackenzie, who was looking quite dolled up. Silena had worked her magic on his cousin as well, and she was reaping the rewards.

Ludo Bagman wore bright purple robes with large yellow stars. He was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But Mr. Crouch, Harry realized, was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.

When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at Harry. Harry took the hint and guided Parvati to her seat. He then sat down next to Percy, who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes.

The redhead leaned over and murmured, “I’ve earned a promotion. I’ve been appointed as Mr. Crouch’s personal assistant.”

Harry smiled at him, “Congratulations! Where is he anyway?”

Percy shrugged, “I’m afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn’t well, not well at all. Hasn’t been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising — overwork. He’s not as young as he was — though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, with your kidnapping. I think you might have missed that someone cast the Dark Mark in the sky. Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock, because it turned out that his house-elf was caught with the offending wand.”

Harry asked, “Can house elves cast spells?”

Percy shrugged again, ”Honestly, I’m the wrong person to ask about house elf behaviour. Whether she did or not, it still caused a bit of a scandal, so he had no choice but to dismiss her immediately. Since then, he’s been getting on but he needs looking after. On top of this, is the tournament, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with — that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around — no, poor man, he’s having a well-earned, quiet Christmas. I’m just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place.”

Harry nodded, “Hope he feels better.”

With that, he glanced around the table to see his fellow champions. Krum and Mackenzie were talking quietly in serious tones, and he caught glimpses of the conversation. Turns out, he was giving her knife-fighting tips. Fleur was looking a little grumpy, as her date Roger Davies from Ravenclaw, was nearly drooling all over her. She mouthed to Harry, ‘Save me, mon ami! I wish I went with you. You have better control than these lecherous pigs. I’m half-tempted to join the Hunters, but it would make mother mad.’

He shot her a sympathetic smile and looked at the next pair. Cedric and Cho Chang were half-snuggling against each other. Yuliya had chosen a fellow Durmstrang classmate, and Marion was with Harry’s Gryffindor classmate, Ben Copper.

Looking around him, he spotted Ron and Hermione sitting and eating at another table. Neville and Ginny were with them. The twins had chosen Angelina and Alicia, while Katie was with Lee Jordan. Colin Creevey was also feeling a bit small, as he felt a bunch of glares at his back while he was dancing with Bianca.

---

After dinner, The Weird Sisters trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments glanced at the champions’ table. Harry looked at Parvati and held out his hand, “Would you care for a dance?”

She smiled brightly, “I would be delighted!”

As he led her to the dance floor, she whispered, “To tell you the truth, I was a little worried. Can you see around you? Most of the boys are pretty awkward around their dates. I was afraid you would be the same.”

He murmured back, “I’ve had a lot of dancing lessons from Silena and Fleur. Also, growing up in an all-female household meant that it was pretty much drilled into my head that I should treat a girl properly.”

Looking around him, everyone else was dancing too. The two of them swayed with the music and he occasionally twirled her around. After two more songs, everyone decided to switch partners. His new partner was none other than Hermione. The two of them swayed a little and he murmured, “Honestly, I really debated on who to take to the Ball. I did consider going with you, but since you’re my best friend, I thought it would be too awkward.”

She replied back, “Hey, it’s okay… It’s a bit awkward for me too. Though I’m glad you got Ron to get his head out of his arse and ask me. Knowing him, he would have left things to the last minute. Who else did you consider?”

“I ruled out Mackenzie, because she’s my cousin. Ginny’s still a bit bashful around me, so my realistic options were Katie and Bianca.”

She nodded, “Makes sense, since Katie’s technically your girlfriend. Also, you know Bianca pretty well. Though in hindsight, poor Colin’s kind of suffering.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Fleur approach the lead singer. If he remembered from what Parvati told him, his name was Myron Wagtail. He could have sworn that he spotted a ghost of a smile on her face, and his eyes narrowed.

After the song finished, Fleur approached him and asked for a dance. As she led him to the middle of the dance floor, everyone cleared the floor. When he clasped her hand, he deadpanned, “You’ve got something planned, don’t you?”

She replied with an innocent look, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Suddenly, the band transfigured their instruments into different ones. Then the sound of a violin began to play a familiar tune. Harry shot her a look, “Tango?”

She replied back affirmatively, “Tango.”

Fleur placed a dainty hand on his shoulder and he placed one hand on her waist. What followed next was 3 minutes of a spell-binding tango between the two. They matched each other’s steps before Harry pulled her into a small dip. They continued their fast and furious tango until Harry dipped Fleur low and they posed, panting heavily. (1)

The stunned silence was replaced by a thunderous applause as the two bowed. The regular dancing programme resumed, with people occasionally switching dance partners. As Harry kind of expected, his dance with Mackenzie was awkward for both of them. Fortunately, his dance with Katie was better. Parvati attempted to have a second dance, but was beaten to the punch by her twin sister.

---

After a while, Harry wandered off to take a breather from dancing. Suddenly, his sharp ears picked up snippets of conversation nearby and he crept closer to observe. Apparently, Professor Snape and Headmaster Karkaroff were having a hushed discussion.

Karkaroff fiercely whispered, “Severus, you cannot pretend this isn’t happening! It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can’t deny it —”

Snape curtly responded, “Then flee. Flee — I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.”

The Durmstrang man stalked off and Snape stood there. After a few moments, he said, “Potter, I know you’re there. Please step out.”

Harry slipped out of his hiding place, “Professor, I won’t lie, I overheard the conversation. He’s also starting to notice, isn’t he?”

The dour Potions professor replied, “Indeed. I sincerely hope that if he does come back, his stay will be very short-lived. Anyway, the dance is that way, Potter. Good night.”

As Harry returned, he overheard another interesting conversation between Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

Maxime asked with a purr in her voice, “What did you know, ’Agrid?”

“I jus’ knew . . . knew you were like me. . . . Was it yer mother or yer father?”

While taking cover behind a stone reindeer, Harry heard another voice. The eerily familiar voice purred, “OOO! This ought to be juicy!”

Harry looked around him and didn’t see anyone, apart from a beetle crawling along the stone reindeer’s back. Harry strained his ears when he heard the beetle speak, “Go on, Mr. Hagrid! This is very fascinating! I’m sure our readers would love this!”

The Knut dropped for Harry and he reacted instantly. With the beetle not paying attention to him, he quickly captured it with his hands, hearing a startled squeak. Taking care not to crush his prisoner, he casually strolled up to Hagrid before he could put his foot in his mouth, “Hey Hagrid!”

The man beamed, “Hiya Harry! I say, ya look great in that suit! Suits ya better than a dress robe.”

Meanwhile, Madame Maxime was looking relieved. She stood up and primly said, “Thank you for your hospitality, Hagrid. I’m afraid I must retire back to my carriage, alone, please?”

Hagrid was looking crestfallen, but accepted it anyway, “Another time then!”

“Maybe…”

Harry walked away calmly, and once he was out of eyesight, he bolted for his dorm. Inside, he dug through his suitcase with one hand, while the other struggled to keep hold of its prisoner. Finally, he managed to fish out the empty Ophiotaurus sphere. He opened it and threw the beetle inside. When it tried to scuttle out, he whipped out his wand and stunned it before performing the Animagus reversal spell. On cue, a rather ruffled Rita Skeeter was sitting into the sphere, which he quickly closed.

She banged on the reinforced glass, “You can’t do this to me! I have my rights! I’ll sue you for this! The readers will hear about this! I will have my story one way or another!”

Harry glanced at the irate reporter. He said, “Didn’t Professor Dumbledore bar you from entering Hogwarts? I guess this is how you flouted the rules. Don’t worry Rita, I’ll make sure to inform the Headmaster about this.”

The demigod heaved the sphere bag inside the suitcase. This resulted in her muffled protests being muted. With that out of the way, he went back and enjoyed the rest of the ball.

---

Just as he, Ron and Hermione were trudging back to their dorm, Dumbledore came ambling by. He leaned over and quietly spoke, “Harry? would you mind popping into my office? Someone’s here to see you, they say its urgent.”

Harry calmly followed the Headmaster to his office. Inside, he stumbled upon a familiar face, “Tonks? What are you doing here? I thought you were still on the mission? Was your cover blown?”

Sirius and Remus were also present and trying to calm her down. She had been holding back tears and shook her head. Tonks mournfully looked at him, “It’s worse, Harry… I’m pregnant.”

---

---

(1) Imagine the tango scene from the 1992 movie, Scent of a Woman.

Chapter 55: Chapter 55

Notes:

Apologies for yet another delay. Turns out, the medical condition I had, required a surgery. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a screw up during the surgery and doctors couldn't fix it. So I had to travel to another city and be admitted in another hospital there. Had yet another surgery, and this time they managed to fix it. Now I'm officially home for good.

Sirius and Remus’ jaws dropped to the floor. Dumbledore’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and Harry’s brain practically shut down for a few seconds. When it finally rebooted, he incredulously repeated, “Pregnant?!... HOW!? Oh gods! Don’t tell me you did it with Luke!”

She waved her hands frantically, “No! No! No! Luke didn’t touch me! You know, for a despot bent on destroying the gods, he was actually a heck of a gentleman. I guess it all began when he sent me on a recruitment mission at this place called Goode High School. Turns out, I had to recruit two emp… amp… Ah! Sod this! Vampire girls.”

Harry helped her out, “Empousai.”

She nodded gratefully, “Yeah, them. All I had to do was observe them for a few months then then approach them at the start of the year. I entered, posing as an assistant professor, or teacher, as they say in the States. Then I happened to meet this bloke called Paul Blofis. He teaches English and we actually kind of hit it off. We hung out a few times after school, and then… we… er… kind of, sort of hooked up. Also, I kind of had to report that your friend Jackson showed up because he had just enrolled. Luke advised not to do anything and said that if they attacked him, that would sort of be their audition. At the end of that mess, only one made it out alive and I recruited her.”

Harry cupped his chin, “So that’s the mystery solved, but where does that put you now?”

She replied, “Honestly, I thought I did a decent job of hiding it. But now, I’m just starting to show. Luke noticed and confronted me on the Princess Andromeda. He was pretty blunt about it, and said that I was lucky that he was the one who found out. He said, ‘You’re lucky that I figured it out before anyone else. Had any of the Titans found out, you would have been put to death as a liability.’”

Harry and everyone in the office grew pale at the thought. Tonks quickly continued, “He also said, ‘I’m not kidding, Natalia. Lucky for you, I’m more merciful. I’m not a monster. Tell you what, why don’t you take some leave of absence and you can come back when you feel up to it. Don’t worry about the Titans, I’ll cover for you.’”

She glanced at him a little sheepishly, “Sorry Harry… I know you were counting on me to pass on information.”

He raised his arms placatingly, “No, no, that’s alright. You’ve been very helpful. We just need to- Di immortales! I’ve got it! Give me a minute or two, I’ll be right back!”

He raced down the stairs and sprinted to Gryffindor Tower. Harry gave the password and entered through the portrait, ignoring the Fat Lady’s tutting about being out so late. The Common Room was empty, and his dorm-mates were already asleep. He went to his suitcase and heaved the sphere that still contained Rita Skeeter, who was now looking really bored.

She perked up at the sight of Harry, and he grinned at her, “Today’s your lucky day. I’d like to cut a deal with you. First, could you turn back into your Animagus form? I’m going to shrink the sphere.”

She dutifully obeyed and he shrunk the sphere with a quick Reducio spell and put it in his pocket. A few minutes later, he sprinted back to the Headmaster’s Office. Inside, Tonks tilted her head curiously, “So, what’s this big plan of yours?”

Harry triumphantly fished out the sphere and brandished it. Sirius shot him a deadpan look, “Really? A bug? I know you can talk to animals, kiddo, but a bug?“

Harry grinned, “This isn’t an ordinary bug, Sirius.”

He enlarged the sphere, and before their very eyes, the beetle transformed into Rita Skeeter. Sirius’ eyes gleamed, “Well, well, well, Rita Skeeter… I guess we’ve finally figured out how you get your juicy gossip! I’m guessing that you’re unregistered?”

She had a sheepish smile inside the sphere, “Guilty as charged. Now Harry, could you let me out? It’s getting stuffy in here. I promise not to run off, mostly because I’m still intrigued about this deal.”

He let her out and then launched into an explanation about the demigod world. As he talked, her eyes grew wider and wider. He talked about the Gods, the existence of demigods, the Titans, the First Titan war, and more. Finally, he revealed that the demigod world is on the brink of a second war.

There were times when she was a bit disbelieving, but he dropped the bombshell about the Founders being demigods. That was enough to pique her interest. Finally she said, “So, why are you telling me all this?”

He explained slowly, “I would like you to become our spy. Of course, I’m not asking you to do it now. I think everyone would find it odd that one of the Prophet’s top journalists suddenly skipped out in the middle of the Tournament. Preferably, after it is over, you could tell your bosses that you are on a long-term assignment.”

She cupped her chin and peered at him through her horn-rimmed glasses, “Sounds very tempting, but what are the consequences if the Titans win?”

Harry said darkly, “If they win, they will destroy the entire world and rebuild it in their image. They wouldn’t care about the Wizarding World at all. So could you please help us in our cause? In return, we will be quiet about your unregistered status, though I’m sure Sirius expects you to register in the near future.”

She thought about it for a long time, and then she nodded firmly. Skeeter said, “Okay… I will do it. So where do you want me to go?”

Tonks spoke up, “There’s a large white cruise ship called the Princess Andromeda. One of the main leaders of the enemy faction is a demigod called Luke Castellan.”

Rita nodded, “Excellent! Once the Tri-Wizard Tournament concludes, I can make up something for my bosses.”

With that successful negotiation done, Sirius escorted Harry back to his dorm for a well-earned rest.

---

The next morning, all the students were still coming down from the high that was last night’s Yule Ball. Harry gathered his friends and told them about Skeeter being an Animagus and the deal he struck with her. Ron gave a low whistle, “Blimey! So that’s how she was able to get all of her gossip. Mum isn’t too fond of her, but for some reason, still reads her columns.”

Then he noticed something in the background, “Uhh… What the bloody hell is happening?”

Harry turned and saw strange activity at the Slytherin table. Normally, the Slytherins kept to themselves and never strayed away from their table. However, many of them were breaking away in clumps and slotting into seats at other houses or inviting them to join them at the Slytherin table. This even included a fair number of students at the Gryffindor table. Other than strange looks, no one really said a thing. The only ones staying at the Slytherin table were a few older students. A sulky Malfoy stayed where he was, as did Merula Snyde, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Then, Harry felt movement next to him and turned to see Pansy and her friends nonchalantly helping themselves to some porridge. He nudged her gently and she raised an eyebrow at him after taking a spoonful in her mouth. Harry asked, “Am I missing something? Normally, you lot don’t mingle with other houses, and when you do, it’s in secret.”

Across from her, Cassandra Vole primly said, “Well… Let’s just say, there was a massive shift in power in Slytherin. Ever since he entered Hogwarts in First-Year, Malfoy had a lot of power. Especially since his father was on the Board of Governors, so he could get away scot free with a lot of shite.”

Hermione tilted her head curiously, “But we don’t have that kind of system in Gryffindor.”

Daphne answered her, “I don’t know when it started, but has been like that in Slytherin for years. Anyway, to back up Cassandra’s point, Malfoy had a lot of power simply because of who his father was. However, ever since Lucius Malfoy was found dead during the World Cup fiasco, it began shifting. Sure, Malfoy still held a lot of power and imposed a set of rules where we could not interact with anyone outside Slytherin. Then the incident with Rowan Khanna happened. At that moment, whatever power Draco had, vanished. He didn’t raise the wand himself, but he did tell Snyde and Murk to do something to Potter. Obviously, no one wanted a such a person in power, especially one who had his hand in a murder.”

Blaise continued, “Naturally, there was a power vacuum in our House. Now Daphne’s the one who’s in control, and she changed the rules.”

Daphne turned to Harry, “Ever since you told us about demigods, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Even did a fair amount of research in my family library. Turns out, my ancestors used to worship the Gods, especially Apollo, God of Medicine. I guess that explains why most of my family members are Healers.”

Pansy asked softly, “Potter, when you saved me from that Chimaera monster, what were you doing at the St. Louis Arch. I doubt it was for sight-seeing, like my folks and I.”

He answered in a low voice, “You remember the three who were with me? The four of us were on an important quest. Apparently, Lord Zeus’ Lightning Bolt, his symbol of power, was stolen. Naturally, he was infuriated, and that also explained the wonky weather we had back in the middle of our First-Year.”

Tracey leaned forward, “So who stole it?”

“Initially, Poseidon was accused, because it could have been a power move. Now, the Gods are forbidden from stealing each other’s symbols of power. Then, it transpired that Poseidon had a demigod son, Percy Jackson. So Lord Zeus thought that Poseidon’s son stole it. Now, I know Jackson well, he’s a good friend, so he didn’t steal it. So the quest was about finding the real culprit and clearing Jackson’s name.”

Ron continued, “Trust me, it was not a bloody easy quest. Harry and his demigod friends faced many monsters along the way.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, but that’s a story for another time. We’ve got class in about 10 minutes.”

With that, they all finished their breakfast and went about their day.

---

Sometime during lunch, Harry felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and turned to see Cho Chang behind him. She smiled, “Hey Harry! First off, I loved that little number you did with Delacour. Any chance you could teach me and Cedric? Oh, and speaking of Cedric, he wants a word with you in the Library.”

After she left, Ron leaned over, “What do you reckon that’s about?”

Harry shrugged, “Don’t know. He hasn’t given me any reason not to trust him. I’ll go see what he wants.”

Later on, Harry made his way to the Library and spotted Cedric. The Hufflepuff senior grinned and waved him over to join him. As Harry took a seat, Cedric whispered, “Listen mate, I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. Does your egg wail when you open it?”

Harry nodded, “Yep! Did it twice and it created an awful din every time. Both times were in the Common Room, and the second time summoned McGonagall. She threatened to deduct points if she heard the racket again.”

Cedric winced, “Oof! She is a hard taskmaster, eh? Sprout wasn’t any better when I opened it in my Common Room. But that’s all past history, I figured out a way. Just… take a bath and take the egg with you. I don’t mean a shower, though. Tell you what, you can use the Prefect’s Bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth Floor. Since I’m a prefect, I know the password, its ‘Pine Fresh’. Just trust me on this.”

The two of them casually chatted for a while longer and then Harry got up to leave. Soon afterwards, he re-joined his friends and relayed the piece of advice that Cedric imparted. That put them all in deep thought for a long time. Ron mused, “If it was anyone else but a Hufflepuff, I would be a bit cautious. But the Puffs usually believe in fair play, so I say you listen to him.”

Then he glanced at his watch, “Oi Harry, I don’t mean to rush you, mate, but we’ve got Care of Magical Creatures in 10 minutes.”

That was enough for the four of them to scramble away and get ready for their classes. Soon, Ron and Harry joined their classmates and followed Hagrid, who bore an odd expression briefly. He called out, “Alright you lot! Follow me! I thought you all could use a break from the Skrewts. So I’ve got something special for you!”

They trotted after him around the paddock where the Beauxbatons Abraxan horses were shivering. Just then, they spotted a small fenced enclosure on the edge of the forest. Inside it was a large and beautiful unicorn.

Many of the girls ‘ooooohed!’ at the sight of the unicorn.

“Oh it’s so beautiful!” whispered Lavender Brown. “How did he find one!? I heard that they’re supposed to be really hard to catch!”

The unicorn was so brightly white it made the snow all around look gray. It was pawing the ground nervously with its golden hooves and throwing back its horned head. Hagrid called out, “Now normally, unicorns prefer the touch of a woman. Its largely assumed that women are more pure of heart than men. However, the younger ones have no problems letting males approach. Now, girls, why don’t you all line up one by one and see him.”

Harry heard the unicorn neigh indignantly, “I am female! Thank you very much you big oaf!”

Suppressing the urge to snicker Harry whispered to Ron, “Actually, this unicorn’s a female.”

After the girls oohed and aahed over the unicorn, Harry raised a hand. He asked, “Professor Hagrid? Can I try and approach?”

Hagrid beamed, “Of course you can, Harry!”

Harry slowly approached the unicorn and she spotted him. The horned equine slowly trotted over to him and began nuzzling him. He gently stroked her silvery-white mane and she leaned further into his touch. Hagrid’s smile was so wide that one would have half-expected his face to split into two. He cheered, “Brilliant Harry! You’re a natural!”

After dismissing the class, Harry and Ron stayed back to talk to Hagrid. Harry asked, “Hey Hagrid, are you okay? I thought I was imagining things but you seem a little down in the dumps.”

Hagrid let out a deep sigh, “Harry… I like you a lot. You’re a great friend. I was just a little put out that you interrupted during the Yule Ball.”

Harry blinked, “Oh… oh! Sorry! Were you and Madame Maxime having a moment? Sorry if I interrupted that. I know you like her and I hope that didn’t blow any chances.”

Hagrid waved him off, “Nonsense! I was actually talking to her because I was convinced that she was a half giant, like I am. Was actually asking which side of the family she got it from.”

Ron’s eyes widened, “Hagrid! You can’t just suddenly ask her that! Look, most purebloods don’t look too kindly on people who have creature heritage! I’m pretty sure Maxime would have been trying to hide it! You can’t just go around in Wizarding Britain, saying that you’re a half giant! You’re lucky that Harry interrupted!”

Harry also chipped in, “Yeah about that… Rita Skeeter was eavesdropping on your conversation. She’s an unregistered Animagus, a beetle. I managed to catch her before you confessed, so you pretty much dodged a bullet.”

Ron grimaced, “Too right, mate. Knowing Skeeter, she would have exposed you and the Board of Governors would have forced Dumbledore to fire you.”

Then it was Hagrid’s turn to blink. Then he mused, “Golly! I hadn’t thought of it that way. I should apologise to Maxime.”

With that, he shuffled away and the boys went for their next class. After classes, Ron was dragged away by the twins for Quidditch practice. The Slytherin match-up was in one week and the Gryffindor team were working hard.

---

Finally, the day dawned and it would be a big day for Gryffindor. It would be the first time since his debut that the team were playing without him. Harry and Hermione made their way to the stands and he settled down between her and Ginny. Neville, Bianca and Mackenzie were sitting right behind them.

In just a few minutes, Madam Hooch’s whistle blew and the game was underway. Harry noted that Robyn was adopting his own strategy of ‘wait and watch’. The Chasers were doing their own thing, and the Weasley Twins were assisting the Chasers or interrupting Slytherin’s play. However, he noticed that Malfoy had parked himself near Ron, who was keeping.

Next to Harry, Ginny grimaced. She moaned, “Oh no! I was afraid of this happening. Look, Ron’s an excellent Keeper, but he tends to get rattled easily. I have a horrible feeling that Malfoy’s going to annoy him and get in his head. Ron doesn’t respond well to sledging.”

Sure enough, Ginny’s prediction was coming true. From a total of 15 attempts from the Slytherin Chasers, eight went in, three were saved by Ron and four missed the target. Angelina, Alicia and Katie were trying their best to mitigate the damage but could only score one each.

Bianca asked Ginny, “Surely Ron can just ignore Malfoy and block him out?”

Ginny smiled wryly, “That’s all good in theory, but back home in the Burrow, Ron always fell victim to Fred or George’s taunts.”

Harry was in deep thought when he suddenly latched onto one word. He gasped, “Block… block… block! Bianca you’re a genius!”

He whipped his head around and turned to Mackenzie, “Kenzie! I’ve got an idea! Can you head to my dorm and open my suitcase! Operation Siren! Meet me in the Changing Room!”

The puzzle pieces arranged themselves in her brain and she sprang to her feet. She saluted, “Yes Alpha!”, and scampered away.

It only clicked a couple of seconds after she was out of sight, “Wait… what did she call me?”

Next to him, Hermione stroked her chin, “She called you Alpha. But why?... Wait! Harry, your Animagus form is a dire wolf right? And you’re the leader of the Hunters? It makes sense! I remember you telling me that you were still thinking of a name for your Animagus form. ‘Alpha’ is perfect!”

Then, Harry tried to get Katie’s attention. After a few tries, she flew over and he yelled out, “Tell Angelina to call for a time-out! Ron’s getting massacred out there! I have an idea!”

Harry wormed his way through the crowd and sprinted for the Gryffindor Changing Room. He made it to his destination and got the package from Mackenzie. He was just in time to hear Angelina’s angry voice and his reflexes caught a Quidditch helmet being flung out the door.

The dark-skinned Chaser was screaming, “Okay… WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, RONALD? THE TWINS ASSURED ME THAT YOU WERE GOOD AND YOU WERE ACTUALLY DECENT IN PRACTICE! SO WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SUDDENLY JUST CRUMBLE!”

Ron argued back, “Hey! It’s not so easy when Malfoy is constantly hovering over my shoulder and annoying me! The wanker can’t keep his trap shut and was constantly heckling me!”

Alicia’s calmer voice then sounded out, “Look Ron, we all know Malfoy is an ass. But heckling and sledging is part of the game. You’ve got to learn how to handle it.”

That was when Harry decided to make his presence known. He moved in from his position, leaning by the doorway. Harry said, “That may be, but he can’t exactly fix that in the next 15 minutes. Don’t worry, I have an idea though.”

Everyone grinned and Angelina placed her hands on her hips. She said, “Okay Harry, let’s hear it.”

Harry walked up to Ron, “Mate, this is going to be a very risky plan because it relies on you not hearing anything at all.”

He handed the redhead two earplug-sized lumps of candle wax. Ron stuffed them in his ears, waited and then took them off. He gasped, “Blimey! It actually works! Now I can finally block out that ponce’s annoying voice.”

Harry turned to Katie, “Hey Katie, how quickly can you teach everyone sign language? Ron won’t be able to hear anyone at all, so you will have to rely on hand gestures. Ron, you’ll also have to be extra careful about the Bludgers, since you won’t be able to hear them. Also, this is just a temporary solution. Alicia’s right that taunting is part of the game. You just have to have thicker skin, but you guys will work on that in practices, right?”

Ron stuffed his ears again and saluted, “You got it, mate! I won’t let anyone down!”

With that sorted, Harry and Mackenzie went back to their seats. Ginny leaned over and asked Hermione, “So what’s a Siren?”

Hermione shot her a look, “Why are you asking me? Harry’s the expert.”

Ginny rolled her eyes, “Surely you would have read about it?”

The reply came, “Actually, I never really read any mythology books.”

Harry’s head snapped towards her in shock. Then he sniggered, “And here I thought that you were a bookworm and inhaled every book in the world! I am so holding this over your head!”

She scowled, “Yes, yes, laugh it up. Get it out of your system. Ron also couldn’t believe it either. Now are you going to answer her question or not?“

He controlled himself and then explained, “After my Second Year, I was on a quest to venture into the Sea of Monsters. One major obstacle was the island of the Sirens. They were basically sea nymphs who used to lured sailors to their deaths with bewitching songs and voices. Think of them as more powerful and more dangerous versions of Veela. We stuffed our ears with candle wax to block out the sound of their voices.”

Ginny mused, “That’s useful. At least Ron won’t have to suffer from hearing Malfoy.”

---

Sure enough, once the players flew out, there was a marked difference out there. Lee Jordan excitedly yelled, “Blimey! Keeper Weasley is on fire! Bet he must have been kicking himself after that shambolic first half and is determined to make up for it.”

Murphy McNully babbled next to him, “Captain Angelina Johnson must have cooked up one hell of a half-time speech! The Chasers are in fine form as usual, the Weasley Beaters are wreaking havoc on the Slytherin lines, and Seeker Thistlethwaite is keeping out of trouble on her hunt for the Snitch! Malfoy is still hovering over Ron Weasley but it looks like his sledging tactics aren’t working!”

Sure enough, Ron kept ignoring Malfoy’s insults and did not let a single goal in. Deftly saving one shot, he pulled of a short burst of speed and lobbed it as hard as he could. The Quaffle took off like a rocket and almost sailed to the other side of the pitch. Alicia quickly caught it and scored a goal, eliciting cheers from Harry and the Gryffindors. She flew back and high-fived Ron before resuming the attack.

The girls were relentless and the scoreboard quickly saw Slytherin’s lead shrink. By his position near the goalposts, Draco Malfoy was absolutely baffled. In the first half of the game, Weasley was absolute putty. Now, he was not responding at all to his taunts. He drifted closer and yelled out, “Oi Weasley! Have you gone deaf? I’m surprised Potter didn’t give you his Firebolt! I guess you aren’t his best mate after all!”

Still no response as Ron was focusing on Miles Bletchley heading his way. He braced himself and got ready to pull off another save as Bletchley flung the Quaffle. Suddenly, Ron’s field of vision was filled by Draco Malfoy hovering in front of him and he was yelling something.

Malfoy yelled, “Oi Weasley! Do you hear me? Weasley?! Are you so poor that you can’t afford a Healer for your ears? Weasley! Weas-” *BONK* “Ow! Watch where you’re throwing that, you plonker!”

Bletchley’s throw had smacked the back of an unsuspecting Malfoy’s head. The two of them began arguing fiercely, and all the while, Ron calmly collected the loose Quaffle and lobbed it at Katie to trigger the counter-attack.

Gryffindor slowly took the lead and the game continued raging. Finally, Robyn’s relaxed flying ceased and she took off like a bat out of hell. Malfoy reacted as well, but he was too far away. He tailed after her and the chase began in earnest.

In the end, Robyn pulled off a death-defying dive and levelled off, a few meters from the ground. She brandished her arm and the struggling Snitch fluttered in her hands. On cue, Lee Jordan went ballistic, “She’s done it! Robyn Thistlethwaite has got the Snitch! Gryffindor are proving that even without Harry Potter, they are a force to be reckoned with! No offence, Harry!”

The celebrating team dismounted and the rest of the house swarmed them. Ron definitely enjoyed the outraged look on Malfoy’s face when he removed his helmet and pulled out the make-shift earplugs.

---

Before long, the red tsunami disappeared inside the castle and burst into the Gryffindor Common Room. In no time at all, Fred and George had the whole room decked out and ready for a party.

Lee Jordan seized Ron’s arm and raised it high, “There he is! The man of the hour! Bloody hell, mate! In the second half of the game you were an absolute beast!”

The crowd roared its approval and chanted Ron’s name over and over. Then Ron hollered above the sound, “Oi! Oi! Listen!”

The crowd quietened down and Ron grabbed Harry’s arm and dragged him up next to him. He announced, “I can’t take full credit! I owe this to Harry! He came up with the idea to block up my ears so that I can ignore Malfoy!”

Harry replied, “Yeah that’s true, but your skills were all yours, mate.”

Everyone cheered and the party was in full swing and continued well into the evening. After night fell, Harry sneaked up the stairs to his dorm room and retrieved the Egg as well as the Marauder’s Map. He managed to sneak out and headed to the Prefects’ Bathroom. When he reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a lost-looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands, he located the right door, leaned close to it, and muttered the password, “Pine fresh,” just as Cedric had told him.

The room was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble, including what looked like an empty, rectangular swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor. About a hundred golden taps stood all around the pool’s edges, each with a differently coloured jewel set into its handle.

There was also a diving board. Long white linen curtains hung at the windows; a large pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a blonde mermaid who was fast asleep on a rock, her long hair over her face. It fluttered every time she snored.

Finally, Harry snapped himself out of his admiring state. He reminded himself that he had a job to do. He filled the large Olympic-sized pool and shucked off his robes. Taking the egg, he dunked it underwater, took a deep breath and submerged himself as well. He opened the egg and a chorus of eerie voices sang to him. It sang,

“Come seek us where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

And while you’re searching, ponder this:

We’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss,

An hour long you’ll have to look,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour — the prospect’s black,

Too late, it’s gone, it won’t come back.”

The song repeated on loop a couple of times until he had it memorized. As he surfaced, a familiar voice sounded, “You figured it out a lot faster than the Hufflepuff Hottie. And that was despite the mermaid flashing him her tits several times. Also, I wish we had more demigod wizards! You could break rocks with that six pack.”

Harry jumped and turned to see Moaning Myrtle floating above him. He promptly used the frothy bubbles in the water to preserve his modesty. The boy exclaimed, “Myrtle! Do you mind!? You usually spy on everyone in the toilets?”

She shrugged, “A girl has needs. Even if we’re ghosts.”

He retorted, “Sorry Myrtle! I’m not going to give you a show! Can you give me some privacy please? I promise I’ll ask Bianca and Nico to put in a word for you with their dad.”

The ghost girl pouted and then phased through the wall to goodness knows where. Meanwhile, Harry got changed, closed the egg and sneaked back towards the Gryffindor Common Room. Along the way, he consulted the map and noted that for some odd reason, Barty Crouch was in Snape’s office.

Snape himself was not there, so Harry assumed that Crouch was waiting for the Potions master. He recalled from his interaction with Percy that Crouch was ill, so maybe he went to Snape for some potion remedies. With that, he forged ahead.

After a while, he neared a staircase and heard angry voices. He crept closer and spotted Filch complaining about Peeves as usual. However, he was joined by Professor Snape. Harry just about caught the last part of the conversation, “-and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!”

Filch snarled, “Has to be Peeves! That damn Poltergeist will be the death of me someday.”

Snape snapped, “It wasn’t! I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break. I want you to come and help me search for the intruder, Filch.”

Just then, there was a familiar clunking sound. Harry slipped further into the shadows and watched as Moody limped over. Moody was wearing his old traveling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual.

“Pyjama party, is it?” he growled up the stairs.

“Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor,” said Filch at once. “Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual — and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off —”

“Shut up!” Snape hissed to Filch.

“Did I hear that correctly, Snape?” Moody asked slowly. “Someone broke into your office?”

“It is unimportant,” said Snape coldly.

“On the contrary,” growled Moody, “it is very important. Who’d want to break into your office?”

“A student, I daresay,” said Snape crisply. “It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard... students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt...”

“Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?” said Moody. “Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?”

It anything, that question appeared to irk Snape. He spoke in a soft and dangerous voice, “You know I’m hiding nothing, Moody. You’ve searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself.”

Moody shrugged, “Auror privileges. Dumbledore’s asked me to keep an eye on you. Especially after that tragic incident with the Khanna boy, and the culprit was one of your own. Maybe you don’t have enough control over your House as you think.”

Snape grit his teeth, “Dumbledore happens to trust me. I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!”

Harry figured that this was all very interesting, but he had no intention of getting caught. He quietly snuck off to re-join his House mates. The party was still going on, so no one really noticed his absence.

Chapter 56: Chapter 56

The next morning, Hermione walked down the corridor to the Great Hall for lunch, alongside Harry, Ron and Neville. She stopped and massaged her forehead with two fingers, “Harry? Are you sure that that’s what the Egg said? You didn’t mis-hear it, did you?”

Harry was beginning to get annoyed because this was the third time she had asked that question. He bit out, “Yes Hermione! I am 100% sure. Unless you would like to go to the Prefect’s Bathroom with the three of us and listen to it yourself.”

Her cheeks flushed as she caught the implications of that sentence. She snapped, “Harry Potter! Don’t be crude! Now, let’s break it down. I think the rhyme is referring to mermaids, and in the Black Lake. They’ve taken something from each of the champions. You’ll only have one hour to search for that object.”

Just then, Ron interjected, “I had a thought. Why would the missing item be an object? I mean, they’re just objects and can probably be replaced. I think you will probably have to look for a person.”

Neville looked at him in alarm, “Whoa! You mean, like a hostage!?”

Ron nodded grimly, “Precisely. Think of it this way. If they took Harry’s Firebolt, he could always ask Sirius or Remus to buy him another one. But you can’t buy a person’s life. That would increase the urgency.”

Hermione nodded, “That makes sense. So Harry’s hostage could definitely be one of us.”

Neville chipped in, “It could also be Mackenzie, Bianca or Katie. Alternately, the hostages could be their Yule Ball dates.”

Harry nodded, “Okay, let’s not worry about who's going to be the hostage. Let’s focus on how I’m going to save my hostage. I’ll see if I can talk to Jackson for help. There’s no way that I’ll be able to hold my breath for one hour.”

A thought struck Hermione, “Harry, what if you used some scuba-diving gear! The oxygen tanks will definitely last for an hour.”

He countered, “What about the hostage though?”

Neville piped up, “There’s a plant called Gillyweed. I found out about it from a book that Moody gave me, yesterday. It can allow a human to breathe underwater. If I’m not mistaken, the person who consumes it will grow gills temporarily and have webbed hand and feet. However, I also heard that it tastes nasty.”

Harry nodded, “Okay, that’s an option.”

---

The days flew by in a massive blur. Then, a week before the Second Task, Dumbledore came up to Harry, “Mr. Potter, would you mind accompanying me to my office? There’s a visitor to see you.”

Harry got up immediately and followed him to his office. Once he went up the winding stairs, he spotted a sooty Percy Jackson brushing himself off by the fireplace. He wheezed and coughed, “That… Was an experience…“

Harry led him downstairs and into the Courtyard. Fortunately, only Ron, Hermione and Neville were there, and they joined him. Jackson said, “Hey dude! I got your letter and I have an idea. I talked to Tyson and called in some favours.”

He dug around in his pocket and fished out something. Percy dropped a single shiny pearl in Harry’s hand. He said, “Remember our first quest? I spoke to that same Nereid and she gave me another one of these. What you need to do is, once you reach your hostage, you crush the pearl in your hand. It won’t break now, but you can do it underwater. Also, don’t lose it, I can’t afford to give you anymore.”

Harry grinned, “Thanks mate! I owe you.”

Percy Jackson waved him off, “Ehh… don’t mention it. You’re my friend, of course I’ll help you out.”

He checked his watch, “Sh*t! I got to run! Mom’s expecting me home for my lessons. Apparently I got attacked again in school, and got expelled… Again! So now mom decided to home-school me. Your uncle Remus is going to be teaching me from now on.”

Harry grinned, “Good for you! Uncle Remus is a great teacher!”

Then Jackson’s face became a little morose, “Hey dude? I’ve been noticing for a while now. Something’s up with Nico. He’s been really grouchy off late and more… emo goth. It kind of started when Sirius and Remus took him on one of their quests for that soul shard. Could you and Bianca maybe, I don’t know… Talk to him?”

Harry nodded, “I will. Thanks Jackson. I’ll see you when the year is over.”

The son of the Sea God departed and Harry continued brainstorming with his friends. The night before the Task, a little after Harry went to bed, Professor McGonagall poked her head into the Gryffindor Common Room and summoned one of the students.

---

Soon, February 24th, the day of the Second Task dawned, and Ron smacked him awake with his pillow. The redhead grinned, “Oi! Get your arse up, lazy bones. You’ve got to get ready for the task.”

Harry sat up, a little bleary-eyed and rubbed his eyes. He blinked and his vision focused on Ron, “Okay, okay, I’m up. What’s the time?”

“Seven o’clock. Task starts in two and a half hours. You remember the plan, right?”

Harry dashed into the bathroom and was out in 5 minutes. He answered, “Yeah, I’ve got it mostly figured out. Where’s Jackson’s pearl?”

“Inside your bedside drawer.”

When they descended the stairs to the Common Room, they were met by Hermione, who clutched a small package. She smiled, “I wrote to mum and dad a few days ago, asking for a scuba-diving kit. They wrote back, but said that a scuba-diving kit is too expensive. So they compromised and just bought a basic snorkel and a miniature oxygen tank.”

Her cheeks flushed, “I… er… Might have told them a tiny white lie. I said that Hogwarts was trialling a diving lesson in the lake nearby. Thankfully, they bought it.”

Ron nudged Harry and grinned, “Mate, I think we’ve successfully corrupted her. Three years ago, Hermione would have had a conniption about lying.”

She scowled and stuck her tongue out at him, as the boys snickered. They rushed down for breakfast, which Harry wolfed down. Hermione scolded, “Slow down, Harry! The food is not going anywhere. You’re lucky that the Task is two hours away, and not one hour or less. I made that mistake once when I went swimming in the ocean after a snack. Wound up with awful stomach cramps afterwards.”

Soon, it was time to head to the Black Lake for the Second Task. They went to the Quidditch Locker Room and the two waited outside as Harry went in and changed into a pair of swimming trucks and a skin-tight vest. Hermione then helped him with the oxygen tank and he wore the snorkel as well. Clutching the pearl in his hand, he finally made his way to the Black Lake, while his friends joined Neville in the stands. The judges were sitting at a gold-draped table at the water’s edge. Cedric, Fleur, Marion, Yuliya and Krum were beside the judges’ table, waiting for Harry.

Bagman grinned, “Quite the getup you have, Harry!”

Harry just gave a single nod of acknowledgement. Satisfied, Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and said, “Sonorus!”. With that, his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

He babbled, “Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover someone who has been taken from them.”

Harry raised his hand, “Mr. Bagman? How do we know who we have to rescue? What if one of us rescues the wrong person by accident?”

Ludo Bagman froze briefly and then smiled, “Excellent question! It would be awfully confusing. So, Ha- Mr. Potter, your hostage is Ms Mackenzie Dursley! Mr. Diggory, your hostage is Ms Cho Chang. Ms Popov, your hostage is Mr Alexei Medvedev. Mr. Krum, your hostage is Mr. Yuri Leonov. Ms Hubert, your hostage is Ms Aurelie Dumont. Finally Ms Delacour, your hostage is Ms Gabrielle Delacour. Now, I want to make this very clear, each of your hostages volunteered for this Task. Nobody was coerced into taking on the role.”

As soon as Gabrielle’s name was mentioned, Harry winced internally. Fleur had a massive protective streak, especially when it came to him and Gabrielle, her blood sister. He risked a peek at her, and sure enough, her fist was clenched tightly. However, when Bagman mentioned that everyone volunteered, she relaxed and took a couple of calming breaths.

Finally, Bagman took a deep breath, “Alright! On the count of three! One… Two… Three!”

Harry waded into the lake until he was waist-deep and then gave a piercing whistle. Nothing happened for a minute, and then, a small winding wake appeared a few metres ahead of him. It got bigger and bigger until the Ophiotaurus broke through the surface. Its appearance elicited awed gasps from the crowd. A few girls even cooed as its snake-like body curled around him and the cow’s head nuzzled him.

Ludo Bagman was commentating once again and he babbled, “Egad! It appears that Harry Potter has summoned an unknown creature! Where’s Newt Scamander when you need him!”

Back with Harry, he gently scratched the back of the cow’s ear and whispered, “Hey buddy… I need your help.”

The cow appeared to understand him and straightened out. Harry mounted its back and fixed his snorkel with one hand, the other clutching the pearl. He held onto its horn as it slowly dove into the icy depths. As they swam towards the middle of the lake, silence pressed upon his ears. He gazed upon the strange, dark, foggy landscape.

He could only see ten feet around him, so, as he sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the oncoming darkness. Forests of rippling, tangled black weed, wide plains of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones, flew past. He and the Ophiotaurus swam deeper and deeper, out toward the middle of the lake, his eyes wide, staring through the eerily gray-lit water around him to the shadows beyond, where the water became opaque.

He glanced around him and spotted Fleur a few dozen feet away. It appeared that she had opted for the Bubble-Head charm. Suddenly from the corner of his vision, he spotted a small dark shape heading for him at a rapid pace. Instinctively, his wand shot into his arm from its holster. He fired a Knockback Jinx, sending the creature, a Grindylow, backwards. Just then, two more appeared, and Harry turned his wand into a sword.

A single swipe was enough to get them to back off, but then he heard a muffle cry near him. He turned to see Fleur getting swarmed by a Grindylow horde. Harry pointed his sword and sniped several of them, thinning the horde. Fleur recovered and swam over to him, flashing a beautiful smile as he turned the sword back into its base form.

She took her place behind him and the Ophiotaurus set off again with its extra passenger. Not even ten seconds later, a familiar figure made his way through the murky waters. Harry looked on in confusion as Percy Jackson swam alongside them. He called out, “Dumbledore called me last night. He wanted some extra insurance because he didn’t think that he could trust the lake’s inhabitants. Those Grindy-things or whatever, they’re freaking vicious! I had a hard time keeping them in check.”

He jerked his thumb to the north-west, “The hostages are over there. You got to hurry because Gabrielle’s in danger. Turns out, Veela are a little too similar to Sirens to the merfolk’s liking. Mermaid despise the Sirens, I think you two can fill in the blanks”

The Ophiotaurus swam faster and in no time, they reached what looked like an underwater village. A cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the gloom on all sides. Here and there at the dark windows, Harry saw the merfolk, and they bore no resemblance to the mermaid painting in the prefects’ bathroom. . . .

They had greyish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Harry and Fleur as they swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch them better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.

The three demigods sped on, staring around, and soon the dwellings became more numerous; there were gardens of weed around some of them, and he even saw a pet Grindylow tied to a stake outside one door. Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly. Harry sped around a corner and a very strange sight met his eyes.

A whole crowd of merpeople was floating in front of the houses that formed the village square. A choir of merpeople was singing in the middle, calling the champions toward them, and behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Six people were bound tightly to the tail of the stone merperson.

Mackenzie was tied next to Cho Chang. There was also Fleur’s sister Gabrielle, whose clouds of silvery hair billowed out around her. All six of them appeared to be in stasis. One merman growled and swam over to Gabrielle, with his spear brandished. Percy Jackson immediately sped over and snapped, “Hey! Back off!”

Fortunately, the merman listened and floated back. Harry sped towards Mackenzie and used his sword to cut her loose. Fleur also swam over and cut her sister loose. Percy nodded, “You two got this under control? Great! I’ll go back and patrol. Can’t let the other contestants see me, unless its Viktor.”

Then, Harry began to realise that his oxygen tank was running out. In the nick of time he remembered the pearl. He swam close to Mackenzie and held the pearl out. He crushed it and it broke easily, and once he did so, a massive bubble formed around him and his cousin. Now somewhat dry, he shook her awake, “Kenzie! Kenzie! Wake up!”

She was up in an instant, “Harry?”

“I’m here, Kenzie. You okay?”

“A little cold. Why did they have to hold it in February, when the lake is freezing! Also, are we in a bubble?”

The two cousins huddled together for a bit of warmth as the bubble slowly floated up to the surface. Outside, Harry and Mackenzie could see Fleur swim away with an unconscious Gabrielle. The Ophiotaurus stuck by the two cousins and they watched as Cedric and the others turned up. Yuliya had gills growing from her neck, so Harry assumed that she took some Gillyweed. Meanwhile, Viktor Krum had partially transfigured himself into a bull shark. Cedric and Marion had the same idea as Fleur. After a few more minutes, the bubble finally broke through the surface and popped. Dutifully, the Ophiotaurus swam over and the two of them grabbed its horns. Their cow-serpent taxi steadily glided on the water’s surface, and before long, they were back on dry land.

As it turned out, they had returned with ten minutes to spare. Ron and Hermione immediately rushed out, armed with thick, fluffy towels and wrapped the cousins up. Viktor and his hostage arrived a minute after them. Finally, after some waiting, Fleur and Gabrielle returned with five minutes to go. Marion, Cedric and Yuliya followed them shortly after, though Yuliya came a minute after the deadline.

Bagman announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…”

He cleared his throat, “Harry Potter demonstrated excellent skills in Care of Magical Creatures to summon an unknown creature. Additionally, he helped Champion Delacour to drive off a Grindylow horde. He also showed excellent transfiguration skills to turn his wand into a sword and a pearl into a massive bubble! As he has returned within the time limit, we award him 50 points!”

The Gryffindors cheered loudly as Harry and Mackenzie huddled together. Viktor sat down next to them and grumbled, “Should have chosen mako shark. Would have beaten you to shore.”

Harry replied, “The Black Lake is a fresh water lake. Don’t know if your mako shark form would have survived. Bull sharks can survive in fresh water and salt water.”

“Da, I thought the same.”

Bagman rattled off the scores, with Krum scoring 48, Fleur scoring 46, Cedric and Marion were tied on 44. Yuliya was given 40 points for finishing outside the time limit. Once he was dry enough, Mackenzie helped him out of his diving gear.

Bagman continued, “The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions.”

---

The next day at Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid led the class to the Black Lake. He beckoned to Harry, “Hiya Harry… I don’t suppose you could take the lead for this class? Seems that everyone is fascinated with that critter you summoned during the Second Task.”

Harry smiled, “Sure thing Hagrid.”

He walked over and faced everyone, “Hey everyone. I bet you’re all wondering about that creature I summoned. It’s called the Ophiotaurus, and as you could see, it is a half snake and half cow. As far as I’m aware, it is native to Greece, but it has the ability to swim long distances and appear in any body of water.”

He waited as everyone jotted down notes. Harry continued, “Turns out, there is a bit of history to this creature. According to Greek legends, it played a pivotal role in the war between the Greek gods and their enemies, the Titans. It was prophesied that if anyone killed the creature and placed its entrails in a sacrificial flame, would have the power to destroy the gods. From what I read, the Titans killed an Ophiotaurus, but Lord Zeus sent an eagle to snatch the entrails before it was placed in the sacrificial flame.”

There was dead silence at his statement before everyone began writing. Fortunately, Hagrid took over the rest of the lesson and spoke about Streelers. Next was Potions and Snape was having them brew the Skele-Gro Potion.

When the lesson wound up, Snape barked, “Potter! Stay back and clean up.”

Harry knew better than to argue, so he stayed back and helped put away everything. As he scrubbed a few cauldrons, Lady Hecate entered the empty dungeon-turned-Potions laboratory. She was obviously in her Cathee Daly guise and Snape acknowledged her, “Professor Daly? To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

She spoke up, “Severus, Mr. Potter… I trust you both know what is coming?”

He gave a single nod, “Indeed… It appears that Igor Karkaroff has noticed as well, and he is getting increasingly paranoid. He’s afraid of facing the Dark Lord’s wrath for essentially abandoning him.”

She stroked her chin, “I see. I may have a solution that will free you from his clutches. Maybe I can extend the same invitation to Headmaster Karkaroff as well. Your arm, please?”

Snape extended his arm and rolled up his sleeves. This action revealed a black mark on his arm, which was slowly darkening. He glanced at her, “You think you can get rid of it?”

Her dark eyes shot to him and narrowed, her voice also had a dangerous edge, “You doubt me?”

Snape suddenly remembered who he was talking to, and swallowed, “My apologies. I should know better than to doubt the Goddess of Magic herself.”

She held her gaze at him for a little while longer, just to make him squirm. Finally, Hecate looked back down and focused on her task. She held out her hand and chanted in Ancient Greek.

A bright glow surrounded the dark brand, and Snape flinched, as if it was burning him. This carried on for nearly a minute, until the glow died down. Snape inspected his arm, which was now completely blemish free. He bowed to her, “My Lady, I cannot thank you enough for freeing me. I am in your debt.”

---

Elsewhere

Far away from Hogwarts castle, in the open sea, a small row boat was slowly making its way to a small craggy island. The island was practically a desolate place, with only a handful of dead trees scattered around the landscape. However, most of the island was taken up by a tall building with few windows dotting it. This place was none other than Azkaban prison.

The figure on the boat was cloaked in black, with their hood up, giving no indication of their identity. The mysterious person soon docked and carefully clambered out of the boat. There was a brief flash of a bright colour, but it quickly vanished. Then, they took out their wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm on themselves.

With that done, they slowly tip-toed their way towards the infamous prison. There were no Dementors, as they had all mysteriously vanished without a trace. The person thought wryly that it was a shame, because those blasted things had their uses.

Of course, the Dementors’ absence didn’t mean that Azkaban was totally unguarded. The DMLE had decided to posted a couple of Aurors to guard, so getting past them would be a challenge. Although the figure was Disillusioned, they hid behind a nearby dead tree and observed. There were four Aurors in total and they were stationed in front of each wall. The four were even patrolling around the prison, meaning that the window of opportunity was very small.

The figure waited and watched, taking note of the pattern. Then, they made their move, creeping up behind one Auror. After a few nerve-wracking moments, the figure reached the door of the prison. With a whispered Alohomora, they were in, with the Aurors being none-the-wiser.

The figure undid the Disillusionment spell once the door was carefully closed. Their footsteps echoed across the stone floor as they walked past various prison cells. Then, they stopped at one of the cells and they reached into their robes. Withdrawing a hand, they pulled out a set of keys and softly jingled it. Inside the cell, a figure stirred and a few moments later, the prisoner flew forward and grabbed the cell doors, pressing their body against the bars.

The prisoner was a tall woman with long, thick, shiny dark hair. Her face was gaunt and skeletal, with a strong jaw, a thin mouth and heavily lidded eyes and long eyelashes. Long ago, she would have been considered a great beauty, but her time in Azkaban took its toll on her. This was none other than Lord Voldemort’s top lieutenant, Bellatrix Lestrange.

She gazed at the other figure and purred, “Dolly!!! So good to see you! You never Flooed, you never wrote… I was getting worried.”

The other figure huffed and took off their cloak, revealing a short squat woman dressed in dull pink clothes. The now-identified Dolores Umbridge had a broad, flabby face, wide, slack mouth and a small neck. Her eyes were bulging and pouchy and she had mousy brown hair with a black velvet bow on it.

Umbridge spoke in a high-pitched simpering voice, “Bellatrix dear! You know, as well as I do, that I cannot afford to blow my cover. Our Lord personally selected me for this very purpose, to be a sleeper agent. My job is to lull the idiotic sheep in the Wizarding World into a false sense of peace, so that when our Lord had arisen, these fools would be ripe for the picking. Lucius was a moron to underestimate the Potter brat.”

Bellatrix mused, “Yes, the idiot was always trigger-happy with his wand. Why on earth did he go for a Killing Curse, and right in front of my bastard of a cousin. That coward, Pettigrew got unlucky to be exposed when he did. I miss tormenting Sirius.”

Umbridge’s face twisted into a sneer, “Yes, well… Lucius was also a fool to trust *Muggle* mercenaries to kidnap the Potter brat. He should have known that they would back-stab him. That’s why I never trusted Muggles and Mudbloods. They should all be purged from this world.”

Umbridge spat out the word ‘Muggle’, like it was a vicious slur. Bellatrix asked, “So, what’s the plan? I doubt you dropped by just for a chat. I don’t see any tea or biscuits.”

Umbridge smiled sickeningly, “Well… It seems that our source in the Unspeakable department has found a way to resurrect the Dark Lord. Our agent is already deep within Hogwarts and no one suspects a thing. To be honest, he didn’t even have to do a thing to lure Potter into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He entered on his own, so this makes our jobs easier. All that the agent did was tamper with the Goblet’s enchantments, though I think the twit overpowered the spell.”

Bellatrix asked, “So how are we going to get our hands on Potter?”

Umbridge giggled mirthfully, “Now, the Second Task just finished a few days ago. The Third Task is on June 24th. It was astonishingly easy to convince Fudge to let me keep the Tri-Wizard Cup for ‘safekeeping’. All that I have to do is turn the thing into a timed Portkey. Our agent’s job is to make sure that Potter gets to the Cup first.”

Bellatrix purred, “Excellent…”

Umbridge continued, “Now, in the unlikely event that Potter manages to weasel his way out alive, he will undoubtedly try to warn the public. Fortunately for us, I have a cunning plan. I will be using everything in my power to discredit him and that meddling codger, Dumbledore. The Prophet will be perfect, and once everyone abandons Potter and views him as the delusional liar that he is, we will strike! Now stand back, let’s get you all out of here and plan our next move.”

---

Back at Hogwarts, a few days later

Harry was just finishing breakfast in the Great Hall, when he spotted Sirius entering. He stopped briefly in front of Harry, who noticed that he was in a foul mood, “You okay, Uncle Sirius?”

He barely prevented himself from snapping, “Far from it! Fudge is being an ass, and Amelia is hopping mad and fed up of dealing with him. There was a mass break out at Azkaban a few days ago. Lost four Aurors in the mess, and that moron wants to brush it under the carpet. Said some claptrap about not starting a panic among the citizens. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to Albus and vent.”

After he left, Ron muttered darkly, “Blimey, things are really going tits up. First is Crouch’s illness and then a second Ministry member has gone missing, now this. Percy told me about that second member.”

Harry glanced at him, “Second one? Who was the first?”

Neville piped up, “Her name was Bertha Jorkins. According to Fudge, she was quite scatter-brained, so he insisted that she must be on an extended vacation. Now that another employee is missing, the absence of both employees cannot be a coincidence.”

The days flew by quickly, Gryffindor managed to win their remaining two matches and won the House Cup for a fourth time in a row. Fortunately, Ron did not need the ear plugs anymore, as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff opted to play fair.

It was also around this time that Mackenzie began getting her monthly periods. She went to Harry straight away, because he had already gotten the Talk from his sisters, so he was not at all awkward. Harry wrote to Thalia, and in three days, she came through for him. Since then, Mackenzie wrote to the Daughter of Zeus often for help.

---

During the last week of May, Professor McGonagall told him to head to the Quidditch field at nine in the evening. At half past eight, Harry headed downstairs and met with Cedric in the entrance hall,.

The older teen asked as they walked, “What d’you reckon it’s going to be? Fleur keeps going on about underground tunnels; she reckons we’ve got to find treasure.”

Harry shrugged, “Not a clue. She might be onto some- BLOODY HELL!”

Cedric also froze and exclaimed indignantly, “What’ve they done to it?!”

The Quidditch field was no longer smooth and flat. It looked as though somebody had been building long, low walls all over it that twisted and crisscrossed in every direction.

Harry murmured, “All of a sudden, I’m glad that Wood has already graduated. Bloke would have probably died of a heart attack.”

Cedric sniggered, “Got that right, mate.”

“Hello there!” called a cheery voice.

Ludo Bagman was standing in the middle of the field with Krum, Yuliya, Marion and Fleur. The latter beamed at him and he grinned back. Bagman was oblivious to Cedric, Harry and even Krum’s dismay. He happily babbled, “Well, what d’you think? Growing nicely, aren’t they? Give them a month and Hagrid will have them twenty feet high. Don’t worry, you’ll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we’re making here?”

Krum grunted, “Maze.”

Bagman beamed, “That’s right! A maze. The third task’s really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks.”

Fleur interrupted, “We simply have to get through the maze?”

He smiled at her, “There will be obstacles. Hagrid is providing a number of creatures . . . then there will be spells that must be broken . . . all that sort of thing, you know. Now, everyone will enter one-by-one in order of the points standings. But you’ll all be in with a fighting chance, depending how well you get past the obstacles. Should be fun, eh?”

Harry exchanged a wary look with Cedric. If Hagrid was providing the creatures, then that changed everything. He liked Hagrid, but his definition of cute and cuddly was equal to fairly terrifying. Then he caught Viktor and Fleur’s eyes, and another thought struck him. What if some Ancient Greek monster snuck into the maze? Knowing Hagrid, he would think of the monsters as interesting critters, and let them in.

After Bagman left, Harry sidled up to the other two demigods and voiced his concerns. Viktor gruffly said, “Da, possibility of Greek monsters is a risk, but then as you say in English, we cross bridge when get there.”

Chapter 57

A few days after the task, Harry was with Ron and Hermione, when Neville came rushing up. He was looking quite panicked, “Guys! It’s Mr. Crouch! Bloke just suddenly turned up and he was babbling some nonsense. I was just mentoring Mackenzie in Herbology when he just came stumbling out of nowhere. Luckily, Krum was nearby and agreed to watch him. She’s gone to get Dumbledore, and I came to fetch you guys.”

Harry grabbed him and steadied him, “Nev… breathe mate. Take us to where you found him.”

Neville led the trio outside the castle. By the time they reached, Dumbledore and Mackenzie had reached the scene first, along with Moody and an incensed Karkaroff. Unfortunately, the only other person present at the scene was Viktor Krum, who was tenderly rubbing the back of his head.

The Durmstrang headmaster was furiously screaming, “Treachery! It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretences, Dumbledore! This is not an equal competition! One of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international Wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences — here’s what I think of you!”

The man spat onto the ground by Dumbledore’s feet and stormed off. Dumbledore rubbed his forehead, “This does not look good. Mr. Crouch is extremely well-respected. I do wonder what happened to him. According to Ms Dursley, he was rather out-of-sorts and rambling. I suspect he was hallucinating a little bit.”

Moody grunted, “I’ll go see what I can find. Can’t rule out a kidnapping. He could be anywhere. Only thing we know for sure is that he is not here.”

He glanced at Harry, “Potter, you just keep your mind on the third task. Should be right up your street, this one. From what Dumbledore’s said, you’ve managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times in Hogwarts. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone in your first year, didn’t you?”

Harry nodded, “My friends helped.”

Moody grinned, “Well, help him practice for this one, and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t win. In the meantime... constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance. You two stick close to Potter, all right? I’m keeping an eye on things, but all the same... you can never have too many eyes out.”

---

Over the next few days, Harry practiced his spell work. In addition to that, he and Neville often sparred with their swords. That night, Harry had a strange dream. He was riding on the back of an eagle owl, soaring through the clear blue sky toward an old, ivy-covered house set high on a hillside. Lower and lower they flew, the wind blowing pleasantly in his face, until they reached a dark and broken window in the upper story of the house and entered. Now they were flying along a gloomy passageway, into a dark room whose windows were boarded up.

The room was empty, save for two dark shapes on the floor beside a chair, and both of them were stirring. One was a huge snake, and the other was a man. He was tall with long pale blonde hair tied in a neat braid. He was also clad in long magnificent flowing robes.

The chair was also occupied, but Harry could not see who it was. However, a familiar cold, high-pitched voice spoke, “You are in luck, Yaxley. You are very fortunate indeed. Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead, thanks to Wormtail.”

Yaxley gasped from his position on the floor, “My Lord! My Lord, I am... I am so pleased… and so sorry...”

Voldemort’s voice sounded again, “Nagini, you are out of luck. I will not be feeding Yaxley to you, after all... but never mind, never mind... there is still Harry Potter...”

He turned back to a pale Yaxley, “Now, perhaps another little reminder why I will not tolerate any more blunders.”

Before Yaxley could cry out a protest, Voldemort barked, “Crucio!”

The Death Eater began screaming loud enough to wake the dead. He screamed as if every nerve in his body were on fire. Even though Corban Yaxley was his enemy, Harry couldn’t help wincing in sympathy. While he may not have been a victim of the Cruciatus Curse, holding up the sky was just as excruciating, if not more painful.

That was the last scene that he witnessed as the demigod woke up with a start, panting heavily. It was half past six in the morning, and his actions had woken Ron and Neville up. The redhead softly called out, “Harry? You alright, mate?”

Harry controlled his breathing, “Yeah… I’m fine. Just had a bad dream. I’ll tell you about it after we’ve showered.”

In 20 minutes, the three boys went down, just in time to see Hermione sitting on the couch, reading a book as usual. She glanced up and Harry asked her, “Hey, can you find Bianca, Mackenzie and Katie? We need a meeting, ASAP.”

Not long after, Harry and his group gathered in a private corner at breakfast time. He explained about what happened in his dream and Katie frowned. She mused, “That’s kind of worrying. I’m guessing that Pettigrew was the one who killed Mr Crouch.”

Ron suddenly started, “Blimey! He would have had time to escape after the deed because of his Animagus form.”

Hermione glanced at Harry with her expression serious, “Harry… maybe You-Know-Who and his Death-Eaters plan to hijack the Third Task to take you out. Why else would they choose now to break out? This Yaxley fellow works in the Ministry, right?”

Neville nodded, “Yeah, I think he works somewhere high up in the Ministry. He was one of the people who gave the Imperius excuse.”

Hermione acknowledged him, “Precisely, maybe he sneaked into Azkaban and broke them out. Now that there are no Dementors, there’s not much stopping them from escaping.”

Harry spoke up, “If he wants to face me, he will have me. I need to take him out as soon as possible. We dodged a bullet when Thorn the Manticore, killed Lucius. Lucius Malfoy could have easily found out about the demigod world. I dread to think what would happen if You-Know-Who and Kronos ever teamed up. I need to take out the Dark Lord before he potentially aligns himself with Kronos.”

---

On that happy thought, they continued training him. In return, he helped them study for their Fourth-Year exams. Since he was in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, he got an exemption, and his success automatically qualified him for a passing grade. By the time June arrived, the atmosphere had grown excited and tense. Everyone was looking forward to the Third Task, which was just a week before the term ended. Aside from his own demigod training, he mastered spells like the Impediment Curse, the Reductor Curse, and a Location Charm.

Ron, Neville and Hermione all appeared for their exams, and still found time to help him. Mackenzie, Bianca and Ginny also helped out. Katie would have joined them, but she had her OWL exams, and Harry wanted her to focus on that.

On the day of the Third task, McGonagall approached him at breakfast time. She told him, “Mr. Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast. The champions’ families are invited to watch the final task. This is a chance for you to spend some time with them.”

Excitement filled him, because family could either mean the Hunters, Mother Artemis, as unlikely as that was, or even Sirius and Remus. Wolfing down his food, he headed straight for the ante chamber near the Great Hall. Cedric, Fleur, Viktor, Yuliya and Marion were also heading there. Sure enough, he had a broad grin on his face when he spotted a familiar girl with black spiky hair. He ran up, “Thalia! Good to see you! How are the girls and Mother?”

She laughed and ruffled his salt and pepper hair, “Everyone’s great! She’s a little caught up in a few important meetings, so she couldn’t make it. But she said that she was proud of you. So this is Hogwarts, eh? Nice!”

Thalia wasn’t alone, as Sirius, Remus, Mrs Weasley and Bill had also shown up. Cedric and his parents were just inside the door. Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his father in rapid Bulgarian. He had inherited his father’s hooked nose.

On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her father. Fleur’s little sister, Gabrielle, was holding her hand and she waved at Harry, who waved back, smiling. Yuliya and Marion were also with their respective families.

Bill grinned at Harry, “Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn’t get time off. It’s great being back here. Haven’t seen this place in five years. Hey Harry, mind taking a walk with us? We can give Thalia here, a tour.”

Thalia was quite fascinated with the school. Though she did shudder at the sight of people flying around on brooms. Harry had a hard time stopping himself from teasing her. They whiled away the afternoon, and at some point, Harry got Thalia alone and repeated what he told his friends.

That was enough for her hand to instinctively creep towards her collapsible Mace canister, which was also her spear. She spoke softly, “I think you’re right about them potentially striking during the Third Task. Be on your guard. I’ll do the same here too. Phoebe is coming later tonight and she’ll be in touch with the animals to be on the lookout.”

The outing lasted until evening, when they all returned to the castle for the evening feast. As per their custom, Harry, Bianca and Thalia made their offerings to the Gods. No one really batted an eye, because they were all used to it by now.

---

As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

He announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes’ time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now.”

Thalia gave him one last hug before he followed Cedric and the other Champions. Bagman sidled up to Harry, “Feeling all right, Harry? Confident?”

Harry replied, “As confident as I can be, sir.”

By the time they reached the Quidditch field, it was unrecognisable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

Meanwhile, the stands began to fill up and excited voices filled the air. The sky was a deep, clear blue, and the first stars were starting to appear. Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick entered the stadium and approached Bagman and the champions.

McGonagall faced them and spoke, “We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze. If you get into difficulty, and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you, do you understand?”

Everyone nodded firmly and Bagman pointed his wand at his throat. After a whispered Sonorus he began announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! In first place, with ninety-two points Mr. Harry Potter, from Hogwarts! In second place with eighty-five points is Cedric Diggory, also from Hogwarts. In third place is Viktor Krum from Durmstrang with eighty points. Ms Fleur Delacour is fourth with seventy-nine points. Finally, Ms Popov and his Hubert are tied with seventy-five points each!”

Bagman looked at Harry, “On my whistle, Harry. Three! Two! One!”

With a short blast of the whistle, Harry jogged into the maze. He barely made it a 100 meters and was about to turn right when he heard a scream from the stands. Harry glanced to his right and saw a large spider bearing down on him. It was not quite the size of an Acromantula, and he identified it as a Thornback Shooter. Thinking quickly and letting his battle instincts take over, he pulled out his wand and roared, “Arania Exumai!”

The spider was flung backwards, struck the ground and lay still. Harry forged ahead with his wand out, just as another whistle blew, signifying that Cedric had entered the maze. The towering hedges cast black shadows across the path. As he ventured deeper, there was not much sound, apart from his own breathing and the sounds of the various critters around him. Harry guessed that it was largely because the hedges had been.

He came to a fork in the maze and dropped down to use his tracking skills. Cedric had caught up to him while he was observing the ground. After a while, Harry went left and Cedric went right. There was another whistle, which meant the Krum was in the maze. After sometime and more whistles, all six champions were in the maze.

To be perfectly honest, it took a while for Harry to forge ahead. After fending off a sixth attack from a monster, with the last one being a Scythian dracaena, he grumbled to himself, “This is why I hate being a demigod.”

Then, he heard movement right behind him. Harry spun around, ready to attack, but spotted Cedric backing away with his arms raised in surrender. He shot Harry an easy-going grin, “Whoa! Mate! It’s just me. I see you’re taking Mad Eye Moody’s ‘Constant Vigilance’ bellows to heart.”

The Hufflepuff then hurriedly put out a smouldering flame on his sleeve. He said, “Ran into one of Hagrid’s Blast-Ended Skrewts. They’re enormous! I only just got away. Blimey! What happened to you? You look like you went a few rounds with the entire Slytherin House, solo.”

Harry grumbled, “Feels like it. If I survive this, I’m definitely going to feel that in the morning.”

The two boys then split up once again and Harry forged ahead. Turning around the corner, he nearly got the shock of his life. A few metres ahead of him, was himself, and a huge black void resting on his back. His identical copy was straining under the void and was slowly getting crushed. Snapping himself out of it, he recognised a Boggart, and yelled, “Riddikulus!”

The void began to rapidly dissipate, sounding like a deflating balloon. His copy also began to stand up straighter and then disappeared with a *Pop*. With that out of the way, he continued onwards. As he walked, he heard the sound of fighting nearby. He jogged on and turned left into a corner to see Fleur fighting against a Hellhound.

Wasting no time, he summoned his bow and arrows and charged in. As she fought, she acknowledged his presence and they battled shoulder-to-shoulder. Finally, she stabbed it with a Celestial Bronze dagger and he fired one last arrow, killing it. She smiled gratefully at him and pecked him on the cheek before they parted ways.

A few minutes later, he heard a scream, and it sounded a lot like Marion. He quickened his pace, looking for the French girl. Then he heard Cedric’s voice yelling, “What are you doing? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Yuliya’s voice sounded, “Crucio”

A moment later, Cedric’s pain-filled screams filled the air. Harry willed himself to go faster and sprinted like a gazelle. Rounding a corner with his wand raised, he spotted the Durmstrang girl standing over Cedric. He yelled out a Stunning Spell and knocked her back. The Hufflepuff was twitching for a while until he stopped and began to recover.

He panted, “Don’t know what got into her. I heard a scream and went to investigate. Then I saw Yuliya and she didn’t look like herself. Wait here, I’ll send up some red sparks so that someone can fetch Yuliya. I’ll see if I can find Marion as well and get help for her too.”

Cedric then performed the action before looking at Harry, “Well… I suppose we had better get a move on.”

“Wait! We’ll go together! Strength in numbers?”

Cedric smiled and messed with Harry’s hair, “Appreciate the concern, mate. You would have been a fine Hufflepuff.”

Once again, they parted ways, albeit reluctantly. After a while, he walked further on, and around the next corner, was a stunningly beautiful woman. He stopped short, “Lady Aphrodite?”

She smiled genially at him, “Harry! There you are!”

He walked up to her, “What are you doing here?”

The goddess pouted cutely at him, “Aww… Can’t I check on my favourite pseudo-son?”

He waited for the penny to drop, and then she gave a dramatic sigh, “Oh alright! I came here to give you a teensy tiny helping hand. As you know, Lord Zeus insisted that we gods do not interfere with mortal or demigod affairs. Though he didn’t say anything about helping take out other minor annoyances. It’s all about the loopholes, darling.”

Harry asked, “So you’re going to help me take down the Dark Lord?”

She tittered, “Indirectly, my dear sweet boy. Remember that protection that your mother used? Please hold out your hand.”

He extended his hand and she took it, as if to perform a handshake. However, the moment she touched his hand, it felt like a massive amount of power was flowing through him. They stayed like that for a minute until she finally let go. Aphrodite smiled prettily at him, “There we go! I’ve strengthened the protection, enough to destroy that ruffian. Ta-ta!”

Harry turned away as she made her exit and continued onwards. He jogged down a long straight path and slowed down when he noticed movement ahead. Approaching warily, he saw a massive sphinx blocking the path.

It had the body of an over-large lion: great clawed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head, however, was that of a woman. She turned her long, almond-shaped eyes upon Harry as he approached. He raised his wand, hesitating. She was not crouching as if to spring, but pacing from side to side of the path, blocking his progress. Then she spoke, in a deep, hoarse voice.

She said, “You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me. That is unless you can answer my riddle, young demigod. Answer on your first guess — I let you pass. Answer wrongly — I attack. Remain silent — I will let you walk away from me unscathed.”

Harry nodded firmly, “Alright… May I hear the riddle?”

The sphinx recited, “First think of the person who lives in disguise,

Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.

Next, tell me what’s always the last thing to mend,

The middle of middle and end of the end?

And finally give me the sound often heard

During the search for a hard-to-find word.

Now string them together, and answer me this,

Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?”

Harry began pacing around as he pondered the answer. He mumbled to himself, “Person in disguise… a spy. Middle of middle… Crumbs, that’s a tough one… Sound often heard…”

Then it clicked for him, “It’s a spider!”

The sphinx smiled broadly, got up and moved aside to let him pass. He called out a quick thank you and sprinted past.

As he ran, he saw a light in the distance and dashed for it. Then he noticed movement to his right and spotted Cedric running next to him, having emerged from another path. Suddenly, three dark shapes leaped down in front of them and they screeched to a stop. Right in front of them were three massive spiders of different sizes. One was a Thornback Shooter, another was a Venomous Scurriour, and the third was an Acromantula. Nodding to each other, Harry and Cedric teamed up and attacked immediately. A pair of Stunners took down the Scurriour, Cedric’s Disarming spell sent the Thornback flying and Harry downed the Acromantula with the Spider-Repelling Charm.

By the time the assault ended, both boys were panting and the Tri-Wizard Cup stood just a few feet away on its grassy pedestal. Cedric glanced at the Cup and waited for Harry to recover. He pointed his wand at Harry and intoned, “Episkey”. Most of Harry’s wounds healed and Cedric said, “Let’s do it together, mate. Make it a Hogwarts victory. You told me about the dragons. I would’ve gone down in the first task if you hadn’t told me what was coming.”

Harry breathed, “You helped me with the egg — we’re square. You should take it.”

Cedric shook his head, “We do it together.”

Finally, Harry relented, “Okay… Together, then.”

Both of them stood in front of the Cup, and Harry said, “On three, One, Two, Three!”

He and Cedric both grasped a handle. In an instant, Harry felt a jerk somewhere behind his navel. His feet had left the ground. He could not unclench the hand holding the Triwizard Cup; it was pulling him onward in a howl of wind and swirling colour, Cedric at his side.

---

When they landed, it took a while to recover. Cedric glanced around him, “Where are we? This supposed to be part of the task? I didn’t know the Cup was a Portkey.”

Harry shook his head and took in his surroundings. They were obviously nowhere near Hogwarts castle. Wherever this place was, it was several kilometres away. There were no recognisable landmark, as even the mountains surrounding the castle were gone.

Instead, they were standing instead in a dark and overgrown graveyard; the black outline of a small church was visible beyond a large yew tree to their right. A hill rose above them to their left. Harry could just make out the outline of a fine old house on the hillside. The area was also surrounded by a small forest.

Instinctively, they pulled out their wands and slowly crept forward. Just then, Harry heard faint footsteps approaching and he tensed up, “Someone’s coming.”

A figure drew nearer, walking steadily toward them between the graves. Harry couldn’t make out a face, but from the way it was walking and holding its arms, he could tell that it was carrying something. Whoever it was, he was tall, and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over his head to obscure his face. Several paces nearer, the gap between them closing all the time — Harry saw that the thing in the person’s arms looked like a baby... or was it merely a bundle of robes?

The figure stopped beside a towering marble headstone, only six feet from them. For a second, Harry and Cedric and the stranger simply looked at one another. A cold voice suddenly ordered, “Kill the spare!”

There was a swishing noise and a second voice, roared the words “Avada Kedavra!”

A jet of green light arced towards them at high speed, but Harry was faster. He tackled Cedric out of the way and grunted, “Oh fuck no! No one else is dying on my watch! Not if I can help it!”

The spell missed Cedric and the boys scrambled to their feet and began running into the forest. The Hufflepuff breathed as he ran, “You saved my life, Harry! I owe you!”

Harry snapped, “Less talking, more running!”

They sprinted for a few minutes, with Cedric dodging more Killing Curses. Then Harry realised something, the pursuers were after him, not Diggory. He screeched to a stop, and Diggory stopped a few metres ahead, “Harry?”

Harry snapped, “Go! It’s me, they’re after!”

Unfortunately, the older boy chose that moment to be obstinate. He stubbornly said, “I’m not leaving you!”

Harry activated his shield and parried another Killing Curse, “Cedric, I appreciate the Hufflepuff loyalty, but this isn’t the time! I don’t want anyone else dying on my hands.”

As he said this, an image of Zoe flashed in his mind. Cedric misinterpreted his thoughts, “Look mate, Khanna’s death wasn’t your fault. But I’m not-”

He was cut off as another spell came dangerously close to striking him. Harry firmly yelled, “Just go, Cedric! I’ll be fine! Trust me!”

Reluctantly, Cedric Diggory fled deeper into the forest and Harry stood there calmly after collapsing his shield. Eventually, the figure caught up to him and he recognised him as Corban Yaxley. He raised his wand towards Cedric’s rapidly fading figure, when the cold voice spoke up again, “Leave him be. We have what we came for. The other boy is of no consequence.”

Reluctantly, Yaxley lowered his wand and then turned to Harry with a menacing grin. He grabbed Harry and frog-marched him back towards the graveyard. Stopping in front of the marble headstone, Harry caught the name, TOM RIDDLE. Meanwhile, the cloaked man was now conjuring tight cords around Harry, tying him from neck to ankles to the headstone. This was after he relieved Harry of his wand and holster.

---

Yaxley finished tying Harry and stuffed some black material roughly into Harry’s mouth. The bundle of robes that Harry had thought was a baby was close by, at the foot of the grave. It seemed to be stirring fretfully.

Harry could hear noises at his feet. He looked down and saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where he was tied. Yaxley came back within Harry’s range of vision, and Harry saw him pushing a stone cauldron to the foot of the grave. It was full of what seemed to be water. It was larger than any cauldron Harry had ever used; a great stone belly large enough for a full-grown man to sit in.

The Death-Eater then began preparing the cauldron, as the snake slithered away. Finally, he announced that the concoction was ready and he went to open the bundle of robes. The thing Yaxley had been carrying had the shape of a crouched human child, except that Harry had never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face flat and snake-like, with gleaming red eyes.

Yaxley picked up the hideous creature and lowered it into the cauldron. With a hiss, the figure was submerged, and Harry hoped that it had drowned. Yaxley then began to chant, “Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will resurrect your son.”

He turned away and beckoned to someone. Another figure emerged from the house, none other than a whimpering Peter Pettigrew. He approached and held out his arm. Yaxley chanted, “Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master.”

With a flourish, he withdrew a dagger and practically amputated Pettigrew’s arm. The shorter man screamed in agony and collapsed with a whimper. Finally, Yaxley advanced on Harry, “Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe!”

Yaxley pierced Harry’s arm and let the red blood drip into the cauldron. On cue, the liquid within the cauldron turned, instantly, a blinding white. The cauldron simmered, sending diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright that it turned all else to velvety blackness.

For a moment, all was still, until the sparks were extinguished. A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron instead, obliterating everything in front of Harry. When it died down, the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising slowly from inside the cauldron.

Yaxley dutifully robed him and the resurrected figure turned to Harry. The boy stared back into the face that he despised. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake’s with slits for nostrils.

Harry snarled, “Voldemort…”

The man inspected his own body. His hands were like large, pale spiders; his long white fingers caressed his own chest, his arms, his face; the red eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cat’s, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness. He held up his hands and flexed the fingers, his expression rapt and exultant.

Then he looked at his two followers and beckoned them forward. Yaxley stepped forward and Voldemort rolled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. He prodded it and Yaxley bit back a wince.

Once he was done, he softly said, “It is back. They will all have noticed it... and now, we shall see... now we shall know... How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it? And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?”

He paced up and down, waiting for all of his followers to arrive. Finally, he noticed the tied-up Harry. He hissed, “You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father. A Muggle and a fool... very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child... and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death...”

He pointed to the house over yonder. The dark wizard explained, “You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was.... He didn’t like magic, my father... He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born, Potter, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage. I vowed to find him... I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name... Tom Riddle....”

Harry just looked at him with a bored expression, as if asking whether he should feel sorry for him. Voldemort was brought out of his musing, “Listen to me, reliving family history. Why, I am growing quite sentimental. But look, Harry! My true family returns.”

Sure enough, The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. There were about a 100+ Death-Eaters. All of them were hooded and masked. One by one they moved forward, slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes. Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them. Then one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort, and kissed the hem of his black robes.

He surveyed them with cold eyes, “Welcome, Death Eaters. Years... Years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. . . . We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! Or are we? I smell guilt. “There is a stench of guilt upon the air. I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact — such prompt appearances! — and I ask myself . . . why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?”

No one spoke, so he filled in the answer himself. He said, “I answer myself. They must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment. But how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?

There was dead silence, save for a few hoots from owls flying about. Voldemort continued, “Perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort. Do they now pay allegiance to another, perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?”

At the mere mention of Dumbledore’s name, all of the Death-Eaters stirred and muttered. Voldemort sighed, “It is a disappointment to me. I confess myself disappointed.”

One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he collapsed at Voldemort’s feet.

“Master!” he shrieked, “Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!”

Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand.

“Crucio!”

The man writhed and screamed for what seemed like ages. When he let up, he sneered, “Get up, Avery. Stand up. You ask for forgiveness? I do not forgive. I do not forget. Several long years . . . I want many years’ repayment before I forgive you. Wormtail and Yaxley here have paid some of their debt already, have you not? You returned to me, not out of loyalty, but out of fear of your old friends. You deserve this pain, Wormtail. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes, Master,” moaned Wormtail, “please, Master . . . please . . .”

“Yet you helped return me to my body,” said Voldemort coolly, watching Wormtail sob on the ground. “Worthless and traitorous as you are, you helped me . . . and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers. . . .”

With a wave of his newly-acquired wand, he conjured a gleaming replica of a human hand. The silvery hand then floated down and fixed itself on Pettigrew’s bleeding stump.

Pettigrew’s sobbing stopped abruptly. His breathing harsh and ragged, he raised his head and stared in disbelief at the silver hand, now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove. He flexed the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a small twig on the ground and crushed it into powder.

As Peter continued to grovel, Voldemort scanned the crowd, “Pray tell… Where is Lucius?”

One Death-Eater stepped up and unmasked, revealing the face of Bellatrix Lestrange. She curtseyed, “My Lord… Lucius was a fool. He somehow had the brilliantly foolish idea to hire ‘Muggle’ mercenaries to kidnap Potter during the World Cup. The twat got double-crossed and killed by them, according to Jugson.”

The Dark Lord tutted like a disappointed teacher, “I see… it is a shame, or good riddance. He ran from my Mark when a faithful Death-Eater sent it into the sky last summer.”

He took a breath and continued, “Is there anyone else left to break  out of Azkaban? I also wish to meet the Dementors, for I am sure that they will join us.”

Another Death-Eater stepped forward and unmasked. The toad-like face of Dolores Umbridge revealed itself. She too curtseyed, “My Lord… I’m afraid that I have bad news on that front. All Dementors inexplicably vanished, two years ago. Even that fool, Fudge’s personal Dementor has vanished.”

“Hmm… That warrants a thorough investigation. However, I look among you and notice six missing. Three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return, he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever, he will be killed, of course, and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already re-entered my service.”

Harry had no doubt that he was referring to Karkaroff and Snape, respectively. However, he was blanking on the third one. Voldemort grinned, “He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant. From what I hear, he did not have much to do to get our young friend to arrive here tonight. Yes, Harry Potter has kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call him my guest of honour. I will be seeing young Barty Crouch Jr, very soon. I’m impressed that he has fooled Dumbledore for so long with his impersonation of Alastor Moody…”

There was no sound, save for the hooting of owls. Unbeknownst to anyone, some of the hooting was coming from Harry himself, who was communicating with a nearby owl to send a message to Dumbledore somehow.

Voldemort began expositing again, explaining how he stayed alive all those years ago.

---

Meanwhile back at Hogwarts, while Voldemort was in storyteller mode, the barn owl flew as fast as it could. Ten minutes flew by until it finally reached Hogwarts and the owl eventually spotted its target, Thalia. It softly flew up and landed on her shoulder, getting her and Katie’s attention. The two of them looked at each other and quietly slipped away. The only one who noticed was Lady Hecate, who followed them.

A few 100 metres away from the Quidditch stadium, the owl landed and began scratching on the dusty ground. The message read 'DEATH-EATER BARTY CROUCH JR DISGUISED AS PROFESSOR MOODY'. As the owl flapped its wings to get rid of the evidence, Katie was thunderstruck, “We have a freaking Death-Eater masquerading as a teacher!”

Hecate’s voice sounded behind them, “Do not fret Ms Bell and Ms Thalia. I know how to deal with this.”

---

Back in the graveyard, Voldemort had finished with what he believed was the truth behind his resurrection. Finally, he faced Harry with a sadistic grin on his face. He intoned, “And here he is... the boy you all believed had been my downfall...”

Voldemort moved slowly forward and turned to face Harry. He raised his wand and barked, “Crucio!”

Harry collapsed on the ground as pain enveloped his body. It felt like his bones and his nerves were on fire. Though if he was being honest, it wasn’t nearly as mind-numbing as the pain he felt when holding up the sky. This kind of pain was just two notches below that. As a result, he grit his teeth and fought through the Torture Curse, standing up.

All of the Death-Eaters were stunned to silence. No one had been able to resist the Cruciatus Curse, at all. Voldemort chuckled, “Well, well, well… It seems that Barty was right. You are a lot tougher than you look. Excellent. I’d hate to have a weak opponent. Make it more fun for me. Wormtail! Untie him and give him back his wand.”

The short, portly man stepped up, untied and ungagged Harry. He then returned Harry’s wand and holster. He smirked, “Some kind of metal eh, Harry? Pretty fancy! Maybe after The Dark Lord finishes you off, I’ll keep it as a trophy.”

The Death-Eaters closed ranks around him, cutting off his escape. Harry backed himself under the yew tree and considered his options. The Tri-Wizard trophy lay a couple of feet away, but he had other ideas.

Voldemort stood on the other side and called out, “You’ve been taught how to duel, Potter?”

Harry just gave a single nod in acknowledgement. The snake-faced man gave a slight bow and lectured as if he were talking to a toddler. He said, “We bow to each other, Harry. Come, the niceties must be observed. Dumbledore would like you to show manners. Bow to death, Harry.”

Harry just gave a short bow, never taking his eyes off his opponent, and then got into his usual grappling stance. He also didn’t bother correcting Voldemort about being death. The arrogant swine would be meeting the REAL embodiment of Death, very soon.

The man softly said, “Very good. And now you face me, like a man. Straight-backed and proud, the way your father died. And now — we duel.”

Voldemort raised his wand and fired the Cruciatus Curse. Harry simply allowed his demigod reflexes to take over and he nimbly dodged. The man chortled, “My, my… It seems you do possess a little skill. I think I might enjoy this.”

He fired another spell and Harry retaliated immediately. Back and forth the two opponents went, until Voldemort hit him with the Imperius Curse. The villain ordered him to submit to him, however Harry fought it off. The duel was fierce and Voldemort began to advance. That’s when an idea struck Harry and he decided to play one ace.

As soon as he was within striking distance, Harry morphed into his dire wolf Animagus form, with a Killing Curse sailing over where his human head used to be. Before anyone could even register what had happened, he pounced on Voldemort, knocking him down and getting a good solid bite off of him. Harry bounded back to get some distance and transformed back into a human form.

Voldemort clutched his bleeding arm before chuckling. He chortled, “Well, well, well… You are full of surprises Harry Potter. I did not expect you to be an Animagus. But now, it is time to end this. Avada Kedavra!”

Harry retaliated immediately by dodging and firing a Disarming Spell. They clashed one more time before another plan formed in his head. He had noticed the giant snake slithering in the background and thanks to his correspondence with Thanatos, knew that it was a Horcrux. The next spell that left his lips was a Cutting Curse, Voldemort dodged it, but his snake who was directly behind him, was not so lucky. With a terrifying screech, the snake evaporated in a cloud of dust.

He stiffened, “Nagini! Oh my poor sweet Nagini… POTTER! You will pay for killing my familiar!”

The enraged man was now fighting fiercer and wilder now. It was only thanks to his demigod reflexes that Harry was still alive. Then he noticed an opening and charged in towards his sworn enemy and revealed his final ace. Harry bellowed, “Mutatio!” and his wand instantly transformed into the Sword of Gryffindor. Naturally, this caught Voldemort off guard, so he just stood there when it went straight through his heart.

Harry pulled out the sword cleaned it and turned it back into a wand before dropping the man. Voldemort grinned evilly, “This changes nothing, Potter! I found ways to preserve my soul! I am immortal! A God!”

The boy smirked, “Oh, you mean your Horcruxes? I have bad news for you, Riddle. They’re all gone. I figured it out early and my allies and I went about and destroyed all of them. Nagini was your only one, and I got her. Checkmate. Also, you think you're a god? I've met several, and you've royally pissed off one of them.”

With shock on his face, the dying Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing.

---

All around the two, the Death-Eaters were stunned to silence. Nothing happened as the air grew slightly colder. Suddenly, Bellatrix Lestrange screeched, “He killed him! Harry Potter killed our Dark Lord! Get him!”

Harry began backing up until his back hit the yew tree. Around him, the Death-Eaters advanced with their wands raised, and they looked menacing. The air was now so cold that Harry could see his breath. Then he saw something behind the Death-Eater horde and his eyes widened in horror.

“GRRRAHHH!”

The next thing anybody knew, several Death-Eaters were sent flying and landed with sickening crunches, all dead. The remaining ones whirled around to see a massive thirty-foot giant with blue skin and icy grey hair, wielding a huge spiky club. Dolores Umbridge screamed, “What are you waiting for, you fools! Attack it!”

Several curses flew from their wands, but none of them seemed to faze the giant. From his position, Harry muttered to himself, “Never thought I’d be glad to see a Hyperborean Giant.”

More Death-Eaters were mowed down and Harry coolly watched the carnage. Umbridge attempted to cast the Killing Curse, but the giant blocked it with its club. In return, she got a spiky club to the face, and that was the end of her. Only three Death-Eaters remained, including Bellatrix Lestrange. She fought fiercely, firing Cruciatus Curse after Cruciatus Curse. That only served to make the giant madder. With one final swing, all Death-Eaters were dead, smashed to a pulp or frozen from head to toe.

Suddenly, a large shape dropped down next to Harry, startling him. Cedric Diggory nearly got Hexed for the jump-scare, “Whoa! It’s just me!”

Harry’s arm slumped in relief, “Fucking hell! You scared the shit out of me!”

Cedric’s eyes widened when the Hyperborean turned to them and began advancing, “Whoa! What the fuck is that thing!”

Harry turned his wand back into a sword, “Look, I’ll explain later when we get out of here, alive.”

He took off his rings and turned them into a bow and quiver. Harry pressed them into Cedric’s hands, “How good is your aim?”

With that, Harry charged and rolled under the giant’s swing. Recovering, he stabbed it in the heel and it roared in pain. There was more roaring and bellowing, as Cedric’s arrows found their mark. Though Harry had to duck a few times to avoid stray arrows in his direction. It took five full minutes, but the giant was eventually felled.

Harry staggered up to the Hufflepuff and turned his sword back into its base form. The demigod was a mess, he was cut up and bleeding everywhere, and he was also covered in blue blood from the giant. Cedric steadied him, “Come on mate, let’s get out of here before anything else shows up.”

They limped over to the Cup, but before Cedric could grab it, Harry said, “What happened here, stays here. We don’t want to start a panic.”

Cedric retorted, “Mate, that was bloody You-Know-Who! How did he come back? Is he gone for good now? And what was that thing?”

“I said I’ll explain later. It’s a promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it.”

Together, they grabbed the Cup and were Portkeyed back.

Notes:

Okay, so I've read a fair number of complaints about following the canon plot up until this point, with just a few tweaks. Don't worry, 5th Year onwards will go off in a different direction from now on, now that Voldemort and the Death-Eaters are dead. Barty Crouch Jr will be dealt with in the next chapter.

Chapter 58: Chapter 58

The two boys tumbled to the ground and just lay there panting. Cedric looked around him, and noted that they were back on Hogwarts grounds. A moment later, Ludo Bagman’s magically enhanced voice boomed, “Great Scott! This is unprecedented! Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory have grabbed the Tri-Wizard Cup at the same time!”

Cedric recovered quickly, but Harry was struggling, owing to his injuries. The Hyperborean Giant really did a number on him, and he came away with a broken leg. Bagman came bounding over with all the excitement of a puppy entering a new home. He reached over and seized Harry’s right shoulder to pull him up. Harry yelled in pain, as the older wizard aggravated a wound from a hellhound in the maze.

The next thing anyone knew, Bagman was blasted away from Harry. The overpowered Knockback Jinx came from an enraged Madame Pomfrey. She yelled at him, “You utter buffoon! Can’t you see that these two boys are injured! Whatever ceremony you’ve planned, can wait. I swear to Merlin! If you’ve dislocated his shoulder, I will give you a lobotomy, and it WILL be painful. Come Potter and Diggory, let’s get your injuries looked at.”

Harry was in no condition to walk, so she used a Levitation Charm to carry his bleeding body to the medical tent. Cedric followed behind, limping a little and shivering from the Cruciatus Curse exposure. Once inside the tent, she only allowed in Thalia and Phoebe.

After the diagnosis, she asked the two girls, “Do you know that blue substance on Potter?”

Phoebe took a close look, “Hyperborean giant?”

Harry nodded, “It’s a long story.”

A minute into the process, Dumbledore entered the tent, and Bagman could be heard protesting outside. The headmaster sat down in a chair by Harry’s bedside and Cedric walked over, having received treatment for the Cruciatus exposure. Dumbledore asked, “Harry? Are you alright?”

Harry took a breath, “Cup took us to a graveyard. You-Know-Who was there. There was someone else, Yaxley was his name. He brewed a potion that restored You-Know-Who’s body. Also, I need to tell you, Professor Moody isn’t who you think he is. You-Know-Who was boasting about someone called Barty Crouch Jr masquerading as Moody.”

Dumbledore stroked his beard, “Hmm… I thought that something was off about Alastor. He normally never drank that much. It also seems that the late Barty Crouch Sr had been holding out on us. Harry, how did you get away?”

Thalia interjected, “And how the Tartarus did you manage to get into a fight with a Hyperborean giant?”

Harry then launched into his tale, right from the first attack with the Thornback Shooter, to two Skrewts, a Hellhound, a Quintaped and a Scythian dracaena in the maze. Then the Portkey took them to a location where Tom Riddle Sr’s house was located. He had his confrontation with You-Know-Who and managed to kill him and his final Horcrux.

Upon hearing that, Dumbledore appeared to slump in relief. Then Harry explained that before the Death-Eaters could avenge their fallen master, they were ambushed by the Hyperborean giant. By his estimate, all of them were either smashed to pieces or frozen solid.

Dumbledore stroked his beard again, “Hmm… I’ll talk to Sirius to scope that location. If there are survivors, to take them in.”

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the tent. The next thing that anyone knew, Lady Hecate entered the tent in her guise. She was levitating an unconscious Moody, with Katie following her. She smoothly said, “I think he’s had a little too much to drink.”

Madame Pomfrey relieved the man off his flask and took a sniff. She said, “I may not be as skilled as Severus, but I can definitely smell Polyjuice. This man is an imposter! Professor Daly, how long until his dose wears off?”

Hecate checked her watch, “Miss Bell, could you please find Auror Black?”

As she left, Hecate grinned, “He should change back… right… about… Now!”

Sure enough, the man formerly known as Alastor Moody transformed slowly into a pale young man with straw coloured hair and freckles. Before long, Sirius came rushing in, “Sorry! I came as soon as I could! It’s a madhouse out there! Wait… Is that Barty Crouch Jr? He was supposed to be dead!”

He stopped, turned and poked his head out of the tent and whistled sharply. Sirius ordered, “Oi! Jonesy! Shack! Get your arses in here on the double! Proudfoot! Find the boss ASAP and tell her to come to the medical tent!”

While all this was going on, Madam Pomfrey cleaned up all the blood. She healed his wounds with magic and allowed the ambrosia to do the rest of the work. Then two more Aurors entered and were pretty shocked at the sight of a supposedly dead man.

In the end, they managed to sneak Crouch Jr away and allow the two Hogwarts champions to recover in peace. Now with relative privacy, Harry, Phoebe and Thalia told Cedric about the demigod world. Diggory was understandably incredulous and a little disbelieving. That lasted until Thalia held out her hand and lightning crackled around it. Harry also made him swear not to tell anyone until he gave the green light.

A while later, Sirius came back rubbing his forehead in frustration. He said, “Turns out, Jr’s mother persuaded Crouch Sr to rescue him. She was dying and so she took her son’s place in Azkaban. Pulled off the stunt with Polyjuice. She died shortly afterwards and was Polyjuiced until the very end. Daddy dearest then put his son under Imperius for a long time under an Invisibility Cloak.”

He let out a bitter laugh, “And get this! One person found out. Bertha Jorkins… She confronted Sr and he Memory-Charmed her. Bloody spell was overpowered though and damaged her memory permanently. Jr eventually overpowered the Imperius during the events of the World Cup.”

Dumbledore asked, “What will happen now? Harry’s just told me that he’s defeated Voldemort for good. He’s dead, along with most of the Death-Eaters. Turns out, they were ambushed by a… What did you call it?”

Phoebe helpfully replied, “A Hyperborean giant. They’re really nasty.”

Sirius mused, “Well… this makes our jobs a lot easier. Though I have to admit, identifying the victims will open a massive can of worms.”

Then Dumbledore straightened up, “What’s happened to the real Alastor Moody? Is he still alive?”

“I believe so. Crouch Jr would have needed him to provide regular hair samples. I’ve sent Robards since he knew him better. Speaking of Crouch Jr, Bones is with him now and pumped his gills full of Veritaserum. Bloke’s singing like a canary. Luckily, Fudge isn’t interfering because he’s busy hunting for his toady, Umbridge.”

It was only an hour later that Harry was finally released. Cedric staunchly waited for him, so that they would accept the trophy together. Harry was still limping, so Cedric allowed him to lean on him. They slowly made their way to the podium as the Hogwarts students cheered and hooted. Bagman grinned and handed the trophy to both boys. Harry tuned out Bagman’s babbling and muttered to the Hufflepuff, “You can keep the stuff if you want.”

Cedric shook his head, “This was our victory, mate. We’ll split it. You can take the money, my dad will only be interested in the trophy so that he can have bragging rights. By the way, is it okay if we tell Cho too, because I suck at lying to her.”

Harry extended a hand and they shook on it. Afterwards, Cedric walked away with the trophy to join his beaming father. Harry went in the other direction, towards Thalia and Phoebe. The trio soon joined the Weasleys, Hermione, Mackenzie, Katie and Bianca.

---

Just then, Harry noticed Fred and George glaring in Ludo Bagman’s direction. He asked, “Oi! You two alright?”

Fred replied heatedly, “You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch? Turns out, the git paid us on leprechaun gold. So by next morning, it had all disappeared. Thought it was an accident at first, so we wrote to him. Since then, the wanker’s been avoiding us.”

George picked up with his twin left off, “We cornered him yesterday, but he said some claptrap about us being too young to gamble, so he wouldn’t give us anything. We asked for our money back, because those were all our savings. Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan’s dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he’s in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them.”

Thalia simply said, “That’s pretty messed up. Harry told me about goblins, and that you’d be foolish to cross them.”

George snorted, “Bloke tried to pay them off with another bet, saying that you would win the Tri-Wizard Tournament.”

Harry was startled, “Wait… Is that why he was constantly trying to offer his help? Git thought that he could manipulate the whole thing. I guess he did manage to win the bet.”

Fred chipped in wryly, “Actually, the goblins were pretty cheeky. They said that since you and Diggory tied, it does not count. So Bagman’s done a runner. Goodbye joke shop…”

The twins sighed heavily. Then a brainwave struck Harry, he quickly thrust the sack of gold, that was his winnings, into the surprised boys’ hands. Harry quickly said, “Here… You two need it more than I do.”

Fred shook his head, flabbergasted, “You mental?!”

Harry replied back, “I’m not. I don’t need it. Consider this an investment. The gods know that we need it. Look mates, there’s a war coming with Kronos rising in power. I think after everything’s done, we’re all going to need a few laughs.”

Thalia also grinned, “I’ll also send you instructions on how to create the fart arrows, for free.”

George had a big smile on his face and shook her hand vigorously, “Deal!”

The next day, Thalia and Phoebe left, saying that they would meet him at the end of the term. That afternoon, Harry sat down with Cedric and Cho and told them about the demigod world. He also mentioned that the giant that attacked them was a Hyperborean giant. Cho then gave Harry a hug as thanks for saving Cedric. Harry simply smiled and said that Cedric saved him in return, so they were even.

Finally, it was time to go home, and Harry was looking forward to returning to Camp Half-Blood. He and his friends rode the Express home and their compartment had several visitors. This ranged from Susan and Hannah, to the Patil twins, to Lavender, Justin, Dean and Seamus. Even Pansy dropped by with Daphne, Cassandra, Blaise and Theodore Nott.

---

Upon reaching Kings Cross Station, Harry, Bianca, Mackenzie and Katie split off from the others. Then, he spotted a familiar face waiting for him and he rushed up with his trunk, the others following him, “Mother?! What are you doing here? I thought you would be busy at Olympus.”

Artemis smiled, “I was able to get away just this once, but I cannot stay for long. Apollo is covering for me, and I’ll be with you until we return to the Hunters. Come, my son, let’s go home.”

Suddenly, just as they were leaving, a male voice called out to them, “Mackenzie? Is that you?”

The girl spun around to see a teenage boy, who was about a year older than her. He had watery blue eyes and thick blond hair. The boy was also very stocky, though there was slight evidence that he had been obese, once upon a time.

Mackenzie’s face morphed into a blank, neutral look, “Dudley…”

She then glanced behind him to see a scrawny boy standing with Dudley, “Piers…”

The girl said, “I just came back from school. Wait… What are YOU doing here? If I’m not mistaken, Smeltings let out last week.”

Harry stepped forward, a little protectively, but she waved him off, insisting that she had it under control.

Dudley rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah… Uhh… About that… Mum and dad threw me out of the house.”

That threw Mackenzie off, “Wait, what? That can’t be right? Mum and dad adored you and catered to your every whim.”

Dudley sighed, “It all started when someone on Privet Drive spread a rumour that I’m gay, and that I was in a relationship with Piers, here.”

She tilted her head curiously, “Are you?”

He shook his head, “I’m not and neither is Piers, but you know how mum and dad are, with their obsession of being seen as a ‘normal’ family. They believed the gossip straight away. Mum pretty much blew a gasket when she heard it. Yelled something along the lines of ‘I did not raise a fucking faggot! Get out of my house, you freak! First your freak of a sister and now you! Get out and never sully our doorstep ever again!’”

He sighed, “I’ve never seen them so pissed off in my life, and I just bolted. Piers got the same treatment from his folks. I stayed away the whole day and came back the next day because I assumed they had calmed down. Dad nearly shot me with his shotgun. We’ve been living on the streets till now. Also, I’m sorry for how I treated you before you were taken away. Hope you’re with a better family now.”

Harry stepped up, “She’s been living with me. I’m Harry Potter, and I’m your cousin. Would you like a place to stay? I can ask Uncle Remus if he and Mrs Jackson can take you in. They live in the States with Mrs Jackson’s son, Percy. Also, no offence Mackenzie, but the more I hear about your parents, the more I dislike them.”

Just then, Artemis stepped up after sizing up the two boys, “Hold on, I have a better idea. Walk with us, you two.”

The group walked away from the station and into a minivan that Artemis had rented. As she drove, she explained to Dudley and Piers about the Greek gods. Harry was pretty baffled at why his mother was being so open about it. After an hour’s worth of driving, she pulled into a field, where there were several tents strewn about. Right at the far end, Harry spotted a familiar clump of silvery tents.

As they trekked, Artemis said, “Dudley? Piers? The reason why I’m telling you this, is to help you. I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. I lead a group of all-female followers called the Hunters. What most Greek legends will not tell you, is that some males have joined the Hunters, though I turned them into females. I would like to do the same for the two of you and give you a family. You don’t have to accept immediately, just think on it.”

Dudley and Piers looked at each other and moved closer to discuss among themselves. A minute later, Dudley turned to Artemis, “Lady Artemis? We accept your offer.”

She smiled, “Very well. Now stay still.”

The goddess waved her hand and in a flash of light, the two boys’ bodies began to change. Dudley still retained her stocky figure, which she explained, had come from her passion for boxing. However, Piers was no longer scrawny, but had filled out a little.

Dudley sized up her new form, “Wow! This is different…”

She suddenly clutched her throat, “Crumbs! My voice sounds weird! This is going to take some getting used to.”

Then, Harry had a thought, “Hey, I think it would be better if you two changed your names. It would be odd for two girls to be named Dudley and Piers.”

After some thought, his former male cousin perked up, “How about Darla? I remember reading the Shazam comics and one of Billy Batson’s sidekicks was named Darla Dudley.”

The other newly transformed girl said, “I was thinking of Perrie. It sounds close enough to my original name and there are some girls with that name.”

Harry accepted the explanations and the name stuck. Finally, Artemis faced Darla and Perrie. She said, “Girls, there is one more thing left. Will you two join me and find your place as a Hunter.”

They glanced at each other and then nodded vigorously. Artemis smiled, “Very well… My son, will you do the honours?”

Harry nodded and approached the two girls, “Hey, are you sure that you two are serious about this?”

Darla and Perrie nodded, “Yes Harry, we have nowhere else to go.”

Harry shrugged, “Okay then, repeat after me. ‘I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt’.”

Darla and Perrie repeated the oath, and then Artemis accepted the oath. That day, they all flew to New York where the rest of the Hunters were. The next couple of weeks was spent training the two new recruits. They were welcomed warmly into the fold by their new sisters. Harry assumed his role as Lieutenant of the Hunters.

---

One fine day, he got a letter from Percy Jackson, asking him to head to camp. Intrigued, he and Bianca left Mackenzie back at camp and took a taxi to Camp Half-Blood. Upon reaching there, they scratched under the chin of the dragon guardian, Peleus. As Harry entered, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something felt off. There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen.

Just as they passed by the sword arena, a strange sight greeted their eyes. There was a massive hellhound casually gambolling about and using the dummies as a chew toy. Spotting Percy nearby, Harry jogged over to him. He called out, “Oi Jackson! Have I gone loopy? Crackers? Round the bend? Or is there a freaking hellhound within the camp, acting like it owns the place.”

Percy laughed, “Dude! You took the news a lot better than I did. Like an ass, I attacked first, asked questions later. Come on, I’ll take you to her owner.”

Harry did a double-take, “That thing’s a PET? Who’s her owner? Hagrid? Oh gods! It had better not be Hagrid.”

Percy led the two to the arena’s changing room, where they saw a stranger. This man was fairly tall with gray hair and clad in full Greek armour. The man grinned, “Hey there! The name’s Quintus. Mr. D is a bit pre-occupied so I’ve been recruited as the sword instructor.”

“Hey, I’m Harry.”

“I’m Bianca”

Quintus looked like he was in his 50s, with a grey beard. He was wearing black mountain-climbing trousers and a bronze breastplate strapped over an orange camp T-shirt. At the base of his neck was a strange mark, a purplish blotch like a birthmark or a tattoo.

Just then, an odd sound caught their attention. In one corner of the room were six large wooden crates, and they were shaking. Percy jerked his thumb towards the boxes, “Been meaning to ask, what’s in the boxes?”

Quintus grinned, “Little surprise. Training activity for tomorrow night. You’ll love it! You youngster need more challenges. They didn’t have camps like these, when I was a boy.”

Bianca cocked her head, “You’re a demigod?”

“Aye… Some of us lucky bums do get to survive until adulthood.”

Just then, there was a sound of hooves clopping on the ground. A moment later, Chiron trotted into the changing room, “I thought that I might find you all here. Come, we mustn’t tarry. We must get to the woods, Grover will want you there.”

Percy asked, “Where?”

Chiron grimly said, “At his formal hearing. The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting to decide his fate.”

---

With that, Chiron walked away with the three in tow. Once out of the arena, he broke into a gallop and the demigods sprinted after him. As they ran, they seemingly entered an unfamiliar section of the woods. This area was located through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers.

Right in the middle of the clearing, a number of satyrs were clustered in a circle, with Grover in the middle. He was facing three stout older satyrs, perched on topiary thrones.

A little further away from them, Annabeth and Clarisse were watching the proceedings. They were with another girl, who was unfamiliar to the boys. The newcomer looked like she had been crying, and Annabeth was trying to comfort her. The girl was petite, with amber-coloured wispy hair and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

The boys moved closer and Annabeth spotted them. She murmured. “This is Juniper, Grover’s girlfriend.”

Before they could ruminate on that piece of information, they were interrupted. Grover’s explanation had been cut off by one of the seated satyrs. The one on the right exclaimed, “Master Underwood! Do you seriously expect us to believe this?”

Grover stammered, “B-but, Silenus. It’s the truth!”

Meanwhile, Chiron clopped up and took his place next to the council members. Percy whispered to Harry, “Chiron’s an honorary member.”

The one named Silenus scoffed, “Master Underwood, for six months – six months – we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak.”

Grover vehemently protested, “I did!”

The left-seated satyr yelled, “Impudence! I’ve had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to… to him.”

Juniper had to be restrained by Annabeth, Clarisse and Harry. Clarisse muttered, “Wrong fight, girlie. Wait.”

Silenus announced, “For six months, we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher’s licence. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?”

Finally, the middle satyr spoke up, “Nothing! You have found nothing! Not even one shred of evidence!”

Grover pleaded, “But Leneus!”

For his part, Chiron leaned in and spoke to the three satyrs. They debated for a minute before Leneus sighed reluctantly, “Fine… Master Underwood, we will give you one more chance, one more week.”

Grover’s outraged cry was cut off again. Leneus ordered “One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theatre, perhaps.”

He suppressed a chortle, “Or tap dancing.”

Grover pleaded, “But, sir, I – I can’t lose my searcher’s licence. My whole life!”

Silenus raised his hand, “This meeting of the council is adjourned. And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!”

As the council dispersed, Grover trudged back towards Percy and the gang. Percy pat his back and Harry ruffled his curly hair, being mindful of his growing horns. Juniper grit her teeth, “Those old goats!. Oh, Grover, they don’t know how hard you’ve tried!”

Clarisse muttered, ‘There is another option.”

However, Juniper snapped, “No. No! Grover, I won’t let you.”

Annabeth must have seen the confused looks on the boys’ faces, because she mouthed, ‘Tell you two, later.’

Aloud, she said “Let’s get back to camp. Inspection is starting.”

The four demigods headed back, while Juniper and Grover headed elsewhere. In the distance, they saw Silena Beauregard exit the Aphrodite cabin with a papyrus scroll.

---

Harry and Bianca reached Cabin Eight and began cleaning up. Though to be honest, there was not much to clean up. Nico was already there, folding some clothes. He was eleven years old, but looked a lot older. His hair had grown longer. It was shaggy and almost touched his shoulders. His eyes were dark. His olive skin had turned paler. He wore ripped black jeans and a battered and oversized aviator’s jacket.

The only mess that Harry had to clear were the old newspapers lined up at the floor of Hedwig’s cage, which he promptly replaced.

When Silena came over, she was reasonably satisfied. Afterwards, Harry re-joined Percy and Annabeth, and found out that Tyson was back. Bianca stayed back with her brother. The Cyclops told them about what had been happening while he was under the sea. Apparently, the old gods who ruled during the Titan era, had begun to wage war with Poseidon. By the time Tyson left, battles were raging all over the Atlantic.

Then Harry turned to Annabeth, “So what was this other way that Clarisse mentioned?”

She shrugged, “Something Clarisse scouted out. I helped her a little this spring. But it would be dangerous. Especially for Grover.”

However, she did not elaborate on that, any further. Just then, Harry spotted Bianca coming towards him, “Harry? I need your help. You remember what Uncle Sirius said? I tried to talk to him, but he’s being stubborn. Could you? He’s back in the cabin.”

He smiled, “Of course.”

Harry returned to the Artemis cabin, and sure enough, Nico was there. The boy sat down on his bed looking fairly surly and there were bags under his eyes. Harry knocked on the door and sat down on the bed opposite him. He said, “Hey Nico, you alright, mate?”

The boy said nothing, so Harry tried again. He said, “Listen mate, Voldemort’s gone for good. I have you, Sirius and Remus to thank for that. I couldn’t have done it without you three helping.”

Still there was silence. Harry sighed, “Come on bruv, throw me a bone here. I can’t help you if you don’t talk.”

Finally, after an agonising five minutes, he spoke in a hollow voice. Nico spoke haltingly, “Do you know what its like to have your biggest fears play out in front of you?”

Harry shrugged, "Kind of... Thanks to the Dementors."

Nico continued, “When we went to find the locket of Salazar Slytherin, we had to go to a seaside cave. We had to drink a potion in order to get to the locket and we could not get rid of it, any other way. I volunteered because I figured that I was a Son of Hades, so nothing would happen.”

He let out a bitter laugh, “Oh how wrong I was… First came the pain, and it was excruciating. Then came the nightmares, all my thoughts and fears taunting me that I was a fool to let Bianca go on the quest and that she would die, and it would be all my fault.”

Harry gently rubbed his back, “But she’s not dead, Nico. She’s still alive, and she’s worried about you.”

He nearly exploded, “YOU THINK I CAN’T SEE THAT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES! SURE, SHE’S STILL ALIVE NOW, BUT WHAT ABOUT LATER ON IN LIFE? WHEN I’M STILL NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT HER! SHE IS MY ONLY FAMILY! HECK, SHE WAS LIKE A MOTHER TO ME! AND HERE I AM, BEING TOO YOUNG AND UNABLE TO PROTECT HER. SHE’S DONE IT FOR ME FOR SO LONG, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT HER TOO! THAT’S WHAT SIBLINGS DO! WOULDN’T YOU DO THE SAME FOR MACKENZIE? SHE WOULD WANT TO DO THE SAME FOR YOU!”

Harry was a bit taken aback at the outburst and then he sighed, “You’re right. I’m sorry. Look, you shouldn’t have had to go through all that. If you’re that serious about wanting to protect her, I can help you.”

Nico shook his head, “I appreciate the offer, Harry, but this is something that I have to do on my own. Just, tell Bianca that I’m heading back to the Underworld tonight to step up my training. I’ll be fine and she needn’t worry about me. Promise?”

Harry smiled, “I promise buddy. This stays between us until you’re ready to talk to her about it. Now come on, we’ve got sword practice. I want to see the new instructor in action.”

They walked out of the cabin, and Bianca was relieved to see her brother in better spirits. The trio went to the arena, just in time to see Percy Jackson face-off against Quintus. To say that the older demigod kicked Percy’s ass, would be an understatement.

However, the Son of Poseidon got a lucky shot and knocked Quintus’ blade out of his hand. From that point onwards, Quintus fought harder and thrashed Percy. Meanwhile, Tyson and the hellhound, named Mrs. O’Leary, were playfully wrestling.

---

With all activities of the day wrapped up, Harry went to crash on his bed. The next morning, there was an excited buzz in the air. Percy woke up to see Harry crouched next to him, shaking his body. He laughed, “You slept like a log, mate. You missed an Aethiopian drakon attack, about half an hour ago. Camp borders kept it out, but I think it was testing our defences. I had to assist Fletcher and the Apollo kids in driving it away.”

Percy sat up hurriedly, “Everyone okay?”

Harry grinned, “We sent the wanker skulking away with 20 arrows in its hide. I have a feeling it’ll be back though, and madder than ever.”

At breakfast, Harry and Percy were eating at their respective tables, when a bleary-eyed Grover joined them. Chiron also clopped over, “Hello Harry and Percy. I think Grover has something to tell you two. I’ll leave you lot to discuss matters.”

After he trotted away, Percy asked Grover, “So what do you want to talk about, dude?”

Grover swallowed a bit of his eggs, “Chiron’s hoping that you would convince me.”

Harry tilted his head curiously, “Convince you?”

Just then, Annabeth walked over, “Meet me after breakfast in Harry’s cabin, we should get some privacy there.”

Several minutes later, Harry, Percy and Grover congregated at the meeting place. Annabeth was waiting for them and she stepped inside and sat on Harry’s bed. Bianca and Nico were off doing their own thing, so there was no worry about being disturbed.

She said, “I’ll tell you what it’s about. The Labyrinth. Look… Grover is in trouble. There’s only one way we can figure out to help him. It’s the Labyrinth. That’s what Clarisse and I have been investigating.”

Percy’s head whipped towards her, “You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?”

She smiled, glad that he was putting the pieces together, “Exactly!”

Percy guessed, “So … it’s not under the king’s palace in Crete any more. The Labyrinth is under some building in America.”

Annabeth shook her head, “You’re thinking too small, Seaweed Brain. The Labyrinth is huge. It wouldn’t fit under a single city, much less a single building. The Labyrinth is right under the surface of the mortal world, kind of like a second skin. It’s been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get anywhere through the Labyrinth.”

Grover was a bit apprehensive though. He muttered, “If you don’t get lost. And die a horrible death.”

Annabeth argued back, “Grover, there has to be a way. Clarisse lived.”

The satyr snapped, “Barely! The other guy wasn’t so lucky.”

Annabeth wasn’t finished trying to prove her point, “He was driven insane. He didn’t die.”

Grover’s lower lip quivered, “Oh, joy. That makes me feel much better.”

Finally, Percy interjected, “Whoa! Back up. What’s this about Clarisse and a guy who went insane?”

Annabeth stole a nervous look at Clarisse, who was trying her best to ignore them. Annabeth lowered her voice, “Around the time we went on that quest to rescue Harry, Clarisse was on another quest. It was a secret mission from Chiron. It was like that, because she ran into Chris Rodriguez.”

Harry murmured, “Wait… wasn’t he her former boyfriend?”

Annabeth nodded slowly, “Yeah. Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse’s mom’s house.”

Percy cocked his head in confusion, “What do you mean, he just appeared?”

“Exactly what I mean. He was wandering around the desert, in fifty degrees, in full Greek armour, babbling about string.”

Harry was the one confused now, “String?”

Annabeth replied, “He’d been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom’s house so the mortals wouldn’t institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn’t much good. The only thing they got out of him: Luke’s men have been exploring the Labyrinth.”

Harry murmured, “Why?”

Annabeth shrugged, “We weren’t sure. That’s why Clarisse went on a scouting expedition. Chiron kept things quiet because he didn’t want to start a panic. I got roped in because the Labyrinth has always been one of my favourite subjects.”

Her expression turned a little dreamy, “The builder, Daedalus, was a genius. But the point is, the Labyrinth has entrances everywhere. If Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed.”

Percy leaned forward, “But then again, it’s a maze. You can easily get lost in there.”

Grover quipped, “Yep! And don’t forget the horrible traps, dead ends, psychotic monsters…”

Harry dryly said, “Great… Its my Third Task, but on steroids. If there’s a Portkey trophy at the end, that takes us to a graveyard with Luke lying in wait for us, I’m going to be pissed.”

Annabeth looked at him in confusion, “Say what?”

He quickly waved his arms, “Nothing, nothing.”

She continued, “The key to getting out of there is with the help of Ariadne’s string. When Theseus navigated the original Labyrinth, with the help of her string. The string was a navigation instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus. And Chris Rodriguez was mumbling about string.”

Harry quipped, “That would have been bloody useful during the Third Task.”

Annabeth elbowed Harry in annoyance. Meanwhile, the puzzle pieces put themselves together in Percy’s brain, “So Luke is trying to find Ariadne’s string. Why? What’s he planning?”

Annabeth shook her head, “I don’t know. I thought maybe he wanted to invade camp through the maze, but that doesn’t make any sense. The closest entrances Clarisse found were in Manhattan, which wouldn’t help Luke get past our borders. Clarisse explored a little way into the tunnels, but … it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I researched everything I could find out about Daedalus. I’m afraid it didn’t help much. I don’t understand exactly what Luke’s planning, but I do know this: the Labyrinth might be the key to Grover’s problem.”

Harry perked up, “Wait… Are you suggesting that Pan is underground in the Labyrinth”

Grover shuddered, “Satyrs hate going underground. No searcher would have the guts to try exploring it.”

Annabeth raised a finger, “But, the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was designed to fool you, to trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work for you –’

Percy finished for her, “It could lead you to the wild god”.

Grover looked sick, “I can’t do it. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my silverware.”

Harry grabbed him and shook him, “Mate, it may be your last chance. You heard the Council! They are serious about their threat. One week or you learn to tap dance!”

Grover moaned, “You know what I was like in the Cyclops cave! I could barely keep it together in the Underworld.”

He stood up abruptly, “I need to go. Juniper is waiting for me.”

Chapter 59: Chapter 59

That night after dinner, Quintus made everyone armour up. Sometime during the day, the crates had disappeared. The mood in the camp was pretty grim and they all figured that whatever was in the crates, were all scattered in the woods.

Quintus stood at the head table, decked in black leather and bronze. He announced, “For this activity, you will all be in teams of two. Which have already been chosen.”

Many campers, who had begun to grab their friends, groaned. Quintus ignored them and announced, “Your goal is simple: collect the gold laurels without dying. The wreath is wrapped in a silk package, tied to the back of one of the monsters. There are six monsters. Each has a silk package. Only one holds the laurels. You must find the wreath before the other teams. And of course, you will have to slay the monster to get it, and stay alive.”

As the campers began murmuring excitedly, the man continued, “I will now announce your partners! There will be no trading, no switching and no complaining.”

He produced a big scroll and began reading off names. Charles Beckendorf was partnered with Silena Beauregard. The Stoll brothers were together, Clarisse was partnered with Lee Fletcher. Grover partnered Bianca di Angelo, Harry was partnering Tyson. Fleur Delacour was with Nico di Angelo, and Viktor Krum partnered Lou Ellen. Finally, he read out, “Percy Jackson with Annabeth Chase.”

Soon, the game began and everyone split up immediately, sticking with their assigned partners. With Percy and Annabeth, they discovered several tracks, scuttling marks made by something with a lot of legs. As they tailed the animal prints, they got a small scare, courtesy the Stoll brothers, who had yet to learn the meaning of the word, ‘stealth.’

While standing on a ledge, Annabeth tensed up. This was because a nearby branch snapped in the woods. Dry leaves rustled. Something large was moving in the trees, just beyond the ridge. They hurried over to a pile of boulders, that was dubbed Zeus’ Fist. It was a natural landmark where campers often rendezvoused on hunting expeditions, but now there was nobody around.

Annabeth drew her dagger and bent her legs, ready to pounce. She pointed to her left and whispered, “There’s something over there.”

Percy drew his own sword and whispered back, “No, wait. It’s behind us.”

They stayed silent, back-to-back, and around them, scuttling noises reverberated from different directions. Suddenly, a voice behind them cheerfully said, “Hi!”

The demigod spun around and pointed their swords at Juniper, who yelped. She snapped, “Put those down! Dryads don’t like sharp blades, okay?”

Annabeth slumped in relief, “Juniper! You startled us! What are you doing here?”

She pointed to the edge of the clearing, “There’s a clump of juniper flowers. I live here. Duh! Are you guys busy?”

Percy was about to point out that they were in the middle of a game, but Annabeth interrupted, “We’re not busy. Something wrong, Juniper?”

The dryad sniffled, “It’s Grover. He seems so distraught. All year he’s been out looking for Pan. And every time he comes back, it’s worse. I thought maybe, at first, he was seeing another tree.”

Percy calmly said, “Juniper, I know him well. He’s extremely awkward around other girls. He’s smitten with you, I’m sure he would never cheat on you.”

Annabeth placated, “Percy’s right, Juniper. Grover would never even look at another tree. He’s just stressed out about his searcher’s licence.’

The dryad protested, “He can’t go underground! You can’t let him.”

Annabeth uncomfortably said, “I know the risk, but it might be the only way to help him. We just need to know where to look.”

Juniper looked like she was about to say something, but then her eyes widened. There was another rustle in the woods and she hissed, “Hide!”

With that, she disappeared in a puff of green mist. The two demigods turned, just in time to see a glistening amber insect. This creature was three metres long, with jagged pincers, an armoured tail and a sting as long as Percy’s sword. He grimaced as he recognised it as a scorpion. Tied to its back was a red silk package.

As it advanced towards them, Annabeth whispered, “One of us distracts it, the other gets behind it. Cut off its tail while the other distracts it in front.”

Percy murmured back, “You’ve got the invisibility cap. Your move.”

Unfortunately, things went pear-shaped when two more giant scorpions appeared. Annabeth was aghast, “Three! That should not be possible! The whole woods and half the monsters come after us!”

The scorpions advanced threateningly as the pair pressed up against the nearest boulder. Percy muttered, “Climb?”

She breathed back, “No time! They’ve got us surrounded.”

Suddenly, Annabeth parried away a sting with her dagger. Percy stabbed with Riptide, but the scorpion backed out of range. They clambered sideways along the boulders, but the scorpions followed them. Percy attempted another attack, but the scorpions were too smart. He realised that targeting the body meant that the tail could stab him. However, if he went for the tail, it would leave him vulnerable to the pincers.

Percy took another step and nearly stumbled into a small crack between the boulders. He ordered, “Annabeth! In here!”

She glared at him as if he was crazy, “In there! It’s too narrow.”

He hollered back, “Go! I’ll cover you!”

She decided not to argue and began squeezing between the rocks. Suddenly she yelped and grabbed Percy’s armour straps. The next thing they knew, they were tumbling into a pit that hadn’t been there a moment before.

The sight of the scorpions, grew smaller and then there was nothing but darkness. The place that they were in, was wet and cold, and they were sprawled on a bumpy floor made of bricks.

Annabeth fearfully asked, “W-where are we?”

Percy raised his sword and the faint glow from the blade lit up their faces. The boy breathed, “At least we’re safe from the scorpions. Though this is a long room.”

His friend shook her head and gripped his arm, “It’s not a room. It’s a corridor.”

Percy started forward by Annabeth stopped him. She warned, “Don’t… We don’t want to get lost in here. Let’s find the exit.”

Percy glanced up, and the entrance that they fell through, was gone. He was close to freaking out, but then Annabeth’s hand snaked over and found his. This successfully calmed him down, because he could now tell where she was. She took a deep breath and calmly ordered, “Percy? Take two steps backwards.”

In unison, they stepped back, and then she turned, “Okay, now help me examine the walls.”

He tilted his head in confusion, “For?”

The reply came, “The mark of Daedalus… Got it!”

She pressed a certain spot against the wall and it began to glow blue. A Greek symbol appeared, a triangle signifying the Ancient Greek Delta. Sure enough, the ceiling above them slid open to reveal the sky.

However, the sky was a lot darker than before. Meanwhile, metal ladder rungs appeared on the side of the wall, and the two began climbing up. As they came closer to the surface, they heard people yelling their names. The two emerged just around the rocks and saw campers hunting frantically with a bunch of torches.

Just then, they bumped into Harry, Bianca and Clarisse. The daughter of Ares demanded angrily, “Where have you two been! We’ve been searching for forever!”

Harry joked, “Did you two sneak off for a quick snog or something?”

Clarisse smacked the back of his head, “Not the time, Magic Man. But seriously, where the fuck were you two?”

Percy protested, “We were only gone a few minutes. We just happened to fall in a hole.”

By then, Chiron had trotted up, followed by Tyson and Grover. Percy continued, “I’m telling the truth! Besides, we were only gone for a minute.”

Chiron had a serious look on his face, “You two have been missing for nearly an hour. The game is over.”

Clarisse was wearing the golden laurels, but her attention was elsewhere. She repeated with a suspicious tone, “You fell into a hole…?”

Annabeth quietly said, “Maybe this is not the best place to discuss it. Can we go to the Big House?”

Clarisse gasped, “You found it, didn’t you? This explains a lot. It explains what Luke is after.”

Annabeth nodded grimly, “An entrance to the Labyrinth. An invasion route straight into the heart of the camp.”

Chiron cleared his throat, “Perhaps it is better that we discuss this in the morning. It is past curfew.”

No one argued and they headed straight to bed after getting cleaned up.

---

That night, Percy had a dream. He saw boy in a Greek tunic and sandals crouching alone in a massive stone room. The ceiling was open to the night sky, but the walls were seven metres high and polished marble, completely smooth. Scattered around the room were wooden crates. Some were cracked and tipped over, as if they’d been flung in there. Bronze tools spilled out of one –a compass, a saw and a bunch of other paraphernalia.

The boy huddled in the corner, shivering from cold, or maybe fear. He was spattered in mud. His legs, arms and face were scraped up as if he’d been dragged here along with the boxes.

Then a set of double oak doors moaned open. Two guards in bronze armour marched in, holding an old man between them. They flung him to the floor in a battered heap.

The boy ran to the old man, “Father!”

The man’s robes were in tatters. His hair was streaked with grey, and his beard was long and curly. His nose had been broken. His lips were bloody.

The boy cradled the old man’s head in his arms. He moaned, “What did they do to you?”

His hate-filled eyes turned to the guards and he yelled, “I’ll kill you!”

Then, a different voice said, “There will be no killing today.’

The guards moved aside. Behind them stood a tall man in white robes. He wore a thin circlet of gold on his head. His beard was pointed like a spear blade. His eyes glittered cruelly. “You helped the Athenian kill my Minotaur, Daedalus. You turned my own daughter against me.”

The old man, now identified as Daedalus, croaked, “You did that yourself, Your Majesty.”

A guard planted a kick in the old man’s ribs. He groaned in agony. The young boy cried, “Stop it!”

The king sneered, “You love your maze so much,’ the king said, ‘I have decided to let you stay here. This will be your workshop. Make me new wonders. Amuse me. Every maze needs a monster. You shall be mine!”

Daedalus groaned, “I don’t fear you.”

The king smiled coldly and turned his gaze on the boy. “But a man cares about his son, eh? Displease me, old man, and the next time my guards inflict a punishment, it will be on him!”

The king swept out of the room with his guards, and the doors slammed shut, leaving the boy and his father alone in the darkness.

“What will we do?” the boy cried. “Father, they will kill you!”

The man tried to smile reassuringly, “Take heart, my son. I – I will find a way.”

As a bar lowered across the door with a *BOOM*, Percy woke up sweating. It was morning, so he headed to the bathroom for a shower and to get ready. From there, he headed straight to the sword arena, where Chiron had called a war council.

Chiron and Quintus stood at the front by the weapon racks. Clarisse and Annabeth sat next to each other and led the briefing. Tyson and Grover sat down with Harry and Bianca separating them. Nico had gone off to parts unknown. Also present around the table: Juniper the tree nymph, Silena Beauregard, Travis and Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Lee Fletcher, and many more. Percy then gauged the seriousness of the situation because Argus the security chief had shown up.

Annabeth spoke up, “Luke must have known about the Labyrinth Entrance. He knew everything about camp.”

Juniper piped up, "That’s what I was trying to tell you last night. The cave entrance has been there a long time. Luke used to use it."

Silena Beauregard frowned. "You knew about the Labyrinth entrance, and you didn’t say anything?"

Juniper’s face turned green. "I didn’t know it was important. Just a cave. I don’t like yucky old caves.”

Quintus polished his sword and mused, “Interesting. And you believe this young man, Luke, would dare use the Labyrinth as an invasion route?”

Clarisse nodded, “Definitely! If he could get an army of monsters inside Camp Half-Blood, just pop up in the middle of the woods without having to worry about our magical boundaries, we wouldn’t stand a chance. He could wipe us out easy. He must’ve been planning this for months.”

Annabeth added, “He’s been sending scouts into the maze. We know because we caught one. Chris Rodriguez.”

Clarisse chipped in, “Listen… Luke has been looking for a way to navigate the maze. His best chance is to search for Daedalus’ workshop.”

Annabeth nodded, “Precisely! He is the greatest architect, the greatest inventor of all time. If the legends are true, his workshop is in the centre of the Labyrinth. He’s the only one who knew how to navigate the maze perfectly. If Luke managed to find the workshop and convince Daedalus to help him, Luke wouldn’t have to fumble around searching for paths, or risk losing his army in the maze’s traps. He could navigate anywhere he wanted – quickly and safely.”

Beckendorf raised a hand, “Back up a sec. Convince Daedalus? How can he still be alive after all these millennia?”

Quintus grunted, “I hope for your sakes, that he’s dead. He lived, what, three thousand years ago? And, even if he were alive, don’t the old stories say he fled from the Labyrinth?”

Chiron replied, “That’s the problem, my dear Quintus. No one knows. There are rumours… well, there are many disturbing rumours about Daedalus, but one is that he disappeared back into the Labyrinth towards the end of his life. He might still be down there.”

Annabeth cleared her throat, “That’s why we need to go in. Find the workshop before Luke. If Daedalus is alive, we try to sway him onto our side. If Ariadne’s string still exists, we must get it before Luke.”

Percy raised a hand, “Wait… Now that we know where the entrance is, can’t we just seal it up?”

Clarisse growled, “It’s not that easy, dumbass. We tried that at Phoenix and failed.”

Annabeth backed her up, “The Labyrinth is magical architecture, Percy. It would take huge power to seal even one of its entrances. Clarisse demolished a whole building with a wrecking ball, and the maze entrance just shifted a few metres. The best we can do is prevent Luke from learning to navigate the Labyrinth.”

Harry asked, “What about setting up defences? Now that we know where it is, we keep an eye on it.”

Chiron nodded, “That’s an idea, and we will certainly set up defences. However, my only fear is being overwhelmed by sheer numbers.”

Annabeth insisted, “That’s why we have to find Daedalus’ workshop and find Ariadne’s string. I’ve studied about it and know more about it than anyone else.”

Clarisse stood up, “Well, that clears it. Annabeth, you should lead this.”

Strangely, the daughter of Athena looked uncomfortable, “You’ve done as much as I have, Clarisse. You should go, too.”

However, Clarisse vehemently shook her head. “I’m not going back in there. Never again!”

She stormed out of the arena. After a few minutes of stunned silence, Chiron spoke to Annabeth, “My dear, it’s your time to visit the Oracle. Assuming you return to us in one piece, we shall discuss what to do next.”

---

The waiting was the hardest part. There were so many times where Percy was tempted to look for her, but Harry managed to distract him with a few games of Exploding Snap. Just then, a voice hissed, “Harry! Percy!”

They turned to find Juniper standing in the bushes. She whispered, “There’s something else you need to know. Luke wasn’t the only one I saw around that cave. I was trying to say something, but he was right there. The sword master. He was poking around the rocks.”

Harry glanced at Quintus, who was in deep conversation with Chiron. Percy asked, “When was this?”

She shrugged, “Maybe a week ago? It was around the time he first showed up. He’s creepy, Percy. I didn’t even see him come into the glade. Suddenly he was just there. You have to tell Grover it’s too dangerous.”

Harry promised, “We’ll keep an eye on him.”

Percy gazed at the Big House, as Annabeth was still not back yet. He began to move towards it, but Harry stopped him, “Mate… Give her some more time.”

Finally, after an agonising wait, Annabeth emerged from the Big House, on wobbly legs. Staggering to a stone bench, she sat down, and the two boys went to see her, along with Chiron and Quintus. Even Grover and Tyson showed up, though they looked like they were trying to avoid each other. Staring at the floor, she spoke hollowly, “I got the prophecy. I will lead the quest to find Daedalus’ workshop. The prophecy said… You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze. The dead, the traitor and the lost one raise.”

Grover brightened, “The lost one! Does that mean Pan? That’s great!”

Percy quipped, “That’s cool and all, but I’m not too sure about the ‘the dead and the traitor’ part.”

Chiron coaxed, “Anything else?”

She stammered, “You shall rise or fall by the ghost king’s hand…”

She paused and took a deep breath, “Chiron, I- Is it okay if I tell you the full prophecy, alone?”

The centaur nodded, “I understand, my child. Come with me, we will just be a moment.”

A minute later, they were back, and Annabeth looked like a load had been taken off her back. Chiron squeezed her shoulder, “Not to worry, young one. As I always say, prophecies are not always straightforward. They are all open to interpretation.”

The daughter of Athena took a deep breath and faced her friends, “Percy? Harry? Will you come?”

They did not hesitate, “We’re in!”

She turned to Grover, “Grover, you too… The wild god is waiting.”

He saluted with a broad grin on his face, “I’ll pack extra recyclables for snacks!”

However, she was not done recruiting, “Tyson, I need you too.”

The Cyclops clapped happily, “Yay! Blow-things-up time!”

Chiron frowned though, “Annabeth… This goes against the ancient laws. Heroes are generally allowed just two companions.”

She argued back, “Chiron, I need them all! It’s really important!”

The ancient centaur was still hesitant, “Annabeth. Consider well. You would be breaking the ancient laws, and there are always consequences. Three is a sacred number. There are three Fates, three Furies, three Olympian sons of Kronos. It is a good strong number that stands against many dangers. Five people on a quest, is taking a massive risk.”

However, she stood her ground and he finally relented, “Very well. Let us adjourn. The members of the quest must prepare themselves. Tomorrow at dawn, we send you into the Labyrinth.”

Just as Harry headed to his cabin, Quintus called him aside. He murmured, “Listen Harry, I have a bad feeling about this. I’m not really comfortable with the idea of any of you going down there. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like you have a choice. Listen up, the Labyrinth exists to fool you and distract you. As half-bloods, we have a tendency to get distracted.”

By then Percy had joined them. He asked, “You’ve been in there?”

Quintus nodded gravely, “Long ago… I barely escaped with my life. Most who enter, aren’t that lucky. Just keep your mind on what matters most. If you can do that, you can find a way out.”

Then he dug around in his pocket and fished out a silver tube, “Here, take this. It’s a dog whistle for Mrs O’Leary. Harry, I suspect she will listen to you better, since you are the son of Artemis, you keep it. I’m not a hundred percent certain it will. But Mrs O’Leary is a hellhound. She can appear when called, no matter how far away she is. I’d feel better knowing you had this. If you really need help, use it, but be careful: the whistle is made of Stygian ice. Forged from the River Styx. Very hard to craft. Very delicate. It cannot melt, but it will shatter when you blow it, so you can only use it once.”

Harry reluctantly accepted the gift and put it in his bag. The boys then headed out to finish out the day, but their hearts were not in it.

---

The next morning dawned bright and early and all five of them had gathered outside by Zeus’ Fist.

Harry was busy listening to a beetle that had crawled onto his hand. After listening and frowning, it crawled away as fast as it could. Annabeth raised her eyebrows and he indicated that he would tell them later. Even Percy had something to say, but he also said that he would share it later.

Around Zeus’ Fist, campers were setting up defences and traps. As Chiron trotted up, Harry went over to him. He murmured, “According to my spy, Luke is already aware of our quest. I’m assuming that he has some spies in our own camp. Anyway, the point is, that once Luke finds a way to navigate the maze, Kronos himself will lead the army.”

Chiron looked grim, “I feared this. Against my father, Kronos, we would stand no chance in a fight. I am not sure what they mean by a bargain, but I fear they seek to make a deal with Daedalus. If the old inventor is truly alive, if he has not been driven insane by millennia in the Labyrinth… well, Kronos can find ways to twist anyone to his will.”

Harry then remembered his and Percy’s talk with Juniper. When he informed the centaur, he didn’t seem surprised. He chuckled, “My dear boy, when Quintus showed up at camp to offer his services, I would have been a fool to not be suspicious. But sometimes, it is better to have someone you mistrust close to you, so that you can keep an eye on him. He may be just what he says: a half-blood in search of a home. Certainly he has done nothing openly that would make me question his loyalty. But, believe me, I will keep an eye on him.”

Finally it was time for them to descend into the maze. Grover gulped, “Well… Goodbye sunshine.”

Tyson nervously agreed, “Hello rocks.”

As they entered, they were briefly plunged into total darkness. Fortunately, Harry solved that by raised his wand and chanting, “Lumos!.”

Sure enough, a bright bead of light emerged from the tip of the wand. They five forged ahead, with Annabeth coming up with the idea to stick to the left wall. That plan worked until the wall disappeared and they entered a massive circular chamber. There were eight tunnels leading away from the chamber.

Harry pointed his wand at the entrance of each tunnel. As far as he could tell, they were all identical. Percy asked, “Hey Harry, isn’t there some kind of location spell that you can use?”

Harry raised two fingers with his free hand, “Two problems. First and foremost, I need to know where I’m going. Secondly, if I use the location spell, I’ll have to stop my Wand-Lighting Charm.”

Annabeth grinned, “Luckily, I have a few flashlights. How about we stick to the flashlights for now, and use Harry’s Wand-Lighting Charm as a last resort. I don’t want him to drain his magic with constant use of it. The Gods know how long we’ll be down here.”

Everyone turned on their flashlights, and Harry stopped his spell. He laid his wand in the palm of his hand and explained, “This is known as the Four-Point Spell. It always points due North.”

He spoke, “Point Me”

On cue, the wand spun on the flat of his palm and pointed north. He said, “Alright, let’s take the northernmost tunnel.”

As they walked, the tunnel grew narrower and narrower. The ceiling also dipped so low that Tyson was forced to crawl. Grover hyperventilated a little bit until Harry used a Calming Draught on him. The tunnel then reached its narrowest point, before opening up into a huge room.

As they shone their lights, Percy couldn’t help gasping, “Whoa! This place is amazing!”

The whole room was covered in mosaic tiled walls. The pictures were grimy and faded, but they could still make out the colours. There was a giant frieze depicting the Olympian gods at a feast. There was Poseidon, with his trident, holding out grapes for Dionysus to turn into wine. Zeus was partying with satyrs, and Hermes was flying through the air on his winged sandals. Though if there was one critique, the pictures were not accurate, as the demigods had seen the Gods in person.

In the middle of the room was a giant water fountain, which had dried up long ago. Annabeth murmured, “This place looks Roman. Those mosaics are about two thousand years old. I’m guessing that the Labyrinth is a patchwork. Like I said, it’s always expanding, adding pieces. It’s the only work of architecture that grows by itself.”

Harry tilted his head curiously, “So its alive?”

A groaning noise echoed from somewhere ahead of the group. Grover whimpered, “Can we please not talk about things that are alive?”

Annabeth took a deep breath, “Okay… Let’s continue onwards. The architecture is getting older. That’s a good sign. Daedalus’ workshop should reside in the oldest section.”

Unfortunately, it was easier said than done, because the clearly sentient maze was toying with the group. After a few minutes of walking, the tunnel transitioned from brick to cement, with brass pipes running down the side. The walls also had graffiti sprayed all over it.

The tunnels twisted and turned, and all the time the floor kept cycling between cement, mud and brick. At one point, they accidentally stumbled upon a wine cellar, but the tunnels kept forging ahead. At some point, the ceiling transitioned into wooden planks. They could even hear people above them as they clomped around.

Soon, they stumbled upon their first skeleton. A poor milkman, with a crate of glass bottles sitting next to his sprawled body. He was positioned in such a way that it looked as if he was trying to claw his way out.

Annabeth mused sadly, “Poor guy… Some people wander in by mistake. Some come exploring on purpose and never make it back. A long time ago, the Cretans even sent people in here as human sacrifices.”

Harry shuddered, “That is bloody barbaric.”

Grover also shuddered, “Let’s get out of here. Getting the smell of a lot of monsters.”

Annabeth began walking, “Come on, we need to go deeper into the maze. There has to be a way to the centre of the Labyrinth.”

She led the quintet through another series of twists and turns before they were back in the Roman themed room. The only difference was that there was another presence in the room.

The most striking feature about the newcomer was that he had two faces. They jutted out from either side of his head and he also had overlapping ears and mirror-image sideburns. He was dressed in a long black overcoat, shiny shoes and a black top hat that somehow managed to stay on his double-wide head.

The left face snapped impatiently, “Well Annabeth? Hurry up!”

Meanwhile the right face scolded, “That was rude! Don’t mind him, miss. His brain-to-mouth filter does not exist.”

Tyson frowned. “That funny man has two faces.”

‘The funny man has ears, you know!” the left face scolded. “Now come along, miss.”

“No, no,” the right face exclaimed. “This way, miss. Talk to me, please.”

Right then and there, it hit Harry and Percy, this person wanted Annabeth to choose a path. They looked around them and saw that two of the exits were blocked by wooden doors with huge iron locks. The doorman had the only key,, which he juggled in between his hands.

Behind them the way which they came, shimmered out of existence and replaced by mosaic tiles. Annabeth asked, “Where do the exits lead?”

The right face was only to happy to answer, “One probably leads the way you wish to go. The other leads to certain death. But do you know which way to choose? I don’t have all day. You’re in charge now, my dear. All the decisions are on your shoulders. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

The left face was not about to let his twin do all the talking, “We know you, Annabeth. We know what you wrestle with every day. We know your indecision. You will have to make your choice sooner or later. And the choice may kill you.”

The colour drained out of Annabeth’s face. “No… I don’t –“

Percy had had enough, “Leave her alone. Who are you, anyway?”

The right face said cheerily, “I’m your best friend.’

The left face said just as cheerily, “I’m your worst enemy.”

In unison, they announced, “I’m Janus. God of Doorways. Beginnings. Endings. Choices.”

The right face tried to look at Percy, “I’ll see you soon enough, Perseus Jackson. But for now it’s Annabeth’s turn. Such fun!”

The left face snapped, “Shut it! This is serious. One bad choice can ruin your whole life. It can kill you and all your friends. But no pressure, Annabeth. Choose!”

The girl nervously licked her lips and stammered, “I-I choose…”

However, before she could make her choice, there was a brilliant flash of light flooding the room, forcing everyone to avert their eyes. When it died down, there was a new occupant in the room.

Chapter 60: Chapter 60

The newcomer was a woman standing by the fountain. She had a regal air about her, tall and graceful with chocolate-coloured hair. Said hair was braided in plaits with gold ribbons. She was also clad in a simple white dress that seems to shimmer with colours as she moved.

She spoke in a scolding tone, “Janus, are we causing trouble again?”

The right face turned pale and stammered, “N-no, milady! Not at all.”

However, the left face cheekily quipped, “Yes.”

Right snapped, “Shut up!”

She raised an eyebrow, “I do beg your pardon?”

The right-sided face paled even further, “Not you, milady. I was talking to myself!”

She smiled sweetly, bit with a slight edge to her voice, “I see. You know very well your visit is premature. The girl’s time has not yet come. So I give you a choice: leave these heroes to me, or I shall turn you into a door and break you down.”

The left face babbled, “What kind of door? French doors are nice! Lots of natural light.”

His twin wailed, “Will you shut up! No not you, milady… I’ll take my leave! I was just having a bit of fun just doing my job, offering choices.”

The woman corrected, “You are causing indecision, you mean. Now begone!”

Janus raised his silver key and his left face muttered, “Party Pooper…”

He soon disappeared in a flash of light. This left the five of them with the regal woman. She turned to them and sized them up for a minute, before smiling. She lightly said, “You five must be hungry. Sit with me and talk.”

With a wave of her hand, the fountain sprung to life. At the same time, a marble table materialised, laden with platters of sandwiches and pitchers of lemonade. As they sat, the woman introduced herself, “I am Hera, Queen of the Heavens.”

Harry scrambled to his feet, ready to bow, but she stopped him. She assured, “None of that, my dear. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Annabeth voiced the question that they all wanted to ask, “Queen Hera. I can’t believe it. What are you doing in the Labyrinth?”

She smiled gently and waved her hand again. This time, all the dirt and grime on everyone’s faces and bodies, were magically wiped away. The goddess simply said, “I came here to see you all, naturally.”

Grover and Percy exchanged looks, knowing that Hera probably wanted something. Annabeth nervously said, “I was under the impression that you were not too fond of heroes.”

Hera performed a dismissive gesture, “Oh dear… That little spat with Herakles? Honestly, I got so much bad press because of one disagreement. It’s all water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband’s children by another woman. My patience wore thin, I’ll admit it. But Zeus and I have had some excellent marriage counselling sessions since then. We’ve aired our feelings and come to an understanding – especially after that last little incident.”

Percy looked like he wanted to blurt something, but Harry anticipated that and elbowed him. Nevertheless, Hera glanced at Percy, “Percy Jackson, isn’t it? One of Poseidon’s children. As I recall, I voted to let you live at the winter solstice. I hope I voted correctly.”

She gazed back at Annabeth, “At any rate, I certainly bear you no ill will, my girl. I appreciate the difficulty of your quest. Especially when you have troublemakers like Janus to deal with. You must understand, the minor gods like Janus have always been frustrated by their small parts to play in the universe. Some, I fear, have little love for Olympus, and could easily be swayed to support the rise of my father.”

Harry asked, “Milady, will they be a problem?”

She tapped her chin, “Hmm… The likes of Janus, Morpheus and a few others may be worth watching. Hecate, if I’m not mistaken, seems to have decided to stay out of it. Harry Potter, I’m sure you know of her whereabouts, right? After all, she does have her own domain to look after.”

Harry nodded, “Yes Ma’am. When I spoke to her, she admitted that she saw the signs, but wanted to stay away from the conflict. The Wizarding World at large, is mostly unaware of the demigod world. She is hoping that it stays that way. Kronos hasn’t found out about it because I took away Luke’s memories of me mentioning magic and the Wizarding World.”

She smiled at him, “That is rather clever. The Fates know how messy it would have been if those Death Eater ruffians and the late Voldemort allied with the Titans. You see, in times of trouble, even gods can lose faith. They start putting their trust in the wrong things, petty things. They stop looking at the big picture and start being selfish. But I’m the goddess of marriage, you see. I’m used to perseverance. You have to rise above the squabbling and chaos and keep believing. You have to always keep your goals in mind. I wish to keep my family, the Olympians together. The best way I can do that is by helping you. Zeus does not allow me to interfere much, I am afraid. But once every century or so, for a quest I care deeply about, he allows me to grant a wish.”

Annabeth tilted her head curiously, “A wish? What kind of wish?”

Hera didn’t elaborate, but said, “Before you ask it, let me give you some advice, which I can do for free. I know you seek Daedalus. His Labyrinth is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. But if you want to know his fate, I would visit my son Hephaestus at his forge. Daedalus was a great inventor, a mortal after Hephaestus’s heart. There has never been a mortal my son has admired more. If anyone would have kept up with Daedalus and could tell you his fate, it is my son.”

Annabeth asked, “But how do we get there? That’s my wish. I want a way to navigate the Labyrinth.”

Hera looked mildly disappointed, “So be it. You wish for something, however, that you have already been given.”

The girl was puzzled, “I don’t understand.”

Hera explained patiently, “The means is already within your grasp. Percy knows the answer.”

This time, it was Percy’s turn to be puzzled, as all eyes turned to him, “ Wait… I do?”

Annabeth protested, “That’s not fair! You’re not telling us what it is!”

Hera tutted, “Getting something and having the wits to use it… those are two different things. I’m sure your mother, Athena, would agree.”

Just then, the room rumbled, like a distant thunderstorm. Hera sighed and stood up, “That would be my cue. My husband grows impatient. Think on what I have said, Annabeth. Seek out Hephaestus. You will have to pass through the ranch, I imagine. But keep going. And use all the means at your disposal, however common they may seem. One last thing, Annabeth. I have postponed your day of choice. I have not prevented it. Soon, as Janus said, you will have to make a decision. Farewell!”

She waved her hand, causing her to disappear along with the picnic. The fountain also trickled to a stop and the mosaic walls grew mouldy again.

Annabeth was annoyed, “What sort of help was that! Make a wish, sorry I can’t help you and *Poof*!”

Grover clasped his hands, “Well… She did say that Percy knows the answer.”

Harry quickly interrupted, “Maybe she means not this very minute. Let’s just keep going and maybe the answer will come to Jackson later.”

---

Annabeth sighed, “Okay, let’s just keep going ahead. So, left or right?”

Grover and Tyson stood up in unison and blurted, “Left!”

She glanced at them curiously, “Why left? Are you sure?”

Grover gulped, “S-s-something’s coming from the right. Something big.”

Harry immediately armed his bow and arrows, “Alright! Left it is. You guys go ahead, I’ll cover your flank.”

Together, they rushed into the inky black darkness of the left corridor with Harry bringing up the rear. The group of five sprinted down the tunnel, which went straight with no turns. Unfortunately, it led straight to a dead end, namely an enormous boulder blocking the path.

Tyson shoulder-tackled the boulder, but it budged only slightly. Then Harry stepped up, swapping his bow and arrows for his wand. He pointed it at the wall and chanted, “Bombarda!”

On cue, the boulder exploded into smithereens. They rushed into a small room before Harry turned around and yelled, “Reparo!”

The boulder then re-formed and plugged up the entrance once again. Their unknown pursuer roared in frustration and stomped away. Percy breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh good! We trapped it.”

Grover stammered, “Umm… Perce… I think we trapped ourselves.”

Sure enough, the five of them found themselves in a six-metre square cement room. The opposite wall was covered in metal bars. Harry groaned, “Oh bollocks! Don’t tell me we accidentally landed in Azkaban. This is going to take a lot of awkward explaining to Sirius and Remus.”

Grover shushed him, “Listen!”

Everyone fell silent and then they heard it. Above the group, a deep sobbing echoed through the building. There was another voice, which sounded raspier, and muttering in an unintelligible language.

Tyson’s eye widened, “No! It can’t be!”

Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed two bars and bent then wide enough for him, and by extension, everyone else to slip through. Harry was the last one out and he fixed the bars once again.

Annabeth breathed, “I know this place! This is Alcatraz! My school took a field trip here. It’s like a museum.”

They kept following Tyson when Grover hissed, “Freeze!”

Everyone froze, except for Tyson. It took both Grover and Harry to stop him and the former pointed upwards. On the second floor balcony was a terrifying monster. It was clearly female, because of its upper body, but the lower body was that of a seven metre long dragon. The monster was black and scaly, with enormous claws and a barbed tail. Her legs were made up of hundreds of snakes writhing around, and even her hair was made of snakes. By her waist, was a morphing belt that showed the heads of various animals one at a time.

Tyson whimpered fearfully, “Oh no! It’s her!”

Everyone stuck to the shadows, but she was focused on a cell on the second floor. The sobbing sound was coming from where the monster lady was. Tyson shivered as she spoke, “The tongue of the old times. What Mother Earth spoke to Titans and… her other children. Before the gods.”

Percy whispered, “Can you translate?”

Tyson closed his eye and began mimicking the voice. He spoke, “You will work for the master or suffer.”

Annabeth shuddered, “I hate it when he does that.”

Harry shuddered as well, “Is this what it feels like when I speak to snakes?”

Tyson then mimicked the other voice, “I will not serve!”

The other voice sounded deep and wounded. The Cyclops switched voices again, “Then I shall enjoy your pain, Briares!”

At that moment, Tyson’s voice faltered and let out a strangled gulp. He continued, “If you thought your first imprisonment was unbearable, you have yet to feel true torment. Think on this until I return.”

With that, the dragon lady walked away and spread a pair of huge bat wings that were on her back. She flew away, and the Group hid again, hoping that she hadn’t seen them.

Grover hyperventilated, “I-I’ve never smelled a monster that powerful before.”

Tyson looked terrified out of his mind, “Cyclopes’ worst nightmare. Kampê. Every Cyclops knows about her. Stories about her scare us when we were babies. She was our jailer in the bad years.”

Annabeth nodded sagely, “When the Titans ruled, they imprisoned Gaia and Ouranos’ earlier children – the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires. The Hundred-handed Ones. They called them that because… well, they had a hundred hands. They were elder brothers of the Cyclopes.”

Tyson gushed, “Very powerful. Wonderful! As tall as the sky. So strong they could break mountains!’

Then his tone changed to a more serious one, ‘Kampê was the jailer. She worked for Kronos. She kept our brothers locked up in Tartarus, tortured them always, until Zeus came. He killed Kampê and freed Cyclopes and Hundred-handed Ones to help fight against the Titans in the big war.”

Harry asked, “You mentioned a name, Briares.”

Tyson perked up, “Yes, he is one of the Hundred-Handed Ones.”

Harry grinned, “What do you say, mate? Want to lead a jailbreak?”

Annabeth agreed, “Yes, let’s do it before Kampê returns”

They snuck towards the cell to see a human-sized person. His skin was very pale, the colour of milk. He wore a loincloth like a big diaper. His feet seemed too big for his body, with cracked dirty toenails, eight toes on each foot. The top half of his body saw a hundred arms sprouting from his body. The arms looked like normal arms, but there were so many of them, all tangled together, that his chest looked kind of like a forkful of spaghetti somebody had twirled together. Several of his hands were covering his face as he sobbed.

Tyson sank to his knees, “Briares! Great Hundred-Handed One! Help us!”

Briares looked at them miserably, “Run while you can. I cannot even help myself. Kampê is back! The Titans will rise and throw us back into Tartarus.”

As he spoke, his arms appeared to be doing different things. Some played with pieces of metal and wood, others scratched at the floor, some played rock, paper, scissors, and few others made shadow puppets.

Harry checked his backpack, before an idea struck him. He pulled out his Invisibility Cloak and turned to Tyson. He said, “Mate, could you do the honours?”

Tyson dutifully bent the bars and a slightly hopeful look was on Briares’ face, before it morphed back to a miserable one. Annabeth breathed in wonder, “Incredible! I heard that the Hundred-Handed Ones could make fifty different faces!”

Tyson urged, “Come on! We can help you!”

Annabeth murmured sadly, “The poor guy is terrified. Kampê imprisoned him in Tartarus for thousands of years. That must have taken a toll on him.”

Eventually, they managed to coax him out, and Harry threw the Cloak over him. Miraculous, it was able to cover Briares, and Harry grabbed a hand and held on tight. The six of them slowly made it out of the prison, making sure to stick to the shadows.

There was a hairy moment when Kampê came swooping overhead. Briares whimpered, “She will punish me.”

Annabeth soothed, “It’s all right. You fought the Titans before, and you won, remember?”

They couldn’t see his face from under the Invisibility Cloak but he said, “I remember the war. Lightning shook the world. We threw many rocks. The Titans and the monsters almost won. Now they are getting strong again. Kampê said so.”

Harry murmured, “This time, I’m sure that we will win if we do go to war.”

Annabeth guided everyone, having remembered the route from her tour. Soon, they exited the prison building and found themselves in the prison yard, ringed by security towers and barbed wire. After being inside so long, the daylight was almost blinding. Tourists milled around, taking pictures.

In the north of San Francisco, huge storm clouds swirled over Mount Tamalpais. The whole sky seemed like a black top spinning from the mountain where Atlas was imprisoned, and where the Titan palace of Mount Othrys was rising anew.

The lone girl on the quest gazed in that direction and muttered, “It’s even worse. The storms have been bad all year, but that-”

Suddenly, from inside the building, there was a horrifying roar. Evidently, Kampê had returned and discovered the jailbreak.

They took their cue to run, and as they got to the far end of the yard, the wall exploded. The tourists wasted no time running helter-skelter, screaming their heads off. Kampê appeared from the dust and rubble, her wings spread out as wide as the yard. She was holding two swords – long bronze scimitars that had a weird greenish glow.

Grover yelped, “That’s poison! Don’t let it touch you!”

Tyson whipped off the cloak and handed it to Harry, who stuffed it in his backpack, “Briares, fight! Grow to full size! You can take her on!”

However, the newcomer was frightened out of his mind. Watching an enraged Kampê thundering towards them, they wasted no time in running away. The questors ran for their lives and Tyson yelled, “We need to go back to the maze! Only chance!”

As they passed a metal lamppost, Tyson ripped it out of the ground. He hollered, “I will distract Kampê! You run around and go back to the prison. Poison will hurt Cyclopes. A lot of pain, but it won’t kill.”

Percy yelled back, “Are you sure!”

“Go, brother! I will meet you inside!”

Tyson slowed and faced the monster, while the others ran faster. She had been glaring at Briares, but Tyson got her attention as soon as he nailed her in the chest with the pole, pushing her back into the wall. She shrieked and slashed with her swords, slicing the pole to shreds. Poison dripped in pools all around her, sizzling into the cement.

They kept running and finally reached the cell block when an angry roar sounded behind them. Harry and Percy risked a peek and spotted Tyson running at top speed after them. Kampê was also going as fast as she could.

They returned to their cell, but the back wall was smooth. Annabeth yelled, “Look for the mark!”

On cue, Grover touched a tiny scratch and it glowed and became a Greek Delta. The wall slid open and they went inside one-by-one. Tyson was a few metres behind, but Kampê was catching up. Harry turned and fired a few fart arrows to buy some time and it worked. Tyson dived through and Kampê charged after him, but it was too late for her. The stone door closed and its magic sealed the six of them in. Percy could feel the whole tunnel shake as Kampê pounded against it, roaring furiously.

Not taking any chances, they ventured deeper into the Labyrinth. The group continued forward until they reached a room full of waterfalls. The floor was one big pit, ringed by a slippery stone walkway. Around them water tumbled from huge pipes. It spilled down into the pit, and even when Percy shone a light, he couldn’t see the bottom.

Briares slumped against the wall. He scooped up water in a dozen hands and washed his face. He murmured, “This pit goes straight to Tartarus. I should jump in and save you trouble.”

Annabeth snapped, “Don’t talk that way. You can come back to camp with us. You can help us prepare. You know more about fighting Titans than anybody.”

He lamented, “I have nothing to offer. I have lost everything. My brothers are no more. They faded.’

The waterfalls thundered. Tyson stared into the pit and blinked tears out of his eye. Percy asked, as if dreading the answer, “What exactly do you mean, they faded?”

‘Grover bleated, “Percy. Even immortality has limits. Sometimes… sometimes monsters get forgotten and they lose their will to stay immortal.”

It clicked for Harry, “Does that explain what happened with Medusa? Remember she told us once: how her sisters, the other two gorgons, had passed on and left her alone.”

Annabeth jumped in, “Oh yes! Then last year Apollo said something about the old god Helios disappearing and leaving him with the duties of the sun god. I’d never thought about it like that.”

Briares shook his head, “I must go…”

Percy grabbed him and led him aside. He insisted, “Briares, we need you. In case you haven’t noticed, Tyson believes in you. He risked his life for you.”

However, the Hundred-Handed One still shook his head. Percy sighed in defeat, “Maybe that’s why monsters fade,’ I said. ‘Maybe it’s not about what the mortals believe. Maybe it’s because you give up on yourself.”

Briares looked down in utter shame and trudged down the corridor. Tyson sobbed, “He was my hero…”

They stood in silence for a while before Annabeth made a move, “Come on… This pit is making me nervous. Let’s find a better place to camp for now.”

---

The group, without Briares walked down a huge corridor made of marble blocks. Then it changed to a dark stone tunnel. The walls were dark and slimy and even the floor was wet. They forged ahead until there was an audible crunch. Annabeth looked down and recoiled when she saw that she had stepped on a rat’s skull. They shone their flashlights on the ground to see the floor littered with small animal bones.

Annabeth led the way, and nearly screamed when she rounded a dark bend. Percy and Harry rushed to her, when they saw it. The boys could just make out the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel.

Harry tip-toed forward with his flashlight, and then breathed a sigh of relief. He called back, “False alarm! It’s just a skin, and I know this place. We’re in the Chamber of Salazar Slytherin.”

Then a thought struck him, “Oh bollocks! The Labyrinth reaches as far as England!”

This time, it was Harry who led the group, as it was familiar territory. The area was no longer caved in, so Harry assumed that the Labyrinth’s magic repaired it. Eventually, they saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

Harry approached, cleared his throat and hissed, “Open.”

On cue, the serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and the group walked inside. They soon found themselves in a long, dimly-lit chamber, which Harry found very familiar.

Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

Grover then clutched Harry’s arm fearfully and pointed ahead with a shaky finger, “Wh-what’s that?”

Harry looked at where he was pointing, “That’s the Basilisk that I faced in my Second-Year.”

Annabeth shrieked, “YOU FACED THAT THING ALONE!?”

He quickly placated her, “I had some help from Katie.”

Percy took one look at the 60-foot headless corpse and shuddered, “Dude! You have my respect. How tough was this thing?”

“Think Medusa, but as a literal 60-foot snake, and you can’t even use a mirror to see it.”

Annabeth tilted her head curiously, “Why not?”

“Looking at it in the eyes directly means instant death. Looking at it through a reflective surface causes petrification. I was basically fighting the bloody thing blind until Hedwig and Buzz pecked and clawed its eyes out.”

They walked past the Basilisk corpse and continued down the chamber. After even more walking, the serpentine pillars were left behind and the walls turned back to marble blocks. Bronze torch holders were spread evenly along the walls and it looked like an older section of the maze.

---

Annabeth stopped walking and called out, “Get some rest, everybody. We’ll keep going later on.”

The five sank to the ground in exhaustion, as the adrenaline finally wore off. Grover was out like a light, but Tyson took a lot longer. Then it was just Percy, Harry and Annabeth.

She sarcastically quipped, “First day leading the quest. Just great.”

Percy assure her, “We’ll get there. We’ll find the workshop before Luke does.”

The girl whined, “I just wish the quest was logical! “I mean, we’re travelling but we have no idea where we’ll end up. How can you walk from New York to California in a day? And we ended up all the way in Great Britain! I was kidding myself. All that planning and reading – I don’t have a clue where we’re going.”

Harry spoke up, “You’re selling yourself short, mate. Everything’s going to work out. We survived Waterland, Circe’s Island…”

She snorted, “Percy was a cute guinea pig. And I still can’t believe you had a magic duel with her.”

Harry scoffed, “I didn’t beat her. We only made it out because her other prisoners transformed back. In a real duel, she would have kicked my arse.”

She turned to Percy, “Speaking of Percy, what did Hera mean when she said that you knew of a way to get through the maze?”

He adopted a deer in headlights expression, “I honestly don’t know.”

Harry chipped in, “Like I said, maybe the answer will be clearer, much later.”

Finally, Percy and Harry slept while Annabeth kept watch. A few hours later, Harry woke up with a lot of concern on his face. She shifted closer, “Harry, you okay? You look pretty spooked.”

He said, “Hey remember when Nico said that he was heading to the Underworld to get some extra training? I had a dream about him, just now. I think he found the Labyrinth and found a path straight to the Underworld. He was also talking to this spirit who promised him power. Didn’t get a good look at the spirit though. I found out what was troubling him a lot earlier. During the Horcrux Hunt, he had a bad encounter with one of them and it implanted a false memory of Bianca dying and he wasn’t strong enough to stop it from happening.”

Annabeth was quiet, “I’m worried about him. But we can’t afford any side-quest to search for him. Hey, can you take over? I’m going to get some rest.”

After a while, everyone was sufficiently rested and they resumed the trip. After what seemed like hours, the old stone tunnels changed to earth with cedar beams lining the walls, like a mine. Annabeth’s brows furrowed, ”Did we take a wrong turn? This place should still be stone.”

Then, the tunnel opened out into a cave. Stalactites hung low from the ceiling, but the thing that stood out was a rectangular pit on the floor. Percy shone his flashlight and spotted a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

Annabeth guessed. “Someone must have been summoning the dead. I’m guessing that its Nico.”

The group forged ahead and ducked into a tunnel. Then they saw light up ahead and they rushed towards it. Sure enough, there was light, but it was coming through a steel grate made out of metal pipes. On the other side of the gate were trees and blue sky.

Then a shadow blocked the sunlight, and the owner of the shadow was a cow. It looked a lot like a normal cow, except that it was bright red, like the logo of The Laughing Cow cheese brand. It mooed and put one hood on the grate before backing away.

Grover groaned, “It’s a cattle grid. They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can’t get out. They can’t walk on them. Pain in the neck for animals with hooves.”

Tyson was about to swat the grate away, but Harry stopped him. He said, “Don’t do it. You might hit a cow, mate. Here, let me handle it. Alohomora!”

The grid opened up, and everyone crawled out and observed their surroundings while Harry fixed the grid back. They were on a ranch, with rolling hills on the horizon. The area was dotted with oak trees and cacti and boulders. A barbed-wire fence ran from the gate in either direction.

Annabeth looked at the cherry red cows, “Red cattle. The cattle of the sun. ‘They’re sacred to Apollo.”

Just then, there was a distant baying sound, like a pack of dogs. The sound grew closer and closer until the underbrush rustled. Then, a dog with two heads burst forth from the bushes. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck split into two heads in a V shape, both of them snapping and snarling.

Then its master lumbered out of the woods. He was a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat and a braided white beard. He was wearing jeans, a Don’t Mess with Texas T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with twenty-centimetre spikes bristling at the business end.

He drawled, “Well, well, well… What have we got here? Cattle rustlers?”

Annabeth replied, “Travellers. We’re on a quest.”

The man raised an eyebrow, “Half-bloods, eh? I’m one myself. My name is Eurytion, the cowherd for this here ranch. Son of Ares.”

Annabeth decided that she was the one doing the talking, ““I’m Annabeth, daughter of Athena. This is Percy, son of Poseidon. Harry, son of Artemis, Grover the satyr. Tyson the Cyclops.”

He shot Harry an appraising look, “Son of Artemis, eh? That’s a first. I reckon you five came through the Labyrinth like the other one?”

Percy perked up, “Other one? Was his name Nico di Angelo?”

Eurytion ignored his question, “We get a load of visitors from the Labyrinth. Not many ever leave. Listen, I’m only going to say this once, demigods. Get back in the maze now. Before its too late.”

Annabeth stood firm, “Not without this other demigod.”

He grunted in response, “Guess you leave me no choice. I’ve got to take you to see the boss.”

Chapter 61: Chapter 61

Eurytion marched the group forward with his club resting across his shoulder. The two-headed dog, who was named Orthus, followed them, occasionally growling at the demigods. Sometimes, the dog bounded off to chase some other animals, but Eurytion had him under control.

The air was practically sweltering as heat shimmered off the ground. Insects buzzed around in the trees and the demigods were sweating profusely. Along the way, they passed a number of pens containing red cows or other livestock.

At one point, the motley group passed a pen that was different from the others. The fence was coated in asbestos, though that was largely because the occupants was a herd of fire-breathing horses. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tame enough.

Eurytion grunted, “We raise animals for lots of clients. Apollo, Diomedes, and many others."

Percy asked, "Who else?"

"No more questions!”

---

At last, they exited the woods and headed towards a ranch house perched on top of a hill. The house was made of white stone and wood with big windows. Annabeth mumbled something about Frank Lloyd Wright.

As they reached the porch, Eurytion turned to them again. He warned, “Alright listen up. Here are the rules: No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don’t make comments about the boss’ appearance.”

Percy was about to ask why, but was interrupted by a new voice. It enthusiastically said, “Welcome to Triple G Ranch!”

Everyone turned to see a fairly bizarre sight. The man on the porch had a normal head with slick black hair and a black pencil moustache. However, he had three torsos, with his neck connected to the middle torso and a body sticking out on either side. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right.

The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs. Finally, he had an oversized pair of jeans and three different coloured shirts.

Percy awkwardly waved, “Hello Mr…”

The man jovially replied, “The name’s Geryon, and this is my ranch. Welcome Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Harry Potter, and your two friends Grover and Tyson.”

A moment later, the door of the building opened again to reveal Nico. His eyes lit up a little when he saw the five, “Hey guys, what are you all doing here?”

Harry ruffled his hair, “Long story, mate. Tell you later.”

Annabeth addressed Geryon suspiciously, “Wait… How did you know our names? We haven’t been introduced and Eurytion hasn’t told you, either.”

Geryon winked, “I make it my business to keep informed, darling. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time. Everyone needs something from old Geryon.”

As they talked, Harry got a good look at Nico. He looked thinner and paler than he had, back at Camp. It also seemed like he had not had a decent meal in a while. His black clothes were dusty from travelling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of determination.

Geryon led everyone to a life-size toy train ride. It was painted black and white in a cowhide pattern. The driver’s car had a set of longhorns stuck to the hood, and the horn sounded like a cowbell. Everyone reluctantly piled in, and Harry murmured to Percy, “We’ll take this shame to our graves.”

The three-bodied man started the ‘moo-mobile’, as Percy called it. As he drove, he boasted, “We have a huge operation! Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too.”

Just over a hill, Annabeth suddenly sat up and gasped, “Are those what I think they are?”

Harry also breathed, “Blimey! Those are Hippalektryons! I thought that they were extinct!”

Sure enough, at the bottom of the hill was a fenced-in pasture with a bunch of hybrid animals. Each had the front half of a horse and the back half of a rooster. Their rear feet sported huge yellow claws. They also had feathery tails and red wings.

Geryon boasted, “In case you’re wondering, they do lay eggs. Very much in demand for omelettes! Trust me, they are simply divine!”

Annabeth protested, “That’s horrible! They must be endangered!”

Harry thought to himself, ‘Mum would be fuming if she found out.’

Geryon ignored her and continued the tour, “Now, over here,’ he said, ‘we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows.”

Harry spoke up, “I thought that they were sacred to Apollo.”

Geryon waved a dismissive hand, “Apollo is too busy to see to them so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because there’s such a demand.”

With a horrible thought forming in his mind, Harry repeated blandly, “Demand?...”

Geryon grinned, “Meat, of course! Armies have to eat.”

Grover was understandably outraged. He and Harry had to be restrained by Annabeth and Tyson. The satyr bleated angrily, “You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat? That’s against the ancient laws!”

Geryon was still blasé about it, “Oh, don’t get so worked up, satyr. They’re just animals. If Apollo cared, I’m sure he would tell us.”

Harry was sorely tempted to kill Geryon on the spot. The rancher was only saved from Harry’s wrath when Nico irritably piped up, “Geryon, we have business to discuss.”

The cattle rancher grinned at him, “All in good time. Now, look over there! This is where I stock my more exotic game.”

They group turned their gaze to see a familiar group of giant scorpions wandering around in a pen surrounded by barbed wire.

Percy mused, “Huh… So this is where Quintus got those scorpions.”

Geryon acted as if he hadn’t heard, “Right… Now, over here are my prize stables! You must see them!”

Turns out, they didn’t need to see the stables. The group could definitely smell them. Near the banks of a green river was a horse corral the size of a football field. Stables lined one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around the pen, knee deep in steaming piles of horse manure.

Everyone’s faces turned green and Nico gagged, “What on earth is that!”

Geryon nonchalantly said, “My stables. Technically they belong to Aegeas, but I tend to it for a tiny monthly fee. Aren’t they lovely?”

Harry gagged, “Bloody hell! How can the animals stand to live in such conditions.”

Geryon frowned, “Now wait just a minute! These are flesh-eating horses! They like these conditions.”

Behind the group, Eurytion finally spoke up. He had been so quiet that they forgot that he even existed. The man snarked, “Plus, you’re too much of a cheapskate to have them cleaned.”

Geryon scowled, “Shut it, you! Fine… I guess cleaning the stables are a bit challenging. Also it does make me nauseous when the wind blows my way, but as long as the clients pay, I’m good.”

Percy demanded, “What clients?”

Geryon grinned, “Oh, you’d be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time.”

Grover cried, “You have to let these animals go!”

Harry agreed, “He’s right! This is bloody inhumane!”

Annabeth bluntly said, “And the clients you keep talking about. You work for Kronos, don’t you? You’re supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need.”

The man shrugged without a care in the world, “I work for anyone with gold, young lady. I’m a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer.”

Nico finally lost his patience, “Geryon, you’re stalling. We had a deal!”

Geryon casually scratched his middle chest, “Yes, you’ll get a deal, all right.”

Nico irritable snapped, “My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need. The one who would make me stronger. Can you help me, Geryon, or not?”

The rancher chuckled, “Oh, I imagine I could. Your ghost friend, by the way, where is he?”

Nico replied, “He can’t form in broad daylight. It’s hard for him. But he’s around somewhere.”

Geryon smiled. “I’m sure. Minos likes to disappear when things get… difficult.”

At this point, Harry and the others were glancing at Nico with concern etched on their faces. Harry slowly asked, “Wait… Minos? The same Minos who was the king of Crete, back in the day?”

Annabeth continued in the same tone, “The same Minos who trapped Daedalus in the Labyrinth…”

Percy finished, “The same Minos, who sacrificed seven men and seven women to his Minotaur every seven years, THAT Minos?!”

Nico ignored them, “He promised that he would make me stronger. What do you mean about things getting difficult?”

Geryon grinned evilly, “You see, Nico, Luke Castellan is offering very good money for half-bloods. Especially powerful half-bloods. And I’m sure when he learns your little secret, who you really are, he’ll pay very, very well indeed.”

Nico drew his sword, but Eurytion intervened and knocked it out of his hand. Meanwhile, Orthus advanced towards Percy and the group, growling ferociously. Geryon warned, “I would stay in the car, all of you. Or Orthus will tear Mr Jackson’s throat out. Now, Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico.’

The cowherd spat into the grass and moaned petulantly, “Do I have to?”

Geryon snapped, “Yes, you fool!”

Eurytion rolled his eyes, but complied. The rancher sniffed disdainfully, “Pick up the sword, too. There’s nothing I hate worse than Stygian iron.”

Eurytion carefully picked up the sword by the hilt. His master then clapped cheerily, ”Now, we’ve had the tour. Let’s go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army.”

Annabeth yelled in outrage, “You fiend!”

Harry was more colourful in his language. He ranted, <<Δειλέ! Όταν απελευθερωθώ, θα σου κόψω τη σπονδυλική στήλη και θα σε χτυπήσω με αυτήν!”>>

Geryon tutted, “My, my! Such language! Don’t worry children. Once I’ve delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don’t interfere with quests. Besides, I’ve been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I’m afraid, include Mr di Angelo.”

Percy suddenly yelled out, “Wait! Geryon, you said you’re a businessman. Make me a deal.”

The rancher paused and raised an eyebrow, “What sort of deal? Do you have gold?”

Percy continued speaking, “I’ve got something better. Barter.”

Geryon emitted a belly laugh, “But, Mr Jackson, you’ve got nothing.”

Eurytion innocently suggested, “You could have him clean the stables.”

Percy latched onto that idea, “I’ll do it! If I fail, you get all of us. You can trade us all to Luke for gold.”

Geryon observed, “Assuming the horses don’t eat you.”

Percy stood firm, “Either way, you get my friends. But, if I succeed, you’ve got to let all of us go, including Nico.”

Geryon chuckled. “Percy Jackson, those stables haven’t been cleaned in a thousand years… though it’s true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away.”

Percy goaded, “So what have you got to lose?”

The rancher hesitated and finally relented, “All right, I’ll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich. Also, just to prove that I’m a nice guy, I’ll allow you to take one of your friends to help you.”

Percy’s eyes flicked towards Annabeth, Harry, Grover and Tyson. He was about to select Annabeth, but she motioned towards Harry with her grey eyes. They held a silent conversation before Percy said, “I choose Harry.”

Eurytion motioned with his club and Harry slowly stood up and joined Percy. He whispered, “You sure of this, mate?”

Percy nodded, “Annabeth and I have a plan.”

As Geryon and Eurytion frog-marched the others, the former called out to the boys, “Remember! Sunset! No later!”

---

The two approached the filthy stables, gagging away. Then, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a spell on Percy and then himself. On cue, a bubble seemed to form around both of their heads. Instantly, Percy found that he could breathe easier and the pong had disappeared.

He grinned, “Man! I love magic!”

Harry grinned back, “One of my seniors, Cedric Diggory, taught me this spell.”

As they approached, one stallion waded through the muck and whinnied angrily. Percy tried to telepathically communicate with the horse, ‘Hi, I’m going to clean your stables. Won’t that be great?’

The horse's demeanour changed and it gleefully said, ‘Yes! Come inside! Eat you! Tasty half-blood!’

Percy protested, ‘But I’m Poseidon’s son. He created horses.’

Unfortunately, the horse’s reply was not very favourable. It whinnied, ‘Yes! Poseidon can come in, too! We will eat you both! Seafood!’

The other horses also neighed enthusiastically. Percy glanced around for help and spotted a river nearby. Unfortunately, it was downhill and nearly a kilometre away. Sighing, he and Harry began trudging towards the river.

Upon reaching, they saw a girl waiting for them with her arms crossed. She was wearing a green T-shirt and jeans, while her long brown hair was braided with river grass.

She snapped, “Oh no you don’t! I know who you are. And I know what you want. And the answer is no! I’m not going to have my river used again to clean that filthy stable. You ocean-god types always think you’re so much more important than some little river, don’t you? Well let me tell you this naiad is not going to be pushed around just because your daddy is Poseidon. This is freshwater territory, mister. The last guy who asked me this favour – oh, he was way better-looking than you, by the way – he convinced me, and that was the worst mistake I’ve ever made! Do you have any idea what all that horse manure does to my ecosystem? Do I look like a sewage-treatment plant to you? My fish will die. I’ll never get the muck out of my plants. I’ll be sick for years. NO THANK YOU!”

Harry raised his arms placatingly, “Whoa! We’re so sorry mate. We wouldn’t come if we weren’t desperate. Our friends are in trouble.”

She turned to Harry, “Well, that’s too bad! But it’s not my problem. And you two are not going to ruin my river.”

The naiad raised her balled up fists, as if she were preparing for a  fight. Both boys looked at her trembling slightly, despite her defiant expression. Then they looked at each other and came to a consensus. Backing away, Percy said, “Okay, you win.”

That caught her by surprise, “Wait… Really?”

Percy nodded, “It’s your river. We’re not going to fight you.”

Harry picked up where his friend left off, “Plus, we’d look like massive twats if we took advantage of you like that. Do you have any other ideas? We need to get those filthy stables clean by sunset.”

The naiad glanced at him, “You’re a wizard, right? Don’t you have any water spells? Also, son of the sea god, scoop up some dirt.”

They were confused for a minute before shrugging and complying. The soil was dry and black and dotted with tiny clumps of white rock, or what looked like white rock.

She explained, “Those are shells. Petrified seashells. Millions of years ago, even before the time of the gods, when only Gaia and Ouranos reigned, this land was under water. It was part of the sea.”

The drachma dropped for Percy and a grin slowly formed on his face. She smiled, “I think you’re finally getting it. You’re not so different from me, demigod. Even when I’m out of the water, the water is within me. It is my life source. I hope you find a way to rescue your friends.”

With that, she stepped back into the river and melted into it. The boys hurried back towards the stables, where the man-eating horses were ripping into some kind of meat. Percy chucked a calcified seashell into the nearest mound of horse dung.

Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then they heard some gurgling sound and spotted a tiny spout of water shooting out from the manure. Percy stepped closer and willed the waterspout to get bigger. On cue, the waterspout increased in intensity, shooting a strong jet into the air.

A few curious horses cantered over and one hesitantly stuck out a tongue. Suddenly it recoiled and complained about it being salty. Percy bolted around the fence perimeter and chucked more calcified seashells with wild abandon. Meanwhile, Harry brought out his sword and turned it into its wand form. He raised it and yelled, “Aguamenti!”

A strong jet of water burst from his wand and he began to spray the horses. Then, Percy noticed something. The water was not overflowing or running downhill. Instead, it was practically dissolving the horse poop and leaving regular wet soil.

As the horses began galloping helter-skelter, Percy willed the jets of water to get even stronger. Meanwhile, Harry poured more of his magic into the spell. At this point, the horses were practically begging for them to stop.

After sometime, there was not a speck of manure anywhere on the ground. However, it did take Percy considerable effort to stop the geyser of salt water. After Harry shut off his own spell and turned his wand back into a sword, the horses were practically falling over themselves to appease the boys.

“We won’t eat you!” The horses wailed. “Please, lord! No more salty baths!”

Percy threatened, “On one condition. You only eat the food your handlers give you from now on. Not people. Or I’ll be back with more seashells!”

There were still a few areas caked with dung, especially on the fences. However, Harry dealt with that with a few well-placed Vanishing Spells. With their task done, the boys sprinted back towards the ranch house. Not a moment too soon, as the sun was just beginning to dip into the horizon. As they ran, they caught a whiff of a barbecue cooking. Harry growled, “That had better not come from Apollo’s cows, or I am killing Geryon with my bare hands.”

---

Just outside the house, Geryon was expertly flipping burger patties on a huge barbecue grill. Eurytion lounged at a picnic table, picking his fingernails with a knife. The two-headed dog sniffed the ribs and burgers that were frying on the grill. Meanwhile, Tyson, Grover, Annabeth and Nico were all tossed in a corner, tied up like rodeo animals, with their ankles and wrists roped together and their mouths gagged.

Percy yelled, “Hey! Let them go! We cleaned up the stables!”

Geryon turned and raised an eyebrow, ‘Did you, now? How’d you manage it?”

Harry and Percy held a silent conversation between them. Percy then began explaining how he cleaned the stables. Though he and Harry mentally agreed on leaving out Harry’s magic.

He nodded appreciatively, “Very ingenious. It would’ve been better if you’d poisoned that pesky naiad, but no matter.”

Percy looked at him expectantly, “Now, let our friends go! We had a deal!”

Geryon pretended to think about it. He grinned slyly, “Ah, I’ve been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don’t get paid.”

Harry snapped, “Oi! Are you going back on our deal? Do your clients know that you actively alter the terms of agreement behind their backs, you plonker!”

The triple-bodied man tutted condescendingly, “ But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn’t. So it’s not binding. When you’re conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath.”

The boys drew their swords and raised them threateningly. Geryon ordered, “Eurytion, these two are starting to annoy me. Kill them.’

Eurytion studied the two defiant boys. Percy was internally glad that Harry was with him because he didn’t fancy his chances alone against Eurytion and his huge club.

Eurytion propped his legs up on the picnic table and put his hat over his eyes. He drawled, “Kill them yourself.”

Geryon raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

The son of Ares grumbled, “You heard me. You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I’m tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kids, do it yourself.”

Percy was a bit taken aback because he never thought he’d see the day a child of Ares backed out from a fight. Geryon snarled, “You dare defy me! I should fire you right now!”

The reply came from under the hat, “And who’d take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel!”

The two-headed dog stopped growling at the others and bounded over to Eurytion. Geryon snarled, “Fine! I’ll deal with you later, after the boys are dead!”

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at the two younger boys. Raising their swords, they deflected them away. Percy attacked first, but Geryon parried his first strike with a pair of red-hot tongs. He lunged at Percy’s face with a barbecue fork, but the son of Poseidon dodged. He ducked another thrust and stabbed Geryon right through the middle chest.

The man crumpled to his knees with a pained cry. Unfortunately, instead of disintegrating, he just grimaced and began to stand up. The bleeding slice through his chef’s apron started to heal.

He smirked, “Nice try, sonny. Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system.”

Geryon overturned the barbecue and some of the burning hot coals came dangerously close to where the others were tied up. Annabeth’s terrified scream was muffled through her gag.

Percy jabbed Geryon in the left chest, but he only laughed. Then Harry stuck him in the right stomach, leading to the same result. Then it clicked for Percy… stabbing one heart at a time was no good.

He locked eyes with Harry and they had another silent conversation. Harry sprinted away while sheathing his sword, leaving Percy to face him alone. The battle continued to rage, with Percy getting a few hits in. However, Geryon kept healing.

Sword and poker clashed again and Geryon grinned, “I’m going to have your head, Percy Jackson. It’s going to be mounted right next to my grizzly bear!”

Suddenly, there was a twang, followed by three *THUMP* sounds one after another. Geryon froze and stared down dumbly at his chests. An arrow had pierced through the side of his right chest, clean through the middle and out of his left chest. The arrow then embedded itself into the wall of the house.

Geryon dropped his swords and stared at Harry. He stammered, “You… You-”

His face turned a sickly shade of green. He collapsed to his knees and began crumbling into sand until all that was left were three cooking aprons and an oversized pair of cowboy boots.

Percy rushed over to Harry and high-fived him, “Great shot dude! I’m glad you were there, because I’m a lousy archer!”

Harry shrugged nonchalantly as they went over to untie the others. Eurytion made no move to stop them at all.

Percy asked, “How long will it take Geryon to re-form?”

Eurytion shrugged. “Hundred years? He’s not one of those fast re-formers, thank the gods. You’ve done me a favour.”

Annabeth pressed, “You said you’d died for him before. How?”

He growled, “I’ve worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I’m stuck here at this ranch. I can’t leave. I can’t quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon’s fights. We’re kind of tied together.”

Percy decided to offer him a carrot, “Maybe you can change things.’

Eurytion narrowed his eyes. “How?”

Harry replied, “Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. You know the Ancient Law about the red cattle. It is forbidden to sacrifice them, or you would incur his wrath. The other animals like the Hippalektryons are also endangered.”

Eurytion nodded, ‘Aye… I will take care of them to the best of my ability.”

Percy pressed on, “Get the animals on your side, and they’ll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he’ll be working for you this time.”

Eurytion grinned. “Now that I could live with.”

Annabeth suspiciously said, “You won’t try to stop us leaving?”

He shook his head, “Shoot, no. Also, the Titans don’t know about the Nico kid yet. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue.”

---

Then Harry turned to Nico, “Hey Nico, we’re going to be leaving now. We’d invite you too, but I’m not sure if that would be a good idea. Are you sure that you can trust this Minos?”

Nico shrugged, “He hasn’t given me a reason to doubt him yet. He said that he knew someone who could help me get stronger.”

Annabeth carefully said, “Nico. Geryon wasn’t lying about Kronos wanting to capture you. If the Titan Lord knew who you were, he’d do anything to get you on his side.”

Then Harry stood up, “I want to meet this Minos. I don’t know, something feels off about this whole situation.”

Percy said, “We’re going to need a big pit, along with plenty of food and drinks.”

Eurytion grunted, “Head out back. There’s a hole dug that was supposed to be for a septic tank. You! Cyclops boy! There’s an ice chest in the kitchen. I hope the dead like root beer and Coke.”

That night, the group gathered around a seven-metre long, two feet deep pit. Nico poured root beer and tossed in a few pieces of barbecue in the pit while the others stood a short distance away. Then he began chanting in Ancient Greek and the atmosphere changed. The surrounding woods grew dead silent, and in Percy’s pocket, the Stygian ice dog whistle grew colder.

Tyson fearfully clutched Harry’s left hand and squeezed it tight, all the while whimpering. The night air felt cold and menacing. But before long, the first spirits appeared. Sulphurous mist seeped out of the ground. Shadows thickened into human forms. One blue shade drifted to the edge of the pit and knelt to drink.

After a small drink, the figure solidified into the shape of a bearded man in white robes. A circlet of gold wreathed his head, and even in death his eyes were alive with malice.

Nico flatly said, “Minos...”

The ghost made no attempt to look contrite, “Master! I do apologise, but the sacrifice smelled so good, I couldn’t resist. It is good to see myself again. Almost in solid form.”

The dead king scrutineered the group. Stopping at Percy’s face, he sneered a little, “Percy Jackson… my, my. The sons of Poseidon haven’t improved over the centuries, have they? I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare hands. But worse things await you in the maze. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you? Daedalus cares nothing for you, half-bloods. You can’t trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods.”

He turned to Nico, “Master, I’ve only come to protect you from these liars who would deceive you. These are your enemies. You must not listen to them! Let me protect you. I will turn their minds to madness, as I did the others.”

Something clicked for Annabeth, “The others? You mean Chris Rodriguez? That was you?!”

He pompously said, “The maze is my property, not Daedalus’! Those who intrude deserve madness.”

Nico interrupted, “Minos! You said that you know of someone who could help me get stronger. Are they with you?”

Minos grinned, “As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust these heroes.”

He floated back and gestured to the gathered spirits. One of them approached and bent down to drink from the pit. When the spirit solidified, it revealed the form of a tall, black-haired boy in his late teens. For some reason, Harry couldn’t help thinking that he looked familiar.

The boy spoke in a high, cold voice, “You must be Nico di Angelo. My new friend Minos has told me all about you and your desire for power. I can help you there.”

Then it struck Harry and his wand slowly crept into his left hand. Nico asked, “What must I do?”

The voice coolly said, “I was once a powerful man, in my prime. I had my own followers and others feared me for my power. Sadly, my own arrogance led to a lucky shot that ended my life prematurely. But that’s all past history. All that you need to do is allow me to possess your body and I shall share my unimaginable power with you.”

At that moment, Harry had heard enough and stepped in to intervene. He stalked forward into the spirit’s field of vision and snarled, “Oh hell no, Tom! I know your game well and you will not terrorize my friends and my world ever again! How did you escape, though?”

The now-identified Tom Riddle turned and sneered at Harry, “Well, well, Harry James Potter… Fancy seeing you here. I must admit, the knowledge that you are a demigod… I certainly did not see that coming. So it seems the prophecy was true after all. ‘He will have a power The Dark Lord knows not’ indeed.”

Harry sent a spell towards the spirit of Voldemort, but it did nothing. The deranged Dark Lord cackled gleefully, “Oh Potter… You should know by now, that your spells are useless against me. Once I possess this naïve little whelp, who is a child of the eldest gods, no less… I will be Unstoppable!”

Suddenly, a corner of the forest darkened and a human figure leaped out from the shadows. It was none other, than Bianca di Angelo. She stood side-by-side with Harry and snapped, “Over my dead body! I should have known something was up when Father contacted me in my dreams, and he was in a towering rage. This time, you will not escape, and you are NOT going to manipulate and use MY brother as a toy for your sick schemes! You are coming straight back with us to Tartarus, even if Nico and I have to drag you back, kicking and screaming.”

She then turned to Minos, but he was nowhere to be seen. Pulling out the wand she won from Dumbledore, she yelled out in Ancient Greek. Voldemort’s spirit froze up and then he was banished away with a blood-curdling scream. Bianca almost collapsed from the effort, and Harry rushed up to catch her. She panted, “Phew! That took a lot out of me. Don’t worry… He won’t bother us anymore. I suspect Minos was the one who let him escape. When I get my hands on him…”

---

That night, Bianca elected to stay the night at the ranch, but she and Nico would leave for Camp Half-Blood in the morning. She did give him a scolding for going behind her back. Though when he gave her his reasons, she sighed, “Nico… You’re my little brother. Of course it is my job to protect you, because I love you. I get why you wanted this, but you should have come to me or Harry. Don’t worry, when we get back to camp, I will personally train you. When Harry comes back from this quest, I’m sure he will help too. None of this cloak and dagger business, please?”

His defiant look held for a few seconds before it wavered and he threw his arms around her. Together, they bid farewell to the questors and Shadow-Travelled away.

 

Translation:

<<You coward! When I get free, I will fucking rip out your spine and beat you with it!>>

Chapter 62: Chapter 62

With the children of Hades gone, the group decided that it was time to set off back on their quest. Before they left, Eurytion shuffled up to Annabeth. He said, “I reckon you’ll be looking for Daedalus’ workshop? Honestly, I don’t know where it is, myself. Maybe Hephaestus knows.”

Annabeth nodded, “Lady Hera said the same thing, but how will we find him?”

Eurytion pulled out a necklace from his pocket and handed it to her. The necklace was a silver chain with a smooth silver disc attached to it. He said, “Hephaestus comes here from time to time. Studies the animals and such so he can make bronze automaton copies. Last time, I – uh – did him a favour. A little trick he wanted to play on my dad, Ares, and Aphrodite. He gave me that chain in gratitude. Said if I ever needed to find him, the disc would lead me to his forges. But only once. I don’t need to see the forges, miss. Got enough to do here. Just press the button and you’ll be on your way.”

She pressed the button and then shrieked fearfully when the disc suddenly grew eight metallic legs. The terrified girl threw it on the ground and it began scuttling away. Eurytion had the decency to look embarrassed, “Sorry about that miss. Forgot about Arachne’s grudge with Athena.”

The group soon followed the metallic spider out of the ranch. Annabeth was only too happy to let Percy take the lead, while she hung behind him. Harry volunteered to bring up the rear because he didn’t want a nasty surprise ambush from behind.

For such a little thing, the spider was pretty quick on its feet. It was only thanks to Grover and Tyson’s hearing that they managed to stay on track. The little spider took them helter-skelter and then finally into a marble tunnel that opened up into a large abyss. Percy would have tumbled to his death, had it not been for Tyson.

On the low ceiling hung a series of iron rungs in the ceiling. The mechanical spider was about halfway across, swinging from bar to bar by shooting out metal web fibre. Annabeth grinned, “Monkey bars! I love these!”

She enthusiastically grabbed one and began swinging her way across. Harry sighed good-naturedly, “Blimey! She’s scared of spiders, but not potentially going splat on the ground and a one-way ticket to the Underworld?”

Percy snorted, “Go figure.”

Grover was somehow managing, but when Tyson reached up and grabbed a bar, it broke loose. Now on the other side, Harry solved that issue by levitating him across the chasm.

---

As they continued down the path, they stumbled across a few stray skeletons. Strangely enough, some were wearing what looked like school clothes.

There was also a crunching sound, and when they shone their flashlights, found broken pencils and wooden shavings. The tunnel then opened up into a large room. A blazing light washed over the group and the first thing that Percy noticed was the sight of dozens of skeletons scattered on the ground.

Then he saw the monster. She stood on a glittery dais on the opposite side of the room. She had the body of a huge lion and the head of a woman. She would’ve been pretty, but her hair was tied back in a tight bun and she wore a ton of makeup. She had a blue ribbon badge pinned to her chest that that read: THIS MONSTER HAS BEEN RATED EXEMPLARY!

Tyson whimpered as the Sphinx snarled briefly. Percy moved closer to comfort his baby brother, remembering that he had a bad experience with one. The mechanical spider continued on without a care in the world, but the demigods were not so lucky.

Suddenly, the Sphinx plastered a big smile on her face, “Welcome, lucky contestants! Get ready to play… ANSWER THAT RIDDLE! Fabulous prizes! Pass the test, and you get to advance! Fail, and I get to eat you! Who will be our contestant?”

Annabeth was smiling, “I’ve got this! I know what she’s going to ask.”

However, Harry grabbed her arm, “Beth… be careful. I don’t think it’ll be that easy mate. It’s been centuries, and she would have found different and tougher riddles by now. The last one I faced asked a different riddle.”

She shook her head, “I doubt it Harry. She’s most likely going to say the same classic riddle, but I’ll keep what you said in mind.”

She stepped forward and the monster cried, “Welcome, Annabeth Chase! Are you ready for your test?”

She nodded firmly, “Yes, Ask your riddle.”

The sphinx cleared her throat, “My first is a Hundred, my second is a star sign, my third is a friendly gesture and my fourth is a sun god! String them together and you get a monarch!”

That threw Annabeth off and Harry shot her a long ‘I told you so’ look. She blurted, “Wait… What about that other riddle about man? The one that went, ‘What walks on four legs in the morning…’”

The Sphinx gave a feral grin, “That’s exactly why we changed the riddle. Everyone already knew the answer.”

That shut her up and she face-palmed. After berating herself for her hubris, she began to think, “A hundred… a star sign… a gesture and a sun god… That last one’s definitely not Apollo. Maybe Helios…?”

Then it struck her, “C, Leo, Pat, Ra… Cleopatra!”

Around them, canned applause rang out and the Sphinx was slightly disappointed for a brief moment. Then she plastered a smile back on her face, “Correct! You and your companions may pass.”

As they walked past, Tyson nervously said, “W-w-well… that was-”

Harry interrupted him, “Don’t say it! You’ll jinx us and I hate tempting the Fates.”

Eventually, they all left the Sphinx behind as she waited for her next victim. By the time they made it out, they lost sight of the spider. Tyson and Grover couldn’t hear it either, so they turned to Harry, who used his tracking skills. It took a while, but Grover’s sharp ears soon picked up a faint scrabbling sound.

They quickened their pace and the sound grew more audible. Then the sound changed to a faint pinging sound. Eventually they found it banging its tiny head on a metal door, repeatedly.

The door itself resembled an old-fashioned submarine hatch – oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Instead of the portal window, there was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Êta inscribed in the middle.

Tyson grinned, “What are we waiting for! Let’s go meet Hephaestus!”

With that, he grabbed the wheel door knob and turned it open. Once the door opened, the spider automaton wasted no time in scuttling in. Tyson also bounded in fairly enthusiastically. The others followed him in, not knowing what to expect.

---

The room resembled a mechanic’s garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out of its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a battery charger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames.

Smaller projects were arbitrarily scattered onto a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls, but in haphazard fashion. The next thing that assaulted their senses was a banging sound. It seemed to come from under the nearest hydraulic lift. It had a ’98 Toyota Corolla mounted on it and a pair of legs stuck out from under the car. The owner of those legs was a huge man in grubby grey overalls and shoes even bigger than Tyson’s. One leg was in a metal brace.

The spider scuttled straight under the car, and a moment later the banging stopped. A deep voice boomed, “Well. What have we here?”

Hephaestus emerged from under the car and sat up. Now that he was in the comfort of his own domain, he had no shame in his own appearance. He wore overalls smeared with oil and grime and his name was embroidered on his breast pocket.

His leg creaked and clicked in a metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right. This gave the impression that he was leaning even while standing up straight. His head was misshapen and bulging. He wore a permanent scowl and his black beard smoked and hissed.

Every once in a while a small wildfire would erupt in his moustache and then die out. His hands were huge, but surprisingly delicate, as he picked up the spider and handled it with amazing skill and surprisingly delicate hands.

He tinkered with the spider before sending it away and finally turned to the group. He glowered at them, “I didn’t make you all, did I?”

Annabeth nervously said, “No sir…”

He grumbled, “Good… shoddy workmanship. I would have gotten rid of that damn scar on that one's forehead.”

Percy interrupted to cut the awkwardness, “We’ve met, sir…”

The god glanced at him, scratching his straggly beard. He grunted, “Have we? Well then, if I didn’t smash you to a pulp the first time we met, I suppose I won’t have to do it now.”

He barely acknowledged Annabeth, Harry and Grover. However, his eyes twinkled at the sight of Tyson. He mused, “Well, a Cyclops. Good, good. What are you doing travelling with this lot? There’d better be a good reason you’re disturbing me. The suspension on this Corolla is no small matter, you know.”

Annabeth hesitantly said, “Sir, we’re looking for Daedalus. We thought –”

He interrupted her rather explosively, as if a switch had been flipped. Hephaestus thundered, “Daedalus? You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out! You’re wasting your time.”

He calmed down after a moment and began tinkering with some scraps. Mere minutes later, he had created a bronze and silver falcon. The metallic avian suddenly spread its wings and flew around the room. An ecstatic Tyson laughed giddily and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson’s shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

Hephaestus glanced at him and his face softened ever so slightly. He spoke, ‘I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops.”

Tyson’s enthusiasm wilted, “Y-yes lord. We met a Hundred-Handed One.”

Hephaestus did not look surprised, “Briares?”

“Yes sir. He… he was scared. He would not help us. Briares should be strong, because he is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away.”

Hephaestus grunted regretfully, “There was a time when I admired the Hundred-handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can’t trust them. Look at my loving mother, Hera. You met her, didn’t you? She’ll smile to your face and talk about how important family is, eh? Didn’t stop her from pitching me off Mount Olympus when she saw my ugly face.”

He sneered, “She also likes pinning that on Zeus. Makes her seem more likeable, doesn’t it? Blaming it all on my father. The truth is, my mother likes families, but she likes a certain kind of family. Perfect families. She took one look at me and… well, I don’t fit the image, do I? Believe me, you can’t trust others. All you can trust is the work of your own hands.”

Finally, he focused on Percy, “Alright, enough of living in the past. What would you ask of me?”

Percy replied, “We need to find Daedalus, sir. There’s this guy Luke, and he’s working for Kronos. He’s trying to find a way to navigate the Labyrinth so he can invade our camp. If we don’t get to Daedalus first –”

Hephaestus snapped, “I told you, boy. Looking for Daedalus is a waste of time. He won’t help you!”

Annabeth burst out, “Why not?!”

Hephaestus shrugged, “Some of us get thrown off mountainsides. Some of us… the way we learn not to trust people is even more painful. Ask me for gold. Or a flaming sword. Or a magical steed. These I can grant you easily. But a way to Daedalus? That’s an expensive favour.”

She had an expectant look, “So you know where he is?”

Hephaestus narrowed his eyes at her, “You’re a daughter of Athena, right? Fine goddess, Athena. A shame she pledged never to marry. All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favour done.”

The blonde girl did not hesitate in accepting. To their utter confusion, the god belted out a belly laugh. He guffawed, “You heroes… Always making rash promises. How refreshing!”

He then pressed a button on his work bench and metal shutters opened along the wall. This revealed a massive window that showed a grey mountain surrounded by a ring of lush forests. Smoke rose from the mountain crest, indicating that it was a volcano.

Hephaestus explained, “One of my forges. I have many, but that used to be my favourite.”

Harry gasped, “Blimey! That’s Mount St Helens!”

Grover grinned, “I like the place. Great forests around there. I went there while on the search for Pan.”

Annabeth tilted her head curiously, “Wait... Used to be your favourite?”

“Aye lass… that’s where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be under Mount Etna, but when we moved to America, his life force got pinned under Mount St Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There’s always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smouldering all the time. He’s restless with the Titan rebellion. Back in 1980, was it? There was an earthquake and he nearly broke free. Fortunately, us gods checked on him immediately and tightened the bonds.”

Percy asked, “So, are you asking us to fight him?”

Hephaestus snorted, “That would be suicide. The gods themselves ran from Typhon when he was free. No, pray you never have to see him, much less fight him. But lately I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I’ve been sending my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dares invade my territory, and if they mean to loose Typhon…”

Percy finished for him, “So you’re asking us to go and investigate?”

Hephaestus nodded, “Precisely. Go there. They may not sense you coming, since you are demigods. Go and find out what you can. Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus.”

He then pointed to Harry, “You there… I’ve heard your mother say often enough, that you have excellent tracking skills. I trust that you will lead everyone?”

Harry nodded, “Yes, my lord. You can count on me.”

Hephaestus then snapped his fingers and the spider automaton came swinging back down. The god grunted, “My creation will take you part of the way, until you reach the Labyrinth exit. From there, you’re on your own.”

As they left, Hephaestus called after them, “It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons.”

The spider led the group for a while, and then stopped in front of a tunnel. Said tunnel appeared to be dug from raw earth and it was wrapped in tree roots. Harry took a deep breath and forged ahead, and the others followed, expect for Grover. The satyr stood stock still and his curly hair rustled in the breeze.

Percy stopped and called out to the others to stop. He asked, “Grover? You okay, dude?”

Grover had an awestruck look on his face, “This is the way… This is it… The way to Pan. Don’t you smell is?”

Tyson nodded sagely, “I do… Earth and plants.”

Annabeth swallowed her impatience and gently told him, “We’ll come back. On our way back to Hephaestus.”

He brayed, “The tunnel will be gone by then. I have to follow it. A door like this won’t stay open!”

Annabeth debated on what to do. Percy spoke up, “We’ll split up.”

She shook her head violently, “No! That’s way too dangerous. How will we ever find each other again? And Grover can’t go alone.”

Harry raised his hand, “I’ll go with him. Maybe my connection with Artemis could be of some help.”

She shook her head again, “Harry, we need you to show us the way to Mount St Helens.”

Finally, Tyson placed a large meaty hand on Grover’s shoulder. He firmly said, “I will go with him. Goat boy needs help. We will find the god person. I am not like Hephaestus. I trust friends.”

Grover breathed deeply, “Percy, we’ll find each other again. We’ve still got the empathy link.”

Then Harry began rummaging in his backpack and pulled out a mirror. He handed one to Grover and said, “Just for the sake of insurance. This is a two-way communication mirror. Uncle Sirius gave a few of these to me. All you have to do is say ‘Contact Harry Potter’ while looking into the mirror.”

Grover and Percy shook hands, Annabeth hugged him and he and Harry clasped each other’s forearms and shook. Finally, Tyson wrapped all three of them in a big bear hug.

---

As Percy, Harry and Annabeth went on without their companions, the temperature in the tunnel began to rise. The walls changed to stone and soon adopted a faint orange glow. Then it began to slope downwards and then a dull constant roar could be heard. Harry wiped some sweat from his brow and continued towards the sound. The roaring grew louder, and nearly half a kilometre later, they entered a large cavern, the size of Old Trafford Stadium.

There was no floor, just bubbling lava hundreds of metres below. The trio had emerged on a rock ridge that circled the cavern. A network of metal bridges spanned across the magma-filled chasm. At the centre was a huge platform with all sorts of machines, cauldrons, forges and a massive anvil. Creatures moved around the platform – several strange, dark shapes, but they were too far away to make out details.

Percy muttered, “What the hell are those things?”

Annabeth turned to Harry, “You have your cloak?”

He shook his head, “Sorry mate. I gave it to Bianca when she came to take Nico back.”

She sighed, “Okay, I’ll go check it out. You see that mine cart over there? See if both of you can try and sneak in and hide. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

With that, the girl donned her cap and turned invisible. Meanwhile, Harry and Percy crept along the outer rim of the lava lake. Eventually, they reached the cart and they slowly hopped in and pulled the tarp over themselves.

As they hid, they heard voices, one asked, “Bring it in?”

“Yeah,” another said. “Movie’s just about done.”

The cart lurched forward.

“Damn!” a gruff voice said. “Thing weighs a ton.”

“It’s celestial bronze,’ the other said. ‘What did you expect?”

Both boys were just along for the ride, until a new voice ordered for the cart to be put at the back. Then there was the sound of multiple voices, and one authoritarian voice barked, “Now, younglings. Please attend to the film. There will be time for questions afterwards.”

A voice droned, “As a young sea demon matures, changes happen in the monster’s body. You may notice your fangs getting longer and you may have a sudden desire to devour human beings. These changes are perfectly normal and happen to all young monsters.”

Harry muttered, “Bloody Nora. Give me old Cuthbert Binns over this.”

Then, there was even more droning from the narrator, and mercifully, the film finally ended.

“Now, younglings," the instructor said. "What is the proper name of our kind?"

"Sea demons!" one of them barked.

"No. Anyone else?"

"Telkhines!" another monster growled.

"Very good," the instructor said. "And why are we here?"

"Revenge!" several shouted.

"Yes, yes, but why?"

"Zeus is evil!" one monster hollered. "He cast us into Tartarus just because we used magic!"

"Indeed," the instructor said fretfully. "After we made so many of the gods’ finest weapons. The trident of Poseidon, for one. And of course – we made the greatest weapon of the Titans! Nevertheless, Zeus cast us away and relied on those fumbling Cyclopes. That is why we are taking over the forges of the usurper Hephaestus. And soon we will control the undersea furnaces, our ancestral home!”

Harry and Percy gripped their respective sword and bow and arrows. Percy muttered, “What’s a telkhine?”

Harry whispered back, “No clue, mate. When we get back, we’ll ask Chiron.”

Meanwhile the instructor called out, “And so, younglings, who do we serve?"

"Kronos!" they shouted.

"And when you grow to be big telkhines, will you make weapons for his army?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent. Now, we’ve brought in some scraps for you to practise with. Let’s see how ingenious you are."

Harry and Percy shared a look and prepared to pounce. As soon as the tarp was thrown back, they sprang to their feet to meet their opponents. Apparently, telkhines were creatures with sleek black bodies, stubby legs that were half feet and half flipper and human-like hands with small claws. They also had faces that resembled dogs, with black snouts, brown eyes and pointy ears.

They all bared their teeth and one snarled, “Demigods!”

Another yelled, “Eat them!”

Before they could react, Percy slashed a wide arc and wiped out the entire front row of monsters. Harry followed it up with several arrows, wiping out another row. Percy hollered, “New lesson, class. Most monsters will vaporize when sliced with a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you right now if you don’t BACK OFF!”

Surprisingly, they all obeyed, even though they outnumbered the boys 20 to 2. Then Percy yelled, “CLASS DISMISSED”, before bolting for the exit. Harry tailed him, covering his rear as the telkhines got over their surprised and gave chase.

Fortunately, the telkhines were not particularly quick. The boys sprinted down a tunnel to a door leading to the main cavern. Percy slammed it shut and turned the wheel handle before running again. When they rounded a corner, Annabeth materialised next to them and she was running as well. She yelled indignantly, “What did you two do? Are you trying to get us killed?”

Percy quickly filled her in on the orientation class and her anger faded. She said, “So that’s what they are. Telkhines. I should’ve known. And they’re making… Well, look.”

They peeked over the edge to see the platform. Four telkhines were standing on it and they were fully grown. Their black skin glistened in the firelight as they worked, sparks flying as they took turns hammering on a long piece of glowing hot metal.

“The blade is almost complete,” one said. “It needs another cooling in blood to fuse the metals.”

“Aye,” a second grinned. “It shall be even sharper than before.”

Annabeth muttered, “They keep talking about fusing metals. I wonder what that could mean.“

Percy told her, “Harry and I heard them talking about creating all sorts of weapons, including my dad’s trident.”

Harry picked up where he left off, “They said something about creating the greatest Titan weapon."

She mused, “The telkhines betrayed the gods. Apparently, they were caught practising dark magic. I don’t know what, exactly, but Zeus banished them to Tartarus.”

Harry frowned, “Evidently, they were hobnobbing with their new neighbour, Kronos.”

Their discussions were cut short when the classroom door exploded. On cue, several young telkhines came pouring out. They stumbled over each other, trying to figure out which way to charge.

Percy had a determined look on his face, “Harry, Annabeth… Go… I’ll buy you guys some time.”

Annabeth shrieked, “Are you mad! No! I’m not leaving you!”

Percy insisted, “We don’t have a choice! Besides, I have a plan, I think. Both of you go find Hephaestus and tell him what is happening. Harry… drag her away if you have to.”

Annabeth glared at him, and then she surprised him by grabbing him and pulling him in for a kiss. When she finally pulled away, she smiled, “Be careful Seaweed Brain.”

He was dazed a little but shook it off quickly. Percy glanced at Harry, who playfully jabbed, “Oh no! I’m not kissing you, mate. I don’t swing that way, and I don’t think Beth is the sharing type.”

She punched Harry in his ribs and he laughed. Then his face grew serious, “Look mate… Don’t die out there. Or I swear to the gods, I will get Bianca and Nico to drag your soul back into your body.”

The moment was ruined by a pack of telkhines spotting the group and charging towards them. Harry and Annabeth broke away, leaving Percy to face off against the monsters alone.

About halfway towards an exit, Harry screeched to a stop. “Bollocks, what am I thinking. The noble git won’t last a minute. Beth, you go find Hephaestus. I’ll give Jackson some backup and bring him back alive. Then we can kick his arse together, later.”

She paused to think about it for a few seconds and nodded before running again. Meanwhile, Harry doubled back, firing arrows at any telkhines who got in his way. He was just in time to see Percy in the distance. Unfortunately, the son of Poseidon was surrounded, with all exits blocked. The telkhines appeared to be chucking handfuls of lava, and he was on fire. Harry broke into a sprint, trying to get to the platform.

The next thing Harry knew, there was an earth-shattering explosion. The ground by his feet blew up spectacularly and the last thing he felt was his body flying at breakneck speed. Then the son of Artemis blacked out, while still feeling the sensation of flying.

---

After an unknown amount of time, consciousness finally found Harry and he cracked his eyes open. He blinked several times and when his vision cleared, found himself staring at a plain white ceiling. He also appeared to be lying down on a familiar bed. He turned his head to his right and suddenly recognised his surroundings.

Harry thought to himself, ‘How the bloody hell did I get here to Hogwarts? In the Hospital Wing no less.’

Then he spotted Madam Pomfrey a few feet away and she saw that he was awake. She bustled over, “Ahh! Mr. Potter… I see that you are finally awake. What on earth possessed you to go skydiving without a parachute!”

He croaked, “H-h-how did I get here? Last thing I remember, I was at Mount St. Helens. Wait… Where’s Percy?”

She replied, “Mr. Weasley is probably at home with his family.”

He weakly shook his head, “No I mean my friend Percy Jackson.”

Pomfrey replied, “I do not know any Percy Jackson, I’m afraid. Now, could you please explain what on earth happened?”

Just then, the door of the Hospital Wing opened and Professor Dumbledore walked inside. His eyes lit up, “Oh thank goodness that you are awake, my dear boy. I daresay, you were very fortunate, very fortunate indeed.”

Harry weakly replied, “Hello professor, has the school term begun already?”

“No, my boy, there is still plenty of time. It is July 26^th, if I’m not mistaken. So we have over a month of the summer vacation. However, Poppy generally stays here, year round, as do myself and the other professors. You were very lucky that Professor Sprout saw your body hurtling in the air while she was talking a walk around the grounds. You probably would have gone head-first into the Whomping Willow, had she not used the Slowing Charm, Arresto Momentum. I think you gave her quite a fright.”

Harry calmed down a bit, and allowed Madam Pomfrey to run some diagnostic spells. She informed him that he had been unconscious for two days. Dumbledore sat down on the bed, “Well… I suppose that there is a fascinating tale that led us to this current predicament.”

Harry then explained his story and Dumbledore just sat there and listened. Eventually, Madam Pomfrey allowed him to walk around on his own strength and Harry had nearly recovered. Harry and Dumbledore walked along the corridors, in silence until they reached the Headmaster’s Office.

When he sat down at his desk, he fished out an envelope and slid it towards Harry. The old wizard spoke, “Harry… There is something I wish to tell you. As you are aware, you will be heading into your Fifth-Year when the term begins. Normally, this is a time to choose the House Prefects for Fifth-Year, Sixth-Year and the Head Boy and Head Girl. For the Gryffindor boys, Professor McGonagall recommended your name for Fifth-year Prefect. Just so you know, your friend, Ms Granger has been selected as the Fifth-Year Prefect for the girls.”

With trembling hands, Harry dug into the envelope and fished out a shiny Prefect Badge. Then, a thought struck him and he made up his mind. Putting the badge back in carefully and pushing the envelope away he said, “Professor Dumbledore, I am honoured. Truly flattered that you and Professor McGonagall hold me in such high regard. However, I am afraid that I must decline the position. Professor… There is a war coming, and if us demigods don’t act, Kronos could destroy the world. In between my classes, I plan to work even harder in my training if we have to stand a chance to stop the Titan army. Rita’s reports have been growing more and more worrisome. Professor, I mean no disrespect, but I’m not sure if I can accept the Prefect position at this point of time. Especially considering that I will also be juggling my OWLs as well.”

Dumbledore simply smiled, “No offence taken, Harry. While I am a little disappointed, I am pleased with such a mature answer. I understand what is at stake, and shall not burden you any further. Do you know any of your peers who would be worthy?”

Harry smiled back, “Professor… I think Ron could be a good candidate. I personally think that he has matured a lot in the few years that I’ve known him. I’m sure that he will do a good job as prefect.”

---

Suddenly, the Floo in Dumbledore’s fireplace lit up and Remus tumbled out. He looked pretty panicked and was panting hard. He looked up and saw a confused Dumbledore and Harry. He wheezed, “Apologies… I hope I’m not interrupting anything. There’s a slight emergency and we need your help. Madam Bones’ residence is under attack.”

Dumbledore shot to his feet, “Death Eaters? I thought they had all perished? And Barty Crouch Jr was also executed recently.”

Remus shook his head, “No… It’s a monster. That’s why we need Harry. It’s some kind of giant dog. Sirius and his Aurors are trying their best, and they are all holed up inside the manor. Last I heard, Madam Bones, her niece, a few friends are in the house and frightened out of their minds. Sirius is okay, but he’s lost two Aurors already.”

Harry also sprang to his feet, “Oh no! It’s a hellhound! Uncle Remus, take me there! I’ll take care of it!”

Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Notes:

Apologies for the delay, but I rewrote this chapter at least four times. Two of those times were because my laptop ran out of battery and switched off without me saving the document

Remus took some Floo powder and called out, “Bones Manor!”

After he disappeared in a sheet of green flame, Harry copied his actions and he also Flooed away. When he finally exited, he found himself standing in the fireplace of a relatively posh living room. Remus helped him out of the fireplace and the first thing he noticed was that the two of them were not alone.

Sirius and a handful of Aurors were standing on the far end of the living room. They were all clustered by the windows and the front door with their wands drawn. Sirius spotted him, “Harry? Oh brilliant! We’re in a bit of a pickle, kiddo. Can you help us out?”

One of his Aurors scoffed, “Really Black? This is your backup? Potter is just a kid. What can he do against that thing! Whatever it is.”

Sirius’ angry retort was cut off by a ear-splitting baying sound that had everyone covering their ears. A moment later, a large black shape flung itself against one of the windows with incredible force. Amazingly, the windows did not break, but the house shook violently from the impact.

Remus grit his teeth, “Damnit! I know Amelia has Unbreakable wards on the windows, but I’m not sure how long it will last.”

The Auror who spoke yelled, “I told you, Black, we should have called Cecil Lee!”

Remus snapped, “Lee works for the Werewolf Capture Unit! That thing’s not a werewolf! It’s bloody daylight you ninny!”

Harry ignored the argument and asked sharply, “Where’s everyone?”

Sirius pointed to his left, just as another tremor shook the manor, “I’ve told the Boss to stay in her study, especially since we’re dealing with an unknown enemy. Her niece and five of her friends are all in her bedroom upstairs. Third floor, second door to the right. They’re all terrified out of their minds.”

Harry immediately raced upstairs, arming himself with his bow and arrows as he bounded up the steps three at a time. He knocked on the door of what he assumed was Susan's bedroom, the frightened squeals inside confirmed their presence. Harry called out, “Susan! It’s me, Harry! I’m here to help!”

The door lock clicked and opened quickly. Next thing Harry knew, Susan Bones latched onto his arm and dragged him inside. Inside the room, he saw Hannah Abbott, Penny Haywood, Ernie MacMillan, Diego Caplan and Wayne Hopkins. All of them were up against the wall and cowering in fear. Susan stammered, “Harry? Why-why do you have a bow and arrow?”

He sighed, “Listen, I know how to deal with that thing. I can help.”

Hannah whimpered with tears in her eyes, “What do you mean, help? It’s a Grim! We’re all going to die! I just know it!”

Harry calmly said, “Hannah, it’s not a Grim. Listen, I promise I will explain everything, I just need to get rid of it first. That thing is a Hellhound.”

Diego stuttered, “A-A what?!”

They all clutched each other tighter when a third tremor shook the house and there was another blood-curdling howl. Then Harry went into battle mode and locked eyes with Susan, “What is the monster’s attack pattern?”

She took a deep breath and steeled herself before leading him to her bedroom window, “It’s been circling the manor and ramming into it frequently.”

Harry looked out and spotted the massive Hellhound pacing around and snarling. The damn thing was bigger than the one he fought at Hogwarts, though a little smaller than Mrs. O’Leary. It then stopped and sniffed in the air. Harry sidled up to the window and placed himself in front of Susan. He said, “Go join the others. I’ll handle him.”

The Hellhound spotted Harry with his arrow aimed and leaped towards him. However, it couldn’t quite reach him, and Harry let an arrow loose. The arrow struck the monster right on its foreleg shoulder, and it howled in pain.

It tried to leap at Harry and still failed to reach him. Harry let fly more arrows and practically turned it into a pincushion. However, the bleeding monster was still standing. He gnashed his teeth, “Tough little bugger, aren’t you? Fine… Plan B it is.”

He got rid of his bow and arrows and reached for his one earring. Turning it into a hunting knife, Harry climbed onto the ledge. Then he leaped out, earning screams from the girls. With his hunting knife brandished, he landed on the ground, tucking and rolling, before charging the beast. Both opponents raced towards each other, and the Hellhound leaped again. He ducked under the attack and swiped at its left rear paw.

The monster howled again and whirled around. He leaped back and just about managed to avoid its jaws. Harry then stabbed at the muzzle, but the Hellhound reared its head back. The opponents got some distance between them before charging at each other. The Hellhound pounced, and Harry tried to roll under it. Unfortunately, he was a touch too slow and it got a solid chomp on his leg and thrashed him around.

Then, Harry twisted around and broke free from its grip. He manoeuvred so that he landed right under monster’s ribcage. He stabbed upwards, aiming for the ribs, but the beast dissolved into shadow and re-appeared further away. Harry swore, “F**king Shadow-Travel! That’s just cheating!”

Fortunately, the monster’s movements began to slow down and become more sluggish. Harry had a much easier time recovering and dodging attacks. He raced forward and stuck his knife through its ribs, and with a pained howl, it dissolved into dust.

He could hear cheering from inside the manor, but waited outside to make sure that the Hellhound was the only threat. Finally, he slowly hobbled inside, where a white-faced Sirius and Remus hugged him tight. The former bit out, “Don’t ever scare us like that again. James and Lily would have haunted us for years if something happened to you.”

When they let go, Harry was knocked down by a giant group hug from his Hufflepuff year-mates. When they were hauled off of him, Remus went about bandaging him and feeding him some nectar. Just as Remus finished, Hecate suddenly popped into the living room, startling everyone. Susan was a little taken aback, “Professor Daly? What are you doing here?”

By then, everyone had gathered in the living room. Hecate decided to take the lead, “I had high hopes that this would stay secret for a few more years, but it looks like we have no choice. Everyone… There is something that you all need to know. The Wizarding World is not the only one that is hidden from non-magicals. There exists another hidden society and they are known as demigods. Demigods are the children of one of the Greek Gods and a mortal.”

Amelia Bones was gobsmacked, “How did you just Apparate in? I have Anti-Apparition wards up. Also, what do you mean by Gods?”

The disguised goddess nodded, “Indeed. As for your questions-”

Then she transformed into a more regal look, “I am Hecate! Greek Goddess of Magic, the Mist and Crossroads. You think any wards can be a match for the Goddess of Magic!”

As she spoke, she allowed her raw magical power to leak through. That was enough to force everyone on their knees. Amelia gulped and nervously asked, “Lady Hecate… Why show up now?”

She calmed down and spoke, “The demigod world is on the brink of a war. I fear that despite my best efforts, the Wizarding world would get dragged into it. Centuries ago, I created the Wizarding World because I wanted my own sect of followers. For too long, I have been negligent of the Wizarding World and it has had consequences. That is partly my fault because I had been too caught up in my jealousy of the Olympians and their power. I am just a minor Goddess compared to the main Olympian Gods.”

Harry sat up with a little help from Hannah, “Lady Hecate… I’m just wondering. How on earth did that monster show up? Do we have another demigod in our midst?”

There was a beat of silence and then she shook her head, “I am afraid not. I cannot sense any Godly blood, other than your own. I suspect that the monster must have wandered in while the wards around this property were down.”

At that observation, Madame Bones blushed, “Oh… right… I forgot I did that so that I could allow Susan’s friends to enter the property. And what do you mean by Harry Potter having Godly blood?”

Sirius fielded that one, “Back during the war with You-Know-Who and his Death-Eaters. Lily was hit with a curse that rendered her barren. They looked for Fertility Rituals, but they’re pretty rare. I tried to help out, but accidentally gave them an ancient Summoning Ritual. They performed it, and happened to summon Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. She helped Lily get pregnant, but the catch was that Artemis is also counted as Harry’s mother.”

Madam Bones asked, “So Harry is the only demigod wizard?”

Harry shook his head, “There are a few of us in the current generation. However, I know for a fact that the Founders of Hogwarts were also demigods.”

Everyone, except for Hecate, Sirius and Remus, stared at him in shock. Harry continued, “Godric Gryffindor was the son of Zeus, king of the Gods and lord of the Sky, Rowena Ravenclaw was the daughter of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. Helga Hufflepuff is the daughter of Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture and Harvest. Finally, Salazar Slytherin was the son of Hecate.”

The adults moved away to talk further, leaving the kids on their own.

---

Wayne emitted a low whistle, “Damn, bruv!”

Hannah suddenly blurted, “Is that why you’re so freaking ripped!”

The teenagers all turned to her in surprise. Then Susan had a Cheshire grin on her face, “Hannah Abbott you little minx! Is there something you care to share?”

Hannah’s face turned scarlet, “I-It’s not like that! You remember back in Third-Year when Gryffindor were facing Slytherin in Quidditch? Harry came to the hospital wing with a shoulder injury. Chiara and I were volunteering because Tracey Davis was at the game. Madam Pomfrey took off his shirt so that she could treat his shoulder. As Harry’s teammate Alicia put it, ‘Dang! And Katie gets a piece of prime beef like that? Lucky bitch!’”

Penny giggled, “Sure she did…”

Hannah squawked indignantly and suddenly grabbed the bottom of Harry’s T-shirt. He barely had time to meekly protest before she yanked the T-shirt up to reveal a firm-looking six-pack. There was dead silence from the kids and then Justin whistled, “Damn Harry… Way to make us feel inadequate. Are you sure you’re not the secret love child of Arnold Schwarzenegger?”

The other two boys sniggered as a Harry rolled his eyes. There was no response from the two girls, because they were staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths. He could have also sworn that he spotted a small thread of drool dribble from the corner of Susan’s mouth.

Hannah decided to get her revenge, “Susie… You’re drooling… And Penny? Don’t you have a boyfriend?”

That got the two girls to snap out of it. Penny Haywood turned up her nose and primly said, “Yes I do, but I can still appreciate a fit body. And considering that I heard that he beat six Slytherins with his bare hands… Hooo!!!”

She fanned herself, while Susan and Hannah tittered giddily. Diego grinned, “Well they probably deserved the arse-kicking.”

Hannah reached over and pat Penny’s head condescendingly, “Sure… Keep telling yourself that.”

Finally, Penny changed the subject. She asked Harry, “Umm… What was that giant dog thing? You called it a Hellhound”

He explained, “They are monsters that reside in the Underworld. That thing you saw when I attacked it, is called Shadow-Travel. Think of it as an advanced version of Apparition, but the drawback is that it takes a lot of energy. They’re not the only danger that demigods have to worry about, there are more. Lots more.”

Further explanations were cut short when Hecate returned and cleared her throat, “Mr. Potter. I think it would be best if I explain things. You still have a quest to resume.”

He froze and smacked his forehead, “Oh crumbs! I forgot about that! Beth is going to be worried sick!”

Harry hurried towards the fireplace, catching a small piece of ambrosia that Remus tossed at him. He grabbed some Floo powder and called out, “The Big House! Camp Half-Blood!”

---

When he emerged out of the fireplace, he was back in the familiar environment of the Big House. Chiron happened to be in the room, in his original form. He looked up from a large blueprint and his face lit up when he saw Harry, “Harry! I must say, it is truly wonderful to see you alive and well! I was afraid that something terrible had happened. Annabeth is in her cabin, I’ll ask someone to fetch her.”

He clopped away and moments later, Annabeth came barrelling in at top speed. Her arms were outstretched and she crashed into him in a massive hug. The girl began crying and babbling, “You absolute dummy! You and Percy will be the death of me someday! Stupid, reckless noble idiots, both of you.”

Harry awkwardly pat her back and she finally let go. She huffed, “I finally made my way to Hephaestus and told him what was happening. There’s still no sign of Percy. The mountain exploded, and I think it was Percy who did it.”

He quipped, “Well… They don’t call Poseidon, the Earthshaker, for nothing. Any word on Grover and Tyson?”

She shook her head, “Nothing yet. We just have to hope that they’ll be ok.”

A few days passed and there was still no sign from Percy. Finally, after two weeks, Chiron had no choice but to host a funeral. Annabeth reluctantly went for it, but Harry staunchly insisted that Percy was going to come back. The ceremony had barely started in the amphitheatre when Fleur Delacour spotted Harry in the distance. He was sprinting like a bat out of Tartarus, and sure enough, there was a familiar figure chasing after him. The older girl squealed loudly, “HE’S HERE! HE’S ALIVE!”

Heads snapped toward the direction that she was pointing, and there were collective gasps. A few Ares campers cursed, but Clarisse gave him a grudging nod of respect. As soon as Percy entered the amphitheatre, nearly everyone mobbed him, clapping his back or hugging him.

Annabeth stormed up to him, screaming, “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?”

She shoved several campers aside and hugged him fiercely. They stayed like that for nearly a minute before realising that she was making a scene. When they broke the hug, she exclaimed, “You Seaweed Brain! I-We thought you were dead! Whatever you did at Mount St. Helens, Harry got caught in the blast radius. He landed in freaking England! Where the Tartarus were you!?”

He sheepishly mumbled, “I er… I got lost.”

She yelled, “LOST? You’ve been missing for two weeks!”

Chiron cantered up, “Annabeth… Perhaps we should move this to a more private setting. The rest of you, back to your normal activities!”

Together, they went back to the Big House. Once inside, Percy gave them a watered-down version of his adventures. According to him, he was marooned on an island for a while and he spent some time recovering before Hephaestus found him and sent him back on a magic raft.

Annabeth had visibly calmed down, but Harry got the impression that that was not the full story. Then Percy dropped a bombshell, “I think I figured out what Hera meant. Talking to Hephaestus, he said something that gave me an idea. Said that the string works, but Theseus had a better guide, Princess Ariadne herself.”

Harry quipped, “Mate, I’m not sure if Ariadne is even alive. Also, they don’t teach Necromancy at Hogwarts. That’ll most likely get you branded as a Dark Lord.”

Percy fought down a snicker, “My point is, Ariadne was a mortal. To be precise, she was a clear-sighted mortal. Maybe if I ask my mom for help? Or… Hey Annabeth, you remember I told you about that girl Rachel? Ron’s cousin? We could use her help to navigate the maze if mom doesn’t agree.”

The girl’s jaw dropped, “Th-that’s crazy!”

However, Chiron looked thoughtful, “It is true about Theseus. Also, Harriet Tubman, daughter of Hermes used many mortals on her Underground Railroad for just this reason. But remember Annabeth, it is your quest and you decide if you need help.”

She agonised for a moment before saying, “I need a bit of time to think about this. I’ll be back.”

After she hurried out of the Big House, it was just Percy, Harry and Chiron. Percy looked a little confused, “Umm… okay… What did I do now?”

Chiron chuckled, “It hardly matters. Annabeth is very territorial about her friends, in case you haven’t noticed. She was quite worried about you. And now that you’re back, I think she suspects where you were marooned. Don't worry, we won’t dwell on your choices. You came back. That is what matters.”

Then a thought struck Percy, “What about Grover and Tyson? On the way to the amphitheatre, Harry told me about his adventure.”

Chiron nodded gravely, “Indeed… It is troubling that monsters are growing bolder and bolder. As for Grover and Tyson, there is still no word. Juniper is quite distressed. All of her branches are turning yellow. The Council of Cloven Elders have revoked Grover’s searcher’s licence in absentia. Assuming he comes back alive, they will force him into a shameful exile. Grover and Tyson are very resourceful, however. We can still hope.”

Seeing that Percy was about to blame himself, the centaur placated, “Now, now, Grover has his own destiny, and Tyson was brave to follow him. You have your empathy link, so you would know if Grover was in mortal danger. Do not fret.”

Then his face grew solemn, “Percy? There is something else. You remember our guest, Chris Rodriguez?”

Percy nodded, “Is he okay?”

Chiron was grim, “I’m afraid he’s much worse. He’s in the infirmary now, too weak to move. I had to order Clarisse back to her regular schedule, because she was at his bedside constantly. Harry has been relieving her on occasion. Mr. Rodriguez doesn’t respond to anything. He won’t take food or drink. None of my medicines help. He has simply lost the will to live.”

Percy shuddered and even Harry was serious. However, Chiron wasn’t done, “Additionally, Quintus has absconded. Happened a week before Harry arrived here. Juniper watched him head into the Labyrinth. It appears you two may have been right about him.”

Percy clenched a fist, “I think he’s a spy for Luke. Those scorpions came from a ranch run by Geryon, and Geryon has been supplying Kronos’ army. It cannot be a coincidence.”

Chiron let out a morose sigh, “So many betrayals. I had hoped Quintus would prove a friend. It seems my judgement was bad.”

Harry asked, “What about Mrs O’Leary?”

The centaur replied, “She is still in the arena, but will not allow anyone to approach. I did not have the heart to force her into a cage… or destroy her.”

Percy mused, “It’s kind of odd that Quintus would just leave her.”

Chiron shrugged, “As I said, Percy, we seem to have been wrong about him. Now, you should prepare yourself for the morning. You three still have much to do.”

---

The boys left the Big House and headed for the arena. As they stepped inside, the first thing that greeted them was an enormous black furry mound of sadness. However, Mrs. O’Leary soon spotted them and stopped chewing on a dummy’s head. With what they hoped was a joyful bark, she bounded towards the duo and began licking them enthusiastically from head to toe. Finally, she retreated, enough for the boys to recover and Percy to give her an extra gigantic dog treat. Then Harry turned into his Animagus form and bounded over to play with her. They chased each other around the arena for a while before Harry turned back.

Then they heard footsteps and turned to see Clarisse walk in with her sword and shield. She grunted, “You’re lucky she didn’t bite your head off. Came here to practise yesterday. Dog tried to chew me up. Still… she’s not going to keep me from practising.”

Percy hesitantly called out, “Hey Clarisse? Sorry about Chris. I hope he gets better.”

She didn’t say anything for a while, but viciously attacked a dummy. She shakily spoke, “Yeah, well. Sometimes things go wrong. Heroes get hurt. They… they die, and those damn monsters just keep coming back.”

Finally she looked at them, “Do me a favour. If you find Daedalus, don’t trust him. Don’t ask him for help. Just kill him. Because anybody who can make something like the Labyrinth, Percy? That person is evil. Plain evil. Practice time is over. From now on, it’s for real.”

The next morning, Harry glanced at Percy, who looked pretty freaked out. Annabeth soon joined them and she didn’t look any better. She breathed, “Had a dream about Nico and Bianca. They are back in the maze again, and I suspect Nico has been talking to Minos again.”

Harry grimaced, “That’s bad. I don’t trust Minos. Especially not after that stunt he tried to pull with Voldemort.”

Percy also said, “I had a dream about Luke. He said something about Quintus coming through for them and they have to reach some kind of arena. But that’s not the worst part. I believe they managed to find a lone half-blood wandering in the maze.”

Annabeth bit her lower lip, “Well… We have to hurry then. Also Percy? I’m still not completely sold on the idea of relying on a mortal. I mean, Rachel practically has no training, so she’ll be a liability. Also, I’m worried about your mom. On the other hand, we don’t have a choice, so we’ll go with your plan.”

The next day, after restocking their supplies, they went to the Big House to Floo to the Jackson household. Inside a fairly spacious house in New York, Sally Jackson was just sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee when her fireplace lit up. Apparently, Sirius managed to convince her to move to a small comfortable house in New York instead of an apartment. It also helped that the house had a fireplace to connect the Floo.

When she saw her son, she hugged Percy tight enough to rival Mrs Weasley. She cheered, “I told them you were all right.”

She sat them down at the table and insisted on whipping up a batch of her special blue chocolate-chip cookies. All the while, they filled her in on their quest and its current.

When Percy spoke about Geryon, she pretended to strangle him. She mock complained, “I can’t get him to clean his room, but he’ll clean a hundred tons of horse manure out of some monster’s stables!”

That prompted laughter from Harry and Annabeth. Then Sally let out a breath, “So, you wrecked Alcatraz Island, made Mount St Helens explode and displaced half a million people, but at least you’re all safe.”

Then she caught the looks on their faces, “So why are you three here? I don’t think this is a casual visit, is it?”

Annabeth sullenly said, “Percy has a ‘plan’.”

Percy took a deep breath and explained his idea. Sally frowned, “It sounds very dangerous. But it might work. For me though, my ability has gradually diminished. When I was younger it was easier. But, yes, I’ve always been able to see more than was good for me. It’s one of the things that caught your father’s attention, when we first met. Just be careful. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

Annabeth said shortly, “We’ll try, Mrs Jackson. Keeping your son safe is a big job, though.”

She folded her arms and glared out of the kitchen window. Sally glanced at the duo, “What’s going on with you two? Have you been fighting?”

There was dead silence, while Harry stayed out of it. She straightened up, “I see. Well, remember, Grover and Tyson are counting on you two.”

The trio chorused, “We know.”

Then she said, “So… this Rachel girl? Do you know how you can get in touch with her? I’m sure that when you bumped into her, you didn’t have a chance to exchange phone numbers.”

Harry perked up, “Lucky for us, I got a letter from Ron earlier at camp. Rachel is spending time with the Weasleys for a while. We can Floo to The Burrow and meet up with her.”

---

This time, they Flooed to the Weasley household. The first person to greet them was Mrs Weasley. She promptly greeted them in a patented Molly Weasley squeeze. She told them that the children were all outside, but would be coming back in shortly.

It didn’t take long before Ron was the first one in. He greeted Harry with a bro hug and gave Annabeth and Percy high fives. Harry asked, “Hey mate, is Rachel around? We kind of need her help with something.”

Just as he finished those words, Ginny entered the house, followed by Rachel. Ron called out, “Oi Ginny! Can we borrow Rachel for a bit?”

The teenager trotted up to them, brushing her hair with a blue plastic hair brush. She stuck out a free hand towards Harry and Annabeth, “Hi! I don’t think we’ve officially met! I’m Rachel Prewitt, though I also go by Rachel Dare. I’m their cousin. You said you needed my help?”

The trio led her away and she said, “So, you two must be Annabeth and Harry, right? Nice to meet you! I guess you two are demigods too? By the way Perce- Can I call you Perce? It would be horribly confusing because my cousin is also called Percy. Anyway, we’re not going to be attacked by monsters again, are we? Every time I’m around you, some monster attacks us.”

He sheepishly said, “Look, I’m sorry about the band room. I hope they didn’t kick you out or anything.”

She casually waved him off, “Nah. They asked me a lot of questions about you. I played dumb. Worst case scenario, I could have Obliviated them. I’ve graduated from Ilvermorny already, so I’m legally allowed to use magic.”

Annabeth cut in, “Okay, we’re getting off topic! We have a problem and Percy thinks that you can help us.”

The redhead blinked and slowly repeated, “You… need my help? MY help? I’m not even trained in the art of warfare, you twit! Heck! If I encountered a monster, I would probably run away screaming.”

Percy waved his hands frantically, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Don’t worry! You won’t have to fight! We just need you as a guide.”

He filled her in on the mythos of the Labyrinth and the need to find Daedalus. She blankly looked at the three of them before happily chirping, “Ok! I’m in!”

Annabeth was taken aback, “Just like that?”

“Yep! My summer was going to be boring, apart from my visits here to The Burrow. This is the best offer I’ve had yet. So what do I look for?”

Annabeth explained, “We have to find an entrance to the Labyrinth. There’s an entrance at Camp Half-Blood, but I’m not sure if you’ll be able to access it. You are technically part of Hecate’s community, but will the camp borders allow you through?”

Harry spoke up, “I have a better idea. There’s another entrance, which is located at Hogwarts. Specifically in the Chamber of Secrets.”

Rachel’s head whipped towards him in awe, “The Chamber is real? When I was younger, Aunt Molly used to talk about it and insisted that it was just a rumour.”

She scrambled to her feet, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go! I always wanted to go to Hogwarts.”

Once again, they used the Floo and ended up in the Headmaster’s Office. From there, they headed towards the Second-Floor girl’s toilet. Myrtle was nowhere to be seen, but the bathroom was still the same as the last time Harry saw it. Rachel pulled a disgusted face, “Ugh! The entrance to this Chamber of Secrets is in a girls’ washroom? Was the person who created it, a freaking pervert?!”

Annabeth looked equally disgusted, while Percy was uncomfortable with the topic and wisely decided not to comment. Harry spoke in Parseltongue to activate the sink and one-by-one, they jumped into the yawning hole. Rachel nearly screamed when she saw the snake skin, and then again when she saw the beheaded skeleton of the Basilisk. She stammered, “What the hell is that thing?!”

Harry replied a little too nonchalantly, “A Basilisk. I killed it when I was 12.”

Annabeth ignored the sputtering Rachel and approached the life-sized bust of Salazar Slytherin. She pressed a certain spot on the forehead and a faint blue Delta symbol began to brighten. The bust’s mouth opened wide enough for a person to crawl through.

Taking a deep breath, Annabeth crawled inside, followed by the others. Sure enough, they were back in the familiar Labyrinth. Rachel gulped, “Whew! Okay… I can do this. I can so do this.”

She took a flashlight from Percy and lead the way through the tunnel.

Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Barely a few metres down the tunnel, they got their first jump-scare. Rounding a corner, Rachel nearly screamed when her flashlight illuminated a giant grinning skeleton. The corpse was two and a half metres tall and clearly not human. It had been strung up, chained by its wrists and ankles so it made a kind of giant X over the tunnel. Percy felt very uneasy when he spotted one hollow eye socket in the centre of its skull.

Annabeth murmured, “A Cyclops. If I had to guess, it’s a wild one and very old. Don’t worry.”

She placed a subtle emphasis on ‘wild’, which appeared to calm Percy down a little. The group forged ahead, with three of them trying not to worry about a certain Cyclops that they knew, or his satyr companion.

After 15 metres, they came to a crossroads. The path leading to the right were made from ancient marble slabs. The path leading in the other direction was made of earth and tree roots.

Percy pointed left, “That looks like the path that Tyson and Grover took.”

Annabeth agreed, but said, “Yeah, but the architecture to the right – those old stones – that’s more likely to lead to an ancient part of the maze, towards Daedalus’ workshop.”

Rachel consulted with Harry and he performed a ‘Point Me’ spell with his wand, which pointed straight ahead. The redhead nodded firmly, “I thought as much. We need to go straight.”

Annabeth looked at her doubtfully, “Are you sure? How can you tell?”

Rachel insisted, “There’s a brightness there. Very faint. But forward is the correct way. To the left, further down the tunnel, those tree roots are moving like feelers. That sounds disturbingly like Devil’s Snare, which is an automatic Hell No! from me. To the right, there’s a trap about seven metres down. Holes in the walls, maybe for spikes. I don’t think we should risk it in an Indiana Jones-style adventure.”

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other and had a silent argument. Finally, Percy said, “Okay… Forward it is.”

Annabeth didn’t look like she was fond of the decision, but followed anyway. They walked together down the brick corridor. It twisted and turned, but there were no more side tunnels. However, the tunnel seemed to be angling down, heading deeper underground.

Just then, Annabeth sidled up to Rachel. She casually said, “Hey Rachel, I was just curious about why you signed up on this quest. I mean, it will be dangerous, if that Cyclops skeleton is any indication. Won’t your parents be worried?”

Rachel shrugged nonchalantly, “Well… Mum might go spare and potentially lead a man hunt. However, I know that Aunt Molly trusts Harry to keep me safe, so she can calm her down. Dad on the other hand… I could be gone for a week and he would never even notice.”

At that moment, Annabeth’s attitude towards Rachel changed a little bit. Strained parental relationships was something that she could understand and sympathise with. However, her attempt to get to know the other girl was cut off by a noise in the distance. Instantly, the three demigods entered a formation. Annabeth and Harry positioned themselves in front of Rachel, Percy protected the rear. Harry also turned his wand back into a sword and instructed Rachel to hide her own wand.

Then, there was a set of giant footsteps which began heading in their direction. Rachel trembled, “O-okay… That sounds big… Can we run for it now?”

The trio exchanged glances and came to the same conclusion, “Run”.

Everyone turned and fled back the way they came, but they barely made it a few metres before they encountered trouble. Two dracaenae cornered the group with javelins aimed. Standing between them was an empousa dressed as a cheerleader.

She promptly pounced on a terrified Rachel held her by the neck before any of them could react. She purred, “Taking your little pet for a walk? They’re such fragile things, mortals. So easy to break.”

As she spoke, the footsteps behind them grew louder and louder. Then from the gloom, a three-metre-tall Laistrygonian giant with red eyes and fangs, emerged. He licked his chops before grunting, “Can I eat them?”

The empousa who introduced herself as Kelli chided the giant, “No. Your master will want these. They will provide a great deal of entertainment. Now march, half-bloods. Or you all die here, starting with the redhead.”

The group were frog-marched down the tunnel, going in the original direction. Up ahead, there was a set of large metal doors that stood three and a half metre tall. Emblazoned on the doors was a symbol of a pair of crossed swords. One dracaena hissed gleefully, “Oh, yes. You’ll be very popular with our host.”

Percy asked, “Who’s your host?”

She hissed in laughter, “Oh, you’ll see. You’ll get along famously. He’s your brother, after all.”

That threw Percy off guard, and that allowed the giant to barge past and opened the doors. Annabeth’s knife and Harry’s sword were confiscated, as was Percy’s sword. The giant then turned back and picked up Annabeth and Harry like they were kittens. Kelli the empousa giggled mirthfully as she continued to keep Rachel hostage.

She purred, “Go on, Percy. Entertain us. We’ll wait here with your friends to make sure you behave.”

The dracaena forced Percy through the doorway onto a floor leading to an arena. It wasn’t quite as large as the Colosseum in Rome, but it was still fairly spacious, despite being underground. In the centre of the arena, a fight was going on between a giant and a centaur.

The centaur was terrified out of his mind, but tried to put on a brave face. It galloped around his enemy, using a sword and shield, meanwhile the giant was wielding a large javelin, and all the while, the crowd cheered raucously.

The first tier of seats was four metres above the arena floor. Plain stone benches wrapped all the way around, and every seat was full. There were giants, dracaenae, demigods, telkhines and other strange creatures.

However, the most unnerving feature of the venue was that it was decorated with skulls. From ringing the edge of the railing to metre-high piles on the steps between the benches. They grinned from pikes at the back of the stands and hung on chains from the ceiling like horrible chandeliers.

Proudly displayed on the spectator wall, was a sea-green banner with the trident of Poseidon in the centre. The sight of it, clearly freaked Percy out, but then he spotted a familiar figure. Luke Castellan was in a sort of VIP box, sitting as a guest of honour. The traitorous son of Hermes spotted the group and smiled coldly.

He wore camouflage combat trousers, a white T-shirt and a bronze breastplate. Oddly enough, his sword was absent. Next to him sat a large giant, much larger than the one fighting the centaur. The seated giant wore only a loincloth, like a sumo wrestler. His skin was dark red and tattooed with blue wave designs.

---

Just then, with a cry, the centaur crashed onto the arena floor. He looked around pleadingly, and Percy badly wanted to do something. As the centaur struggled to get to his feet, the giant approached while lazily brandishing his javelin.

The dracaena hissed in Percy’s ear, “If you value your friends’ lives, you won’t interfere. This isn’t your fight. Wait your turn.”

With an agonised cry, the centaur fell back down, as he broke one of his legs. The giant planted a huge meaty foot on the horseman’s chest and raised the javelin. He looked up at Luke and the unknown giant. The crowd cheered, ‘DEATH! DEATH!’

Luke didn’t move, but his companion rose from his seat. He shot a feral smile down at the centaur, who whimpered, “Please! No!”

Then the giant thrust out a clenched fist with his thumb pointing sideways. A moment later, he tilted his hand and gave the ‘thumbs down’ sign. On cue, the gladiator giant thrust his javelin, and the centaur was dead. The corpse disintegrated to ashes, leaving behind a single hoof. The giant seized the hoof as a trophy and triumphantly brandished it to the crowd, who burst into cheers.

On the back of the reception, the giant strutted out of the arena. Up in the VIP box, the giant bellowed, “Good entertainment! But nothing I haven’t seen before, and I grow tired of it. What else do you have, Luke, son of Hermes?”

Luke’s jaw tightened, evidently showing that his hatred for his father was still at an all-time high. However, he rose calmly to his feet and spoke, “Lord Antaeus. You have been an excellent host! We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favour of passing through your territory.”

Antaeus growled, “A favour I have yet to grant. I want entertainment!’

Luke spotted the scowling prisoners and grinned, “I believe I have something better than centaurs to fight in your arena now. I have a brother of yours. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.”

As the crowd began to jeer and pelt rocks, Antaeus sat up with an interested look on his face. He said giddily, “A son of Poseidon? Then he should fight well! Or die well!”

Luke bowed and smoothly said, “If his death pleases you. Will you let our armies cross your territory?”

Antaeus absently replied, “Perhaps!”

Then he focused on Harry, “What about that one? I sense some power in him, rivalling my brother.”

Luke grinned, “Oh yes! Meet Harry Potter, the Firstborn son of Artemis.”

Antaeus matched his grin, “Now, you have my attention. It’s been centuries since I’ve seen a Firstborn in action.”

Annabeth yelled, “Luke! Stop this. Let us go!”

Luke did a double-take, “Annabeth?”

Antaeus flippantly said, “Enough time for the females to fight afterwards ‘First, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter, what weapons will you choose?”

The dracaenae pushed both boys into the middle of the arena. Percy asked, “How are you a son of Poseidon?”

Antaeus boasted, “I am his favourite son! Behold, my temple to the Earthshaker, built from the skulls of all those I’ve killed in his name! Your skull shall join them!”

Annabeth could not help screaming, “Percy! Harry! His mother is Gaia! He-”

Any further response was cut off by the Laistrygonian who clamped his giant meaty hand over her mouth. That got Harry thinking, while Percy yelled at his deranged brother, “You’re crazy, Antaeus. If you think this is a good tribute, you know nothing about Poseidon.”

The audience booed loudly and pelted stones at the boys. However, Antaeus simply raised a hand to quieten them. He repeated louder, “Weapons. And then we will see how you die. Will you have axes? Shields? Nets? Flamethrowers?”

Percy grinned, “My sword.”

Harry also cheekily replied, “Bow and arrows.”

The audience laughed at them, which quickly died down in shock when Riptide appeared in Percy’s hand. At the same time, Harry took off his rings, which were still on him, and turned them into his bow and arrows.

Antaeus was unfazed, and simply boomed, “Round One! Fight!”

The gates opened, and a dracaena slithered out. She had a trident in one hand and a weighted net in the other – classic gladiator style. Harry and Percy glanced at each other as they got ready. Harry asked, “Do you want to take her, or should I?”

Percy smirked, “All yours, dude.”

He retreated to one end of the arena, leaving Harry with the dracaena. She slithered forward and jabbed at Harry, but he dodged and backed away. He fired a bunch of arrows at her, some of which, she swept away with the trident. Up until then, the crowd was egging on the monster. She jabbed again, and this time he rolled to the side and fired an arrow through a chink in her armour. With a painful wail, she vaporized into nothing, and the cheering of the crowd died.

Antaeus bellowed, “Too fast! You must wait for the kill. Only I give that order.”

Luke whistled appreciatively, “Damn Harry! You’re quick!”

Then Antaeus yelled, “Round two! And slower this time! More entertainment! Wait for my call before killing anybody, OR ELSE!”

This time, a Telkhine exited the gates and prepared to attack. Percy dominated the monster, but just to be impertinent, executed the creature before Antaeus could give the word. The giant was once again fuming, but managed to calm himself and signalled for the gates to open again.

The third opponent was a young demigod, who looked to be around sixteen. He had glossy black hair, and his left eye was covered with an eye patch. He was thin and wiry so his Greek armour hung on him loosely. The demigod stabbed his sword into the ground, adjusted his shield straps and pulled on his horsehair helmet.

Harry and Percy looked at each other, debating on what to do next. Percy gave him a look, suggesting that he had it handled. He approached the unknown teenager, “Who are you?”

The guy replied shortly, “Ethan Nakamura, I have to kill you.”

A monster bellowed from the audience, “Hey! Stop talking and fight already!”

Other monsters began to chant, as Ethan said, “I have to prove myself. Only way to join up.”

Then he charged, and Percy retaliated immediately. Percy really did not want to fight to entertain, but Ethan was not giving him much choice. All the while, the crowd began to cheer wildly. The boy was good, especially with making up for his lack of an eye.

Then the monsters began baying for blood, and Ethan glanced at the stands. This was all that Percy needed to take advantage of. Ethan charged forward with a war cry, and Percy switched to defence. Even without a shield, Percy was able to defend, as Ethan was dressed for defence. In other words, Percy was lighter and faster on his feet.

Finally Ethan made a mistake by trying to attack Percy’s stomach. The son of Poseidon trapped his sword hilt and twisted. His sword dropped into the dirt. Before he could recover Percy slammed the butt of Riptide into his helmet and pushed him down. At that moment, the heavy armour became a hindrance for Ethan. He fell on his back, dazed and tired, and Percy put the tip of his sword on his opponent’s chest.

Ethan grunted, “Fine… I lost… Just get it over with.”

Up in the VIP box, a scowling Antaeus gave a thumbs down. Ethan resigned himself to his fate, but then heard a sound of a sword being sheathed. He looked up in surprise as Percy bluntly said, “Forget about it.”

Ethan groaned, “Don’t be a fool. They’ll just kill us both.’

An enraged Antaeus roared, “No one dishonours the games! Your heads shall both be tributes to Poseidon!”

Percy glanced at Ethan, “When you see your chance, run.”

Turning  back to his deranged brother, Percy yelled, “Why don’t you fight me yourself? If you’ve got Dad’s favour, come down here and prove it!”

---

As soon as he finished those words, he realised that he had set a trap for Antaeus. With the surrounding monsters grumbling in the stands, Antaeus knew that he had no choice. He couldn’t say no, not without looking like a coward.

So he got up from his seat and boasted, “I am the greatest wrestler in the world, boy. I have been wrestling since the first pankration!”

In the corner of the arena, Harry muttered to himself, “Yeah, and I single-handedly thrashed six Seventh-Year Slytherins with my pankration skills.”

Percy blanked, “Pankration?”

Harry helpfully called out, “Think ancient mix martial arts, mate! Though you can use weapons here.”

Ethan also supplied, “He’s right. You are fighting to the death. No rules, no holds barred. It used to be an Olympic sport.”

Percy pointed his sword at Antaeus, “Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die. Swear upon the River Styx!”

Harry raised some appreciative eyebrows, “Good call, mate.”

Antaeus let out a belly laugh, “This shouldn’t take long. I swear to your terms!”

He leaped into the arena, as Harry and Ethan evacuated. Antaeus cracked his knuckles in anticipation and grinned, “Weapons?”

Percy gestured to his sword, and Antaeus wiggled his meaty fingers. He boasted, “I don’t need anything else! Master Luke, you will referee this one.”

Luke smirked, “With pleasure!”

Then, Antaeus suddenly lunged, but Percy managed to dodge in time. He rolled under the giant’s legs and stabbed him in the back of his thigh. Antaeus howled in pain and anger, and staggered. However, where blood should’ve come out, there was a spout of sand. It spilled to the ground, and the earth rose up to collect around his leg, almost like a cast. When it fell away, the wound was gone.

The newly healed giant charged again, but Percy was ready once again. He dodged sideways and stabbed him under the arm. Riptide’s blade was buried to the hilt in his ribs. Unfortunately, it was wrenched out of his hand when the giant turned, and the momentum flung Percy across the arena, without a weapon.

Instead of disintegrating, Antaeus grit his wavy teeth and pulled out the sword before chucking it away. More sand poured from the wound, but again the earth rose up to cover him. Dirt coated his body all the way to his shoulders. As soon as the dirt spilled away, Antaeus was fine.

The giant gloated, “Now you see why I never lose, demigod! Come here and let me crush you. I’ll make it quick!”

Then it struck him, what Annabeth was trying to say. With a new plan. In mind, Percy tried to skirt around his opponent. He was blocked every time and it looked like he was cornered.

Antaeus taunted, “Puny boy. Not a worthy son of the sea god!”

Percy ignored him and looked above, where he saw chains hanging from the ceiling, dangling the skulls of his enemies on hooks. Suddenly a ghost of an idea began forming in his head.

Unknown to Antaeus, Riptide returned to Percy’s back pocket. With his sword back, Percy implemented his plan. He charged straight ahead, crouching low so that it looked like he was going to roll between Antaeus’ legs again.

The monster took the bait and stooped, ready to catch. At the last moment, Percy jumped in the air, kicking off his forearm, scrambling up his shoulder like it was a ladder, placing a shoe on his head. Naturally, Antaeus indignantly straightened up and exclaimed in annoyance. Percy used the momentum to push off, using his force to catapult him towards the ceiling.

He caught the top of a chain and wrapped his legs around it like in gym class. With the help of Riptide, he sawed off an adjacent chain. Antaeus’ arms flailed as he desperately tried to grab his opponent, but Percy was out of reach. He howled, “Come down here, coward!”

Percy sassed, “Come up and get me! Or are you too slow and fat?”

Antaeus made another grab, and managed to latch onto a dangling chain. He struggled to heave himself up to reach Percy’s level and get to him. All the while, Percy was on the move himself, as he attempted to hook Antaeus. It took a couple of tries but the hook managed to catch Antaeus’ loincloth.

The giant flailed before grabbing onto some other chains to avoid flipping upside-down. From there, he tried to get back onto the ground, but got a bit tangled up. All the while, Percy swung on the chains and began slashing away. Within a couple of minutes the giant was suspended above the ground, hopelessly snarled in chains and hooks.

He angrily demanded, “Get me down!”

Luke also yelled, “Free him! He is our host!”

Back on the ground, Percy grinned, “Don’t worry! I’ll free him alright.”

Uncapping his sword, he stabbed Antaeus in the gut. He bellowed in pain, and sand poured out. Unfortunately for him, he was too far up to touch the earth, and the dirt did not rise to help him. Antaeus just dissolved, pouring out bit by bit, until there was nothing left but empty swinging chains, a really big loincloth on a hook and a bunch of grinning skulls.

Enraged, Luke yelled, “Jackson! I should have killed you long ago!”

Percy shot back, “You tried. Let us go, Luke. We had a sworn agreement with Antaeus. I’m the winner.”

He grinned maliciously, “Antaeus is dead. His oath dies with him. But since I’m feeling merciful today, I’ll have you killed quickly.”

Harry yelled from his corner, “Oi! Offside! Foul! Unsporting! I call bullshit!”

Luke ignored him and pointed at Annabeth with his voice hitching slightly. He said, “Spare the girl. I would speak to her before – before our great triumph.”

Several monsters snarled and got up, ready to pounce on the three boys.

---

Just then, Harry felt a cold burning sensation in his back pocket. Immediately he remembered the dog whistle that Quintus gave him. At first, he was loath to use it, as Quintus’ loyalty was spotty at most. However, looking at all the monsters arming themselves, he realised that there was no choice.

He re-joined Percy, along with Ethan. Then he dug out the whistle and blew. Luke jeered, “What’s that supposed to do?”

A few seconds later, he got his answer. The Laistrygonian giant guarding Annabeth and Rachel suddenly yelped in surprise as he was sent flying into the far wall. A deafening bark drowned out Kelli the empousa’s scream. Before anyone could react, a giant 200-pound black mastiff bounded inside the arena and grabbed the empousa in its mouth. Kelli was tossed in the air before landing on Luke’s lap.

After enjoying Mrs. O’Leary’s sudden brand of chaos, Harry whistled again. This time he did it normally and she bounded towards him. She stood expectantly and Harry rushed forward and clambered onto her back. Percy looked at him as if he was crazy, but clambered on. Ethan also hesitantly clambered on.

While all this was going on, Annabeth and Rachel managed to escape and join Harry. Rachel was freaking out and had to be helped up by Annabeth. The daughter of Athena managed to rescue Harry’s sword and returned it to its owner.

Clutching tightly onto the Hellhound’s fur, they braced themselves as Mrs. O’Leary made a quick exit. Rachel calmed down after they exited the arena and then tapped Harry’s shoulder, “We need to go that way!”

From her position behind Percy, Annabeth eyed her warily, “How can we trust you? You led us straight into that death trap.”

Rachel sighed, “Look… I don’t know why myself, but apparently, that was the place where we needed to go.”

---

Harry let her take over the navigation as their Hellhound taxi bounded around corners and Rachel guided her through crossroads. Eventually, she slowed down and stopped at a room the size of a gymnasium, with old marble columns holding up the roof.

Ethan hopped off immediately and staggered away, trying not to throw up. He took off his helmet and wheezed, “You people are freaking crazy!”

Annabeth gasped, “I remember you! You were one of the undetermined kids in Hermes cabin, years ago.”

He glared at her. “Yeah, and you’re Annabeth. I remember.”

She stammered, “What – what happened to your eye?”

He stayed silent and she changed the subject, “Alright, sorry. Touchy subject. Why were you trying to join up on the wrong side?”

He snapped, “‘There’s no right side. The gods never cared about us. Why shouldn’t I –“

She pointed back, “-Sign up with an army that makes you fight to the death for entertainment? Gee, I wonder.”

He began to step away, “I’m not going to argue with you. Thanks for the help, but I’m getting the hell out of here.”

Percy said, “We’re going to find Daedalus. Come with us. Once we get through, you’d be welcome back at camp.”

Ethan shot back, “You really are crazy if you think Daedalus will help you.”

Annabeth stubbornly said, “He has to. We’ll make him listen.”

The one-eyed teenager snorted, “Yeah, well. Good luck with that.”

He was about to leave when Harry exclaimed, “Oi! You’re just going to head off alone into the maze? That’s suicide. We can take you back.”

He hesitated and then glowered, “You two should not have spared me. Mercy has no place in this war.”

With that, he plunged back into the darkness. The four remaining people elected to camp out in the room. Mrs. O’Leary gave Harry and Percy one last bath before Shadow-Travelling away. The quartet started a campfire and sat around it in silence.

Annabeth contemplatively poked the fire with her knife. She murmured, “Something was wrong with Luke. Did you notice the way he was acting?”

Percy wanted to say something, but Harry shot him a warning look. Annabeth continued, “He looked… I don’t know… nervous. He told his monsters to spare me. He wanted to tell me something.”

Harry replied, “Who knows… Maybe one day we’ll find out.”

Rachel was ignoring the group and doodling on the ground with a stick. Annabeth turned to her and snarked, “So which way now, Sacagawea?”

Rachel simply responded, “I can see the brightness of the path. We should continue to follow that.”

Annabeth deadpanned, “That same brightness that led us straight into a trap?”

Percy snapped, “Hey! Lay off her, will you! She’s doing the best she can.”

The blonde shot to her feet, “Listen, the fire’s getting low. I’ll go look for some scraps, while you guys talk strategy.”

She marched away, and Harry got up to follow her. He caught up to her, “Hey! Beth! You alright mate?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then began to vent. She babbled, “Ughhh! That Percy! She’s not even a demigod! She doesn’t understand a damn thing. That girl could have gotten us all killed! Why does he still trust her with his life even after all that she’s done?”

It dawned on Harry, “You’re jealous of her, aren’t you? You think that they might have a thing for each other? Don’t bother denying it, I can see it written all over your face.”

She gaped, “H-h-How!?”

Harry shot her a wry grin, “Perks of being raised in an all-female household, mate. I can understand girls thought process better. Listen up… Are you two officially dating?”

She muttered, “I… er… I don’t know yet.”

Harry smiled and continued, “Because I don’t think Jackson is the cheating type. So what if they have a thing for each other? It’s not like you’ve staked a claim on him as his ‘girlfriend’. As far as Rachel is aware, you and Jackson are just really good friends. Obviously she’s going to try and shoot her shot. I suggest you just wait a little. Besides, she’s only going to stick around for this quest, and that’s it. Jackson’s known you for 3-4 years now, and if I’m not mistaken, they’ve only met last year, and that was by chance.”

He waited for a minute, “Have you calmed down now?”

She nodded firmly, “Yes… Now let’s go get that firewood.”

After a few minutes, the two of them reunited with Percy and Rachel. The redhead was curled up and seemingly asleep. They strengthened the fire before Annabeth insisted on taking first watch.

Harry was in a fit-full sleep when he was suddenly woken up by Rachel. The first thing he noticed was that the room was shaking. Annabeth had just shaken Percy awake when the boy exclaimed, “Tyson and Grover are in trouble!”

Annabeth attempted to calm him down, “We’ll find them Percy. We currently have our own problems. Earthquake.”

---

The four of them hastily packed up and bolted immediately. They scrambled towards the far tunnel, and just in time too. A column next to them groaned and buckled before toppling. No one stopped running as a hundred tons of marble crashed down behind them.

Eventually, the whole place stopped shaking and they slowed down. Rachel fished out her wand and lit it up. Harry also did the same with his wand as they led Percy and Annabeth. After a while, there was light up ahead, regular electric lighting.

Harry and Rachel shut off their wands and the girl pointed, “There!”

The quartet found themselves in a stainless steel hallway. Fluorescent lights glowed from the ceiling. The floor was a metal grate. Rachel moved forward eagerly, “We’re close! I can feel it!”

Annabeth followed her with an unhappy look on her face. She complained, “This is so wrong! The workshop should be in the oldest section of the maze. This can’t –”

Whatever she was going to say next, died in her throat. The four of them arrived at a set of metal double doors. Inscribed in the steel, at eye level, was a large blue Greek Delta.

Rachel triumphantly announced, “We’re here. Daedalus’s workshop.’

Annabeth pressed the symbol on the doors and they hissed open.

Percy quipped, “So much for ancient architecture.”

Annabeth scowled as they all walked inside. The first thing that struck them was daylight from a blazing sun shining through giant windows. The workshop was like an artist’s studio. Ten-metre ceilings and industrial lighting, polished stone floors and workbenches. A spiral staircase led up to a second-storey loft. Half a dozen easels displayed hand-drawn diagrams for buildings and weird machines.

Several laptop computers were scattered around on the tables. Glass jars of Greek fire lined one shelf. There were inventions, too – weird metal machines that looked bizarre. One was a bronze chair with a bunch of electrical wires attached to it. In another corner stood a human-sized metal egg.

Harry quipped as he saw the egg, “Blimey! That thing’s got to make the world’s biggest omelette!”

Annabeth glared at him, “Harry! That’s not funny!”

There was a grandfather clock that appeared to be made entirely of glass, so it’s inner workings were visible. Finally, hanging on the wall were several sets of bronze and silver wings.

An awestruck Annabeth murmured, “Di immortales. He’s a genius. Look at the curves on this building!”

Rachel was also in fangirl mode, “He’s an artist! These wings are amazing!”

Harry and Percy were still a bit alert. The same thought ran in their heads, This work space doesn’t look like a place that belongs to a man who was supposedly dead for centuries.

Outside the window, was the view of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. Wherever this place was, it was in the foothills, around 150 metres high. Percy asked aloud, “Where are we?”

They all jumped when a familiar voice said, “Colorado Springs. Welcome to the Garden of the Gods!”

Chapter 65

They whipped their heads around to see none other than Quintus casually leaning by the doorway. Annabeth was just about prevented from storming towards him, “You! What are you doing here? What have you done with Daedalus!”

Quintus simply shot her a wry smile, “Believe me, my dear girl. You don’t want to meet him.”

She snarled, “Look traitor… We didn’t fight a dragon woman, a three-bodied man, get ourselves blown up or escape a psychotic sphinx just to see you!. Now where is DAEDALUS!?”

He chortled a little as he calmly entered the work shop. Quintus said, “You think I’m an agent of Kronos? That I work for Luke?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, “Obviously! Why else would you betray us?”

He mused, “I have to commend you. You really are an intelligent girl. However, I hate to burst your bubble, but you are wrong. I work only for myself.”

Percy slowly went for his sword as he spoke, “Funny… We didn’t get that impression when Luke mentioned you earlier.”

Harry also piped up, “Geryon the rancher also mentioned that he knew you as well.”

He didn’t deny it, “Of course! I’ve been almost everywhere.”

Quintus casually strolled past everyone to stand in front of the giant window. He clasped his hands behind his back and mused, “The view changes from day to day. It’s always some place high up. Yesterday it was from a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. The day before that, there was a beautiful view of Lake Michigan. But it keeps coming back to the Garden of the Gods. I think the Labyrinth likes it here. A fitting name, I suppose.”

Percy exclaimed, “That can’t be real! That has to be an illusion!”

Rachel said in a small voice, “Actually… its real. We’re really in Colorado.”

Quintus noticed the redhead for the first time. He sounded impressed, “You have clear vision, don’t you? You remind me of a mortal girl I once knew. She was a princess who came to grief.”

Percy snapped, “Quit the games! What have you done with Daedalus?”

Quintus chuckled mirthfully, as if he knew a joke’s punchline that they hadn’t got yet. He said, “My dear boy, you need lessons from your friend about clarity. I am Daedalus!”

Percy was taken aback, “But… how! Correct me if I’m wrong but Daedalus is known for being an architect and an inventor. Not for being a sword-fighter.”

He replied, “I am all three. And a scholar. I also play basketball pretty well for a guy who didn’t start until he was two thousand years old. A real artist must be good at many things.”

Percy argued back, “But I’ve been having these dreams about him, and you look nothing like him.”

Then a horrible thought struck him, “Unless…”

Quintus grinned as he saw the drachma drop. Percy breathed out, “You’re an automaton. You made yourself a new body.”

Annabeth cut in, “Percy, that’s not possible. That – that can’t be an automaton.”

Quintus chuckled again, “Do you know what Quintus means, my dear children?”

“The fifth, in Latin. But –“

He told them, “This is my fifth body.”

The swordsman held out his forearm. He pressed his elbow and part of his wrist popped open – a rectangular hatch in his skin. Underneath, bronze gears whirred. Wires glowed.

Rachel was in awe, though Percy was a little creeped out. Annabeth breathed in horror, “You found a way to transfer your animus into a machine? That’s… not natural.”

He replied back, “Oh, I assure you, my dear, it’s still me. I’m still very much Daedalus. Our mother, Athena, makes sure I never forget that.”

He shifted the collar of his shirt to reveal a small brand on the base of his neck. Harry growled, “A murderer’s brand…”

Percy spoke up, “For your nephew, Perdix. You pushed him off the tower because of your petty jealousy.”

Quintus grit his teeth to keep himself from snapping, “I did not push him. I simply –“

Percy interrupted him, “Made him lose his balance. Let him die."

Quintus turned away and gazed out of the windows at the purple mountains. He spoke softly, “I regret what I did. I was angry and bitter. But I cannot take it back, and Athena never lets me forget. As Perdix died, she turned him into a small bird – a partridge. She branded the bird’s shape on my neck as a reminder. No matter what body I take, the brand always appears on my skin.”

Finally, Percy asked the million dollar question, “Okay then… You really are Daedalus. Why did you come to the camp? Why spy on us?”

He replied, “To see if your camp was worth saving. Luke had given me one side of the story. I prefer to get both sides of the story and come to my own conclusions. I talked to him several times, and I must say, he is quite persuasive.”

Annabeth persisted, “But now you’ve seen the camp! So you know we need your help. You can’t let Luke through the maze!”

The now-revealed Daedalus just sighed and set his sword on the work table. He wearily said, “The maze is no longer mine to control, Annabeth. I created it, yes. In fact, it is tied to my life force. But I have allowed it to live and grow on its own. That is the price I paid for privacy.”

Harry tilted his head in curiosity, “Privacy?”

The inventor nodded, “Aye… From the gods and death. I have been alive for two millennia, my dear, hiding from death.”

Percy was puzzled, “But I thought it was hard to hide from Hades. I mean, he has the Furies.”

Daedalus explained, ‘They do not know everything. Or see everything. You have encountered them, Percy. You know this is true. A clever man can hide quite a long time and I have buried myself very deep. Only my greatest enemy has kept after me, and even him I have thwarted.”

He turned to Harry, “You are aware of the Story of the Three Brothers, right? The youngest brother took the Cloak of Invisibility and used it to hide from Thanatos for a long time.”

Harry replied, “That’s true, but eventually, he reached a great age, took off the Cloak of Invisibility and greeted Death like an old friend. He never hid forever. By the way, how do you know that story?”

He smiled, “I’ve been in the Wizarding World before, many centuries ago. My sister Rowena came to me with three other demigods and asked me to help them build a school for witches and wizards. You think the four of them built the castle with their own hands? Sure, they had their magic, but I did most of the heavy lifting. I also helped build the Hogwarts Express that transports everyone to the school. Of course, I knew that the demigod world and the Wizarding World were not meant to know each other at the time, so the five of us swore to keep both worlds separate. Out of my respect for Rowena, Godric, Helga and Salazar, I kept my silence. I have not told Luke yet, nor do I plan to.”

Percy interrupted, “You mentioned your greatest enemy. You mean Minos, right?”

Daedalus nodded, “He hunts for me relentlessly. Now that he is a judge of the dead, he would like nothing better than for me to come before him so he can punish me for my crimes. After Cocalus’ daughters killed him, Minos’s ghost began torturing me in my dreams. He promised that he would hunt me down. I did the only thing I could. I retreated from the world completely. I descended into my Labyrinth. I decided this would be my ultimate accomplishment: I would cheat death.”

Annabeth sounded impressed, “And you did… For 2000 years.”

Just then, a loud bark echoed from the corridor. Moments later, Mrs. O’Leary bounded in noisily. She slobbered on the quartet of young heroes and then tackled an amused Daedalus with an enthusiastic leap.

Daedalus fondly scratched behind her ears. He said, “There is my old friend! My only companion all these long lonely years. Yes, the whistle worked. Harry, Percy, you both have good hearts. I knew Mrs O’Leary liked both of you, Harry especially. I wanted to help you. Perhaps I – I felt guilty, as well.”

Percy asked, “Guilty? About what?”

“That your quest would be in vain.”

Annabeth was also confused, “What do you mean? You can still help us. You have to! Give us Ariadne’s string so Luke can’t get it.”

He chuckled, “Ahh yes, the string. I told Luke that the eyes of a clear-sighted mortal are the best guide, but he did not trust me. He was so focused on the idea of a magical McGuffin. And the string works. It’s not as accurate as your mortal friend here, perhaps. But good enough. Good enough. Unfortunately, you are several hours too late. Luke already has it.”

A chill raced down the spines of the three demigods. Daedalus continued unabashed, “Kronos promised me freedom. Once Hades is overthrown, he will set me over the Underworld. I will reclaim my son Icarus. I will make things right with poor young Perdix. I will see Minos’s soul cast into Tartarus, where it cannot bother me again. And I will no longer have to run from death.”

Annabeth exploded, “That’s your brilliant idea? You’re going to let Luke destroy our camp, kill hundreds of demigods and then attack Olympus? You’re going to bring down the entire world so you can get what you want?”

With each word, her once hero worship of Daedalus, committed suicide. The man shrugged almost uncaringly, “Your cause is doomed, my dear. I saw that as soon as I began to work at your camp. There is no way you can hold back the might of Kronos. I am doing what I must, my dear. The offer was too sweet to refuse. I’m sorry.”

Annabeth was about to throw a fit, but Harry and Percy restrained her. Harry snarled, “We might not be able to hold back the might of Kronos, but at least we will die fighting. Not running away like a coward, like you.”

Shaking furiously in the boys’ grip, Annabeth blinked back angry tears and growled, “I used to respect you. You were my hero! You – you built amazing things. You solved problems. Now… I don’t know what you are. Children of Athena are supposed to be wise, not just clever. Maybe you are just a machine. You should have died two thousand years ago.”

---

Suddenly, Mrs O’Leary’s ears pricked up, and she stood on guard. Then the doors burst open and Nico and Bianca were frog-marched in, The siblings were in chains, and behind them was Kelli the empousa, followed by two Laistrygonian giants. Bringing up the rear, floated the smirking figure of King Minos.

He looked almost solid now – a pale bearded king with cold eyes and tendrils of Mist coiling off his robes. His eyes fixed on Daedalus and he grinned menacingly, “There you are, my old friend!”

Clenching his jaw, Daedalus glared accusingly at the empousa, “What is the meaning of this!”

She smiled sweetly at him, “Luke sends his compliments. He thought you might like to see your old employer, Minos.”

The inventor snapped, “This was not part of our agreement.’

Her smile got even bigger, “Oh, we know that. But we already have what we want from you, and we have other agreements to honour. Minos required something else from us, in order to turn over these fine young demigods. They’ll be quite useful. And all Minos asked in return was your head, old man.”

Daedalus paled, “Treachery.”

She shrugged nonchalantly, “Get used to it.”

The di Angelo siblings looked apologetic, “S-sorry guys. Minos told us that Voldemort escaped again and you were in danger. He convinced us to go back into the maze. He tricked all of us.”

Percy glared at Kelli, “Where’s Luke? Why isn’t he here?”

She shot him a sweet smile as well, “Luke is… busy. He is preparing for the assault. But don’t worry. We have more friends on the way. And in the meantime, I think I’ll have a wonderful snack!”

As she said that, she transformed into her vampiric form and prepared to strike. Rachel’s eyes darted around the room and then she whispered, ”The wings! Can you guys buy me some time?”

Percy drew his sword, Harry his arrows and Annabeth her knife. Percy and Annabeth charged towards Kelli, Mrs. O’Leary leaped to her master’s defence, while Harry went to free Nico and Bianca. Meanwhile, Rachel sneaked unnoticed towards the set of bronze wings.

Kelli slashed at Annabeth, but the blonde girl dodged. The demon was proving to be a nuisance, turning over tables, smashing inventions and wouldn’t let them get close. Mrs O’Leary began tearing through one of the giants, sometimes literally. Daedalus grabbed for his sword, but the second giant smashed the workbench with his fist, and the sword went flying. A clay jar of Greek fire broke on the floor and began to burn, green flames spreading quickly. Meanwhile, Harry managed to free the di Angelo siblings.

Minos laughed sinisterly, “To me! Spirits of the dead!”

Nico scrambled to his feet and drew his sword, Bianca stood next to him and pointed her wand. Minos chortled again, “Oh you young fools! You do not control me! All this time, I have been controlling you! Power! But it is not you or your sister who will gain power! It is I, as soon as I slay the inventor!”

Hundreds of spirits began assembling around Minos. Nico yelled, “We are the children of Hades! Begone!”

Minos laughed, “You have no power over me. I am the lord of spirits! The ghost king!”

Nico snarled, “No! I AM The Ghost King!”

He stabbed his black blade into the floor, and it cleaved through the stone like butter.

Minos’s form rippled and he wailed. “No! I will not –”

Bianca pointed her wand at him, the one that she won from Dumbledore. She yelled, “As for me! I am the Master of Death!”

The ground rumbled, The windows cracked and shattered to pieces, letting in a blast of fresh air. A fissure opened in the stone floor of the workshop. From Bianca's wand, a jet of light engulfed Minos and all his spirits, and they were all sucked into the void with a horrible wail.

In the hub-bub, Percy allowed himself to get distracted by the raw display of power. Kelli pounced on him and gloated, “You will taste wonderful! I always wanted to taste-”

Suddenly she gasped and her red eyes widened. Annabeth dug out her knife from the empousa’s back and quipped, “If you have to kill someone, kill them. Don’t just stand there talking about it.”

With an awful screech, Kelli exploded into yellow vapour. There was no time to recover, as Mrs. O’Leary and Daedalus were still fighting. More voices echoed in the tunnels, indicating that reinforcements were coming.

Rachel was rushing around, fitting coppery wings onto everyone. As they lined up by the window, which has been broken in the chaos, Percy yelled, “Daedalus! Come on!”

He hollered back, “I’m not leaving Mrs. O’Leary! Go!”

Reluctantly, they all clambered up the window and jumped out. Several of them were flailing about, but Harry quickly got used to the wings and was pulling off a few daring manoeuvres. Meanwhile, Annabeth was coaching everyone else through the impromptu flight.

Everyone gently soared in the air, and Percy peeked back to see Daedalus’ workshop billowing thick black smoke. Annabeth yelled, “We need to land! These wings won’t last forever, and I don’t want to find out its shelf life!”

The flock of six eventually landed, and not a moment too soon. The self-adhesive seals that bound the wings to their backs were already melting, and bronze feathers were being. shed. Sadly, the wings were not fixable, so they dumped them rather than have the mortals pilfer them.

When they tried to look back at the burning workshop, it had disappeared. No smoke, no broken windows, nothing. Annabeth mused, “It must have moved. There’s no telling where.”

Percy spoke up, “So how do we get back in the maze?”

She gazed at Pikes Peak pensively, “Maybe not. If Daedalus died… He said that his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. If he dies, the Labyrinth dies with him. Maybe that will stop Luke’s invasion.”

At that, Percy tried his hardest to not think about Tyson and Grover being in the Labyrinth when that happened. However, Nico and Bianca shook their heads, “He’s not dead. We know when people die. It’s hard to explain but we often get a feeling whenever someone dies.”

Percy had a little hope in his eyes, “What about Grover and Tyson?”

Bianca frowned, “That’s a little harder. That’s because they’re not human or demigod.”

Annabeth began to move, “Come on. Let’s get out of here. The sooner we can get back to camp, the better. We’re going to have to get back to the Labyrinth and find a way back home.”

---

Harry eyed Rachel, “What are you thinking? Knight Bus?”

She shook her head, “Too fast.”

Then the redhead grimaced and muttered, “I’m probably going to regret this.”

Aloud she said, “I have an idea.”

She lead then to a nearby parking lot and then stopped briefly. Harry joked, “You’re not seriously thinking of hot-wiring a car here, are you?”

She glared at him, “Don’t be silly! Now wait here.”

She trotted over to a big black Lexus parked near the edge of the lot. The driver was sitting in the car, wearing a suit and tie.

Rachel made her way over to the driver and spoke to him. He turned pale and hastily folded up his newspaper. The chauffeur nodded and fumbled for his cell phone. After a brief call, he opened the back door of the car for Rachel to get in. She pointed back in the group’s direction, and the driver bobbed his head obediently.

Harry whistled appreciatively, “Blimey! She’s good! Didn’t even have to use the Confundus Charm on him.”

As they piled in, it was clear that the car was pretty posh. The seats were leather. There was plenty of leg room. The back seat had flat-panel TVs built into the headrests and a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water, drinks and snacks.

The driver called out, “So, where to, Miss Dare?”

She replied, “I don’t know Robert. Can you just drive around town until I let you know when to stop.”

As they cruised down the road, Percy asked, “So how do you know this guy? He pretty much dropped everything to help you.”

She grimaced, but didn’t answer. There was nothing for a long time, but when they were just leaving Colorado Springs, Rachel sat up. She told Robert, “Hey, could you please get off the highway? I thought I saw something!”

The driver obeyed without question, even when she led him down a dirt path. They drove by a sign that read ‘Western Museum of Mining and Industry’. Rachel then asked Robert to drop them off by an old mine entrance. He asked, “Are you sure you’ll be alright? I’ll be happy to call-”

She cut him off, “No thanks, we’re fine.”

He reluctantly left them and she breathed out in relief. Thankfully, the museum was closed, so no one would bother them. Upon hiking to the entrance, Rachel pointed to a padlocked and chained door, and sure enough, the familiar glowing blue Delta was on it.

The moment Harry touched the padlock, the chains fell and they forced the door open. The dirt tunnels turned to stone. They wound around and split off and basically tried to confuse the group, but Rachel was not to be deterred. So much so that, she hardly even paused when the tunnels offered a choice.

Along the way, Annabeth asked, “You know… I still can’t figure out why that guy was willing to drop everything.”

There was silence from Rachel, and then she finally sighed, “Okay fine… I guess you deserve the truth. So you know that my mum is a Squib in Wizarding circles, right? Because of her status, her family was pretty pissed because they were Purebloods. Mum desperately wanted to please them, so one day she went and met this rich businessman, Warren Dare, even though he was non-Magical. It was sort of a whirlwind thing and they were soon married. Then I was born and had my bouts of accidental magic. Since dad’s pretty loaded, that’s how some of these chauffeurs know me.”

Harry piped up, “Does your dad know about magic?”

She shook her head, “That conversation never really came up, to be honest. Dad was practically married to his business. So mum kind of raised me on her own. Slowly, they kind of fell out and separated. Though I think now, Mum is going to divorce him soon.”

After a while, Nico spoke up, “You know… I was thinking. Minos was right about one thing. Daedalus should have died. No one can avoid death for that long, it’s unnatural.”

Bianca nodded, “Yeah… In a way, Daedalus’ fifth body is kind of like Voldemort’s Horcruxes. Though, how do we know that with each body, Daedalus didn’t start losing his sanity?”

They continued walking in silence for a while. Then Rachel stopped at a crossroads. One path led straight ahead, while a side path veered to the right. Annabeth asked, “Something wrong?”

The redhead stammered, “The-there’s something… wrong about this path.”

Then, a familiar smell hit Percy’s nostrils. He breathed, “Eucalyptus… Like in California…”

Rachel trembled, “There’s something evil down that tunnel. Something very powerful.”

Bianca ominously said, “And the smell of death.”

Annabeth guessed, “It’s probably Luke’s entrance. The one to Mount Othrys – the Titans’ palace.”

Percy drew his sword, “Guys… Stay here. I’ll go check it out.”

Annabeth shook her head, “No! I’m not leaving you!”

He protested, “Luke could be right there. Or Kronos. Its too dangerous for all of us. If they got hold of Nico or Bianca, or even Rachel, Kronos could take either take them hostage or kill them. Annabeth, Harry, you two stay and guard them.”

He caught Harry’s eye and the latter understood was what left unsaid. Percy was worried about what Annabeth would do if she saw Luke again. He was far too good at manipulating her and wrapping her around his finger. Even if Luke was clearly too far entrenched, she would still want to try and save him.

Annabeth stepped up, “At least take this… Be careful. If we think something is wrong, we’re coming after you, got it?”

He nodded and put on the cap, and then the agonising wait began.

---

This lasted for about 10 minutes before Annabeth began to fret and the group elected to take the path that Percy took. Near the exit, Harry and the others heard voices and they quickly hid. Bianca pulled out the Cloak of Invisibility and quickly spread it over the five of them.

Annabeth whispered to Harry, “I though the Cloak belonged to your dad, Harry.”

He murmured back, “Well, it did belong to Lord Hades first, so I figured, who better to have it than Bianca and Nico.”

As they sneaked under the cover of the cloak, they saw the speakers, a couple of telkhines. Right behind them was a familiar figure, Ethan Nakamura. The group were near the summit of Mount Tamalpais and entered a giant fortress. Inside the massive main hall, giant black marble statues lined up along the walls. At the end of the room on a dais was a three metre long open casket.

There was a sudden exclamation from one of the telkhines, as it rushed over to the open sarcophagus. It cried, “What has happened!”

The other demon warned, “Careful you fool! Perhaps he stirs. We must present the gifts now. Immediately!”

The two telkhines shuffled forward and knelt, holding up a wicked-looking scythe on its wrapping cloth. One said, “My lord, Your symbol of power is remade.”

There was dead silence.

“You fool,” the other telkhine grumbled. “He requires the half-blood first.”

Ethan back-pedalled, “Whoa, what do you mean, he requires me?”

The first telkhine hissed, “Don’t be a coward! He does not require your death. Only your allegiance. Pledge him your service. Renounce the gods. That is all.”

Somewhere to the hidden group’s left, a familiar voice yelled, “NO! Ethan, don’t!”

It was at that moment that Harry really wanted to strangle Percy Jackson. Said boy took off the baseball cap and pleaded, “Ethan, don’t listen to them. Help me destroy it.”

Ethan calmly turned towards Percy, his eye patch blending in with the shadows on his face. His expression was something like pity, “I told you not to spare me, Percy. ‘An eye for an eye.’ You ever hear that saying? I learned what it means the hard way – when I discovered my godly parent. I’m the child of Nemesis, Goddess of Revenge. And this is what I was made to do.”

He turned towards the dais and announced, “I renounce the gods! What have they ever done for me? I will see them destroyed. I will serve Kronos.”

The building rumbled. A wisp of blue light rose from the floor at Ethan Nakamura’s feet. It drifted towards the coffin and began to shimmer, like a cloud of pure energy. Then it descended into the sarcophagus.

Annabeth barely suppressed a gasp when Luke, of all people, sat bolt upright. His eyes opened, and they were no longer blue. They were golden, the same colour as the coffin. He leaped out of the coffin with ease, and where his feet touched the floor, the marble froze like craters of ice.

He looked at Ethan and the telkhines with those golden eyes, as if he were a new-born baby, not sure what he was seeing. Then he looked at Percy, and a smile of recognition crept across his mouth.

He spoke for the first time, and the voice made everyone’s skin crawl, “This body has been well prepared. Don’t you think so, Percy Jackson?”

He threw back his head and laughed, “Luke feared you. His jealousy and hatred have been powerful tools. It has kept him obedient. For that I thank you.”

Percy finally reacted, lunging and thrusting his blade straight at his chest. However, his skin deflected the blow like it was made of pure steel.

Underneath the cloak, Nico’s eyes widened and he whispered, “Holy… If he’s done what I think he’s done… That crazy son of a-”

Luke looked quite amused, he flicked his hand and Percy was sent flying to the other end of the room.

As Percy struggled to his feet, Luke grasped the handle of the scythe. He admired it, “Ah… much better. Backbiter, Luke called it. An appropriate name. Now that it is reforged completely, it shall indeed bite back.”

Percy groaned, “What have you done with Luke?”

Kronos in Luke’s body,  raised his scythe, “He serves me with his whole being, as I require. The difference is, he feared you, Percy Jackson. I do not.”

Percy tried to bolt, but he was responding far too slowly. Kronos casually approached and taunted, “Run little hero, run!”

The hidden group were also frozen, but fortunately, no one was looking in their direction. Suddenly, Rachel yanked off the cloak and yelled, “Percy!”

Before anyone could react, she flung her blue plastic hair brush at Kronos, nailing him in the eye. His exclamation of pain definitely sounded like Luke, and that distraction was enough for Percy to charge towards his friends.

A shell-shocked Annabeth just about squeaked, “Luke? What-”

She was cut off abruptly by Percy grabbing her shirt and dragging her away as fast as he could. The rest of them bolted away immediately. As they neared the Labyrinth entrance, Kronos bellowed, “AFTER THEM!”

---

As he ran, Nico clapped his hands together, causing a titanic jagged spire of rock to burst from the ground and barricade the front entrance of the palace. The tremor was enough to topple the front columns of the fortress.

No one stopped running, even after entering the Labyrinth. They kept running and it was a long time before exhaustion set in and they slowed down. At that moment, Annabeth crumpled to her knees and she was in tears.

Bianca moved over to comfort her and everyone was silent, save for her sobbing. Finally, she lifted her head, “What … what was wrong with Luke? What did they do to him?”

Percy shakily spoke, “When I went to investigate, I saw his body with a big hole in it. When Ethan pledged himself to Kronos’ service, the hole filled up and Kronos became whole.”

Annabeth looked even more distraught, “No! That can’t be true! He couldn’t. You saw when Rachel hit him, just for a second, he was dazed and came back to his senses.”

Percy was still doubtful, “I guess you’re right. But then again, Kronos probably hadn’t fully settled in his body.”

Then Annabeth got mad, “You want him to be evil! Is that it? You didn’t know him before, Percy. I did!”

Percy snapped, “What’s with you? Why do you keep defending him?!”

Rachel was going to interrupt, but Harry stopped her. Percy and Annabeth glared at each other for a bit, before turning away. Her lower lip trembled and she started sobbing again.

They stayed like that for a while, and then the di Angelo siblings got up. Bianca breathed, “Come on… We can’t stay here for too long. They’re bound to send more monsters after us.”

Reluctantly, everyone got up and began walking. Percy hesitantly walked up to Annabeth, “Hey… For the record… I’m sorry. If you never want to see me again, I’ll understand. I guess children of Poseidon and Athena were never supposed to get along.”

He was about to walk away, when she grabbed his hand. He turned and she took a deep breath, “No, I’m sorry. I-I’m alright. Listen… What you said about us... That’s not true… I was just angry. I don’t want to lose you too.”

They walked in silence for a while, when Harry froze in his tracks. Since he was leading the group, everyone else bumped into him. Percy’s heart crawled into his throat when he gazed in the direction that Harry was also staring at. Lying on the ground, lit up by Harry’s sword, was a crumpled red Rasta cap.

Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Percy scrambled for it, but Harry grabbed his arm, “Wait… Don’t touch it just yet. I have an idea.”

Percy was about to protest when Harry transformed into his dire wolf form and approached the cap. The son of Poseidon got the message and calmed down. Meanwhile, Rachel goggled at Harry, “You’re a freaking Animagus!? I am so jealous!”

Harry sniffed the Rasta cap and got the scent before indicating for Percy to pick it up. Harry turned and barked to make sure that everyone was following him. The scent took him towards the left and the others followed him. Nico hollered as he ran, “Shouldn’t we also warn the camp?”

Annabeth called back, “They’re our friends! We can’t just leave them!”

Harry continued leading them in his Animagus form. Once or twice, he stopped at a couple of crossroads and Percy came forward with the cap once again for the sniff test. Harry the dire wolf led the group around several twists and turns and crossroads. Then the floor started to turn wet and mushy, thanks to water dripping from stalactites.

Finally, they all slid down a slope which opened up into a large cave with an underground river running through it. Harry was the first to reach the bottom and took note of his surroundings. In the centre of the cavern, Tyson was cradling the fallen form of Grover. The Cyclops looked up to see Harry bounding towards them on all fours. He got up and rushed towards him with his meaty fists raised, yelling, “You leave my friend alone, you bad doggy!”

Harry immediately realised the danger that he was in, and transformed back to a human. Tyson froze, his fists stopping inches away from Harry’s noggin. Not long after, Percy and the others came sliding through. The boy was at Grover’s side immediately, “What happened?”

Tyson shivered, “So many things… Large snake, large dogs, men with swords. Then we came close to here, and Grover got really excited. He ran, yelling that we were close, and he fell when he reached this room.”

Percy knelt next to the unconscious satyr and shook him, “Grover, wake up dude.”

Moments later, the satyr groaned and then Annabeth splashed icy water in his face. He sputtered, “Wh-whoa! Percy? Annabeth? Where…”

The boy smiled, “You’re okay buddy. You just passed out. There’s something powerful nearby, and I can feel it.”

The two were quickly introduced to Rachel, before Harry and Annabeth carried Grover across the river. Percy was the only one dry, thanks to his affinity for water. The others were not so lucky, but Harry and Rachel solved that with Drying Charms and Heating Charms.

Annabeth took stock of her surroundings, “If I had to hazard a guess, we’re at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. I guess that explains last year.”

Percy quipped, “Huh… I guess the God of the Wild really likes Mexico.”

At the far end was the entrance to another cave, flanked by gigantic columns of crystal that looked like diamonds. Those crystal pillars loomed larger as the group walked closer to the entrance. To be frank, the closer the got, they could practically feel the power emanating from the next room. Half of the group had been in the presence of gods before, but this was different. Percy could attest that they felt really energised, like they had just had a good night’s sleep.

Meanwhile, Harry felt that this was a 100 times stronger than any Pepper-Up Potion. Then, Harry’s extra sensitive nose picked up a strong scent from the cave. Instead of smelling dank and wet, it smelled of trees and flowers and a warm summer day.

Everyone was speechless, save for Grover’s excited whimpers. When the group stepped inside the cave, the view was breath-taking. The walls glittered with multi-coloured. Around them, beautiful plants grew – giant orchids, star-shaped flowers, vines bursting with orange and purple berries that crept among the crystals. The cave floor was covered with a soft green carpet of moss.

Overhead, the ceiling was higher than a cathedral, sparkling like a galaxy of stars. In the centre of the cave stood a Roman-style bed, gilded wood shaped like a curly U, with velvet cushions. However, it was what was around the bed, that was strangest sight. Extinct animals lounged around the bed, all looking clearly alive. Among them was a dodo bird, a wolf and tiger hybrid, a huge rodent roaming behind the bed, and finally, picking berries with its trunk, was a woolly mammoth.

---

On the bed lay an old satyr. He watched the awestruck group as they approached, his eyes as blue as the sky. His curly hair was white and so was his pointed beard. Even the goat fur on his legs was frosted with grey. His horns were enormous – glossy brown and curved. Around his neck hung a set of reed pipes.

Grover and Harry immediately got on their knees and bowed. The younger satyr breathed reverently, “Lord Pan!”.

The others quickly copied their actions as the old satyr sat up. He smiled kindly, but there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes. Pan spoke, “Grover, my dear, brave satyr. I have waited a very long time for you.”

Grover stammered, “I… er… I got lost… My lord.”

Pan laughed. It was a wonderful sound, like the first breeze of springtime, filling the whole cavern with hope. The tiger-wolf sighed and rested his head on the god’s knee. The dodo bird pecked affectionately at the god’s hooves, making a strange sound in the back of its bill. It sounded like it was humming ‘It’s a Small World’. Meanwhile, the mammoth ambled over and curled its trunk around Harry’s waist in an affectionate hug, one that he returned.

When he stopped laughing, he began to look tired and his whole form shimmered, as if he was made of Mist. Pan smiled at Harry, “He likes you… Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised, given your heritage. I’m glad I got to see the day when Artemis finally had a child to call her own. As the mortals say, I can cross that off the bucket list.”

No one spoke, until the dodo bird broke the silence with its humming, Pan laughed again, “Oh Dede, my little actress…”

Annabeth exhaled, “This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen! It’s better than any building ever designed!”

He softly said, “I’m glad you like it, dear. It is one of the last wild places. My realm above is gone, I’m afraid. Only pockets remain. Tiny pieces of life. This one shall stay undisturbed … if only for a little longer.”

Grover begged, “My lord, please, you must come back with me! The Elders will never believe it! They’ll be overjoyed! You can save the wild!”

Pan placed his hand on Grover’s head and ruffled his curly hair. “You are so young, Grover. So good and true. I think I chose well.”

The younger satyr was puzzled, “Chose? I – I don’t understand, My lord.’

Pan’s image flickered, momentarily turning to smoke. The giant rodent scuttled under the bed with a terrified squeal. The woolly mammoth grunted nervously and tightened its hold on Harry. Dede stuck her head under her wing, and the tiger-wolf whined. Then Pan re-formed.

He morosely said, “I have slept many aeons. My dreams have been dark. I wake fitfully, and each time my waking is shorter. Now we are near the end.”

Grover’s eyes widened, “The end? Wait! You can’t mean-”

Pan interrupted him gently, “My dear satyr. I tried to tell the world, two thousand years ago. I announced it to Lysas, a satyr very much like you. He lived in Ephesos, and he tried to spread the word.”

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “The old story. A sailor passing by the coast of Ephesos heard a voice crying from the shore, “Tell them the great god Pan is dead.”

Grover cried, “But that wasn’t true!”

Pan smiled, “My dear satyr… Your kind never believed it. You sweet, stubborn satyrs refused to accept my passing. And I love you for that, but you all only delayed the inevitable. You only prolonged my long, painful passing, my dark twilight sleep. It must end.”

He pleaded, “But-”

“Please… You must accept the truth. Your companions Nico and Bianca, understand.”

Nico was sombre, “I do… Pan should have passed on long ago. This seems more like a memory.”

Grover protested, “But-but Gods can’t die.”

Pan nodded, “Indeed they can’t… But they can fade. When everything they stood for is gone. When they cease to have power, and their sacred places disappear. The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it. Lady Artemis is trying, but even she and the Hunters can only do so much. My realm is dying. That is why I need you to carry a message. You must go back to the council. You must tell the satyrs, and the dryads, and the other spirits of nature, that the great god Pan is dead. Tell them of my passing. The Son of Artemis can also be my messenger. The truth is, they must stop waiting for me to save them. I cannot. The only salvation you must make yourself.”

Grover tried to protest again, but Pan continued, “Be strong. You have found me. And now you must release me. You must carry on my spirit. It can no longer be carried by a god. It must be taken up by all of you.”

Everyone understood his meaning, Pan meant all of them standing in the room with him. He turned to Percy, “Percy Jackson. I know what you have seen today. I know your doubts. But I give you this news: when the time comes, you will not be ruled by fear.”

Pan then addressed Annabeth, “Daughter of Athena, your time is coming. You will play a great role, though it may not be the role you imagined.”

Next was Tyson, “Master Cyclops, do not despair. Heroes rarely live up to our expectations. But you, Tyson – your name shall live among the Cyclopes for generations.”

Then he turned to Harry, “Son of the Huntress… Continue to do what  you do, to preserve the Wild. I am eternally grateful; that you are the protector of the last Golden Snidget. I always liked that Scamander boy.”

Finally he turned to Rachel, “Miss Dare… Remember this… You are not your father. You are just as important as him.”

As he lay back on the bed, he turned to face Grover again, “My dear satyr,’ Pan said kindly. ‘Will you carry my message?”

Grover tearfully stuttered, “I – I can’t.”

He gently encouraged, “You can. You are the strongest and bravest. Your heart is true. You have believed in me more than anyone ever has, which is why you must bring the message, and why you must be the first to release me.”

The dying god paused and sighed, “Did you know, my name, Pan … originally it meant rustic. But over the years it has come to mean all. The spirit of the wild must pass to all of you now. You must tell each one you meet: if you would find Pan, take up Pan’s spirit. Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you.”

He coughed once before turning to Bianca, “The Master of Death… I am ready to greet Death as an old friend and depart as equals.”

Bianca nodded with tears in her eyes, and Grover sniffed loudly. Taking a deep breath, he stood and shakily said, “I’ve spent my whole life looking for you. Now … I release you.”

Pan smiled, “Thank you, dear satyr. My final blessing.”

He closed his eyes and held out his hand. White mist sprang from it and divided into wisps of energy. It filled the room. A curl of smoke went straight into everyone’s mouths. Though Percy couldn’t help but notice that a greater portion entered Harry and Grover’s mouths. The crystals dimmed and the cave darkened. The animals shot them sad looks. Dede the dodo sighed and nuzzled Harry’s leg. The other animals did the same, and an idea struck him.

He turned to the others, “I need to do something. I’m taking Dede and the others with me. I’ll meet you guys at Camp. Nico, can you come here a sec?”

Bianca also stepped away and the spirit of Pan followed her, “I’ll escort Pan’s spirit to the Underworld.”

A black shadowy portal opened in front of her and she stepped through, with Pan’s spirit. Harry whispered in Nico’s ear and he nodded. With a wave of his hand, he opened another shadowy portal and stepped through. Harry followed him after shepherding all the prehistoric animals through.

Finally, Grover let out another shaky breath as Pan's body crumbled to dust, “We should go now. And tell them. The great god Pan is dead.”

---

With their group down to five, Rachel led everyone down the Labyrinth. Eventually, they emerged onto Times Square, smack dab in the middle of the thronging crowd in the middle of the day. Percy led Annabeth, Rachel, Tyson and Grover down to an empty alley.

He let out a shrill whistle, and a minute later, Rachel gasped in awe. A flock of pegasi descended from the sky, swooping between the skyscrapers. Blackjack was in the lead, followed by three of his friends. Rachel shrugged, “I guess this is it.”

Percy smiled, “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Her smile was watery, “It was a heck of an adventure… Except for the whole dying and the thing with Pan…”

A thought struck him, “Pan mentioned your dad. I remember you telling us that your mom was planning a divorce. Something about your dad being far too busy with his work.”

She scuffed her shoes on the ground sheepishly, “My dad… My dad’s job. He’s kind of a famous businessman. Dad is a land developer. He flies all over the world, looking for tracts of undeveloped land. The wild. He – he buys it up. I hate it, but he ploughs it down and builds ugly subdivisions and shopping centres. Heck! I certainly did not approve of his job, even joined a bunch of environmental groups. And… and what Pan said-”

He grasped her shoulders, “Listen! You can’t blame yourself for that. Besides, you can’t choose your family. All I know is, I’m not going to judge you.”

She smiled at him, “Thanks Percy. Just… If you feel like hanging out with a witch again, you can Floo me. See you later, Percy Jackson. Go save the world for me, okay?”

With that, she turned and walked away. In just a few minutes, the two remaining demigods, one satyr and one Cyclops, were flying back to Camp Half-Blood. By the time they landed safely within camp borders, it was around five PM. The camp resembled a barrack from an Asterix comic. Harry and Nico had arrived an hour earlier, and were right in the thick of the preparations. Bianca also just Shadow-Travelled in, and was currently recovering her strength. Even the Hunters turned up to help fend off the impending attack.

Chiron galloped up, followed by the three satyrs of the Council of Cloven Elders. Harry also jogged up, knowing that he would be needed. Silenus the satyr angrily demanded, “Underwood! What of the search for Pan! You are almost three weeks overdue, Grover Underwood! Your searcher’s licence is revoked!”

Grover took a deep breath. He stood up straight and looked Silenus in the eye, "Searchers’ licences don’t matter anymore. The great god Pan is dead. He has passed on and left us his spirit."

Silenus was outraged, "What? Sacrilege and lies! Grover Underwood, I will have you exiled for speaking thus!”

Harry stepped up, “It is true. We found him, but it was too late. Most of his domain is fading. He has greeted Death like an old friend.”

Another satyr called Leneus snapped, “Impossible! He is a God! He cannot die!”

Chiron trotted up to play peace-keeper, “We will speak of this later. My camp will soon be besieged shortly. The matter of Pan has waited two thousand years. I fear it will have to wait a bit longer. Assuming we are still here this evening.”

He galloped away, as the biggest military operation resumed. Everyone was at the clearing, dressed in full battle armour, and they meant business. The Hephaestus cabin had set up traps around the entrance to the Labyrinth – razor wire, pits filled with pots of Greek fire, rows of sharpened sticks to deflect a charge. Beckendorf was manning two catapults the size of pickup trucks, already primed and aimed at Zeus’s Fist.

The Ares cabin was on the front line, drilling in phalanx formation, with Clarisse calling orders. Harry and Mackenzie joined the children of Apollo and the children of Hermes in the woods with bows ready. Many had taken up positions in the trees. Even the dryads were armed with bows, and the satyrs trotted around with wooden cudgels and shields made of rough tree bark.

Annabeth went to join her brethren from the Athena cabin, who had set up a command tent and were directing operations. A grey banner with an owl fluttered outside the tent. Argus, stood guard at the door. Most of Aphrodite’s children were running around, straightening everybody’s armour. Silena Beauregard and Fleur Delacour were also joining the fray. Even Dionysus’s kids had found something to do. Castor and Pollux were running around, providing all the sweaty warriors with water bottles and juice boxes.

Next to Percy, Chiron muttered, “It isn’t enough.”

The boy’s heart sank as he remembered the scenes from Mount Tamalpais and Antaeus’ arena. For the first time, Percy wished that Dionysus was there. As they waited, Percy filled Chiron in on the Kronos and Luke scenario, and that Quintus was Daedalus. The centaur didn’t look surprised about Quintus, but he was pretty grim about the news on Kronos. He mused, “He had golden eyes, I would guess. And in his presence, time seemed to turn to liquid.”

Percy asked, “How could he take over a mortal body?”

Chiron shrugged, “I do not know, Percy. Gods have assumed the shapes of mortals for ages, but to actually become one… to merge the divine form with the mortal. I don’t know how this could be done without Luke’s form turning to ashes.”

Percy replied, “He said something about his body prepared.”

The centaur sighed heavily, “I shudder to think what that means. But perhaps it will limit Kronos’s power. For a time, at least, he is confined to a human form. It binds him together. Hopefully it also restricts him. Luckily for you, I doubt he would lead the attack personally. I would sense if he were drawing near. No doubt he planned to, but you all inconvenienced him when you pulled his throne room down on top of him.”

---

Suddenly, Harry looked up, after listening to a beetle, who flew off. He hollered, “GUYS! THEY’RE COMING!”

Sure enough, the ground beneath everyone began trembling. Clarisse barked loudly, “Lock shields!”

No sooner had she done so, that the Titan Lord’s army burst forth from the Labyrinth. The assault was a far cry from the fights they experienced at camp. This was a full-scale battle. A dozen Laistrygonian giants erupted from the ground, carrying shields made from flattened cars, and clubs that were tree trunks with rusty spikes bristling at the end. One of the giants bellowed at the Ares phalanx, smashed it sideways with his club, and the entire cabin was flung aside.

On Beckendorf’s command, the catapults fired. Two boulders hurtled towards the giants. One deflected off a car shield with hardly a dent, but the other caught a Laistrygonian in the chest, and the giant went down. Harry, the Hunters, and Apollo’s archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armour of the giants like porcupine quills. Several found chinks in armour, and some of the giants vaporized at the touch of celestial bronze.

Just as the Laistrygonian wave were dealt with, a massive horde of dracaenae took their place. Each of them were decked out in full battle armour, wielding spears and nets. They dispersed in all directions. Some hit the traps the Hephaestus cabin had laid. One got stuck on the spikes and became an easy target for archers. Another triggered a trip wire, and pots of Greek fire exploded into green flames, engulfing several of the snake women. But many more kept coming. In response, the Athena cabin charged into the fray. Meanwhile, Tyson was piggy-backing off of a giant, hitting him on the head with a celestial bronze shield.

Then, a hellhound leaped out from the tunnel. Percy took that as his cue to charge. As he sprinted, he took in his surroundings. An enemy half-blood was fighting with Castor. The enemy stabbed him in the arm then clubbed him over the head with the butt of his sword, and he went down. Another enemy warrior shot flaming arrows into the trees, sending a number of archers and dryads into a panic. Mackenzie somehow countered that with a water spell.

Just then, a squadron of dracaenae broke away from the main fight and slithered down the path that led towards camp. The di Angelo siblings were nearby and Nico responded. He held out a black sword made of Stygian Iron and called out, “Serve us!”

The earth trembled and a fissure opened in front of the dracaenae. From that fissure, a dozen undead warriors crawled from the earth – corpses clad in military uniforms from different time periods – US Revolutionaries, Roman centurions, Napoleonic cavalry on skeletal horses. As one, they drew their swords and engaged the dracaenae. Nico crumpled to his knees, and Bianca steadied him.

When Percy came within range of the hellhound, he distracted it from making a meal of a satyr. As it prepared to pounce, Percy grabbed a nearby amphora of Greek Fire. He tossed it into the hellhound’s mouth and it went up in flames.

Harry jumped down from a tree to help a couple of injured satyrs, when Grover bleated Percy’s name. A forest first had begun and were threatening a number of trees. Mackenzie’s water spell was not helping much, so Percy decided to give her a helping hand. He concentrated and felt a pull in his gut, and a roar echoed in his ears. Not a moment too soon, a wall of water came rushing through the trees. It doused the fire, Juniper, Grover and everything in its path.

A slew of half-bloods also poured out from the Labyrinth. Suddenly, Harry placed two fingers to his lips and emitted a loud piercing whistle. Amazingly, it was loud enough to drown out the sounds of the raging battle. Barely a minute later, a massive moving cloud gathered in the sky, and descended down in a massive swirling storm of feathers. Meanwhile on the ground, several dark shapes darted in, weaving between the campers, and began attacking the enemies. A few feet away from Percy, Annabeth was agog, “Was that Harry? He can freaking control animals now?”

Just when it looked like the campers had it under control, things went pear-shaped. A familiar unearthly shriek echoed out of the Labyrinth. Then, Kampê shot into the sky, her bat wings fully extended. She landed on the top of Zeus’s Fist and surveyed the carnage. Her face was filled with evil glee. The mutant animal heads growled at her waist. Snakes hissed and swirled around her legs. In her right hand she held a glittering ball of thread – Ariadne’s string – but she popped it into a lion’s mouth at her waist and drew her curved swords.

Chiron swore and nocked an arrow, but she showed surprising speed to dodge. Several campers began to flee in terror, but Tyson ran towards them. He yelled, “STAND! DO NOT RUN FROM HER! FIGHT!!!”

As Kampê smashed up the Athena command tent, Percy sprinted after her. Annabeth was right next to him, with a sword in her hand. They attacked the winged monster, but she proved to be a capable ambidextrous fighter. The acid dripping from Kampê’s swords, was enough to make Percy’s eyes water. Occasionally, arrows would embed themselves in her body, courtesy Harry and Chiron. However, Percy and Annabeth were on their own for the most part.

The next thing they knew, Kampê managed to spring a surprise attack and pin the two. The duo closed their eyes, ready to accept their fate. Suddenly, a huge wall of darkness tackled the monster away. Percy opened his eyes to see Mrs O’Leary snapping away.

A familiar voice yelled, “Good girl!”

Daedalus fought his way out of the Labyrinth, and he was not alone. Next to him was a giant, much taller than the Laistrygonians, and this giant had a hundred rippling arms. Tyson’s jaw dropped, “Briares!!!”

Briares bellowed, “Hail, little brother! Stand firm!”

Mrs O’Leary let up on her assault, and Kampê stood up to see a hail of giant boulders heading her way. With a deafening *BOOM* Kampê was reduced to a mountain of boulders, as tall as Zeus’ Fist.

The campers and Hunters let out a collective cheer. However, one dracaena yelled, “Slay them! Kill them all or Kronos will flay you alive!”

The giants evidently perceived that as a bigger threat. They made one last desperate push. One surprised Chiron with a glancing blow to the back legs, and he stumbled and fell. Six giants cried in glee and rushed forward.

Percy cried out desperately. Then it happened…

Grover opened his mouth, and the most horrible sound he ever heard came out. It was like a brass trumpet magnified a thousand times – the sound of pure fear. As one, the forces of Kronos dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. The giants trampled the dracaenae, trying to get into the Labyrinth first. Telkhines and hellhounds and enemy half-bloods scrambled after them. The tunnel rumbled shut, and the battle was over. The clearing was quiet except for fires burning in the woods, and the cries of the wounded. Even all the birds and animals had made themselves scarce.

Percy turned and helped Annabeth to her feet and they rushed to Chiron’s aid. He was currently struggling to get up and muttered, “How embarrassing. I think I will be fine. Fortunately, we do not shoot centaurs with broken legs. *Ow!*”

Annabeth began to fret, “I’ll go get a medic from Apollo’s cabin.”

He shook his head firmly, “No! There are more serious injuries to attend to. Go, I am fine. But, Grover and Harry… Later, we must talk about what you two did.”

Grover blushed, “I don’t know where it came from.”

Juniper hugged him fiercely. “I do!”

Even Harry was sheepish, “I don’t know, either. It just felt right.”

Then, Bianca staggered towards them, with Nico leaning heavily on her shoulder. Harry limped over to him, “Whoa! You alright, mate?”

He coughed, “Never tried to summon so many before. I-I’ll be fine.”

His eyes then focused on another figure and Bianca also looked in that direction. He said, “Daedalus…”

The inventor nodded, “Yes children… I made a terrible mistake. I came to correct it.”

The automaton was a bit banged up and was bleeding golden oil. Next to him, Briares was surrounded by fascinated campers. Daedalus explained, “I found the Hundred-handed One as I came through the maze. It seems he had the same idea, to come and help, but he was lost. And so we fell in together. We both came to make amends.”

The Hundred-Handed One spoke to Tyson, “I did not know whether I had the courage to come. But you reminded me of who I am, Cyclops. You are the hero.”

Harry then frowned, clutching his side, which was bandaged up. He said, “We’re not completely out of danger just yet. The Titan army is still down there, no doubt licking their wounds. Even without the string, they’ll be back. They’ll find a way sooner or later. This time, Kronos might be leading them.”

Daedalus sheathed his sword, “You are right. As long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it. Which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue.”

Annabeth tilted her head curiously and then her eyes widened, “But you said the Labyrinth is tied to your life force! As long as you’re alive –“

He said resignedly, “Yes, my young architect. When I die, the Labyrinth will die as well. And so I have a present for you.”

He slung a leather satchel off his back, unzipped it and produced a sleek silver laptop computer. On the lid was the blue Delta symbol.

Daedalus motioned to it, “My work is here. It’s all I managed to save from the fire. Notes on projects I never started. Some of my favourite designs. I couldn’t develop these over the last few millennia. I did not dare reveal my work to the mortal world. But perhaps you will find them interesting.”

Annabeth took the laptop with trembling hands. She stammered, “You’re giving me this? But this is priceless! This is worth… I don’t even know how much!”

He looked at her contritely, “Small compensation for the way I have acted.  You were right, Annabeth, about children of Athena. We should be wise, and I was not. Someday you will be a greater architect than I ever was. Take my ideas and improve them. It is the least I can do before I pass on.”

He looked at Bianca, “My dear, would you kindly be my escort? I see no better person to accompany me than the Master of Death. Hopefully your father won’t be too harsh. I look forward to the next great adventure, as Albus told me.”

Bianca spoke up, “You’ve talked to Dumbledore?”

“That I have. That was actually one of his favourite sayings. After our little confrontation at my workshop, I did a lot of thinking. Then I travelled to Hogwarts and spoke to Dumbledore. Talking to him, convinced me that it is time I stopped hiding from my crimes for two thousand years. After all, genius does not excuse evil. I must face my punishment. Now its time I greeted Death like an old friend.”

Finally, Daedalus turned to Harry, “I have one last favour. I cannot leave Mrs O’Leary alone. And she has no desire to return to the Underworld. Will you care for her?”

Harry nodded, “I will.”

He smiled, “Then I am ready to see my son… And Perdix. I must tell them how sorry I am and beg for forgiveness.”

Bianca held out a hand and he grasped it. Then he froze like a statue. His skin turned transparent, revealing the bronze gears and machinery whirring inside his body. Then the statue turned to grey ash and disintegrated.

Mrs O’Leary let out a piteous keening sound, and Harry cuddled her as best as he could. At the same time, the earth rumbled violently. An earthquake that was probably felt all over the country, even far overseas at Hogwarts.

Chapter 67: Chapter 67

That night, it was the first time the camp burial shrouds had bodies in them. One of the biggest casualties was camp counsellor Lee Fletcher. The son of Apollo was felled by a giant’s club. A few other campers had also perished, as did a couple of Hunters. Castor, son of Dionysus, almost joined the fatality list, if Perri had not saved him.

Around noon, the Council of Cloven Elders convened. The three older satyrs, Leneus, Maron and Silenus headed the council, with Chiron also joining them as an honorary member. The centaur was still on the mend, so he was confined to his wheelchair.

This time, the sacred grove was filled with multiple satyrs, dryads and even naiads. Juniper, Annabeth and Percy stood by Grover’s side, while Harry told them that he would be swinging by in a few minutes.

Silenus demanded that Grover be exiled, but Chiron persuaded him to at least hear evidence first. With a signal, the quest returnees told everyone what had happened in the crystal cavern, and what Pan had said. Several eyewitnesses from the battle described the weird sound Grover had made, which drove the Titans’ army back underground. They also spoke about the army of animals and birds that Harry summoned

Juniper insisted, “It was panic! Grover summoned the power of the wild god. Even Harry managed to tap into Pan’s domain over wildlife!”

Seeing Percy’s perplexed expression, Chiron explained, “During the first war of the gods and the Titans, Lord Pan let forth a horrible cry that scared away the enemy armies. It is – it was his greatest power – a massive wave of fear that helped the gods win the day. The word panic is named after Pan, you see. And Grover used that power, calling it forth from within himself. I also suspect that due to Harry’s affinity for animals, Lord Pan gave his blessing to command the wild.”

Silenus bellowed, “Preposterous! Why would the wild god favour a disgraceful satyr like him! Grover just got lucky that his music was so awful that it scared the enemy away.”

Just then, Harry arrived with his wand out, floating a large stone basin. He called out, “Believe what you will, this is proof!”

He set down the Pensieve and approached Grover. Harry told him, “Hey mate, concentrate on that memory for me, please?”

Grover obliged and Harry placed the tip of his wand to the satyr’s temple. Slowly pulling it away, he extracted a bright white wisp, which he carefully deposited in the bowl. Then he tapped the rim of the basin and made a movement. As he did so, a magical projection popped up and showed off the memory, clear as day.

Grover addressed the stunned crowd, “He let his spirit pass into all of us. We must act. Each of us must work to renew the wild, to protect what’s left of it. We must spread the word. Pan is dead. There is no one but us.”

Silenus snapped, “After two thousand years of searching, this is what you would have us believe? For all we know, this so-called memory is fake!”

Then another voice sounded, “I, for one, believe him!”

Everyone turned to see none other than Dionysus strolling into the grove. He wore a formal black suit, a deep purple tie and violet dress shirt, his curly dark hair was also carefully combed.

The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. Dionysus waved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus’s – a throne made of grapevines. The satyrs all stood respectfully and bowed as he approached. The god waved his hand, and a new chair grew out of the ground next to Silenus’s – a throne made of grapevines.

He glanced around and drawled, “Did you miss me?”

The satyrs began to grovel before his feet, “Oh yes! Very much, sire.”

Then Dionysus snapped, “Well, I did not miss this place! I bear bad news, my friends. Evil news. Many of the minor gods are changing sides. Morpheus has gone over to the enemy. Janus and Nemesis, as well. As far as I’m aware, Hecate is staying out of it. Zeus knows how many more have joined. Now, I want to hear Grover’s story, from the beginning, if you please.”

Maron stammered, “My lord! It’s just nonsense!”

Dionysus glared fiercely, eyes flaring with purple fire. He bit out, “This camp has just barely survived an attack. I almost lost my two sons in the battle. Safe to say, I am not in a good mood. You would do well to humour me.”

The three satyrs gulped and Dionysus gestured. Once again, Harry replayed the memory and the God of Wine watched it intently. When it ended, the god mused, “It sounds like just the sort of thing Pan would do. Grover is right. The search is tiresome. You must start thinking for yourselves.”

Leneus declared, “We must exile the traitor!”

Dionysus countered, “I say no. That is my vote.”

Chiron chipped in, “I vote no as well.’

Silenus clenched his jaw, “All in favour of the exile?’

He and the other two old satyrs raised their hands. Maron smugly said, “Three to two.’

Dionysus drawled, “Ah, yes. But, unfortunately for you, a god’s vote counts twice. And as I voted against, we are tied.”

Silenus fumed, “This is an outrage! The council cannot stand at an impasse.”

Dionysus waved a dismissive hand, “Then let it be dissolved! I don’t care.”

The trio stood up stiffly and walked away, followed by a dozen other satyrs. The rest just stood around, looking uncertain. Grover addressed them, “Don’t worry. We don’t need a council to tell us what to do. We can figure it out ourselves.”

From there, he began to divide the satyrs, and the demigods left him to do his thing. Later on, Briares left for the forges beneath the sea, after a heart-to-heart with Tyson. That night, dinner seemed almost normal. A week later, it was time to leave camp once again. Harry, Mackenzie and Bianca packed their bags and prepared to leave.

---

Before they left, Annabeth called him and Percy over. For a while, they sat in a circle, awkwardly before she took a deep breath. She said, “Listen, I… I wanted to share the full prophecy with you two. Figured I would do this now and get it off my chest or it would drive me crazy.”

Percy was about to speak but Harry interrupted, “Take your time, mate. No rush.”

She breathed in and out again before speaking, ”We entered the maze, raised the dead, the traitor was Ethan, and the Lost One was Pan. That much is obvious. ‘Rise or fall by the Ghost King and the Master of Death’s hand’. At first, I thought it was Minos, but it was actually Nico. The 'Master of Death' line confused me for a bit, until Bianca showed up. The Child of Athena’s final stand… That was Daedalus. The next line was Destroy with a hero’s final breath. Again, that was Daedalus, and his death destroyed the Labyrinth. And the last line was- ”

She stopped and took a few deep breaths, “And lose a love, worse than death. I… I thought it was talking about Percy, at first. Then after some thinking, I wondered whether it was about Luke…”

Percy slowly said, “You loved Luke, didn’t you?”

She looked to be on the verge of tears, “Luke and I – for years, he was the only one who really cared about me. But now that he’s acting as a host for Kronos… I lost him…”

Harry rubbed her back gently, and then glanced at his watch, “Hey Beth, I’d love to stick around, but I’ve got to go, mate. I’m spending whatever’s left of the summer with the Weasleys.”

She shot him a watery smile, “Go… I won’t delay you any longer. Remember to write often!”

Harry stood up, suppressing a wince, as he was still injured. Then, Percy had a sudden thought and reached into his breast pocket. He brought out a small wrapped piece of cloth and called out, “Hey dude! Can you do me a favour?”

“Yeah, Jackson?”

Percy handed over the cloth and said, “Can you keep it safe and plant it somewhere for me? A favour for a friend.”

Harry smiled and took the cloth before joining Mackenzie and Bianca. From there, the trio took the International Portkey to The Burrow.

---

After a wild ride, the trio were finally deposited outside the ramshackle house. Ginny was in the garden when she spotted them. Her eyes widened briefly before turning and shouting, “GUYS! THEY’RE HERE!”

Walking up the driveway, Bianca said, “By the way, Nico and I were present for Daedalus’ sentencing. Minos wanted to boil him in cheese fondue for eternity. Dad had other ideas. Daedalus will be building overpasses and exit ramps in Asphodel for all time. It’ll help ease the traffic congestion. Honestly, I think the old guy is pretty happy with that. He’s still building. Still creating. And he gets to see his son and Perdix on the weekends.”

Harry smiled, “I’m glad. Hope they made amends.”

Mackenzie asked, “You holding up, okay? That spear to the side was pretty nasty.”

“I’m getting better. Hopefully Madam Pomfrey will help heal it faster.”

Suddenly, just as they stepped inside the house and closed the door, a voice screamed, “HARRY!!!!”

A brunette bushy-haired missile glomped him and his side exploded in pain. He yelled, “HERMIONE! Take it easy!”

Bianca was at his side immediately, while Mackenzie pried Hermione off. The Daughter of Hades helped him to a couch and pulled up his T-shirt to reveal his bandaged side. Hermione paled, “OH MY GOSH! Harry! I am so sorry!!!”

Ron trooped down the stairs, “I warned her that her hugs are bloody lethal weapons! You alright mate?”

Harry winced as Bianca dabbed away some blood, “There was a major attack at Camp. Many of Luke’s forces managed to bypass the camp’s magical barrier and laid siege last week. Got a spear to the side. By the way, why are you grinning like an idiot?”

Ron had a delirious dopey-looking smile on his face as he brandished a letter, “Mate! I just became a freaking Prefect! Just got the letter today!”

Harry grinned, “Congratulations mate! I’m happy for you! You deserve it! I’m assuming that Hermione is the girls’ Prefect”

The redhead nodded affirmatively and spoke, “I’m confused by one thing though… I would have thought that you would have been a shoe-in.”

Harry sheepishly smiled as Bianca replaced his bandage, “Actually… Dumbledore offered it to me first. I turned it down.”

That prompted an outraged, “YOU. DID. WHAT!”, from Hermione. She ranted, “Harry James Potter! Do you have any idea what an honour it is to be a prefect! There is a lot of responsibility with the role-“

He cut her off, “Hermione, in case you haven’t noticed, Camp Half-Blood barely survived an all-out assault! There’s a war just on the bloody horizon! I think that’s far more important than being a prefect! Besides, Mackenzie, Bianca and I will be busy training for it, in addition to our studies.”

She was properly cowed now. Ron interrupted, “So, what happened? I heard that there was an attack at Bones Manor. Was all over the Prophet. There was also a massive earthquake last week.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, it was a random Hellhound attack. Turns out, Madam Bones temporarily lowered her wards because some of Susan’s friends were visiting. Damn thing snuck in and attacked the manor. Fortunately, Sirius gave me a call and I got rid of it.”

Ginny also piped up, “The Prophet had no idea what it was. They thought it was a Grim, or something.”

Hermione spoke, “So… Susan and her friends know?”

“Kind of… Hecate suddenly showed up and explained everything to them. Also, I think it’s time we start preparing. When the Titans do attack, there is a small chance that the Wizarding World could get dragged into the fight. According to Dionysus, many of the minor gods are siding with the Titans. Hecate is the only one who is staying out of it. That’s just because they can’t find her, since the Titans don’t know about the Wizarding World.”

Ron grunted, “It’s better that way… Or we’re bollocked. By the way, you mentioned something about a maze in your letter?”

Harry nodded grimly and motioned for Ron, Hermione and Ginny to gather around him. He said, “There is a legend about the Labyrinth of Daedalus. Originally, he bult it in Crete to house the Minotaur. However, it had continued to grow with each passing year. Somehow, Daedalus was alive for all of these centuries, and the Labyrinth was tied to his life-force. One of the entrances opened up right in the middle of the camp. Naturally, Luke was desperate to find it.”

Harry lowered his head, “In the end, Daedalus gave up his own life to destroy the Labyrinth. So that earthquake you all felt, was the Labyrinth collapsing on itself.”

Ginny’s eyes were wide, “So the Labyrinth was so big that it reached as far as England?”

He nodded, “Yep… One of the paths went straight through the Chamber of Secrets.”

Mackenzie nudged him, “Harry! Tell them about the power you inherited?”

Ron was curious, “Power?”

Harry’s face grew grim, “Also during the journey to find Daedalus, we were tasked with finding the lost God of the Wild, Pan. Eventually we found him, but… his domain is rapidly disappearing. Because of deforestation and encroachment into the wilderness, Pan’s power was depleting. He… faded away.”

Hermione was horrified, “Gods can die!”

Harry replied, “Not die… They can fade away when everything they stood for, is gone. When they cease to have power and their sacred places disappear. As he faded, he blessed most of us. Grover inherited one of his greatest powers, a horrible cry that scares away enemy armies. It was his greatest power – a massive wave of fear that struck every enemy. That’s where the word ‘panic’ comes from. As for me… I received domain over animals.”

Mackenzie gushed, “You should have seen Harry in battle! He gave a loud deafening whistle, and moments later, a huge flock of birds swooped from the sky and began attacking the monsters and giants. There was also a whole army of animals that joined the attack. I saw wolves, coyotes, raccoons, dogs, foxes, squirrels. Even spotted a few bears joining the fight. It was glorious!”

Ron’s eyes bugged out and he blurted, “Bloody hell! My best mate is a bad arse!”

Then Harry remembered something, “Blimey! I almost forgot! Did you know, Daedalus actually built Hogwarts himself? Rowena Ravenclaw was his half-sister and she asked him to help them build the castle. The Founders had the magic, but Daedalus did the heavy lifting. He also built the Hogwarts Express.”

He spotted Hermione rifle through her bag and dig out Hogwarts: A History. Harry stopped her, “You won’t find his name there. Daedalus wanted to keep both worlds separate, so they swore an oath. By the way, what about our books? And who’s our new DADA professor? I’m hoping its Remus again. He’s the most competent one we’ve had, and Crouch Jr-Moody does not count.”

Ron shrugged, “Don’t know about the professor, but I suppose we’ll find out. As for your books, Sirius bought them for you, Mackenzie and Bianca.”

---

Day soon turned into night and Harry trooped up to Ron’s room to crash. When morning broke, most of the occupants were up and about. Ron woke up and saw Harry still asleep. Then he noticed movement at the bedroom door and it swung open, revealing the twins. Both of them had wicked smirks on their faces and both had their wands pointed towards Harry.

Ron’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to warn them, but it was too late. A loud klaxon-like sound echoed for two seconds, and then the sound was quickly cut off by an audible *THUNK* sound. Fred and George screamed like little girls as a hunting knife pinned both boys to the wooden door by their T-shirts.

Harry was on his feet and had his arms outstretched, ready to attack. Finally, he relaxed slightly, and then the rage set in, “Fucking hell! FRED! GEORGE! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU TWO THINKING! I ALMOST KILLED BOTH OF YOU!”

He stomped over to the bathroom and quickly freshened up, leaving the twins to try and tug themselves free. Just then, footsteps pounded towards the room and Ginny burst in, followed by Hermione and Bianca. The redhead exclaimed, “What happened?! We heard some loud sounds. Scared mum and dad half to death. Wait… Is that a knife? Why are Fred and George pinned to the door? Not that I’m complaining.”

Finally, Mackenzie showed up at a more sedate pace and grinned at the sight of the helpless twins. She snickered, “It’s okay Ginny. These two just found out, the hard way, to never jump-scare a sleeping demigod. Especially one with an itchy trigger finger.”

The bathroom door finally opened and Harry exited, fully dressed. He was still really mad, and he marched up and ordered, “Hold still…”

With effortless ease, he pulled out the knife, turned it into an earring and placed it back in his ear. At the breakfast table, George suddenly blurted, “Oi Harry! Why do you sleep with a knife under your pillow.”

Harry shrugged, “Force of habit. When I’m with the Hunters, we sleep outside a lot. Naturally, a bunch of demigods clustered together is an open invitation to monsters to attack. So all of us Hunters are very light sleepers, just in case we’re attacked at night. Sure, mum usually has two wolves patrolling the borders, but they can only do so much. ‘Kenzie also sleeps with a knife under her pillow.”

After that bit of drama, everyone was finally on their way to King’s Cross Station. Eventually, they were on the train, and Harry sat with Mackenzie, Bianca, Neville, Ginny and Luna. He was still bandaged up, but Mackenzie and Bianca kept the bleeding under control. Ron and Hermione left to attend a Prefect’s meeting, so it was just the six of them. When Neville was showing off his new plant, Harry remembered his promise to Jackson. He withdrew the cloth and unwrapped it, “Hey Nev, my friend Percy Jackson came across this plant. Do you think you could find a spot to plant it?”

His eyes widened, “Bloody Nora! Is that a moon lace flower?! They’re supposed to be extremely rare!”

Harry carefully handed the flower to Neville, who cradled it like it was a new-born baby. With his wand, he carefully conjured a pot and placed the flower gently inside. Neville looked up, his face full of awe and he breathed, “Harry… I will treasure this flower.”

Sometime into the journey, the compartment door opened, revealing Susan Bones and her friends. The group was invited in and they sat around before Penny Haywood finally spoke, “Harry? We… er… might have forgotten to thank you for saving us.”

He had a sheepish smile on his face, “Not your fault. I was also in a bit of a rush. Was in the middle of a quest.”

Susan, Penny, Wayne, Ernie and Justin all piled in. Hannah was conspicuously absent because she was one of the Hufflepuff prefects, along with Diego Caplan. Justin pleaded, “Can you share some of your adventures? Please!”

Harry let out a fond sigh, “Alright… So this adventure, is what I call, the Quest for the Lightning Bolt…”

As Harry narrated, his audience was pretty captivated. He had just finished talking about the Sea of Monsters, when Ron and Hermione turned up. From there, they spoke about rescuing Harry, until he took over the conversation and spoke about the Labyrinth.

By then, the Express was just pulling into Hogsmeade Station. Once again, they took the Thestral-pulled carriages to the castle. When they disembarked, one Thestral couldn’t help nuzzling Bianca, who pat its snout fondly.

As they walked to the castle, Harry asked, “So who are the other prefects? Susan told me about Hannah and Diego, not the others though.”

Ron replied, “Theodore Nott and Pansy for Slytherin. Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw. Heard a rumour that Malfoy was in the running, but Snape chose Nott instead.”

A few feet away them, Daphne Greengrass overheard and scoffed, “Oh please… Considering the stunt he pulled last year with Rowan Khanna, it would have been suicide to pick him as a Prefect. Padma would have resigned on the spot if Malfoy got the role.”

Eventually, they all entered the castle and inside the Great Hall. As he gingerly sat down, Harry heard someone calling him and internally groaned when he recognised Malfoy’s voice. The smarmy git jeered, “Oi Potty! Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley.”

Hermione snapped, “Zip it, Malfoy! That’s Prefect Granger now. Believe me, it will be a Genuine Pleasure to dock points every time you throw around disgusting slurs like Halloween candy.”

Then the doors opened and Hagrid ambled in, leading all the First-Years. Harry couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but the half-giant looked a little upset about something. The Sorting began in earnest and everything went about as normal. Then Dumbledore stood up and introduced a woman with fair skin, wavy red hair, green eyes and had a sort of square face. Her name was Patricia Rakepick and she was the new DADA professor.

Gryffindor got a good haul of students this year, with a generous number of students going to other Houses. When the Feast ended, Harry got up from his seat and whispered to Ron, “I’m just going to meet Madam Pomfrey and get my side fixed. Can you wait for me by the Fat Lady?”

He nodded, “Got it, mate.”

---

Harry headed straight to the Hospital Wing, and Pomfrey simply clucked disapprovingly. She groused, “Good heavens! The term has not even begun!”

Harry just gave a sheepish laugh as she unwrapped the bandage and inspected the wound. He said, “Well, to put it simply, Camp was under attack after a secret entrance was discovered. That entrance bypassed the magical borders and opened up right in the middle of the camp. We barely fended it off and destroyed the entrance. Got a spear to the side, in the process.”

She tutted and then waved her wand, “Well, young man… Fortunately for you, it is just a glancing blow, so it is merely a flesh wound. I can heal this easily, but do take it easy for a few days because it will be tender.”

Sure enough, the bruised skin healed and the angry gash closed up, leaving pink skin behind. Harry thanked her and left, reuniting with Ron after about 10 minutes. The redhead gave him the password and they entered the Common Room.

Now that there was no Voldemort to worry about, Harry could finally enjoy a peaceful year. Or as peaceful it could get for a demigod. A week later, Harry was wandering around the castle. He muttered, “Okay… So Beth told me that she found the schematics of Hogwarts Castle on Daedalus’ laptop. Said that there was a secret room on the Seventh Floor.”

Eventually, he found a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, trying to teach trolls ballet. Harry stopped in front of a blank wall and began pacing back and forth. All the while he thought hard, “I need a training room for demigods. I need a training room for demigods.”

Harry repeated the process three times and then there was a reaction. A highly polished door had appeared in the wall. Harry reached out, seized the brass handle, pulled open the door, and entered a spacious room lit with flickering torches. There were different sections for archery, javelin-throwing, sword fighting, knife-fighting and spear-fighting. With a big grin on his face, Harry began his training and made up his mind to bring Mackenzie, Bianca and Katie, next time.

One fine day at lunch, Harry saw John Silvertongue slide into the seat in front of him. Ron and Hermione were elsewhere with prefect duties. John murmured, “Hey Harry, can we talk? Something’s been bugging me for a while.”

Harry smiled at the Ravenclaw, “Sure thing mate.”

John looked around him, and no one was really paying attention to them. He whispered, “I’ve been getting some weird visions for the past few days. Sorry, you’re the only one I could think of talking to. Penny would think I’m going nutty, and I wasn’t particularly close to my other friends other than Rowan.”

Harry asked, “Visions? Or dreams?”

John screwed up his face in thought, “Well… It kind of happens even when I’m awake, and they are occasional glimpses. Also, when I was in Diagon Alley the other day, I happened to overhear Professor Snape and caretaker Filch talk about a corridor of ice.”

Now intrigued, Harry leaned forward, mentally crossing John Silvertongue off the potential demigod list. He said, “Corridor of ice? Go on…”

“Basically, Filch said something about discovering a door in the castle that leads to a corridor that is covered in ice. I think this could be related to the Cursed Vaults.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah I heard rumours about those. Something about great riches and knowledge.”

John scoffed, “Bruv… I could care less about treasures. I just want to find my brother Jacob. Merula’s been insufferable, constantly taunting me that Jacob went mad looking for the Vaults and got himself expelled.”

Harry’s face softened, “You just want closure, right? Don’t worry, I’ll help. Now, take me to this corridor after our classes.”

Sometime later, John and Harry trooped over to a seemingly empty section of the castle. The duo began investigating, but found nothing out of the ordinary, other than the door. Harry pointed his wand at the door, “Alohomora!”

Unfortunately, the door didn’t budge, but before they could do anything else, there heard a noise nearby. With looks of alarm on their faces, they bolted away immediately.

The next day when they tried to sneak there, they found Mrs. Norris patrolling, so decided to abandon the premises until they could think of a better plan.

---

A few days later, Harry decided to pay Hagrid a visit. When the half-giant opened the door, he still looked morose, but his face brightened slightly upon seeing Harry. Harry smiled and decided to address the elephant in the hut. Sipping a cup of tea, he asked, “Hey Hagrid! You doing alright? I couldn’t help noticing that you’ve been looking a bit glum lately.”

Then the demigod looked around the hut, “Come to think if it, where’s Fang? He out doing his business?”

Hagrid’s face fell even further and then there was a brief flash of anger before he burst into tears, “It’s terrible, Harry! Fang’s gone!”

Harry’s mind went blank, “Gone? How? Ran off somewhere?”

Hagrid shook his head, “Nah… Aragog betrayed my trust. About two weeks before school started, Fang had just run off to relieve himself, like normal, but he didn’t return for a while. I got worried and went to track him down. Turns out, he must’ve wandered a mite too close to Aragog’s nest. Aragog and his kids made a meal of him.”

Harry comforted him as he bawled, “Where did I go wrong with him! I raised him since he was a wee little egg, then he goes and eats my pet. Sure, Fang may have been cowardly, but I still loved him! Aragog never even apologised! Just said that any animal that wandered in his territory was a meal, and his family was getting bigger.”

Then he blinked his tears away, “Harry, I need you to do me a favour. Could you ask your mum and your sisters to exterminate the Acromantula colony?”

Harry nodded, “I will… I’m sorry about Fang. He was a good dog.”

Then an idea struck him and he hurriedly rifled through his backpack, “Hagrid! I have a gift for you. Could you step out of the hut with me?”

Harry stepped out, with Hagrid following, while wiping his teary eyes. The boy fished out a familiar silver whistle and blew. Once again, there was no sound, but a few minutes later, there was a loud “ROOOOF!!!”

The next thing Harry knew, he was flat on his back with a rhino-sized black shape standing over him. A large pink tongue was slobbering all over his face. He managed to wrestle the excitable giant dog off of him and exclaimed, “No! Mrs. O’Leary! Heel! Down girl! Down! Get off me!”

She backed off and stood in front of him with her tongue out and her tail wagging happily. Hagrid looked like Christmas, his Birthday and Easter, has come early. He exclaimed, “Cor! She’s a beauty! What kind of critter is she?”

Harry approached and scratched her behind the ear, “She’s a Hellhound. The only tame hellhound I’ve ever encountered. Her old master Daedalus has recently passed away, so I decided to take care of her for a while. But then again, Hedwig and Buzz are enough for me. I was hoping that you would be her master.”

An awed Hagrid approached Mrs O’Leary, “She’s gorgeous! I’d love to take care of her! Harry… Bless you, lad! How can I ever repay you!?”

Harry waved him off, “It was the least I could do, Hagrid. Just, try and keep her out of sight of most of the school. I’ll spread the news to my friends to avoid scaring the crap out of them when they see her.”

Chapter 68

Notes:

First chapter in the New Year!

Apologies for taking so long, but I've been playing the Hogwarts Mystery mobile game side-by-side. If it wasn't evident by now, I'm using that plotline to cover the remaining three Hogwarts years. Since I'm playing side-by-side, updates might get slower because I have to keep pace with my own gameplay

Over the next few days, things got very intense from an academic point of view. The professors got even stricter for the Fifth-Years, so Harry and John couldn’t find time to investigate the corridor. Then, one fine day, the castle turned inexplicably chilly.

One morning, Filch was even grouchier than usual, and Mrs Norris looked slightly woozy. Harry heard her meowing, “When I catch the brat who drugged me, there will be hell to pay.”

Then, around two weeks later, Harry was called to Headmaster Dumbledore’s office. When he arrived, he also saw John Silvertongue standing by the stone gargoyle, and both were horribly confused. Then there were gentle footsteps heard, and Dumbledore emerged from his office.

He smiled, “Ah! Harry, John! Nice of you to drop by! I wished to talk to you two about something. Walk with me?”

As they walked, Dumbledore asked casually, “Are you both aware of the legend of the Cursed Vaults?”

John nodded, but Harry said, “I’ve heard bits and pieces, Professor. Nothing really concrete. I agreed to help John here with the investigation because he wanted some closure about his brother Jacob.”

“I understand and sympathise. Rumour has it that there are treasures beyond one’s wildest dreams in these Vaults. It seems that some may have caught wind of the rumours of riches and treasures, and went to investigate. As such, they have unleashed a Curse upon the castle. Now, were you boys anywhere near an out-of-bounds corridor on the sixth floor? I’d appreciate some honesty.”

Both boys shook their heads firmly, and John admitted, “Professor… Harry and I did plan to investigate, but haven’t got around to doing it, since we are all busy preparing for our OWLs.”

Dumbledore smiled, “I appreciate that. I was hoping you two could try and put a stop to this Curse. We are currently heading for the corridor, because when I last saw it, there was some strange inscription on the wall.”

Soon enough, Dumbledore led the two boys to an abandoned section of the castle. The further they walked, the colder it became and Harry could even see ice forming along the walls and ceiling. Finally, they stopped in front of a door covered in ice. John pointed his wand and ordered, “Flipendo!”

A fat chunk of ice broke away from the door, but the rest was still frozen. Harry then pointed his wand and barked, “Incendio!”

Sure enough, the rest of the ice melted away and the boy was able to wrench the door open. Dumbledore entered the room and pointed to a section of the wall where there were glowing blue symbols. Harry squinted, “That reads like Ancient Greek! It says… ‘The Ice Knight stands guard past the vanished stairs.”

Dumbledore nodded, “I see… What do you two suppose it means? I trust that you two shall investigate thoroughly and put an end to this Curse?”

They nodded firmly and went their separate ways. The first thing Harry did was get in touch with Ron and Hermione. They promised to help, but did admit that with their Prefect duties, they could not aid him and John as much.

---

The next day, Ginny approached the two boys during a strategy meeting, and she looked really worried. She said, “Harry? Do you have a moment? It’s Luna. I’m a bit worried about her. I haven’t seen her all day. You know how she can be a little… er… quirky? As far as I’m aware, she doesn’t get along with her year mates. I also suspect that some of the seniors also pick on her a bit.”

Harry tried to calm her down, “Ginny? Where did you last see her?”

“I don’t know… I’m worried about her. I tried asking Padma and Anthony, but even they haven’t seen her. They’ve promised to look for her.”

John asked, “Maybe she’s gone to investigate about this sudden cold weather.”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. Luna is Luna. She can be unpredictable, but she is my best friend.”

After classes, Harry and John met up and began their search for Luna. Along the way, they bumped into Merula Snyde casually leaning against a pillar. She cheerily drawled, “Potter… Silvertongue… I was wondering if you managed to find Looney Lovegood.”

Harry teased, “Aww… Are you worried about her? I didn’t know you swung that way. I guess you had enough of kissing Malfoy’s pasty arse.”

She glared at him, “Oh fuck off, Potter. I could care less about that pathetic excuse of a witch. Though I do know that when people go missing, they are exactly where they are supposed to be.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed, “You know something, don’t you? I heard that your parents were Death-Eaters. Maybe you were following in their footsteps and kidnapped her or something.”

She got in his face and snarled, “Choose your next words, very, very carefully. I had nothing to do with Lovegood going missing. All I’m saying is that there are things happening here at this school that you can barely begin to understand. Trying to uncover them will only get you killed, and that is not a threat. That is a warning. Just be a good little studious Ravenclaw and a brainless Gryffindor and let me handle it. I’m the most powerful person in Hogwarts, so I’m obviously worthy of looking for the Cursed Vaults.”

John rolled his eyes, “Look… You can go on your wild goose chase. We’re just looking for Luna. If you don’t have any useful information on her whereabouts, then you can just sod off.”

The girl simply sauntered away without a care in the world. John then turned to Harry, “Hey, you know Luna better than I do. Where are her usual hiding places?”

Harry shrugged helplessly, “I’m friendly with Luna, but I haven’t hung out with her as much as I would have liked to. You got any ideas?”

John screwed up his face in thought, “Umm… There’s an Artefact Room nearby. Rowan and I used to frequent that place.”

The boys hurried off to find this Artefact Room, which was located near the Great Hall. After a few minutes of rummaging around, John hit the jackpot, “Bingo! I found something.”

He pulled out a small note and handed it to Harry. They opened the note and read it, “Hmm… Ancient Greek again. It reads, ‘Your next instructions have been Transfigured into a Black Quill and hidden in the Gryffindor Common Room. Failure to follow your instructions will result in severe punishment’. There’s also the Greek symbol for the letter R. So I’m assuming that whoever wrote this note goes by the name, R.”

Harry grinned, “Oh, this will be easy. I can go find the quill and bring it back.”

Harry split up from John and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room as fast as he could. Along the way, he bumped into Bianca and Mackenzie. After explaining the situation to them, they agreed to help him, since they were also worried about Luna.

Eventually, Mackenzie found a Black Quill lying innocuously on a nearby desk. Together the three of them exited the Common Room and met back up with John. Standing around a table in an empty classroom, John pointed his wand at the feather. He chanted, “Reparifarge!”

Sure enough, the quill transformed into a scroll that read, “Proceed to the farthest corridor at the east end of the fifth floor. Transfigure this scroll back into a Black Quill and return it back to where you found it. Failure to follow this instruction will result in severe punishment.”

Mackenzie held out a hand, “Harry, pass me the scroll. Bianca and I will Transfigure it it back while you and John explore the corridor.”

---

The two parties split up and the boys went to explore the corridor. As they walked, the air grew chillier and chillier. Harry rubbed his arms to warm himself up, “Brrrr… It’s pretty bloody cold. The quicker we get rid of this curse and find Luna, the better for us.”

Finally, they reached the fifth floor, and they saw several clumps of ice sprouting all over the place. While making their way east, John and Harry kept melting the ice with the Fire-Making Spell. Before long, they stumbled upon an empty corridor that was covered in ice, and it was spreading. The boys cleared the ice as much as they could and forged ahead.

At last, they found their target. Luna Lovegood appeared to be in a seated position, but she had ice covering her, almost up to her neck. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, she wasn’t freaking out, but was looking at them serenely.

She airily spoke, “Hello Harry, hello John. Lovely weather we’re having, aren’t we?”

Harry looked relieved, “Oh thank the Gods! Luna! What happened to you? And why are you barefoot?”

The Ravenclaw oddball simply said, “Oh don’t worry. The Nargles took them. I suppose they’ll turn up soon. By the way, could you give me a hand? I’m afraid my bum’s fallen asleep.”

Harry couldn’t help chuckling to himself as he used the ‘Incendio’ spell to melt the ice and free her. Luna dropped to the ground, shivering a little, and Harry scooped her up in his arms, bridal style.

The two boys retreated with their package, Luna cuddled into Harry’s arms, greedily devouring his body heat. Eventually, they ran into Anthony and Padma, who looked absolutely relieved. The two Ravenclaw Prefects took Luna in their arms and promised to take her to the Hospital Wing. A day later, Harry swung by to see how the younger blonde was doing. Madam Pomfrey sidled up to him, “Not to fret, she will be right as rain in no time. Though I would advise against grilling her for information. Her memory is spotty, at best, but I’ve seen much worse, present company included.”

John asked, “Are we allowed to see Luna.”

She nodded and gestured, “Oh yes! Please do. She has been asking for you two. Though she has also been making a number of strange requests and declarations. Something about ‘Wrackspurts’, whatever they are.”

---

Luna smiled when Harry and John approached, “Hello… Come to check up on little old me?”

Harry reached over and ruffled her blonde locks, “How are you feeling, mate?”

She breezily said, “A slight chill and a little sore, I’m also a little bit knackered. I’ll be fine though. Don’t worry about me. On the bright side, the Nargles finally returned my shoes.”

Harry and John shared a knowing look, it was clear that there were some bullies within Ravenclaw. They sat with her for a while and then Harry asked, “What were you doing in the icy corridor in the first place?”

She shot him a quizzical look, “You know… I’m not really sure, to be honest.”

John spoke up, “As far as we know, there was a letter in the Artefact room, leading to another letter in the Gryffindor Common Room. The second one led us to you.”

She frowned, “Perhaps you two can go back to the corridor and continue the investigation. Do let me know how it goes. I know that Daddy would jump at the chance to figure out the mystery of the Cursed Vaults. He’s the editor of The Quibbler. It could finally be our chance to prove that our magazine is not a worthless rag that publishes outlandish conspiracy theories.”

After a while, the boys left the Hospital Wing deep in discussion. Suddenly, John mused, “Harry… Do you think this Vault business is nothing but a wild goose chase? I mean, my brother practically sacrificed his Hogwarts education, and look where that’s got him. Me and mum have been worried sick.”

Harry sighed, “John-o, the adventure’s barely begun, mate. Don’t tell me you’re chickening out already? Think of this as a mystery, the answers won’t come immediately. Now come on, let’s go back to that corridor, and hopefully the ice hasn’t come back.”

They returned to the corridor and resumed their investigation. Half an hour later, nothing turned up. Just then, Harry felt a small icy breeze blow through his salt and pepper hair. He turned around and scanned the area. The demigod could not figure out where it was coming from, especially since there were no nearby windows. Harry took a step down the corridor, and the breeze stopped.

He stepped back, and the breeze returned. He glanced to his left, since the breeze was coming from that direction. Harry approached the wall and ran a hand over it. The breeze was much stronger and colder, and he called out, “Oi! John! Come here a sec! There’s a draught coming from this section of the wall.”

John came over and spoke, “Yeah! I hear something. Think it’s a hidden passage?”

Harry shrugged, “Possibly… Do you know the Revealing Charm? I’d rather avoid an uncomfortable explanation to Dumbledore, as to why we destroyed a section of the castle.”

John snorted and pulled out his wand, “Revelio!”

On cue, a section of the wall vanished, revealing a staircase going upwards. The boys shared a look and Harry quipped, “Well… Shall we?”

John muttered, “This looks like the same staircase from my vision. Probably the same one that the message in the ice was referring to.”

With their wands lit up, they advanced up the stairs. As they walked, the air grew colder, but they persevered. Eventually, they came across a large pair of doors, and heaved it open before entering. Just then, Harry noticed something on the floor and dropped to a crouch to investigate.

He called John over, “Hey! Take a look at this… Footprints… Someone’s already been here.”

Carefully, they followed the footprints, which eventually led them to an archway. The entrance was very foggy and too thick to see anything. John raised his wand and cast a spell. In an instant, the fog cleared, revealing an icy room, with another door.

John hesitantly stepped up and slowly reached for the door. However, as soon as he touched it, his eyes went blank and sightless for a few seconds. When his eyes cleared, he breathed, “Blimey! I think I just had another vision.”

Harry leaned forward, “What did you see?”

“Two rooms. One was dark and filled with books. The other was cluttered and had a door outlined in chalk.”

Harry’s response was cut off, by an icy projectile from the door. Fortunately, he activated his shield and protected the two of them. More projectiles rained down and Harry yelled, “Mate! I think we’re going to need some backup!”

The boys beat a hasty retreat to regroup and plan their next course of action. Over the next few days, Harry and John opted to leave the Vaults alone for some time and focus on their OWLs.

---

One fine day, Harry got a letter from none other than Percy Weasley. Turns out, he wanted to meet him at Hogsmeade the next day, and the matter was urgent. The day arrived and Harry trotted off to Hogsmeade for his meeting. As he entered the Three Broomsticks inn, he spotted Percy and Cedric in the far corner. Cedric spotted him and waved him over, "Hiya Harry! Fifth-Year treating you alright?"

Harry grinned, “It’s been a crazy week, but we're managing. So what did you want to talk about? It sounded urgent.”

Percy lowered his voice, "Harry? Do you remember Penelope Clearwater?"

“Yeah, wasn’t she your girlfriend? She's helped me write my papers in the past.”

“Yeah… Turns out, we've broken up. Decided that we were better off as friends.”

Harry sympathetically spoke, "Aww that's a shame."

Cedric spoke up this time, "Couple of weeks ago, Penelope approached me while I was interning with my Dad. Apparently, she's started feeling uncomfortable working in the Ministry, especially with some traditionalist Purebloods around. Poor girl was worried about her own safety, especially since she’s a Muggleborn."

Percy leaned forward,"I've done what I could, but the Weasley family is a bit low on the social ladder. The Diggorys have some clout, but not as much as the other Pureblood families. I figured that it was best that she disappear. I was hoping that you could convince her to join you and your sisters as a Hunter of Artemis. She's coming here in about 20 minutes.“

Harry frowned, "Mate... Are you sure about this? It's not so simple to just fill out a bloody application form and sign up. Once you're a Hunter, you're a Hunter for the rest of your life. Also, do you still have feelings for her, and does she feel the same?"

Percy sighed, "Two years ago, I might have said yes. But things have changed and we couldn't make it work. So we mutually decided to break up."

Harry was still apprehensive, "Again, like I said, being a Hunter is a very big deal. For her to join, she has to swear off of falling in love with men. Every Hunter recruit swears a sacred oath to pledge themselves to my mother. They must swear off falling in love with men and accept eternal maidenhood."

Cedric's eyes widened, "So they are immortal?!"

"Nah Ced, there's a big difference between immortality and eternal youth. With eternal youth, you stay young for the rest of your life, but you can still die by combat or poison. Even the Gods are not immortal. I learned that the hard way, last summer. The God of the Wild, Pan, he faded away because his domain is dying. Owing to mass deforestation and many wild creatures going extinct, Pan's domain diminished." 

By then, Penelope had just entered the inn and made her way to the table. She sat down next to Percy and shivered violently. The girl breathed, "Felix Rosier is getting bolder. Wanker was stalking me throughout the Ministry today. Only managed to escape his sight, thanks to Madam Bones. Percy, you said that you had a plan?"

Percy nodded and indicated for Harry to speak. Harry started off by speaking about the Greek Gods and demigods. She was sceptical, but he spoke about his ADHD and dyslexia and revealed that those were typical symptoms of being a demigod. Then he spoke about the Hunters of Artemis, a group of girls who followed Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. Those girls were effectively young forever. That piqued her interest, but Harry then warned her that she would have to give up on falling in love with males. He then explained the unusual circumstances of his birth, and that the Hunters all accepted him as family.

It took some time, but she eventually took the plunge and agreed to be a Hunter. Harry smiled and led her out of the inn and to an empty alley. He took out his wand, "Repeat after me, I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood and join The Hunt."

She dutifully repeated those words after taking out her own wand. Harry then accepted the oath as the Lieutenant of the Hunters. He then scribbled down an address on a piece of parchment and handed her some Drachmae, "This is the address for a Hunter safe house. Also, in the demigod world, we have a communication system called Iris Messaging. All you have to do is find a fountain and make a rainbow from the mist. Then you toss a drachma into the rainbow and say, 'Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering'. Then you ask her to show you whoever you want to speak to. What I want you to do is contact Thalia Grace, she's the acting Lieutenant when I'm away."

She nodded and left, while Harry returned to the Three Broomsticks. Cedric had left earlier, but Percy was still there. Harry rejoined him and spoke, "Oh, I almost forgot. Could you put me in touch with Bill? He works as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts, right? I want to get an audience with the goblins. There is a big war coming, against Kronos and the Titans. I'm hoping that the goblins will aid us demigods."

Percy grimaced, "I'll ask Bill when I see him. Can't make any promises on the goblin front, though. They're not too fond of wizards, but I'll keep you in the loop."

---

With that, Harry returned back to the castle. As he entered inside, he was hit with a blast of very chilly air. It was so cold that he could practically see his breath. Just then, he bumped into Hermione, who was in a great hurry. She hurried him back to the Common Room without a word and ushered him inside. Flopping down onto a couch next to Ron, she paused to catch her breath. The girl wheezed, “Oh thank the Gods that I found you! We’ve got a serious problem. This Cursed Ice or whatever, is starting to spread through the castle. Professor Sinistra and a bunch of Second-Years are trapped in the Astronomy Tower. The Ravenclaw Quidditch team are also trapped in the Changing Rooms. Heard Cho Chang shouting for help, and she sounded really panicked.”

Harry sprang into action, “John and I will get to the bottom of this, there's no time to lose. Hey do you two want to come with me and John? We could use some backup.”

The two of them nodded firmly, “We’d love to, mate. This is our school. We have to protect it. Can’t be too different from all the drama that’s been going on in the past few years.”

Harry nodded in understanding and asked them to gather volunteers from different houses. A few nights later, Harry and John gathered by the location of the icy corridor. Minutes later, Ron and Hermione joined them, and they were not alone, as Penny, Susan, Diego, Padma, Anthony, Cassandra and Katie also showed up. Harry definitely enjoyed the looks on their faces when he vanished the wall and revealed the staircase. Wands out, they trooped up and went past the door. From there, they found a solid wall of ice blocking their way. Katie whistled and rubbed her shoulders vigorously, “Wow! You weren’t joking about how cold this place is. And that solid block of ice looks tough to get past.”

However, John was confused, “Hang on… The ice wall wasn’t there before. I’m guessing that it’s one of the vault’s defences.”

Together, they raised their wands and chanted, “Incendio!”

It took a while, but all the ice was soon melted. Then the door stood before them, all imposing. Cassandra grunted, “This had better work. The professors can only do so much. Heard that Dumbledore has gone to look for a Curse-Breaker.”

Susan piped up, “Daphne and Tracey are helping in the Hospital Wing, along with Hannah and Chiara. It’s absolute bedlam, we have to figure this out. I wrote to Auntie, but even she’s baffled, though she promised to get in touch with Curse-Breakers.”

Harry got in a fighting stance, “Guys… This door has a tendency to fight back by freezing us in place. Spread out and be ready to dodge.”

Everyone wordlessly obeyed his command and took their places. For good measure, Harry activated his shield. At John’s command, they took turns attacking and dodging. On one occasion, Harry flung his shield to the right and parried away a Freezing spell from hitting Diego. Ron had positioned himself on the far right and caught the shield, before tossing it back.

It took a while to wear down the door, but eventually the ice melted. Then, the door blew open and eerie footsteps echoed across the marble floor. Ron stammered, “Mate… Was this door supposed to keep us out, or keep something in.”

They got their answer when a massive armoured figure lumbered out, a knight wielding a massive sword. It slashed outwards to the left, sending out a wave of icy shards. Harry tossed his shield towards Hermione on the far left, protecting everyone and redirecting the shards to the left wall, freezing it.

Then, Penny fished out a potion with a determined look, “Alright… It’s time I tested this Erumpent Potion I brewed.”

She tossed the potion and it exploded upon impact. The knight staggered a bit, before attacking, but once again, Harry, Hermione and Ron tag-teamed and protected everyone. Harry motioned to everyone, “Clear some space! I’ll handle him.”

They retreated as Harry turned his wand into the Sword of Gryffindor and took up a fighting stance. The armoured figure struck first, but Harry parried. Harry then thrust forward and dealt some damage. Undeterred, the figure stomped its foot and a row of icy stalagmites raced towards the demigod. Harry simply allowed his reflexes to take over and rolled out of harm’s way. The Knight attacked again with its sword, but Harry protected himself with his shield and then stabbed it through a chink in its armour.

The fierce battle carried on for a little while longer before Harry finally defeated it. The Knight collapsed in defeat and was still. After a beat of silence, Anthony whooped, “Cor! That was bloody bad arse, Harry!”

However, Harry snapped, “Stay focused! We’re not out of the woods just yet. We don’t know if this enchanted armour is the only guardian or not. Everyone, huddle up and stay behind me!”

Ron, Hermione and Katie immediately recognised that Harry was in battle mode, so they flanked either side of him as he raised his shield and pointed his sword above the rim. Slowly, he advanced into the room, with the others following him.

Fortunately, the next room was empty and free of ice, and the only thing standing out was a glowing obelisk with tempered glass windows. Harry turned his sword back into a wand as Penny gasped. She had clearly seen the column and was mesmerised, “Absolutely amazing!”

John hesitantly stepped forward and reached out to touch the obelisk. As soon as he did, the column shuddered and opened out. Inside was hollow and there was a book and a broken wand floating inside it. John reached out and grabbed the items, but as soon as he touched them, he flinched for a few seconds.

The teenager staggered back and Harry steadied him. After he and Ron helped the Ravenclaw, he breathed, “Whoa! That was something!”

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow, “You okay, mate?”

John stammered, “I heard a voice. It sounded like Jacob, and he said, ‘Find the other four Vaults! Find my room. You can’t let her get there first, hurry.’”

Then he sighed, “Just forget it… You lot must think I’m crazy.”

Harry firmly shook his head, “Nah, mate. I had a feeling there was something dodgy going on. Though I’m still baffled at who unleashed the Curse in the first place.”

Ron shrugged, “Had I not been a part of this, I’d have thought you were just barmy. But having said that, if the last four years are any indication, this thing is a lot bigger than we can even imagine.”

Cassandra grinned, “Crumbs! Is your life really full of this much adventure, Potter?”

Harry snorted, “Oh please! This is tame compared to the shenanigans that Ron, Hermione, Neville and I got up to in the last four years.”

Hermione reached out a hand, “John! Pass me the book. Let’s see what’s in it!”

She took the book from him and opened it, with Padma and Anthony reading over her shoulders. Padma frowned, “I don’t know… Looks like random squiggles to me. It must be in another language, but the only ones I know besides English, are my mother tongue, Hindi, and Sanskrit. This dialect is neither of those.”

Anthony spoke, “Sorry, I’m only fluent in English, French and German. I’ll be of little help.”

Hermione called out, “Harry! Does this read like Ancient Greek to you?”

He trotted over and took a look, “Reads like it. Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ll translate it together later. If this is the first Vault, hopefully the Curse has gone.”

They also explored the room until Diego discovered a secret passage out of the room. When they emerged from a long tunnel, they found themselves near the Kitchens. From there, everyone split up and decided to head to bed.

The next day, the ice was all gone. Professor Sinistra and her students were freed, and so were the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. That same day, Harry and John went to Professor Dumbledore to speak about the Vault.

He was already seated at his desk, fingers steepled and an expectant look on his face. Dumbledore smiled, “I believe congratulations are in order. You two have managed to break an ancient curse on a vault that many have doubted its existence, despite evidence on the contrary.”

John spoke up, “Professor… It wasn’t just me and Harry, we had a number of friends to help out as well. Also, when we were down there, I heard my brother’s voice. What are these vaults and why was Jacob so obsessed with them?”

Dumbledore sighed wearily and took off his half-moon spectacles. Rubbing his eyes, he mused, “There are many theories, Mr. Silvertongue. Some would suggest that the Founders or an acquaintance, created them, or it may have been the paranoid work of one of my predecessors. As to why they were created… I cannot say, but I must insist that speculation is dangerous until the truth is uncovered. I fear that this may just be the beginning. We must be vigilant, and I trust that you all will try your best to get to the bottom of this?”

The boys nodded vigorously and left when Dumbledore dismissed them.

Chapter 69

One morning, Angelina Johnson woke Harry up at the crack of dawn. She murmured, “Get up… We’ve got Quidditch practice! It’s the last year for me, Alicia and the Twins. We want to go out on a high. Next year, you, Robyn and Katie will be the only ones of the original team left. Oh, and wake up Ron as well. He’s going to be our reserve Keeper. I know for a fact that Robyn is flexible enough to play in any role. So if she’s injured, Ron can take over as Keeper. If anyone else is injured, she can move to another position and Ron can still be the Keeper.”

Harry saluted, “Yes Captain.”

She smiled, “Oh, and one more thing. Katie’s told me that you’re a natural leader. Heck, I’ve seen it myself in Capture The Flag. So I want you to be my Vice-Captain. Listen… I can get… a little obsessive… At least, Alicia says so. So if I tread too dangerously into Oliver Wood territory, promise that you’ll reign me in?”

He grinned back, “You got it, mate.”

Angelina left and Harry shook Ron awake. He told the sleepy redhead that he was going to be the Reserve Keeper. Harry told him to write to his parents and ask them to buy him a broom. Ron looked at him as if asking if he was crazy, but Harry insisted.

He said, “Get up and get dressed. We’ll take turns on the Firebolt. Once we’re done, you are writing that letter, even if I have to bloody stand over your shoulder. Worst case scenario, if your folks say no, I’ll ask Sirius to buy one for you and you can make it up to me later.”

That perked Ron up and he rushed into the bathroom to get dressed. Five minutes later, the two had joined Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Robyn, Fred and George. In no time, they had all trooped down to the Quidditch Pitch.

Just before they took to the pitch, Angelina gathered the group in a huddle. She explained, “So I was thinking. We’ll run one drill in our usual positions. Then on the next drill, we swap positions. Where Alicia, Katie and I will be the Seeker and Beaters, respectively, Harry Fred and Robyn as Chasers and George as the Keeper. Then on the next drill we switch it up again. My logic is that in case one of us gets injured, we should be versatile enough to cover our bases. We’ll also take turns sitting out, so that Ron can also get some practice time. Oh, and Ron? The Twins are going to be heckling you during the drill. I want to see you toughen up so that we can avoid a situation like last year. Better the Twins than an army of Snakes. Everyone with me?”

Harry raised a hand, “Question… Is it legal for us to swap our positions? I mean, I haven’t seen anyone ever try it, either here or even professionally.”

She shrugged, “Well… I spoke to McNully last night. According to him, there’s nothing in Quidditch Through the Ages, that says we can’t. Maybe we can try this out against Slytherin so that we can really throw them off their game. Worst case scenario, Madam Hooch gives us a warning and then adds it as a rule later.”

Everyone nodded firmly and they broke the huddle. Over the next two hours, the eight of them competed in various drills. Sometimes Harry sat out, sometimes it was Ron, then Katie had her turn on the side lines, like that, it carried on.

During the drills, Harry found that he shared Katie’s deadly accuracy as a Chaser. Though the two of them did hold back their strength when they were Beaters. That was after Katie’s first whack send the Bludger whizzing past George’s nose, like a bullet. Turns out, Harry was much stronger than a regular human, while Katie also inherited some extra strength because she was a Hunter of Artemis.

---

Finally, at around half past seven in the morning, they wrapped up practice. Just as they passed the greenhouses, a piercing scream ripped through the air, and it came from the greenhouses. With looks of alarm on their faces, the Quidditch team rushed to the nearest greenhouse. Bursting inside, they spotted John and Penny hugging each other and cowering in a corner. Looming a few feet away from them, was a snarling werewolf.

Angelina and Robyn wasted no time in trying to Hex the beast, but to no avail. Harry had another idea. He instantly transformed into his Animagus form and leaped to confront the werewolf. That evoked stunned responses from the team, including a “Bloody Hell!” from Ron. Then, the werewolf suddenly changed, turning into himself, straining under the weight of the sky. Harry transformed back and got rid of the now-identified Boggart with a bellow of “Riddikulus!”

The Boggart vanished and there was a beat of silence. Alicia yelled, “Harry! You’re a freaking Animagus!”

He sighed, “Yes… Yes I am. Also, before you ask, I’m registered already.”

Harry spun around to see John and Penny recovering, “You two okay?”

The Hufflepuff shivered, “Y-y-yeah… Thanks…”

Harry and the team escorted the two to the Great Hall and gathered around them on one of the long tables. On cue, a pair of mugs popped into existence, filled with steaming hot chocolate. Penny took a big sip and spoke softly, “S-s-sorry… As you can see, I’m scared of werewolves. I-I had a bad encounter with one, when I was young. I had a Muggle best friend, her name was Scarlett and she was killed by one. I think it was Greyback who killed her.”

She gave a soft snort, “So you can imagine, I was thrilled when that woman who Dumbledore hired, finally managed to catch him and kill him.”

John rubbed her shoulders to calm her down, while the team decided to give her some space. After a while, most of the team moved off, with only Ron sticking by Harry as they ate breakfast. Then, John slipped into the seat across from them. He spoke in a low voice, “I’ve been wondering… What the heck was a Boggart doing in the greenhouse? As far as I’m aware, that isn’t normally a place they like to haunt.”

Harry shrugged, “I don’t know mate. Maybe we should ask Professor Rakepick. She would know, since she is the DADA faculty.”

He nodded and moved off to comfort Penny. Just then, Blaise Zabini slid into the seat that John had vacated, “Potter… I had a question. What’s a Legacy?”

Harry was a little surprised, “Where did you hear that?”

“Like Daphne, I also decided to do some research into my family tree. As much as I try to ignore it, you know there are a lot of rumours about my mum, right.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, but I think those are just rubbish. I mean, what would she get out of being married seven times? If I’m not mistaken, the Zabini family is relatively wealthy on its own, even without those spouses.”

Blaise looked grim, “Well… I found out that my mum is a Legacy. Her dad was a son of Hades, and he fought in World War 2.”

Bianca di Angelo was nearby and listening in. She slid over and mused, “Yeah, that makes sense. I believe the children of Hades fought alongside the Axis Powers. You’re of Italian descent, right?”

“Yeah… But my mum and I were not Fascists.”

Harry laughed softly, “Wasn’t going to ask about your political beliefs, but good to know. Anyway, I believe Legacies are people who are descended from the gods. In essence, they could be the child or a grandchild of a demigod. Mother spoke to me about this, and she revealed that some Legacies could inherit abilities from their Godly ancestors, but it’s not very common. Frankly though, Legacies are also rare, considering that very few demigods live long enough to grow to adulthood. I've only ever seen one of them grow to adulthood.”

Zabini nodded in understanding, “Right… Anyway, I peeked into my Mum’s diary once, and in it she mentioned something about an ability called Soul Judgement Aura. Apparently, her first husband died of natural causes, then she married my dad and had me. It seems, my dad planned to kill mum and take her fortune for himself. Her Aura detected his ill intentions, and that it Cursed him, and the rest of her future husbands, who had similar intentions. After my 5th stepdad, mum evidently had enough and decided to raise me herself.”

Harry mused, “Huh… Interesting.”

---

With that, he took his leave and headed for class. Sometime later, he met up with Katie and they went to the Room of Requirement to train. A few days later, he got a note from John Silvertongue, asking him to meet at Hogsmeade. Having nothing better to do, Mackenzie and Bianca tagged along with him. While there, they spotted Lavender Brown heading to Gladrags Wizardwear, arm-in-arm with Ravenclaw’s Andre Egwu.

Mackenzie mused, “Huh… When did that happen?”

Bianca shrugged, “Well… Egwu is regarded as the resident fashion icon at Hogwarts. Since Lavender loves fashion and stuff like that, it’s a match that everyone kind of saw coming a mile away.”

Harry chipped in, “He’s also pretty ace at Quidditch. The Claws have a very strong line-up. Orion Amari, Skye Parkins, Andre Egwu, Cho Chang… They’re tough opponents, though they were pretty grateful to us for saving them from the cursed ice.”

Eventually, they met up with John. As they sat down with their Butterbeers, John spoke, “I’ve been asking around in school. Apparently, Jacob used to visit Hogsmeade quite often. I’m hoping that Madam Rosmerta could provide some insights.”

Harry nodded in sympathy, “I get it mate. But it looks like she’s a touch busy at the moment. Let’s not pester her, or you won’t get the answers you want.”

It took a while, but Madam Rosmerta finally had some free time. She came over, wiping her hands on a rag, “Hello dearies! Can I interest you in anything else?”

John hesitantly spoke up, “Madam Rosmerta? I heard that you knew my brother Jacob. I was hoping that you had some information on him, my mum and I are really worried.”

She smiled warmly, “Ahh, yes of course. I would be happy to tell you all that I know. I remember that lad. He was a quiet on, he was. Rather sweet too. I often saw him at the bar, scribbling in some of his notebooks. Of course, I didn’t pry, because some students often like to study here, when not in their Common Rooms. I can’t tell you the number of students who would try and complete their homework assignments in this inn.”

She sighed, “One day, a pair of Ministry Aurors came in, grabbed him and dragged him out. The only thing left at his seat was an odd-looking black quill.”

John spoke up, “Madam Rosmerta, may we see that quill? It may be a clue to his whereabouts.”

She smiled, “Of course, dear. Fortunately, I don’t normally make it a habit to throw anything out. I’m sure it’s here somewhere, just hang on a tick. It might take a while, since I’m a little bit of a hoarder. I say, do you mind looking after the other patrons while I’m busy? I’d appreciate the help. Not to worry, dearie, I’ll pay you for the trouble.”

The boys agreed and she turned tail and disappeared in the back. Fortunately for them, the inn was not too crowded and they minded the place for a while. Half an hour later, she returned and placed a black quill on their table. She smiled, “Here you go dearies. Took me a while to hunt down this pesky little bugger. Found it hiding under a few flyers for a Celestina Warbeck performance.”

Harry replied gratefully, “Thank you Madam Rosmerta. You’ve been a big help. We won’t keep you waiting any longer. I’m sure the other patrons need you.”

Harry took the Black Quill, and they returned back to the castle. Along the way, they met up with Ron and Hermione. The two were taking a break from their Prefect duties and were interested in seeing what the quill would reveal.

The group entered an empty classroom before Ron transfigured the quill. Sure enough, it transformed into a notebook, which Hermione snatched and began thumbing through it. John mused, “Since Jacob was hunting for the Vaults, do you think he’s leaving clues, so that I could follow him?”

Ron replied, “That’s a good theory.”

Harry took a peek, but the letters all swam around the pages. With a frustrated groan, he grumbled, “Well… He definitely didn’t use Ancient Greek. Hermione? Can you make sense of it?”

Her eyebrows furrowed as she checked the notebook and furiously scribbled on some parchment. She read, “These Boggarts must have something to do with the curse protecting the next Vault, which means someone found it first. If I don’t hurry, Hogwarts is doomed.”

Neville quipped sarcastically, “Yeah, that’s not ominous at all.”

Hermione peered at the notebook again, “He’s also mentioned something about a secret room in the castle. We should go look for it.”

Ron turned to Harry, “Mate… Would it show up on the Map?”

Harry struck a thinking pose, “Maybe… It’s in my trunk. I asked Sirius to put a lock that was Keyed to my blood. Was a bit worried that Fred and George might sneak in and pinch it from my trunk.”

John was confused, “What map? Do we get a map of Hogwarts? That would have been bloody useful in First-Year!”

Harry laughed, “Hahaha, no. Actually, my dad and my uncles Sirius and Remus, created the map, along with Pettigrew. It doesn’t show everything though.”

John perked up, “What about Ben! He knows lots of nooks and crannies and he’s pretty decent at Charms.”

Hermione nodded in agreement, “Okay… You guys talk to Ben Copper tomorrow. Just keep us posted.”

---

The next day, Harry and John managed to catch up to Ben. He repeated, “So let me get this straight. Your brother has a secret room in Hogwarts and you want me to help you find it?”

John sheepishly laughed, “Yeah, that just about covers it.”

Ben replied, “O-Okay… I’ll help. I remember seeing one unusual room, but it was locked. Come on, it’s this way.”

The timid blond led them to a seemingly ordinary door, but it had a strange-looking padlock. Harry observed it, “Two keyholes, eh?”

John attempted the Unlocking Charm, and Ben tried a Knockback Jinx. Unfortunately, neither of them worked. Then, Harry noticed some tiny letters. John squinted and read, “Property of Tulip Karasu.”

He straightened up, “Alright… I’ll go talk to Tulip. Just wait here for a bit.”

About half an hour later, John returned with a red-headed Asian girl in tow. John had a sheepish look on his face, “So, good news and bad news. Good news is that Tulip agreed to help us and she has a key. The bad news is that she’s been working with Merula Snyde and she has the other key.”

Tulip also had a guilty look on her face, “Also… I might have had a bit of a falling-out with Merula.”

Harry frowned, “Okay… So how do we get it from her? Talk to her? Trick her? Beg? Borrow? Steal?”

Tulip mused, “Talking to her might work, provided that you do something for her in return. Just give me a few days to come up with a plan.”

With that, they went their separate ways and Harry returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.

A few days passed and there was little progress into the investigation of the secret room. After a Herbology lecture, Harry caught up John Silvertongue, “Hey John, what’s the update on getting that key from Snyde?”

He replied in a low voice, “Well… Tulip wants me to help her pull a prank on Merula and Draco. Last I heard, they were working together to find the Vault, and I’m sure as hell not working with them. They’ll sooner stab me in the back than help. Anyway, Tulip and I-”

Harry stopped him, ”Wait… Don’t tell me. We can maintain plausible deniability if this goes tits up. I’ll catch you later, John-o.”

---

One morning, in the first week of December he returned from breakfast to see Percy Weasley sitting on a couch. His eyes lit up when he saw Harry, “Oh good! I was waiting for you. Come on, I’ll take you to Gringotts. I picked Saturday because you lot don’t have any classes.”

The two exited the Common Room and walked briskly down the corridor, heading to the Headmaster’s Office. Percy said, “I spoke to Bill and he got in touch with his goblin boss. It took a while, but the King of the Goblins has agreed to meet you. He had heard rumours about  a demigod wizard in Britain and was curious to put them to rest.”

Dumbledore was at his desk, writing a few letters, and he gave a single nod of acknowledgement. Minutes later, Percy and Harry stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron. They entered Diagon Alley and made a bee-line for Gringotts. He hurriedly explained, “Sorry, there’s no Floo network connection that goes straight to Gringotts. The thing is, we don’t want to startle them by suddenly Flooing there and have them accidentally hurt someone. It could very easily trigger a Goblin-Wizard war.”

Soon, they entered the white marble halls of Gringotts. Standing at one end of the main lobby were Bill Weasley and a serious-looking Goblin. Percy and Harry joined the two and the goblin asked, “Is he the one you mentioned?”

Bill nodded and the goblin took a big sniff, “Hmm… Certainly smells like a demigod, and a powerful one too… I suppose Griphook was not completely dishonest. Come… We will go to our king. William, you come with me as our escort. Your brother stays here, because our kind will be wary of the presence of too many wizards.”

Bill and Harry followed the goblin to an empty section of Gringotts. Soon, they came across a mine cart, but this looked different from the one that Harry normally used, as it was more fancy-looking. The goblin explained, “This is a closely guarded secret among us goblins. This line goes straight to the heart of goblin country and ends inside our king’s courtroom. You two should be honoured that you are the first wizards to see the king, since the Founders of Hogwarts. Not even the Minister has ever had this privilege.”

As they boarded, the goblin said, “I trust that this shall stay between us?”

Harry and Bill nodded vigorously, and the satisfied goblin started the ride. They must have been travelling for kilometres, because Harry lost track of time. Finally, the mine cart made one final turn and sped into a massive yawning cavern. The cart then gradually slowed down and stopped outside a massive underground castle that was hewn from the rocks.

Harry, Bill and their goblin guide disembarked and stood in front of a long set of stairs leading inside the castle. There were two beefy-looking goblin guards standing guard on either side of the staircase. They tensed when they spotted Harry and Bill, but their goblin guide harshly spoke to them. It took a few minutes, but they were escorted up the stairs and into the castle.

There was nothing particularly fancy about the throne room, but at the end of the room a goblin lounged on a golden throne. Most goblins were generally very short in stature, barely going past Harry's thigh. However, this goblin was very large, compared to his brethren. Harry surmised that if he was standing, then the goblin would be much taller than him.

Their diminutive goblin guide slowly approached the throne, Harry and Bill following him. The goblin got on his knees and bowed before speaking in a foreign tongue. Bill helpfully translated quietly, “High King Ragnok, the Third of his Name! My companions come to seek an audience with you. They say it is a matter of utmost urgency.”

Ragnok the Third stirred very slightly and rumbled in English, “Curse-breaker Krukhut… You have some nerve to bring two wizards to our kingdom. Have you forgotten that accursed treaty? What is stopping them from running back to those Ministry fools and coming back with an army. I ought to throw them in the dungeon and you with them!”

Krukhut stammered, “My-my king… I made them swear to keep their silence. Also, the older wizard is my employee, William Weasley, and he is merely here to escort this one.”

Ragnok’s eyes focused on Harry and took a few sniffs, “This one smells different… He is no ordinary wizard… Who are you?”

Harry stepped forward and went down on one knee and bowed, “High King Ragnok the Third of his Name. My name is Harry Potter and I am a demigod and a wizard.”

Ragnok shifted a little in his seat, a spark of interest in his beady eyes, “A demigod, you say? Haven’t seen one of those in England in centuries. I thought the gods had all resided in America. Who is your Godly parent?”

Harry told him straight-faced, “Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.”

Ragnok suddenly growled, “Impossible… She is a virgin Goddess. She would not dare break her oath.”

The surrounding goblins tensed, but Harry exclaimed, “There was a loophole! My parents, James and Lily Potter had trouble conceiving. They accidentally summoned Artemis with a Ritual and she agreed to help them. She placed some of her Godly essence into Lily’s womb, combining it with James’ essence. Thus, I was born, and was still counted as her son.”

Ragnok gave a subtle signal and the other goblins relaxed. He rumbled again, “Hmm… Yes… That does explain a lot. Now… To business. Why have you come here? Our Goblin Treaty forbids us from interfering with wizarding affairs.”

Harry then spoke about Kronos and his impending rise. He said, “This is not a matter that concerns the Wizarding World just yet, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. I come here today to beseech you to aid us demigods in our fight against Kronos. I have done my utmost to keep Kronos and his allies from learning of the Wizarding World. I was hoping that the Goblin nation would come to our aid and be our ‘ace in the hole’ so to speak. Please! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important. The Titans will destroy the world if they overthrow the Gods of Olympus.”

Ragnok then sat up straight, leaned forward and steepled his fingers, “Mr. Potter… You had my attention and I am almost convinced. However, I need one last thing. I want you to face our best warrior in one on one combat. If you can beat him, the Goblin Nation will answer the call to arms. Both of you shall fight until one incapacitates the other. If your abilities are not up to our standards, that is a deal breaker.”

Harry stood and gave a single respectful bow, “As you command, your majesty. I will not let you down and I look forward to crossing weapons with my opponent.”

Ragnok leaned back on his throne and barked, “Send for General Bogrod immediately!”

One guard bowed and scuttled away. When he returned, he was followed by a large beefy goblin, decked out in armour. Ragnok explained the situation and Bogrod had a broad toothy grin on his face. He reached behind his back and pulled out a long sword. Harry drew his wand, when Ragnok suddenly yelled, “No magic spells! Weapons only.”

Harry promptly turned his wand into a sword and then transfigured his holster to a shield. The two combatants circled each other as everyone cleared a space. As Harry circled his opponent, he banged the flat of his blade on the shield, twice. Finally, the two charged and crossed swords. Bogrod’s sword was longer and also looked heavier. Especially judging by the fact that he was wielding it two-handed. Since Harry’s sword was lighter, he was able to manoeuvre better, even with a shield in his other hand.

The duel was fierce, with neither opponent giving an inch. Bogrod managed to draw first blood with a cut to Harry’s cheek. Harry got him back by bonking him on the head with his sword hilt. Then, Harry switched tactics, incorporating his shield as a weapon. After what seemed like ages, Harry finally bashed Bogrod in the face with his shield and knocked him out cold.

Ragnok the Third raised his hand in the air in a stopping gesture. He announced, “I have seen enough! It is good to see that Chiron has not lost his touch. Harry Potter, son of Artemis! When the time comes, the Goblin Nation shall answer the call of duty! Just remember to take us to the battlefield. Krukhut! Escort them back to Gringotts. And when you come back, we prepare for war!”

Bogrod was revived and he approached Harry. Although the demigod stood at a good five feet and nine inches, Bogrod still towered over him, though he was shorter than the king. They were inches from each other and the Goblin warrior had a menacing look on his face. Bill Weasley was getting increasingly nervous, but Harry stood unflinching. Then Bogrod grinned toothily, “My king! I like this one! He has spirit and has the makings of a leader. The legends were right about demigods… They have some serious ‘balls’ as the humans say.”

As Harry, Bill and Percy left Gringotts, Bill recounted the whole thing to an astounded Percy. The Ministry worker then dropped Harry back in the castle before heading back to work.

---

No sooner that Harry entered the Gryffindor Common Room, he saw Ginny lounging on the couch. She waved, “Hey Harry, where were you? It’s almost lunch time. Hermione’s doing her Prefect rounds, Mackenzie’s in the library, and Ron is playing some pickup Quidditch games with the rest of the team. Bianca’s in the Great Hall and I was going to have lunch with her.”

She hopped off and beckoned with a finger, “You coming?”

Minutes later, they sat opposite each other, with Bianca next to her. He served himself a piece of roast chicken, sacrificed a portion and sat down. Harry said, “I was actually with your brothers, Percy and Bill.”

Ginny tilted her head curiously, “What for?”

“I wanted an audience with the Goblins, specifically the Goblin King.”

Her brown eyes widened, “Are you mad! Very few have gone to find the goblin nation and lived to tell the tale.”

Bianca guessed, “I’m assuming that you wanted their help in the impending war?”

He shot her a finger gun, “Got it in one. Bloody hell! It wasn’t easy. Had to negotiate with them and then the King wanted to test me.”

Ginny replied, “Test you?”

“One on one trial by combat against their best warrior. Winner by incapacitation. I won, just barely, and now they will aid us in battle.”

Ginny’s eyes couldn’t get any wider, “Shoot! You are even more bad arse than those Boy-Who-Lived storybooks I read as a child.”

Harry mock threatened, “If you start idol-worshipping me…”

She smacked his arm and stuck out her tongue, “Relax! I’m not that stupid blushing mess that I was, three years ago.”

Bianca snorted, “Could have fooled me. Back in the Burrow before the term began, I still saw a big Boy-Who-Lived poster hanging above your bed.”

A mortified Ginny yelped, “BIANCA! I thought we agreed to never talk about it!”

Harry figured that that was the best time to take his leave before the conversation got any more awkward.

---

Exiting the Great Hall, he ran into John, who looked a little freaked out. The Ravenclaw breathed, “I got a weird note… It said, ‘Dear John, You are in grave danger. Your investigation into the Cursed Vaults has drawn the attention of a group who is not to be trifled with. Be careful, but remain courageous. I’m depending on you to reach the final Vault before the others. I will assist you when I can. I hope that the next time I deliver you a message, the circumstances are far less mysterious. Sincerely, a Friend.’”

Harry shot him a serious look, "You recognise the handwriting?"

John frowned, "Not really... Anyway, I'm almost ready with the prank on Merula. We'll execute it tomorrow."

John pocketed the note and the two boys parted ways.

Chapter 70

Notes:

Yeah this one took a while, partly because I rewrote a bunch of scenes, and my job has gotten a lot more hectic

The next day, John and Tulip carried out their prank. Apparently, Fred and George caught wind of it, and couldn’t resist joining in. At some point, Harry spotted Tulip cradling the mother of all Dung Bombs. At that moment, he decided that he didn’t want to know, and went and hung out with Ron and Neville as they looked for other means to open the locked door.

About 10 minutes later, the two came sprinting back, brandishing the key triumphantly. Up until then, Harry had been having no luck, not even with his lockpicking set. As Tulip went and inserted both keys, John spoke up, “So what did Merula mean when she said that she took what she wanted from my brother’s room?”

Tulip waved him off, “She’s probably fibbing. We used his room to study the Vaults because she said it was full of valuable information. But there was nothing worth taking in the room. At least not in my eyes.”

John mused, “Crumbs! I haven’t felt this close to Jacob since he disappeared.”

Tulip then adopted an apprehensive look, “John? Are you sure you want to do this? I’m not sure if you’re going to like what you find.”

John shook his head firmly, “No! I need to do this. I want to see where he did his research. If I can just glean what he was thinking or feeling, it could help me find him.”

Together, they opened the door and darkness greeted them. Suddenly, they heard a spine-chilling laugh, and they quickly lit up their wands. Floating in the back of the room was none other than Lord Voldemort! John and Tulip gasped in fear, but Harry’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Suddenly, he whipped out his wand and bellowed, “Riddikulus!”

In an instant, Voldemort shrunk massively to look like a toddler, wearing a rainbow wig on his head and sucking on a pacifier in his mouth. The scene was so comical that they all burst out laughing. The Boggart soon swelled up and popped away.

Recovering, Harry, John and Tulip began searching the room. About half an hour of digging and clearing away useless junk, Tulip hit the jackpot. She called out, “Hey boys! I found something!”

Raising one hand, she branding a parchment, “Here! Look at this note!”

Harry and John peered over her shoulders and the latter read, “When someone first tampered with the vault, there were more Boggarts in the library than anywhere. The vault must be there somewhere.”

Tulip hummed, “Shoot! There are thousands of shelves in the library. The entrance to the vault could be anywhere. What do you think we should do now?”

John mused, “Search the entire library? That’s the best idea I’ve got.”

Harry pointed out, “That could take a while, mate. We’ll do this another day. Give us some time to plan our search better and recruit more firepower.”

John and Tulip nodded and they exited the room, but not before locking it again. This time, John and Tulip shared the two keys, Harry declined because he insisted that this was more important to John, and Tulip had more knowledge on the lock.

---

Sometime later, it was time for the first Quidditch match for Gryffindor. Ron was now the proud owner of a Nimbus 2000, courtesy of Sirius Black, and he was more than happy with it. Once again, they were up against Slytherin and interestingly, Malfoy was somehow trusted enough to be back in the captain role. Lucian Bole and Peregrine Derrick had both graduated, so Vincent Crabbe was the new Beater alongside Erika Rath, and Gregory Goyle was the Keeper.

Just before they flew out, Angelina gathered everyone in a huddle. She spoke, “Alright lads and ladies. First game of the season. The Snakes are going to be rough, but you all know the gameplan, right? Remember… Plan B is titled ‘Operation Rubik’. If one of us gets injured, which is inevitable with these clowns, we’re going to need Plan B.”

They broke the huddle and mounted their brooms, ready to fly. Ron plugged up his ears again, just in case. Up in the gantry, Lee Jordan and Murphy McNully were babbling, “Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season. As always, we have the perennial Gryffindor vs Slytherin rivalry! This one ought to be a cracker!”

Madam Hooch gave her usual warnings before blowing the whistle to kick off the game. Angelina, Alicia and Katie went on the attack, straight away. Adrian Pucey got the Quaffle first, but the Chasers got him back on the counter-attack. Alicia was the quickest of the trio and was able to pluck it from his fingers.

From there, the game evolved into a very close game. It was only a slip-up from Goyle, that allowed Gryffindor to draw first blood, and from there, they rocketed to a 60-0 lead. At that point, Slytherin began to buck up and their Chasers peppered the Gryffindor posts, but Ron saved all but two.

There was no need to hit the panic button just yet, so the Chasers continued their merry way. Fred and George were also running riot with their bats and the two Bludgers. Ron was also in top notch form at the goalposts. He wasn’t quite at Oliver Wood’s level, but the youngest male Weasley was competent enough. Finally, Harry was minding his own business, though he was aware of Draco Malfoy tailing him.

A single glance showed that the blond ponce was making no effort to look for the Snitch. Clearly, he was relying on Harry to do the donkey work. Of course, Harry had already spotted the Snitch, but what Malfoy didn’t know would hurt him.

About 15 minutes into the game, Gryffindor were comfortably at 100-40. Then it happened… Angelina was lining up a shot, when she got body-checked by Graham Montague, straight into the Gryffindor stands. Of course, her Housemates helped her up, but she looked a little woozy.

While Fred and George pelted him with Bludgers and an infuriated Lee Jordan hurled abuse, Harry flew over to his captain. She was in no condition to fly on her own, so Lavender and Mackenzie gently placed her on the back of his Firebolt. He made sure to carefully fly down, as Madam Hooch paused the game.

As she lay on the floating stretcher, Angelina reached up and unpinned her badge. She then pinned it to Harry’s Quidditch jersey and nodded to Robyn. Finally, Madam Pomfrey led her away, and Harry gathered the team. The demigod clapped and rubbed his hands. The seven huddled together and he switched to a serious mood.

Harry ordered, “Okay troops… Operation Rubik is a go, Fred, pass me that Beater’s bat. George, pass yours to Katie. Alicia, you’re in between the sticks. We’re also going for an all-Weasley Chaser-line-up, and Robyn, you’re the Seeker. Those Snakes think they can hit hard, Katie and I can hit harder. No mercy!”

He ended the speech with a war cry, and the others quickly caught on and echoed him.

Up in the booth, Lee Jordan was babbling, “Blimey! The Gryffindors sound like they mean business, if that savage howling led by Harry Potter, is any indication.”

Murphy McNully replied, “That’s right, Lee! Statistics show that teams or athletes have a 76% chance of winning if they emit a kind of cry like that. Says that it is great as an intimidation tactic! Heck, last year my folks and I went for the Muggle Rugby World Cup in South Africa! I believe the New Zealand team usually performs a traditional Māori war dance before every game. It's called the H… Hack… Heck… No wait I want to get this right. Ahh yes, the Haka!”

Then Lee noticed something, “Hang on… What’s happening here? The Gryffindor team seems to be a bit jumbled up! Alicia Spinnet is in goal instead of Ron Weasley. Speaking of Weasley, he’s up playing Chaser with the Twins! Harry Potter and Katie Bell are also playing Beaters, and Robyn Thistlethwaite is playing Seeker! What’s going on?! Murphy, you seen anything like this before?”

The wheelchair-bound teenager shrugged, ”Honestly mate, I’ve been a Quidditch fan my whole life, but I’ve never seen this before. Look! Malfoy’s looking rather put out, and he’s screaming for the ref! What’s he… He’s yelling something about the Gryffindor tactics being against the rules and blatant cheating!”

Lee Jordan snorted, “Illegal tactics? Pot, meet kettle! Ahh! Madam Hooch has stopped the play and has flown her broom inside!”

After about two minutes, Madam Hooch flew out again, this time levitating a large portrait of a stern-looking Asian woman. She stopped just in front of the faculty box, which was right next to the commentary box.

Madam Hooch said, “Madam Kogawa, I am sorry for disturbing you, but a strange situation has arisen. After an injury to one of the Gryffindor Chasers, she has been subbed off, but the entire team has re-arranged itself and assumed a different position. The Slytherins are protesting and saying that swapping position is against the rules. Frankly, I have never seen this happen in all my years at Hogwarts, not even at the Professional level.”

Inside the portrait, former Flying Instructor and Quidditch referee Chiyo Kogawa, had a thoughtful look. She mused, “To tell you the truth, I have been a Quidditch referee since the mid-19^th century, and even I have never seen such a thing. I’ve studied the rule books and Quidditch Through the Ages during my tenure, and there is nothing about this. Honestly, I do not think what the Gryffindor team have done is against the rules. So long as we still have seven players on the squad, it doesn’t matter what position they occupy. I personally believe that we can allow some leeway for this game, and this game alone, for the moment. Afterwards, I suggest you speak to the Quidditch League officials and get their opinion on the matter. If they give the go-ahead, the other three House teams and maybe the professional teams are free to adopt this tactic.”

Madam Hooch then blew her whistle and relayed the information to everyone in the stands. The Gryffindors cheered loudly, while the Slytherins groaned. Meanwhile, Harry could have sworn that he spotted many of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs taking notes.

Play resumed, and Gryffindor’s stunt had worked wonderfully. Most of the Slytherin players were in a right old tizzy, because they did not expect this. Just then, Crabbe zoomed towards one of the Bludgers and viciously whacked it towards Ron, who was making a play.

Harry was having none of that, and raced over to intercept it. Had he not done so, Ron would have gotten an unexpected lobotomy, but Harry whacked the Bludger away, as hard as he could. The Bludger left his bat at lightning speed and smashed into one of the support pillar. The blow was hard enough for the iron ball to be practically embedded in the beam.

Katie flew over and whistled, “Wow! Harry? I’d suggest that you tone it down with the strength. You do remember what Thalia said, right? As a First-Born, you are a lot stronger than a normal demigod. So you should hold back a little. I’ll try and do the same.”

For the remainder of the game, Harry and Katie flew around, whacking the Bludgers, but holding back their strength. The Weasley trio were already racking up the points, though Slytherin were keeping in touch. Meanwhile, Robyn was busy hunting for the Snitch, and Malfoy was tailing her.

At one point, Harry and Erika Rath enjoyed a brilliant back-and-forth muscle-off. She and Millicent Bulstrode were easily the most heavy-built of the Slytherins. However, Rath was built like a tank, while Bulstrode was more on the obese side. The Slytherin Beater fired a vicious blow towards Ron, who was streaking towards the goal posts.

Harry was having none of that, and he promptly raced over and parried the Bludger back at her. The other Beater whacked it towards Fred, but Katie defended him. Lee Jordan hollered, “Cor! The Gryffindor and Slytherin Beaters are having a right old ding-dong battle!”

This carried on for a few minutes, but it felt like hours. Dare he say it, but Harry was having more fun than he had in a while. Eventually, the whistle blew and Robyn flew around the pitch brandishing the caught Snitch. Gryffindor had won 300-120.

The delighted team dropped everything and surrounded her in a group hug. Up in the commentary box, Lee Jordan was hollering that Gryffindor had won handily. Soon, the team were on the ground and promptly swallowed up by the cheering Gryffindors.

---

A few days later, Ron was looking a little deliriously happy. Harry thumped his back affectionately, “Mate? You’re still riding on the high of our Quidditch victory? It’s been four days!”

Ron shook his head, still with a big smile, “It’s not the Gryffindor game! Did you see today’s Prophet? Turn to the sports section!”

Harry grabbed a copy and skimmed it, then his eyes widened, “The Chudley Cannons stunned the Appleby Arrows! The Quidditch League has made our tactic legal. Turns out, the Cannons adopted it and it worked! F**king hell! No wonder you’ve been grinning like a loon.”

Ron then winced, “Bollocks! I just realized, now that our tactic is legal, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws could try and adapt it.”

Harry frowned thoughtfully, “You’ve got a point. I’ll talk to Angelina later. We’ll work on countering any such plan of theirs.”

Just then, Harry felt movement next to him and turned to see John with a serious look on his face. He spoke in a low voice, “Hey Harry? I think it’s time we tackled the next Vault. The sooner we deal with it, the quicker we’ll find Jacob.”

Ron leaned in, “We had the Ice Vaults earlier. What’s this one?”

Harry replied, “Vault of Fear, I believe. We may be dealing with a few Boggarts, if I had to hazard a guess.”

The redhead blanched, “Nuh uh! No way! I’m not going to deal with a bunch of bloody Acromantula! Those wankers in the Forbidden Forest were enough for me!”

Harry looked over at Hermione, who was in conversation with Hannah Abbott. Ron looked in the same direction and shook his head, “Bad idea mate. She doesn’t do well with Boggarts. Back in Third-Year, her Boggart freaked her out a lot. She told me about it last year. Something about McGonagall failing her, obliviating her and she also failed her non-magical school and got sent all the way back to kindergarten or some rubbish like that. Had a hard time convincing her that I doubted that was a thing.”

John piped up, “I think I know who can help. Just leave our questors to me. I’ll ask Penny, Ben and Tulip.”

Harry nodded, “I’ll bring Bianca, Katie, Neville and Mackenzie. They’ve always had my back.”

That night, John arrived with Penny, Ben and Tulip, all under a Disillusionment Charm. Harry and Katie stuck to the shadows, while Bianca, Mackenzie and Neville were under the Invisibility Cloak.

The Library was locked and Madam Pince’s quarters were not too far away. Penny used her wand to unlock the door and they all slipped in before locking it again. The nine of them split up and began searching the massive library.

About 15 minutes into the search, John whisper-shouted, “I’ve found a note! And it’s in the same Greek language again”

They all congregated over and Harry eyed it carefully. He read, “I’ve explored the entire library. All that’s left is the Restricted Section.”

Ben trembled nervously, “Crap! Not the Restricted Section!”

Neville grunted, “Of course it bloody is! It’s never too easy, is it?”

Harry shot him a wry look, “Do you really want us to answer that, mate?”

Just then, Penny noticed something on a nearby bookshelf and pulled out a tiny piece of parchment. This one was in English and she read, “The book opens the way.”

Neville snarked again, “Yeah that narrows it down… Which book?”

John suddenly had a revelation, “Wait… The first Vault contained Jacob’s broken wand and a book. Could that be the book that this note mentions?”

Harry nodded, “Worth a shot. Who’s got it?”

John raised his hand, “I got it back from Hermione last week. It’s back in my dorm.”

Mackenzie suddenly yawned, and then they realised how late it was. Harry used a Charm to tell the time, “1 o’clock in the morning. Come on, it’s late and we have classes in the morning. We’ll pick this up another day.”

One-by-one, they all sneaked out, locked the door and returned to their respective dorms. Hermione had stayed up to let him, Mackenzie, Katie, Bianca and Ben inside. Penny also confirmed that Hannah and Justin were waiting up for her. Meanwhile, Talbot Winger was waiting for John and Tulip.

---

A few days later, John gathered Harry and his friends and outlined his plan. This time, Ron and Hermione were helping out. Hermione volunteered to distract Madam Pince, while the others, headed for the Restricted Section. They did not have a moment to lose, because Boggarts had been popping up everywhere and terrifying the students.

That afternoon, they gathered in the Library and studied for a while. About an hour into their study session, Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. The group got up and split from her, while she went to see Madam Pince to answer a few questions. This left the Restricted Section virtually unguarded. Harry, Katie, Mackenzie, John, Ben, Ron and Tulip sneaked into the Restricted Section.

Once inside, Tulip asked, “You still have the book, right? Your brother’s notes said that the book will reveal the entrance. I’m still trying to figure out how.”

Ron, who was observing the bookshelves, suddenly whisper-yelled, “Guys! I think there’s a space missing here! I think the book is supposed to go here!”

John hurried over and carefully inserted the book. For a frightening minute, it looked like nothing had happened. Then, the bookshelf slowly moved aside, to reveal a small passage. Harry and John lit up their wands and peered inside. The latter murmured, “This is it… Last chance to back out.”

No one moved away, so with a deep breath, they plunged into the yawning darkness. Oddly enough, they faced no resistance until they reached a familiar glowing obelisk. Ben quipped, “Well, that was easy…”

No sooner had he said that, did three massive Acromantula popped into existence. Half the room glared at Ben, and Harry drily say, “You just had to tempt Murphy’s Law, didn’t you?”

The Boggarts were quickly dispatched, but the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. John muttered, “Something’s wrong.”

Harry sighed, “Like I said, Murphy’s Law. Just when you think you’re in the clear, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

Then, John stiffened, “There’s that voice again! It’s saying, ‘It’s too late, John! It’s already inside you. You have to fight, John. You have to fight!’”

Just then, one final Acromantula showed up, and it was bigger than the rest. Everyone took turns fighting it, with Ron being particularly vicious. Finally, with one last Riddikulus, it popped away. John called out, “Everyone alright?”

Everyone nodded their assent. Then Tulip noticed something etched on the pillar but she couldn’t read it. Harry came over, “To open, a wizard must make the ultimate sacrifice.”

He snarled, “Oh fuck no! No one is dying on my watch! There’s got to be another meaning to this.”

John mused, “Maybe you need to be willing to give up magic? I mean, we always thought that his wand was broken because he was expelled. But what if he broke it himself, to get to the second Vault. Luckily I brought his wand with me, on a hunch. Maybe I should touch the column with the wand.”

Sure enough he brought out the broken wand and touched the column, eventually it ground open, and revealed some strange contents. Inside was a map and a broken arrow. John reached inside and collected the items. Carefully, they all sneaked back to the Library. Surprisingly, Hermione was still there, and in deep discussion with Madam Pince. Harry checked a nearby grandfather clock, and saw that only an hour had passed. He walked up to Hermione and laughed, “Mate, we’ve got to go! You’ve been yammering for an hour.”

Her cheeks went scarlet, “Oops… Sorry Harry, I guess I got a bit too engrossed. Sorry Madam Pince!”

The librarian dismissed her and the group parted ways. That evening, they gathered inside the Three Broomsticks to celebrate. Hermione breathily asked, “Did you do it?!”

John grinned, “Sure did! Fought a bunch of Acromantula Boggarts and opened the second Vault. Turns out, it has a map and a broken arrow. Listen guys, I never could have done this without you. Thanks a ton.”

Hermione mused, “I guess that means that the next Vault is in the Forbidden Forest.”

Just then, Mackenzie piped up, “I also noticed that on the map, there was the letter R on the corner, written in Ancient Greek.”

Several eyes turned to Luna, who didn’t seem bothered. Hermione and Ron were a little lost on the context, so Harry explained, “Earlier, there were a bunch of letters addressed to Luna, signed by R.”

Luna breezily said, “Sorry Harry, I don’t remember anything. If I did, I would tell you.”

Harry smiled, reached over and ruffled her blonde hair, “That’s okay Luna. We’ll cross that bridge  when we get there. For now, let’s worry about the map and the arrow later. Our OWLs are coming up, so we got to focus on that. We still have two more years left, so we can crack the remaining vaults later. For now, let’s celebrate a job well done!”

---

The next day, everyone had wrapped up with History of Magic. With no Binns, Sirius’ cousin Andromeda had volunteered to teach. Dumbledore had been more than willing to give her the position, and she proved to be a good teacher.

However, when they arrived for Mortal Studies, Professor Daly was not there. Instead, there was a young man with brown hair, green eyes and freckles on his face. He spoke, “Good afternoon everyone, my name is Alabaster Torrington. Professor Daly was called away over the weekend to take care of a personal matter and she appointed me as her replacement. As far as I’m aware, this matter may side-line her for the rest of the semester.”

After the class, he ordered Harry to stay back and help him clean up. As Harry helped clear away several charts, he spoke from his seat, “Harry… There is something that I would like you to know. As you are aware, the threat of Kronos is rising. However, I have a feeling that he is just the start, and something bigger is afoot. Mother confided in my that she fears that the Wizarding World may be dragged into a future conflict.”

He continued, “She believes that it is high time she began paying more attention to the Wizarding World. Although she created this world, the Gods’ policy of staying out of demigod affairs, forced her to let this world govern itself.”

He scoffed, “That was a foolish move, if you ask me! From mother’s observations, the sheer bigotry in this world has left a divide in the community. No doubt aided by the rise of those two pesky Dark Lords, Grindelwald and Voldemort. Even with them gone, many of their beliefs still linger today among the people. She want to change that, because the so-called Muggleborns are just as important as Purebloods and Half-bloods. Speaking of which, there is no such thing as a Pureblood and Muggleborn. Every witch and wizard are considered Half-bloods by demigod standards.”

Harry nodded, “I get it. So what does Lady Hecate plan to do?”

He shrugged, “From what she told me, she was hoping to speak to this Dumbledore fellow. In essence, she wants to rule over the Wizarding World. Of course, Mother still has to convince the Olympian Council to allow her to do so. Obviously, this will have to wait until after Kronos is defeated.”

Harry then asked, “So what is this personal business that she is taking care of?”

Alabaster’s face turned grim, “Turns out, Typhon has broken free from his prison. Most of the Gods went to try and stop him. A notable exception is Poseidon because he is currently facing his own problems. Hermes was the one who managed to convince mother.”

Harry was taken aback, “What! Oh bollocks! Don’t tell me that the stunt Jackson pulled at Mount St. Helens, freed him?”

The older demigod replied, “Well, Jackson’s earthquake didn’t free him directly. Instead, it opened up a passage that led to his lair. Apparently, some telkhines discovered it and they freed him. Apollo was the first one to spot him and he alerted the rest of the Olympians.”

Harry staggered out of the classroom, weak-kneed. This was bad. This was really bad. In the Common Room, Hermione spotted his freaked out face. She, Ron and Neville quickly closed ranks around him, Katie, Bianca and Mackenzie also came over. Harry spoke haltingly, “So I found out why Hecate had to leave. The monster, Typhon, has escaped his prison.”

Katie, Bianca and Mackenzie paled immediately. Neville asked, “Who’s Typhon?”

Harry darkly spoke, “He was one of worst monsters and one of the Titans’ biggest allies. Most of the Gods themselves ran from him when he was free. That’s what Hephaestus told myself, Annabeth and Jackson.”

He turned to Hermione, “Hey, you heard about what happened at Mount St. Helens’ right?”

She nodded slowly, “It was on the news. There was a massive earthquake in the area.”

Harry nodded grimly, “Jackson triggered the earthquake, but he didn’t have a choice. It caused Typhon to stir, but what we didn’t know until much later was that, a passageway to his prison, opened up. Some monsters found the passage and freed him. No doubt, he is on his way to destroy Olympus.”

On that happy note, they settled down to study. Soon, their OWLS were upon them, with Quidditch and Capture the Flag passing by quickly. Gryffindor won both cups this time around.

---

About a few weeks before the OWLs, McGonagall wrote down the dates and times of the exams. While everyone copied them down, she warned, “As you can see, your O.W.L.s are spread over two successive weeks. You will sit the theory exams in the mornings and the practice in the afternoons. Your practical Astronomy examination will, of course, take place at night.”

Her wizened face grew more stern, “Now, I must warn you that the most stringent Anti-Cheating Charms have been applied to your examination papers. Auto-Answer Quills are banned from the examination hall, as are Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, and Self-Correcting Ink. Every year, I am afraid to say, seems to harbor at least one student who thinks that he or she can get around the Wizarding Examinations Authority’s rules. I can only hope that it is nobody in Gryffindor. I am sure that Professors Flitwick, Sprout and Snape, will be giving the same warning to their own charges. However, that is no reason not to do your very best. You have your own futures to think about. Just so you know, an owl will be sent to you sometime in July with your results. I can only wish you good luck and make us proud.”

The next few weeks were filled with frantic studying. Finally, it was time for their OWLs to begin. At breakfast time, there was pin drop silence across all four tables. Later on, everyone was shooed out, but the Fifth and Seventh-Years were told to wait outside the Great Hall. At half past nine, they were all called in, class by class.

The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables for one, all facing the staff-table end of the Hall where Professor McGonagall stood facing them. When they were all seated and quiet she said, “You may begin,” and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment.

For the practical segment, students were called in small groups, in alphabetical order. Harry was made to rotate a tea cup and vanish an iguana. Like this, the exams carried on, and most of the students went out of the way to avoid Hermione. Harry, Ron and Neville grimaced, because exam day always brought out the worst in her. The girl often got uber competitive and snippy while studying. A few unlucky First-Years were among the few to earn her wrath. Though Harry had to be restrained when she went off on Mackenzie for walking too loudly in the Common Room.

Bianca managed to calm him down, advising him to not take it too personally. Herbology went alright, and he performed exceptionally well in DADA. Potions was also relatively decent, and he practically breezed through Care of Magical Creatures. Though all the hedgehogs and the lone Knarl were swarming him like he was the second coming of Pan. His Bowtruckle and Fire Crab were also cooperative, and he was lucky enough for Mistmane to be his assigned Unicorn.

Astronomy and Divination were also fairly easy, considering their link to Greek Mythology. The rest of the subjects also flew by, and they were quite challenging. Finally, it was time to go home and they all boarded the train back to King’s Cross Station. It was a long journey, but Harry, Mackenzie and Bianca couldn’t sleep. Last night, Bianca had gotten word from Annabeth that they had begun raiding the enemy forces.

When they pulled into the station and crossed over to the other side, Harry spotted a serious Charles Beckendorf and a miffed Percy Jackson glaring daggers behind the African-American teen’s back. Annabeth was also there, rolling her eyes at Percy’s mood. Beckendorf grinned, “Hiya Harry! Come on, dude, we’ve got an important mission. Bianca, Mackenzie, I’d love to take you two as well, but we need a small party for ours. Annabeth’s taking you two though, on her own mission.”

Chapter 71

Harry gathered the three demigods as well as Katie, Mackenzie and Bianca in a huddle, “Ok, first of all, how did you guys get here? I hardly think you flew, since Jackson would not risk pissing off Lord Zeus.”

Beckendorf snorted, “Yeah well… We sailed here. Took us a week to get here. We came aboard a cruise ship and Percy sneakily took control of the ship to get us here faster.”

Annabeth rolled her eyes, “I told this Seaweed Brain that we could have Flooed to Sirius’ house. But apparently he forgot the address.”

Bianca interrupted them before an argument could break out, “Okay! So, what’s the plan?”

Annabeth took the lead, “We’re going to lead two missions. I’ll take two of you and we’ll go keep an eye on Mount Tam. This is a purely reconnaissance mission. Beckendorf is leading an assault on the Princess Andromeda. The idea is to try and reduce their ranks.”

Finally, it was decided that Annabeth, Mackenzie and Bianca would head to Mount Tamalpais, while Harry and Katie would join Percy and Beckendorf. Mackenzie led the group away, “Come on, We’ll head to Grimmauld Place, Floo back to camp and we’ll split up from there.”

Eventually, Chiron welcomed them back at camp and then sent them on their way. As Harry and Katie rode on Mistmane and the other two boys rode on pegasi, he yelled out, “Oi Jackson! You alright?! You look a little peeved!”

Percy snapped back, “I WAS ON A FREAKING DATE WITH ANNABETH! THEN THIS MORON INTERRUPTED US!”

Beckendorf hollered back, “I already said that I was sorry! Besides, she did promise to make it up to you later!”

Katie snickered from her seat behind Harry.

---

The group travelled for what seemed like hours. Finally, they stopped by a beach, and the Princess Andromeda was spotted from a distance. The quartet huddled together and Beckendorf spoke, “So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to board the ship and plant a few bombs on it. We’ve done a few practice runs at the dockyards in New Jersey, using abandoned ships as our targets.”

Harry conjured a rowboat, big enough for the four of them. Once they were settled in, Katie cast a Disillusionment Charm on the boat and themselves. Harry whispered, “Trust me on this, the rowboat is quieter and gives us better chances of a sneak attack.”

As they rowed close, they saw various monsters milling around on the ship. Thankfully, they were invisible, but Harry did warn them to not make a sound. After a while, they made it onto the lower deck, and Harry vanished the boat. The lower deck was empty, so Katie cancelled the spell. They went over the plan one more time, before Katie cast the Charm again. This time, they held hands, so that they didn’t lose track of each other.

The quartet tiptoed down a narrow corridor to a service stairwell. Everything was going smoothly, until they heard noises above them. A Telkhine was heard barking, “I don’t care what your nose says! The last time you smelled half-blood, it turned out to be a meatloaf sandwich!”

A second Telkhines whined, “Meatloaf sandwiches are good! But this is half-blood scent, I swear. They are on board!”

The four tiptoed on until the arguing telkhines were far away. Finally, they reached a metal hatch and Beckendorf murmured, “Engine room.”

It was locked, but Harry pointed his wand at the door and whispered, “Alohomora.”

The door opened and they stepped in. Inside, a row of yellow turbines the size of grain silos churned and hummed. Pressure gauges and computer terminals lined the opposite wall.

There was a Telkhine inside, but he didn’t notice them. Percy then let go of Harry’s hand. Harry had no idea what he was doing, but everything became clear when the Telkhine suddenly grunted and exploded into dust. A moment later, Harry felt Percy sidle up, and grab his hand. Then, Harry whispered, “I’ll case the joint, in case there are others. Katie, you stay with them.”

About a minute later, he was back, “It’s only us, for now.”

With that, she cancelled the Disillusionment Charm and they got to work. Since there were four of them, work got done relatively quickly. Just then, Harry’s sharp ears heard something, “Bollocks! We’ve got company! I’ll turn us invisible again, Beckendorf, you keep working. How long do you need?”

He grunted, “Too long, I still have to wire the receiver and prime the charges. Ten more minutes at least.”

Harry cast the Charm and they continued working furiously. Most of the bombs were already in place, held together by duct tape. For good measure, Katie cast a Sticking Charm to each bomb. Five minutes later, half a dozen telkhines entered the engine room. One of them scanned the room and growled, “Where is that idiot gone? I swear to Kronos, if he is slacking off as usual, I am personally feeding him to the drakon.”

Back with the infiltrators, Beckendorf squeezed their hands, indicating that he was done. Slowly, they crept out of the engine room before the telkhines were any wiser. Everything was fine until they reached the promenade. In the middle of the courtyard stood a fountain. And in the fountain squatted a giant crab. The monster rose over three metres out of the water. Its shell was mottled blue and green, its pincers longer than their bodies.

They tried to sneak past, but it shifted over and blocked where they were supposed to head. Harry sighed, “The gig is up mate. I think the bloody thing can smell us.”

He cancelled the Charm on the four of them with his sword, and the crab reacted. It hissed audibly, and no sooner had it done so, alarms began to blare. The trio split up and the crab went after Percy first. Meanwhile from the balcony, a voice roared, “There! Intruders!”

Harry, Katie and Beckendorf armed themselves, while Percy dealt with the demon crustacean. Riptide managed to slice off the tip of a claw, but the crab was otherwise unharmed. The teenager paused and then came to a decision. He held out a hand, concentrating on the water, and the fountain exploded. Water sprayed everywhere, three stories high, dousing the balconies and the elevators and the windows of the shops. The crab renewed its charge, but Percy charged as well.

Then he ducked and slid under the creature and jabbed Riptide into a chink in its shell. The monster shuddered and hissed. Its eyes dissolved. Its shell turned bright red as its insides evaporated. The empty shell clattered to the floor in a massive heap. Unfortunately, the sword stayed wedged in the monster.

All around them, enemy demigods and monsters were swarming the deck. Harry, Katie and Beckendorf stood back to back, trying to thin the herd. Percy soon stumbled upon a young demigod who was half-dressed in armour. Frankly, he didn’t have the heart to kill him, since the boy was only twelve. So he simply grabbed his wrist and slammed him against the wall, making the sword clatter free from his hand. Just then, a familiar voice called out, “Harry! Percy! You’re late! Hey Beckendorf! Aaand I don’t know your name, nor do I care.”

The three boys glanced up, and sure enough, Luke stood on the balcony above them. He wore jeans, a white T-shirt and flip-flops, like a normal college-aged guy, but his eyes were solid gold, leaving no doubt that it was Kronos.

The Titan spoke, “We’ve been expecting you for days.”

Then his voice deepened, “Come, bow before me.”

Percy snarked, “Yeah, that’ll happen.”

In his mind though, his thoughts were whirring. The first sentence sounded like Luke, but the second sentence sounded a lot more like Kronos. It was almost as if both were trying to fight for dominance.

Luke/Kronos smirked, “Come forward, if you dare.”

The crowd of monsters parted like the Red Sea, and Percy hesitantly made his way up. Harry, Katie and Beckendorf also came forward from their own positions. Eventually, Riptide returned to Percy’s pocket, and he retrieved it immediately. Kronos drew his own weapon, a two-metre long scythe. Half steel and half Celestial Bronze.

As Percy advanced, time literally slowed down. Percy struggled to move forward, and all the surrounding monsters jeered. Then Harry caught a look in Percy’s eye, and discreetly cast a Sticking Charm to his, Katie's and Beckendorf’s feet. Not a moment too soon, the entire boat lurched sideways, pitching a good chunk of monsters off their feet.

A wave of salt water washed over Percy and it revitalized him, enough to break the spell. Once Harry discreetly undid the Sticking Charm, Percy lunged at Kronos, but the fact that it was still Luke’s face, threw him off. Kronos had no such hesitation. He sliced downward with his scythe. Percy leaped back and the evil blade missed by a millimetre, cutting a gash in the deck right between the boy’s feet.

They clashed again, and Kronos managed to nick Percy. On the face of it, the strike wasn’t bad, but it was clearly having an effect on the boy.

Kronos laughed, “A poor performance, Percy Jackson. Luke tells me you were never his match at swordplay.”

Percy’s vision started to blur, but he bit out, “Luke had a big head. But at least it was his head.”

The Titan mused regretfully, “A shame to kill you now. Before the final plan unfolds. I would love to see the terror in your eyes when you realize how I will destroy Olympus.”

Percy snarled, “You’ll never get this boat to Manhattan.”

Kronos gloated, “And why would that be? Perhaps you are counting on the explosives that you and your friends planted?”

He looked down at the pool and called, ‘Nakamura!’

A teenage guy in full Greek armour pushed through the crowd. His left eye was covered with a black patch. Harry growled as he recognised the figure. Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis. Percy saved his sorry arse in the Labyrinth last summer and, in return, the little wanker helped Kronos come back to life.

Ethan called out, “Success, my lord. We found the explosives just as we were told.”

Percy yelled, “Oh come on!”

A giant warbled, “We found the bombs taped in various spots in the engine room. We tore off the tape, but for some reason, those bombs are refusing to come off.”

Percy glanced at his allies and Katie winked at him. Kronos ordered, “Well, try harder, you fools! Rip them off if you have to!”

Percy mouthed to Beckendorf, “How long?”

He mouthed back, “None…”

It clicked for the four of them. There was no delay on the timer at all. If he managed to press the detonator button, the ship would blow at once. Of course, they would never be able to get far enough away before using it. The monsters would kill them first, or disarm the explosives, or both.

Kronos turned to Percy, “You’ll have to excuse my incompetent help, Percy Jackson, but it doesn’t matter. We have you now. We’ve known you were coming for weeks.”

He held out his hand and dangled a little silver bracelet with a scythe charm – the Titan lord’s symbol.

Percy was clearly struggling with the wound. However, he muttered, “Communication device … spy at camp.

Kronos chortled. “You can’t count on friends. They will always let you down. Luke learned that lesson the hard way. Now drop your sword and surrender to me, or your friends die.”

A giant managed to pounce on Beckendorf, and restrained him by his neck. Meanwhile, another two demigods were holding Harry and Katie hostage in a chokehold. Beckendorf turned to Percy and mouthed, “Go!”

Beckendorf’s arms were free, and so were Harry’s and Katie’s. The former slowly raised his left hand, but Harry rapidly shook his head. Harry mentally signalled that he had an idea. Beckendorf slowly took off his watch, and Harry slipped off his rings. Percy caught on to what they were trying to do, and threw his sword at Kronos, like a javelin.

It bounced harmlessly off his chest, but it successfully distracted everyone. Beckendorf tossed his watch in the air. Katie slipped away from her captor and fired an arrow in the air towards the watch. At the same time, Harry wrestled himself away from his captor and fired an arrow towards Beckendorf’s captor. Katie was the first one to make a run for it, followed by Harry and Beckendorf. The latter managed to escape after the giant holding him, clutched its bleeding arm and roaring in agony.

Katie gracefully dove off the ship, followed by Percy. Beckendorf was a little further away, and some monsters were closing in on him. Harry doubled back and fended them off, allowing Beckendorf to race past him.

Just then, a deep rumbling emanated from within the ship, and then the explosions began. Monsters yelled at the trio from above. A spear sailed past Percy’s ear. An arrow narrowly missed Katie’s thigh, meanwhile, the flames were already beginning to engulf the ship. Those flames briefly engulfed Beckendorf and Harry before they too plunged into the sea. Percy promptly willed the currents to take them far, far away. Eventually, Percy blacked out, while the other three were also knocked unconscious.

---

Meanwhile with the girls, Annabeth, Mackenzie and Bianca decided to Floo to her house in San Francisco. As it turned out, her brother Matthew had some magic in him. Fortunately for Annabeth, her parents were out, Matthew was in Ilvermorny and Bobby was in regular school. From there, the trio decided to head to Mount Tam. Annabeth officially had her licence and she drove them there.

With nothing to do, she casually asked, “So… How was it at Hogwarts, this year?”. The younger girls shrugged and Bianca replied, “With Voldemort gone for good, things are relatively quiet. Our only adventure was solving a mystery about some vaults in the school, that were said to be cursed. Someone went looking for them and unleashed the curses. So, Harry, Mackenzie and myself, teamed up with one of our friends to solve it. His name is John Silvertongue.”

Annabeth tapped the steering wheel of her car thoughtfully, “So what were those curses?”

Mackenzie piped up, “Well, the first one was to do with ice spreading in the castle. We’re still not sure who opened the Vault and triggered the Curses. It all culminated with us facing off against an icy statue of a knight.”

The blonde spoke up thoughtfully, “I wonder if it was an automaton that Daedalus left.”

Bianca shrugged, “Don’t know. Anyway, the next Vault is called the Vault of Fear…”

Annabeth’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, “Not sure if I really want to take a guess about what that entails.”

Mackenzie grimly said, “Has Harry told you what a Boggart is?”

“Maybe, but I might need a refresher.”

“Right, so a Boggart is a shape-shifting creature that is able to take the shape of your greatest fear. No one knows what its true form is. In your case, it could either take the shape of a giant spider or multiple smaller ones.”

Annabeth shuddered, but Bianca calmly explained, “Don’t worry, there is a spell to get rid of Boggarts. We managed to fend them off and found a clue for the next Vault. We haven’t tackled the third one yet, we’ll take care of that when the new term starts.”

“Ahh okay. On our end, not much has happened. We’ve been conducting a few raids here and there. Lost a couple of campers in the process. Oh look! We’re almost there! I’ll just park on the side, we’ll go on foot from there. Hopefully there is a path that doesn’t go through the Garden of the Hesperides.”

Soon, they were trekking through the woods, and then Bianca fished out the Invisibility Cloak. She draped it over the three of them and Annabeth whispered, “I thought that belonged to Harry?”

Bianca murmured back, “Well… it has been passed down in his family for generations, because he is a descendant of Ignotus Peverell. But the cloak did belong to my dad first. So by right, it belongs to Nico and I. Though, since I have the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone, the Cloak is rightfully mine. But Harry can still use it if he wanted to.”

Eventually, they reached the palace of Mount Othrys. The three hid behind a tree and observed two giant men standing by a bronze brazier, studying images in the flames.

One of the figures spoke, “Quite an explosion.”

He wore black armour studded with silver dots like a starry night. His face was covered in a war helm with a ram’s horn curling on either side.

The other snapped, “It doesn’t matter. The gods have answered the challenge. Soon they will be destroyed.”

This Titan was dressed in gold robes, with golden eyes like Kronos. His entire body glowed. The images in the fire were hard to make out: storms, buildings crumbling, mortals screaming in terror.

The golden titan announced, “I will go east to marshal our forces. Krios, you shall remain and guard Mount Othrys.”

The now-named Krios sulked, “I always get the stupid jobs. Lord of the South. Lord of Constellations. Now I get to babysit Atlas while you have all the fun.”

Somewhere nearby, Atlas bellowed, “Let me out, curse you! I am your greatest warrior. Take my burden so I may fight!”

The golden Titan roared, “Quiet! You had your chance, Atlas. You failed. Kronos likes you just where you are. As for you, Krios: do your duty.”

Krios sneered, “And if you need more warriors? Our treacherous nephew in the tuxedo will not do you much good in a fight.”

The golden Titan emitted a belly laugh, “Don’t worry about him. Besides, the gods can barely handle our first little challenge. They have no idea how many others we have in store. Mark my words, in a few days’ time, Olympus will be in ruins, and we will meet here again to celebrate the dawn of the Sixth Age!”

The golden Titan erupted into flames and disappeared.

“Oh, sure,” Krios grumbled. “He gets to erupt into flames. I get to wear these stupid rams’ horns.”

Back with the girls, Annabeth whispered, “Let’s go. It would be suicidal to take on Krios alone. I just hope that Katie and the boys are ok.”

The girls sneaked away, and when they were at a safe distance, Bianca Shadow-Travelled them away. Just before they left, Mackenzie could have sworn that she saw a splash of purple, several feet away from her.

---

Back with Percy’s group, his eyes snapped open and he gasped awake.

“Percy?’ a deep voice rumbled.

His head felt like it had been microwaved in tinfoil and he felt woozy. Still, he saw a large shadowy figure looming over him.

With some hope in his voice, Percy croaked, “Beckendorf?”.

A less deep voice sounded from his left, “I’m over here, Percy.”

Percy’s eyes refocused and zeroed in on a familiar Cyclops with ratty brown hair, misshapen face and one big brown eye full of concern, “Tyson?”

Tyson broke into a toothy grin, “Yay! Your brain works!”

Percy slowly sat up and turned to his left. Sure enough, Beckendorf was sitting up on a nearby bed, with his face bandaged up. He was also encased in a giant bubble that encompassed the bed. Percy winced at the sight of the bandages, “Sorry about the mission getting screwed up. Should have known that Luke’s spies would have given them a heads up.”

Beckendorf grinned weakly, “I’ll live to tell the tale. Silena won’t be complaining too much… As they say… Chicks dig scars.”

The boys grinned at each other, then it struck Percy, “Scars… Scars! Harry! What happened to Harry!”

Beckendorf’s grin was wiped in an instant and he motioned to Percy’s right, “He got the worst of it. He's alive, but comatose. I probably would’ve died if he hadn’t turned back and saved my ass.”

Percy’s head snapped in that direction, to see a badly-burned and unconscious Harry Potter lying on a third bed, also surrounded by a bubble. Next to the bed, Katie Bell was hunched over and she held his hand. All the while, a couple of mermaids were trying to heal him.

Beckendorf spoke softly, “Pretty loyal to him, that one. She and I became conscious around the same time. Katie hasn’t left his side ever since. It’s been three days now.”

Then Percy took in his surroundings, “Where are we anyway?”

Tyson fielded that one, “Daddy’s palace! That’s why we erected bubbles around your friends, because they can’t breathe underwater.”

Percy asked, “What about the Princess Andromeda?”

Tyson confirmed, “Went ka-boom!”

A couple of days passed, while they continued to recover. Tyson took Percy and Beckendorf on a small tour of the palace. Katie refused to leave Harry’s side, even taking her meals by his bedside.

The palace was as big as the city on Mount Olympus, with wide courtyards, gardens and columned pavilions. The gardens were sculpted with coral colonies and glowing sea plants. Twenty or thirty buildings were made of abalone, white but gleaming with rainbow colours. Fish and octopi darted in and out of the windows. The paths were lined with glowing pearls like Christmas lights.

The main courtyard was filled with warriors – mermen and mermaids. As one would expect, they had fish tails from the waist down and human bodies from the waist up, except their skin was blue. Some were tending the wounded. Some were sharpening spears and swords.

Outside the main courtyard stood large fortifications – towers, walls and anti-siege weapons – but most of these had been smashed to ruins. Others were blazing with Greek fire, which can burn even underwater. Beyond this, the sea floor stretched into gloom. Percy could somehow make out battles raging – flashes of energy, explosions, the glint of armies clashing.

At the edge of the palace complex, a temple with a red coral roof exploded, sending fire and debris streaming in slow motion across the furthest gardens. Out of the darkness above, an enormous form appeared – a squid larger than any skyscraper. It was surrounded by a swarm of mermen and mermaids, trying to attack the monster. The squid descended on the palace and swatted its tentacles, smashing a whole column of warriors. Then a brilliant arc of blue light shot from the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings. The light hit the giant squid and the monster dissolved like food colouring in water.

Percy turned to Tyson, while Beckendorf was floating along in his bubble. The teenager asked, “Have you been in the fight? Like, bashing heads with your awesome Cyclops strength and stuff?”

Tyson pouted “I have been … fixing weapons. Come. Let’s go find Daddy.”

The Cyclops led the duo to a temple, that was decked out like a command centre. A mosaic on the floor showed an exact map of the palace grounds and the surrounding ocean, but the mosaic moved. Coloured stone tiles representing different armies and sea monsters shifted around as the  forces changed position. Buildings that collapsed in real life also collapsed in the picture.

Standing around the mosaic, grimly studying the battle, was a strange assortment of warriors. Among them was Poseidon, but he looked almost unrecognisable. There was a merman with two fish tails instead of one. His skin was green and his armour studded with pearls. His black hair was tied in a ponytail and he looked young. They could be a thousand years old or three. Standing next to him was an old man with a bushy white beard and grey hair. His battle armour seemed to weigh him down. He was studying the map and leaning on a large metal staff. To his right stood a beautiful woman in green armour with flowing black hair and strange little horns like crab claws. Finally, there was a regular dolphin, and all of them were studying the map.

The old man commanded, “Delphin. Send Palaemon and his legion of sharks to the western front. We have to neutralize those leviathans.”

The dolphin nodded firmly and sped away. Percy hesitantly called out, “Dad…”

The old man looked up and his eyes twinkled happily, “Hello Percy. Please excuse my appearance. The war has been hard on me. I reflect the state of my realm. And right now that state is quite grim. Percy, I should introduce you – I’m afraid you just missed my lieutenant Delphin, god of the dolphins. This is my, er, wife, Amphitrite. My dear –“

The lady in green armour stared at Percy coldly. She crossed her arms and curtly said, “Excuse me, my lord. I am needed in the battle.”

She swam away, leaving Percy feeling pretty awkward. He couldn’t exactly blame her, because as his wife, she didn’t appreciate Poseidon’s various romances with mortals, including Percy's own mom.

Poseidon cleared his throat, “Yes, well … and this is my son Triton. Your… brother…’

Triton corrected, “Your son and heir”

He smiled, but there was no friendliness in his eyes. “Hello, Perseus Jackson. Come to help at last?”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Poseidon, “I will see to the front line, Father. Don’t worry. I will not fail.”

He shot off into the distance and joined the battle. Poseidon simply sighed and clutched a staff leaning against the table. In an instant, the staff transformed into his trident. The tips glowed with blue light and the water around it boiled with energy.

Just in time too, because a huge sea serpent suddenly materialised and was making a beeline for the temple. Without even looking up, Poseidon pointed his trident and zapped the serpent. The monster exploded into millions of goldfish, who all swam away in terror.

Poseidon spoke, “My family is anxious. The battle against Oceanus is going poorly.’

Percy guessed, “Oceanus, The Titan of the sea, right?”

“Indeed, He was neutral in the first war of gods and Titans. But Kronos has convinced him to fight. This is … well, it’s not a good sign. Oceanus would not commit unless he was sure he could pick the winning side. We have been at war almost a year now. My powers are taxed. And still he finds new forces to throw at me – sea monsters so ancient I had forgotten about them. When you and your friends sailed to England, that was a risky move, but I made sure to keep your path clear.”

Then, somewhere in the distance, an explosion sounded. In the epicentre were two figures, a lobster and a familiar giant humanoid with a hundred arms.

Poseidon gazed in the same direction and smiled, “He fights well. I wish we had a whole army like him. Alas, he is the only one of his kind.”

Then he turned to Percy, “Perseus, we may not have much time. Tell me of your mission. Did you see Kronos?”

Percy and Beckendorf, who had been silent up till now, both nodded. Poseidon stroked his beard, “Percy, Beckendorf, I am confident that your friend Harry will pull through. You two bear no blame for that. The good news is that Kronos’s army will be in disarray. Many were destroyed. Of course, it would be naïve to think that Kronos was destroyed, but you have bought your side some time.”

Percy shot him a shaky smile, “Th-that’s good, right?”

Poseidon smiled wryly, “A small victory. You have scattered the invasion force. New York will be safe for a time, which frees the other Olympians to deal with the bigger threat.”

Percy tilted his head curiously, “Bigger threat?”

This time, it was Beckendorf who spoke, and he looked uncomfortable. He hesitantly said, “Typhon has been freed from his prison and is on his way to New York.”

Percy cursed, “Damnit! Don’t tell me my stupid stunt at Mount St. Helens freed him.”

Poseidon gently spoke, “Perseus? Listen to me… Your actions didn’t stir Typhon. Instead, it just opened up a hidden passage leading to his prison. According to Apollo, some telkhines discovered the path. They were the ones who woke him from his slumber and freed him.”

Just then, a mermaid swam in and whispered in the sea God’s ear. Poseidon cracked a genuine smile, “Well… It seems that Mr. Potter is awake. I suggest you boys go to him. Afterwards, you can return to camp.”

Percy protested, “Dad! At least let me stay and help! You’re in trouble here, and I want to help.”

Poseidon’s smile turned sad, “I appreciate the offer, Percy. I really do. But your job is elsewhere. Return to camp, and tell Chiron it is time. You must hear the prophecy. The entire prophecy.”

Percy swallowed a lump in his throat, “What if this is the decision? Staying here to fight, or leaving? What if I leave and you…’

Poseidon insisted, “Percy, you must go. I don’t know what your final decision will be, but your fight lies in the world above. If nothing else, you must warn your friends at camp. Kronos knew your plans. You have a spy. We will hold here. We have no choice. Tyson, you have work to do as well, my son. They need you in the armoury.”

Tyson sniffled, wrapped Percy in a big bear hug and swam away. Poseidon glanced up, “Oceanus approaches. I must meet him in battle. Percy, Beckendorf, go back and meet with Harry. I will hold. I will not give up my domain. Just tell me, Percy, do you still have the birthday gift I gave you last summer? The time is coming. With luck, I will see you for your birthday next week, and we will have a proper celebration.”

The mermaid who delivered the news of Harry’s recovery, led them back to the infirmary. Entering, they saw Katie Bell wrapping Harry in a tight hug, with tears in her eyes. Edging closer, they heard her mumble, “I-I thought I lost you! I’m so glad that you’re okay!”

Harry returned the hug and mumbled back, “Bloody Nora! That was an experience and a half! I’m okay, Katie. Honest!”

Then he spotted Percy and Beckendorf, and his eyes lit up. He called out, “Hey Beckendorf! Hey Jackson! You two alright?”

Percy laughed, “We should be asking you that, dude! By the way, welcome to my dad’s palace! Specifically the infirmary. Dad’s currently busy being besieged by the Titan Oceanus. Are you completely alright? I mean, are you up for a trip back home?”

Harry stretched his limbs and limbered up, “No time like the present. Oh, by the way Jackson, we need to talk a bit urgently. It can wait until we reach camp.”

Chapter 72

The four heroes sailed home on a boat that Poseidon had loaned to them temporarily. As he controlled the current, Percy observed his companions. Katie Bell didn’t have a scratch on her, but she was busy writing a letter. Hedwig was dutifully waiting to deliver it, though he could have sworn that the owl was shooting baleful looks at Harry. For his part, Harry was asleep, but he looked grizzly. Most of his face was covered in burns, along with his arms. Beckendorf suffered minor burns, but he was largely okay.

Before long, Percy recognised the beach near Camp Half-Blood. Hedwig flew off, leaving the four of them. When they disembarked, they heard the sound of a conch blaring, followed by running feet. Sure enough Connor Stoll was racing towards them with a brooked smile.

He yelled, “Percy! Beckendorf! You’re back!”

Then he screeched to a stop, as his yelling awoke Harry, “Whoa! Dude! What happened to your face!”

Harry shot him a lopsided grin, “You think I look bad? You should see what we did to the Princess!”

As they headed towards the camp, Percy observed his surroundings. Much of the camp hadn’t changed. After the brief skirmish at the Labyrinth, everything has been rebuilt. The five drew closer, and they soon saw a large group of campers rushing out to meet them. Leading them were Annabeth, Bianca, Mackenzie and Silena.

Percy observed the oncoming crowd with a pang. Four summers ago, the group was much larger than this. Some left came, never to return, others were lost in various battles, and some had defected to the enemy. All the ones who remained, were battle-hardened.

The girls quickly reunited with the returnees. Silena was kissing the hell out of Beckendorf. Mackenzie briefly hugged Harry, before noticing his burned face. After a small ticking off, she dragged him away, muttering something about ‘Burn-healing paste’, which he figured was self-explanatory.

Just then, Chiron galloped over, “Percy! Thank the gods! I take it the mission was a success?”

Annabeth also asked, “What happened? Is Luke –”

Percy interrupted her, “We blew up the ship. But we’re pretty sure that Luke is alive.”

Chiron gestured, “Come to the Big House, we shall convene the war council there. Annabeth also has some news.”

---

A while later in the Big House, Annabeth recounted, “So there is no chance of Atlas joining the fight. Kronos was furious with him, for failing to kill us. He’s being guarded by the Titan, Krios. I also recognised his brother, Hyperion. He’s going to be a difficult opponent. He also referred to Typhon as a ‘first little challenge’. I dread to think what could follow him.”

Then, Percy regaled their tale, of blowing up the Princess Andromeda. When he got to the part of Harry doubling back to save Beckendorf, Silena reached over and hugged Harry hard. She murmured a small ‘thank you’, and then shot Beckendorf a poisonous look. That look clearly read, ‘we are having a serious talk after the meeting’.

Chiron looked grave, “We must discuss this spy, among other matters.”

The centaur told the other councillors to take a 15 minute recess before they resumed. However, he asked Harry, Percy and Annabeth to stay back. Percy cut right to the chase, “When I talked to my father, he said to tell you that it is time. I need to know the full prophecy.”

Chiron’s shoulders sagged, but he didn’t look surprised. “I’ve dreaded this day, ever since you first arrived at camp. Very well. Annabeth, we will show Percy the truth – all of it. Let’s go to the attic.”

He gestured, and Annabeth motioned for Percy to follow her. Harry stayed back, because he figured that it was not his place. Additionally, Percy and Annabeth would share the knowledge if they wanted to.

Back with those two, they admired the paraphernalia for a bit and began to reminisce. Percy spoke, “You remember Briares throwing those boulders?”

Annabeth shot him a grudging smile. “And Grover causing a Panic?”

They gazed into each other’s eyes, and then she cleared her throat, “Right, Prophecy.”

They  warily walked over to the shrivelled up female mummy, that served as the host of the Spirit of Delphi.

A thought struck him, “I never understood this.”

She glanced at him, ”What?”

“Why it’s a mummy.”

She rolled her eyes, “Percy, she wasn’t always a mummy. For thousands of years the spirit of the Oracle lived inside a beautiful maiden. The spirit would be passed on from generation to generation. Chiron told me she was like that fifty years ago. But she was the last.”

He mused, “Wonder what happened?”

Annabeth changed the subject, “I’ll tell you later, let’s just do our job and get out of here.”

She approached the mummy and held out her palms. “O Oracle, the time is at hand. I ask for the Great Prophecy.”

Nothing happened, but Annabeth approached the mummy. She unclasped one of its necklaces. When Annabeth turned towards Percy, she was holding a Native American medicine pouch. This pouch was on a cord braided with feathers. She opened the bag and took out a roll of parchment no bigger than her little finger.

He was a little indignant, “That’s it? You mean all these years I’ve been asking about this stupid prophecy, and it’s been right there around her neck? There’s no secret compartment, no protection? Nothing?”

She placated, “The time wasn’t right. Believe me, Percy, I read this when I was ten years old, and I still have nightmares about it.”

He grumbled, “Great. Can I read it now?”

She shot the mummy a nervous look, “Downstairs at the war council. Not in front of … you know.”

He got the message and they beat a hasty retreat. By the time they joined Chiron, there were loud sounds coming from the war room. They all rushed in, to find the a tense atmosphere.

Clarisse was in full battle gear. Her electric spear was strapped to her back and had her boar-shaped helmet under one arm and a knife at her belt.

She was in the midst of yelling at Michael Yew, the new head counsellor for Apollo. He had taken over the Apollo cabin after Lee Fletcher died in battle last summer.

He yelled, “It’s our loot! If you don’t like it, you can kiss my quiver!”

As for the others, everyone was trying not to laugh – the Stoll brothers, Pollux from the Dionysus cabin, Katie Gardner from Demeter. Even Beckendorf suppressed a snigger. Silena Beauregard wasn’t paying any attention, as she was busy fussing over Harry’s wounds. Harry just sat there and weathered the pampering. Though he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the petty squabble.

Percy snapped, “Hey! Stop it! What do you guys think you’re doing!?”

Clarisse glowered, “Tell Michael not to be a selfish jerk!”

“Oh, that’s perfect, coming from you,” Michael sneered.

She snarled, "The only reason I’m here is because Silena asked me to. Otherwise I’d be back in my cabin.”

Harry held out his hand in a timeout gesture, “Oi! What the bloody hell are you talking about? Did I miss something”

Pollux cleared his throat, “Clarisse has refused to speak to any us, until her... issue is resolved. She hasn’t spoken for three days.”

Harry demanded, “What issue?”

Clarisse turned to Chiron. “You’re in charge, right? Does my cabin get what we want or not?”

Chiron shuffled his hooves. “My dear, as I’ve already explained, Michael is correct. Apollo’s cabin has the best claim. Besides, we have more important matters –“

She sneered, “Sure, always more important matters than what Ares needs. We’re just supposed to show up and fight when you need us and not complain! Maybe I should ask Mr D –“

Chiron interrupted her, and there was an edge to his voice, “As you know, our director Dionysus is busy with the war. He can’t be bothered with this.”

She reigned in her temper slightly, “I see… And the senior counsellors? Are any of you going to side with me?”

Nobody was smiling now. None of them met Clarisse’s eyes.

She threw up her hands in exasperation, “Fine! I don’t need this shit. “All of you can fight this war without Ares. Until I get satisfaction, no one in my cabin is lifting a finger to help. Have fun dying.”

She stormed out amidst stunned silence. Michael scoffed, “Good riddance.”

That triggered a round of arguments around the table. Annabeth mouthed to Harry and Percy, “I’ll tell you later.”

---

Harry then got fed up of the din and fired a cannon blast sound from his sword/wand, mentally thanking Dumbledore for teaching him that trick. He very calmly said, “If we’re quite finished…”

Chiron picked up where he left off, “Now, if you please, counsellors. Percy has brought something I think you should hear. Percy – the Great Prophecy.”

With trembling fingers, Percy fumbled with the string and unfurled the parchment. He ready in a shaky voice,

“A half-blood of the eldest gods

Shall reach sixteen against all odds … 

And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap.”

He paused before continuing, 

“A single choice shall … shall end his days.

Olympus to p-p-preserve or raze.”

Connor tried to lighten the mood, “Raise is good, right?”

Silena grimly corrected, “Not raise. R-a-z-e means ‘destroy’.”

Everybody looked at him – with concern, or pity, or maybe a little fear.

Meanwhile, Harry grumbled, “I blooming hate prophecies.”

Chiron shut his eyes briefly, “You see now, Percy, why we thought it best not to tell you the whole prophecy. You’ve had enough on your shoulders –”

He was a little snippy, not that Chiron could blame him. Percy snarked, “Without realizing I was going to die in the end anyway? Yeah, I get it.”

Annabeth gently said, “Percy, You know prophecies always have double meanings. It might not literally mean you die.”

He sullenly replied, “Sure. A single choice shall end his days. That has tons of meanings, right?”

Beckendorf offered, “Maybe we can stop it? The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap. Maybe we could find this cursed blade and destroy it. Sounds like Kronos’s scythe, right?”

Chiron interrupted before a debate could break out, “Perhaps we should let Percy think about these lines. He needs time –”

However, Percy was suddenly on his feet, “No! I don’t need time. If I die, I die. I can’t worry about that, right?”

No one said a word, and then he decided to change the subject, “Let’s move on. We’ve got other problems. We’ve got a spy.”

Michael Yew scowled. “A spy?”

Percy told them about what had happened on the Princess Andromeda – how Kronos had known his party were coming. Kronos had brandished a silver scythe pendant, which was a communication device to contact someone at camp.”

Connor uncomfortably said, “Well, we’ve suspected there might be a spy for years, right? Somebody kept passing information to Luke – like the location of the Golden Fleece a couple of years ago. Maybe we can look for them?”

Michael Yew grunted, “We need to find this spy before we plan our next operation. Blowing up the Princess Andromeda won’t stop Kronos forever.”

“No, indeed,” Chiron said, “I’m sure that his next assault is already on the way.”

Harry grimaced, “Easier said than done, mate. We’d only sow discord if we frisked all of our campers, just for one measly pendant.”

Then he grinned, “Besides… I have my own spy in Luke’s territory.”

Percy got the conversation back on track, “What about Typhon? He’s a massive threat, right? I know that the gods have been fighting him.”

Chiron slowly said, “Yes, Percy. They have been fighting him for days now, trying to slow him down. But Typhon is marching forward – towards New York. Towards Olympus.”

Percy grew serious, “How long until he gets here?”

The centaur shrugged, “Unless the gods can stop him? Perhaps five days. Most of the Olympians are there … except your father, who has a war of his own to fight.”

Harry raised a hand, “So Mount Olympus is left unguarded?”

Connor shook his head, “If Typhon gets to New York, it won’t matter who’s guarding Olympus.”

A thought struck Percy, “This is it! It’s classic divide and conquer! The gods have been lured away by Typhon, leaving Kronos and his forces to tackle an unguarded Mount Olympus. WE have to defend Olympus. Kronos probably has an attack planned.”

Travis spoke up, “Well, you guys did blow up his ship.”

Percy, Annabeth and Harry exchanged glances. They all thought the same thing, ‘what if that was just to get them to lower their guard?’

Chiron cleared his throat, “I think that is enough for one night. I believe Mr Potter needs to recuperate from his injuries. If what Ms Dursley tells me is true, he should be fine in a few days.”

---

That night, Percy had a dream about Rachel Dare. In it, she was talking to her father, one of the rare times she did. They were in her bedroom and had been arguing about some vacation to St. Thomas. He sternly said, “It’s three in the morning! We’re leaving soon. If you’ve hadn’t made up your mind yet…”

She snapped, “I’m not going!”

He changed the subject, and spoke with a softer tone, “Are you still having bad dreams? Headaches?”

She grit her teeth, “I should never have told you about that.”

He tried to sound patient, “I’m your father. I’m worried about you.”

She muttered under her breath, “Worried about the family’s reputation, you mean.”

He ignored the comment, “We could call Dr Arkwright. He helped you get through the death of your hamster.”

She snapped, “I was six then. And no, Dad, I don’t need a therapist. I just …”

He straightened up, “It will be good for you to get away. You’ve had some unhealthy influences.”

She nearly exploded, “I’m not going to Clarion Ladies’ Academy! And my friends are none of your business.”

Mr Dare smiled condescendingly, “Try to get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow, and I will need your final answer. You could be at the beach by tomorrow night. It will be fun. ”

She drily said, “Fun. Lots of fun.”

After he left, she flopped back onto her bed. She reached under her pillow and pulled out her wand, inspecting it. She grumbled, “Just a few more days and I can finally move in with mom.”

Rachel got up and walked to a covered easel. She tucked her wand in her pants and moved her T-shirt to cover it. When she uncovered the easel,  a hasty charcoal sketch was propped up against it.

The picture was definitely Luke as a young boy. He was about nine years old, with a wide grin and no scar on his face. Percy had no idea how she could have known what he looked like, but resolved to ask her later, if he survived the war.

Rachel stared at the portrait. Then she walked over to another covered easel and revealed its contents. This picture was even more disturbing. It showed the Empire State Building with lightning all around it. In the distance a dark storm was brewing, with a huge hand coming out of the clouds. At the base of the building a crowd had gathered … but it wasn’t a normal crowd of tourists and pedestrians. Percy saw spears, javelins and banners – the trappings of an army.

---

In the morning, the trio did some chores together. Harry’s face had healed up a bit, so he looked more like himself and less like Freddy Krueger Jr. Percy earned a Slug-Vomiting Hex from Harry, when he dared make that comparison aloud. Annabeth wasn’t complaining, because she was too busy laughing.

Once he finished belching slugs and thoroughly rinsed his mouth, they continued their chores together. Just then, a fight broke out between the Ares and Apollo cabins. Some Apollo campers armed with fire bombs flew over the Ares cabin in a chariot pulled by two pegasi.

Soon, the roof of the Ares cabin was burning, and naiads from the canoe lake rushed over to blow water on it. Then the Ares campers called down a curse and all the Apollo kids’ arrows turned to rubber. The Apollo kids kept shooting at the Ares kids but the arrows bounced off.

The Apollo cabin retaliated by cursing some Ares campers to speak in rhyme. Annabeth groaned, “Not that again. Last time Apollo cursed a cabin, it took a week for the rhyming couplets to wear off. Harry, could you try and stop the curse?”

Harry stepped up and called over the cursed campers. He pointed his sword at them and chanted, “Finite Incantatem!”

Unfortunately, it didn’t work, and he apologised. Percy asked, “What are they fighting about?”

She grumbled, “That flying chariot. They captured it in a raid in Philadelphia last week. Some of Luke’s demigods were there with that flying chariot. The Apollo cabin seized it during the battle, but Ares cabin led the raid. So they’ve been fighting about who gets it ever since.”

Harry was pissed, “We’re fighting for our lives and they’re hung up on some bloody chariot?”

Annabeth threw up her arms helplessly, “Gods! I don’t know! I just hope that Clarisse will come to her senses.”

---

Just then, Percy perused a report and read, “Dear Grover. Woods outside Toronto attacked by giant evil badger. Tried to do as you suggested and summon power of Pan. No effect. Many naiads’ trees destroyed. Retreating to Ottawa. Please advise. Where are you? – Gleeson Hedge, protector.”

Harry nearly kicked himself, “Bollocks! I almost forgot about him! Where is Grover anyway?”

Percy shook his head in dismay, “Don’t know. Haven’t heard a peep out of him in a while, not even through my empathy link. Last I’d heard he was in Central Park, organizing the dryads, but that was two months ago.”

After a while, Annabeth returned to her cabin, and Harry elected to hang out with Percy. He said, “Hey Jackson, we need to talk, urgently. Come with me for a sec.”

He led the Son of Poseidon away from the camp, and into the woods. Before long, they were in a familiar clearing. This was the place where the Council of Cloven Elders had once put Grover on trial. The place didn’t look so good. The grass had turned yellow. The three topiary thrones had lost all their leaves. But that’s not what surprised me. In the middle of the glade stood Grover’s girlfriend Juniper, Nico di Angelo and a very old, very fat satyr.

He nodded when he saw the two boys. Meanwhile, Juniper had been crying, “Percy. I was just asking about Grover. I know something’s happened. He wouldn’t stay gone this long if he wasn’t in trouble. I was hoping that Leneus –“

Leneus protested, “I told you! You are better off without that traitor.”

Harry just about held her back from clawing his face off. She snapped, “He is not a traitor! He’s the bravest satyr ever and I want to know where he is!”

Leneus huffed indignantly and brushed the twigs off his shirt, “Young lady, your boyfriend has not sent any reports since we voted him into exile.’

Harry raised a hand, “Actually, mate. You tried to vote him into exile. Chiron and Dionysus stopped you.”

Percy glared at him, “Grover’s my friend. He wasn’t lying to you about Pan’s death. I saw it myself. You were just too scared to accept the truth.’

Leneus’ lips quivered, “No! Grover’s a liar and good riddance. We’re better off without him.”

Percy pointed at the withered thrones and looked a little smug, “Is that so? I don’t see your friends? Looks like your council hasn’t been meeting lately.”

He stammered, “Maron and Silenus … I – I’m sure they’ll be back. They’re just taking some time off to think. It’s been a very unsettling year.”

Harry darkly spoke, “It’s going to get a lot more unsettling. Leneus, we need Grover. There’s got to be a way you can find him with your magic.”

The old satyr was stubborn, “I’m telling you I’ve heard nothing. Perhaps he’s dead.”

Percy snarled, “He’s not dead. I can feel that much.”

The satyr sniffed, “Empathy links. Very unreliable.”

Percy was losing his patience, “So ask around. Find him. There’s a war coming. Grover was preparing the nature spirits.”

He retorted, “Without my permission! And it’s not our war.”

Percy lunged, but Harry beat him to it. He Stunned the satyr with his Sword/wand and levitated him. His silver and green eyes flashed with anger and Leneus internally flinched, “Listen, Leneus. When Kronos attacks, he’s going to have packs of hellhounds. He’s going to destroy everything in his path – mortals, gods, demigods. Do you think he’ll let the satyrs go free? You’re supposed to be a leader. So LEAD. Get out there and see what’s happening. Find Grover and bring Juniper, and us, some news. Now GO!”

He let go of the spell and Leneus scrambled away. He blustered, “Grover will never be accepted! He will die an outcast!”

With him gone, Juniper sniffed, “I’m sorry, Harry, Percy. I didn’t mean to get you involved. Leneus is still a Lord of the Wild. You don’t want to make an enemy of him.”

---

She popped away, leaving just Nico there. The boy eyed Harry meaningfully, “Did you tell him?”

Harry replied, “I was going to. But, are you sure, mate? This sounds awfully risky.”

He huffed, “You’ve got Typhon coming in what … a week? Most of the other Titans are unleashed now and on Kronos’s side. Maybe it’s time to think extreme. The other demigods are no match for the Titan army. You know that. This comes down to you and Luke. And there’s only one way you can beat Luke. We can give you the same power. You’ve heard the Great Prophecy, didn’t you? Unless you want to have your soul reaped by a cursed blade.”

Percy asked, “How did-”

“Doesn’t matter. But as I was saying, you may not be able to prevent a prophecy, but you can fight it. When the fighting starts, we won’t be able to make the journey. This is our last chance. I discussed this at length with Bianca, and she also admitted that it was risky, but it will be worth it.”

Percy was still perplexed, “But what is this idea in the first place?”

Harry replied, “We’re going to have to retrace his steps. The first clue will be with where he lives. According to Nico, his mum lives in Connecticut.”

Percy emitted a low whistle, “So, how are we getting there? It’s going to take a while, and we can’t afford to waste time travelling, with the war so close.”

Harry smiled wryly, “Well, I’m too young to Apparate and I need a license, but Nico has a different method, it’s called Shadow Travel. You two go ahead, I’ll catch up. I’ve got to prepare some reinforcements.”

With that, he went back in the direction of Camp Half-Blood. This left Percy with Nico. The younger boy asked, “Wonder what he meant by reinforcements.”

Percy simply replied, “He’s the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. I’m assuming that’s what he means by reinforcements.”

Nico shrugged, held out a hand and Percy grabbed it. The boy cautioned, “This is going to be very draining for me. I can’t do it often because I’ll be very tired. And it works best at night. But all shadows are part of the same substance. There is only one darkness, and creatures of the Underworld can use it as a road, or a door. I wanted to borrow Mrs O’Leary, but I didn’t have the heart to keep her away from the Hogwarts Gamekeeper, Hagrid. I’ve met him a few times and he’s a nice guy.”

Nico focused and the shadows lengthened and the boys stepped into the shadows. Everything seemed to pass like a blur, and the next thing they knew, they were on a cliff in the woods of Connecticut.

Percy staggered a little, “Whoooo! That was a rush!”

Then they took in their surroundings. Down one side of the cliff, a highway cut through a ravine. Down the other side was someone’s backyard. The property was huge – more wilderness than lawn. The house was a white colonial-style two-storey. Despite the fact that it was right on the other side of the hill from a highway, it felt like it was in the middle of nowhere.

Nico suddenly stumbled, and Percy gently laid him out on the ground and let him nap for a bit. After about half an hour, Nico woke up and they began their trek down to the house.

The son of Hades grunted, “I’ve had some practice with this. Got it right after a few times running into walls. The less said about a few accidental trips to China, the better. The first time I shadow-travelled, I passed out for a week. Now it just makes me a little drowsy, but I can’t do it more than once or twice a night.”

Together, the two boys trudged down and eventually reached the house. Straightaway, Percy could tell that the occupant was a bit eccentric. The sidewalk was lined with little stuffed beanbag animals, like miniature lions, pigs, dragons, hydras, even a teeny Minotaur in a little Minotaur diaper. Judging from their sad shape, the beanbag creatures had been sitting out here a long time – since the snow melted last spring at least. One of the hydras even had a tree sapling sprouting between its necks.

The front porch was infested with wind chimes. Shiny bits of glass and metal clinked in the breeze. Brass ribbons tinkled like water. The front door was painted turquoise. The name CASTELLAN was written in English.

Nico had barely tapped the door when it swung open. An old lady stood at the doorstep and cried happily, “Luke!”

She looked like someone who enjoyed sticking her fingers in electrical sockets. Her white hair stuck out in tufts all over her head. Her pink housedress was covered in scorch-marks and smears of ash. Apparently, she mistook Nico, and then himself for Luke.

“Come in!” she insisted. “I have your lunch ready!”

She ushered the boys inside. The living room was even weirder than the front lawn. Mirrors and candles filled every available space. Above the mantle, a little bronze Hermes flew around the second hand of a ticking clock.

Then Percy noticed a framed picture on the mantle, and froze. It was exactly like Rachel’s sketch – Luke around nine years old, with blond hair and a big smile and two missing teeth. The lack of a scar on his face made him look like a different person – carefree and happy.

Ms Castellan steered Percy inside, “This way, my dear! Oh, I told them you would come back. I knew it!”

She sat them down at a dining table and began pottering around in the kitchen. The old woman fixed them some peanut butter sandwiches and cookies.

Nico coughed uncomfortably, “Um, Ms Castellan?”

She smiled cheerily, “Mm?”

He hesitantly spoke, “We need to ask you about your son.”

The woman perked up, “Oh, yes! They told me he would never come back. But I knew better.!

He pressed gently, “When did you last see him?”

Oddly enough, her eyes lost focus. She narrated, “He was so young when he left,’ she said wistfully. ‘Third grade. That’s too young to run away! He said he’d be back for lunch. And I waited. He likes peanut-butter sandwiches and cookies and Kool-Aid. He’ll be back for lunch very soon.

Then she looked at Percy and smiled, “Why, Luke, there you are! You look so handsome. You have your father’s eyes. Now there’s a good man. Yes, indeed. He comes to visit me, you know.”

Nico asked, “Ma’am? What, uh … what happened to your eyes?”

Her gaze seemed fractured – like she was trying to focus on him through a kaleidoscope. She sounded reproachful, “Why, Luke, you know the story. It was right before you were born, wasn’t it? I’d always been special, able to see through the … whatever they call it.”

Percy helpfully supplied, “The Mist?”

She nodded encouragingly, “Yes, dear. And they offered me an important job. That’s how special I was!”

Percy was puzzled, “What sort of job? What happened?”

Ms Castellan frowned, “Dear me, it didn’t work out, did it? Your father warned me not to try. He said it was too dangerous. But I had to. It was my destiny! And now … I still can’t get the images out of my head. They make everything seem so fuzzy. Would you like some cookies? Luke was so kind. He left to protect me, you know. He said if he went away, the monsters wouldn’t threaten me. But I told him the monsters are no threat! They sit outside on the sidewalk all day, and they never come in.”

Percy then spoke up, the words sounding wrong in his mouth, “Mom? When was my last visit home?”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Well, it was … oh goodness … ‘The last time, he looked so different. A scar. A terrible scar, and his voice so full of pain …”

Percy pressed, “His eyes. Were they gold?”

She blinked, “Gold? No. How silly. Luke has blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes!”

Percy and Nico shared a look, Luke’s last visit to his mother was long before he turned into Kronos’ host.

Nico leaned forward, “This is very important. Did he ask you for anything?”

She frowned as if trying to remember, “My – my blessing. Isn’t that sweet? He was going to a river, and he said he needed my blessing. I gave it to him. Of course I did.”

Nico grinned triumphantly, whatever plan he had in his mind, this was evidently part of it.

Suddenly, the old woman gasped and doubled over. On cue, she dropped her cookie startling the boys. She straightened up and screamed, “AHHHH.”

Her eyes began glowing green, and Percy would later swear that the colour looked familiar. She rasped in a deep voice, “My child! Must protect him! Hermes, help! Not my child! Not his fate – no! Not his fate!”

Nico was on the verge of freaking on, when she let go of him and collapsed. Percy bravely decided to grab her and ease her onto a chair. Fortunately, she didn’t grab him back. Then, she muttered something incomprehensible and shook her head, “Goodness. I … I dropped the cookies. How silly of me.”

She blinked, and her eyes were back to normal. Nico slowly stood up, “We have to go Ms Castellan. “We’ll tell Luke … uh, we’ll tell him you said hello.”

She grabbed for Percy and caught his wrist, “Luke, at least be safe. Promise me you’ll be safe.”

Percy tried his best not to flinch and hesitantly spoke, “I will … Mom.”

As soon as the door shut, the boys booked it. Back at the cliff, they found that they had company. Harry was back, along with Katie, and another Hunter who introduced herself as Penelope. Also with them was Mrs O’Leary and an eight-year-old girl who was scratching the Hellhound’s ears.

Harry grinned, “Hey guys, you okay?”

Chapter 73

The odd group was clustered around a cosy little campfire. The girl had mousy brown hair and a brown dress and completed the look with a scarf on her head. She was busy poking around the fire and tending to it.

The only reason why Percy did not tense up was because Harry was relaxed around the newcomer. The boy himself was nursing a tea cup, and Percy snorted, “Really dude? Tea? You couldn’t be any more British if you tried.”

Harry shot him a two-fingered salute, only for the girl to look at him reproachfully and he sheepishly apologised. Meanwhile, Nico bowed to the lady, “Hello again, Lady Hestia.”

Percy vaguely recognised the name and decided to do the smart thing, he knelt and bowed. The now-named Hestia studied him, her red eyes locked onto him. Then she spoke. “Sit, Percy Jackson. Would you like some dinner?”

The girl snapped her fingers. Immediately, a bizarre-looking humanoid popped into existence. Harry blurted, “Dobby! What are you doing here?”

Dobby flapped his long ears, “Mr Harry Potter! I being helping my Lady Hestia!”

Hestia cleared her throat and gently chided, “Dobby… It is ‘I am helping’." 

She smiled at the House Elf, "Don’t worry, your English is improving.”

Dobby looked bashful, “I am sorry Mistress of the Hearth. I shall get back to dinner.”

He snapped his fingers and a picnic appeared at the edge of the fire. There were plates of roast beef, baked potatoes, buttered carrots, fresh bread and more, enough for a feast. There was even a two-meter-long dog biscuit for Mrs O’ Leary. The boys scraped a part of their meal into the fire and intoned, “For the Gods!”

Hestia smiled approvingly, “Thank you. As tender of the flame, I get a share of every sacrifice, you know.”

Something clicked for Percy, “I recognize you now. The first time I came to camp, you were sitting by the fire, in the middle of the commons area.”

She smiled wryly, “Indeed… Alas, you did not stop to talk. Don’t worry, that isn’t inherently a bad thing. Most demigods never do. Nico often talks to me, and Harry does too. Most other demigods simply rush about. No time for visiting family.”

Harry asked, “Milady? How do you know Dobby the House Elf?”

Hestia smiled, “Now that… Is an interesting story. When Hecate first created the Wizarding world, she wanted them to have some companions to help them lead an easier life. She approached me, and together we created the race of House Elves. One of my domains is the Home, and House Elves were created to look after the household. Sadly, over the centuries, Wizardkind have been taking them for granted. Take Dobby for example… His former master, Lucius Malfoy, was abusive towards him. Which is why I am grateful to you, Harry, for liberating him and taking him into your own employ.”

She continued, “I also appreciate your godfather Sirius Black from dissuading your friend, Hermione’s crusade to free the House Elves. You see, as I said before, House Elves were created to take care of the home, thus they have an inbuilt desire to take care of a place they call home. ‘Freeing’ them would be anathema for them. Though the practice of giving them clothes doesn’t free them from service entirely. Instead, it allows them to seek out another place where their services may be more appreciated, or they return to me.”

Nico asked, “My lady, why aren’t you with the other Olympians fighting Typhon?”

She shrugged, “I’m not much for fighting. Besides, someone has to keep the home fires burning while the other gods are away.”

Percy chipped in, “So you’re guarding Mount Olympus?”

Hestia let out a slow breath, “’Guard’ may be too strong a word. But if you ever need a warm place to sit and a home-cooked meal, you are welcome to visit. Now, please eat. Dobby has worked hard for it and I am not overly fond of seeing his work go unappreciated.”

The boys finished their meal fairly quickly before she spoke again, “I take it, you had a good visit with May Castellan? I understand that you have questions. You see, she was born with a gift. She could see through the Mist.”

Percy stirred a little, “Like my mother! But the glowing-eyes thing –“

Hestia’s face turned sad, “Some bear the curse of sight better than others. For a while, May Castellan had many talents. She attracted the attention of Hermes himself. They had a beautiful baby boy. For a brief time, she was happy. But then she went too far. This is a story I do not tell too often. But May Castellan saw too much. If you are to understand your enemy Luke, you must understand his family.”

Percy whistled softly, “No wonder Luke ran away. I mean, it wasn’t right to leave his mom like that, but still - he was just a kid. Hermes shouldn’t have abandoned them.”

The goddess smiled sadly, “It’s easy to judge others." 

She sternly warned, "But will you follow Luke’s path? Seek the same powers?’

Nico set down his plate. “We have no choice, my lady. It’s the only way Percy stands a chance.”

For a while, she said nothing. Then she opened her hand and the fire roared. Flames shot ten metres into the air before dying back down to normal. She lightly said, “Not all powers are spectacular Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?”

Harry and Percy nodded, a little intimidated, and she smiled, “You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. Not too proud. I like that. But you have much to learn. When Dionysus was made a god, I gave up my throne for him. It was the only way to avoid a civil war among the gods.”

Harry reminisced a lesson from Zoe, all those years ago. He spoke, “It unbalanced the council. Suddenly there were seven gods and five goddesses.’

Hestia shrugged. “It was the best solution, not a perfect one. Now I tend the fire. I fade slowly into the background. No one will ever write epic poems about the deeds of Hestia. But that is no matter. I keep the peace. I yield when necessary. Can you do this?’

She eyed Percy carefully. “Will you continue your quest?”

He asked, “Are you planning to dissuade me from going through with this plan?”

She shook her head, “I am here because when all else fails, when all the other mighty gods have gone off to war, I am all that’s left. Home. Hearth. I am the last Olympian. Please remember me when you face your final decision.”

Percy thought about it and then shook his head, “I have to continue, my lady. I have to stop Luke – I mean Kronos.”

Hestia nodded. “Very well. I cannot be of much assistance, beyond what I have already told you. But since you sacrificed to me, I can return you to your own hearth. I will see you again, Percy, on Olympus.”

She waved her hand, and the next thing that anyone knew, they were all at Sally Jackson’s apartment.

---

The bad news was that Mrs O’ Leary was sent with them. Fortunately, Remus was home and he quickly enlarged the room to accommodate her.

Remus Lupin quickly hugged the boys before they convened in the living room. He spoke up, “So I just spoke to Tonks. Remember in your Fourth Year, she was pregnant? She and her baby, Teddy Blofis are fine, along with her husband Paul. They’re planning to visit us soon.”

Harry shook his head, “Uncle Remus? Now’s really not a good time. A war is about to break.”

His face grew serious, “Anything we can do to help?”

Harry continued, “Well, mother Artemis and the other gods have gone to slow down the Titan, Typhon. Also, Nico has a really risky plan.”

Percy filled them in, and Sally looked worried, “Percy, it’s dangerous. Even for you.”

Nico softly spoke, “Mrs Jackson, Percy needs your blessing. The process has to start that way. I wasn’t sure until we met Luke’s mom, but now I’m positive. This has only been done successfully twice before. Both times, the mother had to give her blessing. She had to be willing to let her child take the risk.’

Percy implored, “Mom, I can’t do this without you.”

Harry grasped Percy’s shoulder, “Mrs Jackson. I promise you, I won’t let him die. He’s one of my best friends.”

She thought about it for a long time, and then she breathed out, “Percy, I give you my blessing.”

No sooner had she done so, when Nico stood up, “Percy… It’s time.”

Just before they left, Sally called out, “One last thing. If you – if you survive this fight with Kronos, send me a sign.”

Remus also said, “Harry… James and Lily would probably haunt me for this, but, I know I can’t stop you. I’ll do my best to help out. After your task, meet us at Grimmauld Place. I shall speak to Dumbledore and gather the ‘old crowd’.”

The two boys nodded firmly and Percy said, “Don’t worry, it won’t end up like it did for Theseus.”

Remus tilted his head curiously, “Theseus? The only Theseus I know is Theseus Scamander.”

Harry explained, “Theseus was a Greek hero. He was supposed to raise white sails when he came home to Athens. Except he forgot. And his father jumped off the palace roof in despair.”

Percy promised with a weak grin, “Don’t worry mom, it’ll be something blue.”

---

After some last goodbyes, Harry, Nico, Percy and Mrs O’ Leary Shadow-Travelled away. They emerged in Central Park, a little disoriented. When they recovered, Nico headed towards a cluster of boulders. He explained, “The Underworld has two major entrances. You know the one in L.A, which is Charon’s ferry. Most souls go that way, but there’s a smaller path, harder to find. The Door of Orpheus.”

Harry spoke up, “He was the bloke with the lyre, right?”

Nico nodded, “He used his music to charm the earth and open a new path into the Underworld. He sang his way right into Hades’ palace and almost got away with his wife’s soul.”

Percy stuffed his hands in his pockets, “So, how do we get it open?”

“We need music”, came the reply.

Harry raised a hand, “I think I know a Charm that can play music.”

However, Percy grinned, “I have a better idea. My empathy link’s been feeling something for the past few minutes.”

Harry caught on, “Blimey! Grover!”

Then Percy closed his eyes and concentrated. Nothing happened for a while, and then Percy opened his eyes and stumbled. Harry steadied him, “You alright?”

The son of Poseidon regained his balance, “I… yeah, I got through. He’s on his way.”

A minute later, a familiar satyr came tumbling out of the trees and fell flat on his noggin. Harry laughed and helped him up, “You okay, Grover?”

The satyr grumbled, “Oh, I’m fine. I was at the other end of the park. The dryads had this great idea of passing me through the trees to get me here. They don’t understand height very well.”

When he stood, Harry got a good look at him. As it turned out, Grover had decided to ditch his fake feet and walk around with his hooves showing. His horns were also growing bigger and poked out from his curly hair.

Then Percy spoke to him, “Where have you been, man? We haven’t seen you in a month!”

Grover’s grin melted and his face had a look of confusion, “A month? Hold up… What month is it?”

Percy replied, “July.”

At that, the colour on his face drained, “That’s impossible. It’s June. I just lay down to take a nap and – wait! I remember now! He knocked me out. Percy, we have to stop him!”

Percy grabbed the panicked goat-man, “Whoa! Dude! Slow down. Tell me what happened.”

He took a deep breath, “I was … I was walking in the woods up by Harlem Meer. And I felt this tremble in the ground, like something powerful was near. Since Pan’s death, I can feel when something is wrong in nature. It’s like my ears and eyes are sharper when I’m in the wild. Anyway, I started following the scent. This man in a long black coat was walking through the park, and I noticed he didn’t cast a shadow. Middle of a sunny day, and he cast no shadow. He kind of shimmered as he moved. And whenever he passed humans, they would pass out or curl up and go to sleep. After he left, they got up and walked about like nothing happened.”

Nico leaned in closer, “Grover? What happened next?”

He gulped, “I followed the guy. He kept looking up at the buildings around the park like he was making estimates or something. This jogger ran by, and she curled up on the sidewalk and started snoring. He put his hand on her forehead like he was checking her temperature. Then he kept walking. By this time, I knew he was a monster or something even worse. I followed him into this grove, to the base of a big elm tree. I was about to summon some dryads to help me capture him when he turned and –“

Grover swallowed, “I-I couldn’t make out his face because it kept shifting. Just looking at him made me sleepy. I asked him what he was doing and he said, ‘Just having a look around. You should always scout a battlefield before the battle’. I told him that the forest is under my protection. He laughed and said, ‘You’re lucky I’m saving my energy for the main event, little satyr. I’ll just grant you a short nap. Pleasant dreams’. And that’s the last thing I remember.”

Nico whistled slowly, “Grover, you just met Morpheus, the god of dreams. You’re lucky you ever woke up! He’s working for Kronos. We know that already. A lot of the minor gods are. This just proves there’s going to be an invasion. Percy, we have to get on with our plan.”

At Grover’s confusion, they explained it, and he suppressed a shiver. Percy told him, “I’m not asking you to come, man. I know you just woke up. But we need some music to open the door. Can you do it?”

Grover inhaled and exhaled a few times before raising his reed pipes to his lips. As he played the boulders trembled and cracked open, revealing a triangular crevice. Before they ventured down, Grover asked, “Anything I can do?”

Harry told him, “Why don’t you rally the nature spirits. Also, tell Juniper that you’re okay. We’ll take it from here.”

He hugged the three boys, “Be careful down there! Come back alive!”

---

The boys entered the crevice and down a set of stairs that seemed to go on forever. They were all silent, the only noisy one was the lone female with them, gambolling about. About an hour later, a new sound reached their ears, a roar of a river.

The steps dumped the trio at the base of a cliff, on a plain of black volcanic sand. To the right, the River Styx gushed from the rocks and roared off in a cascade of rapids. On the left, far away in the gloom, fires burned on the ramparts of Erebos, the great black walls of Hades’ kingdom.

The River Styx’s current swirled with strange objects – broken toys, ripped-up college diplomas, wilted homecoming corsages – all the dreams people had thrown away as they’d passed from life into death. Percy joked, “So… What now? Dive right in?”

Nico shot him a look, “Don’t be daft! You have to prepare yourself first. Otherwise the river will destroy you. It will burn away your body and soul. There is only one way to stay anchored to your mortal life. You have to …”

Whatever he was about to say next, died in his throat. He glanced behind Percy and Harry, and his eyes widened. They turned to face with the ghost of a Greek warrior. The warrior was tall, buff, a scarred face and closely shaved black hair. He wore a white tunic and bronze armour and held a plumed war helm under his arm. However, his eyes were human – pale green like a shallow sea – and a bloody arrow stuck out of his left calf, just above the ankle.

You didn’t need to be a Greek historian to know who was in front of them.

Percy breathed, “Achilles.”

The ghost nodded, “I warned the other one not to follow my path. Now I will warn you. Do not do this. It will make you powerful. But it will also make you weak. Your prowess in combat will be beyond any mortal, but your weaknesses, your failings will increase as well.”

His gazed moved to his bloody foot, “This is only my physical weakness, demigod. My mother, Thetis, held me there when she dipped me in the Styx. What really killed me was my own arrogance. Beware! Turn back!”

It suddenly struck Percy, as to why Luke was able to host Kronos. Without this ritual, his body would have disintegrated. Luke bathed in the River Styx and was now invincible. With that thought in mind, Percy’s mind was now made up, “I have to. Otherwise I don’t stand a chance.”

Achilles lowered his head, “ Let the gods witness I tried. Hero, if you must do this, concentrate on your mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point where your soul will anchor your body to the world. It will be your greatest weakness, but also your only hope. No man may be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of what keeps you mortal, and the River Styx will burn you to ashes. You will cease to exist.”

Percy resisted the urge to ask where Luke’s weak spot was, but didn’t want to piss off, arguably the greatest demigod in Greek history. Achilles then vanished with a final warning. Harry and Nico waited while Percy gathered his thoughts and psyched himself up. Finally, he stepped into the river, as Harry and Nico waited patiently.

As they waited, Nico turned to Harry, “You know, I was going to offer you the same thing. Just to give us an extra edge in the war.”

Harry snorted a little, “Honestly… I was a little tempted, but I wasn’t sure if I could find a spot on my body that could serve as a vulnerable spot. Also, I’m not sure if either of my mums would have approved of this stunt.”

Just then, Percy Jackson burst out of the river, and he was a mess. He staggered onto the sandy shore and his arms were bright red, whether through burns or blood, Harry wasn’t sure. Percy looked around for a few moments before he lay down and let himself recover.

Nico hesitantly asked, “Do you feel… Stronger?”

Now healed, Percy shrugged, “I don’t feel any different?”

Harry began unsheathing his sword, but Percy cut him off, “Let’s not give it a test run, dude.”

Harry pouted a little before sheathing it once again, “Let’s get out of here. We’ve got a war to prepare for. Before we go, though, Nico I heard from Bianca that your dad is not helping the other gods stop Typhon.”

He nodded, “Yeah, she’s gone to try and convince him. Now that we’re done here, I’m going to go join her.”

He Shadow-Travelled away, before Harry and Percy climbed aboard Mrs O’ Leary and they Shadow-Travelled away as well. They were back in Central Park when Percy dismounted. He looked up at Harry, who was still on top of the sleepy hellhound, “You coming? We’re going to rendezvous with Annabeth at Queens Midtown Tunnel.”

Harry shook his head, “You go ahead. I’ll meet you there. I got to go check on the reinforcements. We’re going to need all the help we can get. I’m meeting with uncle Sirius and Remus as they gather the ‘old crowd’. Oh, and think fast!”

He tossed a compact mirror at Percy, who somehow caught it. Harry called out, “I have another pair, just say my name to the mirror and ask to contact me. My dad invented these with Sirius, Remus, and Peter Pettigrew. They are communication mirrors, way easier than Iris Messaging, Annabeth has them too, and they are unbreakable.”

Percy began sprinting away, leaving Harry and Mrs O’ Leary in Central Park. The son of Poseidon took out his mirror and called her. When she picked up, she yelled, “Percy, where have you been! We’ve been worried sick! We’re on our way, almost to the Queens Midtown Tunnel, like we decided earlier. But, Percy, what are you planning? We’ve left the camp virtually undefended and there’s no way the gods –”

He interrupted her, “Trust me, I’ll see you there. I spoke to Harry too. He’s off to get some reinforcements. I’m assuming he means the Hunters. Though he was also meeting with his uncles first, for something.”

Around late afternoon, a taxi that he hailed, dropped him to the Empire State Building. He didn’t have to wait long, as three white vans pulled up. Each of them had a logo that read, ‘Delphi Strawberry Service’. Argus drove one van, while two harpies were piloting the other two vans. Annabeth and a bunch of other demigods poured out, and even Chiron showed up. A notable absence was the Ares Cabin, who were clearly still sulking. In all, they had a force of 70-strong campers.

He turned to the group, “Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you.”

The centaur shook his head, “This is as far as I will go, Percy. I merely came to wish you luck, my boy. But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned.”

Percy protested, “But you’re our leader.”

He smiled, ‘You flatter me, but I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my centaur brethren to help. I’m sure my British cousins will be up for the battle. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader.”

Safe to say, Percy was looking uncomfortable with all the attention. Everybody was looking at him expectantly, even Annabeth. He breathed in slowly and exhaled, “Right… So like I told Annabeth over the mirror, something bad is going to happen by tonight. Some kind of trap. We’ve got to help defend the city. Maybe some of the Gods are still on Mount Olympus.”

---

Back with Harry, Mrs O’ Leary finally woke up from her nap and he rode her back to Sally Jackson’s apartment. Sally was there, and she revealed that Remus had Flooed to Sirius’s family house. Harry grabbed some Floo powder and invited the woman, but she declined.

Grimmauld Place hadn’t changed much since his last visit, except for a gaping space where the portrait of Walburga Black used to be. Harry ended up straight in the living room, Sirius and Remus were there along with Dumbledore, Hermione and the Weasleys. Sirius had a sheepish grin, “Sorry… This was the best we could muster for now. Also, Albus felt that gathering everyone would only lead to more questions than answers.”

There was a knock on the door, and a few minutes later, Thalia and the other Hunters walked in. Then the fireplace lit up again, with Professor Snape and Flitwick stepping out, with Hecate bringing up the rear. Harry dipped his head in respect, “Lady Hecate… Thank you for making it today.”

He got everyone’s attention, “Okay everyone! Listen, we don’t have much time. Kronos and his forces are on their way to New York. Jackson and the other demigods are going to help defend Olympus. We need to help them as well.”

Ron nodded firmly, “I’m with you, Harry.”

However, Molly Weasley loudly interrupted, “Absolutely not! Ronald Bilius Weasley! You are still too young to be involved in this.”

Her voice became softer and calmer, “I know I cannot stop Harry because this is his fight. Bill, Charlie and Percy, I can allow, because they are of age. I can also make an argument for the Twins. But you and Ginny are my youngest children, and I love you all. I trust Harry, but he can’t be everywhere to protect all of you.”

There was some arguing, before Ron, Hermione and Ginny were eventually dissuaded. By the time they were done, Sirius, Remus, Snape, Flitwick, Dumbledore and the older Weasleys were handed a few swords, spears and bows and arrows. Then Harry turned to Hecate, “Lady Hecate… I need to ask you a favour. Will you help us defend Olympus?”

The goddess of magic frowned, “Honestly, I have little love for the Olympians. But even I am aware that Kronos will be worse. Though I am sure you are aware, I cannot interfere directly. It is as the Fates have decreed. What I can do, is help you erect defences around Olympus. Potter, come here a second?”

He stepped forward and she placed a finger to his temple. In an instant, knowledge of a couple of powerful spells came flooding into his brain. When she was done, he staggered back and Fred steadied him. Hecate explained, “I’m sure that you want to protect the innocent mortals from the crossfire. Here’s what you must do. The first spell is the equivalent to a Repelling ward, and it is powerful enough to envelope the whole of Manhattan. This will ensure that civilians do not enter the battle zone. I would suggest that you stand at the top of Olympus before casting the spell. The second spell is a ward that will strengthen the defences around Olympus itself.”

Harry asked, “And the third?”

She replied, “I sensed the work of Morpheus, and he is putting all the inhabitants to sleep. Once the battle is over, you must be the one to awaken them. These spells are all one-time use and the knowledge will fade away once used.”

Harry nodded and the combatants were off. One by one, they all Flooed back to Sally’s apartment and exited.

---

The apartment was a few blocks away from Olympus, so Harry had to really book it. The Hunters headed straight for a safe house, with the wizards sticking with them. Harry entered the building and successfully negotiated with the desk clerk.

Before long, he was up on Olympus, and bumped into his fellow campers. Silena, Mackenzie and Fleur hugged him before going about their business. He noticed Hermes speaking to Annabeth and Percy, but neither of them had spotted him. Judging by the serious looks on their faces, he elected not to disturb them.

Finally, he stood on the edge of the throne room, overlooking the city. He unsheathed his sword and chanted the defensive spell. Almost immediately, he felt something tugging at his magic and the entire building was covered by an translucent shield that emanated from his sword, before fading. Then Harry dug deeper into his magical core and cast the second spell that Hecate implanted in his memory. This time, another translucent shield emanated from his sword and extended outwards. This shield was even bigger and raced well into the horizon before finally fading. Now exhausted, he collapsed on his butt and panted hard. Moments later, he felt a familiar pair of arms pick him up and haul him to his feet.

The smiling blonde visage of Fleur Delacour greeted him and he leaned heavily on her. She asked, “Are you okay, mon petit frere?”

He panted, “I’m fine, flower. That just took a lot out of me.”

With surprising strength, she lugged him until he was riding piggyback on her. Just then, there was a shout from Connor Stoll. All the demigods had clustered around him as he pointed. At first glance, everything looked normal, but then Annabeth murmured, “I don’t hear anything.”

It all hit them, there was dead silence in the who of New York City. Percy glared at Harry, “Dude! What did you do to my city.”

Harry weakly snapped, “This isn’t me, you wanker! I’m not your bloody spy! I just strengthened some wards around Olympus itself. Then I cast a giant arse Repelling ward around the whole of Manhattan. This is the work of someone else!”

Silena came over and fed him some nectar and he was able to stand on wobbly knees. The girl exclaimed in astonishment, “Are they dead?”

The answer came from Percy, who mumbled aloud, “And see the world in endless sleep. Di immortales! So that’s what he meant by main event!”

Except for Harry, everyone looked at him in confusion and he explained, “Not dead. Morpheus has put the entire island of Manhattan to sleep. The invasion has started.”

Chapter 74

When the demigods returned back down, the reality hit them hard. Percy was left to coordinate the demigods and Annabeth helped as best as she could. His first order of business was to send Argus and the two harpies back to camp.

Before that, Argus handed Annabeth a large bronze shield. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary shield, but when she set it on the ground, its polished reflection showed the Statue of Liberty. Annabeth proudly boasted, “This was one of Daedalus’ ideas! Beckendorf and I worked on this together. The shield bends sunlight or moonlight from anywhere in the world to create a reflection. You can literally see any target under the sun or moon, as long as natural light is touching it. Look.”

She concentrated and the image zoomed and changed locations. Central Park Zoo was clear, as were East Sixtieth past Bloomingdale’s and Third Avenue. Finally, the image zeroed in on FDR Drive, overlooking the river at Lighthouse Park. She pointed, “This seems like a good vantage point.”

Percy then remembered something and whistled. In an instant, Mrs. O’ Leary came gambolling over. He stroked her black fur, “Hey, girl. You remember Grover? The satyr we met in the park? I need you to find him. Make sure he’s still awake. We’re going to need his help. You got that? Find Grover!”

She loudly barked and bounded away on her mission. Then Harry clapped his hands, “Lads and ladies! Let’s clear the mortals out of the streets first. Can’t have them getting caught up when the monsters and Titans attack.”

They all sprang into action and began lugging away civilians off the streets. The children of Hermes were useful in picking locks in residences and allowing their fellow demigods to haul the strangers in. Harry even transformed into his dire wolf form, to carry multiple people on his back. Though he did get a small kick at seeing the shock of all the campers seeing his form for the first time.

Pollux grunted as he dragged a particularly portly policeman, “I don’t get it. Why didn’t we fall asleep too? Why only the mortals?”

A nearby Silena explained, “This is a huge spell. The bigger the spell, the easier it is to resist. If you want to put millions of mortals to sleep, you’ve got to cast a very thin layer of magic. Targeting demigods is much harder.”

Percy gaped at her, “When did you learn so much about magic?”

She blushed and grinned, “I don’t spend all my time in front of a wardrobe. Also, my half-sisters, Fleur and Gabrielle are witches, and there’s Harry, Bianca and Mackenzie too.”

---

By the time they were done, night had fallen. Just then, Annabeth called out to Percy and he rushed over. She was still hovering over the shield and what it showed was a bit worrying. A fleet of a dozen speedboats raced through the dark water towards Manhattan and they were located at Long Island Sound near La Guardia. Each boat was packed with demigods in full Greek armour. At the back of the lead boat, a purple banner emblazoned with a black scythe flapped in the night wind, Kronos’ symbol.

Percy ordered, “Scan the perimeter of the island!”

Annabeth obeyed without question, and sure enough more reinforcements were on the way. A Staten Island ferry ploughed through the waves near Ellis Island. The deck was crowded with dracaenae and a whole pack of hellhounds. Swimming in front of the ship was a pod of telkhines.

Meanwhile at Jersey shore, right at the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel. A hundred assorted monsters were marching past the lanes of stopped traffic – giants with clubs, rogue Cyclopes, a few fire-spitting dragons and a World War II-era Sherman tank, pushing cars out of its way as it rumbled into the tunnel.

Then at Woolworth building, there was a literal army of short, fair-skinned beings marching out. Although they were all decked out in armour and armed to the teeth, Percy observed that they had long fingers and feet, dome-shaped heads, pointed noses and slanted eyes. The beings were also a couple of feet tall. Silena pointed with a shaky finger, “W-what are those things!”

Fleur Delacour peeped and gasped, “Sacre Bleu! Those are goblins!”

Harry transformed back and grinned, “Don’t worry guys, they’re on our side. I managed to get an audience with the king of the Goblin Nation and got him to help us. Hang on… I’ll be back in a jiffy! Need to guide them here.”

He sprinted away with the speed of a gazelle. Sometime later, he was back, with the goblin army right behind him, which was a thousand-strong. Safe to say, Annabeth and Percy were pretty relieved to find that the goblins were on their side. Harry spoke with someone, who Percy assumed was the general and the army soon split off.

Annabeth also studied the pictures on the shield curiously. She mused, “That’s interesting. As far as I can tell from these pictures, Manhattan is totally asleep. Then there’s, like, a fifty-mile radius around the island where time is running really, really slow. The closer you get to Manhattan, the slower it is.”

Percy guessed, “Kronos is probably slowing time.”

Katie Gardner raised a hand, “How come all those cars are veering away from the Manhattan exits?”

Harry fielded that one, “That’ll be my doing. Hecate temporarily granted me the power to cast a massive Repelling ward on the mortals. Can’t have civilian casualties, can we?”

Percy breathed out, “Okay… We’ve got hundreds of enemies bearing down on us. There’s about 70 of us, plus Harry and the Hunters, and now we’ve got a thousand goblins. I don’t know if we have the numbers, because as far as we know, this is just the advance guard. We’ve got to hold Manhattan.”

Annabeth piped up, “He’s right. Harry strengthened some of the defences around Olympus with the help of Hecate. The gods of the wind should keep Kronos’s forces away from Olympus by air so he’ll try a ground assault. We have to cut off the entrances to the island.”

Michael Yew pointed out, “They have boats.”

Percy acknowledged him, “Leave that to me. We need to guard the bridges and tunnels. Let’s assume they’ll try a midtown or downtown assault, at least on their first try. That would be the most direct way to the Empire State Building. Michael, take Apollo’s cabin to the Williamsburg Bridge. Katie, Demeter’s cabin takes the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Grow thorn bushes and poison ivy in the tunnel. Do whatever you have to do – but keep them out of there! Connor – take half of Hermes cabin and cover the Manhattan Bridge. Travis, you take the other half and cover the Brooklyn Bridge. And no stopping for looting or pillaging!”

The Hermes cabin let out a collective groan, but Percy ignored them. He ordered, “Silena, Fleur, take your cabin to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. The Holland Tunnel…. Beckendorf – take Hephaestus cabin there. Use Greek fire, set traps. Whatever you’ve got.”

Just then, Harry interrupted, “Wait! Before you guys head off…”

He beckoned over to someone, and a pair of red-headed twins showed up, “Guys? I’d like you to meet Fred and George Weasley. These two are some of the biggest pranksters I know, and they can help with the traps.”

Connor and Travis Stoll’s eyes shone, though Katie Gardner was sceptical, “Really? Pranks? This is no time for pranks!”

However, Annabeth caught onto what Harry was suggesting, “No wait! I think that’s a great idea! Harry told me that you two own a joke shop, right? Do you have any products that can be weaponized and made more lethal?”

One of the twins rubbed his chin, “Well… I think our Weasley’s Wildfire Whiz-Bangs could be useful. They are unstoppable fireworks, which will explode if you hit them with a Stunning Spell. If you try to use a Vanishing Spell, it’ll multiply by ten. Then there’s our Miraculous Mystic Mayhem Makers…”

Annabeth smiled, “Excellent! How about one of you go with the Hephaestus cabin, and the other with the Hermes cabin. You can cause as much chaos as you want… Go wild.”

Then, one of the twins turned and whistled sharply, “Oi! Harry! You got one of those mirrors, right? Tell Ron, Ginny and Hermione to man the shop for us and deliver the goods here! I think they can Floo to Remus’ place and then make the deliveries.”

He shot them a thumbs up and pulled out his mirror. Ginny picked up, “Hey Harry! How’s the war effort?”

He grinned back, ”We’re still in the planning stages. Listen, I need a favour from you, Ron and Hermione. The twins want you three to run their shop for them, and the reason is two-fold. Firstly, they need to keep their business up and running. The second, and most important, we’re going to need a supply of some products from WWW. The plan is to weaponize some of these joke items to be more lethal.”

The redhead answered back, “You got it Harry!”

She then threatened, “Come back alive and bring my brothers back alive in one piece, or else I’ll give you a taste of my Bat Bogey Hex!”

With all that done, Percy resumed giving out orders, “The Fifty-ninth Street Bridge. I want the Athena cabin stationed there. “

Annabeth nodded firmly, “Malcolm, take Athena cabin and activate plan twenty-three along the way, just like I showed you. Hold that position. Percy and I will stick around here, and we’ll go where we’re needed.”

Harry raised a hand, “I’ve got the Lincoln Tunnel covered. The girls and I can handle that. The goblins told me that they will fortify Times Square.”

Then he dug into a backpack that he had been carrying. He fished out multiple mirrors and began passing them around to the Head Counsellors. He explained, “We’ll keep in touch using these. Just speak any of our names into the mirror and you can communicate with any of us for updates. Way simpler than Iris Messaging, and you won’t attract monsters.”

Annabeth then spoke, “Thank the gods! But if we don’t blockade the rivers from those boats, guarding the bridges and tunnels will be pointless.”

Percy glanced around at the campers, as well as Fred and George. He spoke, “You’re the greatest heroes of this millennium. It doesn’t matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win.”

He activated his sword and shield before banged the two together, ‘FOR OLYMPUS!”

Everyone else roared, “For Olympus!”

Harry transformed and let out a ear-splitting howl before bounding away with the backpack slung loosely around him. As everyone left to go to their separate posts, Percy and Annabeth liberated a red Vespa from an unconscious courier. He mentally made a note of the building that it was parked in front of, just in case he had to return it after the war. Percy weaved in and out of the stranded cars, with Annabeth clutching him from behind.

She mused, “I’m glad that Harry got the idea of getting the pedestrians off the streets. It keeps them out of harm’s way and it clears some space for us to move.”

They did make a few stoppages to put out fires and rescue a runaway pram with a sleeping poodle. However, Annabeth asked him to pull over at Madison Square Park. She hopped off and ran towards a bronze statue on a red marble pedestal.

She breathed, “This is William H Seward, former New York governor. He was a demigod, son of Hebe.”

Percy guessed, “Is the statue an automaton?”

She smiled, “Precisely! Turns out, most of the statues in the city are automatons. Daedalus planted them here, just in case he needed an army.”

He asked, “To attack Olympus or defend it?”

She shrugged, “Either one. This is Plan 23. He will activate one statue and it will activate its brethren all over the city until there was an army. I have Daedalus’ notes. I think I can … Ah, here we go.”

She pressed the tip of the statue’s boot and it stood up, quill and paper ready. Annabeth clearly ordered. “Hello, er, Governor Seward. Command sequence: Daedalus Twenty-three. Defend Manhattan. Begin Activation.”

A voice called out, “That’s a handy trick!”

They nearly jumped, spinning around to spot a stocky redheaded man by the park entrance. He waved, “Hi there! I’m Charlie Weasley. I think you might have met by younger brothers, Fred and George? I can help activate some statues as well.”

They followed him to a nearby building that had some stone statues. Annabeth murmured, “I don’t think Daedalus’ work covered stone statues.”

Charlie fished out his wand, pointed it at the statue and chanted, “Piertotum Locomotor!”

Sure enough, the statue came to life and he ordered it to defend the city. Like that, he continued activating the stone statues, and the two demigods left him. Just then, there was a large ball of green light exploding somewhere over the East River. Percy and Annabeth booked it over there and parked outside Battery Park.

---

Percy asked Annabeth to wait for him and then dived into the water, where the Hudson and East Rivers merged into the Bay.

It took a while, and a few insults, but he did eventually get their attention. One of the river gods resembled a Telkhines and the other was more humanoid. They both began insulting each other, before ganging up on Percy when he tried to break up the fight.

Of course, nothing happened, and the river gods stared in shock. One deadpanned, “Son of Poseidon?”

Percy nodded.

“Took a dip in the Styx?”

“Yep! Now listen to me, Kronos’ army is invading Manhattan.”

The East God snapped, “Don’t you think we know that? I can feel his boats right now. They’re almost across.”

The Hudson God agreed, ‘’Yep, I got some filthy monsters crossing my waters, too.”

Percy requested, “Could you please stop them? Drown them, sink their boats! Anything!”

Hudson grumbled, “Why should we? So they invade Olympus. What do we care?”

Percy suddenly remembered something. His dad had given him a sand dollar for his birthday. Both the river gods’ eyes widened when they saw him take the sand dollar out and began bargaining. However, Percy had a better idea, he broke it in half. No sooner had be done so, that a ripple of fresh clean water began pouring out from it. The two gods whimpered and revelled in the clean water before taking their halves.

Then, they flicked a finger or waved a hand, before confirming that the invaders were all sleeping with the fishes. Back on the shore, Annabeth was talking to her communication mirror and she looked worried. She spotted him, “Michael Yew just spoke to me. Another army is approaching the Williamsburg Bridge. The Apollo Cabin needs backup. And Percy? The monster leading the enemy … it’s the Minotaur.”

---

After returning the Vespa, Percy did his best taxi cab whistle. In a couple of minutes, he could make out two familiar pegasi galloping in the air. Blackjack did complain about the wind gods nearly knocking them out of the sky, but he and his friend Porkpie were unharmed. Before long, they were flying towards the Williamsburg Bridge.

When they reached, the bridge was lit up by several fires. Cars were either upturned or burning, arcs of fire streaked from opposite ends, and spears sailed through the air. The Apollo campers were on the defensive, retreating and sniping back. Occasionally, they would rescue sleeping drivers and passengers and drag them to safety.

However, the enemy kept advancing menacingly. A phalanx of dracaenae led the charge, shields locked together, with spear tips sticking out. Of arrows would bounce off, except for the occasional lucky shot. However, more monsters advanced behind the phalanx. Occasionally, a hellhound or two would leap out and attack the campers. Most were vaporised by the arrows, but the relentless assault saw one hapless camp get dragged away screaming.

Then Annabeth got his attention and pointed. Right in the middle of the invading legion was Percy’s old friend, the Minotaur. Last time they squared off, the Minotaur was practically naked, except for a white loincloth wrapped around him. This time, he was fully kitted up in standard Greek battle gear – a kilt-like apron of leather and metal flaps, bronze greaves covering his legs and tightly wrapped leather sandals. Finally, he had a massive double-bladed axe strapped to his back.

The Minotaur stopped advancing, sniffed and spotted Percy’s party. He bellowed in rage and picked up a white limousine. The Minotaur threw the vehicle, but Blackjack dived out of the way. As he picked up another car, Annabeth and Percy were deposited behind an overturned school bus. With that, they wasted no time in flying away before they could come under attack.

Michael Yew jogged up, with a grin on his soot-covered ferrety face. He quipped, “Glad you could join us! Are there other reinforcements coming?”

Percy replied, “We’re it, for now.”

Annabeth looked around, “Where’s your flying chariot?”

He shrugged, “Left it at camp. I told Clarisse she could have it. Whatever, you know? You guys were right. It was pretty petty to fight over something that’s not worth fighting about any more. Stubborn b*tch said it was too late. We’d insulted her honour for the last time or some stupid thing. I called her some names when she said she still wouldn’t fight. I doubt that helped. Here come the uglies!”

He drew an arrow and launched it towards the enemy. The arrow made a screaming sound as it flew. When it landed, it unleashed a blast like a power chord on an electric guitar magnified through the world’s largest speakers. The nearest cars exploded. Monsters dropped their weapons and clasped their ears in pain. Some ran. Others disintegrated on the spot.

Michael grumped, “Dang! And that was my last sonic arrow. Gift from dad. Loud music can be bad for you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always kill.”

He gestured, and sure enough, the disoriented monsters were recovering. Michael began retreating, “We have to fall back. I’ve got Kayla and Austin setting traps further down the bridge.”

However, Percy shook his head, “No. Bring your campers forward to this position and wait for my signal. We’re going to drive the enemy back to Brooklyn.”

The son of Apollo snorted, “How do you plan to do that?”

Meanwhile, Annabeth nervously said, “Percy? Let me come with you.”

He shook his head, “Too dangerous. Besides, I need you to help Michael coordinate the defensive line. I’ll distract the monsters. You group up here and then you can start picking off monsters while I keep them focused on me. If anybody can do all that, you can.”

Percy glanced at Annabeth, “Don’t I get a kiss for good luck? It’s kind of a tradition, right?”

She smirked, “Come back alive, Seaweed Brain. Then we’ll see about it.”

Annabeth unsheathed her knife and Percy stepped out, in full view of the approaching force. The Minotaur was the first to spot him and his eyes burned with hatred. He bellowed loudly, and Percy hollered back, “Hey, Beef Boy. Didn’t I kill you already?”

The monster punched a hole in a Lexus, and a few dracaenae threw some flaming javelins. Percy easily knocked them aside and then a hellhound leaped into the attack. Percy side-stepped but hesitated slightly, as he remembered Mrs. O’Leary. However, he rationalised himself, that this was an untamed monster, so when it attacked again, he didn’t hesitate.

More monsters surged forwards, but the stubborn Minotaur roared at them to back off. As they squared off, the monster unstrapped his axe, a beautiful weapon with its twin blades shaped like an omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet. The shaft was the same height as the Minotaur and it was made of bronze and wrapped in leather. Tied at the base of each blade, were a number of bead necklaces.

Percy’s blood boiled as he recognised that most of those necklaces probably came from campers. Percy charged with Riptide raised and the Minotaur raised his axe to retaliate. He dodged a swing and sliced the axe in half, between the handholds.

Percy then spun and kicked him in the wet snout. The creature staggered back, but didn’t get a chance to recover. Riptide slashed off one horn and then the other, in quick succession, and he snatched the axe for good measure. The bovine rage set in, but Percy was counting on that.

He sprinted for the cohort of dracaenae and broke through, heading for the edge of the bridge. Sure enough, the enraged monster barrelled after him and his monstrous minions cheered. However, at the edge of the bridge, Percy turned and wedged the axe against the railing. By then, the Minotaur couldn’t stop his momentum and slammed chest-first into the blade with an audible crunch.

With a smug smile, Percy lifted his defeated opponent by the legs and tossed him off the bridge, disintegrating away. Then he turned to the rest of the army, who outnumbered him, 199 to one. Harry had sometimes teased him, saying that if he was a wizard, he would have been a Gryffindor. Sure enough, Percy decided to embrace his inner Gryffindor and charged,

From there, everything felt like a blur. He magically dodged a number of weapon strikes. A few attacks did hit him, but did no damage at all. Percy Jackson was practically a whirling dervish, slicing and dicing, slashing and stabbing. No enemy was safe from him, dracaenae, hellhounds, enemy demigods. In the background, he could hear Annabeth and Michael rally the Apollo campers.

---

Slowly, the enemy were pushed back towards Brooklyn. He didn‘t think that he would slow down, not even when Annabeth called out a warning. The only thing that gave him pause was when he saw the base of the bridge. The surviving monsters scrambled towards friendly reinforcements. The newcomers were about 30-40 demigods strong, and all on skeletal horses. They weren’t Thestrals, as they had no wings. The lead horseman took off his helm, revealing himself to be Kronos. At that moment, Percy and his allies slowed their charge. He glanced at his friends, “Okay… Now we pull back.”

The Titan Lord’s forces charged and Percy’s group retreated. The Apollo campers showered the enemy with arrows, bringing a few down, but they kept on advancing. Within seconds, they reached Percy, who ordered his allies to retreat. Michael and the archers tried to obey, but Annabeth stayed right beside him.

The enemy swarmed them, while Kronos himself leisurely strolled towards them. Percy and Annabeth stayed side-by-side as the enemy surrounded the couple. He knew that he was fighting fellow demigods and was trying not to kill them, and that made it harder.

They had almost reached the middle of the bridge, when a sense of foreboding entered Percy’s body. Behind him, he heard Annabeth cry out in pain. He whirled around, calling her name, only to see her fall, clutching her arm. He glanced at the culprit, a demigod with a bloody knife.

He immediately pieced together what happened. The demigod had been trying to stab him, and judging from the position of the blade, he would have landed an incredibly lucky shot, right on his weak spot. Somehow, Annabeth intercepted the knife with her body.

Percy locked eyes with the demigod and noticed a familiar eye patch, Ethan Nakamura. In rage, he slammed him in the face with this sword hilt, denting Ethan’s helmet. Percy slashed a wide arc, forcing the enemy to back off. He yelled, “Get back! No one touches her!”

Kronos chuckled darkly from his mount, “Interesting… Bravely fought, Percy Jackson. But it’s time to surrender – or the girl dies.”

Percy dug out his mirror, “Harry! Annabeth is down… I repeat, Annabeth is down! I need someone to get her to safety.”

Harry’s voice answered back, “I’m on my way, Jackson. Dobby! I need you!”

The connection cut off abruptly, and a moment later, Dobby the House Elf popped up next to Percy and a wounded Annabeth. She was a little startled, but Percy assured her that he was friendly. Dobby put a hand on her uninjured shoulder and popped them away, leaving Percy and the Apollo campers out there.

Kronos chortled, “You are full of surprises, Percy Jackson. Too bad that I have to kill you.”

Kronos slashed at Percy, but the son of Poseidon met the strike with Riptide. The impact shook the entire bridge, but Percy stood his ground. In retaliation, he swiped Kronos’ legs out from under him, sending his scythe skittering away. He tried to stab downwards, but Kronos rolled away and his scythe flew back into his hands.

The Titan studied him, “So, you had the courage to visit the Styx. I had to pressure Luke in many ways to convince him. If only you had supplied my host body instead … but no matter. I am still more powerful. I am a TITAN.”

With that last word, he struck the bridge with the butt of his scythe. In an instant, a wave of pure force blasted Percy backwards. The force also blew back several cars and a few demigods. Most of the Apollo campers had almost evacuated, but Michael Yew was perched on a suspension cable. He had one last arrow notched in his bow.

He called out, “Percy! The bridge! It’s already weak.”

Sure enough, Percy spotted fissures in the pavement. Patches of the road were half melted from Greek fire. The bridge had taken a beating from Kronos’s blast and the exploding arrows. Michael hollered, “Break it! Use your powers!”

Percy obeyed without question, as it was the only choice. He stabbed Riptide into the bridge. The magic blade sank to its hilt in tarmac. Salt water shot from the crack with the strength of a geyser. Percy pulled out the blade and the fissure grew. The bridge shook and began to crumble. Chunks the size of houses fell into the East River. Kronos’ demigods cried out in alarm and scrambled backwards. Some were knocked off their feet. Within a few seconds, a twenty-metre chasm opened in the Williamsburg Bridge between him and Kronos.

When then vibrations died, Kronos’ forces were left stranded. The Titan lord studied the problem. He looked behind him at the rising sun, then smiled across the chasm. He raised his scythe in a mock salute. “Until this evening, Percy Jackson.”

He galloped away, followed by his warriors, and then all was silent. That was until he heard some flapping behind him. Percy whirled around to see a beat up Michael Yew, dangling from the claws of a bizarre creature. It looked like the unholy love child of an eagle and a horse. On the creature’s back, he spotted Mackenzie Dursley cheerfully waving at him. She hollered out, “YOU’RE WELCOME, BY THE WAY!”

Blackjack came swooping in and Percy mounted the black pegasus. The horse whinnied, “Whoa Boss! What on earth is that thing!”

Percy shouted, “What’s that!?”

She yelled back, “This is Buckbeak! He’s a Hippogriff!”

Buckbeak then tossed Michael in the air and he landed on the hippogriff’s back. With a caw, Buckbeak flew off, with Michael’s arms around Mackenzie’s waist to steady himself. Meanwhile, Percy followed with another child of Apollo, Will Solace, right behind him.

Eventually, both pegasus and hippogriff landed in front of the Plaza Hotel, which was serving as a make-shift hospital. There was a minor argument with a statue of Pompona, the Roman Goddess of Plenty, Silena was standing in the lobby and quickly ushered them in. Katie Bell and another Hunter, who introduced herself as Penelope Clearwater, guided the four to the elevators to the penthouse suites.

Upon reaching the top floor, the elevators opened up to see a massive dire wolf sitting on its haunches, waiting expectantly. The transformed demigod son of Artemis led them to the terrace. Sure enough, Annabeth was lying on a lounge chair. Her face was pale and beaded with sweat. Even though she was covered in blankets, she shivered. An older woman was tending to her, dabbing her forehead with a cool cloth.

Will and Michael got to work, along with the woman, who introduced herself as Madam Pomfrey. Will unwrapped Annabeth’s bandages to examine the wound, and it looked gnarly. The bleeding had stopped but the gash looked deep. The skin around the cut was a horrible shade of green.

She spotted them and mumbled, “Poison on the dagger. For a child of Athena, that was pretty stupid of me, huh?”

Harry lay his head on her lap and her uninjured arm stroked his fur. Meanwhile, Michael breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh thank the Gods! The wound isn’t so bad. A few more minutes and we would’ve been in trouble, but the venom hasn’t gotten past the shoulder yet. Just lie still. Madam Pomfrey, could you give us a hand?”

Will cleaned the wound as Percy clasped her hand. The son of Poseidon tried not to wince as she squeezed his hand. Michael then put some silver paste over the wound and hummed words in Ancient Greek – a hymn to Apollo. Then he applied fresh bandages and stood up shakily. Then Madam Pomfrey drew her wand and murmured, “Episkey”.

The wound began to close, and then the woman fished out a vial with a dark red liquid. She explained, “Don’t worry, dearie, You’ll be as right as rain in no time. Just take this Blood-Replenishing Potion to recover from the blood loss.”

Annabeth drained the potion into her mouth, and made a face at the taste. Then the boys straightened up and consulted with Madam Pomfrey. Percy asked, “What is it?”

Will replied, “We might need some mortal supplies. Madam Pomfrey said that she might have some other things in her office, that may help.”

He grabbed some stationery and scribbled something down, “Get someone from the Hermes Cabin to hit the nearest pharmacy and get some stuff. And I want to make one thing clear to them, NO. STEALING.”

Percy grabbed the piece of paper and headed inside the penthouse. He spotted Travis and called him over before relaying Will’s message. After he left, one of Beckendorf’s sibling’s Jake Mason, came over. He said, “I’m using Annabeth’s shield to keep an eye on things. The enemy withdrew at sunrise; not sure why. We’ve got a lookout at each bridge and tunnel.”

Soon, it was just Harry, Percy, Annabeth and Silena. The girl moaned, “We’re screwed… Big time. I don’t even know how much good I am at fighting.”

Harry transformed back and hugged his pseudo-sister, “Come on mate. You don’t mean that. Sure, the children of Aphrodite prefer to avoid conflict, but when it comes down to it, You, Fleur and Gabrielle are among the more competent ones.”

Percy also spoke up, “You’re a great camper. You’re the best pegasus rider we have. And you get along with people. Believe me, anyone who can make friends with Clarisse has talent.”

She suddenly started a little, and Harry caught on, “Uh oh… I know that look. You’re about to do something that is either brave, or totally stupid, aren’t you?”

She ignored him, “We need the Ares cabin. I can talk to Clarisse. I know I can convince her to help us.”

Percy raised his hands, “Whoa, Silena. Even if you could get off the island, Clarisse is pretty stubborn. Once she gets angry –”

The three exchanged glances and Annabeth nodded weakly. Harry said, “Take one of your sisters with you, just as a backup. You can ride on Buckbeak. Mackenzie will teach you how to ride him.”

She threw her arms around the boys, shot Annabeth a slight apologetic glance and rushed off. When it was just the three of them, Harry and Percy got busy making their recovering friend comfortable. Annabeth addressed Percy, “You’re cute when you’re worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched together.”

Percy ignored his fluttering heart and Harry’s sniggering. He firmly told her, “You are not going to die while I owe you a favour. Why did you take that knife?”

She retorted, “You would’ve done the same for me.”

Then he and Harry shared a glance, and Harry inclined his head in her direction. Percy took a deep breath and asked, “How did you know?”

Her blonde eyebrows knitted in confusion, “Know what?”

Percy glanced around, but it was just the three of them. He said in a voice low enough for her and Harry to hear, “My Achilles spot. If you hadn’t taken that knife, I would’ve died.”

She got a faraway look in her eyes. “I don’t know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger. Where – where is the spot?”

Percy trusted her and Harry with his life and his secret, “The small of my back.”

She lifted her hand, “Where? Here?”

Her hand touched his spine, and Harry gently moved her fingers to the one spot that grounded Percy to his mortal life. The boy breathed, “You saved my life… Thanks.”

Chapter 75

Notes:

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hoo boy! This one took a while to write. Had a little bit of writer's block for a bit. Couple that with me changing my job timings, and later on, going out of town to stay at my family's country estate for a couple of days. The house had been undergoing a massive remodelling and the work had been completely very recently, to make it habitable. Anyway, on with the story!

After a few minutes, there was a faint buzzing sound, and a tiny black shape landed on a nearby loveseat. Then, the shape instantly transformed into an adult blonde woman in a green dress edged with black fur at the collar and sleeves. The woman also wore jewelled spectacles and red painted nails.

Percy was a little startled by the unexpected intruder, and even Annabeth tensed. However, they instantly relaxed when Harry didn’t even flinch. Instead, he got up and approached the woman, “Rita, what do you have for us?”

She grinned, showing off three gold teeth, “I must say, Harry Potter, this is the most fun I’ve ever had in years! I might be tempted to leave the Prophet and get into the espionage business.”

Harry snarked, “Glad to see that you’re enjoying yourself, but just watch your back. Anyway, I ask again, what do you have for us?”

Rita tapped her chin thoughtfully, “Well, whoever is spying on your camp, seems awfully clever at covering their tracks. However, the enemy forces are gathering at every bridge and tunnel in the city. Also, besides that Kronos fellow, there is another being that seems to just radiate power! I saw a huge man, clad in golden armour. If I’m not mistaken, he was amassing a squad on the Jersey shore.”

The trio exchanged glances and Percy nodded, “Okay, we’ll keep an eye on that development. Any idea why the enemies suddenly stopped attacking?”

She frowned a little, trying to remember, “Well, I eavesdropped on some snake ladies saying that Kronos needs time to regenerate after each fight. He’s still not comfortable with his new form, whatever that means. It’s taking a lot of his power to slow time around the city, I didn't even know that was possible. Anyway, they will be ready to attack by nightfall.”

Harry held out his hand and she shook it, “Good work Rita. You’ve been a great help! Keep an eye on further developments and let us know! Take care of yourself out there!”

She nodded, transformed back and flitted away.

---

They sat around in silence for a while, and then Annabeth broke it, “Boys? There’s something you need to know. Harry, you weren’t there, but back on Olympus, when Hermes talked to us, he was really mad at me.”

Percy gently told her, “Are you sure? I mean, if it’s hard for you, you don’t have to talk about it.”

She shook her head firmly, “No, I need to get this off my chest. Last year, Luke paid me a visit in San Francisco. This was before the mess with the Labyrinth. He came under a flag of truce. He said he only wanted five minutes to talk. He looked scared, Percy. He told me Kronos was going to use him to take over the world. He said he wanted to run away, like the old days. He wanted me to come with him.”

Harry spoke, “Considering that you’re here now, you rejected his offer.”

“Obviously! I thought it was a trick. Plus … well, a lot of things had changed since the old days. I told Luke there was no way. He got mad. He said – he said I might as well fight him right there, because it was the last chance I’d get.”

Her forehead beaded with sweat and Harry dabbed at it with a cool cloth. She slumped, “Hermes was right… Maybe if I had gone with him, I could have changed his mind. I-I also had a knife and Luke was unarmed.”

Harry frowned, “Beth, I’ve not been a big fan of his, especially because his betrayal, but that is low, even for you. Killing an unarmed enemy is unsportsmanlike.”

Percy nodded firmly, “He’s right, Annabeth.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and blinked away a tear, “Luke said Kronos would use him like a stepping stone. Those were his exact words. Kronos would use Luke, and become even more powerful. But what if Luke’s body is only a transition? What if Kronos has a plan to become even more powerful? I could’ve stopped him. The war is my fault.”

Just then, the terrace door slid open and Connor Stoll stepped through. He shuffled nervously, “Guys, Mrs O’ Leary just returned. She found Grover, and he has news.”

Percy made to  get up, but Harry beat him to it. He gestured, “Stay with Beth, I’ll meet up with him. If there’s anything important, I’ll call you guys on the mirror.”

He left the couple and went back inside. Grover was lounging in the posh living room of the penthouse. Well, whatever was left of it, as he had taken several bites of the furniture. Harry rolled his eyes, “Grover, mate! You’re lucky that I came, instead of Jackson.”

The satyr bleated and attempted to look contrite. However, the look was ruined by a bit of armchair stuffing, hanging out of his mouth. Harry pointed his sword at the room and chanted, “Reparo!”

AS the room fixed itself, Grover bleated, “Sorry… It’s just, Louis XVI furniture is practically a delicacy! Anyway, how’s Annabeth?”

Harry smiled, “She’ll be alright. That girl’s a tough cookie. Jackson’s with her right now and she’s resting. Hope for their sake that they keep it PG while I’m gone.”

Grover snorted before getting serious, “I’ve mobilized most of the nature spirits in the city – well, the ones that will listen to me, anyway. I had no idea acorns could hurt so much. Anyway, we’re helping out as much as we can. I’m glad you got those goblin people to help. We were covering uptown, and those guys jumped in.”

Harry asked, “What happened?”

“A young dragon began attacking Harlem. Lost a couple of wood nymphs, but it could have been much worse without the goblins.”

---

Just then, Beckendorf walked in, “Hey, where’s Percy?”

“Outside. Can I take a message?”

“Your spy’s intel checked out. The Williamsburg Bridge was one of our weaker points. Looks like Kronos also knew about it, and that’s why he showed up and shifted most of his forces there.”

Harry hummed, “Huh… I guess that explains why we were able to defend that place easily. But then again, we can’t sow discord among our troops. My spy is already trying to flush out the traitor and they’ll get back to me. I’ll let them know.”

Harry walked back outside to the terrace, where Percy and Annabeth was still hanging out. He relayed the information that Grover and Beckendorf had gathered. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in and out. He opened them and spoke, “We keep fighting. We can’t obsess about this spy. If we’re suspicious of each other, we’ll just tear ourselves apart. Harry, let everyone know to set up a rotation for the watches. Tell them to rest up while they can. We’ve got a long night ahead of us. I’m going to crash as well.”

Harry went and took a short nap for a couple of hours. When he woke up, it was around one in the afternoon. He checked his watch, left a note by Jackson and Annabeth’s bedsides and headed to Remus and Sally’s apartment. Sure enough, Bill, Charlie, Percy and the twins had gathered there. Just then, the Floo activated and Ron and Ginny stepped through, followed by Hermione. They all had a box of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes products tucked in their arms. Sally had been convinced to move to the Weasley household and she was getting along pretty well with Molly.

Just then, the Floo lit up again and a familiar face showed up in the flames. Rachel brightened, “Oh! Hey guys! Could you please, please get me the hell out of here? I’m going stir crazy over here! Also, I really, REALLY need to get to New York!”

Harry cut in, “Bad idea, mate! New York’s currently a war zone. But I think you can head to The Burrow for a while, until its safe.”

She nodded, “Yeah, I can do that. I’ll call my mom and ask her to make up something believable for my dad. Worst case scenario is that she can use the Confundus Charm on him.”

After she ended the Floo call, Harry’s mirror began to buzz. Thalia was calling, “Hey! I thought I’d let you know, Perrie just spotted a Titan coming over. I don’t think they’re launching their invasion early, because he’s carrying a flag of truce. I’m going to wake Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl. I’ll meet you outside.”

Harry glanced at his fellow wizards and witches, “You guys want to come with, or are you okay here itself?”

They elected to stay out of it, and Harry left the apartment. Soon afterwards, Harry, gathered in a local park, along with Percy, Grover and Thalia.

---

Before long, they spotted a gigantic white flag being held aloft by a ten-metre-tall giant with bright blue skin and icy grey hair. Harry involuntarily shivered, “Hyperborean giants. Those things are pretty nasty when angered.”

Thalia nodded grimly, “The giants of the north. It’s a bad sign that they sided with Kronos. They’re usually peaceful. There’s a big colony in Alberta. You do not want to get into a snowball fight with those guys.”

As the giant lumbered closer, they could make out a few members of his entourage. There was an armoured demigod, an empousa demon with flaming hair and a black dress. The empousa had linked arms with the third member of the entourage, a tall man in a tuxedo.

The tuxedo-clad man was clearly a Titan, as he towered over them, a good two metres. His black hair was tied in a ponytail. Dark round glasses covered his eyes, but his face was covered in scratches.

He spoke to his companion, “‘My dear. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable over there, eh?”

The empousa hissed at them before heading to a park bench. Then he addressed them for the first time, “Percy Jackson. It’s a great honour.”

Percy acknowledged him before glancing at the demigod. Despite the different helmet, he easily recognised Ethan Nakamura. The Titan ignored the two of them trying to glare each other to death. He extended his hand, “To business! I am Prometheus.”

Harry and Percy started a little, “Weren’t you the one who stole fire for the humans? You were punished for it, by having you chained up and have vultures peck at you.”

Prometheus winced, “Please, don’t mention the vultures. But, yes, I stole fire from the gods and gave it to your ancestors. In return, Zeus had me chained to a rock and tortured for all eternity. As for how I got free? You can thank Herakles for that, aeons ago. So you see, I have a soft spot for heroes. Some of you can be quite civilized. Now, Percy Jackson, let us parley.”

The two of them sat down at a picnic table, with Harry, Grover and Thalia standing behind Percy, like bodyguards. The giant lumbered around inside a playground, unintentionally destroying everything around him.

Prometheus steepled his fingers, “Allow me to introduce myself properly, “I am Prometheus, the Titan of forethought. I can predict the outcome of this war. Percy, we are at an impasse. You can weather what we’ve thrown as you, and we have done the same. However, you are still somewhat understaffed. Can you really stop another assault?”

Grover snarked, “You missed something in your introduction. You’re also the Titan of crafty counsel. Emphasis on crafty.”

Prometheus shrugged nonchalantly, “True enough, satyr. But I supported the gods in the last war. I told Kronos: ‘You don’t have the strength. You’ll lose.’ And I was right. So you see I know how to pick the winning side. This time, I’m backing Kronos. One advantage you do have, is the presence of Potter, who is a First-Born, a rarity. However, I fear that his strength will not be enough. I will admit though, that I am partly motivated by revenge. But that’s not the only reason I’m supporting Kronos. It’s the wisest choice. I’m here because I thought you might listen to reason.“

He drew a map on the table with his finger. Wherever he touched, golden lines appeared, glowing on the concrete. “This is Manhattan. We have armies here, here, here and here. We know your numbers. We outnumber you twenty to one. But I suspect you already know that. You have your spies, and we have ours. Yet, our forces are growing daily. Tonight, Kronos will attack. You will be overwhelmed. You’ve fought bravely, but there’s just no way you can hold all of Manhattan. You’ll be forced to retreat to the Empire State Building. There, you’ll be destroyed. I have seen this. It will happen.”

Percy grit his teeth, “The future isn’t set in stone. I can promise you that I won’t let it happen!”

Prometheus shook his head sorrowfully, “Percy, you must understand. You are refighting the Trojan War here. Patterns repeat themselves in history. They reappear just as monsters do. A great siege. Two armies. The only difference is, this time you are defending. You are Troy. And you know what happened to the Trojans, don’t you?”

Percy eyed him, “Please tell me you’re not planning to stick a hollow wooden horse into the elevator at the Empire State Building? I’m not sure how that will work.”

Harry suppressed a snigger, only for Thalia to elbow him. Prometheus merely smiled, “Troy was completely destroyed, Percy. You don’t want that to happen here. Stand down, and New York will be spared. Your forces will be granted amnesty. I will personally assure your safety. Let Kronos take Olympus. Who cares? Typhon will destroy the gods anyway.”

Percy cut in, “What guarantee is there that Kronos will spare New York? There is none.”

Prometheus promised, “All he wants is Olympus. The might of the gods is tied to their seats of power. You saw what happened to Poseidon once his undersea palace was attacked. I know that was hard for you. When Kronos destroys Olympus, the gods will fade. They will become so weak they will be easily defeated. Kronos would rather do this while Typhon has the Olympians distracted in the west. Much easier. Fewer lives lost. But, make no mistake, the best you can do is slow us down. The day after tomorrow, Typhon arrives in New York, and you will have no chance at all. The gods and Mount Olympus will still be destroyed, but it will be much messier. Much, much worse for you and your city. Either way, the Titans will rule.”

Harry growled, “Look, we’re not going to just sit down and let you roll over us, unopposed. If you want to occupy Olympus, you’re going to have to go through us, first.”

Thalia also snarled, “Harry’s right! Percy, you’re not seriously going to listen to this slimeball, are you?”

Prometheus didn’t look offended, but he simply chuckled, “Your courage does you credit, Thalia Grace.”

The girl snapped, “That’s my mother’s surname. I don’t use it.”

The titan casually said, “As you wish. At any rate, you need not be my enemy. I have always been a helper of mankind.”

Thalia sneered, “That’s a load of Minotaur dung. When mankind first sacrificed to the gods, you tricked them into giving you the best portion. You gave us fire to annoy the gods, not because you cared about us.”

Prometheus replied, “I’m afraid you don’t understand. I helped shape your nature. I have been whispering in man’s ear since the beginning of your existence. I represent your curiosity, your sense of exploration, your inventiveness. Help me save you, Percy. Do this, and I will give mankind a new gift – a new revelation that will move you as far forward as fire did. You can’t make that kind of advance under the gods. They would never allow it. But this could be a new golden age for you.”

As he spoke, he fashioned a small clay figurine and played around with it. The figurine even came to life, stumbling, groping, crawling. But then, Prometheus’ voice hardened, “Or you could be against us.”

With that final declaration, he smashed the clay figurine. Prometheus calmed down, “Percy, you know the Titans and their offspring are not all bad. You’ve met Calypso. Much like me, she did nothing wrong, and yet she was exiled forever simply because she was Atlas’s daughter. We are not your enemies. Don’t let the worst happen. We offer you peace.”

Percy glanced at Ethan, “What’s your take on all this? I mean, if we took this deal, you would lose your chance of revenge. You don’t get to kill any of us. Isn’t that what you want?”

Ethan glared with his one good eye, “All I want is respect, Jackson. The gods never gave me that. You wanted me to go to your stupid camp, spend my time crammed into the Hermes cabin because I’m not important? Not even recognized? Nemesis stands for balance! When people have too much good luck, she tears them down.”

Percy asked, “Does that explain your eye?”

Ethan growled, “It was payment. In exchange, she swore to me that one day, I would tip the balance of power. I would bring the minor gods respect. An eye was a small price to pay.”

Percy snarked, “Great mom.”

Ethan snapped, “At least she keeps her word, unlike the Olympians. She always pays her debts – good or evil.”

Prometheus ignored the exchange and then spoke to Percy, “I suspect you wish to understand Luke’s actions and what led him to go down this path. Hestia didn’t show you the full story. I could help you understand.”

He reached out a hand, but Harry stopped him, “How do we know what Jackson is about to see, is an accurate retelling of the events? For all we know, you could twist the narrative to favour your side.”

Prometheus chuckled deeply, “Hahaha! I like you! Very well, I promise that what I am about to show Percy is accurate.”

Hesitantly, Percy grabbed his hand and he stiffened. When the Titan let go, Percy staggered back, with Thalia steadying him. Prometheus attempted to look sympathetic, “Appalling, isn’t it? The gods know what is to come, and yet they do nothing, even for their children. How long did it take for them to tell you your prophecy, Percy Jackson? Don’t you think your father knows what will happen to you?”

Grover bleated, “Percy, he’s playing with your mind. Trying to make you angry.”

Prometheus sighed, “Do you really blame your friend Luke? And what about you, Percy? Will you be controlled by your fate? Kronos offers you a much better deal.”

Percy clenched his fists, what Luke went through was awful and he hated that it happened to him. However, he also hated Kronos a lot more. He grit his teeth, “I’ll give you a deal. Tell Kronos to call off his attack, leave Luke Castellan’s body and return to the pits of Tartarus. Then maybe my friends and I won’t have to destroy him.”

The empousa snarled, but the Titan stopped her. He merely let out a weary sigh, “Very well, If you change your mind, I have a gift for you.”

He snapped his fingers and a Greek vase appeared on the table. It was about a metre high and thirty centimetres wide, glazed with black-and-white geometric designs. The ceramic lid was fastened with a leather harness.

Harry’s, Grover’s and Thalia’s eyes widened. Prometheus explained, “This belonged to my sister-in-law, Pandora. I know many tales often refer to it as a box, but I suppose those were merely loose translations. The correct term is a pithos. Yes, she did open this jar, which contained most of the demons that now haunt mankind – fear, death, hunger, sickness. And the first ever empousa was trapped in the pithos.”

He let out a breath and breathed in again, “What I find curious about the story, is that Pandora always gets the blame. She is punished for being curious. The gods would have you believe that this is the lesson: mankind should not explore. They should not ask questions. They should do what they are told. In truth, Percy, this jar was a trap designed by Zeus and the other gods. It was revenge on me and my entire family – my poor simple brother Epimetheus and his wife Pandora. The gods knew she would open the jar. They were willing to punish the entire race of humanity along with us.”

Percy cast his mind back to his dream about Hades and Maria di Angelo. Zeus laid waste to an entire hotel, just to eliminate two demigod children, to circumvent a prophecy that may not have been about them. He killed an innocent woman. Hades was no better, cursing the Oracle of Delphi. Finally, there was Hermes and his own row with Luke.

As Percy’s inner turmoil raged, Prometheus pat the lid of the pithos. He said “Only one spirit remained inside when Pandora opened it. Hope… Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, would not abandon humanity. Hope does not leave without being given permission. She can only be released by a child of man. I give you this as a reminder of what the gods are like. Keep Elpis, if you wish. But if you decide that you have seen enough destruction, enough futile suffering, then open the jar. Let Elpis go. Give up Hope, and I will know that you are surrendering. I promise Kronos will be lenient. He will spare the survivors.”

Percy growled, “I don’t want it.”

Prometheus nonchalantly said, “It’s too late. The gift is given. It cannot be taken back. I shall take my leave now. We will see you seen, Percy Jackson. One way or another.”

As he left with his entourage, Percy and Ethan exchanged hateful glares again before the latter left. Soon, it was just the four of them out alone in the park. Very reluctantly, Percy decided to carry the pithos back to the hotel.

---

Thalia then led the group to a deserted restaurant in the hotel. Percy laid the pithos on a table and they all gathered around it. Just as he was about to discuss what to do with the pithos, Thalia broke the silence. She asked, “What did Prometheus show you?”

Reluctantly, he opened up about the vision of May Castellan’s house. Thalia rubbed her thigh like she was remembering the old wound. She spoke softly, “That was a bad night. Annabeth was so little I don’t think she really understood what she saw. She just knew Luke was upset. As for May Castellan, I never saw her have an episode, but Luke told me about the glowing eyes, the strange things she would say. He made me promise never to tell. What caused it – I have no idea… If Luke knew, he never told me.”

Percy replied, “Hermes knew. Something caused May to see parts of Luke’s future, and Hermes understood what would happen – how Luke would turn into Kronos.”

Harry sat up, “Look mate, I wasn’t kidding when I said that the narrative can be twisted. Memories can be altered, so who knows if Prometheus was manipulating what you saw, Maybe he was showing you what happened in the worst possible light. Hermes did love Luke. I‘ve spoken to him before and I could tell just by looking at his face.”

Percy argued, “Luke was just a little kid. Hermes never helped him, never stopped him from running away.”

Thalia’s face hardened, “Look, you can’t suddenly start feeling sorry for him. Every demigod has had to deal with a lot of tough sh*t. Sure, our parents may hardly be around, but Luke is making bad choices. And the worst part is that no one is forcing him to do that. I’m worried about Annabeth. If she has to face Luke in battle, I don’t know if she can kill him. She’s always had a soft spot for him.”

Harry sighed, “I guess we’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there.”

Thalia warned, “After that night, after we left his mom’s house? Luke was never the same. He got reckless and moody, like he had something to prove. By the time Grover found us and tried to get us to camp, it had gotten really bad. Part of the reason we had so much trouble was because Luke was getting reckless. He wanted to pick a fight with every monster we crossed. Annabeth didn’t see that as a problem. Luke was her hero. She only understood that his parents had made him sad, and she got very defensive of him. She still is defensive, even to this day. All I’m saying … Don’t you fall into the same trap. Luke has given himself to Kronos now. We can’t afford to be soft on him.”

Thalia and Harry exchanged a look, “Listen, get some sleep. Harry and I will check on the Hunters. I know you’re worried about more dreams, but who knows when our next opportunity for rest will be.”

Harry then grabbed the pithos, “I’ll also drop by the goblins and ask if they can keep this thing locked up in Gringotts.”

As Percy settled down for his nap, Harry trekked over to the Woolworth building, where the goblin army had set up a makeshift barracks. Harry didn’t see any wizards, which was surprising, considering that this was the location of the MACUSA. He met up with General Bogrod and gestured to the pithos, “Would it be possible to keep this in my Gringotts Vault?”

Bogrod stopped sharpening his sword and glanced in his direction. He studied the pithos and said, “I can sense strange magic from this vessel. I doubt that a Gringotts vault would be able to house it. You will have to figure out some different arrangements. We’ll store it in your Trust Vault for the moment. Though I doubt it will stay there long. I can sense an enchantment keyed to your friend Percy Jackson. This thing will appear before him, at a time when all hope seems lost.”

Bogrod picked it up and handed it to another goblin, who scuttled away. After a while, Harry went to check up on Annabeth. The girl had just woken up and was already looking healthier. Madame Pomfrey and the children of Apollo had done an exemplary job with her. Harry took her to the Hephaestus cabin to be kitted up in fresh armour.

Close to evening, Rita came flitting in and warned that there was an army heading south into Central Park. There was also a massively strong Titan, who was leading the army. However, her next words cause him to start worrying, “The enemy talked about a ‘special surprise’ that will attack today.”

Rita flitted away again, and the two decided to find Percy. Approaching his bed, he looked to be in the throes of a nightmare. He sat up quickly and almost knocked himself out on Annabeth’s shield. Percy waved away their concerns and shared some of his dreams.

According to him, the situation at Poseidon’s palace was getting worse. More worryingly, Ethan Nakamura was getting dangerously close to guessing where Percy’s Achilles spot was. As he spoke though, Harry got the feeling that he was hiding something.

About 15 minutes later, everyone had gathered by the reservoir. Hedwig suddenly flapped over and nuzzled Harry’s ear and softly hooted into it. “Alpha, the enemy has crossed the Harlem River. The army is massive!”

Harry turned to his companions and relayed the information. Percy rubbed his face and then turned to face the army gathered behind him. He declared, “We’ll hold them at the park!”

A familiar voice called out from the side, “Yes we will!”

They turned to see Leneus the satyr, marching forward. The old, portly satyr was dressed in wood-bark armour that didn’t quite cover his belly, and he also carried a spear. He huffed at their incredulous looks, “Don’t act so surprised. I am a leader of the council, and Potter’s words did strike a chord. Well, it looks like Grover Underwood has been found, and I’m not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help! Never fear! We’ll show those Titans!”

Percy nodded, “Okay, so the Athena cabin will hold fort over here. I’ll help too. Harry?”

Harry shot him a thumbs up, “Leave the Hunters to me.”

Percy glanced at the other counsellors. Fleur was acting head counsellor for the Aphrodite cabin until Silena returned, hopefully with Clarisse. He spoke, “That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He’ll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It’s up to you to make sure that doesn’t happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?”

The counsellors nodded grimly and everyone split up. The various factions took up their designated positions and braced themselves. It didn’t take long before they all heard the army before they saw them. The noise was practically deafening, like a crowd of football hooligans in preparation for a derby.

---

After five minutes of waiting, at the northernmost end of the reservoir, the vanguard burst out of the woods. Leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes, was a warrior in golden armour. Behind the giants, charged hundreds of monsters.

Annabeth barked an order and the Athena campers got into position. The idea was to bottleneck the army in narrow columns on either side of the water. Sure enough, the tactic worked like clockwork and the enemy split up. When they were halfway across, the jogging trail erupted in Greek fire. This resulted in several monsters getting incinerated.

Some of the unscathed monsters managed to make it past. However, several small tornados erupted and swept them off their feet. Annabeth looked at Percy in shock, “Is that you?!”

He looked equally baffled, “Annabeth, I swear, it’s not me! Maybe Thalia? Weather’s more of her thing.”

Just then, his mirror buzzed a few times. He picked up to see Harry’s grinning face as he and the Hunters waited by the woods. He smugly said, “Enjoyed the dizzy dummy? It’s one of the Weasley twins’ products. They call it a Tiny Twister. According to Fred, it’s basically a mini tornado inside a bottle. If the bottle breaks, then it unleashes hell!”

Despite the mayhem meted out to the enemy, more kept coming. The Athena campers pulled some of the giants down with grappling hooks. Harry and his Hunters sent out a shower of arrows, downing 20-30 dracaenae. Thalia even managed to call down some lightning and fry a Laistrygonian. Occasionally, some monsters were dragged away, one-by-one, by a flurry of animals.

Grover played a quick tune on his pipes, mobilising dryads and satyrs. Harry was still on the mirror and he joked, “Bloody hell, mate! It’s f**king mental, here in the woods! This is like a scene if Snow White ever turned evil!”

The enemy surge continued, but there was one more surprise waiting for them. Just as they thought they were in the clear, they passed a pyramid-shaped box scattered around the path. Suddenly, an arrow sailed out from the woods and struck it. Instantly, the area around it in a wide radius, turned into a marshy swamp. This slowed down most of the army, as they had to wade across the muck, and several vines even entangled them. This made several more monsters become easy pickings.

However, the defending side weren’t without casualties. An enemy archer returned fire and nailed a Hunter, who was perched on a high branch. Harry rushed up and caught the girl as she fell and steadied her. He snapped his fingers, and a House elf promptly showed up, grabbing and teleporting the injured Hunter away.

Percy didn’t have any more time to admire his surroundings, though. Annabeth suddenly grabbed his arm and pointed at the reservoir. The golden armoured Titan had evidently grown impatient. He charged towards the demigods, straight on top of the lake. A Greek fire bomb exploded right on top of him, but he raised his palm and sucked the flames out of the air.

Annabeth gasped, “This is going to be tough! Next to Atlas, he’s the greatest Titan warrior. In the old days, four Titans controlled the four corners of the world. Hyperion was the east Titan – the most powerful. He was the father of Helios, the first sun god.”

Percy glanced at her, “I’ll keep him busy. Just keep our forces together. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

On that note, he charged as well, running across the water, ignoring the urge to make a Jesus Christ reference.

Chapter 76

As he closed the distance to the Titan, he spotted Hyperion raise his sword. His golden eyes burned much brighter than Kronos’ eyes. If Percy had to draw a comparison, then Hyperion’s eyes were glowing like miniature suns.

Hyperion chortled, “So you’re the sea god’s brat, eh? Heard you were the one who trapped Atlas beneath the sky again. He’s still sulking about that.”

Percy snarked back, “It wasn’t hard. You Titans are about as bright as my gym socks.”

The Titan scoffed, “Pah! You want bright!?”

In an instant, his entire body glowed until it was almost blinding. Percy looked away and instinctively raised his sword. It was a good thing that he did, because Riptide just about managed to parry a heavy blow from Hyperion’s blade.

The two blades clashed together in the shower of sparks, and the shockwave sent a three-metre ring of water, splashing outwards. Percy realised that he had to snuff out the light. So he concentrated and forced the mini tsunami to reverse direction towards them. At the last moment, he channelled a jet of water to propel him up and over the wave, allowing it to swallow the unsuspecting Titan.

Percy landed on the surface of the lake, while an extinguished Hyperion struggled to his feet. His golden armour was dripping wet. His eyes no longer blazed, but they still looked murderous.

He snarled, “You will burn, Jackson!”

Hyperion charged and the two clashed swords again. They weren’t the only ones fighting. The enemy forces had begun attacking, and the demigods were on the defence. To Percy’s right, Annabeth was leading the demigods, as they tried to push back. Meanwhile on his left side, Grover and Harry were working in tandem with the Hunters and the nature spirits.

As Percy and Hyperion struggled for dominance, the latter roared, “Enough games! We fight on land!”

The Titan roared, and a wall of force slammed into Percy, catapulting him a 100 metres back and his back smashed against the ground. He gingerly got up, mentally thanking his invulnerability. He cracked his back muscles and grumbled, “I really hate it when you Titans do that.”

Hyperion charged at him with blinding speed, but Percy concentrated on the water and drew strength from it. Around them, the fighting never ceased, but Grover was able to see the duel with widened eyes. He watched as the Titan tried to land a blow on his best friend, but repeatedly failed. The ground around his feet kept igniting, but the fires were put out just as quickly. Hyperion stumbled like he was being pushed away. Water sprayed his face, stinging his eyes. The wind picked up and Hyperion staggered backwards.

Grover bleated in amazement, “Percy! How are you doing that?”

Sure enough, Percy Jackson was standing in the middle of a miniature hurricane. Clouds of water vapour swirled around him, powerful winds buffeted Hyperion and flattened the grass in a twenty-metre radius. Enemy warriors threw javelins at him, but they failed to penetrate the swirling storm. To make matters better, lightning began to flicker the demigod. The clouds darkened and the rain swirled faster. He closed on Hyperion and blew him off his feet.

Just then, an idea struck Grover and he called out to Percy, “Percy! Bring him over here!”

The boy eventually realised that he couldn’t keep it up forever, so with one last effort, he propelled Hyperion across the field, straight to where Grover was waiting.

A furious Hyperion bellowed as he scrambled to his feet, “I will not be toyed with!”

However, Grover immediately enacted his plan. The satyr put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play a tune. Leneus and the other satyrs quickly joined him, and the effect was immediate. The ground erupted at Hyperion’s feet. Gnarled roots wrapped around his legs.

The Titan noticed and tried to shake them off, but the fight took a lot out of him. The roots thickened until he looked like he was wearing wooden boots. Hyperion roared, “Stop this! Your woodland magic is no match for a Titan!”

However, it didn’t seem like it, because the more he struggled, the faster the roots grew. They curled about his body, thickening and hardening into bark. His golden armour melted into the wood, becoming part of a large trunk. Hyperion’s forces backed up in astonishment as their leader was absorbed. He stretched out his arms and they became branches, from which smaller branches shot out and grew leaves. The tree grew taller and thicker, until only the Titan’s face was visible in the middle of the trunk.

Still defiant, he screamed, “You cannot imprison me!’ he bellowed. ‘I am Hyperion! I am –’

The bark closed over his face.

Grover took his pipes from his mouth and quipped, “You are a very nice maple tree.”

The effort saw several satyrs pass out in exhaustion, and the Titan army was in disarray. The demigod army began to cheer, but the celebration was abruptly interrupted.

---

A loud pig-like squeal ripped through the air. Kronos had unleashed his surprise.

Grover paled, “No…! It can’t be!”

Percy shook his head, “I don't think so. This one sounds more shrill! Like the Erymanthian Boar’s angry girlfriend.”

Sure enough. A deafening “REEEET” echoed, and a huge pink creature soared over the reservoir. Annabeth yelled, “A sow! Take cover, everyone!”

The demigods scattered as the winged sow swooped down. Her wings were pink like a flamingo’s, which matched her skin beautifully. The pig stomped around and tore down half an acre of trees, belching a cloud of noxious gas. Then it took off again, circling around for another strike. Percy and Annabeth ended up taking refuge in the woods with Harry.

Percy complained, “Don’t tell me that thing’s from Greek mythology!”

Annabeth had the decency to look sheepish, “Afraid so. The Clazmonian Sow. It terrorized Greek towns back in the day. As far as I know, no hero has ever beaten it.”

Harry grunted, “Well… There’s always a first time for everything, I suppose.”

He noticed that Kronos’ army was just recovering, realising that the sow was on their side. Harry called out, “You guys focus on the army! I’ll take care of the swine! After this, I am never using the phrase, ‘When pigs fly!’”

Percy called back with a grin, “Ditto that!”

Harry transformed into his dire wolf form and emitted a ear-splitting howl. The sow heard him and saw a massive wolf bounding across the reservoir. Harry was trying to lead the sow away from the troops and the tactic was working.

He bolted as fast as his four legs could take him, and the sow gave chase. Then, he got an idea and burst into speed, getting some distance between himself and the sow. Then he suddenly screeched to a top, spun around and charged towards the flying pig.

As the distance between them shortened, Harry dodged a breath of noxious fumes, then made a beeline for a nearby pedestal that used to hold a statue. He jumped on top and leaped off of it, using it like a springboard. Giving himself a boost, he sprang upwards and used his sharp claws to scrabble onto the sow’s back and manoeuvre around.

The Clazmonian Sow squealed in rage and pain, as his claws dug into her flesh, leaving bloody gashes. She then tried to buck him off. However, Harry sank his teeth into its pink fleshy hide. The pig’s squeals only grew louder and it struggled harder. Then, Harry sank his claw into the sow’s back and then used his jaws to bite down on the wings, right at the base.

The squeals grew louder and more pained. Then with a firm jerk, he ripped one of its wings out, and spat it out. By now, the sow’s squeals had reached a pitch that it had never reached before. With one wing lost, the sow overbalanced and began descending uncontrollably. Just before it hit the ground, Harry bounded off and righted himself, as the Clazmonian Sow crashed hard onto the pavement. Harry looked up at the sky and emitted another ear-splitting howl.

Not even a moment later, several wolves and foxes began converging on their location. Harry reached the sow first, dodged another noxious blast, grabbed her by the neck and snapped it with his jaws. He then retreated as the wolves and foxes initiated a feeding frenzy. It didn’t last long, as the pig disintegrated into dust.

Harry staggered away and then transformed back. He tottered over to a nearby trashcan and vomited, a mix of bile and blood. Recovering, he transformed back and then bounded back towards the reservoir along with the foxes and wolves, only to find that the battle had moved on. They all kept running until he reached Midtown, which was a warzone.

Along the way, he pounced on a giant, who was ripping up trees in Bryant Park while dryads pelted the creature with nuts. The dryads stopped the assault, long enough for Harry to tear out its throat. Outside the Waldorf Astoria, a bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin was whacking a hellhound with a rolled-up newspaper. A trio of Hephaestus campers fought a squad of dracaenae in the middle of Rockefeller Center. Harry barked a few orders and the animals split up and began helping the demigods.

He continued onwards, but he was slowly starting to tire out. Caitlin, one his Hunters, spotted him as he neared Thirty-seventh street. She whistled and he loped towards her and transformed back. Katie spotted him and jogged up, “Hey! You’re back! Did you take care of the sow? How did it-”

She then noticed that his mouth was all bloody, “On second thought… I don’t think I want to know.”

He staggered and collapsed in her arms. She and Caitlin half-dragged the exhausted teenager to a nearby bed and lay him down. Harry wheezed, “Blimey! I never went all out like that, before. How are we doing?”

Caitlin replied, “The children of Hephaestus are on Park Avenue, leading an army of statues. Meanwhile the Demeter cabin and the nature spirits turned Sixth Avenue into a jungle, hampering a squadron of Kronos’ demigods. The south is clear for now, but the flanks of the enemy army are swinging around. A few more minutes, and we’d be totally surrounded.”

Katie picked up where she left off, “The Athena cabin are taking on a Hyperborean giant, along with Percy. Just gather your strength for a bit, we’ll take care of the rest.”

Harry had no strength to argue, and just lay there while Katie gently cleaned the blood from his mouth. He grumbled, “Note to self, pork tartare is not a good idea.”

She snickered and then pat his shoulder, “Get some rest. Someone will wake you if there’s anything important.”

Before long, Harry Potter was out like a light.

---

He had no idea how long he had slept, but was suddenly shaken awake. His eyes snapped open and he looked around blearily. Then his vision cleared and he recognised the figure in front of him, “Oh… Hey Darla. You doing okay?”

His cousin nodded, “Not too bad. Perrie and I tag-teamed against one of those… Dracaenae? Yeah I think I got that right. By the way, the two of us and Mackenzie saw your battle with the flying sow. Crikey! That was wicked! Brutal, but wicked! Our cousin’s a bad arse!”

Harry sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, “Status report? Any casualties on our end?”

She frowned in thought, “Well… Ashley is recovering well, after being hit by that arrow during the reservoir battle. However, Sophia and Deborah weren’t so lucky. Killed by a Laistrygonian giant while you were tuckered out. Though there is a bit more bad news. The enemy forces are pushing us back towards the Empire State Building. So far, we’ve been able to halt the retreat to about a block away, but that’s about it.”

Harry got up and stretched, cracking his back muscles, “Alright… I’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get out there and try to turn the tide.”

He transformed back into his dire wolf form and gestured with his snout. Darla hopped onto his back and clutched his fur tightly. He bounded out, ready to join the battle. From there, everything became a bit of a blur. At some point, Darla hopped off his back and re-joined the rest of her pseudo sisters.

Then, Harry spotted Mrs. O’Leary pounce on a Laistrygonian giant and shake him like a rag doll. He raced over and chomped on the other end, engaging in an impromptu tug-of-war. Eventually, the roaring giant was ripped in half, and Harry spat out his end of the corpse.

From there, he waded in and out of the battle, but at some point, he realised that it wasn’t enough. The entrance to Olympus was a few hundred metres away from the defenders. The only obstacle was a ring of demigods, nature spirits and Hunters. Just then, behind enemy lines to the east, a bright light shone.

Unfortunately, it was not sunrise, but it was Kronos riding towards them in a golden chariot. A dozen Laistrygonian giants bore torches before him. Two Hyperborean giants carried his black-and-purple banners. The Titan lord looked fresh and rested, his powers at full strength. He seemed to be in no hurry, but waiting for everyone to tired out. Harry regrouped with Annabeth and Percy. The girl exclaimed, “We have to fall back to the doorway! Hold it at all costs!”

---

However, before anyone could move, a hunting horn sounded over the crowd. The two demigods and one animal exchanged confused looks, as the horns grew louder. On the bright side, Kronos’ forces looked just as confused. Then to the left, hundreds of monsters roared out and charged forward. Annabeth and Percy readied their weapons, while Harry bared his bloody teeth.

To their shock, the charging group barrelled straight past them and crashed into their allies in the south. A new blast of horns shattered the night. The air shimmered. In a blur of movement, an entire cavalry appeared as if dropping out of light speed.

A jolly voice bellowed, “YEAH BABY! PARTY!”

A shower of trick arrows sailed over the demigods and slammed into the enemy, vaporising several monsters. Harry transformed back, “Bloody hell! It’s the centaurs!”

The Party Pony army exploded into the demigods’ midst in a riot of colours – tie-dyed shirts, rainbow Afro wigs, oversized sunglasses and war-painted faces. Some had slogans scrawled across their flanks like: HORSEZ PWN or KRONOS SUX. Hundreds of them filled the entire block. Harry even recognised several centaurs that resided in the Forbidden Forest. Unlike their American brethren, they were clad appropriately for war.

Chiron led the herd and he yelled, “Percy! Sorry we’re late!”

The scene was glorious, the Party Ponies and the Forbidden Forest centaurs were running riot, while the Titan army turned tail and fled. Amid the stampede, Kronos furiously bellowed, “STOP RUNNING, YOU FOOLS! STAND AND- ACKK!”

His spiel was interrupted by a Hyperborean giant tripping and nearly squashing him underneath a giant blue butt. With renewed strength, the demigods, Hunters and centaurs, pushed them backwards, away from the Empire State Building. After a few blocks of distance, Chiron ordered, “HOLD! Let them flee!”

Annabeth tugged off her helmet and wiped away a bead of sweat, “That was a smart move to hold position. If we pursue, we’ll be spread out too far. We need to regroup.”

Percy looked like he was about to protest, but she cut him off, “Listen, they’re not defeated, but it’s close to dawn. We’ve just bought some time for ourselves.”

Reluctantly, he fell back with the rest of them and watched as the enemies scuttled towards the East River.

---

No one stayed idle, as the demigods established a two block perimeter around the Empire State Building. The landmark itself was acting as a command centre.

Chiron dismissed his brethren, and half of them galloped off to raid a stash of root beer. Percy breathed, “Chiron, thanks! Talk about saving the day!”

He smiled and shrugged, “Again, sorry it took so long. Centaurs travel fast, as you know. We can bend distance as we ride. Even so, getting all the centaurs together was no easy task. The Party Ponies are not exactly organized.”

He turned to Harry, “Also, your friend Ron Weasley, suggested that I recruit the centaurs in Britain. Since we were going to another continent, it took longer, but they were easier to convince. Also, I have to admire the magical barrier that you set up with the help of Hecate. It did slow us down a little, but I think it was only to keep out the mortals.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, we didn’t want any civilian casualties on our conscience.”

Percy then asked, “What’s the scene with Typhon?”

Chiron’s face darkened, “The gods are tiring. Dionysus was incapacitated yesterday. Typhon smashed his chariot and the wine god went down somewhere in the Appalachians. No one has seen him since. Hephaestus is out of action as well. He was thrown from the battle so hard he created a new lake in West Virginia. He will heal, but not soon enough to help. The others still fight. They’ve managed to slow Typhon’s approach. But the monster cannot be stopped. He will arrive in New York by this time tomorrow. Once he and Kronos combine forces –”

On that happy thought, he trotted away. Harry elected to leave Percy and Annabeth alone. He called out, “Listen, Thalia and I are going to craft some more traps. We’ll also switch up some tactics. You see that building there? I’ll be on the roof if you need me.”

He walked away and turned to Thalia, “Hey, can you gather the rest of the girls? I want to take a headcount.”

In a few minutes, he gathered all the Hunters out on the street. He locked eyes with each of them, “Okay girls… How are we looking?”

Katie spoke up, “Did Darla give you the status report after you finished resting?”

He nodded, “Yeah, I heard about Sophie and Deborah.”

She replied, “Dobby and another House Elf, Winky, managed to retrieve their bodies. Ashley’s still recovering, but Madam Pomfrey said that she should be okay by afternoon.”

He nodded firmly, “Okay girls, new plan. All of us will hit the roofs of the surrounding buildings. I want four on each roof, facing north, south, east and west. We’ll try and snipe them from the roofs. You’re also free to sneak into some of the apartments and stock out on food and drink. Oh, and I should nip this in the bud while I can. Courtney, Erica, Tonya, Laura, Julia and Dorothy, no stealing. I know you girls are daughters of Hermes, but try and control yourselves.”

The six mentioned girls all blushed under the smirking glances of their sisters.

---

Just then, his mirror buzzed, it was Ginny, “Harry, its Rachel! She wants to talk.”

She passed the mirror to a familiar redhead, “Harry! I-I need to deliver a message.”

He nodded, “Can you Floo to Remus’ house? I’ll meet you there!”

The building was a few blocks away, but Harry was able to parkour across and reach the roof of that building. He then slid down the fire escape until he reached Remus and Sally’s flat. Harry crawled inside through the open window, to find Rachel waiting for him.

Her jeans were covered in drawings, but he recognized some Greek letters, pictures from camp beads, sketches of monsters and faces of gods. Harry found it odd that Rachel could have known about some of that. She’d never been to Olympus or Camp Half-Blood.

She murmured, “I’ve been seeing things. I mean not just through the Mist. This is different. I’ve been drawing pictures, writing lines. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was hoping you could help me figure out what’s happening to me.”

Then she jolted, “Listen… You need to tell Percy something. Tell him, ‘Perseus, you are not the hero.’ It’s important! This could turn the whole war on its head.”

Harry tilted his head curiously, “Wait… Not the hero? Hero of what? Hero who beats Kronos?”

She shook her head, “I’m sorry, that‘s all that I can say.”

Harry had an idea, “I’ll take you to meet Chiron. Maybe he can make sense of everything.”

Soon enough, the two of them were standing in front of Chiron, as well as Percy and Annabeth. The centaur smiled, “You must be Miss Dare-”

“Miss Prewett, actually. Mum is just finalising the divorce. I’m sorry, I know this place is supposed to be a warzone, but I had to deliver a warning.”

He cocked his head, “A warning?”

Harry helpfully supplied, “She’s been seeing things. Writing lines and making drawings.”

Chiron raised an eyebrow. “Indeed? Tell me.”

He then side-eyed Percy and Annabeth, “Miss Prewett … perhaps we should talk in private.”

The boy was a bit impatient, “What is the warning!”

Harry spoke up, “I’ll let you know later. Get some rest, mate. You look like Tartarus.”

He half whined, “Everybody keeps telling me to sleep. I don’t need sleep.’

Chiron managed a smile, “Have you looked at yourself recently, Percy?”

He glanced down at his clothes, which were scorched, burnt, sliced and tattered from constant battles. He mumbled, “I look like death. But you think I can sleep after what just happened?”

Chiron gently chided, “You may be invulnerable in combat, but that only makes your body tire faster. I remember Achilles. Whenever that lad wasn’t fighting he was sleeping. He must’ve taken twenty naps a day. You, Percy, need your rest. You may be our only hope.”

Harry reached out a hand, “Come on Jackson, I’ll take you to the bunks.”

As they walked, he spoke, “Listen mate… There’s no easy way to say this. Rachel told me, ‘Perseus, you are not the hero.’”

Percy was a bit stunned at that bombshell. Then he fumed, “’Not the hero?’ What the hell is that supposed to mean? I’m not the hero of this stupid Great prophecy? Why the f**k are we here then? It’s not Thalia, because she escaped it when she joined the Hunt. It’s not Nico or Bianca, because they were born before the pact. I swear to the Gods, if Dad, Zeus or Hades had another secret kid who is this prophecy child, then I’m going to be SO PISSED.”

Harry didn’t say anything, but just let him vent. Finally, he got it out of his system and was very sulky for a few minutes. Then something struck him, “Wait… I almost forgot. Dionysus contacted me in a vision.”

Harry eyed him, “Why you? Last I checked, the bloke hated your guts.”

He shrugged, “He said that we are all in great danger. If Olympus falls, not only will the gods fade, but everything connected to their legacy will unravel. Society itself will dissolve. In his words, ‘The chaos of the Titans will mean the end of Western civilization. All the things that make life worth living will disappear!’”

Harry grimaced, “F**k… That’s bad.”

He nodded, “Precisely. He said that the gods are too proud to admit it, but they need us demigods. We can rescue Olympus. The Greek gods are manifestations of our culture. It’s like Pan depending on the satyrs to save the wild. In short, the gods need heroes and always will. Let the gods deal with Typhon, and we must protect the gods’ seats of power.”

Percy took a deep breath, “He also said that Kronos has not yet attained full power. Luke’s body was only a temporary measure. Within a day at most, Kronos will burn away Luke’s body and take on the true form of a Titan king.”

Harry shuddered, “Golly! I’m not a fan of Luke’s but that is a horrible way to go.”

Percy nodded gravely, “According to Dionysus, Kronos would be ten times more powerful. His very presence would incinerate a demigod. And, once he achieves this, he will empower the other Titans. They are weak now, compared to what they will soon become unless we stop them. The world will fall and the gods will die. One more thing, he mentioned some ‘nasty surprises’. After the sow, I’m almost too scared to ask what kind of surprise.”

Finally, they reached a bunk and Percy climbed in, “You taking a nap too?”

Harry shook his head, “Nah, I already had a bit of a kip, last night. The fight with the sow took a lot out of me. Like I told you earlier, I’ll be on the roof if you need me.”

He left Percy to his own devices and reunited with his sisters. It took a couple of hours, but he was soon perched on top of a building. Also joining him were three of his Hunters, Kimberly, Penelope Clearwater and Melanie. Fortunately, Ashley was back in action, and they also held a small funeral for Sophie and Deborah.

They idly talked as they prepared their weapons. Apparently, Penelope had gotten an O in Ancient Runes, and she was using the runes to achieve all sorts of magical effects on the arrows. Suddenly, there was a loud roar in the distance, coming from the direction of the United Nations building.

That got everyone’s attention, and they all scrambled to their feet. Penelope gulped, “Wh-what was that? That sounded like a dragon.”

Melanie grimaced, “That’s no dragon. It’s worse than that, it’s a drakon. Gods! I hope it’s not the one I’m thinking of.”

Harry grit his teeth, “They’re early… Thought they could catch us by surprise.”

Harry’s mirror buzzed again, it was Percy this time, “You heard that?”

“Yeah… Melanie is hoping that it’s not the drakon she’s thinking of.”

Chiron was in the background, “It’s a Lydian drakon. The oldest and most dangerous of its kind. According to Rachel, this drakon has a particular fate. It will be killed by a child of Ares.”

Percy swore, “Dammit! We’re a bit short on children of Ares! Wait… I heard Kronos in a dream, say that we cannot hope to beat this drakon. He must know that the Ares cabin isn’t with us. He picked this monster on purpose!”

Harry also swore, “Bollocks! Deborah was a daughter of Ares, and she was killed by a giant, last night.”

Then, Kimberly yelled, “I see it! F**k! That thing is huge!”

Behind the giant monster, the enemy army was marching through Fifth Avenue. Percy hollered into the mirror, “I’ll take care of the drakon. Maybe buy us some time until Clarisse gets her head out of her ass. Harry, you and the Hunters help the rest of the campers take care of the army.”

He shut off the connection, and a moment later, a loud bark echoed from their end. Mrs. O’Leary had turned up and Percy was just clambering onto her back. Sure enough, the drakon started wreaking havoc. The hellhound did her best, but she was dwarfed by the size of the fifty-metre long drakon.

Her claws raked harmlessly off the drakon’s scales. She bit the monster’s throat, but couldn’t make a dent. Her weight, however, was enough to knock the drakon off the side of the building. It flailed awkwardly and crashed to the sidewalk – hellhound and serpent twisting and thrashing. The drakon tried to bite Mrs O’Leary, but she was too close to the serpent’s mouth. Poison spewed everywhere, melting centaurs into dust along with quite a few monsters, but Mrs O’Leary weaved around the serpent’s head, scratching and biting.

Percy managed to blind it in one eye, and Annabeth managed to stab it in a chink in its scales. They were locked in a bit of a stalemate with the drakon. Meanwhile, Harry and the Hunters tried to thin the enemy army with their trick arrow, but it wasn’t enough. It got to a point where the demigods were holed up just outside the Empire State Building.

---

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound to the south. It was the sound of chariot wheels. A girl’s voice roared, “ARES!!!”

Sure enough, a dozen war chariots charged into battle. Each flew a red banner with the symbol of the wild boar’s head. Each was pulled by a team of skeletal horses with manes of fire. A total of thirty fresh warriors, armour gleaming and eyes full of hate, lowered their lances as one – making a bristling wall of death.

Leading the charge was a girl in familiar red armour, her face covered by a boar’s head helm. She held aloft a spear that crackled with electricity. Clarisse herself had come to the rescue. While half her chariots charged the monster army, Clarisse led the other six straight for the drakon.

She wasn’t alone in the chariot, but Silena was with her. Though Harry’s eyes narrowed when he spotted Silena clutching her side. He called out, “Dobby! Get Silena to the medical centre, now!”

Clarisse was a bit startled when the House Elf popped onto her chariot and teleported Silena away. Clarisse looked around in confusion, until her eyes locked onto Harry’s. He nodded at her and she got the message. Harry then turned to his sisters, “Be back in a minute! I’ll go check in on Silena.”

He morphed into his Animagus form and leaped off the three story building. Harry ploughed straight through several monsters and enemy demigods, laying waste to some of them. He managed to clear a path for himself and bounded for the medical tent. Reaching it, he transformed back into human form. Madam Pomfrey was tending to Silena, with Gabrielle Delacour helping out.

Harry hurried over, “Sily! What happened!”

She breathed heavily, “We found the spy… It was Tanaka. B*tch stabbed me in the gut when we reached camp. Fortunately, Buckbeak saved my life. She grabbed him, intending to fly off, but he clawed her. Said something along the lines of ‘Come on you stupid beast, let’s get the f**k out of here.’”

Harry snorted, “Big mistake. Hippogriff riding 101, never insult a Hippogriff. They’re proud creatures and will retaliate when insulted.”

Silena laughed and then suppressed a wince, “Buckbeak’s cawing and Tanaka’s screams were enough to attract Clarisse and her siblings. Clarisse finished her off and then her siblings patched me up, as best as they could. They’re no children of Apollo, but they know basic first aid.”

He gently hugged her after Madam Pomfrey was done, “Glad to have you back. Just get some rest, I’ll go and re-join the fight.”

Harry sprinted back, just in time to see Clarisse La Rue go to town on the drakon. She screamed at the drakon, “YOU WANT DEATH? WELL, COME ON!”

She grabbed her spear, and with no armour or shield, she charged the drakon. Clarisse leaped aside as the monster struck, pulverizing the ground in front of her. Then she jumped onto the creature’s head. As it reared up, she drove her electric spear into its good eye with so much force it shattered the shaft, releasing all of the magic weapon’s power.

Electricity arced across the creature’s head, causing its whole body to shudder. Clarisse jumped free, rolling safely to the sidewalk as smoke boiled from the drakon’s mouth. The drakon’s flesh dissolved, and it collapsed into a hollow scaly tunnel of armour. Everyone stared at Clarisse in awe. Aside from Harry, who had the advantage of his dire wolf form, no one had taken down such a huge monster single-handedly.

Then she spotted Harry and jogged up, “How is she?”

Harry smiled, “She’s fine. You guys did a good job of patching her up. Silena’s just resting. I’ll let Beckendorf know that she’s okay.”

Clarisse grunted, “Just wish that I had gotten to that traitor first. At least I got to deal the final blow”

Percy asked, “Who was the spy?”

Harry answered, “Drew Tanaka. She stabbed Silena, but Buckbeak saved her life and attacked. Clarisse finished the job.”

Clarisse scavenged a sword from a fallen demigod, “Come on… We have work to do.”

Chapter 77

As the night raged on, the addition of the children of Ares, injected new life into the demigod troops. Even Percy had to grudgingly admit that Clarisse was the real MVP that night. The girl was a one-woman army, wreaking havoc on the enemy forces, even without armour or her spear. She rode her chariot, barrelling through the Titans’ army and crushed everything in her path.

Harry and the Hunters backed her up with volley after volley of arrows. Clarisse’s siblings hacked and slashed their way through the army, pushing them back past Thirty-fifth Street. Clarisse eventually reached the drakon carcass, looped a grappling line through its eye sockets and spurred her horses. All the while dragging the corpse behind her chariot.

Harry’s eyes widened when he spotted a red aura around her, “Blimey! Is that what I think it is?!”

Thalia nodded awestruck, “The Blessing of Ares. This is the first time I’ve actually seen it in person.”

The enemy tried attacking her, but their weapons bounced off, as she was invincible. She roared, “I AM CLARISSE, DRAKON-SLAYER! I will kill you ALL! Where is Kronos? Bring him out! Is he a coward? What’s the matter, Titan lord? BRING IT ON!”

She kept charging back and forth as the terrified army retreated. While that was going on, Percy directed everyone to fall back and tend to their wounded. Chris Rodriguez watched his girlfriend and sighed a little exasperatedly, “I’ll keep an eye on her. She’ll get tired eventually. I’ll make sure she comes inside. Oh! In case you were wondering, only Argus and the nature spirits have stayed at camp. Peleus the dragon is also still guarding the tree.”

Percy nodded, “Thanks for coming. We would have been toast, if you guys hadn’t showed up.”

He shrugged, “I’m sorry it took so long. I tried to reason with Clarisse. Told her there’s no point in defending camp if you guys die. All our friends are here.”

Percy pat Chris' shoulder, “Hey listen, we’re going to strengthen the defence around Olympus. When she’s done, have her meet us there.”

As they walked away and conferred with the other Head Counsellors, Annabeth leaned over, “I’ve been thinking, the Titan Army is going to have trouble marching to Olympus. They’re going to have to go up a few at a time. The giants also won’t be able to fit on their own. The bad news is that we can’t disable the elevator.”

Travis nodded gravely, “I’m guessing that its magic. Usually there’s a key card, but the doorman has disappeared. That can only mean that the defence is crumbling.”

Percy grimly spoke, “Right… So our objective is to keep them away from the doors. Bottle them up in the lobby.”

Connor complained, “How are we going to do that without reinforcements? The Ares campers are great, but it’s not enough.”

---

Just then, Percy spotted Mrs O’Leary ambling around outside the building. An idea struck him and he trotted outside. The hellhound bounded over, her tail wagging happily. He scratched her neck gently, “Hey girl, I know you’re tired, but I’ve got one more big favour to ask you.”

He whispered in her ear and she perked up and Shadow-Travelled away. As he re-joined Annabeth and Harry, they saw Grover kneeling next to a familiar satyr. Leneus looked terrible. His lips were blue. There was a broken spear in his belly and his furry goat legs were twisted at a painful angle.

He blearily looked at Grover, “Grover? Did we win?”

Grover uncomfortably lied, “Um … yes. Thanks to you, Leneus. We drove the enemy away.”

He grinned weakly, “I told you. True leader. True…”

Those were his last words, and his eyes closed for the last time. Harry stepped forward and Grover nodded at him. The teenager placed a hand to the deceased satyr’s forehead and chanted in Ancient Greek. When he finished, the body melted, until all that was left was a tiny sapling in a pile of fresh soil.

Grover breathed, “A laurel! Oh that lucky old goat! I-I should plant him. Preferably in Olympus, in the gardens.”

Harry smiled, “Come on over, mate.”

The elevator ride up was quiet, almost uncomfortably so. Just then Annabeth broke it, “Boys? Listen… You were right about Luke. You tried to tell me. Luke is no good. I didn’t believe you. Now I know. I hope you’re happy.”

Harry and Percy shook their heads, “No Annabeth, that does not make us happy about this.”

She leaned against the elevator wall and refused to meet their eyes. Finally, the elevator dinged and they stepped out. As soon as they did, the first thing that hit them was how ‘depressing’ it was. No fires lit the braziers. The windows were dark. The streets were deserted and the doors were barred. The only movement was in the parks, which had been set up as field hospitals. Will Solace and the other Apollo campers scrambled around, caring for the wounded. Naiads and dryads tried to help, using nature magic songs to heal burns and poison. Even Madam Pomfrey was bustling about, lending aid while she can.

Grover planted the sapling, while the other three visited the wounded. There were a few campers who died, and they all paid their respects. Along the way, they saw Castor and Pollux, the sons of Dionysus. Castor’s head was bandaged up, while Pollux had a shattered arm. The latter was also gazing at a particular potion in revulsion.

He called out to Harry, “Dude! No offence, but your potions taste god awful.”

Harry replied, “My condolences. Trust me, I know first-hand about potions and Skele-Gro is particularly nasty. How are you holding up?”

He grit his teeth, “I can still fight with one hand.”

However, Pomfrey chose this moment to speak up. She snapped, “Absolutely not! You are in no condition to fight! Honestly, even Mr. Potter is more cooperative than you, and he has been a frequent visitor back at Hogwarts.”

---

The four of them left them and continued to the main palace. The bronze doors creaked open. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor. The constellations twinkled coldly on the ceiling of the great hall. The hearth was down to a dull red glow. Hestia, in the form of a little girl in brown robes, hunched at its edge, shivering. However, there was a new figure in the throne room. Standing at the foot of Zeus’s throne, looking up at the stars, was Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was holding Pandora’s Pithos.

She breathed, “I found it. It’s Pandora’s jar, isn’t it? I can see Hope inside it.. So fragile.”

Percy was officially creeped out, “Rachel! Put the pithos down!”

That got her attention and she acknowledged him. An idea struck him, “Hey, can you come with us for a sec? There’s someone I would like you to meet.”

The group made their way over to Hestia. Harry and Annabeth stood at a respectful distance, but within earshot. The goddess smiled at him, “Hello Percy Jackson. It’s getting colder. Harder to keep the fire going.”

He gave a single nod, “I know. The Titans are near.’

Hestia focused on Rachel, “Hello, my dear. You’ve come to our hearth at last.”

Rachel blinked, “You’ve been expecting me?”

Hestia held out her hands and the coals glowed. The fire showed various images, though Percy could guess that everyone’s was different. It clearly worked for Rachel the tension went out of her shoulders. The warmth of the fire seemed to spread across her.

Hestia told her, ‘To claim your place at the hearth. You must let go of your distractions. It is the only way you will survive.”

Rachel took a shaky breath, “When I came here … I-I’m not sure I can put it into words. I was drawn to you because … because you opened the door to all of this. I needed to understand my true sight. This is my destiny.”

Hestia spoke up again, “Percy Jackson. Rachel has told you all she can. Her moment is coming, but your decision approaches even more rapidly. Are you prepared?”

So many emotions cycled through his face. He looked at the pithos and suddenly had the urge to open it. Hope seemed pretty useless in a time like this. So many dead, Annabeth angry with him, Olympus on the verge of falling. He even witnessed how the gods could be cruel. Victims like Maria di Angelo, the Oracle, even Luke.

Just then, the unwanted voice of Prometheus whispered in his ear, “Surrender, otherwise your home will be destroyed. Your precious camp will burn.

However, when he locked eyes with Hestia, her red eyes glowed warmly. Then he understood what the images in the fire represented, friends and family, everyone Percy ever cared about.

Chris Rodriguez’s voice also echoed in his mind, “There’s no point in defending camp if you guys die. All our friends are here”. He also remembered his dream of Bianca and Nico, standing up to their father Hades. Nico had yelled, “If Olympus falls, he said, your own palace’s safety doesn’t matter.”

He now knew what to do. He gestured to Rachel, “Pass me the jar, will you?”

She reluctantly passed it over. Percy held it out to the goddess, “Hestia, I give this to you as an offering.”

The goddess tilted her head curiously, “I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me with this?”

He replied resolutely, “You’re the last Olympian. And the most important.”

“And why is that, Percy Jackson?”

He firmly said, “Because Hope survives best at the hearth. Guard it for me, and I won’t be tempted to give up again.”

She smiled and took the pithos. No sooner had she done it, it began to glow and the hearth fire burned brighter. She said with a proud smile, “Well done Percy Jackson. May the gods bless you.”

A supremely stupid idea formed in his head, “Thanks… I’m going to need it. Come on guys.”

He marched towards Poseidon’s throne. The seat of Poseidon stood just to the right of Zeus’s, but it wasn’t nearly as grand. The moulded black leather seat was attached to a swivel pedestal, with a couple of iron rings on the side for fastening a fishing pole or a trident.

The chair was too tall for him to reach, as they were used for seating beings who were six metres tall. He called out, “Guys! Give me a hand.”

Harry gaped, “Mate! I’ve done some ballsy stuff, but this is plain stupid! Are you sure about this?”

Annabeth yelped, “Are you crazy!”

Grover also bleated, “Percy! The gods REALLY don’t appreciate people sitting on their thrones.”

However, he was stubborn, “I just need to get his attention! It’s the only way”

Harry and Grover exchanged uneasy glances. Annabeth looked like she wanted to throttle him. The son of Artemis quipped, “Your funeral mate.”

He pointed his sword, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

Percy floated up and was soon on the throne. Then as Harry watched, his friend underwent a flurry of emotions. Suddenly the boy flinched heavily, before straightening up. The longer he sat, he began turning pale and his body started smoking. Finally, he slipped off and Grover began fussing over him, “Are you okay? You turned pale and … you started smoking.”

He looked at him in confusion, “I did?”

Annabeth looked terrified, “If you sat there any longer, you would have spontaneously combusted, I hope the conversation was worth it.”

---

Just then, the doors burst open to reveal Thalia. She hurried in, carrying a broken bow. Harry quickly fixed it with a ‘Reparo’, and she breathed, “You guys need to come NOW! The enemy is advancing. Kronos is leading them.”

They all rushed down as fast as they could, and when they reached the street, it did not look pretty. Campers, goblins and Hunters were lying wounded, as Dobby and his House Elves worked overtime to pop them away to safety. Clarisse and her chariot were reduced to a frozen block of ice. She was also teleported away, but the big news was the Titan army.

The Titan army ringed the building, standing maybe ten metres from the doors. Kronos’s vanguard was in the lead – Ethan Nakamura, the dracaena queen in her green armour and two Hyperborean giants. There was no sign of Prometheus, but Kronos himself stood right in front with his scythe in hand.

The only obstacle in his way was Chiron, who had an arrow pointed at Kronos’ face. The Titan spotted their group and glared, before turning back to Chiron, “Step aside little son.”

Chiron was a picture of calm, “I’m afraid not.”

Annabeth suddenly cried out a warning as the dracaena queen charged. However, his arrow suddenly thwacked her between the eyes and she vaporised on the spot. He reached behind for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. Instead, he threw the bow away and drew his sword.

Kronos advanced and sneered, “You’re a teacher. Not a hero.”

Chiron acknowledged, “Luke was a hero. He was a good one, until you corrupted him.”

Suddenly he bellowed deafeningly, “FOOL! You filled his head with empty promises. You said the gods cared about me!’

The centaur quirked an eyebrow, “Me? You said me.”

That got the Titan to pause, and that was when Chiron struck. It was a feint followed by a strike to the face. Unfortunately, Kronos was quick, largely because his host body was one of the best sword fighters. He deftly knocked aside Chiron’s blade and yelled, “BACK!”

A blinding white light exploded between the Titan and the centaur. Chiron flew into the side of the building with such force the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him.

At that moment, the freezing spell that had trapped Percy and company, broke. Annabeth wailed, “NO!”, and they all rushed towards where the centaur had fallen. Harry, Grover and Thalia tried to clear the debris, and then it happened. Annabeth practically snapped, “YOU! To think that I – that I thought!”

She snarled and drew her knife. Percy tried to stop her, but she shook him off. She leaped at Kronos, his smug smile melting. She plunged her knife between the straps of his armour, right at his collarbone. The blade should’ve sunk into his chest. Instead it bounced off. Annabeth doubled over, clutching her arm to her stomach. The jolt might’ve been enough to dislocate her bad shoulder.

Percy was able to intervene before Kronos could cleave her in half with his scythe. She struggled in Percy’s arms and screamed, “I HATE YOU!”

Percy and Annabeth then stared at each other and an understanding passed through them. Kronos chortled, “So much spirit. I can see why Luke wanted to spare you. Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.”

Suddenly, there was a piercing howl, echoing somewhere from behind the surrounding army. The enemy forces stirred uneasily. Then the strangest thing happened. They began to part, clearing a path through the street like something behind them was forcing them to.

Soon there was a free aisle down the centre of Fifth Avenue. Standing at the end of the block was a familiar giant dog and two small figures in black armour.

Percy grinned, “It’s Nico and Bianca! Better late than never!”

Mrs O’Leary bounded forwards to re-join Percy and Harry. Meanwhile, the di Angelo siblings strolled forward at a more sedate pace. The enemy army made a wide berth, as the brother-sister duo radiated death.

Kronos spat on the ground, “Children of Hades, do you love death so much, you wish to experience it?”

Nico drawled, “Your death, would be great for us.”

Bianca also said, “You’re not the first megalomaniac I’ve met in the past couple of years, but you won’t be the last.”

“I’m immortal, you fools! I have escaped Tartarus! You have no business here, and no chance to live.”

Nico drew a metre-long sword made of Stygian iron, while Bianca wielded a dagger made from Stygian iron, and the Elder Wand in her other hand, “The Ghost King and the Master of Death don’t agree.”

The ground rumbled. Cracks appeared in the road, the sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the Titans’ monsters got jumpy and started to back up.

Kronos bellowed, “STAND YOUR GROUND! THE DEAD ARE NO MATCH FOR US!”

Suddenly, The sky turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. A harsh war horn sounded, and as the dead soldiers formed up ranks with their guns and swords, spears and even a few wands, an enormous chariot roared down Fifth Avenue. It came to a stop next to the siblings. The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful death. Holding the reins was Hades himself, Lord of the Dead, with Demeter and Persephone riding behind him.

Hades wore black armour and a cloak the colour of fresh blood. On top of his pale head was the helm of darkness: a crown that radiated pure terror. It changed shape constantly – from a dragon’s head to a circle of black flames to a wreath of human bones. But that wasn’t the scary part. Percy internally shuddered as the helm reached into his mind and ignited his worst nightmares, and most secret fears. Clearly, the enemy was being similarly affected. Harry, Katie and Penelope also paled when they saw some familiar hooded creatures floating around.

Hades smiled coldly, “Hello, Father. You’re looking … young.”

Kronos growled, “Hades. I hope you and the ladies have come to pledge your allegiance.”

The God of the Underworld drawled, “I’m afraid not. My children convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies. As much as I dislike certain upstart demigods, it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on – it is that you were a TERRIBLE father.”

Hades drew his sword, a double-edged Stygian blade etched with silver. “Now fight me! For today the House of Hades will be called the saviours of Olympus.”

The Titan snarled, “I have no time for this!”

He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions, circling the Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure line, separating Kronos’s vanguard, as well as Percy and his friends from the bulk of the two armies.

Harry suddenly staggered, prompting Thalia to steady him, “You okay?”

He breathed, “Give me a minute. The prick overwhelmed the magical barriers that I set up. He’s cutting off the building and us, from the outside world.”

Sure enough, outside the barrier, car engines revved to life. Pedestrians woke up and stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies all around them. Harry sighed, “Bollocks! This is going to need a mass Obliviate after the war.”

Suddenly, Hades charged at the wall of force, but his chariot crashed against it and overturned. He got to his feet, cursing, and blasted the wall with black energy. Unfortunately, the barrier held.

He ordered, “ATTACK!!!”

The armies of the dead clashed with the Titans’ monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Demeter waved her hand and an entire column of giants turned into a wheat field. Persephone changed the dracaenae spears into sunflowers. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could. Bianca was also stabbing other monsters. Harry could even swear that he spotted Lily and James Potter, fighting in the army.

Kronos ordered, “Nakamura. Attend me. Giants – deal with them.”

The Titan pointed in Percy and his friends’ direction, before ducking into the lobby. All around it was mayhem, Percy was fuming that Kronos had simply bolted like a coward. In his rage, he made short work of a Hyperborean giant. Harry transformed into his dire wolf form and tackled Annabeth out of the way of another Hyperborean. He then leaped up and tore out its throat.

---

Elsewhere, Fleur Delacour nearly got ambushed by a Hellhound. However, Bill Weasley managed to pull her out of the way before stabbing it to dust with twin daggers made from Celestial Bronze. He turned to the shellshocked blonde woman, “You okay?”

Her pretty blue eyes were wide and unblinking. She breathed, “Tu m’as sauvé…”

Bill didn’t hear her, “Fleur, right? Are you okay?”

Suddenly, she tackled him and crashed her lips against his, “TU M’AS SAUVÉ!’

They were quickly separated by Charlie, who smirked, “You two need to work on timing and place, mates. There’s still a war going on. You two can snog later.”

The newly-formed couple blushed and continued the fight. Back with Percy and company, Annabeth tugged on Percy’s arm, “Come on, Seaweed Brain! Let’s go stop Kronos!”

The last thing he saw was Mrs O’Leary digging up the rubble where Chiron lay buried under. With that, Harry, Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia scrambled for the elevators.

By the time they reached the 600^th floor, the bridge to Olympus was dissolving. Grover immediately began jumping, with the ease of a mountain goat. Harry also bounded across, before morphing back into human form. He then pointed his sword at the trio left behind, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

Sure enough, Percy, Annabeth and Thalia were floated across to safety. They made it to the edge of the mountain just as the final section collapsed.

Grover moaned, “Blah-ha-ha! The connection between Olympus and America is dissolving. If it fails –“

Thalia grimly finished, “The gods won’t move on to another country this time. This will be the end of Olympus. The final end.”

As they ran through the city, they took in the devastation. Mansions were burning. Statues had been hacked down. Trees in the parks were blasted to splinters. A few minor gods and nature spirits had tried to stop Kronos. What remained of them was strewn about the road – shattered armour, ripped clothing, swords and spears broken in half.

Somewhere up ahead, Kronos roared, “Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!”

A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly exploded. The dome shot up like the lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining rubble over the city.

Harry snarled, “That was a temple dedicated to mum! Oh, he’s going down!”

---

As they sprinted under the marble archway with the huge statues of Zeus and Hera, the entire mountain groaned, rocking sideways like a boat in a storm. Just then, the archway crumbled. Grover cried out a warning, just as a twenty-ton scowling Hera toppled over. Annabeth and Percy would have been squished, if Harry hadn’t used the Levitation spell to save them and right the statue.

A fireball erupted on the side of the mountain, right near the gates of the palace. This prompted everyone to run faster to catch up with the crazed Titan Lord. The giant doors had been ripped off their hinges and blasted to pieces.

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

He bellowed maniacally, “Finally! The Olympian Council – so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?”

Ethan spotted them and warned, “My lord!”

Kronos turned and smiled, prompting a small moan from Annabeth. He asked, “Shall I destroy you first, Jackson? Is that the choice you will make – to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know.”

Percy tried to buy some time and taunted, “Luke would fight with a sword, But I suppose you don’t have his skill.”

Kronos sneered. His scythe began to change, until he held Luke’s old weapon – Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-celestial bronze blade. Annabeth gasped like she’d suddenly had an idea. “Percy, the blade!”

She unsheathed her knife. “The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap.”

Kronos charged at Percy, prompting the latter to defend himself. Ethan tried to get behind him, but Harry and Annabeth intercepted immediately. At one point, Percy was backed towards Hephaestus’ throne. He jumped on it, prompting the throne to whirr and hum. Percy reacted instantly, catapulting over Kronos, and just in time too. The throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. One hit Kronos in the face, arcing down his body and up his sword.

Kronos crumpled to his knees and dropped his sword. While all this was going on, Grover was playing on his reed pipes. Annabeth saw an opportunity arise. She kicked Ethan out of the way and charged towards Kronos, “Luke! Listen!”

The Titan ignored her, simply flicking a hand, like she was an annoying fly. Annabeth flew backwards, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpling to the floor. Percy yelled her name, and Ethan scrambled to his feet, only for Harry’s dire wolf form to knock him off his feet.

Thalia was also attacking Ethan with a bow and arrow. Kronos rose to one knee. His hair smouldered. His face was covered with electrical burns. He reached for his sword, but this time it didn’t fly into his hands.

He groaned, “Nakamura! Time to prove yourself. You know Jackson’s secret weakness. Kill him, and you will have rewards beyond measure.”

Ethan’s eyes dropped to Percy’s midsection. Knowing that he could either kill him or reveal it to Kronos, Percy tried for one last gambit. He beseeched, “Look around you, Ethan. The end of the world. Is this the reward you want? Do you really want everything destroyed – the good with the bad? Everything?”

Ethan muttered, “There is no throne to Nemesis. No throne to my mother.

Kronos was struggling to get to his feet, but he goaded, “That’s right! Strike them down! They deserve to suffer.”

Percy pleaded, “You said your mom is the goddess of balance. The minor gods deserve better, Ethan, but total destruction isn’t balance. Kronos doesn’t build. He only destroys.”

Ethan paused and swayed, as if he was listing to Grover’s music. His one good eye blinked. Then he charged, but at the downed Kronos. “Ethan brought down his sword on the Titan lord’s neck. It should have killed him instantly, but the blade shattered. Ethan fell back, grasping his stomach. A shard of his own blade had ricocheted and pierced his armour.

Kronos finally staggered to his feet, his golden eyes blazing with fury, “Treason!”

Ethan knew he was dead, he glanced at Percy and pleaded, “Deserve better. If they just… had thrones-”

Kronos stomped his foot and the floor ruptured around Ethan Nakamura. The son of Nemesis fell through a fissure that went straight through the heart of the mountain – straight into open air.

Kronos sniffed, “So much for him. And now for the rest of you.”

He went straight for Percy, casually throwing Harry’s wolf body back into Thalia. The two were knocked out, while Grover was tending to Annabeth. Meaning Percy was squaring off alone against the Titan Lord. Kronos eventually backed him towards Poseidon’s throne. The madman gloated, “Yes! This one will make fine kindling for my new hearth!”

The two clashed again, and Percy managed to create a gash in the Celestial Bronze. He stamped his foot again and time slowed. Kronos backed up leisurely, catching his breath. He examined the gash in his armour while Percy struggled forward. He boasted, “It’s too late, Percy Jackson. Behold!”

---

He pointed to the hearth and the coals glowed. A sheet of white smoke poured from the fire, forming images like an Iris-message. I saw Nico and Bianca down on Fifth Avenue, fighting a hopeless battle, ringed in enemies. In the background Hades fought from his black chariot, summoning wave after wave of zombies out of the ground, but the forces of the Titans’ army seemed just as endless. Meanwhile, Manhattan was being destroyed. Mortals were running in terror. The Weasleys were trying to corral everyone to safety, keeping their wands hidden, for obvious reasons.

The scene shifted to terrifying image. A column of storm was approaching the Hudson River, moving rapidly over the Jersey shore. Chariots circled it, locked in combat with the creature in the cloud.

The gods attacked. Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and exploded. Slowly, the cloud ripped apart, and Typhon was clearly visible for the first time.

Harry took one look and found his new Boggart. Typhon’s head shifted constantly. Every moment he was a different monster, each more horrible than the last. He was humanoid, but his skin was mottled green, with blisters the size of buildings and blackened patches from aeons of being stuck under a volcano. His hands were human, but with talons like an eagle’s. His legs were scaly and reptilian.

Kronos gave a derisive laugh, “The Olympians are giving their final effort. How pathetic!”

Zeus threw a thunderbolt from his chariot. The blast lit up the world. And even Percy could feel the shock. However, when the dust cleared, Typhon was still standing. He staggered a bit, with a smoking crater on top of his misshapen head, but he roared in anger and kept advancing.

At that point, Percy realised that Kronos’ hold on him had lessened, not that he had noticed. As the Titan approached the Hudson River, Percy prayed that his father kept his word.

He didn’t have to wait long, as a conch horn sounded from the smoky picture. Percy Jackson didn’t even bother hiding his grin. All around Typhon, the Hudson River erupted, churning with twenty-metre waves. Out of the water burst a new chariot – this one pulled by massive hippocampi who swam in air as easily as in water. Astride the chariot was Poseidon, glowing with a blue aura of power. He rode a defiant circle around the giant’s legs, ready for battle. The best part was, Poseidon was no longer an old man. He looked like himself again – tan and strong with a black beard. As he swung his trident, the river responded, making a funnel cloud around the monster.

Kronos was stunned to silence, and then he bellowed, “No! NO!”

Poseidon shouted at the top of his lungs, “NOW, MY BRETHREN! STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!”

On cue, several warriors burst forth from the river. The new combatants rode the waves on huge sharks and dragons and seahorses. It was a legion of Cyclopes, and leading them into battle was Tyson. He’d magically grown in size. He had to be ten metres tall, as big as any of his older cousins, and for the first time he was wearing full battle armour. Riding behind him was Briares, the Hundred-handed One.

The scene was glorious! All the Cyclopes held huge lengths of black iron chains – big enough to anchor a battleship – with grappling hooks at the ends. They swung them like lassos and began to ensnare Typhon, throwing lines around the creature’s legs and arms, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him. Typhon shook and roared and yanked at the chains, pulling some of the Cyclopes off their mounts, but there were too many chains. The sheer weight of the Cyclops battalion began to weigh Typhon down. Poseidon threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat. Golden blood, immortal ichor, spewed from the wound, making a waterfall taller than a skyscraper. The trident flew back to Poseidon’s hand.

This was just the impetus that the gods needed. Ares rode in and stabbed Typhon on the nose, Artemis let loose a dozen silver arrows, straight in his eye. Meanwhile, Apollo took the phrase, ‘where the sun don’t shine’, a bit personally, by setting his loincloth on fire with his sun arrows. Finally, Zeus kept pounding the giant with lightning, until finally, slowly, the water rose, wrapping Typhon like a cocoon, and he began to sink under the weight of the chains. Typhon bellowed in agony, thrashing with such force that waves sloshed the Jersey shore, soaking five-storey buildings and splashing over the George Washington Bridge.

To cap it off, Poseidon opened a special tunnel for him at the bottom of the river, all the way to Tartarus.

---

Back in the wrecked throne room, Kronos snarled and slashed his sword through the smoke, tearing the image to shreds. Percy couldn’t help feeling smug, “They’re on their way. You’ve lost.”

Kronos then shot him a menacing smile, “Oh? I haven’t even started.”

He advanced with blinding speed towards Percy. Harry bounded in, jaws agape, and Grover riding on his back. However, Kronos batted them aside and the former hit the ground with a yelp. Even Thalia was swept aside, but Percy was ready. He side-stepped and jabbed under Kronos’ guard.

Under normal circumstances, this was a good trick. Unfortunately, this was Luke, and he knew all the tricks, so he countered and disarmed Percy. Riptide skittered away and down the fissure. Before he could strike Percy, Annabeth’s voice yelled, “STOP!”

Kronos whirled around and slashed, but somehow, her dagger hilt caught the attack. She stepped in closer for leverage, their blades crossed, and for a moment she stood face to face with the Titan lord, holding him at a standstill.

She grit her teeth, “Luke, I understand now. You have to trust me.”

Kronos roared. “Luke Castellan is dead! His body will burn away as I assume my true form!”

Percy was helpless as Kronos had frozen him in time. All he could do was watch in amazement as Annabeth held the Titan Lord at a standstill. The girl grunted, “Your mother. She saw your fate.”

Luke snarled, “Service to Kronos! This is my fate.”

Annabeth shook her head sharply, “No! That’s not the end, Luke. The prophecy – she saw what you would do. It applies to you!”

Kronos took over, “I will crush you, child!”

She insisted, “You won’t. You promised. You’re holding Kronos back even now.”

“LIES!” Kronos pushed again and this time Annabeth lost her balance. With his free hand, Kronos struck her face and she slid backwards.

Percy struggled, but his movement was sluggish. Kronos loomed over Annabeth, his sword raised and ready for the kill. She stared up at him, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. The blonde croaked, “Family, Luke. You promised.”

Before Percy could even move, Kronos staggered, and he stared at the knife. He gasped and Luke’s voice sounded, “Annabeth… You’re bleeding!”

Her arm was clearly broken, and the knife slipped out of her hand, “Percy, my knife.”

Percy could finally move and he snatched the knife, knocking Backbiter away into the hearth. Luke ignored him, until Percy stepped in the way, “Don’t touch her!”

His expression changed to that of fury and Kronos’ voice returned, “Jackson!”

Just then, his body began to slowly glow with a golden sheen. Suddenly he gasped and Luke’s voice was back, “He’s changing. Help. He’s – he’s almost ready. He won’t need my body any more. Please –”

Kronos staggered away, looking for his sword. Percy tried to intervene, but got pushed away. The boy landed next to Annabeth and she got his attention, “The knife, Percy. Hero … cursed blade …”

Kronos screamed as he clutched his burned hands, and then collapsed. Luke spoke up, “Please Percy!”

Percy staggered towards him with the knife, but Luke correctly guessed his plan. He breathed, “You can’t … can’t do it yourself. He’ll break my control. He’ll defend himself. Only my hand. I know where. I can … can keep him controlled.”

Percy was about to strike, when Rachel and Harry’s words came back to him, ‘You are not the hero. It will affect what you do.’

Then he handed the knife to Luke. Grover yelped, “Percy! Are you crazy! You’re unarmed!”

However, Luke did not take advantage of Percy’s defencelessness. Instead, he unlatched the side straps of his armour, exposing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, a place that would be very hard to hit. With difficulty, he stabbed himself.

It wasn’t very deep, but Luke howled in pain. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook, throwing anyone standing, off their feet. An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. Percy clamped his eyes shut and felt a force like a nuclear explosion blister his skin and crack his lips.

When it was safe to open, Luke was sprawled out at the hearth. Kronos’s scythe had liquefied into molten metal and was trickling into the coals of the hearth, which now glowed like a blacksmith’s furnace. Blood oozed from his left side, but his eyes were open and they were blue once again.

He croaked, “Good… blade…”

Percy knelt next to him, Harry hobbled over, still transformed. Thalia was draped across his furry back and she was panting heavily. Annabeth limped over with Grover’s support. All of them had tears in their eyes.

Luke gazed at Annabeth. “You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew …’

She stammered, “Shhh. You were a hero at the end, Luke. You’ll go to Elysium.”

He shook his head weakly. “Think … rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest.”

Annabeth sniffled, “You always pushed yourself too hard.”

He held up his charred hand. Annabeth touched his fingertips. Luke weakly spoke, “Did you… Did you love me?”

Annabeth wiped her tears away. “There was a time I thought … well, I thought so. But now it’s clear to me. You were like a brother to me, Luke, you and Harry. But I didn’t love you.”

Harry transformed back into a human, and Thalia slipped off his back. He turned his sword back into a wand, “I know some basic healing spells. I’ll do what I can and we can get you to a medic or a healer.”

Luke tilted his head curiously, “Spells? I thought you were a son of Artemis, not Hecate.”

Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah… Uh… You see, I come from a hidden society of witches and wizards. Hecate wanted her own community and created the Wizarding World. My mortal parents were witch and wizard, and Artemis helped my mum give birth. After you ‘betrayed’ us, I may have removed all your memories of knowing that I have magic and that the wizarding world exists.”

Luke laughed a little before coughing, “Smart… Can’t have valuable intel being sent to the enemy. I’m sure Kronos would have allied with some unsavoury characters from there, if he knew about it.”

Grover spoke up, “Luke, we can get you ambrosia or Harry’s healing spells.”

However, the boy shook his head, “No… There’s no healing. Not from this. Listen, I need you to do me a favour. Ethan, me, all the unclaimed, Don’t let it… Don’t let it happen again.”

Together, they all said, “We promise.”

Satisfied, his body went slack and the man they knew, was no more. They stayed in silence for a while, and sometime later, it was broken by the arrival of the gods. They all thundered in, expecting an epic battle. Instead, they found four beaten and battered demigods and a satyr, standing over the corpse of a broken half blood. Percy announced to the Olympians, “We need a shroud. A shroud for the son of Hermes.”

Chapter 78

They won the war, but at the same time, it really felt like they didn’t. Percy watched as the Three Fates picked up Luke’s body and carried it away. One of them briefly stopped to lock eyes with Percy and he witnessed his entire life flash before his eyes. She spoke in his mind, “It is done”, before holding up a familiar snippet of blue yarn.

Before they could continue, Hermes stopped them. The messenger god was clad in white Greek robes, sandals and his winged helmet. He approached the white and green shroud, unwrapped it and planted a kiss on Luke’s forehead. With a pang, Percy realised that May Castellan will spend the rest of her life baking cookies and making sandwiches for a son who would never come home.

The Great Prophecy echoed in his mind and it finally made sense to him, ‘The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap.’ The hero was Luke, and the cursed blade was Annabeth’s knife. Cursed because Luke broke his promise and betrayed his friends. ‘A single choice shall end his days.’ Percy’s choice to give Luke the knife, and to believe as Annabeth had, that he was still capable of setting things right. ‘Olympus to preserve or raze.’ By sacrificing himself, he had saved Olympus. Rachel and Harry were right. In the end, Luke was the hero, and Percy had made peace with that.

Percy also realised one thing, when Luke had descended into the River Styx, he would’ve had to focus on something important that would hold him to his mortal life. Otherwise he would’ve dissolved. He had pictured that scene Hestia showed Percy – of himself in the good old days with Thalia and Annabeth, when he promised that they would be a family. Hurting Annabeth in battle had shocked him into remembering that promise. It had allowed his mortal self’s conscience to take over again, and defeat Kronos. His weak spot – his Achilles heel – had saved everyone all.

Just then, Annabeth stumbled, and the boys steadied her. Percy noticed that her arm was broken and locked eyes with Harry. The latter understood the message, brought out his wand and intoned, “Brachio Emendum!”

Annabeth bit back a wince as her broken bone popped back into place. As she smiled at him gratefully, he whispered, “Thank the Gods I got the incantation right. Back in my second year, we had this buffoon of a DADA professor. The only thing he had going for him was his looks and memory spells. During one of the Quidditch games, I think it was Slytherin against Ravenclaw, the Ravenclaw Seeker broke his arm, thanks to a brutal hit from a Bludger. The twit stepped in before Madam Pomfrey, and vanished the bones on the Seeker’s arm. The incantation is ‘Brackium Emendo’.”

Her eyes widened at the story and then she growled, “If you dared screw up the pronunciation, I would have strangled you when my bones grew back.”

A bit further away, Apollo noticed and made his way over, “Oh goodie! This makes my job easier! Don’t worry about her, God of Medicine, at your service!”

He passed his hand over Annabeth’s face and spoke an incantation. Immediately the bruises faded. Her cuts and scars disappeared. The girl relaxed, though she was still very wobbly. Apollo grinned, “She’ll be fine in a few minutes. Just enough time for me to compose a poem about our victory: ‘Apollo and his friends save Olympus.’ Good, eh?”

Percy and Harry smiled wanly and the god went on his merry way. Over the next few hours, there was a flurry of activity. Zeus didn’t even blink at Percy’s request to light up the top of the Empire State Building. The gods set about repairing the throne room, which went surprisingly fast with twelve super-powerful beings at work.

---

The other surviving campers were also brought to the throne room, and also with them were the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus and Hermione. Bill, Charlie, Percy Weasley and the twins went about using their magic to repair the various destroyed buildings and temples. Harry personally repaired his mother’s own temple. Mrs O’Leary had dug Chiron out of the rubble and rushed him off to camp, with Rachel accompanying them.

The di Angelo siblings were treated to a hero’s welcome, along with their father, Hades. The god of the dead looked stunned when his relatives clapped him on the back. Then, Ares bellowed with a proud smirk, “There’s my girl!”

Sure enough, Clarisse marched into the throne room, though she still shivered a little. The god of war ruffled her hair and pounded her on the back, calling her the best warrior he’d ever seen. “That drakon-slaying? THAT’S what I’m talking about!”

Hera was a little cold to Percy and Annabeth, but otherwise ignored them. Dionysus’ head was still wrapped in a bandage. He sized up Percy and said, ‘Well, Percy Jackson. I see my sons made it through, so I suppose you aren’t completely inept. It’s all thanks to my training, I suppose.”

Percy could only reply, “Um, yes, sir.”

Mr D nodded. “As thanks for my bravery, Zeus has cut my probation at that miserable camp in half. I now have only fifty years left instead of one hundred. Don’t get so excited, Jackson. I still plan on making your life miserable.”

Percy snarked, “Naturally.”

Harry trudged over and re-joined the Hunters as they clustered around him. Mackenzie and Darla were curled up on either side of him and he had an arm around their shoulders, the cousins just hugging each other, glad that they were alive. Katie Bell had also draped herself over his shoulder in a half hug. Meanwhile, Grover whimpered from his spot next to Percy, “So many nature spirits dead… So many.”

The son of Poseidon consoled him, “You did a great job, G-man. We will come back from this. We’ll plant new trees, clean up the parks. Your friends will be reincarnated into a better world.”

He sniffled dejectedly, “I – I suppose. But it was hard enough to rally them before. I’m still an outcast. I could barely get anyone to listen to me about Pan. Now will they ever listen to me again? I led them into a slaughter.”

Percy shook his head, “They will listen. Because you care about them. You care about the wild more than anyone.”

He smiled weakly, “Thanks, Percy. I hope … I hope you know I’m really proud to be your friend.”

The boy just pat his arm, “Luke was right about one thing, G-man. You’re the bravest satyr I ever met.”

Just then, conch horns blew and the army of Poseidon marched in. Once they settled in, Tyson looked around and spotted Percy. He yelled his name and charged over with his arms wide open. Fortunately, he’d shrunk back to normal size, so his hug was like getting hit by a tractor, not the entire farm.

He jabbered excitedly, “I’m so happy you’re not dead! We fought hard and we chained Typhon! It was fun!”

Behind him, fifty other armoured Cyclopes laughed and nodded and gave each other high-fives. One rumbled, "Tyson led us. He is brave!”

“Bravest of the Cyclopes!” another bellowed.

Tyson blushed. “Was nothing.”

Percy hugged him, “It wasn't nothing! I’m proud of you, big guy!”

The conch horns blared again. On cue, the Cyclopes parted, and Poseidon strode into the throne room in his battle armour, his trident glowing in his hands. He came over, “Tyson! Well done, my son! And Percy? I forgive you for sitting on my throne. You have saved Olympus.”

With that, he wrapped Percy in a big warm hug. Percy practically melted into the embrace and stammered, “Dad-”

However, he held up a finger, “Shush! No hero is above fear, Percy. And you have risen above every hero. Not even Hercules –”

However, he was interrupted by Zeus roaring out his name. He and the other gods had seated themselves and were waiting on Poseidon. Soon enough, Zeus began with a long speech. Somewhere along the way, Harry, Annabeth, Thalia, Ron, Hermione, and the other Weasleys had joined him and Grover.

Finally, it looked like Lord Zeus was winding up his speech. He boomed, “As for my brothers! We are thankful – ‘erm, thankful for the aid of Hades.”

The Lord of the Dead wore a smug look on his face, but Percy couldn’t fault him for that. He had earned the right. He patted his children on the shoulders, and the di Angelo siblings looked happier than ever.

Zeus continued, “And, of course, we must … um … thank Poseidon.”

Poseidon looked a little too innocent, “I’m sorry, brother. What was that?”

Zeus groused, “We must thank Poseidon. Without whom … it would’ve been difficult –“

Poseidon raised an eyebrow, “Difficult?”

Zeus growled, “Impossible… Impossible to defeat Typhon.”

The gods murmured agreement and pounded their weapons in approval.”

Harry whispered, “Oi Jackson, your dad’s enjoying this.”

Percy grinned back, stifling his snorts.

Finally, Zeus boomed, “Which leaves us, only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes who defended Olympus so well.”

He and Artemis looked at each other, before calling Thalia and Harry forward. He promised to help them fill up the Hunter’s ranks. Then Artemis stepped forward and stopped in front of a kneeling Harry. She gently placed a finger under his chin and raised his head to look at her silver eyes. Artemis spoke, “My son… My first-born… You have made me proud, both as a son and as a Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. All those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure.”

She glared pointedly at Hades.

He shrugged, “Probably.”

Artemis glared at him some more.

The God of the Underworld grumbled “Okay fine. I’ll streamline their application process.”

Then she straightened up, “I have one more piece of business with my son. This should have been done the last time, when you were made my Lieutenant, but I felt that this was a more fitting time. By the power vested in me as the Goddess of the Hunt and the Leader of the Hunters. I hereby grant my son, Harry James Potter, eternal youth! Like his sisters, after his 18^th birthday, he too shall remain eternally youthful, until the day he perishes in combat!”

Harry’s head snapped up in surprise, and his mother simply smiled at him. With the others, Hermione and the Weasleys’ jaws dropped, just as Artemis spoke an incantation and Harry’s body was surrounded by a white glow. When it died down, he inspected his body, but didn’t feel any different. He turned back to his mother and the council, and bowed, “I am truly honoured. I vow to serve my role to the best of my ability, and with pride and honour.”

He stepped back and re-joined his friends, only for Annabeth, Mackenzie, Bianca, Ginny and Hermione to hug him. Ron, his brothers and Percy Jackson, all gave him high fives. Finally, Thalia and the Hunters cheered and tackled him in a group hug. Then the Hunters all stood by Artemis’ side.

---

Zeus then called out, “Tyson, son of Poseidon!”

A nervous Tyson tottered over and stood in front of the council. Zeus announced, “Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new … um … what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?’

Tyson proudly brandished his broken club, “Stick!”

Caught a little flatfooted, Zeus decreed, “Very well! We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found.”

The Cyclops cheered and his brethren whooped alongside him, pounding him on the back as he re-joined them.

Dionysus called out, “Grover Underwood of the satyrs!”

Grover trotted forward nervously.

Dionysus irritably chided, “Oh, stop chewing your shirt! Honestly, I’m not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders.”

Grover collapsed on the spot. Dionysus sighed, “Oh, wonderful. Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast, and that all satyrs, naiads and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a Lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honours, blah, blah, blah. Now, please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts grovelling.”

Athena stepped forward and called out, “Annabeth Chase, my own daughter!”

Annabeth squeezed Percy’s arm, walked forward and knelt. Athena smiled, “You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is … well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements.”

This time, it was Annabeth’s turn to be shocked, “My lady?”

Athena smiled at her daughter, “You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus, and make it a monument that will last for another aeon?”

Annabeth babbled, “You mean … I can design whatever I want?”

The goddess smiled, “As your heart desires. Make us a city for the ages.”

Apollo interjected, “As long as you have plenty of statues of me.”

Aphrodite chimed in, “And me!”

Ares also cut in, “Hey, and me! Big statues with huge wicked swords and –“

Athena half-snapped, “All right! She gets the point. Rise, my daughter – official architect of  Olympus.”

As if in a trance, she practically floated back, where Harry and Percy gave her high fives.

Then, Poseidon boomed, “Percy Jackson!”

In an instant, all talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Everyone’s eyes were on him – all the gods, the demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits. He walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia smiled at him reassuringly. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again. Her smile gave him courage to keep walking.

Percy knelt in front of Zeus and then knelt at his father’s feet.

‘Rise, my son,’ Poseidon said.

He stood, shakily. Poseidon continued, “A great hero must be rewarded. Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?”

For a painful minute, no one spoke, and the Zeus picked up the announcement. He declared, “The council agrees. Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods.”

The boy hesitated. “Any gift?”

Zeus nodded grimly, “I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but Perseus Jackson – if you wish it, you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father’s lieutenant for all time.”

Percy gaped, “Um … a god?”

Zeus rolled his eyes, “A dim-witted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever.”

A fair number of gods voiced their approval, but Percy was not paying attention to them. His eyes were on Annabeth, her face was pale. Looking at her, he cast his mind back to almost two years ago, when he thought that she was going to be a Hunter. Percy thought about it, long and hard, he could avoid death altogether. It sounded too good to refuse. Then some more thoughts flooded his minds. He pictured Annabeth, Thalia, Harry, Mackenzie, Beckendorf, Silena, Michael Yew, Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum, the Stoll brothers and so many more. Then he thought about Ethan Nakamura and Luke, and he knew what he had to do.

He locked eyes with Harry, who appeared to guess what he was thinking. The now eternally youthful demigod gave him a single nod, as understanding passed between them. Percy hesitantly spoke, “My lord? I’m honoured by this… But I have to decline. I’ve got a lot of life left to live. I’d hate to peak in my sophomore year.”

Several gods were glaring at him, but his eyes were on Annabeth. From terrified, she looked like she was about to cry tears of joy. Percy continued, “I do want a gift, though. Do you promise to grant my wish?”

Zeus thought about it, “If it is within our power.”

Percy knew he had them, “It is, and it’s not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx.”

Dionysus burst out, “What! You don’t trust us?”

“I do, but I would really prefer a solemn oath, just in case.”

Hades eyed him, “Clever…”

Zeus growled, “Very well! In the name of the council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power.”

Percy smiled, “From now on, I want you all to properly recognise the children of the gods. All the children of all the gods.”

After a beat of silence, Poseidon slowly spoke, “Percy? What exactly are you suggesting?”

Percy obliged him, “Kronos couldn’t have risen if it hadn’t been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents. They felt angry, resentful and unloved, and they had a good reason.”

Before Zeus could lose his temper and blast him to smithereens, Percy quickly clarified, “No more undetermined children. I want you to promise to claim your children – all your demigod children – by the time they turn thirteen. They won’t be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive.”

Apollo tried to interject, but Percy spoke over him, “First and foremost, let’s start with Hades. His children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico and Bianca have proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin any more, wondering who their parents are. They’ll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn’t work anyway. You’ve got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We’re going to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated with respect. Then we have all the minor gods, Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe. We were actually very fortunate to have Lady Hecate on our side, but all the children of the minor gods also deserve to have their own cabins at Camp Half-Blood. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned, too. That is my wish.”

Poseidon said, “Percy, this is too much. You presume much.”

Percy wasn’t backing down, “I hold you to your oath. All of you.”

To his great surprise, the first person to stand up and defend him was Athena. She declared, “The boy is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jackson – I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps I was mistaken. I move that we accept the boy’s plan.”

Zeus grumbled a little before Hermes called for a vote. One by one, all the gods raised their hands and the deed was done. Before he could walk back to his friends, Poseidon called out, “Honour Guard!”

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the door – an aisle for him to walk through. They came to attention. Tyson cheered, “All hail, Perseus Jackson. Hero of Olympus … and my big brother!”

Before they could dismiss the council, Hecate stepped up, “My Lord? I wish to make a request?”

Zeus acknowledged, “Hecate… We are truly grateful for your help in the battle against Typhon. As a token of our gratitude, we shall hear you out, and if it is within reason, we shall grant it.”

She nodded, “My lord? I am sure that you are aware of the existence of the Wizarding World. I created it, centuries ago because I wished to have my own sect of followers.”

Zeus nodded, “We are aware. What of it?”

Hecate continued, “Unfortunately, I have since neglected this world, and things have been on a decline. Within the last half a century, there have arisen two separate dark lords, who all had delusions of grandeur. Their silver tongues even sowed seeds of discord and bigotry among the magical communities. While those dark lords have been defeated, it has come at the cost of a significant portion of the magical population. Having spent the last few years in the Wizarding world, I noticed that there are many who deem themselves as ‘Pureblood’ witches and wizards and they look down on others who are not ‘pure of blood.’ Now, I wish to discourage this line of thinking, because blood status does not determine how much magic someone possesses in their body. I would like to rule over the Magical world, as I am the Goddess of Magic.”

Hermione and the Weasleys eyes widened in shock. Even Harry, Mackenzie Katie, Penelope and Bianca were pretty stunned. Zeus consulted with the other gods for a few minutes, then he boomed, “The council has agreed to grant your request, on one condition. In accordance with Percy Jackson’s wish, you must also be present whenever the Council meets, along with the other minor gods and goddesses, as well as claim your demigod children.”

Hecate bowed, “I find that condition reasonable and acceptable, my lord.”

She then shrank down to a normal height and approached the gathered magicals. She spoke to Bill, who was the eldest present, “If I want this to work, who should I approach?”

Percy Weasley stroked his chin, “Well… I would suggest talking to Professor Dumbledore. He is the Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump in the ICW. If you approached the ICW alone, they would not have believed you, which could potentially anger you. Dumbledore is highly respected in the Wizarding community, so he could help you. Since I work in the Ministry, I could take you to Dumbledore.”

She nodded, “Thank you. I shall go speak to him at once. But before that… Mr. Potter, come with me please? It is time we fixed the mess in the city.”

The two of them stood on the edge of the throne room, overlooking the city, and she took out her wand. Incanting her spell, she erected a familiar giant bubble and practically froze time. Then Harry pointed his wand and chanted, “Somnus Mortalus!”

Then once the residents of the entire city in the bubble, fell asleep, he pointed his wand again, “Omnus Reparo!”

In an instant, fires were put out, fire hydrants stopped spraying water, and everything repaired itself. When he was done, Hecate fired another spell, waking up all the mortals. Then Harry finished off everything with one last spell. He concentrated on the memories of the past few days, and then cast a Mass Obliviate spell.

When he was done, he staggered and swayed before Ron rushed in and steadied him, “You okay mate?”

Harry wheezed, “Yeah… That just took a lot out of me. Was already running on empty, thanks to the battle.”

As he half dragged his best friend over to Hermione and his siblings, Ron suddenly snorted, “Harry? I just had a thought… You-Know-Who spent all his life chasing after immortality, and the irony is that you’re effectively immortal.”

Harry also snorted and they shared grins. Then he asked, “So what happened to all the monsters and enemy demigods?”

Hermione overheard and fielded that one, “After the gods defeated Typhon, they destroyed all the gathered monsters. As for the demigods, they were all captured, and they will be tried. Oh, and by the way, all the statues are back in their proper places. Your mass Obliviate did the trick so that the mortals won’t suspect that this place was a warzone.”

As they reached the elevator to head back down, Percy Jackson joined them. He said, “I just spoke to Hermes, before Harry wiped their memories, the mortals chalked it up as a freak series of storms.”

Harry coughed and asked, “How’s Hermes holding up?”

Percy shrugged, “Honestly? I don’t know. Luke was his son, so he was pretty devastated. The thing is, he knew of Luke’s fate, but he couldn’t stop it. That’s the thing about prophecies, the more you try and mess with it, the worse things will get. He also said that the other Titans are in hiding. Prometheus is now trying to worm his way back into the gods’ favour. Krios has fled, Oceanus slipped away when it was apparent that Kronos lost.”

Harry nodded, “That’s swell! Bloody hell! I don’t know about you, but I need a long arse kip.”

Bill called out, “You guys are welcome to rest up by The Burrow. We’d love to have you.”

No one argued, and Molly Weasley was more than happy to host everyone. True to his promise, Harry trudged straight up to Ron’s room and passed out on his bed.

---

Over the next few days, everyone returned to Camp Half-Blood. There were funerals, way too many funerals. Harry and his Hunters were forced to bury six more girls, alongside Sophie and Deborah. They were his sisters, Erica, Maureen, Charlotte ‘Lottie’, Danielle, Cora and Isobel. Even Drew Tanaka was given a funeral. Silena managed to convince everyone that, she may have been a traitor, but she deserved some respect in death.

Ethan Nakamura was given a shroud – black silk, with a logo of swords crossed under a set of scales. As his shroud went up in flames, Percy sincerely hoped Ethan knew he had made a difference in the end. He’d paid a lot more than an eye, but the minor gods would finally get the respect they deserved.

Grover was also happily reunited with his girlfriend, Juniper. Fleur also tackled Bill with a hug and kiss. Harry saw some looks from Ginny and spoke to her privately. He told her, “Listen, what’s your problem with Fleur?”

Ginny replied petulantly, “She seems really snobby and she’ll take him away.”

Harry snapped, “Look, I’ve known Fleur for most of my life. Heck, she baby-sat me when I was little. She seems stand-offish because it’s a defence mechanism for her. Since she’s a Veela, true relationships a horribly difficult for her. Also, they’re just dating for now. Marriage is pretty darn far away, but think of it this way, you’re not losing a brother, but you’re gaining a sister. Well, you get two sisters, because there’s Gabrielle, her younger sister. Also, from what I heard, Bill saved her life during the battle. Since then, she’s been smitten with him.”

Ginny finally got the message, and since then, treated Fleur much better. Meanwhile, Nico and Bianca made a lot of new friends among the campers. Since they were children of Hades, people used to tread on eggshells around them, but turning up with a literal army of undead skyrocketed them up the coolness ladder.

In an interesting turn of events, Beckendorf and Silena approached Harry. Turns out, they wanted to take a break from all the fighting and live their lives as normal people. After much thought, Harry came up with an idea. He spoke to Sirius, who confirmed that the Potter family used to own several properties around the United Kingdom, all of which were protected with wards. Beckendorf and Silena could rent out one of the properties and live there to their heart’s content. Though they did promise to return to Camp occasionally, and lend a hand in times of crisis. It made sense because the wards would keep out monsters and the couple would be safe.

---

A few days later, Percy Jackson celebrated his 16^th birthday. There was a bit of an argument between Molly Weasley and Sally Jackson on preparing for the dinner party. In the end, they compromised and worked together to bake a blue cake and blue-coloured food.

Some days later, there was a bit of a commotion because Rachel Flooed to Camp for some reason. Hours later, she came back, though Percy and Annabeth were half-dragging her. Shortly afterwards, Chiron also Flooed in. He had been healing nicely, thanks to Apollo and Madam Pomfrey’s efforts.

Rachel meekly said, “Hey guys… I have news. I am officially the host of the Oracle of Delphi.”

Hermione tilted her head curiously, “Oracle of Delphi?”

Annabeth explained, “Think of the Oracle as someone who can see the future. They usually deliver prophecies, and those prophecies are taken very seriously. Now, Rachel is the host of the Oracle.”

Molly Weasley smiled, “That’s wonderful, Rachel dear! Now come! You must be hungry! You are awfully too thin for your age!”

Fred then perked up from his seat, “So you can see the future, eh? So tell us, Rae-Rae, what lies in our future? Will we be rich?”

George added his two cents, “Will Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes succeed?”

Fred continued bombarding her, “Will I finally woo the lovely miss Angelina Johnson after years-”

He was cut off by Ginny bopping him on the head with her fork, “Oi! Stop it, you two!”

Rachel gave them the stink-eye, “It doesn’t work that way, you twits! I just get a lot of visions! They’re really quite disorienting, I wouldn’t recommend it. Trust me, if you don’t have the Sight or are not a Clear-Sighted mortal, the spirit will drive you mad.”

Percy Jackson shivered, still remembering his encounter with May Castellan. Rachel reassured everyone, “It’s a little surprising to me, too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle.”

Hermione eagerly pressed, “You mean you can tell the future now?”

Rachel replied, “Not all the time. But there are visions, images, words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I … oh no –”

Chiron immediately was on alert, “It’s starting!”

Rachel doubled over, as if someone had punched her. Then she stood up straight and her eyes glowed serpent green. When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled – like three Rachels were talking at once.

She chanted,

“Ten shall answer the call

To storm or fire, the world must fall

An oath to keep with a final breath

And three worlds bear arms to the Doors of Death.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she keel over forwards and almost fell face-first into her salad. Luckily, Annabeth and Ron caught her from either side. Everyone in the room was stunned and no one spoke for a long time. Then a new voice broke the silence, “I believe that we just heard the next Great Prophecy.”

Apollo had suddenly appeared in the room. Molly and Arthur were a little startled, but Bill was able to explain that this was Apollo. Percy Jackson spoke up, “So, what does it mean?”

Rachel had recovered and screwed up her face in thought, “I’m sorry, I don’t even remember what I said.”

Apollo mused, “The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be much as she’s always been. There’s no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world... Oh I wouldn’t worry too much. The last Great Prophecy took almost fifty years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime.”

Harry snorted, “With respect, Lord Apollo. I sure hope we’re that lucky. As the saying goes, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”

Apollo grinned at him, “Indeed, my favourite little nephew!”

Harry playfully rolled his eyes, “I’m your only nephew.”

The god shrugged good-naturedly, “Doesn’t make it any less true. Anyway… I’ve got to run! The sun won’t drive itself! Toodles!”

After he left, the Burrow was so silent, it felt like a ghost town. Finally Chiron wheeled towards the fireplace, “Come miss Rachel, I believe it is time we bid our farewells. To all of you, good luck for the coming school year!”

Chapter 79

Notes:

Oof!!! This chapter was a long time coming. I've been really busy with work lately, and I've been playing the mobile game side-by-side. I can't promise when the next chapter would be, but rest assured, they will come.

There was still some time before Hogwarts began, though Percy Jackson and Annabeth left early. The big news was that Harry was the Sixth-Year Prefect alongside Hermione, and he was still the Quidditch Captain. As Ron confided in him, “One year handling those rowdy Firsties was enough for him.”

As usual, they went and bought their books from Diagon Alley. However, when he and Mackenzie stepped into Gringotts, every goblin assembled in front of him and knelt as a sign of respect. According to Griphook, because he recruited them in the Titan war and allowed them to let loose on the battlefield, all the while showing his own prowess as a warrior, he was officially considered a ‘Goblin friend.’ If he ever needed their help again, they would willingly answer the call to arms.

It was just sheer luck that he and Mackenzie were the only wizards and witches in the bank, or it would have been a really awkward thing to explain to other wizards and witches.

Just before they left, Katie also told him that their interactions would be lesser because she was now in her N.E.W.T. year. As such, they elected to mutually ‘break-up.’ She also revealed that she turned down Quidditch captaincy so that she could focus on her N.E.W.T.s. She was still going to play, but she wasn’t ready to be lumped with more responsibilities.

---

On the train, Harry and Hermione did their rounds, meeting up with fellow prefects, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, Anthony Goldstein, Mandy Brocklehurst, Hannah Abbott and Justin Finch-Fletchley. They discussed their game plan and how they would patrol the castle during the year.

Anthony had an idea when they would all patrol, two at a time in shifts. Their patrols would start at lights out from 11 PM and end at 2 AM, and Filch would take care of the rest of the night.

Their Express patrols were largely uneventful, save for Snyde shooting him a dirty look when he arrived at their compartment. On the other hand, Malfoy was unusually quiet and looking broody

Finally, patrols were over and the two reunited with Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Bianca and Mackenzie. As the hours passed, Hermione was reading a book. Ron and Neville were playing Exploding Snap, Ginny and Bianca were talking. Luna was taking a nap, and Harry was braiding Mackenzie’s hair.

Just then, Hermione looked up from her book and glanced at Harry, “Are you okay? You’re looking pretty thoughtful.”

He replied, “I was just going over Rachel’s prophecy in my head. Storm or Fire… So maybe a child of Zeus or Hephaestus. Can’t be Thalia because she’s a Hunter. Could it be Beckendorf or one of his siblings?”

Bianca piped up, “I’m more worried about the Doors of Death. Also, three worlds? Are we going to be in some kind of multiverse situation?”

Harry shrugged as he undid Mackenzie’s hair and tried a different hairstyle, “Don’t know, to be honest. That would be pretty weird. I mean, what are they going to be? Alternate universe versions of ourselves? Maybe one where we were in Slytherin, or where I was a girl?”

Ginny snorted, “Or maybe a universe where me and my family were evil Death Eaters?”

Hermione scowled at the giggling pair, “I knew I shouldn’t have let my dad get you dolts hooked onto DC Comics.”

Just then a now awake Luna interrupted, “What are the Doors of Death?”

Bianca explained, “In the simplest terms, they are the personal gateways to and from the Underworld. They were mainly used by Lord Thanatos, the God of Death. That’s all I know. Nico might have more information, I’ll write to him one of these days.”

Ron spoke up, “Oi Harry, any thoughts on the Gryffindor Quidditch team? We’ve lost a bunch of players this year.”

Harry nodded, “Yeah. Only Katie, Robyn and I are left in the original team. I’m thinking that Robyn will be a Chaser. You’re in between the sticks, so that’s four places filled.”

Ron piped up, “I think Ginny can be the third Chaser. I saw her sneaking out last weekend and grab Fred’s broom. She’s pretty ace!”

Ginny blushed scarlet, whether from embarrassment at being caught, or embarrassment at the praise, was anyone’s guess. Harry spared her further blushes, “Okay, that’s five people. We still need two Beaters, and maybe some reserves. Katie’s not there next year.”

Ginny spoke up, “I know two boys in my year. Jack Sloper and Ritchie Cootes. They’re pretty heavy built.”

---

Sometime later, John and his girlfriend Penny Haywood dropped by their compartment. He spoke, “Hallo everyone! Good holiday? I’ve been doing some research into the Vaults. I still can’t figure out the connection between the contents of the Vault of Fear to the next one”

He dug into his bag and fished out the hand-drawn map and the broken arrowhead. Hermione glanced at Harry, “What do you think, Harry? You’re one of the best trackers.”

He took the map and studied it, “If I’m not mistaken, this looks like a map of the Forbidden Forest. So I’m thinking that it’s fair to assume that the next Vault is in the Forbidden Forest.”

Then, Penny spoke up, “Hey listen. Could you guys keep an eye on Ben for us? When I saw him at the station, he was pacing back and forth and murmuring something about nightmares. He also mentioned something about Rakepick. She’s back this year, teaching DADA.”

She leaned in and whispered, “I also heard she is a Curse-Breaker and has some knowledge of the Cursed Vaults.”

John spoke, “Anyone thinking what I’m thinking? What if we worked alongside Professor Rakepick. She can have whatever treasure is in there, I’m more interested in looking for Jacob.”

Ron pat his back, “And we’ll help you, mate.”

Then John perked up, “Anyway, let’s change the subject. Does anyone watch football here?”

Harry spoke up, “Mackenzie, Bianca and I live in West London, so we support Fulham. Kind of had a horrible season last year when they finished 17^th in Division Three. Barely escaped relegation.”

Mackenzie nodded vigorously, “Yeah! But they’ve definitely got a decent team this year! I’m sure of it.”

John grinned, “I’m a Scouser. We were third behind Manchester United and Newcastle, last year.”

Hermione was next, “My family and I support Sheffield United. We’re in Division One, and we finished 9^th.”

Penny spoke up, “My team is Wolverhampton Wanderers. We just about escaped relegation to Division Three.”

Ron grinned, “This lot got my folks into football. I like Tottenham Hotspurs, they finished 8^th in the Premier League. Ginny likes Watford. Was pretty bummed when they got relegated to Division Two.”

Neville smiled nervously, “I like Leeds United, they’re 13^th in the Premier League.”

Just like that, the group continued chattering until the train reached the station, a few hours later.

It didn’t take long before they were all back in Hogwarts, seated and watching the Sorting in earnest. There was a good crop of students, nearly a 100 odd, and a good 24 ended up in Gryffindor. Harry also observed 38 in Hufflepuff, 22 in Ravenclaw and 26 in Slytherin.

Professor Dumbledore then got up to make his annual address. He revealed that Professor Burbage had returned from her sabbatical. She will be the full-time Mortal Studies professor, as Cathee Daly felt that she had imparted all the knowledge she could. Dumbledore also revealed that Professor Rakepick was back as the DADA faculty.

When the feast ended, he and Hermione shared a look. They stood up in unison and began corralling everyone away. He told her, “You lead them, I’ll bring up the rear and catch any stragglers.”

The trip back to Gryffindor Tower was a bit longer than usual. Everyone was dead tired, and Harry wound up carrying two exhausted First-Years in his arms and one hanging around his neck piggyback style. Seamus called out from in front of him, “Oi Harry! How the hell are you able to carry three Firsties!”

Harry grinned back, “It’s no bother, I’m stronger than I look!”

---

Finally, they were all inside, and he and Hermione gathered everyone. She spoke up, “As you’ve all probably heard from Professor McGonagall, your House is like your family. Here are some of the ground rules, Girls dorm is on the left, Boys dorm on the right. Also, don’t even think about trying to sneak into the dorm of the opposite sex. For the boys, it should be self-explanatory, but now girls are not allowed in the boys’ dorm either. Turns out, there was an incident last year where one Third-Year girl snuck into the boys’ dorm and tried to dose Harry, over here, with an illegal love potion. She was expelled, and McGonagall set up this new rule from this year onwards.”

One girl called Andrea raised her hand, “Did it work?”

He replied, “Turns out, I’m immune to Love Potions, so don’t get any ideas.”

She flushed scarlet as the girls around her giggled. Hermione ignored the byplay, “Anyway, just do the best you can and please do not break any rules.”

Another First-Year, a boy named Craig raised a hand. He said, “What’s so bad about the Forbidden Forest? Me folks and I live close to a forest back in Rutherglen.”

Harry fielded that one, “Let’s just say, the Forbidden Forest is filled with a bunch of monsters. The least harmful residents are centaurs, but they’re the only friendly things. Also, up until about last year, there was a colony of Acromantula, before they were all thankfully exterminated.”

Ron involuntarily shuddered, and one Muggleborn girl called Heather raised a hand, “What’s an Acromantula?”

Harry deadpanned, “Think of it as a tarantula, and multiply it’s size by 10.”

Everyone collectively recoiled in horror. Harry continued, “There are also giant ants, about the same size as Acromantulas. A few vampires, and other dangerous creatures. I only know this because I’ve been asked to rescue a few idiotic daredevils who tried to explore the Forest, in the past. So, believe us when we say that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits.”

Then he clapped his hands, “Now, are there any other questions?”

24 hands were raised, and he amended his question, “Okay, I feel like I should nip this in the bud, are there any questions that are NOT about me facing off against You-Know-Who. First of all, I was a baby, so I wouldn’t remember about that encounter. Secondly, that was also the day my parents were murdered, so it’s a bit of a sore spot.”

Several hands sheepishly went down. A young Irish boy called Caoimhin asked, “How are the professors?”

Hermione replied, “Pretty good. Though we have to warn you, Professor Snape, the Potions faculty, can be very strict. I’d suggest that you read up before your first lecture with him. He likes to test everyone to see if they know the basics. Any other questions? No? Okay, good night then.”

Just as everyone was about to move off, Harry called out, “Oi! Hang on a sec! Everyone, except for the First-Years, stay back for a few minutes. I know it’s been a long day, but I won’t take long.”

There was much grumbling, but they all stayed back. This time Harry took the lead, “Okay, I’m saying this, not as a prefect, but as the Quidditch Captain.”

That sentence got many people’s attention, and some were wider awake. Harry continued, “We have a bunch of vacancies. Katie and I are the only ones left of the original team, Robyn is being promoted to Chaser. Ron is sticking around as the Keeper. Before you accuse me of nepotism, you all saw how well he performed, last two years, didn’t you?”

To his surprise, everyone nodded firmly. He smiled, “Okay, glad that’s cleared up. Now, that still leaves the position of one Chaser left, and we need two Beaters. I’ll talk to McGonagall in the coming days, about hosting try-outs. We’ll put up a volunteer sheet to the notice board, and all you have to do, is sign up.”

Everyone weakly cheered, and Harry dismissed everyone for the night.

---

A few days later, Harry and his friends were at lunch, when Ron uttered an exclamation. He gasped, “Bloody hell! This is big!”

Harry, Neville and Hermione crowded around him. Ron explained, “Turns out, Minister Fudge is stepping down from the role of Minister for Magic at the end of this year! And get this, he is personally recommending Cathee Daly!”

Harry let out a low whistle, “Wow! Guess we now know what Lady Hecate has been up to. She works pretty quick. Wonder how she convinced Fudge to step down.”

Ron studied the article again, “Says here that they reached an agreement. He would sponsor her, and he would act as her Under Secretary. Blimey! That’s going to set the kneazle among the diricawls.”

There was no time to ruminate on that information, as they had classes. Just like that, the days passed by. About three weeks into the term, Harry was suddenly woken up by a bad feeling. He checked his watch and found that it was three in the morning. No one else in the dorm was awake, so he quietly crept out of bed and grabbed his Prefect badge. Then he was struck by a brainwave, so he doubled back and fetched the Marauder’s Map from his suitcase.

He snuck down the stairs to the Common Room and then lit up his wand before opening and activating the map. There were only seven moving names. Two of them were Filch and Mrs Norris. The others were a Second-Year Gryffindor girl, a Third-Year Slytherin boy, a First-Year Gryffindor boy and a Fourth-Year Hufflepuff girl, and a Second-Year Ravenclaw girl. Oddly enough, they all seemed to be heading in the same direction, towards the Forbidden Forest.

Filch and Mrs Norris were on the Third Floor, while the students were nearing the Great Hall. Harry crept out of Gryffindor Tower, the map clutched in his hand. As he ran down, he kept his footfalls as quiet as possible. Then another idea struck him. Harry transformed into his Dire wolf form and bolted, the map clutched in his jaws.

Eventually, he stopped outside the Great Hall, transformed back and checked the map. The five students were near the forest, and Filch was up on the fifth floor. Harry snuck out of the window and took off in the direction of Hagrid’s hut. Reaching it, he pounded on the door until he heard the half-giant’s voice gruffly snap, “Who is it! Do ye, have any idea what time it is!”

Harry called out, “Hagrid! It’s me! It’s an emergency!”

Hagrid opened the door, “Harry?! What are ye doing up at three AM in the bloody morning!”

Harry breathlessly spoke, “I got woken up by a bad feeling. I believe there are some students out of bed and they’re headed for the Forbidden Forest!”

Hagrid’s eyes widened, “Ye sure!”

Harry unfolded the Marauder’s Map, “I’m positive! This was my dad’s. He made it along with Sirius, Remus and Pettigrew.”

Hagrid’s beady eyes perused the map, “Huh… Mighty nifty. Does explain how those scalawags were never caught by the professors. Wait… Yer right, Harry! I see some names in the Forest.”

He stepped back and whistled. Immediately, Mrs O’Leary bounded out of the shadows. She licked his and Harry’s faces once before standing at attention. Harry clasped her muzzle with both hands, “Hey girl… I need your help. There are five students out of bed and in the forest. Could you help me find them? If you get into trouble, just bark.”

She loudly woofed and then bounded into the forest. Immediately, the Hellhound began sniffing. Harry handed the map to Hagrid before transforming and began sniffing for a trail. As the two large canines entered, Hagrid hollered out, “I’ll stay here until you find them! If they’re not a Gryffindor, I can take them back to their dorms!”

It took five minutes before he found the first student, the Fourth-Year Hufflepuff. Looking at the girl closely, her eyes were closed and Harry deduced that she was sleepwalking. He rolled his eyes internally and thought to himself, ‘Always that one person.'

In 15 minutes, he found one of the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaw. That was when he got really suspicious. Their eyes were closed as well, Once was rare, twice was a coincidence, but three? Something was definitely wrong. He transformed back into his Animagus form and carefully plopped the three sleeping students on his back. Then he heard a familiar loud howl, from somewhere to his right. Quickly, but carefully, he loped over to Mrs O’Leary’s direction.

In two minutes, he saw her, with two sleeping students propped up near a tree behind her. However, what really got his attention were the two Myrmekes squaring off against her. He loped over, deposited his cargo and joined the fight. The battle was fierce and a little bloody, but they eventually beat the pair of monsters. With the battle over, Harry strode over to a clump of grass and wiped his muzzle clean of blood and sand. From there, they picked up the sleeping students and steadily made their way back.

After some time, they finally met up with Hagrid. He looked relieved at seeing the students safe and sound. Harry let the kids slip off his body before transforming back. He saluted Hagrid, before collecting the map and carrying the sleeping Gryffindor students in his arms in a fireman carry. Now was the tough part, getting back to Gryffindor Tower without getting caught by Filch.

It took some time, and some dodging, but he was finally back in front of the portrait. For once, the Fat Lady was in her portrait and not gallivanting somewhere. She clucked disapprovingly as he gave the password, “You’re awfully late outside, aren’t you?”

Harry shrugged with the kids in his arms, “Turns out, these two were sleepwalking. I’m a light sleeper so I went to track them down. They went into the Forbidden Forest, so I had to rescue the two. There were three others, from different Houses, all of them sleepwalking.”

She frowned, “That’s odd. Anyway… You may enter.”

The portrait swung open and he crawled inside with the pair. Once inside, he laid the girl out on a sofa before fetching a blanket. Then he got a piece of parchment and wrote on it,

“Found you sleepwalking. I can’t exactly enter the Girls’ dorm, so this was the next best option.

Harry, Sixth-Year Prefect.

P.S. Don’t make it a habit or I will start docking points.”

With that done, he stifled a yawn before depositing the boy and trudging back upstairs to his own bed.

---

The next morning at breakfast, Ron noticed his bleary-eyed friend, “You alright, mate?”

Harry grumbled, “Long bloody night. Turns out, five students from across all four Houses were found sleepwalking and all ended up in the Forbidden Forest. Mrs O’Leary and I had to rescue them all. This happened at around three in the morning.”

Unfortunately for Harry, it didn’t get any easier. For a full week, he had to rescue dozens of sleepwalking students in the Forbidden Forest.

That Friday, Neville shook a dozing Harry awake, “Mate! What the heck is happening! Don’t tell me the students are sleepwalking every night.”

Harry grumbled, “Got it in one.”

Just then, John Silvertongue slid into the seat opposite. His eyes lit up, “Ach! Great! I could go for some scran, I’m starving! Anyway, I’ve got some news. I spoke to Dumbledore yesterday, and he told me that Rakepick was interested in the Cursed Vaults. It was clear to him last year, that someone else was tampering with the Vaults, unleashing them on the school. He’s pretty sure it's happened again this year. This time, Dumbledore wants me to work with Rakepick, and I could get anyone else to help.”

Harry grinned sleepily, “That’s great! When do we begin?”

“She wants to meet up after classes just to go over a few facts. Rakepick is pretty experienced. Head Curse-Breaker at Gringotts before Bill Weasley succeeded her. She also told me that when she was a student at Hogwarts, she knew of the Vaults’ existence, but no one believed her.“

Harry quipped as he took a spoonful of porridge, “Bet she’s had the last laugh, eh?”

John bit into some bacon and grinned back. Suddenly, Penny joined them, her face etched with worry. She spoke lowly, “Did you hear? Tulip was found in the Forbidden Forest this morning.”

Harry grunted, “I know… I was the one who found her, along with a bunch of other students. This shite has been happening for a week.”

Penny nodded, “That’s odd. Padma swore up and down that she was in the dorm with her and the other Ravenclaw girls. I’m off to visit her in the Hospital Wing. You guys coming?”

The group quickly wolfed down their lunch and hurried after her. Inside the Hospital wing, except for Harry, they were all pretty shocked to find multiple beds occupied. Madame Pomfrey was running ragged, and that was despite Tracey, Chiara, Hannah and Kevin Farrell helping out. Bewildered, Hermione blurted, “What on earth!?”

Chiara stopped by, “It’s been happening for the past few days. Several students have been mysteriously sleepwalking into the Forbidden Forest. Poor Gareth from Hufflepuff over here, was found with several bites all over his body and his clothes half-melted.”

Harry grimaced because that was a tough fight. Gareth Atkinson from Ravenclaw had the unfortunate luck of running into a Myrmeke and a Hellhound, who was not Mrs O’Leary.

Ron spoke up, “So what do we do? Organise a bunch of patrols along the border of the forest to prevent students from wandering in?”

Hermione shot that down, “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ron. All of us students have classes, so no one will have time to patrol the edges of the forest. Also, we can’t guarantee that some twit could try and use the patrolling as an excuse to sneak into the forest, just for kicks.”

John spoke up, “Where’s Tulip? Is she okay?”

Chiara nodded and gestured, “Follow me.”

Sure enough, the Anglo-Asian girl was lying on one of the beds and she was awake. She half saluted, “Hey guys!”

John and Penny sat on one side, Harry, Ron and Hermione took the other side. John asked, “You okay?”

She smiled wryly, “Heh… I got lucky I was found near a centaur camp. Also, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming, but when Hagrid fetched me. I could have sworn I saw a giant black dog, the size of the Knight Bus!”

Harry chuckled nervously as he and Ron locked eyes. John reassured her, “Nah, you were probably dreaming. There’s no way there’s a dog, THAT big.”

Tulip interrupted, “So, you think this is connected to the Cursed Vaults?”

Just then, the doors of the Hospital Wing opened, and Professor Rakepick walked in. She overheard the tail end of the conversation, “It most likely is. I’m guessing some idiot tampered with the Vault and unleashed this Sleepwalking Curse. Good! Glad I found you, Mr. Silvertongue. I think it’s time we cracked this case. Now, would you care to fill me in on what Ms Karasu shared?”

She glanced at Penny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, “I’m assuming that you lot are also helping him out? Excellent!”

John spoke up, “Professor Rakepick, there is definitely something happening in the Forbidden Forest. But I still don’t get why sleepwalking students are going there.”

She rubbed her chin, “I was wondering the same thing. I was there, the last time the curse struck Hogwarts. However, what the students have been affected by, are much different. The last time, they kept wandering close to an Acromantula nest. But now that those eight-legged freaks have been exterminated, I’m ashamed to admit, I’m at a bit of a loss. I’m half-tempted to write to Newt Scamander for his expertise. Care of Magical Creatures isn’t exactly my forte. Now if you’ll excuse me, I would like to hear Ms Karasu’s account, in private. I’m sure that she will fill you in, later.”

With nothing else left to do, the group split up, with John promising to let them know when Tulip was released. So with not much left to do, they all dispersed and headed for their respective classes.

---

In the evening, they hung out in the Courtyard when John came out, supporting an unsteady Tulip. She weakly grinned, “Madam Pomfrey advised me to take it easy for a bit. Heck, Rakepick was nearly thrown out of the Hospital Wing for trying to badger me for answers. I was able to tell her all I know, which isn’t much, to be honest.”

However, John grinned, “Before I met with Tulip, I did some of my own investigations. Look what I found!”

He reached into his robes and pulled out a familiar-looking Black Quill. Harry took it and set it on the ground. Hermione twirled her wand, “Reparifarge!”

Sure enough, it turned into another note. Ron snatched it up, “It’s time to unleash it on Hogwarts. Ensure Dumbledore doesn’t get in your way. Consider this a test – R.”

Neville whistled lowly, “Crumbs! This person’s not messing around. You think they’re planning an attack on Hogwarts?”

Hermione spoke, “More importantly, who is R addressing in the note?”

John spoke up, “Alright! So some us try and stop this attack that might happen, and someone take this note to Dumbledore.”

Hermione snatched the note, “I’ll do it!”

She scrambled off, while the others stayed back to brainstorm. Penny looked at Harry, “You’ve been rescuing a bunch of people from the forest, right? Do you have a good idea of the layout?”

Harry screwed up his face in thought, “Roughly.”

“Any idea what to expect?”

He frowned in thought and locked eyes with Ron, who shook his head. Harry replied, “Well… The least harmful beings are the centaurs. However, there are other creatures like giant ants, trolls, a couple of vampires, and more.”

John eyed everyone, “So we’ve decided then? Harry, you lead us into the forest. Since you’ve been in there before. Still, getting in is one thing. Surviving that place and getting out, will be a different kettle of fish.”

Hermione returned, with a look of frustration on her face, “He wasn’t in his office. I’ve kept the note in my dorm for now and locked it tight. What did I miss?”

John answered, “If we have to have any chance of breaking this Sleeping Curse, we’re going to have to venture into the Forbidden Forest. Harry knows the place best, since he’s been rescuing several sleepwalking students, including Tulip.”

Tulip Karasu then had a thought, “Oh yeah, I’ve been wondering about something. When I was asleep, I suddenly felt something warm and furry on my back.”

Harry flushed a little, “Uh… That may have been me. The thing is, I’m an Animagus, a Dire wolf. So you were most likely feeling my fur while I carried you and some other sleeping students on my back.”

Penny perked up, “Oh yes! I forgot that you were a registered Animagus! I do pay attention to the Daily Prophet. Surprisingly, they didn’t make too big of a deal about it. Just a tiny blurb in the corner of Page 10, where the Animagus registrations are listed.”

John grinned, “Wicked! I’d love to be an Animagus! We’re learning it next month right? Guess you got a head start.”

Harry smirked back, “Yeah, my uncles Sirius and Remus are also Animagi, along with my dad and Peter Pettigrew. Sirius and Remus did most of the work. All I had to do was keep a Mandrake leaf under my tongue, continuously for a month. To be frank, that was the hardest part.”

Just then, Neville spoke up, “Guys? What do you think of Professor Rakepick? As a person. I mean, she’s good at teaching, as good as Lupin, the Polyjuiced Moody doesn’t count.”

John frowned, “She’s  mysterious. I was wondering if she was the R that the notes were referring too. But that would be way too on-the-nose.”

Harry spoke up, “I remember I spoke to uncle Remus last year about her. When he, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Professor Snape and my parents were in First-Year, Rakepick was in Fifth-Year. According to him, she was one of the most popular students, but most of the faculty were not overly fond of her.”

Just then, Bianca came jogging over, “John! Glad I found you! Professor Rakepick sent me with a letter for you.”

John read it, “She knows about us trying to get information on her. She wants to meet up and talk in private.”

Penny frowned, “According to my sources, she killed a Sphinx with her bare hands, and she tore the tail off a manticore.”

Harry flinched very slightly at the mention of the manticore. Hermione noticed and subtly squeezed his hand in reassurance. John stood up, “Well.. No time like the present.”

Harry spoke up, “Need me to come with? Just for backup?”

John shook his head, “It’s okay. I can handle this. I’ll keep you in the loop!”

He got up and walked away. Tulip followed him, promising to decipher the map The group then sat down and idly talked. Harry settled down next to Hermione and leaned on her shoulder. He drowsily asked, “Do you mind? I’m knackered! It’s not easy having to rescue sleepwalking kids every night.”

She smiled, “Go ahead Harry. Take a nap if you want. I’ll wake you when John gets back.”

With that, he was out like a light. Sometime later, he jerked awake as Hermione shook him. She murmured, “John’s back. He’s got news. It's been an hour.”

Harry sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Sure enough, John Silvertongue was there. He was grinning, “She said that she would be willing to let us help her out! She also said that when she was a student, she got some secrets about the Vault from former Care of Magical Creatures professor, Silvanus Kettleburn.”

Penny prompted, “And?”

“According to him, the arrowhead is typically used by centaurs. Also, the best way to enter the Forest undetected, is by broom.”

Ron gaped, “That’s it! There’s like, no bloody secret entrance or something like that?”

John shrugged, “Guess not. But the good news is that Rakepick is taking me on as her protégé. She said that if I wanted, I could also ask others for help.”

Harry then checked his watch, “Okay… It’s getting late, so let’s get out of here. We’ll pick this up, some other time.”

Chapter 80

A few days later, Harry, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Mackenzie, Hermione and Ron were sitting in the library. In front of them was the rudimentary map of the Forbidden Forest. Minutes later, John, Penny, Tulip, Ben Copper and Barnaby Lee entered and took their seats in front of them.

Hermione discreetly set up a silencing bubble around them. After all, it wouldn’t do for Madam Pince to chuck them out because they were making noise. Harry spoke up in a low voice, “So, in between rescuing sleepwalking students, I’ve also been casing out the entirety of the Forbidden Forest.”

Ben’s jaw dropped, “On your own!”

Harry eyed him, “Of course not! You forget that I’m a Zoolingualist. I asked Hedwig and Buzz to fly over the forest to see how big it is. According to them, it’s about 50 kilometres in length and 70 kilometres in breadth. Took them two days to clock the entire length and breadth. As for the terrain, I spoke to some deer and foxes to check it out. I even spoke to some unicorns. They said that the only harmless creatures are centaurs, unicorns, thestrals, bowtruckles, mooncalves and nifflers. The rest of the critters will kill you.”

John leaned forward, “Did you find the location of the next Vault?”

Harry explained, “Well… I’ve got good news! I’ve triangulated a rough location of where it is. There’s a small grove in that location. Only two ways to get in. I know a path through the forest that can take you there. The other route is through the air, where you can fly in via broom. I’d personally suggest that we split into two groups. One enters via air, and the other group through the forest.”

Hermione cut in, “I vote for the forest. Sorry… I’m not comfy with flying.”

After 10 minutes, they decided that Harry, Hermione, Neville, Barnaby, Luna and Penny would enter by the Forest. Ron, Tulip, Ben, Ginny, Mackenzie and John would fly in. Then, Harry shared a look with Mackenzie and she gestured with her head. Then he sighed, “Guys, could you come with me to Hagrid’s hut? I need to show you guys something.”

Ron caught on, “Mate… Are you sure?”

Harry nodded firmly, “Yes. We need all the protection we can get.”

They cancelled the silencing bubble and got up. As they made their way to Hagrid’s hut, Harry turned to Penny, “Hey, you remember when I saved you, Susan and your other Hufflepuff friends.”

The blonde flinched slightly, “Hard to forget… That… Hellhound, was it? That was scary!”

John whipped his head around, “Hell-what!?”

Harry chuckled nervously, “What if I told you that I managed to tame one. She’s bigger than the one I killed, but don’t worry… She’s very friendly.”

Penny glanced at him in consternation, “Are you s-sure?”

Harry smiled, “It’s okay, Haywood. She’s just a giant puppy dog. Trust me.”

Eventually, they reached Hagrid’s hut. The man himself was nowhere to be seen, but Harry stepped away from the group. He fished into his robes and brought out a Stygian Iron dog whistle. Before they had left for Hogwarts, Nico had created another one after the original broke. The boy even joked that Stygian Iron was sturdier than Stygian Ice.

Harry blew into it soundlessly, and for a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, a shadowy corner near the Forbidden Forest darkened. There was a loud and deafening ROOOOOF!!!!, and the next thing Harry knew, he was flat on his back. The massive form of Mrs O’Leary was towering over him, her paws on his chest and she was licking him from head to toe.

There were a few screams, but they died down when they heard him laughing. Harry managed to wrestle her off him, “Whoa! Mrs O’Leary! Down girl! Down! Heel! No! I just washed these robes! No! Don’t you dare slobber over me!”

The ones not in the know, slowly relaxed. Finally, Harry got up, “Guys… Meet Mrs O’Leary. The only friendly Hellhound. She’ll be our protection in the Forest. Trust me, very few monsters will mess with us, with her around. Otherwise… I’m the backup plan. I told you I’m an Animagus, right? My form is a Dire Wolf.”

Barnaby chuckled, “Man! Tuttle is going to be so jealous! She’s nuts about magical creatures!”

Harry grinned and then got serious, “Okay, we’ve got that sorted. All the flyers, do you all have brooms?”

All of them nodded and John smiled, “Great! Let’s do this! It’s Wednesday today, we’ll go on Friday night, since there’s no class during the weekend. Until then, we’ll stock up on Healing Potions and practice the Bandaging Charm, just in case things get hairy.”

---

The next day, John caught up with Harry, “Listen, I found another Black Quill! It said, ‘This is your final warning. Stay away from Hogwarts, and above all else, stay away from the Cursed Vaults. If you ignore this warning, you will not receive another letter, Madam Rakepick. You will simply cease to exist. -R’”

Harry frowned, “Man! Whoever this is, they’re serious about it. Maybe they have something to hide. Also, I guess that eliminates Rakepick from the suspect list.”

Two days later, they all went over the plan. Bianca would stay up to let the Gryffindors in, Susan would do the same for Penny, Cassandra for Barnaby, and Padma for the Ravenclaws. When night fell and everyone else went to bed, Harry borrowed the Invisibility Cloak from Bianca and draped it over the group. Of course, he had to enlarge it a few times, and enlarged it again when the met up with John, Tulip, Luna, Penny and Barnaby.

At last, they were out on the Courtyard, with the flyers on their brooms. Harry folded the Cloak and passed it to Ron for safekeeping. The groups split off, with Harry taking the lead. His better eyesight managed to steer everyone away from trouble, and his group assembled outside the Forbidden Forest. He whistled and Mrs O’Leary bounded over. He stroked her snout and whispered, “Hey girl. Do you think you could keep us safe?”

She wuffed as softly as she could and they walked in. Harry turned to his group, “Stay close! We don’t want to lose sight of each other.”

Harry took the lead and Mrs O’Leary brought up the rear. The walk was quiet, save for a few ambient sounds. Then he stopped and crouched, examining the ground. Luna sidled up next to him, “What is it?”

He grunted, “Footprints. Big ones. I’m thinking that it’s a troll, or worse.”

The group forged ahead. Suddenly, there was a distant roar and the sound of yelling. They turned to each other in horror and broke into a sprint. When they reached a clearing, they saw Ron, Ginny and Mackenzie struggling against a Laistrygonian. John, Tulip and Ben was cowering in fear.

Harry jumped in with no hesitation, summoning his bow and arrows. Hermione and Luna also charged in to attack, along with Mrs O’Leary. The battle was gruelling, but they eventually felled in in a shower of dust and blood.

They took a breather to heal up, and Harry asked, “Everyone okay?!”

Ben yelped, “Okay? Okay?! What the hell was that thing!”

Harry grunted, “It’s a giant. Stay vigilant, you lot. It’s only going to get more dangerous from here. Ron, do you have spare weapons? Pass them around. We’re going to need it.”

Harry turned to the others, “Haywood, Lee, how good are you with weapons? I don’t think our wands will work against monsters.”

Barnaby said, “I’m okay with a knife.”

Penny nodded, “I took archery lessons when I was young, but I’m really rusty.”

Harry responded by taking off his earrings and turning them into his hunting knives. He also took off his rings and transformed them as well, “Take these. For protection.”

He activated his shield, “Ben… I’m guessing that you’re not much of a fighter. Use this shield. Worst case scenario, you can bash anything that comes within range.”

The boy struggled under the weight, before hefting it. With everyone sufficiently armed, they forged ahead as one big group. Then they heard a scuttling sound, like millions of feet scrabbling across the ground. Harry froze and paled, “F**k! If that’s what I think it is… We’re screwed. Giant ants… A whole swarm of them. We must be close to their lair.”

He spun around on his heels, “Sorry mates… I’m not risking anyone’s lives against those buggers. We’ve only just barely survived the giant. We’ll pick this up another day. Chart a better location to that grove.”

Most of the group slumped with relief. They all beat a hasty retreat before reaching the clearing. Then they all mounted their brooms, with the ground group riding pillion.

Once back in the Courtyard, they returned the respective weapons and snuck back into the castle.

---

Two days later, Tulip came shuffling over to Harry and John sheepishly, “So… Merula cornered me today and invited herself.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, “Just her? Not Malfoy?”

She replied, “Just her. Also, she said that she has been doing some research on her own. We could use all the help we can get.”

Harry frowned, “How do we know she won’t try and get us all in trouble? I trust her as far as I can throw her.”

Merula sauntered in behind her, grinning viciously and dangled a piece of parchment, “I found this the other day. It’s supposed to be a closer examination of the entry point.”

Harry sighed and gestured for her to sit. She did so and reluctantly slid the parchment over. He studied it carefully, “That looks like a centaur camp. We’re going to have to go on foot this time. Can’t exactly approach from the air.”

The next night, they were back in the same clearing, this time with Merula. To be honest, it was worth it, hearing her terrified scream when Mrs O’Leary came bounding up. As they walked, the girl complained, “How the f**k are we going to find the stupid centaur camp in this darkness.”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Fine… I’ll take lead on this. I’m a good tracker.”

He stepped forward and examined the ground. Ron, Neville and John crouched around him. Harry pointed, “You see these tracks heading north west? Those are pawprints, so I’m assuming that those are foxes. They’re too small to be wolf paw prints. And those tracks heading east, some kind of monster. Now those prints heading north, those are hoof prints. There aren’t any more unicorns in the forest, since they were relocated back in our First-Year. So they have to be centaur hoof prints.”

John nodded, “Aye, so we head north?”

“Yep. Stay close, all of you. Also, I’m on pretty good terms with the centaurs. Let me do the talking.”

A short while later, Harry spotted light up ahead, the familiar glow of a campfire. As they moved closer, they heard hooves clopping. Finally, they saw the Centaur camp, and they looked like they were just mingling around.

One of the centaurs spotted them. He called out, “Hail Moon child and company!”

That got every other centaurs attention. They gathered around, and Firenze trotted over, “Students! It is late! What brings you all here?”

Harry stepped up, “Firenze! We’ve been investigating the recent goings on at Hogwarts. Many students have been sleepwalking and heading into the Forbidden Forest.”

He gestured, “Come, all of you. Let us discuss this further.”

Once inside, a centaur spoke, “So, what can you tell us about this sleepwalking.”

Harry replied, “We believe it has something to do with the Cursed Vaults. We already managed to break two of the curses, last year. I believe John’s brother Jacob had been investigating these Vaults before he went missing. John’s only here to find his brother.”

At that, another centaur stepped up, “I am Torvus. I aided your brother for a while. In return, he stole an arrow that belonged to me. It was my father’s”

John dug into his pocket and pulled out the broken arrow, “Torvus? I sincerely apologise for my brother’s actions. Is this it? We found it in the last Cursed Vault.”

Torvus inspected it, “Where is the arrowhead?”

Harry replied, “We don’t know, sir. This was all that we found in that Vault.”

Torvus stroked his chin, “How did it get inside of a Cursed Vault? I know of the Vaults, but don’t understand how something of mine could get inside.”

“That’s what we are trying to find out, sir.”

Torvus hummed, “When I was a foal, my father told me about the Forest Vault. He warned me to stay away. I never gave it much thought until Jacob Silvertongue arrived years later. He claimed that someone disturbed the vault. That disturbance unleashed the curse on Hogwarts. I helped him find the Vault and he needed my arrow to open the door and break the curse.”

Harry asked, “What does the arrowhead look like?”

“It’s a jewelled arrowhead. A cherished heirloom that had been in my herd for generations.”

The teen nodded, “Don’t worry Torvus. We’ll find your arrowhead. If we do, will you take us to the Cursed Vault?”

The centaur only said, “I will read the planets. They will tell me what the future holds. But know this Moon child, Tellus is stirring.”

With nothing else to say, he clopped away and the group returned back to the castle. As they walked, Tulip asked, “So what did he mean by Moon child?”

Harry grunted, “Long story. Oh, and I should nip this in the bud, I’m not a werewolf.”

Merula rolled her eyes, “Well duh! It’s a full moon tonight and you haven’t transformed,”

Upon reaching the castle, they split off and went back to bed. John promised to start looking for the arrowhead.

The next day, John took Harry to a room which Jacob supposedly turned into his hideout. The place was a mess, and Harry grunted, “How the blooming hell were you able to find anything?”

John laughed, “Been asking myself the same thing for a while.”

They began searching in earnest, before John hit the jackpot. He called out, “I got something!”

Harry lit his Celestial Bronze wand and peered at it. He mused, “Huh… I was expecting a regular arrow with a jewel embedded in it. Not an arrowhead carved out of a gemstone. He drew it in red ink, so it’s most likely a ruby. Oi! What’s this say?”

John squinted, “Torvus will understand. This is the only way inside. The only way to hide it from both of them, is to bury it.”

Harry tilted his head in confusion, “Bury it? And from two people?”

John shrugged, “How do you suggest we go about it?”

Harry guessed, “Maybe have Mrs O’Leary dig it up? Or I could do it in my Animagus form.”

John laughed nervously, “I’d prefer it if you did it. Mrs O’Leary may be friendly, but she still scares me a little.”

Harry smiled, “Understandable, mate. She’s a bloody big dog. By the way, what’s the scene with Rakepick? I thought she was going to help break the curse.”

The Ravenclaw replied, “She told me that she wanted to see how I handled this curse on my own, before she makes up her mind.”

“Fair enough.”

---

The next night, John and Harry snuck out to the Forest. Once inside, Harry transformed and they walked side-by-side. Once they reached the grove, John pulled out the broken arrow and held it out for Harry to sniff.

Once he got the scent, Harry began to sniff. He began following the trail and John jogged after him. Eventually, the scent led him to a small cave that was filled with various knick-knacks. Suddenly, his ears pricked up and he growled menacingly. John spun around to see a diminutive figure at the entrance of the lair. He blanched, “Bollocks! It’s a Red Cap!”

Harry barked at John, and he didn’t need to translate, ‘Keep that thing busy while I search.’

The silver-haired teen whipped out his wand and began casting spells at the creature. While he kept it at bay, he dug out a Potion and chucked it at the Red Cap. In an instant, the hideous creature turned… cute?

With a shriek the creature ran off, and Harry paused his sniffing to raise an eyebrow at John. The other boy chuckled nervously, “I’ll explain later…”

Five minutes later, Harry hit the jackpot. His jaws latched onto a ruby red arrowhead. John plucked it from his mouth and Harry transformed back.

Together, the boys beat a hasty retreat from the Red Cap lair. Heading for the Centaur camp, they met with Torvus. The centaur was delighted to see the arrowhead back, especially when John fixed the broken arrow.

He bowed, “My thanks to you, John Silvertongue and Harry Potter. As promised, I will take you to the Cursed Vault, but not today. What lies ahead will be dangerous, so it is best to have strength in numbers.”

As they walked back, Harry raised his eyebrows, “What’s the deal with the Beautification Potion.”

John took a moment to speak, “Mate… Have you seen Penny? She’s bloody gorgeous! Me… I just look like an average bloke next to her.”

His cheeks reddened a little, “I… Might have brewed the Beautification Potion in secret, and was planning to use it on myself. Penny caught me just as I finished it. Man! I don’t deserve her. She told me that I didn’t need to look more handsome just for her. She liked me just the way I am. I had been meaning to get rid of the potion for a while. Glad I didn’t.”

Some days later, Harry and John gathered Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Bianca, Penny, Barnaby, Tulip, Andre Egwu, Talbott, Susan, Justin and Merula. Mackenzie volunteered to stay back because she had had her fill of action.

John and Harry shared a look and Harry took the lead, “Okay, so Torvus the centaur agreed to take us to the location of the Vault, but it’s not going to be easy. I scouted the location last night, and it’s as bad as I thought. A colony of giant ants took over the old Acromantula nest. We’re going to need all hands on deck. I’ve encountered these creatures before, but never alone. They’re known as Myrmekes. They’ve got really strong back armour, so spells will be useless against them. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they can also spit acidic poison.”

Ben shivered, “They sound bloody terrifying.”

John leaned forward, “How do we beat them?”

Harry replied, “As you saw in the Forest the other day, I’m familiar with weapons like swords, bows and arrows and knives. I taught Mackenzie, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville. Bianca learned on her own, so what I’m thinking is that we’ll handle the swarm. The rest of you head to the Vault. We’ll join you when we’ve dispatched them.”

On Friday night, the group snuck out once again, and made their way to the forest. Once inside, he, Ron, Neville, Hermione, Bianca, Ginny and Luna surrounded John and the others, forming. Protective bubble. Mrs O’Leary brought up the rear, and she was alert as well. Eventually, they met up with Torvus, and they were on their way to the Myrmeke nest.

After a while, Torvus raised his arm in a halting gesture. He said, “We are close to the ant nest. We should be careful from here.”

Harry stepped up, “I’ll scout ahead and try to thin the herd.”

With that, he slung his bow onto his back and began shimmying up a nearby tree. The group watched as he got up to a good height and then began to jump from branch to branch. Ron whistled lowly, “Cor blimey! He’s in his element!”

They watched as his figure slowly disappeared through the foliage. Then Torvus gestured, “Come… We must tread carefully now.”

Mrs O’Leary bounded ahead, with Bianca riding on her back. The rest stayed with Torvus. Two minutes later, they heard the sounds of loud barking, arrows flying and hitting their target, ants screeching in agony. Then they saw the battle. Ants the size of a small car, swarmed by the dozens, and in the midst of them were Bianca and Mrs O’Leary. Arrows also rained down at frequent intervals from different directions.

The swarm seemed endless, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Luna and Neville, charged in. Torvus lead John’s group away from the fighting. Moments later, they came across a door built into a tree. John sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, “This is it… We’re close.”

He slowly opened the door, praying that there were no nasty surprises behind the door. Luckily, his prayers were answered and they entered without any incident.

John slowly approached the familiar pillar and touched it. He involuntarily flinched when he heard his brother’s voice in his head, “You’re almost there, John. Only the final vault is real. The rest are distractions. Decoys. Traps. I helped as much as I could from here. I’m trapped in the next vault. You’re the only one who can set me free. Find the next vault. We will find the final vault together. You can’t let them get there first.”

Penny asked, “Are you okay, John?”

The boy snapped out of it, “Y-yeah… I heard my brother’s voice. He said that he’s trapped in the next vault. We can’t find that until we find out what’s in this one. Torvus? Can I borrow your arrow real quick? I’ll give it back.”

The centaur reluctantly passed his arrow, and John touched the pillar with it. In an instant, it opened. Just then, they heard footsteps and saw Harry and the fighters trudge in. John reached inside and pulled out a small jumper and a portrait of a dragon. Barnaby asked, “The ants?”

Harry wheezed, “Taken care of… For now. Let’s get out of here. Don’t think I want to find out if there are any more nasty surprises.”

They all got out of there, though Harry was limping and Luna was cradling an injured arm. When they were at a relatively safe distance, Penny whipped out some spare potions and treated the wounded. She mused, “I hope the sleepwalking curse has finally been broken.”

Ron grunted after a dose of Wiggenweld Potion, “Better yet, I hope the next curse won’t be worse than this. Knowing our rotten luck, it might be.”

John spoke, “Listen… In the vault-“

Harry interrupted, “Tomorrow, mate. It’s late and we don’t want to do this in the middle of the Forbidden Forest.”

Soon, everyone returned to the castle and were back in their beds. The next day, John filled Harry and the others in on what they had missed.

Some days later, Dumbledore gathered everyone in the Great Hall to announce that the sleep-walking curse had officially been broken. In response, there was a deafening cheer.

---

One day, after leaving Divination Classroom and heading to the Great Hall for lunch, Ron turned to Harry. He said, “Mate… I’ve been thinking. What if that prophecy meanwhile the Wizarding World. Three worlds… Demigod world, Wizarding world and the mortal world.”

Harry frowned, ‘That could be possible. Maybe, now that Hecate is the Minister, she could ease the Wizarding World into the Demigod World. I still don’t know how the mortals will be involved though. As far as I’m aware, they can’t see through the Mist.”

When they reached the Great Hall, they were joined by Hermione. She also had similar thoughts about the matter. Suddenly, their talk was interrupted by fluttering wings. Sure enough, Hedwig was flying in, with a letter in her claws.

Judging by the seal on it, it looked official. Ron blanched, “Blimey! That’s the Minister for Magic’s seal.”

Harry opened the letter and read, “It is time. Time to begin the assimilation of wizards into the demigod world. I leave it to you to inform your fellow classmates. Once the student body is in the know, send word to me. I will hold a public press conference with Albus’ help. Destroy this letter after reading.”

Harry put down the letter and let out a low whistle. Placing it on the table, Ron cast a low powered Incendio and destroyed it. Harry propped his chin on a fist and thought to himself. He muttered, “How the bloody hell are we going to convince an entire school of students.”

Ron perked up, “Mate I believe Dumbledore has a Pensieve in his office. We could use that!”

Hermione eyed him questioningly, “What’s a Pensieve?”

The redhead explained, “It’s a very rare magical item used to store and review memories.”

It clicked for Harry, “Crumbs! I forgot about that.”

Hermione queried, “Where are we going to gather everyone though? In the Great Hall?”

Harry shook his head, “I know a place. Hermione, can you ask Dumbledore to let us borrow his Pensieve? Tomorrow’s Saturday, right? Ron, get word to Lavender to ask everyone to meet up on the Seventh Floor tomorrow morning. And I mean EVERYONE from all the Years. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin too, and yes I mean Malfoy and his lot, too.”

Ron nodded firmly and got up to find Lavender.

Harry turned to his other friend, “Hermione, do you have a spare piece of parchment on you? I need Hecate’s help for tomorrow.”

She handed the parchment to him and he quickly scratched a letter to Hecate and sent Hedwig on her way. However, Hermione also said, “Harry? Do you know where this place is? And can it hold all the students? Also, how can Hecate help?”

He spoke, “Tomorrow, we’re going to speak about the demigod world. I figured that many will be sceptical, but I’m sure that Bianca will back me up. Pansy, Susan, Penny, Hannah, Diego, Ernie and Wayne will also help. Worst case scenario, Hecate will drop her mortal guise.”

The girl still wasn’t convinced, “What about Malfoy and his gang. He hates you for whatever convoluted reason. Knowing him, he’ll definitely try and get people to think that you’re insane.”

However, he stood firm, “Hermione, this isn’t the time to let schoolyard rivalries get in the way. If there really is a big threat out there, and it’s as bad as I think it is, we’re going to need all hands on deck. As per Hecate’s plan, she wants all of us students to know about it, first. Then from there, she will reveal herself to the general masses. I suspect Skeeter will be very useful.”

That explanation was enough to satisfy her. By then, Ron had returned, and with Neville in tow. The blonde boy asked, “So what’s the gameplan?”

Harry rubbed his chin in thought, “Maybe I can show everyone memories of my various quests. I’ll also write to Jake Mason from Hephaestus Cabin to deliver some training weapons. Also, I might need Ron and Hermione to provide their own memories too.”

Hermione got up, “I’ll ask Dumbledore for the Pensieve.”

After she left, Harry got up and headed back to Gryffindor Tower. He got out some parchment and penned a few more letters. All that he had to do was wait for Hedwig to come back and deliver them.

---

The next morning dawned bright and early. There was an audible buzz in the Great Hall, and many heads seemed to be turning towards him multiple times. McGonagall even walked up and bent down to speak to him, “Potter, are you sure about this? If you are, I believe it would be prudent for the rest of the Hogwarts faculty to know about demigods. Professor Rakepick isn’t here today because she had to take care of some Gringotts business. However, she informed the Headmaster that she should finish her business over the weekend.”

Harry quietly asked, “Should we wait for her then?”

McGonagall shook her head, “If this threat is as serious as you say it is, then we cannot dilly-dally. Where should we meet and what time?”

Harry replied, “I was thinking after breakfast. Meet us on the Seventh Floor, left corridor, by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls to do ballet.”

She nodded and briskly walked away. A while later, Harry and his friends had to wriggle their way through the crowd on the Seventh Floor at the designated location. Harry made his way to the front and muttered to himself, “What did Daedalus’ notes say again?”

He faced a blank wall opposite the tapestry and began pacing back and forth. Harry thought hard, “I need a training room large enough to hold all the students and faculty, with sparring dummies and target ranges.”

Harry locked onto this same thought like a mantra, and paced back and forth three times. Moments later, a highly polished door materialised in front of everyone, prompting shocked gasps of amazement. Harry reached out, seized the brass handle, pulled open the door, and led the way into a spacious room lit with flickering torches

The room was the size of the Great Hall and in the corners of the room, there were rows of training dummies and target ranges, exactly what Harry had asked for. Slowly, everyone entered the room, all gaping around them as the door closed. Harry grinned at the gathered crowd in front of him, threw out his arms wide and announced, “Welcome! To the Room of Requirement!”

He turned to Hermione, “You got it?”

She nodded and reached into her robes before pulling out the Pensieve and restoring it to proper size. Dean called out, “What’s that for?!”

Harry raised his hands in a placating gesture, “I’ll explain in a minute. We’re just waiting for one more person.”

Moments later, the door opened again, and newly-appointed Minister for Magic, Cathee Daly stepped through, “I hope I’m not late.”

Dumbledore smiled, “You’re just in time! As a wise man once said, ‘A wizard is never late! Nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.’”

Justin gaped, “Professor Dumbledore! I didn’t know you were a fan of Lord of the Rings!”

The Headmaster chuckled, “My dear boy, that is one of my favourite book series! Now, Mr Potter, shall we get this show on the road? You have the stage, I believe.”

Chapter 81

Notes:

Right... So this story is going to be on a bit of a hiatus. There's another fic I've been working on on the FIMFiction site, and my aim is to finish that by the month of March

Having been given the green light, Harry paced up and down, his hands clasped behind his back. He observed all the students assembled in front of him. Majority of them were utterly confused, Ron, Hermione, Mackenzie, Bianca, Ginny and Neville, all sported serious looks. To his right, Professor Dumbledore and the Hogwarts faculty had gathered, all watching him, along with Lady Hecate.

He finally spoke, “I’m sure you’re all wondering why we’re gathered here. The short answer is… We are on the brink of a disaster that could destroy the world.“

Before he could continue, someone gave a loud derisive scoff. Zacharias Smith jeered, “Seriously Potter? Didn’t get enough attention after beating You-Know-Who? What do you take us for? Let me guess, he’s somehow alive.”

His friends shot Zach nasty glares, but Harry didn’t rise to the bait. He stopped in his tracks and coolly said, “Did I mention You-Know-Who even once? That hypocritical wanker with breath-taking Daddy issues, is dead and gone. What’s coming in the possible near future, is bigger than all of us. There’s an upcoming threat that will make him look like a gnat in comparison”

Susan raised a hand, “Wait… What do you mean by You-Know-Who being a hypocrite?”

Hecate stepped up after getting a subtle nod from Dumbledore, “I’d like to answer that. I did my research on him, because I would like to prevent the rise of any future Dark Lords. Turns out, his real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. Son of Merope Gaunt, a Squib from the Gaunt family, and a Non-Magical, called Thomas Riddle.”

Harry could scarcely count the number of dropped jaws at that bombshell. There was a cacophony of noise, as people began discussing that revelation. He loudly whistled to get everyone back on track. Harry called out, “Oi! I know it’s come as a shock to many, but that’s not why we’re here!”

Everyone’s attention was back on him. He resumed pacing, “Before I begin, I need to ask everyone in this room. Do you believe in Gods?”

A Third-Year Ravenclaw called Liam raised a hand, “I think we’re all Christians here. So we do believe in God.”

Cho Chang deliberately coughed, “Excuse you! I am a Buddhist, thank you very much.”

Padma and Parvati simultaneously deadpanned, “We’re Hindus.”

Badeea Ali primly said, “I’m a Muslim.”

Liam stammered an apology, and Harry saved him further embarrassment. He called out, “Look! I’m not talking about the Christian God or the Hindu Gods, Buddha or Allah. I’m referring to the Gods of Ancient Greece. It turns out, they are all real, and have been occasionally roaming the earth for centuries.”

Malfoy called out scornfully, “How do you know all this? And why is Minister Daly here? You lining her pockets eh, Potter?”

Theodore Nott burst out laughing, “Bit rich coming from you, Malfoy. We could all say the same about former Minister Fudge and your late father. You’ve been crowing about your daddy’s connections with the Minister ever since First-Year. So you don’t get to talk.”

Hecate finally spoke, “To allay any concerns. I answer to no one, except for Zeus! However, I do believe Mr Potter’s words about the existence of the Greek Gods-”

Suddenly, her form shimmered and she was suddenly dressed in a more regal attire. Letting loose a small burst of her raw magical aura, she declared, “-Because I am Hecate! Greek Goddess of Magic.”

That declaration floored almost the entire room. The pulse of magic had nearly everyone kneeling.

---

Suddenly, an obnoxious and gruff voice called out over the dead silence, “Likely story!”

Every head whipped towards Malfoy. Except, his own head has snapped to his left, gaping at Vincent Crabbe. Crabbe blustered, “There is no such thing as a Goddess of Magic. No one is greater than us, the purest of Purebloods!”

Harry nervously glanced at Hecate. Outwardly, she was a picture of calm, but he could clearly tell that she was hugely offended. Hecate raised a delicate eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

Crabbe then went on some stupid tirade about Purebloods being the most superior of wizards. Harry was trying to signal Malfoy to shut his goons up before they got everyone killed. Fortunately, Malfoy seemed to be getting the message and was desperately nudging Crabbe.

Just then, Gregory Goyle blurted out, “Prove it! Prove to us that you’re the Goddess of Magic!”

Ron mouthed to Harry, 'He did not just say that! We knew those two were idiots, but this takes the biscuit!'

There was a heavy feeling of magic in the air, and it grew heavier and heavier. Hecate very calmly said, “How shall I prove it to you? Show you advanced forms of magic that no witch or wizard have learned? Or take you to Olympus?”

Goyle blustered, “Not good enough. For all we know, those are just illusions! Do something Godly! You don’t even look like a Goddess!”

People began slowly inching away from the two boys. Hecate was still calm, “I’m afraid I cannot show my Godly form, unless we are at Mount Olympus. Mortals will be incinerated upon looking at it. It will also happen to demigods, unless we’re at Mount Olympus.”

Crabbe and Goyle whipped out their wands and pointed them at her, threateningly, “Show us your Godly form!”

She warned, “Did you not hear me?”

They demanded louder, “SHOW US!!!”

For a scary second, she looked like she would blast them to smithereens. Then she took a deep breath, let it out slowly and turned to Dumbledore. She asked, “Headmaster, do I have your word that whatever happens in the next minute, I will be absolved of any blame”

Dumbledore stammered, “Y-yes My Lady!”

Sha nodded, “Thank you.”

Then, she began to glow brighter and brighter. As she did it, she yelled out, “Everyone! If you do not wish to be incinerated, look away now! Mr. Crabbe! Mr. Goyle! This is your last warning! Look away, now!”

Harry grabbed the nearest people, Ginny and Luna. He turned their heads away and looked away himself, slamming his eyes shut. Moments later, the screaming began. The screams lasted for nearly a minute, before it died down. Hecate called out, “Everyone! It is safe to look!”

Harry let go of the girls, who nodded gratefully at him. Everyone gazed in Malfoy’s direction, and where Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle used to be, there were two large burnt marks next to each other. Hecate gravely said, “I sincerely apologise for that, students. I warned everyone.”

Malfoy spoke shakily, “L-lady Hecate… We do not blame you for your actions. We apologise for any offense.”

---

Harry waited until everyone had collected themselves, before he continued. He said, “Okay, so we’ve established that the Greek Gods existed. You heard Lady Hecate mention demigods, right? So these demigods are children of a God and a mortal or a wizard or witch. A great many gods have often had affairs with a mortal or a magical, and sired children. I know this, because I am a demigod. Harry Potter, son of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon.”

There was a chorus of awes and oohs. Then, there was movement in the crowd and Bianca stepped out. She said, “Allow me to introduce myself fully. My name is Bianca di Angelo, daughter of Hades, God of the Underworld.”

Dean raised a hand, “So you guys are like Hercules?”

Harry and Bianca both had disgusted faces. He said, “First and foremost, that Disney movie is utter rubbish. There’s a reason why Tristan McLean refused to be part of that production. So many bloody inaccuracies, that it’s not even funny. First of all, his name is Herakles. The Romans were the ones to name him Hercules. The only thing the movie got right, was that he was the son of Zeus. Too bad they buggered it by making him a son of Hera too, which he wasn't. Listen, forget everything you know about that movie. Bianca and I will tell you the real story of being demigods. How many of you know of Ancient Greek mythology?”

Nearly every head turned to Hermione. She asked, “What? Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Anthony Goldstein drawled, “Granger, you practically out-bookworm us all. Surely you would have read about Greek mythology.”

She replied, “Sorry, I’m not familiar with Greek mythology. Harry’s the expert.”

Harry turned to Dumbledore, “Professor? May I have the Pensieve? I need to show them my memories of my various quests.”

He brought forward the Pensieve and extracted Harry’s memories. Hecate then stepped forward and tapped the Pensieve with her wand. Sure enough, a magical projection was displayed on the far wall. She smiled, “The floor is yours, Mr. Potter.”

Harry stepped up next to the Pensieve. He said, “So I’ll be playing these memories one-by-one. Just so that you all get an idea of what we’re roughly up against. The thing is, it’s dangerous being a demigod. Just like the Greek Gods exist, so do monsters from Greek Mythology. Right from very young, demigods have to train to fight against these monsters. No wands or magic can touch them, so we use actual weapons like swords, arrows, spears, javelins, daggers, etc. Now, this quest, is known as the Quest for the Lightning Thief. I can pause the memories at any time, to answer your questions.”

Just then, Kevin Farrell raised his hand, “Wait… You said that you were the son of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. I thought your mum was Lily Potter.”

Harry answered, “Before any of you even think it. My dad did NOT cheat. During the war against You-Know-Who, my mum was hit with a curse, rendering her barren. They later looked for a Fertility Ritual, but accidentally used a Summoning Ritual. Lady Artemis answered the summons and healed my mother. Though the caveat was that she was also counted as my mother. Nine months later, I was born. The thing with Lady Artemis is that she swore an oath to remain a virgin forever, My birth is a loophole, since Lady Artemis did not physically give birth to me. However, I had enough of her Godly essence to be counted as her son, her First-Born. Now, if there are no further interruptions, let’s begin.”

---

As the scene played out, he explained, “The guy sitting behind me is Perseus ‘Percy’ Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea. The girl is Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena. The other guy is Grover Underwood. He’s a Satyr.

Hannah asked, “What’s a Satyr?”

“Half man, half goat. They’re the ones in charge of finding demigods and protecting them until they get to safety. There is a safe haven known as Camp Half-Blood. Now, Half-Blood is not what we wizards know it as. In the demigod world, Half Blood literally means half mortal, half God.”

A Second-Year Gryffindor called Wilfred asked, “Who’s the weird bloke driving the car. Wait… Does he have eyes all over his body?”

Harry nodded, “That’s Argus. A hundred-eyed giant. Don’t worry, he’s harmless.”

They watched as the scene then shifted to the Greyhound bus. This time, Bianca took over, “The Kindly Ones, are also known as The Furies. They are the chief torturers who work for my father. Trust me, if you’ve done some really evil stuff, they won’t show any mercy.”

Seamus asked, “So why are they there?”

Harry answered, “Everything will be clear in sometime.”

Penny Haywood asked, “You called this the Quest for the Lightning Thief. What’s that about.”

“Oh yes… I forgot, you guys needed some context. Anyone remember near the end of our First-Year, when it was constantly raining? Turns out, somebody had stolen Lord Zeus’ Lightning Bolt. Percy Jackson was accused, since he was Poseidon’s son. So this quest was for him to clear his name and find the Lightning Bolt, or Zeus would have declared war on Poseidon.”

The students watched as the Furies attack. Then, the bus inexplicably began going helter-skelter, crashing and grinding against the guardrail. When Percy revealed his sword, Jae Kim exclaimed, “Whoa! Did that pen turn into a sword?”

Harry grinned, “Yep!”

After the bus exploded, and they watched Annabeth and Percy bicker, Ron leaned in, “Were Hermione and I this bad?”

Harry assured him, “Not that bad, mate.”

When he sent Hedwig on her errand, Susan gave him an approving nod, “Good call with the Healing Potions!”

When he talked about getting their story straight, it was Hermione giving him the approving nod. Minutes later, there were exclaims of horror and disgust. Malfoy blanched, “Who the bloody hell is she! And why isn’t anyone looking at her!”

Harry paused the memory and replied, “That’s Medusa. She’s a Gorgon. If we look at her directly, we would turn to stone and die. She’s basically a human Basilisk. We're safe right now, because this is only a memory.”

After her defeat, the memories forwarded over to the St Louis Arch. That moment, Harry noticed Pansy stiffen. During the exchange with the disguised Echidna, then Liz Tuttle asked, “Hey wait… Isn’t that Pansy?”

Everyone turned to the girl, who flushed at the attention. She mumbled, “Mum, dad and I just happened to be there on vacation.”

Harry replied, “Yep! She just got very unlucky to get caught up.”

The memory shifted straight to the rabid chihuahua transforming into the chimera, and Echidna revealed herself. They all watched as Harry and Percy battled the Chimera. Then, Percy fell down the hole, leaving Harry to battle the Chimera and kill it.

Pansy flinched when Echidna grabbed her past self and held her hostage. Her hand unconsciously rubbed her neck, an action that Cassandra noticed. She pulled Pansy into a comforting side-hug. Pansy got several stares at the revelation of the Life Debt, but everyone soon moved on when Harry declared that he called it in way earlier. Harry skipped over to the meeting with Ares, since the IM call with Luke wasn’t particularly important.

Beatrice Haywood asked, “Who’s the biker guy?”

“Ares, God of War.”

They watched as he gave them their little side-quest. When Harry unlocked the gate, Kevin exclaimed, “Oi! How are you able to do magic?”

Harry replied, “Hecate removed the Trace for me. She figured it would be useful for my quests.”

When the mechanical bugs attacks, Ron flinched and half the girls screamed. Craig Dunn from Hufflepuff asked, “Why did Annabeth freak out?”

Tulip Karasu fixed him with a look, “Mate, not many girls are too fond of bugs and spiders. I’d love to see you in that situation.”

Harry spoke up before an argument could break out, “In Annabeth’s case, children of Athena have always had a feud with Children of Arachne. She’s going to explain a bit later.”

When Harry paused the memory again, he had to explain that Percy’s mother has been taken hostage by Hades for some reason. Inside the truck, everyone was appalled at the conditions of the animals. The shock was even greater when they saw the Snidget. Finally, they heard Annabeth’s explanation for her freakout.

They went over the story of Thalia and Luke. Then the scene switched to him finding out about Sirius and planning his rescue. Then they freed all the animals and set off. Following the adventure at the Lotus Hotel, where Bianca made her memory debut, Padma raised a hand, “Wait… So Bianca was born at around 1930? How the heck are you alive now.”

Harry explained, “So in the original tale of the Lotus Eaters. Anyone who consumed the fruit would become forgetful and content. Basically, they would lose track of time and be tempted to stay on the island forever. Of course, the curse has adapted a little in modern times, thanks to a bit of magic. Like Bianca said, she and her brother Nico spent about a month in there, in her mind at least. In reality, they spent 50 years in there without ageing at all. As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun.”

Harry skipped over the Knight Bus ride, though he did shudder at the memory of Procrustes and subconsciously rubbed his wrists. Later on, it clicked for Susan Bones, “YOU WENT TO THE FREAKING UNDERWORLD AND SURVIVED!”

Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “Yeah… Just about.”

He skipped over the conversation with Charon. Then, Millicent Bulstrode pointed, “Hey, isn’t that Quirrell?”

Few people paled at the sight of Cerberus. Harry explained, “That’s the Fields of Asphodel. If you’re done neither good nor bad, you end up there. Elysium is basically what the Christians know as Heaven. Fields of Punishment… I don’t think I really need to explain.”

People began to freak out when Grover’s flying shoes went crazy and breathed sighs of relief when he was rescued. Hannah asked, “What’s that chasm there? It feels… evil. Yeesh! I can feel it from here!”

Harry grimly said, “That’s Tartarus. Trust me, that place makes a Dementor-filled Azkaban look tame.”

Everyone shuddered and Harry resumed the memory. Talbott Winger asked, “Why did you stop Grover from eating the pomegranates?”

Harry replied, “One bite of it, and you’ll be trapped in the Underworld.”

At the sight of Hades, Dean weakly joked, “Looks nothing like the Disney character.”

When Hades revealed his Helm's theft, Susan started, “That’s right! Those Furies asked you ‘Where is it?!’ They must have been talking about Hades’ Helm!”

When Percy opened his backpack, many were confused. Harry simply said, “Keep watching.”

The students watched as Hades taunted Percy with his captured mother. When Percy mentioned the prophecy, Chiara asked, “What prophecy?”

Harry answered, “Let’s be honest. Divination doesn’t exactly get much respect in the Wizarding World. However, it is hugely important for demigods. Before any question, the leader visits the Oracle of Delphi, who resides at camp. She issues a prophecy, and it always comes true, no matter what.”

He resumed the memory, and everyone gasped when Harry chose to stay behind. After Hades explained about his children, Harry skipped over his interaction with his parents. It was too personal to show the whole school. He resumed it, just as he came to the conclusion that Ares was the thief.

The students watched as he rescued Sally and went back to Santa Monica, in time to see Percy Jackson fight against Ares. The battle was intense, and people were cheering. Harry skipped over to when they just entered Mount Olympus. Sure enough, there was an audible gasp of wonder from everyone in the Room. Badeea Ali was even exclaiming, “Wow! I have so many more new ideas for paintings!”

He played his memories of Percy’s suspicions about Kronos rising. Harry skipped over the reunion with Sally, and resumed the memory to when they returned to Camp.

Lavender asked, “What are those sheets for?”

He replied, “Those are shrouds. Quests like these, there’s no guarantee that you’ll come back alive.”

The mood in the Room of Requirement significantly dimmed. Finally, Harry forwarded the memory to Luke’s betrayal. Dumbledore looked proud when Harry Obliviated Luke. That was where he ended the memory.

---

Tracey whistled, “Damn! You’re a freaking bad arse, Potter!”

Harry grinned, “Shall we take a break or do you want to see the next quest?”

Everyone collectively yelled, “NEXT QUEST!”

He laughed, “Okay! Okay! I call this one, the Quest in the Sea of Monsters. The backstory is that Luke snuck back and sabotaged the magical barrier keeping out monsters.”

Once again, Harry concentrated on his memories of the quest. Hecate extracted the memories and projected them. The scene began with him and Annabeth going to find Percy.

Ben Copper stammered, “Wh-wh-who’s the big scary bloke? Why does he have one eye?”

Harry explained, “He’s a Cyclops. They all have one eye, though that guy’s harmless. His name’s Tyson, and he’s actually a baby Cyclops.”

Skye Parkin gaped, “He’s a baby! Cor! Wonder how big he’ll be as an adult!”

Diego Caplan asked, “What’s Annabeth’s beef with Cyclopes?”

Harry replied, “She’s had some bad history with them. It’ll come up later.”

Liz Tuttle asked, “Who are those other blokes?”

Harry smiled, “Keep watching.”

Professor Sprout raised a hand, “Why isn’t that man seeing something wrong? I’m assuming he’s a teacher.”

Hecate chose to answer. “This is a concept that I created, and control, called The Mist. Any mythological events that take place, most mortal minds cannot comprehend it. So the Mist distorts those events and replaces them with visions of normality. In that mortal’s mind, he’s not seeing a monster attacking children. He is just seeing them playing a normal game. There are a few exceptional mortals, who can see through the Mist, but they are rare.”

The memory resumed and Liz Tuttle finally got her answer. Harry let the memory play the Grey Sisters taxi ride. Several girls retched in their mouths when Percy picked up the eye. As the siege on camp played out, Harry explained about the Colchis bulls, the creation of Hephaestus.

He winced, “Sorry, this isn’t the best impression of Camp. I promise it will be restored to its former glory, later.”

Millicent Bulstrode asked, “What’s Headmaster Dumbledore doing there?”

Dumbledore answered, “After the dreadful business with the Chamber of Secrets, I was suspended from Hogwarts. During that time, I took over as camp counsellor. Mr. Brunner hails from this camp and he took my place as temporary Headmaster.”

When Tyson was briefly toasted, Seamus yelped, “How the bloody hell is he still alive!”

Bianca explained, “Cyclopes can withstand a lot of heat. Even lava won’t bother them.”

He decided to skip over the chariot race and the Stymphalian birds. The memory resumed to the conversation about the Golden Fleece. The students were all silent until the hippocampi appeared. When Harry explained what they were, Hagrid looked like his birthday had arrived early.

Harry didn’t have to speak again until he pointed out the various monsters on the Princess Andromeda. He said, “Those are Laistrygonian giants. Those are hellhounds and the snake-ladies are called Scythian dracaenae.”

Once again, they were all quiet, save for the oohs, aahs and gasps while they made their escape.

When they were at Annabeth’s temporary camp, Sheila Brooks from Ravenclaw asked, “The word ‘Hunters’ has been mentioned quite a few times. Who are they.”

Harry smiled, “The Hunters of Artemis. They are a group of teenage girls who follow my mother. They have all sworn loyalty to my mother. Oh, and they are eternally youthful and semi-immortal.”

Lavender squealed, “Stay young forever?! SIGN ME UP!”

Harry snorted, “You sure you want that, Lavender? There is a caveat, and a major one. The Hunters are all maidens, that is unmarried, and they have to swear off falling in love. They will be immortal, as long as they don’t die in combat or break their vow.”

Parvati sniggered, “Sorry Lav! I guess that means, no boyfriends!”

Lavender pouted and Harry resumed the video. They watched as he and Clarisse went to look for their promised transport. Soon enough, they stumbled upon the CSS Birmingham. Beatrice Haywood yelped. “Are those Inferi?!”

Bianca shrugged, “Technically yes. The CSS Birmingham was a Confederate ship. Since the Confederates lost the American Civil War, they owed a debt to Ares.”

Just then, memory Harry spotted something in the distance. He swore, “Dammit! That Hydra’s closing in on Jackson and the others.”

He drew his wand, unconsciously turning it into its sword form, “I’ll go and back them up. Meet us in that backwater over there.”

He charged in, brandishing his sword like he was holding a wand. He arrived just in time for Percy to reflexively behead the Hydra. Thinking quickly, he pointed his sword and yelled, “INCENDIO!”

Everyone in the Room gasped in amazement as a jet of fire raced out of his sword and burned the headless stump. Surprisingly, Hermione raised a hand, “Why did you burn it, Harry?”

He explained, “The Hydra is a Greek monster, where if you cut off its head, two will grow in its place. You cut off both heads, then the number of heads doubles. You can only stop it by cauterizing the stumps. See, that Hydra had six heads, right? Cutting one off would see the number rise to 7, then 8, and so on.”

Harry skipped over the tour of the ship, as well as his attempt at brewing the Animagus potion. When he resumed the memory, he grumbled, “Bollocks… I almost forgot about this part. Bloody gave me nightmares for weeks.”

Everyone held their breaths at the onslaught, and a fair number of people recoiled at the sight of Charybdis. They breathed a sigh of relief when the CSS Birmingham was blown away. Then the screams began when Scylla attacked and began picking off soldiers. There were even more screams when Harry tackled Percy and got snatched up. The magical screen went black for a minute, and when it resume, he was on the lifeboat with Percy, Annabeth and Clarisse.

Fortunately, his little insult-off with Clarisse broke the tension in the Room. Seamus grinned, “Damn, Harry! Didn’t know you had it in you!”

Suddenly Chiara gasped, “Those teeth we pulled out from your shoulder! Those were from that monster!?”

He nodded and played out Percy’s conversation about the prophecy. Susan asked, “This prophecy… Is that why you asked us to come here? Are you going to train us for that fight?”

He replied, “No and yes. I am training you guys to fight, because I have a feeling that the Wizarding world will be dragged into it, at some point. I’d rather have everyone prepared to fight than be caught completely off guard and possibly slaughtered. However, we're not involved in this particular prophecy. Be patient.”

He skipped over the Greyback conversation and played the memory of C.C.’s Spa and Resort. When that bit was over, there were several jaws on the floor, “YOU FREAKING FOUGHT CIRCE!!!?”

Harry nodded and whistled softly, “Yeah… Didn’t beat her, obviously. That was an experience and a half.”

Padma shot him a thumbs up, “Good job with getting rid of her potion. Though… was that an Animagus Potion you switched it for?”

He grinned and nodded. Meanwhile Wayne Hopkins gaped, “Blackbeard the pirate!?”

Everyone turned to look at him, “What? I’m a big fan of pirates.”

Once again, Harry forwarded most of the journey. Though he played out Annabeth’s reason behind disliking Cyclopes. Admittedly he edited out his own encounter, as there was no need to scare the others further.

Finally, the memory of their encounter with the Sirens played. That was when everything turned quiet. Dean asked, “What’s up with the sound?”

Harry frowned, “If I had to guess, its cause I plugged up my ears to avoid hearing the Sirens’ song. Sirens are basically more powerful versions of Veela, and they are a lot more bloodthirsty.”

Harry skipped over witnessing Annabeth’s perfect world, figuring that it was too personal. Finally, the memory began playing the scene where they reached Polyphemus’ island.

Everyone blanched at the sight of the sheep devouring the helpless deer. Seventh-Year Ravenclaw, Rebecca stammered, “Th-that’s not right… Sheep are supposed to be freaking herbivores!”

When they got to the encounter with Polyphemus, Hannah raised a hand, “How come he thought that Grover was a girl?”

Harry pointed, “Look at his eye. Centuries ago, the hero Ulysses encountered him and blinded him. The fact that Polyphemus thinks that Grover is a female Cyclops, is the only thing keeping his arse alive.”

When Polyphemus returned, people flinched when Harry introduced himself as Lord Voldemort. Harry caught everyone’s looks, “I’ll explain in a bit. Keep watching.”

They watched, oohed and aahed as Harry and his friends had several close calls. When Polyphemus yelled, ‘I curse you, Voldemort! You will die a quick and early death’, Harry turned to the gathered crowd. He grinned, “That’s why!”

He explained, “Back when Ulysses encountered Polyphemus, he went by the name ‘Nobody.’ Now, Polyphemus was not very smart, so Ulysses carried on the ruse until he escaped. That was when he made the mistake of revealing his real name. As you heard, Polyphemus is a son of Poseidon. So he prayed to his father to curse Ulysses to delay his journey back to his kingdom of Ithaka. I figured it would be the smart thing to curse You-Know-Who’s name. That way, if someone was stupid enough or ballsy enough to try and resurrect that prick, Polyphemus' curse could strike him early.”

Harry skipped over the journey back to the mainland. Though he played out Clarisse’s prophecy. Then after they split up, he played the encounter with Luke. This included him revealing his grand plan to revive Kronos. Later on, the scene switched to the centaur rescue, though Harry skipped over the journey back. However, he did leave in the memory of the Draco Aionius attack.

Harry skipped over the chariot race, his Iris Message to Sally and Uncle Remus, and Tonks’ mission. The last memory he showed was of Silena shaking him awake and everything leading to Thalia’s resurrection.

Padma asked, “Wait… You kept talking about Thalia as if she was dead. How is she still alive?”

Harry shrugged, “The way she explained it, she was close to death, when Lord Zeus turned her into a tree. She then went into some sort of stasis, until the Fleece healed her and restored her.”

Finally He let out a breath, “Okay… shall we take a break or do you want to see more memories? I’ve got another 3 years’ worth of memories to show.”

When everyone wanted to see the rest, he waved Ron and Hermione over. He told them, “Right… Can one of you concentrate on the memories of the quest to rescue me?”

Ron stepped up, “I’ll do it. I was the one who saw you getting kidnapped.”

As he extracted his memories, he explained, “Remember when I got kidnapped after the Quidditch World Cup? Ron and Hermione joined Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, Bianca, and the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, Zoe.”

He breathed slowly, “Crumbs! With each passing year, the adventures got more and more dangerous.”

Chapter 82

Notes:

First and foremost, thank you everyone for your patience. I know it's not been easy and I overextended my deadline. I have no other excuse than my work got a bit hectic and the story I was trying to finish off, took longer than expected. With all that said, enjoy this chapter.

Harry extracted Ron’s memories and projected them for everyone to watch. The first scene was of Ron, Hermione, Zoë, Bianca, Grover, Thalia, Annabeth and Percy in the minivan. Percy was explaining about his dream and that Artemis had also been captured.

They pulled into a local mall and exited the car. The group split up and they stayed with Ron, Annabeth and Grover. Just then, Memory Ron spotted Dr Thorn.

They all watched as Annabeth turned invisible, while Ron and Grover scrambled off to find the others. Later on as they congregated by the Apollo space capsule, Annabeth reappeared, but Percy was missing. The students watched as they discussed their game plan.

Minutes later, there were multiple screams when the Nemean Lion made its appearance. Malfoy asked, “Why aren’t any weapons working?”

Harry paused the memory and explained, “Slaying the Nemean Lion was actually Herakles’ first task. According to the legend, Lady Hera cursed him with a brief bout of madness, and because of that, he murdered his wife and his children. In order to atone for those crimes, he was given these 12 tasks. Now, the Nemean Lion is said to have a hide that was impervious to attack. No weapon could harm it. Herakles only achieved it because he strangled the lion.”

Later on, Kevin Farrell had a bit of a geek out when they were on the SUN WEST LINE. Turns out, he was a massive sportscar fanatic. Later on, some of the girls swooned at seeing Apollo, even in his homeless disguise. Susan Bones did grunt, “Jealous!”, when Ron and Hermione got their Traces removed.

In New Mexico, people shuddered at the sight of the skeletal warriors. Then when the Erymanthian Boar showed up, there were more screams. Not much happened, other than the appearance of Ares, and many students scowled at him. The gasps came back when Talos made it’s appearance. When Zoë pointed out that Talos was too small, Hannah shrieked, “THAT THING IS SMALL?!”

Everyone held their breath when Bianca entered the giant automaton. Then they breathed out a sigh of relief when Ron and Hermione rescued her. In the real world, Ginny and Mackenzie hugged Bianca from either side. Then Theodore Nott pointed out, “Who are those girls and why are they underwater?”

Harry explained, “Those are naiads. They are water spirits and reside mostly in rivers, lakes or oceans.”

The mood was lightened with all the dam jokes. Then they watched as Annabeth told Ron to double back and find Percy after he split up with them. Then came the scene with Rachel and how she saved their asses.

Later on, everyone gasped when the statues came to life and took care of the skeletons before carrying everyone away. The memory was sped up until they confronted Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. Ginny muttered to Ron, “Fred and George would be so proud of you.”

When the Ophiotaurus made its appearance, a First-Year Hufflepuff cheered, “YES! I KNEW IT! I KNEW I WASN’T SEEING THINGS IN THE BLACK LAKE! BUT NOOOO! EVERYONE KEPT SAYING THAT COW SERPENTS DO NOT EXIST!”

When Zoë mentioned the prophecy around the Ophiotaurus, everyone’s jaws dropped. The atmosphere in the Room of Requirement was tense when Thorn and his army showed up. Things got even more intense when Thalia was presented with the choice. Jaws fell again when Dionysus unleashed his true power.

People’s eyes widened when they saw Percy sacrifice his lion coat. However, their respect for him soared when they heard his explanation. Ron then skipped over the interaction with Annabeth’s parents. He figured it was too personal. When the memories resumed, it was a couple of minutes before the car was attacked.

Everyone’s hearts stopped briefly when the lightning strike hit the SUV. But they were all relieved when everyone got away safely. A few people screamed at the sight of Ladon, but soon calmed down. Then there were visible winces when a fang just about nicked Zoë on the side.

Padma asked, “Why are Harry’s arms in that position? And Lady Artemis’ arms?”

Hermione pointed out, “You see that inky blackness above them? That’s the sky.”

Several students exclaimed, “The sky!”

She motioned, “Keep watching… All will be explained.”

Sure enough, they got Atlas’ explanation. Soon, they all watched as things escalated and the battle began in earnest. The students were oohing, aahing and cheering as the skirmish raged. When Atlas got trapped under the sky, everyone let out a loud cheer.

As the memory progressed, Harry was getting visibly uncomfortable. Mackenzie shifted closer to him. She knew that re-living Zoë’s death was going to be hard on him.

Everyone watched as Artemis and Harry tended to Zoe. Then the scene moved to the sky where Dr. Chase’s Sopwith Camel made its appearance and began wreaking havoc. There were stray gasps when Artemis summoned her silver chariot. Badeea Ali could be heard murmuring, “So beautiful!”

Everyone was dead silent when Zoë’s final moments played out in the memory. Meanwhile with the real Harry, many shot him sympathetic looks. Then Susan Bones got up, walked over and hugged him, “Sorry you had to go through that. I know what it’s like. I lost my mum and dad too, during the war against You-Know-Who.”

Harry murmured back, “Obviously you know of my parents, but I was too young to know them. It’s a lot different when it happens in front of you and you are powerless to stop it. Zoë pretty much raised me most of my life. I’ve lost a few Hunters prior to this, but her death hit me the hardest.”

The memory resumed after their moment and Susan went back to her spot next to Penny. When Zoë’s spirit was turned into a constellation, Professor Sinistra mused, “I did wonder about the new constellation when it suddenly popped up a couple of years ago.”

Soon they were all back at Olympus and everyone watched with baited breath as the gods debated among themselves. There were looks of amazement when Thalia joined the Hunt. Then many jaws dropped when Harry was made the Lieutenant of the Hunters.

After the Ophiotaurus’ fate was decided, Barnaby Lee gasped, “So THAT’S how it came to reside in the Black Lake! Wow!”

With that, the memories ended. Harry extricated himself from Mackenzie’s embrace. He spoke up, “I’ll give you guys a minute to just take in everything. This is why I said that the first two quests were fairly low stakes. This was the first time someone’s actually died, and it’ll only get worse from there. That’s why we’re all going to have to train hard for whatever this upcoming threat is. I am not letting anyone else die on my watch.”

Just then, Mandy Brocklehurst raised a hand, “I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s the deal with the coins over the eyes? You and Bianca did it to Rowan too.”

Bianca explained, “The coins are mainly payment to Charon. He’s in charge of ferrying all the souls across the River Styx and into the Underworld. The drachmae are for the souls to pay for the ride.”

---

After a 15 minute break for everyone to process, Harry stepped up and extracted his next set of memories. The scene opened up with them meeting Quintus and Mrs O’Leary for the first time. Hannah noted, “Your camp does look nice!”

During the Council of Cloven Elders, Daphne deadpanned, “This sounds like a typical Wizengamot meeting. Father took me once, when I was young.”

Harry skipped over the clean-up process of his cabin, but did play Tyson’s warning about what was happening under the sea. He then skipped over his interaction with Nico, but played the duel between Percy and Quintus.

The anxiety then built when Clarisse woke Harry up, saying that the camp was under attack. For the most part, Harry stuck with Lee Fletcher and the sons of Apollo as they turned the drakon onto a pincushion.

Later on, Annabeth told them about the Labyrinth. Harry forestalled any questions, saying that the answers would come shortly. Some of the tension was eased with Harry’s dry jokes comparing the Labyrinth to the maze in the Third Task.

The memories forwarded to the next day as Quintus announced the task of retrieving golden laurels from one of the monsters. They watched as Harry and Tyson ganged up on one giant scorpion, the sight of which, made many students scream.

The battle went on for a while, but they were finally able to defeat it. However, Clarisse and Lee had finished first. Slowly, the other pairs trickled up, except for Percy and Annabeth. Chiron immediately ordered a search party. An hour later, there was no sign of them and it was getting dark. At last, Harry, Bianca and Clarisse found the couple.

People were shocked at the revelation of an invasion route, right in the middle of the camp. The scene later cut to the war council in the Big House. No one said a word while Annabeth was chosen to be quest leader. During the exchange with Janus, Ginny muttered, “Man! It’s almost like listening to Fred and George again. Especially when they do that annoying twin speak where they finish each other’s sentences.”

During the exchange with Hera, Mandy Brocklehurst asked, “What’s Hera’s history with Herakles?”

Harry explained, “As she mentioned, Herakles was the son of her husband with another woman. Of course she would be pissed off. After she drove him mad and made him murder his wife and children, he had to undergo those 12 tasks.”

The memory resumed, and the next interruption was when Kampê made her appearance. During the escape, things were tense. As Tyson scrambled to re-join Annabeth, Percy, Grover and Harry, people were cheering him on.

All was quiet until Theodore Nott exclaimed, “Holy crap! Is that really the Chamber of Salazar Slytherin.”

Harry nodded, “Yep! Imagine my shock when I found out that the Labyrinth stretches all the way to Hogwarts.”

Harry then skipped over his dream and the explanation. Finally, the memory settled on when they approached Geryon’s ranch. Ginny mused, “I’ve never seen such red cows in my life.”

At the sight of Orthus, Hagrid gasped, “I got to get me one of those!”

Dumbledore smiled genially, “Now Hagrid, my dear man. You know the Ministry frowns on that, right?”

He blanched, “Yer right! Sorry professor!”

Many people were awed at the sight of the fire-breathing horses, Hippalektryons and the cattle. However, there were shouts of outrage when Geryon openly admitted to them being reared for meat. Harry paused the memory and explained, “The red cows originally belonged to Helios. Because they are sacred to him, it is forbidden to kill them and consume their meat. During Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaka, his crew members ignored the warning. Helios was so outraged at the disrespect that he destroyed Odysseus’ ship and killed all his crew.”

Anthony Goldstein spoke up, “Wait a sec, is it Odysseus or Ulysses? You’ve used both names, for who I’m assuming is the same guy.”

Harry paused, “Oh right… Sorry… I sometimes have a habit of switching between Greek and Roman names. Just like Herakles is the Greek name and Hercules is the Roman name, Odysseus is the Greek name while Ulysses is the Roman equivalent. Sorry, I’ll be more consistent to avoid confusion.”

A few minutes into the video, many people were looking revolted. Cassandra Vole choked, “What… the hell… is that!”

Harry inwardly shuddered, “The Augean stables. Originally housed cattle of King Augeas. Now as you can see, they house the flesh-eating mares of Diomedes.”

Later on, McGonagall shot Harry a proud look, “Excellent use of the Water-Making Spell, Mr. Potter. And the Vanishing Spell too!”

Justin gaped, “Whoa! I did not expect that old cowboy bloke to betray Geryon like that.”

Later on at the summoning, there were a bunch of screams when everyone realised how close Voldemort came to being resurrected. After Bianca’s deus ex machina appearance, Dumbledore visibly relaxed. During the encounter with the Sphinx, a few people were terrified, but relieved when things did not escalate into a fight.

They were silent during the exchange with Hephaestus. Then during the telkhine orientation, Seamus joked, “Nah! Binns’ lectures are more boring!”

Then Flitwick was startled, “Those monsters can use magic?!”

Harry motioned, “Keep watching, professor.”

Finally, he was satisfied with Annabeth’s explanation about them experimenting with dark magic, briefly. He also played out his attempted rescue of Percy Jackson before being blown up into the sky. Harry then chose to skip over his side-quest at Hogwarts, to the relief of Susan, Hannah and Penny. He didn’t want to traumatise them further.

The memory resumed at the scene where he, Percy and Annabeth were at the Big House, discussing their next course of action. There were a few giggles at Harry’s quip about Necromancy. Then he skipped over a chunk of memories that he explained were not particularly important. Finally, Harry resumed at when they were in the Labyrinth again.

Sometime later, Kevin Farrell asked, “Who’s that girl with the short skirt? Why are her legs different? Looks like a weird vampire.”

Harry paused the memory and explained, “You’re close. She is an empousa. They’re Ancient Greek monsters who are similar to vampires.”

They watched the exchange with Antaeus, when Chiara raised her hand, “How is that guy a son of Poseidon?”

Harry explained, “Many Gods have had children with each other or with nymphs. Antaeus is the son of Poseidon and Gaia, the Goddess of the earth.”

When Harry and Percy fought in the arena, people cheered their prowess. Then they booed when Luke went back on the deal. The cheers were back when Mrs O’Leary came to the rescue. Harry elected to skip the little relationship drama between Percy, Annabeth and Rachel.

There were multiple scowls when Quintus showed up. Soon, jaws dropped when he revealed that he was Daedalus. People were also amazed when he revealed that he found a way to transfer his soul into his current body. However, nothing prepare anyone for the revelation that he built Hogwarts castle.

During the battle in the workshop, there were gasps and cheers, and more cheers when they escaped. Then came the resurrection of Kronos in Luke’s body. When Percy yelled, Harry paused the memory. He chuckled, “Honestly… I like the bloke, but this was one of the rare times I really wanted to strangle him.”

Malfoy asked, “Why is he moving slowly?”

Harry obliged him, “He’s not moving slowly. Kronos is actually slowing down time. He’s the Titan Lord of Time. He can control it.”

He then played through the escape, and the little drama. He explained, “Annabeth took Luke’s betrayal hard. He and Thalia rescued her when she was 5 years old. They were almost like family.”

Then came the scene where he saw Grover’s Rasta cap. People were tense when Tyson nearly attacked Harry’s Dire Wolf form. Then there were exclamations of wonder at the sight of the extinct animals.

Everyone was dead silent during the encounter with Pan. Then, Dennis Creevey asked, “I don’t get it… What’s he talking about?”

Harry explained, “Pan is dying. You see all the destruction of the forests all over the world, right? The wild is slowly dying. If a god’s domain is erased, they will slowly fade. As he said, ‘When everything he has stood for, is gone.’”

When Nico opened the portal and Harry shepherded them through, Hagrid exclaimed, “So that’s where all those critters came from?!”

He smiled at Harry, “Not to worry, Harry. They’re all safe in the Forbidden Forest. I’ve visited them from time to time.”

Harry skipped over his negotiation with Hagrid. He explained that he wanted the animals to have their privacy in wherever Hagrid had relocated them. He resumed the memory at Camp Half-Blood where they were going about preparing.

Everyone watched as he pulled out a hunting horn and blew a long, loud blast. Minutes later, Thalia and Mackenzie came running in, leading the other Hunters. Splitting from a napping Nico, Harry got busy preparing traps, barking orders and setting up other defences. An hour later, Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson arrived.

Memory Harry turned to Thalia, “Oi! I need to rush for a minute! You got the prep under control? The Council of Cloven Elders meeting is about to begin. I’m going to make sure they don’t do anything stupid! Be back shortly!”

She shot him a thumbs up and he scrambled off. Fortunately, Chiron managed to delay the decision and Harry was back with the Hunters. They watched as Harry spoke to a disguised Rita Skeeter. People still had no idea that she was an Animagus, and Harry wasn’t about to out her.

When the Laistrygonian giants attacked, they watched as Harry and the other archers fired several arrows. Then came a moment that really stymied people, and that was when Harry called forth an army of wild animals to attack the enemy.

Harry sheepishly explained that it was a parting gift from Pan. The students were all terrified when Kampê made her appearance again. When Kampê pinned Percy and Annabeth, a few people covered their eyes in worry. Then a huge cheer erupted when Mrs O’Leary and Daedalus showed up with Briares. People gasped when Chiron was struck, but were all forced to cover their ears when Grover let out that unearthly screech. Then they were all confused when the army rushed back into the Labyrinth.

Not a word was spoken when Daedalus finally passed on. Later on, Harry played out the council meeting. Understanding dawned on everyone when Chiron explained about Grover’s power. People were also relieved when the Council was at an impasse. He even played out the funerals, and explained that it was necessary for everyone to know what they were getting themselves into with no sugar-coating. Finally, Harry ended the memories over there.

---

Then, he extracted his final set of memories, the events leading up to the war, and the actual war itself. He kicked things off with his, Percy’s Beckendorf’s and Katie’s mission. She had already mentioned earlier that she was a Hunter of Artemis, so no one really batted an eyelid.

There were cheers when they successfully planted the bombs and made their escape. During Percy’s duel with the giant crab, Jae Kim joked, “I am never looking at crab cakes the same way ever again.”

People scowled when they got caught and when Luke spoke about spies in camp. Everyone was tense during the battle and then the escape. Suddenly, the screen turned black when Harry dived into the sea.

When the memory resumed, they were back at camp giving their respective mission reports. Pansy asked, “How did you suddenly end up back at camp?”

Harry replied, “Well, I was knocked unconscious. So I missed the whole thing about being in Poseidon’s underwater palace.”

No sooner had Annabeth and Percy went up, Harry began to hear raised voices in the War Room. He rushed back to find Clarisse and Michael Yew at each other’s throats. He was about to intervene when Silena dragged him next to her and began patching his healing wounds.

There were multiple eye rolls among the students during the petty squabble. However, a chill ran through everyone’s spines when Percy Jackson read the prophecy. When Typhon was name-dropped, Dean spoke up, “Wait a sec… I saw something on the news about a ‘perfect storm’ that was headed for New York. That giant arse hurricane was a Titan.”

Harry nodded and resumed his memories. People got a chuckle at the Slug Vomiting Hex he hit Percy with when the latter teased him about his scarred face.

After the confrontation with Leneus, Daphne cocked her head sideways. “What’s this plan you’re talking about with Nico?”

Harry replied, “It’s to do with how Luke was able to be strong enough to host Kronos’ spirit. We’re re-tracing his steps.”

Nico and Percy left, and Harry sprinted off and met with Annabeth. He spoke to her, “The mission is clear. Olympus is going to be the target. You rally the campers, and I’ll fetch the Hunters. I’ll even ask Sirius and Remus for some help.”

A while later, he was coordinating with the Hunters. He swiftly delegated tasks before calling Katie and Penelope over. The trio sprinted like gazelles, and before long, had congregated on a small cliff near some woods in Connecticut. They weren’t alone as Mrs. O’Leary was napping next to a campfire. Said campfire was also being tended to by a young eight-year-old girl with mousy brown hair, a brown dress and a scarf on her head.

She looked up as they arrived, “Oh, hello there! Sit down, you must be hungry. I don’t mean to stereotype, but would you three like some tea?”

Harry bowed, “Lady Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth.”

They sat and enjoyed some tea and biscuits until Percy and Nico came charging in like their tails were on fire. When Dobby showed up, Malfoy jolted, “Hang on! I know him! Dobby worked for my family!”

Harry explained, “I believe your late father relieved him off duty. This was around the end of our 2^nd Year, if I’m not mistaken.”

Malfoy accepted that answer. Not that Harry was going to tell him that he was the reason behind it. Harry then skipped over to Nico asking why she wasn’t fighting alongside the other gods.

Harry then played out the memory of Percy getting permission from his mother. After meeting with Grover, everyone watched as the boys entered the Underworld. When Percy debated about diving in, Hannah raised a hand, “I don’t get it… What will happen if he walks into the river?”

Harry motioned, “Keep watching… It’ll all become clear soon.”

Then, John Silvertongue spoke, “Who’s that ghost?”

Harry replied, “Achilles. He’s pretty much the greatest Greek hero of all-time.”

Cho winced at the sight of his foot, “Ouch! That had to have hurt a lot!”

Harry didn’t respond, but allowed Memory Achilles to do all the talking. After exiting the Underworld, Hannah raised her hand again, “Sorry Harry, but that explains nothing.”

He obliged, “Okay, so the legend is that if you take a dip in the River Styx, your body will be invulnerable. However, the only drawback is that one part of the body had to be exposed to the outside world. Achille’s mother Thetis held him by his heel and dipped him in the river. So you could attack him anywhere and nothing would happen. However, the moment you hurt his left heel, he would die.”

When he played the memories, he went over the plan of gathering the Hunters and small contingent of wizards. Then jaws dropped when Hecate gave Harry a boost of magical power, even if that was temporary. The awe grew when Harry strengthened the magical defences around Olympus, and then when he produced the massive Repelling Ward around the island of Manhattan.

Dumbledore gave him an approving nod when Harry ordered the demigods to clear the mortals from the streets. Minutes later, Talbott Winger exclaimed, “The goblins are also involved, and you got them on your side!?”

The next few minutes saw the battle at Lincoln Tunnel from Harry’s perspective. Together, he and the Hunters mowed down row after row of monsters and enemy demigods. About half an hour into the fight, Percy’s voice came from the mirror, telling him that Annabeth was down. Harry immediately called for Dobby to help. Then he transformed into his Animagus form and bolted for the Plaza Hotel.

People breathed a sigh of relief when Annabeth was quickly treated. Then later on, Colin Creevey exclaimed, “Whoa! I didn’t know Rita Skeeter was involved in this, or that she was an Animagus!”

Harry replied, “Yeah, I managed to cut a deal with her and she became my spy. I knew that Luke had his spies in our camp, so I figured I’d return the favour. Besides, as a beetle, she is plenty small enough for infiltration.”

Then when Annabeth made her confession, Justin nodded sagely, “That’s right! That is a cowardly move. Glad she didn’t do it.”

Later on, there were multiple winces when Prometheus’ old punishment was mentioned. Everyone was fairly silent until the surprise attack began. Few people sniggered when Harry mentioned an evil Snow White. Then Andre Egwu pointed, “Who’s that bloke?”

Harry replied, “Hyperion. Titan of the East and father of Helios, the first sun god.”

From Harry’s vantage point, he had a good view of the duel between Percy and Hyperion. The students eyes all bugged out when Hyperion was turned into a maple tree after the epic fight with Percy. Just then, they heard a loud pig-like squeal.

Mackenzie grinned, “OOO! This is my favourite part!”

They watched as Harry led the Clazmonian Sow away from the battle. When the assault began, there were whoops and cheers and ‘Come on Harry!’ shouts. After the bloody battle, the mood dimmed with the news of the casualties. The atmosphere grew tense as Kronos’ forces closed in, only for a huge cheer to erupt when the Party Ponies turned up to fight.

Few people snickered when he warned some of his Hunters to avoid stealing. When Rachel delivered her message, Wayne Hopkins asked, “What did she mean by that?”

Harry replied, “Keep watching. Everything will become clear soon.”

There were lots of covered ears when the Lydian drakon roared. Anthony Goldstein exclaimed, “Whoa! That thing is huge!”

Just then, Clarisse and her siblings showed up, to the delight of everyone watching. A while later, the scene in the throne room played out. Daphne asked, “What’s happening?”

Harry groaned, “Jackson had the brilliantly stupid idea to sit on his father’s throne. The Gods do not like it when anyone else sits on their thrones. It’s pretty disrespectful to them. So the offended will usually blast them to smithereens. It was stupid because his dad could have blasted him, but it was brilliant because it worked.”

Tensions grew once again when Kronos and his army arrived. Gasps of horror emerged when Chiron was blasted backwards into a building. When Annabeth was at her most vulnerable, so many people’s hearts went out to her.

Then came the epic entrance of Nico, Bianca and Hades. Merula Snyde raised a hand, “Who are those two with Hades?”

He replied, “That’s Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture, and her daughter, Persephone, Goddess of Springtime and Vegetation.”

When Kronos overwhelmed Harry’s defences, Jae gestured at the mortals’ bewildered faces, “What the hell were they seeing?”

Harry shrugged, “Beats me.”

Then came the duel with Kronos. More gasps and cheers came when the group scored blows against Kronos. There were also smiles when Ethan suddenly betrayed Kronos. Though the cheers turned into screams when he fell through a fissure. The screen went black for a few seconds and Harry explained that he was briefly knocked unconscious.

He woke up in time to see Poseidon pull off a deus ex machina against Typhon. Then came Kronos’ final assault. There were a few shouts of protest when Percy gave the knife to Luke. However, they died down when Luke stabbed himself with it, right in his weak spot. Although they all witnessed his betrayal, there were still plenty of tears shed for Luke’s noble sacrifice.

Then came the time for the post-war council of the Gods. After Artemis’ declaration, Tracey Davis practically screeched, “YOU ARE FREAKING IMMORTAL!?!?”

Every pair of eyes turned to him in awe. His shoulders slumped and he explained, “In a technical sense, I am eternally youthful. I can still be killed by any other means, but I won’t die a natural death, like the other Hunters. So even 2-3 decades from now, I’ll still look like an 18-year-old.”

Minutes later, Malfoy shouted, “He freaking turned down the chance to be a God! How stupid is he?!”

Harry paused the memory and snapped, “Oi! He had a good reason to! Keep watching.”

Then, jaws dropped when Hecate made her revelation about wanting to rule over the Wizarding World. The jaws stayed down when Harry put the entire island of Manhattan back to sleep, repaired the entire city and then performed a mass Obliviate.

Harry then skipped over most of the aftermath, before stopping at the scene before Rachel’s announcement. He explained, “Okay, everyone! This bit is going to be extra important. This will be the last bit of memory before we’re done.”

Trelawney’s eyes widened when Rachel announced that she was the new host of the Oracle of Delphi. There were a few sniggers at the Twins antics, but then the mood got serious when Rachel doubled over. Then she uttered the next Great Prophecy, and then Apollo’s explanation played out before Harry officially ended the memories.

Dumbledore took the Pensieve away and Harry resumed pacing back and forth. He spoke, “So, all these memories are just so that you all know what you’re getting yourselves into. According to the Prophecy, three worlds will be involved. The way I interpret it, it could mean the Demigod world, the Wizarding world and maybe the Mortal world.”

He continued, “The thing is, I don’t want us to be caught completely unaware, when the Wizarding World gets dragged into the next conflict. So, I will be training all of in the art of various weapons. I don’t think magic will work against monsters, so I have to train you guys to use weapons.”

He went over to one corner of the Room of Requirement, where a small backpack was sitting. Harry reached in and pulled out several swords of various sizes and laid them out on a table that Hermione levitated over. Then he brought out several javelins and spears of different sizes. Finally, he set up various targets and practice dummies, and laid out several bows and quivers full of arrows, all on other tables. He spoke, “Okay guys! Choose which weapon you are comfortable with, and what size. Once you’re used to the practice weapons, I’ll contact from of the children of Hephaestus to craft special weapons for you all.”

Chapter 83: Chapter 83

Notes:

Right... So I owe everyone another apology. I underestimated how long it would take to write nearly 6000 words. Additionally, there were a lot of major plot points that I had to edit out because of what happened in canon. In the games, there was supposed to be a bit of a hunt for the Marauder's Map, but since Harry owns it, that was out the window. Secondly, Peter Pettigrew was involved in the game canon, but he's dead in this fic, so I had to do some massive rewrites.

Harry then turned to his friends and motioned with his head. Getting the silent message, Ron and Hermione quickly sprang into action. They set about dividing everyone into groups and lining them up at each table to pick up a practice weapon.

Neville joined in and was leading the potential sword fighters, Hermione was teaching knife fighting tips. Ron was at a third table, showing students how to wield a spear. Katie was manning a fourth table that had several bows and quivers full of arrows. Harry joined her, though he occasionally floated between tables and helped out.

At one point, he stepped up next to Daphne Greengrass, who was aiming an arrow at a target. He stopped her, “Hey, give me a sec. Your posture is wrong. May I?”

He gestured to her body and she gave her consent. Harry stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. The demigod then lifted his knee to the base of her spine and gently pushed his knee outwards. His actions caused Daphne to straighten up instantly and then moments later, she let fly, hitting the target. Not quite landing on the bullseye, but she was on the second-to-last ring. He spoke, “You were slouching a little. Back straight while shooting.”

Then Harry moved over to Penny Haywood, whose arrows kept falling short. He glanced back at John, who shot him a thumbs up. The tiptoeing around Penny Haywood began ever since Fourth Year, when Seamus tried to flirt with her during the Yule Ball. By then, John and Penny had been firmly dating and he nearly broke Seamus’ nose. Harry spoke up, “Haywood, don’t be afraid. The bows are strong, they won’t break. Pull all the way back.”

He sidled up behind the pretty blonde girl. Placed his hands over her own, lifted the bow and pulled the string all the way back. He drew it back to the point where the nock was touching her cheek and Harry advised, “Aim down the sight. Find the target and let go. Also, breathe in and let it out slowly. You’re too tense, Penny. Just relax your body.”

Harry let go of her hands and stepped back as she followed his instructions. Moments later, she released the arrow and it nailed the bullseye. She froze for a few seconds before squealing and dancing around, “I did it! I did it!”

Harry smiled and left her to it. He then moved over to Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was practicing with a knife. He stepped in and gently corrected, “You’re gripping it too loose. Don’t try any fancy tricks, or it’ll get you killed faster. Also, here’s a tip. You won’t always get to choose your opponents. Most of the time, you’ll likely be up against someone or something with a sword. When you have the shorter blade, move in closer.”

Then he moved over to Hermione and Luna, who were with a group of Ravenclaw girls. One of them snorted derisively, “Really… You want Looney Lovegood of all people to teach us about knife fighting? She’d probably cause the enemy to die of boredom with her inane talk of imaginary-”

*WHOOSH!* *THWACK!*

The next thing anyone could even register, was the sight of Luna’s arm in an outstretched position, as if she had thrown something. Harry glanced down to his left hip, where one of his hunting knives rested, or used to rest.

The next moment, something long fluttered gracefully to the ground, a lock of hair. All activity in the room stopped and everyone gaped at the scene. Before anyone could even blink, Luna had reacted. Apparently, the moment he came within arm’s length of her, she snatched the knife and threw it at a target behind one of her tormentors. The knife curved around the offending girl, nicked a lock of hair and then hit the target, dead centre.

Luna’s eyes were blazing with fury. However in the next minute, she blinked, her posture changed and her spaced-out owlish look was back. The girl airily spoke, “I would dearly appreciate it if you would stop with those horrid names, thank you very much.”

From that day onwards, nobody messed with Luna Lovegood. Harry shook his head, retrieved his hunting knife and finally drifted over to the sword table, where Zacharias Smith was debating over the table. He asked, “Having trouble picking?”

The Hufflepuff boy grumbled, “I’m tempted by that wicked-looking giant sword.”

Harry snorted, “Size doesn’t matter. Judging by your height and size, a big sword will be too heavy and you’ll be a liability on the battlefield. It’s all about finding the right size for you. Pick each of them up, one by one and weigh them in your hand. That usually works well. In any case, this is just practice. Also, do you want to go with just the sword, or sword and shield?”

The boy raised an eyebrow, “What’s the difference?”

“Using just the sword makes you lighter and faster on your feet. However, you are a little more exposed out on the battlefield. With a shield, you can defend yourself. Though the disadvantage means that you lose the speed advantage. The shields can be a little heavy, but they save lives. It’s your choice, mate.”

Just then, Kevin Farrell raised a hand as he shifted from one foot to the other. Harry approached, “Yeah, Kev?”

He spoke, “Uhh… Listen, Harry… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’d have the stomach for fighting. I kind of want to be a Healer. I know a few others also want to do the same.”

Harry smiled, “That’s okay, bruv. I can respect that. Besides, another perk of being a child of Apollo is that they are excellent healers. He is the God of Medicine, so his children would have inherited some skills. Though, I do have to insist that you guys learn the basics of fighting. I’m saying this, in case enemy forces break through our lines. One of the first places they will attack, will be the medical bay, so you all need to learn to defend yourselves, when in a pinch.”

Kevin grinned, “You got it, Harry!”

Harry glanced behind him, where the faculty were keenly observing the proceedings. He asked, “Professors? Would you all like to join in?”

Professor Flitwick awkwardly laughed, “Mr Potter, I have to admit, I am tempted to give in to the goblin side of my heritage and pick up a weapon. Unfortunately, my own personal ego would not want me to be taught by my own student, I mean no offence.”

Harry snorted, “No worries Professor Flitwick. I understand where you are all coming from. I have an idea though, you all can maybe visit Lord Chiron at Camp Half Blood, for training. He’ll be a much better teacher, as he has been alive for centuries and trained the greatest Greek heroes.”

About a couple of hours later, Harry clapped his hands. He hollered, “Alright! We’ll wrap it up here for today! We’ll keep this up every weekend for a couple of hours, okay!?”

---

The gathered students nodded in assent, all of them sweating slightly. Before long, all of them vacated the premises and split off in different directions. Harry and his friends walked sedately back to the Great Hall, when some voices called out. Spinning around, they spotted John, Penny and her sister Beatrice, jogging up.

The older blonde asked, “Hey Harry! I wanted to ask you a few things about the various monsters your memories. You said they all existed in Greek mythology, right? Could you tell us the origins of these monsters?”

He motioned with his head, “We’re off for a bite to eat. You can join us and we’ll talk there.”

An hour later, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Mackenzie were seated in the Great Hall. Clustered around them were a mix of Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Slytherins. Padma pulled out a roll of parchment, “I noted down all the names of the monsters that you’ve encountered. Could you explain them all? The first one you encountered in your memories is Medusa, right? What’s her story.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, “Pretty meticulous, eh? Anyway, according to Roman depictions, she was originally a priestess in Athena’s temple. Poseidon decided that he fancied her and had an affair. At one point, Athena caught them in her temple, and that’s a hugely disrespectful act. In her anger, she turned Medusa into a monster. Some early Greek myths suggest that she was always a monster, and there was no mention of Athena at all. As you all saw in my memories, she could turn people to stone with her gaze, but only if you looked directly. She was eventually slayed by Perseus Jackson’s Greek namesake.“

Anthony Goldstein consulted the parchment and asked, “And the Chimaera?”

“Slain by the hero, Bellerophon as he rode on the original Pegasus. All the other pegasi are all his offspring. Meanwhile, Echidna was originally slain by Argus the hundred-eyed giant. After that… I think you all heard about Arachne and I explained about the Lotus Eaters. In the original tale, Odysseus landed on this island while on his way home after the Trojan War. Also, Percy, Annabeth, Grover and I were not the first ones to go to the Underworld. Herakles did it when he had to fetch Cerberus as one of his 12 tasks. There was also Orpheus, but that’s another story.”

Justin spoke up, “What were those 12 tasks, Harry?”

He replied, “First we need to start off with who Herakles was. He was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman called Alcmene. Obviously, Hera was furious and she drove him mad to the point that he murdered his wife. To atone, he performed these tasks. The first task was slaying the Nemean Lion. As you all saw, it’s hide is impenetrable, so he strangled it with his bare hands. Then he slayed the Lernaean Hydra by beheading it and burning the stumps. He captured the Ceryneian Hind and the Erymanthian Boar, that’s four already. Task number 5 was to clean the Augean stables in a day. Number 6 was to slay the Stymphalian birds, and those menaces are carnivores. He captured the Cretan bulls, stole the meat-eating mares of Diomedes, stole Amazon queen Hippolyta’s belt and Geryon’s cattle. The 11^th task was to steal the golden apples of the Hesperides. This was the task where Zoe helped him, and he took all the credit while she took the blame and got banished by Atlas. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I hate him. Finally, he captured Cerberus and brought it out of the Underworld.”

Tulip asked, “So, which hero did you admire, Harry?”

He swallowed a bite of some salad and hummed, “Personally, it was Achilles. He was one of the heroes who changed the tide of the Trojan war, and he was not even a demigod, if we’re being technical. His uncle was Poseidon.”

Wayne Hopkins asked, “What’s the Trojan war?”

Harry let out a low whistle, “That… Was one of the biggest Greek conflicts. I’ll give a simplified version or we’ll be here all day. It all started when Trojan prince Paris, eloped with Greek princess, Helen, who was said to be the most beautiful woman. The problem was, she was already married to Spartan king, Menelaus. Obviously, Menelaus was mightily furious went to wage war to get her back. It wasn’t just the Spartans, but many Greek forces united to lay siege. The conflict lasted for 10 years. Some gods were involved and they took sides in the conflict. Of course, they did not interfere directly, as it is forbidden, but they did influence some of the soldiers on both sides.”

Nott spoke up, “Which side was your mother on?”

“The Trojans… Mostly because Menelaus’ brother Agamemnon, pissed her off. From what I remember, he killed one of her sacred deer.”

He bit into a sandwich, “Anyway… I’ll tell you some more stories another time.”

---

About a couple of weeks passed and everyone settled into a familiar rhythm. Classes carried on during weekdays, and on weekends, everyone gathered in the Room of Requirement for practice.

A few days later, there was a fair bit of drama when John was attacked by a mysterious hooded figure. His unconscious body was discovered by Hermione when she was doing her prefect rounds. That prompted an investigation from Harry and company, and to their shock, the culprit was Ben Copper. Though when they discovered him, it felt like he was in a trance.

He spent the rest of the week profusely apologising to John, even though the latter forgave him. One day, Harry and John got Ben alone and prompted him to talk. Their fellow Sixth-Year was still a bit timid, but eventually opened up. Ben stammered, “I-I-I’m sorry… It’s still so fuzzy! John… Harry? Do you guys trust me after that attack?”

John Silvertongue smile genially, “Don’t fret, mate. I think someone is using you, and we’re going to find out who it is.”

Ben grinned back, but then his face morphed into shock, “Watch out!”

Harry was already moving when Ben hollered. He spun around and activated his shield, parrying a spell. He covered all three of them and pointed his wand at a hooded figure. The figure growled, “I told you, death was coming to Hogwarts, John Silvertongue! We still need you alive, but very soon… One of your friends has to die.”

Harry snarled, “Over my dead body! Petrificus Totalus!”

He fired a spell, but the figure dodged and replied, “Perhaps that can be arranged, Potter. If you’d like to volunteer.”

Harry fired a Stunning Spell this time, but the figure blocked it, before bolting away. Harry had half a mind to chase him, but figured that his priority was Ben and John. When the danger passed, he turned to the two boys, “You okay, lads?”

John’s Scouse accent came out a lot thicker, “Cor! Thanks a bunch, Harry! You’re a stand-up lad! Can’t believe I was that stupid or lacked that situational awareness. Sorry the wanker scarpered off.”

Harry shrugged, “You two were the bigger priority. I’ve got a gut feeling that he’ll be back though. We’ll be ready.”

The next day, Harry and John gathered their friends and narrated the incident. Hermione smiled, “At least you lot are okay. Also that the suspicion might be off of Ben. Snyde decided to be petty and leaked that Ben was spotted wearing the robes during the first attack.”

Penny spoke up, “I’ll talk to Lavender and let her know that you got attacked again, but Ben was with you this time. So he couldn’t have been the culprit.”

Ron spoke up, “Wait… That figure said that one of John’s friends would die very soon?”

John nodded. Harry vowed, “John-O, no one is going to die on my watch, and that’s a promise.”

---

A few days later, John came rushing up to Harry and his friends, “Harry! We’ve got a problem! A big one! Penny’s freaking out because Beatrice has gone missing.”

Harry grunted, “She had better not be in the Forest again, especially after the last time.”

An hour after classed had ended, the group split up. Hermione lead a small group and was combing Hogwarts castle. Ron took another group and went to check Hogsmeade. Finally, Harry, John and a few others ventured into the Forbidden Forest. Unfortunately, the Forest turned out to be a bust, though they managed to take down a stray empousa. Harry’s group consisted of John, Penny, Padma, Cassandra, Theodore and Seamus. Seamus and Theodore were helpless because of the Charmspeak, but apparently, John had been taking Occlumency lessons. So, he and Harry were able to fight off the empousa, along with the girls.

Just then, Ginny came rushing up, “We think we found her, but we have a problem! Hermione’s already gone to fetch Professor Rakepick. Neville is fetching Ron’s group.”

10 minutes later, Ginny was leading everyone to the Grand Staircase. Up ahead on one of the landings, there was a crowd. Penny Haywood wormed her way through and gasped in horror. Several other jaws were dropped, because Beatrice Haywood was inside a painting and was desperately banging on her side, to try and get out. Penny reached out a trembling hand and ran her fingers down the canvas, with Beatrice mimicking her actions. Beatrice cried out, “Help me!”

Professor Rakepick was already there and grimly spoke, “This is no ordinary magic. The only way to free this poor girl is to find the next Vault and break its curse. This is clearly the latest curse. If we do not break it soon, then many other students could share this girl’s fate.”

Harry mused, “How did she end up inside, in the first place?”

Rakepick shook her head, “I’m afraid the younger Miss Haywood has been unable to share a clear answer. Whatever she is experiencing inside the portrait, is starting to distort her perception of reality. Maybe the other portraits may have seen something. Let us start off by interrogating them.”

Eventually, a passing Nearly-Headless Nick chimed in. He idly spoke about another person trapped in a painting in the Lower Chambers portrait corridor, several years ago. However, they were eventually freed. Even Beatrice managed to reveal that she heard strange sounds, like a crackling and flapping of wings.

Sometime later, the group convened in the library. Barnaby spoke up, “I heard Merula say something about your brother having a map that revealed the entirety of Hogwarts.”

Harry mused, “That sounds awfully close to the Marauder’s Map. It originally belonged to my dad, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. They created it and often used it for prank planning. From what Sirius told me, Filch confiscated the Map long ago. I’m thinking that Jacob must have got his hands on it before it got confiscated again, because Fred and George managed to nick it from Filch’s office. Now I own it, and I only use it for emergencies, and I think this qualifies as one.”

Jae Kim stepped forward, “I also found this letter. John, I think you should read this.”

John frowned, “According to this, he brought a map to someone called Olivia Green. She must have been a classmate of Jacob’s.”

Hermione cupped her chin, “I remember seeing her name somewhere. If I’m not mistaken, she was in Ravenclaw.”

Bianca sat up, “Maybe the Grey Lady knows her. I’m one of the few people she talks to, thanks to my heritage. Give me a few minutes, I’ll go talk to her.”

She got up, calmly made her way out of the library, before sprinting away. An hour later, she came back and sat down, “Olivia has long since graduated, but there was someone else with them, a Duncan Ashe. Unfortunately, he died during the adventure, and his ghost is still wandering around Hogwarts. I managed to summon him and spoke to him.”

Bianca winced, “He… Has a bit of a grudge against Jacob. He refused to talk, so I did my own investigating. Found an anonymous letter to Jacob that mentioned Ashe. It said, ‘Don’t blame yourself Jacob. Duncan Ashe chose this path, and all paths end in the same place. All except ours. Despite what she told you, we could only accept one member, regardless of what happened with the vaults. You were always the favourite, but this tragedy, along with Miss Green’s fate negates the need for further discussion. Continue your search, trust your instincts and rid your mind of rats and centaurs. Remember, there are no friends on the path to enlightenment and immortality. There is only us, R’”

Harry whistled, “Crikey! John-O, no offence mate, but your brother really stepped in it. This sounds disturbingly like a cult.”

John was now looking increasingly unsure about this whole business. Then he stood up, “I’ll get to the bottom of this. If not for Jacob, then I’m doing it so that Penny can get her sister back. I’m going to go talk to Torvus.”

Bianca got up again, “I think Peter Pettigrew was involved in this. You all remember that he’s a rat Animagus, right? I’ll go and summon his spirit and get some answers.”

Harry also got up, “I’ll come with you.”

The next day, John slid in next to Ron as they sat down for lunch, “So I believe this whole thing started with a difference in approach. According to Torvus, Ashe wanted to stick together, but Jacob was in favour of splitting up. I suspect that someone was pulling his strings. Ashe must have felt really betrayed.”

Just then, a young ghost floated over and Bianca recognised him, “Duncan!”

He smiled wanly, “Master of Death… I wanted to clear the air.”

Before he could speak further, John bowed his head, “Duncan… I just want to say that I’m sorry for everything my brother put you through, which also resulted in your untimely death.”

Duncan shook his head, “Listen, I’ve thought about it for a while. Jacob and I were manipulated by R for a long time. He also took the blame in order to protect everyone. R blackmailed him into it by threatening to make you, your family and all of Jacob’s loved ones disappear.”

John frowned, “That doesn’t add up… The letters we recovered made it seem that he was trying to join their cause.”

Duncan scoffed, “Neither of us wanted to join. However in their minds, whoever lived to tell the tale, earned the right to be a member. The reason I’m mad at your brother was because he didn’t expose R or run away. The idiot took the blame and let himself get expelled for no reason! Then he did something even more stupid… He joined R.”

Harry vowed, “Duncan, I promise you, we will put an end to this curse. We’ll find Jacob and get his side of the story.”

A few days later, Badeea Ali came over, “I think I have a theory. I’ll look into some enchantments that could help pull Beatrice out. I heard something about a vault portrait that is in Peeves’ possession.”

John clapped his hands together, “Well! I think we’ve got out next objective.”

Bianca nodded, “I’ll do it! I’m one of the few people that Peeves listens to.”

Harry steepled his fingers, “Anyone else got something?”

Ginny piped up, “I looked through Jacob’s room and I found a Black Quill.”

She fished it out from under her robes and set it on the table. Mackenzie pointed her wand and chanted, “Reparifarge!.” Sure enough, the quill transformed into a notebook. John sat down and opened the book with everyone crowding around him. He read, “Rakepick is the only reason I’m alive, but I can’t help feeling like she keeps me alive for her own reasons. I just wish I understood what those reasons are. I don’t understand why we need a third person to break the curse on the Buried Vault. Why is the Cabal after me and my little brother. He’ll never know that Rakepick saved him too. Another thing, why is Rakepick afraid of the Cabal? Everything would be simpler if she just told me what’s on her mind.”

Hermione mused, “Professor Rakepick is getting more and more mysterious. John, what are you planning?”

John Silvertongue grunted, “I’m going to talk to her. Whether she was working with my brother or not, I need answers.”

The next day he sat down with them and revealed “Initially, she just got really freaking defensive about it. Then when I pressed for answers, she duelled me and destroyed me bleeding wand. I’m going to Ollivanders to get a replacement.”

John didn’t have any more updates until a week later. He proudly showed off his new wand to Harry and then he spoke softly, “I’ve been on a bit of a wild goose chase. Rakepick has been having me to all sorts of stuff. Then yesterday, Dumbledore and I had a talk about Jacob. The Headmaster helped him a bit, but was worried that he was too obsessed with the Vaults.”

Just then Penny ran up, a look of terror on her face, “We have a problem!”

She grabbed both of their hands and dragged them with her. She kept dragging them until they reached the Grand Staircase. The trip raced up a few flights before stopping by a random portrait. They looked up to see a terrified-looking First-Year Slytherin boy.

Harry’s jaw dropped, “We’ve got more portrait victims! Oh bollocks! We’ve got to solve this, and fast.”

Penny nodded frantically, “I spoke to other portraits about what could have happened. They said something about the Vault portrait and Apparition.”

John frowned in thought, “Could it be possible that the Vault portrait is a Portkey? I think it fits. All we got to do it wait for Bianca to get the portrait from Peeves.”

A few days later, Bianca came running over, clutching a mid-sized square-shaped package. She called out, “I got it at last! Had to negotiate with Peeves a lot. He wanted me to create some chaos to impress him, but I refused and then threatened to exorcise him.”

He took the package from her, “Thanks! I’ll keep it safe. I’ll look over it with Professor Rakepick. If I need help from some of you, I’ll let you all know!”

About a day passed and John sat down with Harry, Ron and Hermione. He had a troubled look on his face, “Rakepick and I studied the portrait…. I think it’s being guarded by a dragon. At least that was her theory.”

Ron ran a hand down his freckled face, “Blimey! If only Charlie were here.”

Hermione wrung her hands nervously, “So what? Are you expected to fight against the dragon to get past it?”

Harry frowned, “Hopefully it won’t come to that, but if Rakepick is there, she should have your back. How do you want to deal with the dragon? Weapons or magic?”

John leaned in, “Magic… I don’t know… There’s something I don’t quite trust about Professor Rakepick. She’s the only staff member who doesn’t know about the demigod world.”

Ron spoke up, “If I recall from Charlie’s ramblings when I was little, blinding a dragon is your best tactic. He would personally recommend the Conjunctivitis Curse.”

Harry stood up, “Right! We’ll brush up on the Conjunctivitis Curse and then we’ll join you. Strength in numbers.”

After a week, John sidled up, “Rakepick is taking Merula and I tomorrow night. She said that the portrait is supposed to be a Portkey that will activate tomorrow night. I’m bringing Penny along, because she is personally invested. You three coming?”

Harry exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione, and they nodded. The lone girl said, “I’ll talk to Neville about covering for us while we’re gone. I’ve read up on different dragon species, and Ron obviously knows about them thanks to Charlie. Finally, Harry has the most experience with taking down monsters, including dragons.”

The next night, Harry borrowed the Invisibility Cloak from Bianca and the trio sneaked out of the Common Room, along with Ben Copper. Not long afterwards, they met with John, Merula and Penny on the Training Grounds. Rakepick then strode out and surveyed the gathered students. She nodded approvingly, “Good! Excellent turnout! The sooner we break this curse, the better. Now, everyone take hold of the Portrait. I believe it is time!”

One by one, they all grabbed hold of the portrait and waited. Moments later, they all experienced an uncomfortable sensation, namely a jerk behind the belly button. After what felt like hours, they were all spat out and everyone tumbled in different directions. Patricia Rakepick was on her feet after a few seconds. Harry tucked and rolled before coming to a stop in a crouched position. The rest were sent sprawling around in unflattering positions.

As everyone extricated themselves and fought the urge to throw up, Harry took in his surroundings. The first thing that popped out at him was a massive portrait that nearly took up an entire wall. Rakepick called out, “Students! Let’s explore this vault to see if we can find a way to break the curse!”

Penny Haywood staggered over, rubbing her stomach. She groaned, ”I thought there was going to be a dragon?”

Suddenly, there was a near-deafening roar, followed by heavy stomping. As their hearing recovered, Harry deadpanned to the blonde, “You just HAD to jinx us, eh Haywood?”

Then the dragon made it’s presence known. It emerged from behind the portrait, and then to everyone’s horror, began clambering out of the portrait. As it climbed out, the whole room shook and debris began raining down. Most took cover behind the debris, but Harry activated his shield and John got behind him.

Rakepick managed to stop a large piece of debris from flattening the two boys. She hollered, “I don’t know how long I can keep this up for! You two need to battle it! Silvertongue! Remember what I taught you! Potter! You’re on defensive duty!”

The woman retreated to give the boys space and they faced off against the dragon. Ron could be heard grumbling, “F**k’s sake! It just had to be a bloody Horntail!”

It took a while and a lot of spells being cast, but at last, the dragon was taken down. However, the door in the portrait was still shut, and no one was able to budge it open.

Suddenly, John stiffened and Rakepick was alert. A minute later, he drew his wand, pointed at the door and yelled, “Legilimens!” Rakepick gasped, “Of course! You need Legilimency to open the portrait.”

Sure enough, she was right, as the door in the painting swung open. Then without warning, Rakepick fired a spell at the group, only for Harry to leap in, with his shield raised. He pointed his wand over the shield and snarled, “What is the meaning of this!?”

She smirked, “None of you are going in that room. I was here first. I’ve been to this Cursed Vault before, with Jacob. I was also with Peter Pettigrew for a while. It’s a shame that he died, he had his uses.”

Ron gasped, "So THAT'S what happened to him! I did remember Percy saying that in his First-Year, Scabbers had a habit of disappearing for long periods of time."

Rakepick scoffed, “Of course, he chickened out when he saw the Horntail and scarpered away like the coward that he is. Jacob and I distracted the dragon long enough for him to use his Legilimency abilities to open the door. Only a Legilimens can unlock the treasures within this Vault. It’s why I needed your brother, and I needed you. The rest of you were just dragon bait.”

John was ready to lunge at the woman, but Hermione and Merula held him back. He spat, “Where is my brother? What happened to him?!”

She obliged, “He opened the door, but the dragon was not defeated. So the Curse was not broken and the dragon was trapped. Your brother was also trapped, but in a different portrait.”

He was livid, “So you just left him trapped in a portrait all this time?!”

Rakepick shrugged, “Not like I had a choice. I touched a column in the room, but didn’t unlock any treasure. Instead, I was transported to the Forbidden Forest.”

John yelled, “You could have told someone he was here! Or tried to save him!”

She nonchalantly said, “The vault and its treasures were my priority. You know how it is, you’re obsessed with the Vaults too.”

He grit his teeth, “Because I was trying to break the curses and find my brother! I could care less about some stupid treasure!”

Then she pointed her wand at Penny and chanted, “Crucio!”

The spell never reached her because Harry flung his shield and deflected it away. However, he was left open to attack and she roared, “Crucio!”

Hermione screamed in panic as Harry dropped to his knees. But then to everyone’s surprise, he was able to fight through the excruciating pain. Then John dug out a vial from somewhere on his person and flung it at her. Suddenly, she stopped casting and began choking and gagging. Penny raced towards Harry and began treating him, while the others ganged up on Rakepick.

Eventually, she snarled, “This isn’t the end! You won’t stop R! We’re too powerful! I will get to the final Vault before you, and the treasure will belong to R.”

With that, she disappeared with a *crack*, indicating that she Dis-Apparated, and where they were, was away from school grounds. Ron inclined his head towards the open door, “Oi John! Go to your brother! We’ll take care of Harry from here! Oh, and remember to give your brother a good arse-kicking from us, for making you worry. We’ll be along in a bit!”

John disappeared into the doorway and the others waited to catch their breath. After five minutes, Merula and Ben half carried him through the doorway with the others. The girl groaned, “F**king hell, Potter! We all know you’re built like a tank, but you weigh like one.”

Eventually, they all entered the main Vault chamber to see John and an older boy hugging each other tightly. The boy, who they all assumed was Jacob noticed they, “Oi Pip! They your friends?”

John punched him, “How many times have I told you not to call me that embarrassing nickname! Anyway, that’s my girlfriend Penny, that’s Ben, Merula, Ron, Hermione and-”

“Crumbs! Is that Harry Potter!”

Harry groaned, “F**k’s sake! I should be used to this by now! Just once I would like to be able to introduce myself!”

Jacob asked, “How did you guys find me?”

Ron replied, “Rakepick got us here, before she betrayed us. Hit Harry with the Cruciatus, too. Now she’s done a runner and buggered off.”

Jacob shot to his feet, “I have to go! I have to stop Rakepick from finding the final Vault. R can’t get their hands on the treasure. Don’t tell mum!”

With that, he Dis-Apparated as well. Harry grumped, “Are you freaking serious! We went through all that bloody trouble to find him! Now… How do we get out of here?”

John looked around and spotted a familiar column. He walked over and touched it, and sure enough, it opened to reveal a trident and a portrait. Hermione went to grab the portrait, but Ron stopped her. He warned, “Not yet! It could be a Portkey, like the other one. Take the trident and use your wand for the portrait.”

She handed John the trident and he was about to speak when Harry said, “Not now. We’ll discuss when we get back to Hogwarts.”

The students all gathered around the portrait and grabbed it in unison. Sure enough, there was the familiar feeling of a hook behind the belly button and they were all swept off their feet. At last, they all appeared right back in Hogwarts’ Great Hall.

It was empty, save for Dumbledore who was seated at the head table. He got up and hurried over, “Oh thank goodness everyone is alright! I trust that the curse has been broken?”

Harry tried to scramble to his feet, but failed, “Yes professor! However, Professor Rakepick betrayed us and she’s on the run.”

Penny gasped to Dumbledore, “Rakepick used the Cruciatus on Harry!”

His head whipped towards Harry, “Are you okay, Mr Potter?”

Harry replied, “Slight throbbing and my legs feel like jelly, but otherwise I’m okay. I’ll admit it was painful, but if I had to quantify it, holding up the weight of the sky was much worse.”

Dumbledore nodded, “I see. Still, I would like you to head to the Hospital Wing. Miss Haywood, would you please escort Mr Potter there? After the explanation, I shall call Remus to be the substitute and ask Sirius and the Aurors to track down Madame Rakepick.”

She nodded and gently guided him away, leaving the others to recall the tale. As the blonde girl guided him, they saw some students getting spat out of a few portraits. Near the Grand Staircase where Beatrice was trapped, they saw her getting spat out of the portrait. Penny cried out her name and took a step towards her, before remembering that she was helping Harry. So Beatrice came running towards her instead. The two sisters hugged as best as they could with Harry still leaning on one of Penny’s shoulders. Penny motioned with her head, “Could you help me get him to the Hospital Wing? I’ll explain on the way.”

Eventually, the two girls walked him to the Hospital Wing. Beatrice hugged him tightly, as thanks for saving Penny. Penny herself gave him a peck on the cheek as thanks. At last, Harry was lying down on a bed, and Beatrice also checked herself on a bed at Penny and Madam Pomfrey’s insistence.

The rest of the year was relatively quiet. Remus Lupin was welcomed back by many of the students, as he was very popular among those whom he had taught. 6^th Year exams also came and flew by and they all passed with relative ease, despite Hermione’s usual fretting. One day, Dumbledore called Harry over, “Miss Chase has just arrived in the Floo, and she appears to be in distress. The password is Ice Mice.”

Harry raced off towards Dumbledore’s office. Sure enough, she was there, tear stains running down her cheeks. As soon as she saw him, she lunged forward and hugged him while sobbing. He gently rubbed her back, “Beth… Hey Beth, what’s wrong?”

She took a few deep gasps and choked out, “It’s Percy… He’s gone missing!”

Chapter 84: Chapter 84

The news stunned him and he would have collapsed to his knees, had he not realised Annabeth was still clinging to him. Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “Okay, Annabeth… Do you want comfort or solutions?”

She hiccupped through fresh tears, “I just want some comfort for now… I’ve been losing my mind over this.”

Not a word was spoken and she just leaned into his shoulder and continued sobbing. At last she stopped crying and settled for heavy breaths. She mumbled, “How are you so good at this? I mean comforting girls?”

He grinned, “Perks of being raised in an all-female household. Kind of had it drilled into me, how to treat a girl.”

She grumbled, “Cheater…”

Finally she said, “I’m fine now… Just needed to let it out. Now, let’s think of solutions.”

Harry asked, “First things first, when did this happen?”

She replied, “Been a while now. We’d been exchanging letters back and forth, all throughout the school year. Then one day the letters just stopped. Initially I thought nothing of it and assumed that Seaweed Brain just forgot. After a week of no word, I thought that maybe he was in the middle of tests or exams. One became two weeks, then three weeks. Now its been nearly a month and that was when I realised something was wrong. I tried Iris Messaging, but couldn’t get through. Then I asked his mom and Mr Lupin, but even they hadn’t heard from him.”

He nodded, “I’ll get word to Thalia and the Hunters. I’ll also join the search when the school year ends. Tomorrow is the last day, I’ll meet you at King’s Cross and then we’ll head back to Camp.”

---

The next day, everyone packed up to leave Hogwarts for the year. Harry sent Thalia a letter via Hedwig, and then relayed what Annabeth told him to Ron and Hermione. The latter frowned, “That’s troubling. Do you want us to come with you?”

He shook his head, “Nah, not this time. I think we can take it from here. Maybe you two can look for him here in England. Maybe Jackson somehow landing in England or Scotland wouldn’t sound so farfetched. Hermione, you take the lead on this one. You know the Muggle world better than Ron, but do give me weekly updates. You can take Ginny with you as well.”

They nodded firmly. Hours later, they stepped off the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Mackenzie, Katie and Bianca reunited with Annabeth. Katie drove them because she recently earned her driving license. With the help of Sirius, Harry bought Katie, her first car. When he handed her the keys, she promptly hugged the life out of him and swung him around.

While they were on the plane to New York, Annabeth fell asleep for a while. Close to their destination, she suddenly jerked awake with a gasp. On her left, Harry raised an eyebrow, “What is it, mate?”

She muttered, “I had a vision. Find a guy with one shoe. He is the answer, the key to finding Percy. We need to go to the Grand Canyon.”

Harry nodded, “Okay, as soon as we land, I’ll call for Mistmane and a few other unicorns and we’ll set off.”

She shook her head, “We should take some Pegasi. Since we’re looking for a boy, unicorns might not let him ride.”

He smacked his forehead, “Bollocks, I forgot about that. We’ll take the pegasi instead.”

---

Once at New York, Annabeth, whistled and bunch of pegasi swooped in in 15 minutes. At the same time, Harry got word from Michael Yew that a satyr called Gleeson Hedge was calling for reinforcements in the location they were headed. With that, they all flew off with a sense of urgency.

It took a few hours for them to fly to the Grand Canyon. When they arrived, it was a warzone. They found their targets, three demigods, two male and one female. The trio were standing on a skywalk that was slowly cracking. However, there was no satyr with them.

Annabeth hovered over them on her pegasus, “Where’s your protector, Gleeson Hedge?”

A Latino teenager with elfin features cleared his throat, “He got taken by some… tornado things”

The other boy corrected, “Venti, storm spirits.”

Then Annabeth corrected, “Anemoi Thuellai, That’s the Greek term. Tell me what happened?”

The blond boy explained that he and his two friends were attacked by the storm spirits and they managed to fight them off, but not before Coach Hedge was taken.

Then Harry noticed something, “Oi! What happened to your shoe?”

The teen mumbled, “Must’ve gotten lost.”

Harry shot Annabeth a warning look before smiling at the trio, “Well… Hop on! We’ll get you guys to camp. We’ll worry about Hedge later.”

He helped the one-shoe boy onto his pegasus. The Latino was with Mackenzie and the girl took her seat behind Katie. Harry noticed that Annabeth was about to grill the trio, so he took charge. He hollered out, “I suppose introductions are in order. I’m Harry! That’s Mackenzie, Katie and Annabeth!”

The boy clinging to his waist called back, “I’m Jason! That’s Piper and that’s Leo!”

Leo whooped, “This is so cool! Where are we going?”

Annabeth shook off her brief annoyance and called back, “A safe place! The only safe place for people like us. Camp Half-Blood.”

Piper looked a little insulted, “Half-Blood?”

Harry pacified, “Most of us are demigods. Half god, half mortal.”

Annabeth took over, “My mom is Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. Harry over there is the son of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon.”

Jason gaped, “Hang on… Isn’t Diana a virgin goddess?”

Harry explained, “Yes, she swore an oath, but my conception was technical. I’ll explain more when we reach camp.”

Suddenly, lightning flashed and Harry used his Seeker reflexes to dodge. He risked a peek and sure enough dark shapes began forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiralling toward them looking like horses.

Harry turned to Jason, “Switch!”

Jason took over the reins and Harry deflected another bolt with his shield. Then the pegasi found another gear and they went faster. Minutes later, they were flying over a different area. A cold gray ocean stretched out to the left. Snow-covered fields, roads, and forests spread to the right. Directly below them was a green valley, like an island of springtime, rimmed with snowy hills on three sides and water to the north.

From her position, Piper saw a cluster of buildings like ancient Greek temples, a big blue mansion, ball courts, a lake, and a climbing wall that seemed to be on fire. Eventually, the pegasi landed and they all rolled off, completely exhausted. Michael Yew came hurrying over, “Everyone okay?!”

He got a good look at the trio, “These three look way older than 13. How come they haven’t been claimed yet?”

Harry wheezed, “I don’t know mate, maybe they slipped through the cracks. The important thing is that we got them here.”

Suddenly there was a gasp from the crowd. Everyone’s awed faces were bathed in a red glow. The object of their awe was Leo, who had a blazing holographic image of a fiery hammer. Harry grinned, “Well… Cabin 9 just got a new brother! Welcome Leo, son of Hephaestus, God of Fire and the Forge.”

Jake Mason stepped up, “Hey brother! Welcome to Cabin 9!”

After Leo was led away, some of the attention turned to Jason. Annabeth tilted her head curiously and then said, “Can I see your arm for a sec?”

She and Harry observed as the bemused boy extended his arm without question. On the inside of his right forearm was some kind of tattoo. It was darkly etched, impossible to miss: a dozen straight lines like a bar code, and over that an eagle with the letters SPQR.

Harry noted, “Haven’t seen this before… They look almost burnt into your skin. Like it’s a brand instead of a tattoo.”

Jason wearily spoke, “I honestly have no idea how I got this.”

Annabeth took charge, “Harry, give these two a tour of camp and then take Jason to see Chiron. He might know more about that tattoo or brand or whatever that is. I’ll join you later… Need a few minutes alone.”

---

After she walked away and the other campers dispersed. Mackenzie and Bianca went to their respective cabins, while Harry conducted the tour. He cheerfully spoke, “Alright! So welcome to Camp Half Blood. We’ve got all sorts of fun stuff here! Archery, rock climbing with a wall that occasionally spews lava for an extra challenge. We fight monsters on occasion, ride pegasi and even chariot racing, which is a newer addition! Also, while this is a summer camp, we have kids who stay all year round.”

Piper asked, “Who runs this camp and how did they know that my friends and I belong here? Will I be a full-timer? Will I be good at any of the activities?”

Harry grinned, “The camp is run by a centaur called Chiron. Before you ask, he is the same Chiron from the myths, who trained several Greek heroes. This is a safe zone for all demigods, so you guys do belong here. As for being a full-timer or part-time… That’s up to you. Regarding activities, well you’d never know if you don’t try.”

As they hiked up a hill to the edge of camp, Piper gasped in awe. The view before them, was a big stretch of woods to the northwest, a beautiful beach, the creek, the canoe lake, lush green fields, and the whole layout of the cabins—a bizarre assortment of buildings arranged like a Greek omega, Ω, with a loop of cabins around a central green, and two wings sticking out the bottom on either side. She counted twenty cabins in all. One glowed golden, another silver. One had grass on the roof. Another was bright red with barbed wire trenches. One cabin was black with fiery green torches out front.

Harry put his hands to his waist and sighed wistfully, “Gorgeous, innit? The valley is protected from mortal eyes. As you can see, the weather is controlled, too. Each cabin represents a Greek god or goddess—a place for that god’s children to live.”

Piper raised an eyebrow, “So… My mom was a goddess? That does explain why dad never had photos of her or why she left.”

Harry hummed, “Yeah… The gods are not exactly the best at raising children, if we’re being honest. They all are busy managing their respective domains, at least that’s the way I look at it.”

The girl shot him a shaky smile, “I guess after this morning, it’s a little easier to believe. So who’s my mom?”

Harry grunted, “I don’t know, mate. The deal was that demigods were supposed to be claimed by the time they turned 13. You two, and that other bloke Leo are what, 15? Then again, you three likely slipped through the cracks. Look at how quick Leo was claimed. You two might get claimed very soon.”

Jason spoke up, “Why 13?”

Harry replied, “The older you get, the easier it is for monsters to notice you and try to kill you, monsters like those storm spirits. For that reason, camp usually sends out a bunch of satyr protectors. Their job is to find you lot and guide you to camp as soon as possible.”

Piper chipped in, “Like Coach Hedge?”

Harry nodded, “Aye… Don’t worry about him. He’s a tough bugger and I’m sure he’ll bounce back. Listen, it’ll be okay. You’ve got friends here. We’ve all been through some tough shite.”

The girl snorted, “I’ve been kicked out of five different schools. Dad’s running out of places to put me.”

This time it was Harry’s turn to snort, “Amateur… my friend Percy Jackson… I’ve lost count of the number of schools he’s been kicked out of. Annabeth ran away from home when she was seven. I was the lucky one. I’ve been with the Hunters of Artemis since I was a year old. They’re an all-female group who are followers of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.”

Then Jason spoke up, “Yeah I’m still wrapping my head around that. I thought Diana was a virgin goddess because she swore an oath.”

Harry obliged, “Okay, so my back story is a bit long, so bear with me. Aside from being a demigod, I am also a wizard. When the gods moved from Ancient Greece and moved westwards, they had a brief pit stop in Britain. Hecate, Goddess of Magic, got bored one day and decided to create her own world, a domain of magic. She actually did this in various countries around the world. My mum and dad were witch and wizard respectively.”

He took a breath and continued, “Over time, the magic users forgot about Hecate and lived in relative peace. Unfortunately, there was soon a rise of bigotry between two major sections of society. Those who could trace their magic in their bloodlines for at least a few generations, were called Purebloods. Then there were those who didn’t have magical ancestry, but somehow had magic. They were called Muggle-born, and then there were half-bloods, where at least one side of the ancestry didn’t have magical ancestry. Some sections of Purebloods discriminated against Muggle-born people, and things soon escalated into some civil wars. Mum was a Muggle-born, dad was a Pureblood.”

Piper’s kaleidoscopic eyes sparkled, “Oh my gosh! It’s like a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing!”

Harry laughed, “Ehh… Not quite. Mum couldn’t stand Dad at first, and he was a bit of a bully in his early school days. Then, he kind of cleaned up his act, and that was when Mum started falling for him. Anyway, back to the civil war, mum and dad fought against the bigotry. On the other side, the leader of this movement was an evil bloke called Tom Riddle. He later began calling himself Lord Voldemort and had a group of followers called Death Eaters. Sometime during the war, Mum was hit with a curse that made her barren.”

Jason leaned forward, “Was this before or after you were born?”

“Before… So they looked for a Fertility Ritual to help Mum get pregnant. Unfortunately, they accidentally used a Summoning Ritual. Lady Artemis happened to be the one to answer the call. She helped Mum get pregnant, but the caveat was that she should be counted as my mother as well. Then when I was about a year old, Voldemort attacked my family and murdered my parents.”

Piper was outraged, “What!?”

He quickly explained, “He then tried to kill me too, but his curse backfired because Mum put up some protections. Afterwards, Artemis took custody of me and raised me with the help of the Hunters.”

Harry sighed wistfully, “Like I said, I got lucky to be with the Hunters, most of my life. The bottom line is that demigods have a tendency to get in a lot of trouble.”

Piper then flushed, “I can understand that… I steal stuff. Well not really steal…”

Harry tilted his head curiously, “Sorry mate, I hope I’m not overstepping, but are your folks not well off?”

Piper laughed bitterly. “Not even. I did it … I don’t know why. For attention, I guess. My dad never had time for me unless I got in trouble.”

Harry asked, “What do you mean by ‘Not really steal’?”

She answered, “Well … nobody ever believes me. The police, teachers—even the people I took stuff from: they’re so embarrassed, they’ll deny what happened. But the truth is, I don’t steal anything. I just ask people for things. And they give me stuff. Even a BMW convertible. I just asked. And the dealer said, ‘Sure. Take it.’ Later, he realized what he’d done, I guess. Then the police came after me.”

Harry actually laughed, “A BMW?! Bloody hell! That was ballsy! If you hadn’t had a mortal father, I would have pegged you for a daughter of Hermes, God of thieves. Actually, I’m wondering if your dad was gay, cause it wouldn’t be uncommon for someone to have two dads or two moms, or was your dad bisexual?”

Piper shook her head, “No I think dad was straight.”

Harry shrugged, “Well… Maybe your mum might claim you tonight or in the next couple of days. Alright, we’ve got one last stop.”

He led the two of them to a small cave on top of a hill. Bones and old swords littered the ground. Torches flanked the entrance, which was covered in a velvet curtain embroidered with snakes. It looked like the set for some kind of twisted puppet show.

They weren’t alone, because Annabeth was there, “Oh, hey Harry! I was just checking to see if Rachel was there. Was hoping she could help me find Percy.”

Harry frowned, “Wasn’t she still in Connecticut? She should be back in a couple of days.”

Annabeth looked miserable, “Oh… I’ll see you later then.”

After she left, Jason asked, “She going to be alright?”

Harry sighed, “Her boyfriend Percy Jackson has been missing for nearly a month. Honestly, I think if it weren’t for me, Beth would probably go mad and spiral out of control.”

Following an uncomfortable silence, Piper suddenly yelped, “Th-That’s a dragon! And that’s the actual Golden Fleece?!”

Harry smiled, “Yep! Retrieving that was an adventure and a half!”

Then she glanced at Jason, who was busy admiring the view. She murmured to Harry, “Listen, can we talk in private, later? It’s about Jason.”

He nodded, “Sure! Tour’s just about done, so you can meet me in the Artemis cabin later. Get yourselves settled in, first.”

---

An hour later, Piper came in while Harry and Mackenzie were playing Exploding Snap. They quickly wrapped up their game and sat down on the floor with her. She took a deep breath and spoke, “Listen… Jason believes that he just appeared in our school today. However, that’s not true. I’ve known him for a month and we’ve been in a relationship since then.”

Harry jerked as a thought struck him, “Cor! Now I get it! It’s the Mist! “It’s a kind of veil separating the mortal world from the magic world. Mortal minds—they can’t process strange stuff like gods and monsters, so the Mist bends reality. It makes mortals see things in a way they can understand —like their eyes might just skip over this valley completely, or they might look at the dragon and see a pile of cables. Even demigods can be affected. I’ve seen it lots of times. Monsters infiltrate some place like a school, pass themselves off as human, and everyone thinks they remember that person. They believe he’s always been around. The Mist can change memories, even create memories of things that never happened.”

She argued back, “But Jason’s not a monster! He’s a human guy, or demigod like us. My memories aren’t fake. They’re so real. The time we set Coach Hedge’s pants on fire. The time Jason and I watched a meteor shower on the dorm roof and I finally got the stupid guy to kiss me.”

Mackenzie hugged her and got her to calm down. Harry leaned forward, his hands on his knees, “Listen… I think your memories are a lot sharper than most. However, I need to clarify somethings.”

She stared at him defiantly, “Lay it on me!”

“Do you know where he lives?”

That floored her and she screwed up her face in thought, “I think he told me but I don’t remember.”

“That tattoo of his… Did you ever see it before? What about his mum or dad? His friends or last school?”

She stammered, and then he went for the kill. “Piper… What’s his last name?”

All the colour drained from her face. Then her face screwed itself and she began to cry. Harry sighed and hugged her, “Hey… Hey… I’m sorry mate. I had to be sure. But don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. Even if he doesn’t remember the past month, you two have plenty of time to try again.”

She hiccupped, “But I still can’t believe … I know we had something. And now it’s just gone, like he doesn’t even recognize me. If he really did just show up today, then why? How’d he get there? Why can’t he remember anything?”

Harry shrugged and broke the hug, “Honestly, I don’t know. Hopefully Chiron can figure that out soon.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door, it was Annabeth, “Hey Piper! I thought I saw you here. Come on! Let’s go find you a weapon.”

---

Sometime later, Jason came over to hang out with Harry. He and Mackenzie took him to see the other cabins. When he saw the Zeus and Hera cabins, he asked about them.

Harry replied, “Well… Let’s just say that sometime ago, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades swore off having any children because of a prophecy. Funny thing about prophecies is that they eventually come true, no matter how much you try and avoid them. My second-in-command, Thalia, she’s a daughter of Zeus. She was a candidate for the prophecy, but escaped it when she became a Hunter. Then there’s Percy, who is a son of Poseidon. Finally, we have Nico and Bianca, the children of Hades. The prophecy was about Percy. Nico and Bianca were born before the pact, which was in the 1940s.”

Jason gaped, “How are they so young then?”

Harry explained, “That would be the work of the Lotus Hotel and Casino, or the Land of the Lotus Eaters. You know the saying, ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’? Well, the Lotus Hotel took that literally. According to Bianca, they were in there for a couple of months. In reality, they were in there for 50 years and barely aged.”

The blond asked, “What about Juno’s, or is that Hera?”

“Her cabin’s is honorary. She’s the Goddess of Marriage. Most demigods here are born out of affairs between Gods and mortals. It kind of goes against Hera’s domain to have an affair with a mortal. Nevertheless, she would be insulted if she didn’t have a cabin.”

After a while, Harry jumped to his feet, “Righto! I’ll take you to Chiron! Maybe he’ll have some answers to your questions.”

---

Before long, the two of them were at the Big House. Just then, there was a sound of hooves on the front porch. Chiron then made an appearance, when suddenly all the colour drained from his face. He motioned to Harry, “Mr Potter… I think it is best if the three of us step inside. I think things have become a whole lot more complicated.”

Once inside, Harry got a good look at the interior of the Big House. The living room looked like it had been swallowed by a rain forest. Grapevines curved up the walls and across the ceiling. Leather couches faced a stone fireplace with a crackling fire. Wedged in one corner, an old-style Pac-Man arcade game beeped and blinked. Mounted on the walls was an assortment of Greek theatre masks, as well as feathered Mardi Gras masks, Venetian Carnevale masks with big beaklike noses, and carved wooden masks from Africa. Grapevines grew through their mouths so they seemed to have leafy tongues. Some had red grapes bulging through their eyeholes.

However, there was a new addition to the main room. Harry gestured to a stuffed leopard’s head, which was apparently alive, “That thing’s new…”

Chiron dismissively replied, “Oh, that’s Seymour. Compliments from Lord Dionysus before he was recalled to Olympus.”

Harry hummed, “His punishment’s over? Jackson would be relieved if he found out.”

Chiron fought down a smile, “Indeed. Anyway, back to Jason. My dear boy, would you mind telling me where you’re from?”

Jason shrugged, “I wish I knew. All I remember is waking up on a school bus with Piper and Leo for a trip. Then over there we were attacked by Venti, and after the battle, Harry and those other girls showed up….”

He continued speaking, all the while Chiron nodded encouragingly and sipping lemonade. Then he spoke, “My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?”

“No,” the boy replied. “Nothing.”

“Do you know where you are?” Chiron asked. “Do you understand what this place is, and who I am?”

“You’re Chiron the centaur,” Jason said. “I’m guessing you’re the same one from the old stories, who used to train the Greek heroes like Heracles. This is a camp for demigods, children of the Olympian gods.”

“So you believe those gods still exist?”

“Yes,” Jason said immediately. “I mean, I don’t think we should worship them or sacrifice chickens to them or anything, but they’re still around because they’re a powerful part of civilization. They move from country to country as the center of power shifts—like they moved from Ancient Greece to Rome.”

Then for some inexplicable reason, Chiron began talking in Latin. Jason hadn’t noticed, but Harry did. The conversation carried on for a few minutes, before Harry interrupted, “Jason, mate. You know Latin?”

The boy froze, while Chiron observed, “Very astute, Harry. Most demigods recognise a few phrases, but not as much as Ancient Greek. Harry over here, is a wizard, so he has been taught some Latin. However, very few can speak it fluently without practice.”

As Jason began to struggle to wrap his mind around the implications, Chiron continued. He mused wistfully, “I taught your namesake, you know, the original Jason. He had a hard path. I’ve seen many heroes come and go. Occasionally, they have happy endings. Mostly, they don’t. It breaks my heart, like losing a child each time one of my pupils dies. But you—you are not like any pupil I’ve ever taught. Your presence here could be a disaster.”

Jason snorted, “Thanks. You must be an inspiring teacher.”

Chiron placated, “I am sorry, my boy. But it’s true. I had hoped that after Percy’s success—”

The blond perked up, “Percy Jackson, you mean. Annabeth’s boyfriend, the one who’s missing.”

Chiron nodded. “I hoped that after he succeeded in the Titan War and saved Mount Olympus, we might have some peace. I might be able to enjoy one final triumph, a happy ending, and perhaps retire quietly. I should have known better. The last chapter approaches, just as it did before. The worst is yet to come.”

Harry jumped in, “Chiron, what do you mean by ‘Jason should be dead?’”

Chiron shook his head, “I’m afraid I can’t explain, my boy. I swore on the River Styx and on all things sacred that I would never... But you’re here, in violation of the same oath. That too, should not be possible. I don’t understand. Who would’ve done such a thing? Who would dare bring you here?”

Suddenly, he and Harry noticed that Jason had a golden sword drawn. Harry slowly fingered his rings, “Mate… Why do you have a sword drawn?”

He set it down on a coffee table and then explained that suddenly, a woman clad in black robes, appeared in a swirl of dark mist. Her face was hooded, but her eyes glowed in the darkness. Over her shoulders she wore a goatskin cloak. She called herself his ‘patron’, whatever that meant.

When he was done, Harry cupped his chin and frowned, “Right… So this goddess is imprisoned, and it is growing stronger. Apparently, she was the one responsible for bringing you here. Have I got that right?”

Jason nodded and Harry began pacing around the room, “She’s also known you since your birth. I would have pegged her for your Godly mum, if she didn’t confirm that you had a Godly father. Also, this father gave her your life as a gift to placate her anger. You were named after her favourite mortal. That’s kind of narrowing it down a little. Chiron?“

The centaur nodded, “Indeed.”

Harry continued, “She wants you to free her from her prison. She mentioned a king rising from the earth. You must free her or you won’t retrieve your memories and she will be destroyed.”

Before they could digest this information, Annabeth and Rachel barged in, with an unconscious Piper. The two boys rushed over to the girls. Annabeth breathed, “Hera’s cabin! Vision. Bad.”

Harry came over with his wand drawn, “Rennervate!.”

Piper soon woke up, and immediately felt woozy. Annabeth grabbed her and steadied her, “Careful! Don’t move. Just rest.”

Jason was beside himself in worry as Harry gave her a Sleeping Draught, “What happened?”

Rachel shrugged, “I wish I knew. I got to camp about a few minutes ago, I had a premonition about Hera’s cabin. I went inside. Annabeth and Piper came in while I was there. We talked, and then—I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke in a different voice.”

“A prophecy?” Chiron asked.

She shook her head, “No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like long distance, a power trying to speak through me.”

Harry spoke up, “Spontaneous possession? What did the person who possessed Rachel say?”

“She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Piper’s shoulders and told her—”

“—To free her from a prison.” Jason finished for her.

Annabeth gaped at him, “How did you know that?!”

Jason launched into the explanation of the message given to him. Safe to say, even Annabeth was bamboozled. She frowned, “I’ve never of heard anything like that before. You said the storm spirit on the skywalk—he claimed to be working for some mistress who was giving him orders, right? Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind?”

He shrugged helplessly, “I don’t think so. If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She’s imprisoned. She’s worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—”

Annabeth paled, “Oh Gods! It’s not Kronos, is it? Please tell me it’s not that.”

The centaur looked miserable, “It is not Kronos. That threat is ended. But …”

“But what?” Annabeth asked.

Jason cut in. “Sir, Mr. Chiron, you told me the greatest threat was coming. The last chapter. You can’t possibly mean something worse than an army of Titans, right?”

Suddenly, they heard a gasp from Rachel. She breathed, “Oh, dear. The woman was Hera. Of course. Her cabin, her voice. She showed herself to Jason at the same moment.”

“Hera?” Annabeth snarled. “She took you over? She did this to Piper?”

“I think Rachel’s right,” Jason said. “The woman did seem like a goddess. And she wore this—this goatskin cloak. That’s a symbol of Juno, isn’t it?”

“It is?” Annabeth scowled. “I’ve never heard that.”

Chiron nodded reluctantly. “Of Juno, Hera’s Roman aspect, in her most warlike state. The goatskin cloak was a symbol of the Roman soldier.”

“So Hera is imprisoned?” Rachel asked. “Who could do that to the queen of the gods?”

Annabeth crossed her arms. “Well, whoever they are, maybe we should thank them. If they can shut up Hera—”

Chiron chided, “Annabeth, she is still one of the Olympians. In many ways, she is the glue that holds the gods’ family together. If she truly has been imprisoned and is in danger of destruction, this could shake the foundations of the world. It could unravel the stability of Olympus, which is never great even in the best of times. And if Hera has asked Jason for help-”

“Fine,” Annabeth grumbled. “Well, we know Titans can capture a god, right? Atlas captured Artemis and Harry a few years ago. And in the old stories, the gods captured each other in traps all the time. But something worse than a Titan?”

Jason mused, “When she spoke to me, she said she had been trying to break free for about a month now.”

Something clicked for Annabeth, “That’s how long Olympus has been closed. So the gods must know something bad is going on. That’s why Dionysus is absent. Harry? when was the last time your mom spoke to you? At least in a letter or an IM?”

He screwed up his face in thought, “About a month or so… Blimey! It’s all adding up!”

Jason raised a hand, “But why use her energy to send me here? She wiped my memory, plopped me into the Wilderness School field trip, and sent you a dream vision to come pick me up. Why am I so important? Why not just send up an emergency flare to the other gods—let them know where she is so they bust her out?”

Harry explained, “The Gods need heroes to do their will down here on earth. Their fates are always intertwined with demigods. The Gods can’t keep meddling in demigod or mortal affairs.”

Annabeth nodded, “That’s true, but Jason’s got a point. Why him? Why take his memory?”

Rachel spoke up as well, “Piper’s involved somehow. Hera sent her the same message—Free me. And, Annabeth, this must have something to do with Percy’s disappearing.”

The blonde glanced at Chiron, “Do you know anything, Chiron?”

He morosely said, “I’m afraid I cannot help you in this. I-I will be in my office. Annabeth, I suggest you all discuss about Greek and Roman gods.”

He wheeled away and Annabeth gaped at his departing figure. She gasped, “He-He’s never withheld anything from me! Even the last Great Prophecy-”

Jason made to get up, “Listen, I’m sorry. I think my being here—I don’t know. I’ve messed things up coming to the camp, somehow. Chiron said he’d sworn an oath and couldn’t talk about it.”

Harry grabbed his hand, “Stay… Whether you like it or not, you’re a part of this.”

Then Annabeth spotted Jason’s sword and touched the blade gingerly. She asked, “Is this gold? Do you remember where you got it?”

He shook his head, “Sorry… I don’t remember.”

She let out a breath, “Okay… Chiron’s being cagey so we’re on our own. Rachel, can you take care of Piper? Harry and Jason, follow me to Cabin 15.”

Jason warily asked, “What for?”

The reply came, “We’re going to try and get your memories back. Harry, do you have some spells or potions to help?”

He mused, “Maybe… If not, then someone from Cabin 15 might have something. Come on, let’s go.”