Of Demigods & Wizards

by WritingPrincess

Summary:

When Ron Weasley discovers that he's the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman, he has no idea of how much his life and the lives of his friends will be changed forever...

Chapter 1: In Which This Story Begins

"Oh come on, really?" Hermione Granger snapped as she saw Ron Weasley pick up a book. "That's not a real book."

"It is too a real book," Ron snapped back as he held up a copy of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Mythology. "Besides, it's a lot easier for me to read instead of those long difficult complicated books you like."

Jacquel Romanov frowned as she stared at them arguing. Don't get involved, don't get involved she repeated to herself. She walked to the other end of the bookstore, mainly towards the fantasy section. The section that Hermione would never dare venture to. She had half a mind to grab the new book that everyone on Facebook was talking about, but she knew that Hermione would never read fantasy or science fiction at all.

Science was magic, her grandmother had once said. Magic was undiscovered science. Science fiction presented an infinite world of possibilities, such as space travel and life on different planets.

Something Hermione would never understand, not if Jacquel explained it to her one hundred times.

Jacquel had found the book and stared at it for a long time. The book was a saga combining Greek mythology with science fiction. How could she say no to that?

She made her way to the counter and began to make her purchase when Ron and Hermione showed up, still arguing over the whither-tos of Greek mythology; or rather, the book that Ron was holding in his hand.

"Jacquel, you're the one who actually reads science fiction, you tell Ron that's not a real book," Hermione yelled.

"It is too a real book," Jacquel said as she examined Ron's book. "Mythology was before they had science. Back then, the ancient people didn't have access to most of the stuff normal people take for granted these days. Back then, they believed in the ancient gods." Hermione glared at her. "The Greek gods were the most famous," Jacquel continued, "and long before Christianity took over, the Greek gods held providence over the lives of the ancient Greeks."

"Very good," said a man in a wheelchair as he stared at the children. "At least someone here appreciates Greek mythology. But here's a question for you." He cleared his throat and said, "Can any of you read this?"

He handed them a huge piece of paper with some writing on it. Ron glared at it and said, "I can't understand a word they're saying." Hermione frowned as she read the note and said, "This is gibberish. Surely someone doesn't appreciate the value of writing."

Jacquel, however, was not daunted. She summoned her reading glasses and began reading the words "Kronos has returned." She said, "It's all in ancient Greek."

"Indeed it is," said the man. "Where did you learn to read ancient Greek?"

"At the International Language Institute in Athens, Greece," said Jacquel.

"I see," the man said as he watched the children leave the bookstore.

Hermione said to Jacquel, "Did you really study at the institute, because I have reasons to think that you're lying. There's no way you could go there every summer."

"My grandmother teaches Russian there, so I get a free lesson in whatever language I choose," said Jacquel. "You know nothing of my life, Hermione Granger."

"Also, where did you get the glasses?" Ron said as he stared at them.

"You know how I can't read the books at Hogwarts because they give me a headache?" said Jacquel. "Well, my mom took me to a doctor and he gave me these special glasses to help me read. I somehow found myself being able to read in almost any language and see things that not even a wizard can see."

"Indeed," said Hermione. "And why couldn't you read the books assigned to us from Hogwarts?"

"My brain isn't wired to read magical books," said Jacquel. "As such, my grandmother and mother had tried to forestall my entry into Hogwarts until my magic could be determined."

"But you don't have any actual magic inside you despite the fact that you're so good at casting spells," said Ron.

"My mother was a spellcaster, did you know that?" Jacquel snapped at him.

Hermione said, "That still doesn't explain how and why you can't do anything beyond spellcasting. And why are you so interested in science fiction and fantasy?"

"Because I know that science fiction and fantasy go together and there's also the fact that I may or may not be a witch at all. My mother wasn't one of the top students at Hogwarts and my grandmother couldn't do magic beyond a first year's understanding," said Jacquel. "Now we must return to the hotel immediately or else your mother will find out that we went to a muggle bookstore and she'll have a cow."

Not far from where the kids were standing, someone was watching them. He had a strange look on his face as he saw one of them pull out a book. He knew that come what may, the kids were not going to the hotel. In fact, they would be going on a fantastic adventure...

Chapter 2: In Which a Wizard is revealed as a Demigod

Summary:

Ron, Hermione, and Jacquel are now facing a shocking truth about Ron.

"I wish the others didn't go to that movie," Hermione complained as she, Ron, and Jacquel stood in front of the bookstore, waiting to be picked up. "Besides, The Cybernetic Girl isn't that good."

"How can they poke fun at scientists in that movie?" Jacquel snapped. "When last I checked, making fun of nerds and geniuses isn't funny, nor is it cool. Especially not when they have contributed so much to the world."

Ron frowned as he said, "That man in the wheelchair was onto us. I mean, he's talking about Greek mythology and ancient heroes and..."

"But this is why I need you to read about something other than Quidditch," said Jacquel. "You need to read the ancient classics and study them and not try to eat knowledge like Hermione does."

"I do not eat knowledge!" Hermione protested.

"Do too!" Ron snapped back.

Jacquel frowned as she said, "Let's go get something to eat."

Ron and Hermione agreed to this and the three teenagers wandered around New York seeing restaurants and coffee shops, but nothing caught their interests. Just as they were about to give up, the same man in the wheelchair they saw in the bookstore came towards them and said, "You should know it's unsafe for you children to be wandering in the streets of New York by yourselves."

"Well, our parents were supposed to pick us up, but they're not here right now," Jacquel said nervously as she looked around her. She was thinking the Weasleys could care less about Ron; all they wanted was Harry. I should have made Harry come with us to the bookstore when I had the chance!

"Are you children hungry?" said the man.

"Yes, we are," said Ron.

"First, I'd like to know your name," Hermione snapped at him. Jacquel glared at her as she said, "What? I don't like strangers! They can kidnap and kill us, you know."

"I think we have no choice but to trust him," said Ron. "And Jacquel's right; no one has come for us yet." Jacquel nodded, wondering what had gone wrong since the moment the Weasleys had dropped them off at the bookstore. Although Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had promised to retrieve them after dropping Harry, Fred, George, and Ginny at the movies, they hadn't showed up yet. And the movie had ended 30 minutes ago.

Hermione frowned, saying, "I guess we don't have a choice. We're going to have to trust him."

"Good," said the man. "And my name should no doubt be familiar to you."

"How?" Ron cried out.

"And who are you?" Said Hermione.

"I'm a teacher of heroes," said the man.

Jacquel grabbed Ron's book and flipped several pages to see a huge man teaching a young boy. "Chiron," she murmured as she tried to remember exactly reading the book. She had, at one point, but when she received the order to attend Hogwarts, Dumbledore had taken her favorite book and sold it.

"You're correct," said Chiron. "I am Chiron. I have taught many of the heroes most people know. Achilles, Theseus, Perseus, and Jason. You know who they are, and you know their deeds. I see that one of you is well-versed in mythology."

"But are they real?" Jacquel asked.

"There are twelve main gods in Greek mythology," said Chiron. "They are Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hephaestus, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, and Athena. They rule over all the earth. They sometimes come to earth and mingled with ordinary mortals. From those unions come the demigods."

"Demigods?" Ron questioned.

"Demigods," said Chiron. "The children of men and gods. They are very powerful and yet, very dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Ron gasped in horror. "Dangerous how?"

"The more powerful you are, the more danger surrounds you," said Chiron. "Monsters will seek you out and destroy you."

"So what do we do about it?" Hermione snapped in anger.

"There's a safe place for demigods called Camp Half-Blood," said Chiron. "There, you will train and learn how to survive in a world that's populated by gods, demigods, and monsters."

"Hold on a second," said Jacquel. Chiron stared at her. "Now let me get this straight: you're talking about Greek mythology and Zeus and monsters. I think I missed something here."

"Like what?" said Hermione.

"Such as the part where Ron is a demigod," Jacquel said.

Chiron stared at her and said, "Dear child, be so slow as to mention that aloud." Ron and Hermione stared at her. "You may never know who may be listening."

"But this is New York," said Hermione. "We're just faces in a crowd. Who would want to listen to us anyway?"

"There are monsters everywhere," said Chiron. "You may not notice them right away, but they're everywhere. I must hide you with a trusted friend of mine until I can get you safely to camp. Be careful."

Ron, Hermione, and Jacquel stared at each other for a long time. They all found themselves at Subway's eating sandwiches. None of them spoke to each other, but the shock was clearly on their faces. Jacquel said, "How did I know you were a demigod?"

"I wonder if my father or mother was a god," said Ron.

"Mayhaps, or the centaur wouldn't be speaking to us," said Jacquel.

Just then, a man leered in their direction. The children tensed, knowing that their lives were about to change forever...

Chapter 3: In Which Demigods and Magic Don’t Mix

Summary:

In this story, Ron, Hermione, and Jacquel face some ugly truths; a monster shows up and attacks them.

"I don't suppose you have a plan on how to get us out of this situation, or do you?" Hermione snapped at Jacquel as they found themselves sitting at a restaurant. Several hours had passed since the incident at the bookstore, and no one came to retrieve them.

In short, Ron, Hermione, and Jacquel were stranded in New York City.

Jacquel shook her head. "There's no way we're staying out here. But we're stuck here. In New York out of all places! Had I known I'd be stuck here, I would have gone with my grandmother as she cruised the Nile in Egypt..."

Ron didn't respond to them, not even when it was time for them to eat. Jacquel and Hermione began to worry about him. Sure Jacquel had rudely blurted out that he was a demigod, but was it true? Or was it a pipe dream?

Hermione said, "I think you may be right about Ron. He might be a demigod and no one knew about it, until you found out."

Jacquel said, "I'm not one to gossip, but is it possible that one of Ron's parents is a Greek god? That goes without saying, of course."

Hermione said, "Well, what if we don't know anything about his human mother? She could be a regular woman who doesn't know her son is a demigod. What do you say to that?"

Ron ignored the girls and began walking around the place. No one paid heed to him, which seemed to unsettle him. He remembered Chiron's warning regarding demigods: "The more powerful you are, the more danger surrounds you. Monsters will seek you out and destroy you." He then remembered Chiron's next words: "There's a safe place for demigods called Camp Half-Blood. There, you will train and learn how to survive in a world populated by gods, demigods, and monsters."

How will I get there, he thought.

Jacquel saw that Ron had gone and she got up to go look for him. But when she stepped outside, she saw Ron standing at a street corner. Ron said to her, "Did you mean it? Am I a demigod?"

"I meant every word," she snapped.

"I don't think my mom would approve of that," Ron said with a concerned look on his face.

"Since when has she approved of anything that you have done?" Hermione cut in.

"Not ever, if you ask me," said Ron. "Sometimes, I wonder if she really is my mother."

"If she wasn't, that could explain some things," Jacquel muttered.

Just then, they all turned and saw a man leering at them. He had red eyes and off-color skin. He said, "Son of the Sea God, what you have done was unforgivable!"

"Sea God?" Ron questioned.

"Poseidon," Jacquel whispered. "He's definitely on to you."

"What has my father done that would make you seek me out in revenge?" Ron cried out. "Besides, my father is an accountant, not the Sea God or whatever you call him."

"Foolish boy," the monster (for it was a monster and not a man) roared at him. "Your father sought to have me chained up as punishment for a crime I didn't commit."

"I've heard of you!" Jacquel yelled. "You were the one who sank the Titanic in 1912!"

"Indeed," said the monster. "Your father cast me into the deepest part of hell and proclaimed that if I should return, one of his children will destroy me. But now, here I am and I will destroy you first!"

"Leave him alone!" a man yelled at the monster. At the same time, Ron whipped out his wand and waved it at him. "I will destroy you," he said as he uttered a spell.

Believe it or not, the moment that Ron unleashed the curse, he was sent flying back, slamming into Jacquel and Hermione. All three fell to the ground. Jacquel gasped as she stood up; in her hand was a series of charms she had received as presents during her summers at Camp Olympia, which was outside Seattle, Washington. She wore the charms on a chain at her hip. Hermione grew angry as she had dropped her book and she was in the middle of reading what most people would consider the most boring part of the book. Ron, however, gasped in horror as he watched his wand burst into flames.

The monster laughed at them, saying, "Foolish boy, did you think wizard magic can work on me? You're the son of Poseidon!"

Just then, Jacquel whipped out a bow and arrow and shot at the monster, hitting him on the nose. He let out a loud and angry roar as he looked down and saw Jacquel about to fire another arrow at him. At the same time, the other man tossed a pen to Ron. Ron stared at him, saying, "Are you kidding? I don't need to write anything; I need to fight him!"

"Click it!" the man shouted.

Ron clicked the pen and it immediately turned into a sword. "Interesting," he muttered to himself as the monster leered toward him. He reached out and poked it between the eyes, effectively killing it.

Jacquel said to him, "That's odd. I never read the part about pens turning into swords." Ron could only stare in shock.

"We must get going now," said the man.

Without a second thought, Jacquel and Ron rushed back to Hermione and then all three kids followed the man to a parked car nearby. Something told Ron that it wasn't over yet...

Notes:

Did you guys *REALLY* think that an iceberg sank the Titanic? Nope! It was the work of a hideous sea monster! Now you know!

Chapter 4: In Which Our Heroes Find Themselves in the Middle of Nowhere

"Well, this isn't right," Hermione snapped as the children found themselves running with the strange man to the car. They all jumped in and the car took off. Hermione continued, "Would you mind explaining to me what the hell is going on here? Why did that monster come out and attack Ron?"

"Why did my wand burst into flames?" Ron cried out.

"And what do you mean Kronos has returned?" Jacquel snapped, which shut everyone up.

The man said, "We can't talk about this right now; all your questions will be answered once we get to camp..."

"Camp? What camp?" cried Ron. "No one told me about any camp!"

"Well, you'll find out soon," said the man.

"So let me get this: Ron can't do magic and his wand burst into flames when he tried to use a spell?" Hermione snapped. "What's going on here and what have you done to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him," said the man. "He's a demigod."

"A demi-what?" Hermione snarled.

"Demigod," Jacquel said as she picked up D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Mythology. "A demigod is a child of a Greek god and a mortal. It is known that the Greek gods came down to earth and hooked up with mortals, so to speak. The children born from those unions are demigods. So what else explains why the monster attacked Ron and addressed him as the son of the Sea God?"

"Indeed," Hermione said as she glared at Jacquel with jealousy.

"Still, what does the sinking of the Titanic have to do with me?" Ron cried out. "My dad had nothing to do with it!"

"You mean, Arthur Weasley had nothing to do with the Titanic, but Poseidon did," said Jacquel. "He found the monster responsible and chained him to the sea floor as punishment..."

"...until he showed up here and Ron killed him," said Hermione. "Why are you repeating this stuff? I don't care to hear about it!"

"I don't understand any of this," said Ron. "I mean, we were recently told about the gods and demigods and heroes by that Chiron guy. He claims that these stories are true."

"Well, are they?" Hermione snapped.

Jacquel stared ahead and said, "I think we're in further trouble."

"Whatever do you mean?" said Ron.

"It's a Minotaur!" yelled the man. The kids barely had time to react before the Minotaur struck the car and flipped it over.

"A what?" Hermione cried out. "What are you talking about?"

"For once in your life, shut up!" Jacquel snapped. "Besides, the Minotaur is an evil creature that lived in a maze in a castle and ate innocent teenagers who dared to walk into its labyrinth."

"Labyrinth?" said Hermione. "Are you seriously talking about that movie with David Bowie?"

"Shut the hell up!" Jacquel snapped in anger. She looked behind her and saw the man frantically pulling off his pants. "We're being attacked by a minotaur," she cried out. "There's no time for a bathroom break!"

"I'm not going on a bathroom break, I'm going to break you all out of here," said the man as his pants came off, revealing a pair of legs that belonged to a goat.

Ron gasped as he saw what Jacquel was seeing. "What's this? The guy decided to turn into a goat?"

"Half-goat, actually," said the man. "I'm what you kids call a satyr."

"Satyr?" Jacquel cried out. "I'm defiantly dreaming."

"Well, you better wake up, kid, because this is your stop," the man-turned-satyr said as he kicked the windshield and the glass shattered. Jacquel took the hint and climbed out the car. Ron and Hermione followed her, and the satyr said, "OK kids, now we have to run to camp. It's located behind two pillars. now run!"

Jacquel needed no second instruction, as she took off as if it was her last day on earth. Hermione said, "I don't care if she thinks it's real; I'm not going into any strange—"

The satyr swept her onto his shoulders and grabbed Ron's hand. Ron could barely keep up with the satyr as he ran towards a pillared archway, where Jacquel was waiting for them. "We're safe now, right?" she asked.

The satyr said, "We will be once we go inside."

This time, it was Jacquel's turn to be apprehensive. "I'm not sure if I want to go in," she said. "Besides, the monster only wants Ron. To him, Hermione and I are little more than a hindrance..."

"I know," said the satyr, "but if we don't make it inside, then you'll never find out the answers to your questions."

"Indeed," said Jacquel as she looked behind them and saw the Minotaur approaching. "He's coming back!"

"Run straight inside!" said the satyr. "CAMPERS TO THE DOORWAY NOW!!! We have a possible demigod among us and he needs to be protected!"

At once, a large group of campers rushed to the doorway, all armed to the teeth with weapons. The satyr said to a group, "You take these kids to the infirmary, they may have gotten hurt in the accident. The rest of you, when I give the signal, we blow the Minotaur to kingdom come!"

As if his body was taking directions from someone else, Ron pulled out his sword. Hermione raced behind him, saying, "Ron, you can't do this! Let me stop him!"

"So your wand can burst into flames as well?" Jacquel cried out. "When last I checked, monsters aren't receptive to magic, especially wizard's magic!"

"Well, I'm not a demigod, or am I?" said Hermione. "Now let me try this theory out. You can shoot him if the spell doesn't work."

"What if she fails," said Ron.

"Then you can stab him to death," said Hermione.

"What if that doesn't work?" Jacquel cried out.

"There is an army of campers who will finish what you have started," said the satyr. "Here he comes!"

Hermione waved her wand and zapped the Minotaur. It roared in anger and snatched her, intending to rip her to pieces. "You never said that I could get ripped into pieces!" she cried out.

Jacquel pulled out her bow and arrow and shot the Minotaur in the eye. It roared even louder and dropped Hermione. She fell to the ground, unconscious. It soon leered at Jacquel, filling her with fear. Without thinking of the danger he was in, Ron jumped onto the Minotaur's back and began stabbing it as Jacquel pulled out a long thin knife and stepped between the Minotaur and Hermione. The other campers began firing arrows at the Minotaur, and it swatted at the arrows as it tried to get at both Ron and Jacquel.

Somehow, one of Ron's blows seemed to hit home, as the Minotaur roared in pain and vanished into thin air. The campers gasped as they saw the monster disintegrate and Ron fall to the ground. Jacquel dropped the knife and rushed to him, saying, "Are you all right?"

"I think so," said Ron. "It's not everyday we can slay a monster and remain intact."

Jacquel nodded and tuned to see more campers pouring out through the archway and rush toward them. Everyone was eager to see the boy who had almost single-handedly defeated the Minotaur. Ron, suddenly tired from the fight, collapsed and fell as a familiar figure reached out to catch him...

Notes:

So Ron takes down a minotaur, which is pretty brave of him since he doesn't do much in the Harry Potter books. But can he prove himself a demigod?

Chapter 5: In Which Ron & Jacquel Find Themselves at Camp Half-Blood

Ron found himself waking up; he had no idea of where he was. All he could remember was when he had fought the Minotaur and killed it. He didn't notice Chiron coming to fetch him after the attack.

He looked around him; was he still in the woods? Well, technically, he was, but there were buildings there as well. People were moving about from place to place, not seeming to notice him at in their bustling.

Ron wondered where are Jacquel and Hermione? He could barely recall the event that led him to this place; he was also unsure of whether or not Jacquel or Hermione made it into the place. He then thought about the centaur and the satyr, both of who had told him about his true identity as a demigod.

Demigod, the child of a Greek god and a mortal, Jacquel had claimed. But was he really a demigod, or did the world decide to mess with him? And if he wasn't a demigod, then why did he go through all the trouble of fighting two monsters and escaping to Camp Half-Blood when he could have remained behind in New York to be at the receiving end of Molly Weasley's so-called "love"?

"I see someone finally decided to wake up," said the satyr as he stood over Ron's bed.

"Who are you?" Ron cried out.

"I'm Grover Underwood, and you have been out for almost a week," said Grover.

A whole week, Ron thought. I've been out for a whole week? This can't be right. How could it be a week since the attack?

"You may not remember everything right now," said Grover, "but you killed two monsters before coming here..."

"No thanks to you and the horse guy," Ron cut in.

"Still, that was pretty brave," said Grover. "No demigod-in-training has taken on two monsters and survived unscathed."

Ron looked around him again and asked, "Where are Jacquel and Hermione?"

"As for you friends," said Grover, "one of them was picked up by her parents and taken home earlier that week..." Hermione, Ron thought to himself. Jacquel doesn't have any parents, only her grandmother. "...and as for the other one, she woke up two days earlier and is currently located in Hermes cabin."

Ron was confused. "Did you just say cabins?"

"In Camp Half-Blood, we sort kids based on who their parents were, on in this case, Greek parents," said Grover. "There's Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Apollo, Demeter, and...Poseidon."

"And the cabins are named for," Ron said, wondering what was coming next.

"The campers' parents," said Grover. He shifted uncomfortably as Ron sat up, eventually climbing out of bed. "Years earlier, after World War II ended, the big three gods, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, met and decided that they would not have any more children, for any child born to them would be extremely volatile and dangerous. As the years wore on, I chanced to discover a son of Poseidon living in New York, and it took me a while to locate him and bring him here. But then you came along..."

"And I most certainly did come along," said Ron.

"And you brought some friends with you, one of whom is well-versed in mythology, and one who is not," said Grover. He and Ron walked out the cabin and Ron turned around to look behind him. "That's the infirmary," said Grover, "in case anyone gets hurt here. The Apollo cabin takes care of those who are hurt."

"I can see that," said Ron.

"In this place, you'll learn how to survive, both in our world and in the real world," said Grover.

"This is too good to be true," said Ron. "Yet, I'm not sure if this makes any sense. If I'm a wizard..."

"Which you're not," said Grover.

"Then explain to me how the sea monster came out and attacked me?' said Ron. "Why didn't my wand work against him? And what was the gibberish on that piece of paper that Jacquel could read but I could barely make out the words?"

"You could read the words just fine," said Grover, "but your mind was playing tricks on you. As for the wand breaking, you can't use wizard's magic against mythological monsters. Wizardry isn't compatible with demigod powers."

"So I guess I'm not a wizard then, "Ron said more to himself than to Grover, "which is a shame when you look at it."

"What are you talking about?" said Grover.

"I want to know why I wasted the last four years of my life at Hogwarts when I wasn't a wizard?" said Ron. "You should see Hermione; she's so good at the wizard stuff, you'd thought she was born into that role. Why her, and why not me?"

"Because she isn't what you are," said Grover. "You're a demigod. She uses wizard magic. Our magic and wizard's magic are not compatible. That was why she lost."

Jacquel saw Ron and Grover and waved to them. She said, "I've gotten bored waiting for your lazy butt to get up, so I came here. What do you say to that?"

Ron said, "Well, sorry if I was trying to recover from fighting that Minotaur."

"About that," Jacquel said as she pulled something out of her pocket. "This broke off during the fight."

Ron gasped as she held what appeared to be a horn in her hands. "Was the Minotaur's?" he hesitated to say.

"Indeed," said Grover. "Your first victory as a demigod."

Demigod, Ron thought to himself. I won a victory, and I didn't need anyone's help to do it. He shrugged and said to himself, "Well, I didn't have Harry with me, Hermione was being a pain in the butt, and Jacquel was being her usual self, but I can't believe I did this. What will the twins say about this?"

"OK," said Grover. "While you two are gawking, I've got to continue the rest of the tour. Let's go!"

Ron sighed as he followed Jacquel and Grover into the rest of the camp. He was sure that someone would find out about what happened to them and tell the Weasleys. But he would cross that bridge when he came to it; he had more important things to worry about.

Notes:

You might be saying to yourself "Hermione could have defeated that Minotaur", but there had to be some limits as to what our girl genius can and cannot do. This means that even if Hermione could take on a troll, she certainly can't beat a Minotaur. That is best left to the demigods.

Now you know.

Chapter 6: In Which Ron’s True Identity is Revealed

Ron and Jacquel followed Grover as he pointed out various things that were in Camp Half-Blood. The other campers briefly glanced at them, and then resumed whatever it was they were doing. Grover said to them, "You'll be staying in Hermes cabin until everyone knows for sure whose parent claims you."

They all walked inside the cabin and saw a young man playing an MMORPG on his computer. Computer? Ron and Jacquel glanced at each other, then at the computer. The young man said, "What is it now? Can't you see I'm–"

Then looking up and seeing Grover, Ron, and Jacquel, he said, "What happened, goat-man? I thought you were bringing in the new recruit a few days ago."

"He was unconscious for a week," Grover said.

"Who? Him?" the young man said as he pointed to Ron. "He doesn't look like a demigod."

"But he is one, anyway," said Grover. "Anyway, he calls himself Ron Weasley."

"Weasley?" the young man said. "That's not a proper name of a demigod at all; we'll have to correct this later."

"And who the heck is he?" Jacquel said as she stood there with a strange look on her face.

"He's Luke Castellan, camp counselor," said Grover.

"Uh, you said you would take me to see the camp director," said Jacquel. Grover nodded. "Then why am I seeing his lackey?"

Luke laughed at her and said, "You got spunk, kiddo. That will surely save you on the battlefield. But your friend here, he is a different matter."

Ron said, "Like how?"

"Well, there are rumors that you're the son of Poseidon, are you aware of that?" Luke said.

"Well, that's what they say," said Ron, "but I don't want to believe them."

"You better believe it," said Luke. "Well, the big guy wants to see you, so we'll get going. I must warn you though, what you're about to see will bend your perception of reality."

"My sense of reality has already been bent, thank you very much," said Jacquel.

Luke laughed again and then led everyone out of the cabin. Several other campers noticed them and began following them. There was a huge crowd behind Ron as Luke pointed out, "Here's where you'll be doing most of your training."

"Training for what?" Ron cut in.

Just then, Chiron showed up, but instead of being in a wheelchair, he was standing on his feet. All FOUR of his feet, if you want to call it that. He said, "So how are you kids enjoying the camp?"

"Didn't he use to sit in a wheelchair?" Ron hissed to Jacquel.

"I've got a question for you," Jacquel said as everyone stared at her. "Why do you have a horse's ass?"

A few chuckles in the crowd greeted the question as Chiron said, "I sit in a wheelchair when I meet potential demigods for the first time, so that my appearance doesn't scare them off. Somehow, you must have notice my true appearance while you were at the bookstore."

"Yes, I did," Jacquel said nonchalantly.

"Anyway," said Chiron, "I'm sure that Luke and Grover were kind enough to give you the tour of this place, but now comes time for your training..."

Percy Jackson was standing in the back of the crowd. Annabeth Chase said to him, "That kid doesn't look like a demigod."

"Looks can be deceiving," said Percy.

"But still," said Annabeth, "he can't be a demigod. I'm banking on the girl here."

"She already claimed that she was no demigod," said Percy.

"Well, one of the gods could have been her ancestor," said Annabeth. "But which god, we don't know."

Just then, Clarisse La Rue laughed and said, "Look guys, fresh meat."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Annabeth.

"Oh what do you know, wise girl?" said Clarisse. "And besides, that boy is just something for us to shoot." To her fellows campers, she said, "Load the catapult!"

"Clarisse, if Luke sees you with that thing..." Percy began, but Clarisse cut him off. "FIRE!" she said.

Unluckily for her, a random camper overheard "FIRE" and shouted, "The camp is on fire!"

Panic swept in as everyone turned to flee from the training grounds and find the source of the fire. Percy got a hold on the catapult and tried to dislodge it. He said, "Clarisse, I forbid you to bully anyone else."

"What are you going to do?" Clarisse mocked him. "Dismantle the catapult?"

Percy kicked at it while Clarisse lunged at him and they both fell in a tangle just in front of the catapult. Just then, a careless camper ran smack into the catapult and kept going. The huge water balloon took off and slowly flew towards its intended target. Jacquel noticed it and yelled, "Ron, get out of the way..."

But Ron wasn't listening to her; he stared at the huge water balloon that would soon drench him from head to toe. But before that happened, he reached out with one hand and drew the water from the water balloon, until the water made a perfect sphere in his hand and the deflated balloon laid at his feet.

Everyone gasped in shock as they stared at the water sphere in Ron's hand and the deflated balloon at his feet. Luke chuckled and said, "Well, I guess we know whose son he is, don't we?"

"Oh, tell me this is some kind of a joke," Annabeth scowled as she approached Luke. "The girl pulled the water out of the balloon. I saw her do it."

"She did not," said another camper. "It was him. I swear it."

"I saw him," said another camper. "He pulled the water out of the balloon."

"It was the girl, I know it," said Annabeth.

And as a huge debate broke out all over the camp over who had pulled the water out of the water balloon, Luke said to Ron, "Beginner's luck."

"What did you say?" Jacquel snapped as she aimed an arrow at his head.

"Well, how did he know that he can control water?" said Luke. "Poseidon was the god of the seas."

"I knew that," said Ron, "but that couldn't make me his son, unless..."

"Your mother was not Mrs. Weasley," said Jacquel. "In fact, she could have been some random woman who has no idea about what happened to her only begotten child."

"For yourself, you may be right," said Chiron. "But we can't know for sure until tonight. Dinner is at six o'clock sharp."

He walked off, leaving Jacquel and Ron behind, both of them more confused than when they had first entered the camp. And the sphere of water Ron held in his hand fell to the ground at his feet.

Notes:

Well, now that we all know who Ron's father really is, I wonder what this is going to do to the Weasley family. How will they handle the truth that Ron was not theirs to begin with?

Chapter 7: In Which Ron’s Secret Comes to Life

That night, Ron and Jacquel were sitting by themselves in the dining hall. Everyone else was eating and talking about who pulled the water out of the water balloon that was launched at Ron several hours earlier.

Just then, Chiron said, "Attention, everyone, we now introduce to you our newest camper, Ron Weasley!" The entire camp broke out into applause as Mr. D. Hadcame out and said, "That's no demigod, Chiron. He's a spy sent by Kronos himself to infiltrate our camp. The girl is the demigod."

This was heard by several other campers; for a few moments, everyone burst into chatter. Jacquel stood up and yelled into her megaphone: "Attention everyone, I am not a demigod. In fact, I am a spellcaster, which is a step and a half below a demigod. Ron here is the real deal!"

"You lie!" Clarisse yelled as she hurled her cup of water at Jacquel's head. Ron jumped in front of Jacquel to protect her. As Ron had pulled the water out of the water balloon, he pulled the water out of the cup, which fell to the floor at his feet.

He said, "Well, you're the liar here, and this is what I do to liars!" He hurled the sphere of water at Clarisse and she was soaked from head to toe.

At that moment, everyone gasped and stared at Ron. They had all witnessed Ron catching the water and throwing it back at Clarisse. Then they all laughed as Percy said to Annabeth, "Still think she pulled the water out of the balloon?"

"Shut up, seaweed brain," Annabeth said as she stormed away from the table.

"I guess this confirms it," Chiron said to Mr. D. "Ron here is the son of Poseidon."

"I see," said Mr. D. To Ron, he said, "What do you know of Poseidon, boy?"

"Aren't you the god who likes to...get drunk?" Ron said. Several of the campers giggled upon hearing that.

"Oh come on, not this again!" cried Mr. D.

"You're Dionysus, aren't you?" said Jacquel.

"If you want to call me that," said Mr. D. "My father made me work here because..."

"You got drunk and danced at someone's party wearing nothing but a Speedo swimsuit that you stole from an Olympic swimmer," Jacquel chirped as the other campers laughed.

"Don't remind me," Mr. D groaned.

"Wasn't that in another story?" Ron hissed at her.

"Whatever," said Jacquel, "but it was still funny."

"So," said Ron, "anyone else from Poseidon cabin here?"

"Just one," said Chiron. "His name is Percy Jackson and he's the only camper here who is the son of Poseidon. He'll show you to your cabin."

Ron frowned as Percy approached him. Percy appeared to be smiling as he passed by the other campers. "That's no Harry Potter rip-off," he muttered to himself.

"This is what I call Greek mythology in action," Jacquel said after him.

"Right," said Percy. "I shall show you to the cabin."

Ron stared at Jacquel and she said, "You go on; I'll deal with that bully." Ron frowned, but went to follow Percy. Jacquel marched up to Clarisse and said, "You should be lucky that Ron only threw water at you. The next time you try to attack me, I'll fire an arrow into your gut. Not water, but an arrow. Got it?" Clarisse could only stare at her in horror. "Good," said Jacquel. "And one more thing..."

She reached out and backhanded Clarisse and several of the unfortunate members of Ares cabin. "And that was for the water balloon. Do that again and I'll toss snakes into your cabin. And they'll be poisonous snakes and that won't be good. Nobody messes with Jacquel Romanov and lives!"

She stood up and walked away. The entire population of Ares cabin learned that it was not a good idea to mess with Jacquel at all. But little did anyone know that Jacquel would be their best weapon against an angry witch who stormed into the camp...

Notes:

Well, if Percy Jackson ripped off Harry Potter, then Ares Cabin is like Slytherin House. But Percy Jackson didn't rip off Harry Potter, so there's that.

Stay tuned for more.

Chapter 8: In Which Annabeth Unwisely Challenges a Spellcaster

Annabeth Chase refused to accept Ron Weasley as a demigod. In fact, she was going to challenge him to a duel. Let's see if he's good enough to fight me, she thought to herself.

The next day, Ron found himself at the training grounds. Everyone stared at him with anticipation. Jacquelyn was there, and she had already beaten three demigods in three separate duels. She noticed him and said, "Have you come to watch me kick some butt?"

Ron said, "Well, I know I can't fight well, so I'm at a proper disadvantage right now."

"That's good enough for me, impostor," Annabeth snarled at him. "Draw your weapon."

"That's not fair to Ron," Jacquelyn said as she turned in Annabeth's direction. "Besides, he's not ready to fight yet. He needs time and training and to learn the proper linguistics of dueling."

"And I suppose you can teach him?" shouted a random camper.

"Well," said Jacquelyn, "do you wish to challenge me then? You cannot. You will be badly beaten."

"I know you're a demigod," said Annabeth.

"I know I'm not, but what are you?" Jacquelyn replied by way of speaking.

"I am Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy," said Annabeth. "I never lose."

"We'll see about that," said Jacquelyn. "Draw your weapon and step forth."

Annabeth glared at her as she drew out her sword and was now facing the smaller girl. "You shouldn't be doing this," Grover warned. "I've seen what she can do."

"It matters not," said Annabeth. "I know I can beat her."

"Oh spare me your earthy humor," Jacquelyn glared at her. "Now begin!"

Ron watched awestruck as Annabeth tried to strike Jacquelyn, but she was pushed to the side. "Oh my," said Jacquelyn. "I've seen what you did there. Come back here and duel."

Annabeth rushed at her and the two girls began dueling again. The other campers watched in interest. Annabeth was trying to get the upper hand, but Jacquelyn beat her down several times.

Just then, some camper running from Clarisse ran in front of Jacquelyn and knocked her over. She looked up and saw Clarisse. "You again?" she cried out. "You just never learn, don't you? Next duel, I will totally destroy you!"

Annabeth rushed at her and went in for the attack, but Jacquelyn saw her and spun around, trapping her rival next to a tree. Annabeth was so shocked that she dropped her sword. Jacquelyn pointed her own sword at Annabeth's throat and said, "Know this, Annabeth, daughter of Athena: it is both dangerous and unwise to challenge a spellcaster. You will always lose. And another thing..." Annabeth held her breath, as did the rest of the campers. "Even when I'm down, I can still beat you up."

Everyone gasped and Chiron stepped forward, clapping his hands. "That was marvelous," he said. "I have never seen such swordsmanship in my whole life." To Jacquelyn, he said, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"Well, I blame my grandmother for making me go to six years worth of summer camp," said Jacquelyn.

"Indeed," Mr. D. said as he approached the group.

Percy said to Annabeth, "You did great."

"But I lost," said Annabeth. "I never lose a fight."

"But she did say you shouldn't challenge her," said Percy.

"I know," said Annabeth. "Sometimes, I just have to prove myself. I think I know what she is."

"A demigod?" said Grover.

"No, a spellcaster," said Annabeth. Percy and Grover stared at her. "Spellcasters are extremely powerful and very dangerous. No one messes with them and lives."

"But she let you go," said Percy.

"Well, if this were a fair fight, I'd have to kill you," Jacquelyn responded. "But I can't have your death on my conscious, or can I?"

Ron said, "Now do you think I'm a demigod?"

"I'll...think about it," Annabeth frowned as she stared at him.

Little did they know that a shadow was among the trees. When it reached the largest tree in the forest, it attacked...

Notes:

Jacquelyn is one tough spellcaster! Not only does she have a badass quote, but she doesn't take crap from anyone, especially demigods.

Also, Ron and Annabeth will face off in the next chapter. Stay tuned.

Chapter 9: In Which a Demigod Faces the Wrath of a Witch

Within a few days, Ron found himself all geared up and standing in the dueling field. A large group of demigods were also assembled in the field. Chiron stood in the front, saying, "Welcome to this week's game of Capture the Flag. Unlike last week's game, where Mr. Dionysus made it OK for you kids to play rough, I won't tolerate any actual fighting. Now, Luke and Annabeth will be choosing teams..."

Ron said to Jacquelyn, "I don't like the looks of this. What if one of us gets hurt?"

"Oh, you're such a big baby," Jacquelyn snapped at him. "Stop being so dramatic."

"Besides, no one actually gets killed during Capture the Flag," said Grover. "You're going to be fine."

Chiron said, "This time, I want a clean match. First team to make it back here with the opposite team's flag wins."

Percy said, "You're going to put me on your team, right?"

"Not if HE comes," Annabeth snapped at him.

"Well, in that case, I'll take him," said Luke. "Prepare to lose, wise one."

"Bring it on," Annabeth snarled at him.

Luke said to Jacquelyn and Ron, "How's about we crush those disbelievers?"

---

Within a few minutes, the game began, with both teams charging into the field of battle. Ron said, "I usually play Quidditch. Not this."

"What's Quidditch?" Luke asked.

"Please don't ask," Jacquelyn snapped at him.

The flag was right in front of them, and Percy was standing in front of it. Luke said, "Athena may be the goddess of wisdom, but Hermes can do just as much damage as she does. You'll see once I have my plans in front of me."

Percy spotted him and said, "Not this time, Luke! This time, I will stop you!"

"Not if I get you first!" Luke shouted back. He and Percy pounced on each other and fought as Jacquelyn and Ron went to get the flag. Percy threw Luke to the side as Ron ducked behind the tree, dropping the flag.

He ran to Luke and said, "Now how are we going to win?"

"I'm not sure," said Luke. "Percy's pretty tough to beat."

"Indeed," said Ron.

Within a few moments, Jacquelyn rushed by them, shouting, "I have the flag; let's get out of here!"

"How did she do that?" Ron wondered to himself.

"No time to stand," said Luke. "Let's go!" To Jacquelyn, he said, "How did you do that?"

"Oh, I have my ways," Jacquelyn said as she smiled at him.

Percy said to Annabeth, "I can't believe it! One minute I had the flag in my hands, and then the next minute, it was gone. How did that happen?"

"Luke," said Annabeth. "He always does stuff like that."

"But Luke didn't kiss me," said Percy. "I bet she did."

"Indeed," said Annabeth. "I'm going to head them off."

She ran to the River Styx, where her team was having a difficult time trying to capture the flag from Luke's team. Ron noticed her and said, "I think we should give her the flag now."

"Are you nuts?" Luke yelled as he glared at him. "This is Capture the Flag! The trick is to steal the other team's flag, not take it and then give it back! What planet did you come from?"

"Give it up, Luke," said Annabeth. "I know you used her to take the flag from Percy!"

"Ask nicely and I'll go easy on you," Jacquelyn said with a smile.

"You little minx!" Percy cried out. "I should have known that you'd pull a trick like that!"

"Well, I don't play to cheat," Jacquelyn smiled at him. "I only play to win."

"Indeed," Annabeth said as she frowned at her.

Ron said, "You can't just go picking fights with Jacquel! Not unless you want your butt handed to you!"

"It's not her I want to fight," said Annabeth. "It's you. Draw your weapon."

Ron swallowed and pulled out his sword. No sooner than he had done that, Annabeth came charging at him. Ron gasped as he tried to dodge Annabeth's blows, something that came naturally to Jacquelyn. Annabeth said, "I wonder if Poseidon had made a mistake when he claimed you as his son."

"He did not," said Luke.

"Stay out of this, or you're next!" Annabeth snapped at Luke.

Ron hoped to use that to his advantage, but Annabeth swung her sword and it caught him, sending him flying into the mud next to the river.

"Ron!" Jacquelyn yelled as she rushed to his side. "Are you all right?"

Ron didn't hear her; he was too busy staring at his reflection in the river. He had a huge cut on his cheek where Annabeth's sword had cut him. He frowned, knowing that he had lost to Annabeth Chase.

Just then, he heard a voice calling his name. The voice said, "The river is your strength." Ron frowned, not knowing what that meant.

Jacquelyn said, "Ron, that's the River Styx! It'll heal you!"

"How?" said Ron.

Jacquelyn grabbed Ron's foot and jammed it into the water. Immediately the river bathed him until his bruises were healed. Even the cut on his cheek was gone. Ron stood up and said, "I hope you're ready for a rematch!"

Annabeth frowned and said, "Humor me."

Percy stepped back as Ron and Annabeth fought again. This time, Ron was able to get the upper hand and defeated Annabeth. She dropped her sword in shock as Ron said, "Now will you quit doubting me?"

She frowned as she looked around. There was a huge group of campers who had gathered to watch the fight. Grover came to them and said, "Now that was a good fight."

Chiron said, "A good fight indeed. But I wonder if we're still playing Capture the Flag."

"We are," Jacquelyn said as she pulled the flag from under her shirt. She held it up and said, "Looks like we win."

---

Later that night, Grover sat at the Poseidon table and said, "I don't know what was going on, but I must congratulate you on your second win."

"I won?" Ron said, confused.

"You proved to Annabeth that you truly were the son of Poseidon," said Grover. "She usually doesn't lose a fight."

"Indeed I don't," Annabeth said. "Yet, you do not revel in your glory."

"Ron has issues," Jacquelyn said. "He's the youngest in his family. No one really likes him."

"What a shame," said Annabeth. "Surely they could have appreciated his talents."

Percy was about to respond when an owl carrying a letter was spotted flying into the camp. "Why would an owl be here?" he cried out.

"Perhaps it's carrying a message," said Ron. "Wizards usually prefer to communicate by owls."

"Haven't they heard of emails?" said Percy?

"Indeed not," Jacquelyn said as she reached for the owl. "Whatever message it has, it won't be good."

The letter opened and turned into a mouth. Ron said, "Oh no, not another Howler!"

"What's a Howler?" said Annabeth.

In response, the Howler shouted, "RONALD WEASLEY, HOW COULD YOU JUST RUN AWAY FROM HOME? WHAT ARE YOU DOING AT THAT CAMP? WHY DID HERMIONE TELL ME THAT YOU DECIDED TO GO RUNNING OFF?"

"Crap!" Ron cried out as he glared at Grover.

"How was I supposed to know that she would be claimed by that woman?" Grover said.

"You could at least told Chiron or told me," said Luke. "I could have handled her."

The Howler continued, "YOU HAVE LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO PACK YOUR BAGS AND GET BACK TO NEW YORK OR I'LL DRAG YOU THERE ON YOUR BOTTOM!" The Howler tore itself to pieces and fell on the table.

Ron frowned; little did he know that the entire camp had heard the message. Chiron said to him, "Don't you worry about a thing; I'll handle her."

"But she's a witch," Ron protested, but Chiron continued, "I've had dealings with witches in the past, and I'll handle this one. She won't be taking any of my campers, not as long as I'm here."

Ron nodded and Jacquelyn said, "I can't believe Hermione betrayed us like that. Why would she do it?"

"Maybe she was threatened," said Ron. "Anyway, I can't stay here if she could walk into the camp and take me."

"She won't get too far," said Percy. "The borders will keep us safe."

"Not if they have been tampered with," said Luke. He then said, "I want all campers to be on your guard at all times. We don't know when she could strike."

At once, everyone gasped and fell into chatter. Who would want to break into Camp Half-Blood and take Ron? Especially since he was claimed by Poseidon? Ron felt tears of shame pouring down his eyes; he would rather die than be forced to stay with a family that despised him.

Little did he know that Molly Weasley would soon be the least of his worries...

Notes:

Oh crap! Ron is so busted! How will he explain to Molly that he's really a demigod?

Chapter 10: In Which Camp Half-Blood is Under Attack & Ron is Forced To Make a Tough Decision

The next day, Ron woke up in his new cabin. He still had a hard time believing that Molly Weasley would find out where he was and also to demand that he return to her. Who did she think she was?

He shook his head; he needed to change his appearance immediately.

Of course he *could* ask Jacquelyn for a change-your-appearance spell, but the spell would wear off after a few hours. He needed more than a spell to alter his appearance.

After breakfast, he found himself making his way toward Aphrodite cabin. Perhaps the girls there could give him a few pointers. Grover was already there, speaking to a girl. They noticed him and Grover said, "Well, what brings you here, Ron?"

Ron said, "I need a disguise, and in a major hurry."

"I see," said Grover. "This isn't about last night, is it?"

"Well," said Ron, "you know about that?"

"We all do," said the girl. "My name is Silena Beauregard. I know all about you."

"Did Jacquelyn tell you about me?" Ron cried out.

"Well, word on the street is that you beat Annabeth in a duel," said Silena. "We all heard the rumors. You must be quite a natural."

"Well, I'm no hero, but I am a demigod," said Ron. "But this is more important." Silena stared at him. "I need a new disguise."

"That's good enough for me!" said Silena. "Girls," she turned to a group of beautiful girls who had gathered near the cabin, "our newest demigod needs a makeover!"

"I never said that," Ron cried out as the girls grabbed him and pulled him into the cabin.

---

Within a few hours, Ron frowned as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Gone was the infamous Weasley red hair; in its place was a normal reddish-brown color. He wished that the girls hadn't cut his hair though.

Jacquelyn saw him and said, "New look, much?"

"Well, it was pretty hard," said Ron. "I had to get rid of the red hair."

"Good for you," said Jacquelyn. "Maybe no one will find you and you can just be yourself. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I hope so," said Ron. He stared at Jacquelyn and said, "I have a confession to make."

"Such as," said Jacquelyn.

"The magic is leaving me," said Ron. "I know it's weird, but I tried to do a simple spell last night and my makeshift wand broke. I can't do magic anymore."

"I see," said Jacquelyn.

"The funny thing is, though, if she were to find out that I couldn't use magic anymore, then she might leave me alone," said Ron. "I really hope this happens."

"Well, she'll be a huge wreck, but it'll be the day she finally gets off my back," said Ron. "But whatever, we have training."

Jacquelyn frowned as they both left the bathroom and went to the training field.

---

At lunchtime, Percy and Annabeth were chatting when they noticed Ron and Grover coming towards him. Annabeth stared at him and said, "Hey, where did the red hair go?"

"I made him cut it off," said Grover. "It was getting too distracting for him. Besides, we have other things to worry about."

"Well, Luke says that no attacks have occurred," said Percy, "but we're not so sure."

Jacquelyn came running to them, saying, "I just saw something..."

"Like what? Another Minotaur?" said Grover.

"Not a Minotaur," Jacquelyn, "but worse!"

Everyone looked up and saw two huge trolls coming towards the camp. They were laughing and chortling as they stomped towards the camp. Everyone there was in grave danger.

"We're under attack!" yelled a random demigod.

Immediately everyone fled from the dining area and rushed to their cabins. Luke stood up and said, "All campers to the front lines now! We haven't a moment to waste!"

Ron stared at Jacquelyn, saying, "You don't think those trolls have anything to do with her, do you?"

"Why not?" said Jacquelyn. "What if Molly had the power to summon trolls?"

"Not mythological trolls," said Grover. "Someone else is attacking us!"

"Kronos," said Jacquelyn.

Percy came to them and said, "I wouldn't be so quick to blame Kronos."

"What's his deal?" said Ron.

"Well," said Jacquelyn, "it all began 15 kajillion years ago, when the earth was newly created. Gaea, also known as Mother Earth, had created the Titans to rule over the earth. Kronos, the eldest, was the leader, but he knew that he would be overthrown. To stop this, he ate all his kids as soon as they were born."

"That's sick!" Ron cried out in disgust.

"Oh, it gets better," said Jacquelyn. "When his wife Rhea was pregnant with her last child, she gave Kronos a stone and gave birth to her youngest son. That son grew up and became Zeus. He finds Kronos and forces him to regurgitate the stone and all five of his siblings. They all overthrew Kronos and took over the earth."

"Well, that's like one awkward family reunion," said Ron.

"And there you have it," said Jacquelyn. "Kronos never forgave his children for overthrowing him and he's been trying to regain power for some time now. And this," here she pointed to the trolls, "is proof that he's at work trying to overthrow the world."

"Indeed," Chiron said with a sad look on his face. "He is also my father."

"Well, that's a tough thing to deal with," said Ron.

"Now we have to deal with his shenanigans," said Chiron. "You children need to be careful. The borders have been breached and there's danger everywhere. You could get hurt."

He left them and Jacquelyn said, "We should do something about this."

"What can we do," said Ron. "Neither of us are wizards anymore. We have no magic inside us. We're freaking doomed!"

"Not on their watch," said Grover. "Look!"

Scores of demigods were hurling arrows, stones, and javelins at the trolls, who swatted them like they were bothersome flies. Jacquelyn pulled out two arrows and shot the trolls. They soon burst into flames. Everyone who saw the firing gasped as they stared at her. Grover said, "If you were a demigod, then that was your first victory."

"But it won't be my last," said Jacquelyn.

Ron frowned as the space where the trolls once stood was blackened and the older campers came to inspect the spot. He said, "This is because of me, isn't it?"

"Don't blame yourself," said Grover. "It could have been worse."

"I know," said Ron. "Why did I come here? I'm not even safe from a witch, let alone monsters."

"So, what are you going to do?" said Jacquelyn. "She's on her way here; she'll be on the campgrounds within five minutes."

Ron stared at her and said, "I'm going to run away."

Notes:

Poor Ron! Life just won't throw him a bone! Couldn't he have just waited for Chiron to resolve the issue? Or even better, Jacquelyn could explain some things to Molly.

Who knows what is going to happen to our favorite wizard-turned-demigod.

Chapter 11: In Which a Demigod and a Spellcaster Go On the Highway to Hell

"I don't suppose that we know where we're going," Jacquelyn snapped as she and Ron ran away from Camp Half-Blood as fast as they could.

"Who cares?" said Ron. "We need to get away from there right now!"

"Good idea," said Jacquelyn, "but I don't know what's at stake here."

"My life and your future are what's at stake!" Ron cried out.

"I see," Jacquelyn said as she glared at him. "Although I wonder if it would have killed you to explain everything to the Weasleys about everything that happened to you since they dropped us off at the bookstore two weeks ago."

"Yeah, like it would work, like last year when Harry and I crashed the Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow and we explained that to Professor Snape?" Ron said, but noticing the blank stare on Jacquelyn's face, he said, "I'm sorry, you weren't there when that happened."

"Oh look, here comes the bus," Jacquelyn smiled as she spotted a bus coming in their direction. "Hopefully, it'll take us away from here."

"Good," Ron said as the bus pulled over and they boarded. They really needed to be away from Camp Half-Blood right now.

---

At the same time, Arthur and Molly Weasley had reached Camp Half-Blood, where they discovered that Ron had been hiding since they took him, Hermione, and Jacquelyn to the bookstore. Now, they had managed to retrieve Hermione when she called her parents asking for a ride back to their hotel, yet Ron and Jacquelyn were still out of their reach. And the fact that Hermione told them about her friends being in Camp Half-Blood had Molly very angry; she vowed to get those stubborn children back by any means necessary.

Chiron saw them coming and said to them, "I already know why you're here and I know what you want."

"Where is Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"You mean your son Ronald, who is the son of Poseidon?" Luke snapped as he stared at the witch. "Why should I hand him over to the likes of you?"

"He's my son, that's why," Mrs. Weasley snapped.

Mr. Weasley said, "Molly, we should probably hear them out first before you start verbally attacking them..."

Mrs. Weasley wasn't having any of it. She snapped, "Keep quiet, Arthur! Let me handle these charlatans..."

"I don't think they're charlatans, not if they know everything about Greek mythology," Hermione cut in, but Mrs. Weasley said to her, "That's enough out of you, Hermione! It was already bad enough that you called your parents and asked them to come pick you up; now they think I'm not responsible enough to keep an eye on you. I'm not even waiting for Jacquelyn's mother and grandmother to find out about this incident from her, and then they're cutting their vacation short and flying out here to come fetch her. I'm taking you all back and you're not going to see your parents and sister again!"

"You better be careful, as the same thing will happen to you," Luke snarled as he and his henchmen showed up and captured the Weasleys. Hermione, not wanting to be captured, turned around and ran; she had to find Ron and Jacquelyn and tell them what had happened...

---

Within a few hours, the bus pulled into a bus station in a small town. Jacquelyn stood up and walked towards the magazines, hoping to catch up on some gossip before they would have to leave again.

Ron frowned as he went to an old fortune telling machine. The machine sprang to life and printed out a huge piece of paper with the words: "Warning: Son of Poseidon, you and your companion are in grave danger!"

"As if we're not already in danger to begin with," said Ron. He continued reading, "As of right now, monsters are on the loose, and only you can stop them. You must retrieve the weapons at the grave of a king, a silver gate, and a city that goes on for a mile. Be forewarned, as there are those who will try to stop you. They seek your destruction. There will be a friend who will betray you..."

"It already happened," Ron thought to himself as he bitterly remembered how Hermione had informed Mrs. Weasley of his whereabouts.

"The spellcaster is in grave danger," the paper continued reading. "She must beware of the Hermaphrodite. If she comes into any form of contact with the Hermaphrodite, it will bring such a disaster that the world could end..."

"Enough with this!" Ron crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the trash. He didn't have time for this crap. He needed to escape now or else he would never be able to save himself.

---

"How could you let them get away?" Luke snapped at Grover in anger. The entire camp had been placed on lockdown and everyone was secured in their own cabins. Everyone except for Percy and Grover, that was.

"Well, it was a misguided attempt to draw the witch away from the camp, Grover began, but Luke was having none of it. "We need to find them before anyone else finds out," he cried out.

"What if we go find them," said Percy. "I'm sure I can do it."

"I would advise against it, cousin," said Luke. "You know not what the witch is like."

"Sheesh, just throw some water on her and she'll melt," Grover chimed in. Everyone stared at him. "What? It worked in The Wizard of Oz."

"This is not a movie," said Annabeth. "This is real life. You cannot fight a witch, Grover. She'll turn you into a frog faster than you can draw out your sword."

"So what do we do?" said Percy. "Ron is gone and it's not like we can't ask Tyson..." he suddenly slapped himself in the head. "Duh, we could ask Tyson to give us a ride!"

"Ride to where?" said Luke.

"I know what he's up to," said Percy, "and I know where he's going."

"Where," said Annabeth. Just then, a crumpled piece of paper appeared on the floor by her foot. She picked it up and read it. "They're on their way to Atlanta," she said. "If we hurry, we can catch them."

"Indeed," Luke said as Percy, Annabeth, and Grover rushed out the door.

---

Ron frowned as he and Jacquel settled into their seats on the bus. Little did he know that they had boarded the bus to Atlanta, Georgia. He looked out the corner of his eye and saw a strange creature staring at Jacquelyn. She was oblivious to the inherent danger that she was about to be in.

"She must never come into contact with the Hermaphrodite."

"Yeah right," Ron muttered to himself as he fell asleep. Little did he know that there was going to be even more danger for him...

Notes:

Monsters, traitors, and hermaphrodites? Sounds like trouble for our intrepid spellcaster and wizard/demigod! Will they survive the journey?

Chapter 12: In Which a Cyclops chases a Demigod, a Spellcaster, and a Priestess around a city

While Ron and Jacquelyn were on their way to Atlanta, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were standing by the River Styx, hoping that Tyson would show up.

"Where is he?" Grover cried out in frustration. "We've been waiting for him to show up for five minutes now. This is ridiculous!"

"Grover, chill!" Percy snapped at him. "He'll be here soon."

"Good," said Annabeth. "I have a bad feeling about this. I thought Luke said that we can't leave the camp."

"I know," said Percy, "but this is Ron that we're dealing with. He's a demigod, and as such, we can't have an untrained demigod running around unchecked, can we?"

The others nodded as they waited for Tyson to show up. Within a few minutes, a large seahorse came into view. A small boy was sitting on it. Little did anyone know that the boy in question was really a young Cyclops. And if Jacquelyn was still around, she could tell them that the Cyclops was the son of Poseidon and a random nymph.

Tyson smiled and waved to Percy. "Hey, Tyson," he said. Annabeth said, "We need a ride."

"And kind of make it quick, we're on an important mission," Grover cut in.

Tyson whistled and several giant seahorses showed up. Percy said, "Well, are we leaving or not?"

---

Jacquelyn said, "Ron, I think this isn't the right city."

Ron frowned as he saw what Jacquelyn was talking about. There were too many people who were not Greek descent walking around the city. The place was crowded, and who knew what monsters were lurking in the shadows. He said, "I think we may have made a mistake leaving Camp Half-Blood."

"Whatever, we still need to find the king's tomb," said Jacquelyn.

They quickly stepped off the bus and began walking. People everywhere took no notice of them as they went from place to place. This felt comforting to Ron, but it unnerved Jacquelyn. She frowned as she took stock of the situation; there appeared to be no signs that directed them to any tombs at all.

There's got to be a way we can get there, she thought to herself. I don't know where they got the idea that we should go to the king's tomb, but whoever came up with that idea obviously didn't come here.

Just then, an older woman approached the kids and said, "You kids need a ride?"

"Only if you're a priestess," Ron said.

"Does she have to be a priestess?" Jacquelyn snapped at Ron.

"Yes, she has to be a priestess," said Ron. "Plus, who else takes care of the city?"

"We're trying to get to a king's tomb, which is located somewhere in this city," said Jacquelyn to the old woman.

The old woman said, "You must be searching for a king's tomb."

"Well, let's just say that we don't know where this king's tomb is and we kind of need your help," said Jacquelyn. Just then, a huge Cyclops was spotted rushing toward them. Ron said, "Run for your lives!"

The old woman snatched the kids and loaded them into her car. She drove off just as the Cyclops began smashing several cars. The people living in the area saw the Cyclops and fled from their homes.

---

Percy and the others had reached Atlanta in record time, only to see the news of a Cyclops attacking a car that was flying down the highway. They all gasped in horror knowing that Ron and Jacquelyn were in the car. "This is really bad," he cried out as Annabeth pulled out her sword. "The Cyclops is running around the city and he's after Ron and Jacquelyn."

"We have to save them," said Annabeth. "I know the Cyclops wouldn't attack any random car. Jacquelyn and Ron are in the city!"

"Yes," Grover said as they took off after the Cyclops. "We have to find them, and fast!"

---

The Cyclops continued chasing the car around the city. Jacquelyn tried shooting at him a few times, but the monster swatted away her arrows like they were bothersome flies. "Got any more bright ideas?" she cried out.

In response, the old woman pulled out a gun from her handbag. "My name is Medea, and you will not take me!" She began shooting at the Cyclops, who roared at her with anger and eventually disappeared.

"Medea?" said Ron.

"She is a priestess!" Jacquelyn cried out. "Only a priestess can defend the city!"

Medea continued shooting as she drove by a graveyard. "Uh, I hate to be a bother, but the tombs are that way," Ron cried as he pointed to the graveyard."

"We're not going there," said Medea. "We're going to the church!"

"What church?" said Ron. "Since when do they bury their kings in the church?"

"Maybe this is a cryptic message," Jacquelyn said as she glared at Ron. "What did the oracle say regarding the king's tomb?"

Ron pulled out the message, which read, "Monsters are on the loose, and only you can stop them. You must retrieve the weapons at the grave of a king, a silver gate, and a city that goes on for a mile. Be forewarned, as there are those who will try to stop you." He said, "There's nothing in here about where the king's tomb is located."

"Well, this sucks," Jacquelyn said quietly as the car pulled over to a huge building. She tumbled out the car and laid on the sidewalk, unable to move. Ron also got out and threw up. Medea said to them, "And when you kids are done dying, I've got something to show you."

At this point, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson found them lying in front of a building. "Hey, what's that?" Jacquelyn said as she pointed to a sign that was in front of the building. The sign said "Welcome to the The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change."

Notes:

Just so you know:

1. Atlanta was named after Atlantis.
2. Madea is the character that Tyler Perry dresses as in several of his movies.
3. The king's tomb is the tomb of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Chapter 13: In Which a Peacable Moment Turns into a Non-Disaster

Summary:

At this point, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson found them lying in front of a building. “Hey, what’s that?” Jacquelyn said as she pointed to a sign that was in front of the building. The sign said “Welcome to the The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.”

Jacquelyn sat up and said, "This must be the place to find our first clue."

"What clue?" said the others.

"This piece of paper told us that we have to find three different things. Those things can be found at the grave of a king, a silver gate, and a city that goes on for a mile," said Ron. He refused to mention the other warning to them, especially Jacquelyn. She had every right to hear the warning regarding herself, but Ron wasn't about to say it. Not yet, anyway.

He then said, "OK, we need to look for something...like a huge gun."

"I don't know," Annabeth frowned as she stared at a plaque that was on the wall. "I don't think Dr. King would approve of using weapons."

"What if it's not an actual gun meant to inflict pain on anyone?" Jacquelyn said as she taped a pamphlet inside her book. She then pulled out her old worn-out copy of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and turned a few pages. "This is what we need to find," she pointed to an old drawing of a gun.

"A POV gun?" Grover said in shock.

"Just like in the movie, which I don't think any of you saw," said Jacquelyn. "In the movie, Zaphod, Ford, and Trillian go off to find the POV gun while..."

"And what does this gun do exactly," Percy asked.

"When fired at someone, the POV gun makes the person that you're shooting see things your way, which I think is just another way to manipulate people," said Jacquelyn. "But I must warn you now; it's not going to work on women."

"Why not?" said Grover.

"The women are always right," said a voice. "And it's best to listen to women."

"Why?" said Ron.

"Women were created to be loved and respected," said the voice. "If you fail to listen to them, then you will suffer the consequences. It's important that you do that."

"Are you Dr. King?" Percy cried out in shock and awe. "If you are, we have a favor to ask you. We need to borrow a gun."

At once, a disembodied hand reached out and handed Percy a huge gun. The voice said, "Here's the rules: you can't use the gun on women. And be careful of how you use it; in the wrong hands, it could spell certain disaster."

"Well isn't that nice?" Grover said as they left the place. "A gun that can't actually kill people, yet it just makes them see things your way. This could really work if you're campaigning for peace in the Middle East."

"Nah, it's not gonna happen," said Jacquelyn. "Anyone can screw up the quest for world peace if they have the gun. I'd rather not risk it at all."

"Really?" said Percy. "Why not?"

"Because the fight over the Middle East is as old as creation itself, and there's no way to adequately resolve that," said Jacquelyn. "Plus, even if it's a good idea to use the POV gun in the pursuit of world peace, we could create another Adolf Hitler if we're not careful."

"Yeah, fair enough," said Percy. "Although I fail to see why we need the gun."

"You'll never know when we're going to need the gun," said Annabeth.

Ron was about to respond when a roar was heard. "Did anyone just hear that?" he said.

Just then, the same Cyclops came roaring back towards them. "Darn," said Percy. "I thought you guys got rid of him."

"We did get rid of him," said Jacquelyn. "But he decided to come back for seconds!!"

"I'm so not ready to be anyone's meal!!" said Grover. "Can't we just kill him?"

"We could use the gun on him," said Ron. "Hey, wait a minute...we can't kill people with it! What's the point of having the POV gun if you can't..."

Annabeth cried out, "Where's the gun?"

They all gasped as they saw Tyson (who snatched the POV gun from Percy) shooting the other Cyclops with the gun. He said, "Bad Cyclops! Bad Cyclops chasing everyone around!"

"I've been a bad Cyclops!" The Cyclops wept.

"Why are you chasing us?" said Jacqueyn.

"I was hired to catch you guys," said the Cyclops.

"Indeed," said Jacquelyn. "Ron, give me your note." Ron handed her the note, which read, "Be forewarned, as there are those who will try to stop you. They seek your destruction. There will be a friend who will betray you..."

"Who hired you?" she snapped as she stared at the Cyclops.

"Someone who you trusted without a doubt," said the Cyclops.

"We'll figure it out soon," Jacquelyn snapped. "Now, on your way..."

The Cyclops walked away as the kids clapped Tyson over the shoulder. "You saved our lives!" Percy cheered. "And you didn't even have to use violence to save us either."

"Well, Dr. King DID advocate using non-violence to enact some much-needed change," said Jacquelyn. "He simply got people to see and understand that the way they were living their lives before the year 1955 was quite suckish. Many people listened to him and thus, sweeping chance came quickly."

"Nice," Percy said as they made their way to the bus station. "Where do we go next?"

"The place with a silver gate," Annabeth said as she read the letter. "But where is the silver gate?"

"Try Saint Louis," said a random citizen who leered in their direction.

"What's in Saint Louis?" Annabeth cried out.

Jacquelyn taped another brochure to her book. "This is our next stop," she said. Inside the book was a brochure for the Gateway Arch. "That's where we're heading to next."

"That's the Gateway Arch," said Percy.

"Of course it is," said Jacquelyn. "The place with the silver gate. What am I saying; the Arch IS the silver gate!! Now let's hurry up, we have a bus to catch!"

Everyone nodded and boarded the bus, and the bus took off. While Jacquelyn slept, Ron told the others about the secret warning. "You don't mean..." Percy began to ask.

"I haven't seen any Hermaphrodites in years," said Grover. "But why would one show up here now? Why is it coming after Jacquelyn?"

"Maybe she knows too much about Greek Mythology and someone sent the creature to shut her up," said Annabeth. "She needs to know about this!"

"She will, once we get to the Arch," said Ron. "Who knows if the Hermaphrodite is hiding there while we're there. She needs to be careful."

Little did they know that the creature in question was following them to Saint Louis. It smiled as it stared at Jacquelyn. You'll be mine soon, sweetheart, it thought to itself as the bus rambled on.

Notes:

Just so you know:

1. The POV gun was featured in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie.
2. It would seem fitting that Dr. King would hand the kids the POV gun, knowing that things can be resolved if you heard what the other person had to say.
3. The POV gun might not work in the Middle East.

Chapter 14: In Which They Find the Arch a Bit Intimidating

Meanwhile, back at Camp Half-Blood, an angry Luke Castellan found out that the Cyclops he had hired to capture Ron and his friends came back to him empty-handed. Of course, Luke was even more furious when it was revealed that Ron and his friends had obtained the first object in the quest for the camp.

"So, little Ronald Puckerman thought that he could defy me," Luke said to himself as he paced through his cabin. "Well, I'll show him who's the boss. He and his little spellcaster friend won't be defying me for much longer..."

"You let us go!" Arthur Weasley yelled as he struggled against his chains. "You let us go right now!"

"And why should I do that?" Luke snapped at him. "You and your wife stole Ronald from his true family and killed his mother! You don't deserve to live!!"

"And who are you to decide who lives?" said Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm a demigod, you evil witch!" Luke snapped. "I had been watching you since you came here, and I saw what damage that you allowed young Puckerman to experience. So I sent a monster to capture him, yet I didn't expect to see a young girl who knew the ancient stories walking through the gates to this camp. Yet you tried to control her, just as you controlled young Puckerman. There will be no mercy for any of you!!"

Clarisse La Rue frowned as she watched a large group of monsters tear the entire Weasley family apart. Yet when she saw Harry Potter daring to fight one of the monsters, she knew she had to take action.

She took the next bus out of Camp Half-Blood as Harry was captured by the monsters.

---

When the bus pulled into the bus station in Saint Louis, Ron jumped out, hoping to put some distance between himself and the strange creature that he saw leering at Jacquelyn while they were still on the bus. The others were just waking up from falling asleep during the bus ride from Atlanta.

Jacquelyn frowned as she picked up the message that Ron had in his hand and read the final line: "The spellcaster is in grave danger. She must beware of the Hermaphrodite. If she comes into any form of contact with the Hermaphrodite, it will bring such a disaster that the world could end..."

"Really? A Hermaphrodite is evil?" Jacquelyn said as the others stepped off the bus and went to the waiting station. "Is this someone's idea of a joke? If it is, then I'm not laughing!"

"Of course not," said Annabeth. "Hermaphrodites are not a laughing matter; in fact, some of them can cause you danger."

"Indeed," said Ron. "But if you're in danger, then we won't be taking any chances. We'll have to guard you with our lives."

"OK," Jacquelyn said nervously. "But I still think that they're trying to mess up my head."

"Your head is already messed up to begin with," Ron started, but the kids ran off to catch the train to the Arch.

---

Harry Potter woke up in a dark room. 24 hours had passed since the deaths of the entire Weasley family. At the same time, though, Luke was angry because Harry had dared to defy him and defend the Weasley family.

Luke said to Harry, "I suppose you thought that that was wise."

"What are you talking about?" said Harry. "You killed the Weasleys. You're a monster."

"What am I talking about?" Luke snapped in anger. "As far as I know, you have helped those people keep young Ronald Puckerman away from his family..."

"But I did no such thing!" Harry yelled.

"Yes you did," said Luke. "You're a liar and a thief. Your wizarding world is a stupid joke. But no more; after I capture Puckerman and his spellcasting friend, I'm going to take your wizarding world and burn it to the ground!!"

Harry gasped in horror as Luke left the room.

---

When they reached the arch, Jacquelyn found herself staring at the top. She felt a bit uneasy, knowing that the Arch was higher than the Statue of Liberty. Why do I feel so intimidated, she thought to herself.

Grover said to her, "I feel uneasy about this one. Like we're not meant to be here."

"Come on, guys," said Percy. "It's just the Arch. We're meant to be here."

"Well, it's not just the Arch," Jacquelyn began. "It's just that I have a bit of an aversion to structures that are over 500 feet high, that's all."

"Don't worry, it's not like you're going to fall off that thing," said Ron. "Not if we climb it from the inside."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Jacquelyn. "What if something attacks us and we don't have the means to defend ourselves? When last I checked, they don't allow weapons in the Arch."

"Uh, they're talking about guns and such," said Grover. "We're demigods. We don't use guns, just swords and bows and arrows. Get a grip, people!"

"Uh, what about the POV gun?" Annabeth pointed out.

"Good point," said Grover. "We can pretend that it's a toy."

"They'll never know," said Percy.

"Gimme that thing," Jacquelyn said as she snatched the POV gun from Ron and shrank it down so that it was the size of one of her charms. "OK, we're all set. Let's get this over with."

Little did they know that Jacquelyn had the right to worry about being attacked, as a monster leered in their direction...

Chapter 15: In Which a Demigod and a Spellcaster Fall to their Deaths

Ron, Percy, Grover, Annabeth, Tyson, and Jacquelyn walked into the Arch. The place was crowded, which was both good and bad at the same time.

Ron said, "I think there could be a monster hiding here."

"You're right," said Grover. "Everyone, spread out and start searching. That monster is bound to be out there."

The group split up and began walking around, hoping to spot the monster before the security did. Jacquelyn had spotted some painted wooden prayer beads with a wooden cross attached lying on the floor by a huge exhibit. She picked them up and spotted the monster. The monster had a huge sneering look on its face. The people were in grave danger. She couldn't say that there was a monster in the Arch; that would give her unnecessary blank stares. But she had to do something or else there would be less people touring the Arch.

---

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione frowned as they were taken to a dark room in a huge yacht and were locked away.

"Well, it appears that you've gotten us in another situation," Hermione said to Harry after they had sat in a corner for a few hours.

"Well, don't look at me; you started it when you, Ron, and Jacquel met that goat guy and that weird horse guy and disappeared for a week," Harry snapped. "And you didn't invite me."

"That's because you decided that being with Ginny is far more important than being with your friends," Hermione snapped at him. "Because of that choice that you made to ditch your friends to be with a girl, you killed Ron's entire family!! How are you going to explain to him that you had his family killed because of your stupidity?"

Harry frowned as he stared at the ground in shame. He knew that Hermione was very angry with him because he had ditched her, Ron, and Jacquel to hang out with Ginny, which began all these troubles the kids were dealing with right now.

But that didn't mean he wasn't going to be paying for that soon.

---

Percy was glancing at an exhibit when he heard someone yell out, "It's a bomb! RUN!!!"

Immediately, everyone around him fled from the place. Annabeth said to him, "Someone's trying to bomb the Arch?"

"But who?" Ron thought to himself.

Jacquelyn jumped in and shouted, "There's a chimera in the Arch!"

Grover gasped in horror. "We're doomed! Chimeras are dangerous monsters that can rip us to shreds!"

"Is there anything in this world that does NOT rip us to shreds?" Ron cried out.

"Uh, no?" said Percy.

"Run for your lives!" Jacquelyn screamed as the chimera chased the kids around the Arch. Tyson pulled them into an elevator and they rode to the top as many people went to the bottom to escape. The chimera had reached the top and ripped a huge hole in the floor.

"We're so dead," said Ron. "How are we gonna fight him now?"

"Chimeras can fly, so we kick him out the Arch and then blast him to smithereens," said Annabeth.

"Good idea," said Grover, "except for the fact that...PERCY!!"

Percy lunged at the chimera and kicked him out through the hole. But in the process, he had accidentally knocked Jacquelyn out the hole as well. The poor girl had the right of it; she did fall out of the Arch.

"NOOOO!!! PERCY!!!!!" Annabeth screamed as the hole shrank and the Arch was restored to its form.

"What do we do now?" Ron cried out. "We know that Jacquel hates structures that are over 500 feet and she always feared falling off of them. It's like her worst nightmare had come true." To himself, he muttered, "What am I gonna tell them?"

Outside the Arch, Jacquelyn screamed as she fell from the hole in the Arch. She had put the prayer beads around her neck shortly before raising the alarm, but it seemed to be useless. She was falling to her death.

As for Percy, he fought against the chimera, but to no avail. The monster struck him in his ribs and he fell unconscious. Jacquelyn landed on top of the chimera and the monster screamed as her hand touched its face, killing it. Jacquelyn then reached out to Percy and grabbed him. She grabbed the prayer beads and cried out as loud as she could, "Our Father, who are in Heaven, Holy is Your name, and please catch us quickly because I don't wanna die!!!"

Tyson had made it outside the Arch and saw a huge bubble-making machine. He plugged it up and a huge bubble began to form. The people, recovering from the rumors of a bomb being inside the Arch, now watched as the huge bubble formed and took off, quickly rising with the heat. Jacquelyn would have her prayers answered quickly, as she and Percy landed inside the bubble and slowly floated to the ground.

At that point, Annabeth, Ron, and Grover had reached ground level and were rushing towards the giant bubble. The bubble touched the ground and it popped. Jacquelyn and Percy were safe, albeit the fact that Percy was injured during his fight with the chimera. "They're alive!" Ron cried out as soon as he saw them.

"Percy's hurt," said Annabeth. "We gotta get him to the river!"

The Mississippi River is one of the largest rivers in the world, save for the Amazon and Nile rivers. Ron led the others to the river, with him remembering that water could heal injuries. Within a few minutes, all the cuts and bruises were gone and Percy sat up. "What happened?" he cried out.

"We saved your life, that's what happened," said Grover.

"Where's the chimera?" Percy asked.

"I killed him," Jacquelyn said as she touched the prayer beads around her neck. "He couldn't stand the name of the Christian God or any of the relics of Christianity." She glanced at the prayer beads and said, "I guess this was the second object that we were supposed to find."

"Indeed," said Grover. "Now let's get out of here; I don't want to be here any longer than necessary."

Everyone agreed and they turned to leave the parkway. No one noticed them leaving, as they were waiting until it was safe to go back inside the Arch.

Notes:

I don't know if prayer beads actually work or not, but I decided that mystical beads can kill monsters. Well, that's that!

Chapter 16: In Which the Kids Are Almost Captured by a Hermaphrodite

After the near-death tumble off the Arch, Jacquelyn said, "I suggest that we stay on the ground from now on."

The others agreed and after leaving the Arch, they made their way back to the Metrolink and went to Union Station, where Grover set about finding a train that would take them west. Percy said, "We need to find a city that goes on for a mile."

"And we better solve the riddle quickly, because I see a monster that's about to attack us," said Ron.

"Oh, come on! Not this again!" Annabeth cried out. "Haven't we had enough of that?"

The kids turned around and they saw a huge monster leering at them over the crowd. "Who's got the POV gun?" Annabeth hissed, knowing that certain doom was at hand.

Jacquelyn fished the gun out her pocket and said, "We better be careful of how we handle the gun. It could misfire and hurt any of us. I don't want to end up getting hurt."

"What if the monster doesn't want to capture us?" said Ron.

"Well, there is that," said Percy.

The monster roared as he lunged towards the demigods and spellcaster. Tyson took the gun and shot the monster, shouting, "Bad monster! Bad monster! Leave us alone!"

"Are you here to kill us?" said Percy.

"He wants me to capture you guys," said the monster.

"Who?" Jacquelyn snapped. "Name the person who wants us captured or else I'll run my sword across your neck!" She pulled out her sword and aimed it at the monster.

"Oh dear, do you really want to harm him?" a soft melodious voice rang out. The kids turned around and gasped in horror as a Hermaphrodite walked into the room. He was unnaturally tale and pale, as if he was carved out of marble. He smiled as he stared at them.

At that, Ron knew what was up.

"Oh my God, it's the Hermaphrodite!" Ron cried out. "Take Jacquel and run!"

The kids all fled from the train station and took the next train to the airport. Grover said, "Guys, this is a bad idea. You know that the skies are Zeus's domain?"

"Well, YOU come up with an idea to escape from the Hermaphrodite!" Annabeth snapped at him.

"And you better make it quick, because he's coming to get us!" cried Percy.

"He doesn't want us, just Jacquel," said Ron.

"Why her?" said Annabeth. "She's just a spellcaster."

"I wonder why, seeing as she's more powerful than everyone else in the room," said Percy.

"And if that Hermaphrodite captures me, then it's bye-bye world," said Jacquelyn. "I can't live in a world that is destroyed."

"Yeah, and that too," said Ron.

"Oh, sweetheart," the Hermaphrodite called as he walked up to them. "Come with me and I'll let your friends go!"

"Never!" Jacquelyn snapped.

"Then you leave me no choice but to kidnap you," said the Hermaphrodite. "You're mine now, sweetheart!"

"My name's Jacquelyn!" Jacquelyn yelled as she shot an apple at him.

"You have just incurred my wrath, child!" the Hermaphrodite snapped in anger as the apple hit him in his face. "For that, I'm going to capture you!"

"Not if we escape first!" Ron snapped as the kids ran into the airport.

---

At the same time, Luke snarled in anger as he discovered that the chimera he had sent to capture the missing demigods was killed, courtesy of Jacquelyn and a rosary necklace. He knew that he would have to step up his tactics immediately or else Jacquelyn would destroy everything that he had worked for.

"I say that that's enough of us playing around," he said to a group of angry demigods who had boarded his yacht. "It's people like that spellcaster who keeps stopping us at every turn."

"But we all saw what happened when Annabeth Chase dueled against her," said a demigod.

"We know, Annabeth was defeated by said spellcaster," said Luke. "Besides, you all need to chill out; it's only halftime."

"So how do we defeat the brats and their leader?" said another demigod.

"By capturing the spellcaster, of course!" said Luke. "If she's not there to help them, then we can capture them all."

"Do you have any idea of how slippery she is?" said another demigod.

"That's why I'm sending our friend to intervene before the spellcaster and the demibrats do anything else," said Luke. "With her out of the way, we can finally capture that Ronald Puckerman."

"But what about Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood?" said the second demigod. "We all know that they're with Puckerman and the spellcaster. What should we do with them?"

"Not to worry, as I'm working on a great ending for them," said Luke. "When I get done with them, they won't be the only ones who will pay the ultimate price for defying me..."

The other demigods laughed as they plotted their cruel plans for Ron and his group...

---

When the kids were safely inside the place, Ron looked out the window of the boarding area and saw that a thunderstorm was brewing outside. "I think we must have pissed off the big guy," he whimpered.

"Who? Zeus?" said Percy. "Did we make him angry?"

"Not yet we haven't," said Annabeth.

"It's only a matter of time before that happens," said Jacquelyn.

"But how can we survive the flight?" said Ron. "Is there some magical charm that can keep us safe?"

"What magical charms can keep us safe?" said Grover. 

Just then, some old woman standing in the boarding area handed the kids some charms, saying, "Saint Christopher will keep you safe wherever your travels might take you."

"Saint Who???" Ron cried out, but the old woman was gone. Jacquelyn noticed him and said, "I think the old woman wants us to wear the charms tonight. We'll be needing them where we're going."

Ron nodded, then the kids put the charms around their necks and glanced at the storm that was brewing ahead...

Chapter 17: In Which the Kids Battle Against a Thunderstorm

The plane ride to Colorado took off without a hitch. For a good while, nothing significant happened, just the kids settling down in their seats and the in-flight movie playing.

"They could have made a better selection," Grover said as they stared at the screen.

"I know," said Jacquelyn. "Tangled? You've got to be kidding! As if little boys actually WANT to watch this pile of crap."

"Why can't we watch Transformers instead?" said Percy.

"Indeed," said Annabeth.

Just then, a sound of thunder broke through the air, followed by a flash of lightning. "Zeus is really pissed now," said Grover. "We're dead."

"Not unless we're wearing the charms," said Jacquelyn.

The pilot announced that the thunderstorm was upon them. Scores of people began to panic. Ron wondered if him being a demigod had anything to do with the storm. If anything, he was sure that it was true. After all, he had been attacked by several monsters, nearly fell off the Arch, and had to save Jacquelyn from a hermaphrodite. None of that would have been possible if he was still a wizard.

This is the worst summer of my life, he thought to himself as the plane continued flying. What was I thinking to believing that I was a demigod? I'm not a demigod; I'm a wizard.

And even then, he was doubtful that he was a wizard. Not if certain circumstances were proving otherwise.

---

At the same time, Harry and Hermione found themselves stuck at the bottom of the yacht. They still couldn't believe that they had been captured by Luke Castellan and his cruel army of demigods and were now being held hostage. They feared that Ron or Jacquelyn would be next.

"We need to call for help," said Harry.

"And how are we going to do that?" said Hermione. "You don't have a cell phone, my cell phone doesn't work, and we're in the middle of the ocean where no one can hear us. How are we going to call for help?"

"I'm sure that Dumbledore might be able to help us," said Harry.

"You seriously think that Dumbledore's going to help us?" said Hermione. "In case you haven't noticed, Dumbledore was nowhere to be found when the Weasley family was torn apart! Dumbledore wasn't there when Ron, Jacquel, and I were attacked by several monsters! You really think that Dumbledore's going to drop whatever he's doing and come rescue us, especially if he doesn't know where we are?"

"You should know that Dumbledore won't hesitate to come find me if he thinks I'm in danger," said Harry.

"What makes you think he's going to come for the rest of us?" said Hermione. "You think that just because you're the boy-who-lived, that gives you a special privilege?"

"OK, where are you going with this?" said Harry.

"For many years, I had to sit there and watch as I was shoved to the side and you were being paraded around as the boy-who-lived!" said Hermione. "And not only that, Ron was forced to be your friend and Jacquel (who should've been celebrated as one of the most powerful spellcasters of her generation) was also rudely shoved to the side to make room for someone like you! I guess Professor Snape was right..."

"About what?" said Harry.

"Professor Snape said that you were a boring hero who just happened to have more talented friends," said Hermione. "And he's not wrong, seeing as I'm smarter than everyone else, Jacquel can cast spells like it's no one's business and she can outdo almost everyone in dueling, and Ron just happens to be..."

Just then, she paused. At this point, Hermione had no idea what to make of Ron. She was there when Ron discovered that he was a demigod, but she had yet to find out who his godly parent was. The name Poseidon was tossed around several times, but Hermione had yet to make that connection.

Until now, that was.

---

Percy said, "This is really bad. Zeus is definitely trying to stop our flight."

"But he can't, not if we're wearing the charms," said Annabeth. "The old lady was right to give us the charms."

Tyson did not like storms. He began to shake and panic. "Oh man," said Percy. "We're in even more trouble."

"What do you mean?" said Jacquelyn.

"TORNADO!!" a man cried out in fear.

The kids stared out of the window and saw a huge tornado forming. "If that tornado hits the plane, we're finished," said Jacquelyn.

"Well, can't you put a shield around the plane?" said Grover.

"I don't know," said Jacquelyn. "I don't think that it can be done. Not unless you want to deprive me of most of my energy."

"Yeah, you're right," said Grover. "We still have to find the third object and quickly."

The storm soon enveloped the plane and the kids gasped in horror as the winds and rain whipped at the plane. "Somehow, I don't think that this is Zeus's doing," said Jacquelyn. "Not unless..."

Then it hit her.

"Guys," she said. "We've got a problem."

"What?" said the others.

"I think that there is a wizard after us," Jacquelyn cried out.

Ron gasped as he wondered who could be following them. It couldn't be Dumbledore or Snape. They couldn't reach out here without straining themselves.

He then wondered if Molly somehow knew where he was and was trying to stop him. It seemed to make sense, seeing as the Cyclops had told him that he would be betrayed by someone who he thought was a friend.

But that too didn't make any sense.

The plane continued to fly despite the storm. Scores of people began to pray for the pilots. Ron began to realize that no matter what happened, he was NOT going to be returning to the Weasley family, nor was he going back to Hogwarts. He would have to take up his true role as a demigod.

Even then, the prospect of being a demigod left him feeling unsettled.

Chapter 18: In Which They Find Themselves in a Bind

After several tumultuous hours of flight, the plane finally touched down in Denver, Colorado. Ron was the first to get off the plane; he fell to the ground, sobbing. The others frowned as they picked him up and kept going.

"Oh my God. Oh my God! Oh, my freaking God!" Jacquelyn cried out as soon as she sat on a chair. "Holy crap."

"You said it," said Percy. "I never want to do anything like that ever again in life."

"Same here," said Annabeth. "I don't know about you, but I am done with planes!!"

"I wonder if this is the right place," said Grover.

"Who knows," said Percy. "I just wanted to get away from that Hermaphrodite. If I see it again, it'll be too soon."

"Looks like we did make it after all," said Jacquelyn. They all stared at her. "Did you know that Denver is known as the "Mile High City"?"

"I did not know that," said Annabeth.

"The entire city is one mile above sea level," Jacquelyn continued. "But what exactly we are looking for still confuses me."

"I'm sure that we'll figure out something soon," said Grover.

Just then, someone walked towards them. It was Clarisse La Rue, and by the looks of it, she wasn't very happy to see them.

She yelled in anger, "Have you guys any idea of how worried everyone back at the camp is about you miscreants? Chiron had to organize several search parties and report you missing. How could you just walk away from the camp?"

"I'd like to know where you got the notion to go chasing after us," Percy said in anger. Clarisse stared at him. "We've already had enough of being chased around by Cyclopes, monsters, and Hermaphrodites..."

Everyone stared at the Hermaphrodite as it approached them. "Oh no way!" Jacquelyn cried out as she stared at him. "How the heck did he find us?"

"You mean to tell me that he came after us after all the hard work we didn't try to get away from him?" Annabeth yelled out in anger. "I can't believe it! How is that even possible?"

"You thought that you could escape from me?" said the Hermaphrodite. "Well, you can't. No one escapes from me!"

"Oh my God, it's ugly!" Clarisse cried out in horror as she stared at the Hermaphrodite.

"I heard that," said the Hermaphrodite. "That wasn't very nice. I expected that a daughter of Ares would come up with some better insults."

"I'm gonna rip you to shreds!" Clarisse shouted as she reached for her sword, but Annabeth stopped her. "You can't kill him, and not here, where people would see us," she said.

"Let's get away from him and find somewhere to recover," said Percy. "I don't think that I can take another minute of this."

"Yeah," said Jacquelyn. "All this running around has been murder on my hair."

"There is a little beauty salon down the street where we could get our hair done," said Annabeth.

"Good," said Grover. "My hooves are killing me."

"You'll never escape from me!" the Hermaphrodite laughed as he watched the kids run away from him. "I will get you, my sweetheart!"

Little did they know that the Hermaphrodite would be the least of their problems...

---

At the same time, Harry and Hermione had been trapped on the yacht for almost two days now. They were getting tired of it, and to be honest, they both hated Luke for everything that he had done to them.

Luke had called them to his office where he said, "I suppose you're wondering why I'm keeping you alive when you both should be dead..."

"I don't know what you're up to, but Ron and Jacquel are going to find us!" said Hermione. "And when they do, nothing in the world will stop them from breaking you in half!"

"They're going to tear me apart?" Luke mocked her. "I'd love to see them try."

"There's no way you're going to survive after Jacquel gets done with you," said Harry. "I already saw what she can do, and I already know that she's capable of destroying even the toughest supervillain out there with nothing but a simple spell that a child could use! She will break you before you have a chance to blink!"

The sound of Luke's laughter followed them as they were taken from his office and thrown back into the dungeon.

---

 

Jacquelyn said, "OK, so what we have here is this quest from Hades which is slowly dragging us to hell. Why are we doing this again?"

"It's because this prophecy is telling us that we have to do this mission," said Ron. "After all, I've been outed as a demigod, which will bringing the Weasley family nothing but shame and disgrace. And let's not mention the fact that Dumbledore probably knew that I was a demigod and yet he forced me to go to Hogwarts...

"Well, he tried to get to me, but my mother, grandmother, and Nichollo stopped him," said Jacquelyn. "And even then, who's to say that my mother can't expose Dumbledore for everything he's done?"

"You're so lucky," said Ron.

"I'm not lucky," said Jacquelyn. "Dumbledore is the one who's delusional. Forcing an innocent child to kill a dark lord while the child could have easily sat him down and talked to him about his issues is just disgusting! I wouldn't even let my own bastard child near that old man; that's my take on it."

Ron frowned, knowing that he would eventually have to face Dumbledore and demand an explanation about why he went through what he had gone through...

Chapter 19: In Which the Girls Get Makeovers & the Boys…Not So Much

After escaping from the Hermaphrodite a second time, the group of demigods, Spellcaster, satyr, and Cyclops found themselves standing in front of a seemingly abandoned strip mall. Jacquelyn stared at the place and said, "I usually don't trust strip malls; too many sleazy people there."

"I know," said Annabeth, "but at least the prices should reasonable."

"I don't do reasonable," said Jacquelyn. "In fact, my grandmother says that I'm the type of girl who needs pampering while my mother would rather me have a more practical style."

"Wow," said Clarisse. "And here I thought you were just another warrior female type."

"Well, you thought wrong," said Jacquelyn.

The door to a store swung open and a beautiful woman stepped out. She said, "Hello, and welcome to Circe's Beauty Salon. What can I do for you today?"

"We need makeovers," said Annabeth. "And make it snappy; it's an emergency!"

"Sure you do," said the woman. "Now, right this way..."

Within 30 minutes, everyone was sitting in booths getting their hair washed and styled. As the girls were enjoying their makeovers, Ron found himself frowning. He never did like makeovers, not even when Jacquelyn was a Hogwarts student and was constantly changing her hairstyle. She had fought with Hermione to change her hairstyle, or at least make her appearance a bit better than she already was.

Percy said to him, "I think that it's just the girls they want."

"You think?" Ron snapped at him.

"I know," Percy said as he reached for Ron's book. "I think we're in trouble."

"What?" Ron cried out. "What are you talking about?"

"Look!" Percy flipped to a page where there were pictures of men being turned into animals. The animals appeared to be squealing for help, but no one was there to help them.

"Oh my god!" Ron cried out. "I think we just walked into a trap."

"You most certainly did," said Circe, who smiled a wicked smile.

"Crap!" cried Ron. "We gotta warn the girls!"

"No you won't," said Circe as she waved her wand at them. Ron and Percy screamed as she zapped them...

---

"Now let me get this straight: Luke wants to use Ron and Jacquel to destroy the wizarding world?" Harry cried out.

"Apparently, we both didn't get the memo until after we saw him kill the entire Weasley family," said Hermione. "Anyway, we need to realize that killing the Weasley family was just the beginning for him."

"What are you talking about?" said Harry.

"I don't know if you know this, but I think Luke has some sort of vendetta against the wizarding world," said Hermione. "Why else you think he captured us?"

"It's probably to lure Ron into a trap," said Harry. "Either that, or he's probably going to use Ron to do something far worse than just kill innocent people. Which is why we probably should have called Dumbledore for help as soon as we saw that trouble was afoot."

"If we did that, Dumbledore would know something was up with Ron," said Hermione. "And if he finds out that Ron is actually a demigod, I'm more afraid of the people of Camp Half-Blood being in danger than I'm worried about him luring Ron into a trap."

"Well, Dumbledore is going to find out anyway," said Harry. "And if he finds out that we've been keeping something like this from him, we'll both be in trouble! Dumbledore doesn't like it when somebody tries to destroy his golden trio, and he'll like it even less once he finds out that Ron is, what did you say he was again?"

"I said he was a demigod," said Hermione.

"Right," said Harry. "And if Dumbledore finds out about Ron being a demigod, then Ron is going to have some explaining to do."

"And so does Jacquel, provided that she's been there since all this trouble began," said Hermione. "We need to find out a way to warn them before something awful happens to them."

Little did Harry or Hermione know that Ron's story about him being a demigod was about to take a dark turn...

---

Jacquelyn hated her new makeover.

Far from just a simple hair wash, the women there deigned to dress her up as a princess, complete with a beautiful pink dress, long blonde hair, and even a huge golden crown. The crown bothered her more than anything else.

"For the last time, I *DON'T* want to be a princess," she snapped as she saw Annabeth and Clarisse being made over in the image of Greek goddesses. "Princesses are too passe and cliched."

"But you're beautiful," said a woman. "You must dress as a princess."

Jacquelyn scowled as a pair of golden shoes were shoved onto her feet. This was the final straw. It was one thing to have Nichollo dress her up as a princess, and even he was respectable. But this...she wasn't going to take it anymore.

Annabeth and Clarisse watched in pure horror as Jacquelyn fought and struggled to escape from not only her seat, but the dress and crown. Grover and Tyson, who also witnessed the fight, shook their heads. "What's with her?" Tyson asked.

"Well, it's one thing to be beautiful, and it's one thing to dress as a princess, but you can't do both," Jacquelyn cried out as she slipped out the dress and tossed the crown into a garbage can. "I can be beautiful, or I can dress as a princess. I don't do princesses, and I don't dress like a princess either."

Everyone nodded. "Now, toss me my regular clothes and let's get out of here," Jacquelyn said as she worked to free the girls from their seats. Tyson retrieved Jacquelyn's clothes from a huge pile and Ron's book fell from the pile and onto the floor. There was a message scribbled on a note next to a picture of men turning into animals. Jacquelyn didn't need her magical glasses to know that that message was a cry for help.

"Son of a bitch!"

Chapter 20: In Which a Princess Must Kiss 100 Frogs to Find Two Demigods

"Son of a bitch!" Jacquelyn cried out as she stared at Ron's note. She and the others had seen a picture of a group of men being turned into animals and they had concluded that Ron and Percy had been attacked.

"What's going on?" said Annabeth.

"Take a look at this picture and tell me what you see,"  Jacquelyn said as she pointed to a picture in Ron's book. The picture in question was a group of men being turned into animals. Everyone gasped in horror, knowing what was up.

"I say that we should find out who did this and destroy them!" said Clarisse. "No one messes with a demigod and lives!"

"Wait!" said Annabeth. Everyone stared at her. "Before we do that, let's retrace our steps. Where were we before we got to this point?"

They all knew the answer: "The front desk!"

While Annabeth, Clarisse, Grover, and Tyson rushed to the front desk, Jacquelyn snuck around to the back room, hoping to find the boys. But when she opened the door, she was shocked at what she saw...frogs.

"Oh, this is lovely," she muttered to herself as she stared at the cages where the frogs were being kept. "I should have known that they were turned into frogs. This must be a bad pun." She never liked the story "The Princess & the Frog" for obvious reasons, the main reason being that the girl in question was a princess, and judging from her reaction in the last chapter, Jacquelyn hated princesses.

"Now this is what I would call a bad pun," she muttered to herself. "I have to kiss all these frogs just to find them." She looked around and said, "Better get started."

---

At the same time, Annabeth, Clarisse, Grover, and Tyson were seen arguing with the secretary over the two boys who had come with them. "For the last time, I did not see any boys with you," the woman cried out as Annabeth drew her sword.

"I'm not going to ask you again," Annabeth snapped as she aimed her sword at the woman's neck. "Where are Ron and Percy?"

"Where is the girl who came with you?" Another woman asked them as she came into the room.

"That's not your concern," Annabeth snapped at her. "Now answer the question: where are Ron Weasley and Percy Jackson?"

---

Jacquelyn hesitated, then picked up a frog and kissed it. Instead of seeing Ron or Percy, she saw a young boy in place of the frog. "Hey, thanks a lot," said the boy. Jacquelyn ignored him and kissed another frog. But another boy came out.

"This is great!" Jacquelyn frowned as she stared at the group of boys, which was getting bigger by the minute. The frogs continued their ribbiting as Jacquelyn continued kissing more of them. The boys were all speaking to each other, all of them confused as to what had happened to them. "The witch turned you all into frogs," Jacquelyn said as another boy rushed towards them.

"What witch?" said a boy.

"Don't you know the story?" said another boy. "The witch Circe turned all the men who showed up at her island into animals. That's what happened to us."

"The gods must be crazy," said another boy.

"No, it's the witch who is the crazy one," said a third boy.

"Big deal," said the first boy. "Strange things have happened to us before. Anyone remember the incident last year when Zeus's lightning bolt was stolen and a war almost happened because of that theft?"

Jacquelyn kissed another frog and gasped as she saw her friend Magnus Kroger come out. "How on earth did you get here?" she cried out as she saw him.

"Well, yesterday, my idiotic twin brothers thought that it was a good idea for us to get a facial, and look at what happened to us," he cried out. Two frogs turned into boys and stood next to him.

"Yup," said Hansel.

"The witch is evil," said Francis. "As long as she has her wand, she'll keep turning more boys into frogs."

"I think I know how to stop her," Jacquelyn said as several more frogs turned into boys."

---

Annabeth snapped as she continued to threaten the women. "If you don't hand us our friends, we'll burn this place to the ground!" she snapped.

"And not only that, we'll put poisonous snakes into your robes," said Clarisse, "and it'll be very bad and not very good."

"Oh, why must we fight," said the Hermaphrodite as he approached them. "Fighting is bad and fighting is wrong. Now, you have five seconds to hand me my sweetheart or else you will see just how scary I can be!"

---

At this point, nearly 100 boys had filled the room where frogs once were. Jacquelyn was beginning to feel the effects of her deed. Her freshly dyed blonde hair was a mess and her face was turning green. But it wasn't over yet, not by a long shot. She said, "Is this it? Is everyone accounted for?"

"Looking for these frogs?" a sharp voice cut through the air. Everyone turned around and saw Circe standing in front of them with two frogs. Jacquelyn knew who they were. "Give me back my friends or else!" she snapped.

"And what will happen if I say no?" said Circe.

"I'll burn this place to the ground," Jacquelyn snapped.

"Why so much violence?" the soft voice of the Hermaphrodite rang through the air as he approached them. "How can such a beautiful girl be filled with so much hate?"

"You again?" Jacquelyn snapped as she saw him. "Don't you know when to quit?"

"I will, as soon as I have my sweetheart," said the Hermaphrodite. "Now, hand yourself over..."

"Are you nicked in the head?" Magnus cried out. "You can't have her!"

"Oh she will hand herself over to the Hermaphrodite, or no one will see them again!" Circe shouted as she held the frogs high. Annabeth, Clarisse, Grover, and Tyson gasped as they saw Percy and Ron about to fall to their deaths. They all realized that the next few minutes would undoubtedly decide the fate of the world...

To be continued...

Chapter 21: In Which the Demigods Make Their Grand Escape

Summary:

“Oh she will hand herself over to the hermaphrodite, or no one will see them again!" Circe shouted as she held the frogs high. Annabeth, Clarisse, Grover, and Tyson gasped as they saw Percy and Ron about to go off to their deaths. They all realized that the next few minutes would undoubtedly decide the fate of the world…

Clarisse sprang into action and pounced on the nearest woman who was standing next to Circe. The woman screamed in pain, and the other three followed suit. No one threatened their friends and lived!

Jacquelyn frowned as she stared at the Hermaphrodite. He seemed to smile at her. All she knew was that if she gave in to the Hermaphrodite's demand, the world would meet its end.

Luckily for her, Hansel and Francis pounced on Circe, causing her to drop the frogs. "Catch!" Francis shouted as Magnus caught the frogs and handed them over to Jacquelyn. Within a few seconds, Percy and Ron were restored to their normal selves.

"What happened to us?" Ron wondered.

"The witch turned you into frogs!" Jacquelyn cried out. "If it weren't for me, you'd both would have ended up as high school biology projects, mainly dissected."

"Sick!" Percy cried out.

"Now let's get out of here before she does anything else," said Ron, but Circe interrupted them, saying, "You kids aren't going anywhere! Not after what you did!"

"What did we do to you? Stopped you from being evil and hurting innocent boys in the name of feminism?" Jacquelyn snapped.

"And I suppose that I have you to thank for ruining my plans for these boys," Circe snarled as she glared at Jacquelyn. "But I'm willing to forgive you,for a price. And that price is I'm going to hand you over to that monster and you're not going to resist!!"

"Wanna bet?" Magnus snapped as he, his brothers, and many other boys went in for the attack.

For a few minutes, chaos reigned supreme as the demigods, spellcaster, satyr, and Cyclops battled the witch for not only their freedom, but the freedom of 100 other boys. At one point, the wand Circe was holding in her hand went flying, and Jacquelyn reached out to catch it.

"I got the wand, let's go!" she shouted as the children bust through the door of the salon and out into the streets. As Circe bemoaned the loss of her wand as well as her defeat, the Hermaphrodite had a different plan in mind. He was not going to rest until he got what he wanted.

In that case, what he wanted was Jacquelyn-Claire Alexandra Ulrich.

---

"That was so close!" Percy cried out as soon as they had put some distance between themselves and Circe's beauty salon. "Never again will we do this!"

"And that's why I don't like strip malls," Jacquelyn said. "Too many unsavory characters."

Ron stared at the wand in her hands and said, "I guess we got what we came for, but why?"

"Why indeed," said Annabeth.

"I say we get going now or that Hermaphrodite is going to come back," said Grover.

"We should," said Annabeth, "and yet, I think we're here for a good reason."

Ron stared at Jacquelyn and she nodded. It was time for them to find out the truth about who Ron really was and where he came from...

 

Notes:

And now, the group is joined by Jacquel's best friend Magnus and his twin brothers Hansel and Francis. More to arrive soon.

Chapter 22: In Which Ron Finds Out the Truth about his Mother

Summary:

Ron discovers who his mother really was and a member of the group is kidnapped

After escaping from both the Hermaphrodite and Circe, the kids watched as the police swarmed the place and rounded up the boys. Ron said, "And to think that everything in the world wants to tear you to pieces!"

"Or kill you," Percy added.

Jacquelyn shook her head, saying, "I just don't get why humans think they have to be the greatest. When I last checked, spellcasters and demigods were here long before humans were even created, and we'll still be here long after humanity dies out. God surely won't allow them to destroy the world he created for them any longer."

Annabeth said, "But what of those of us who interbreed with humans?"

"Who knows?" said Grover. "But I wonder if we have all the right tools?"

Ron took the hint and pulled out the POV gun, the wooden rosary beads, and the wand. Grover looked them over and said, "We have the gun and the wand, but I don't think that the beads were necessary."

"So you're saying that I nearly got myself killed for nothing?" Jacquelyn snapped as she tuned on Grover.

"No," said Grover nervously. "But I did find this in a book that was abandoned at the Arch." He pulled a book out of his pocket; this book was twelve and a half inches long, thirteen and a half inches wide, and two and a half inches thick. It was bound in bright orange leather and is in good shape. The cover was decorated in floral ornaments. The book contained many black and white illustrations.

The inside lining of the book read "This book is the property of Joanna Puckerman". Ron stared at the writings for a long time; they seemed to tell the story about a girl named Joanna, who was the disabled daughter of Betty and Gerald Puckerman. Joanna, who was loved by her parents, was teased mercilessly by scores of uncaring students and ignored by teachers. When she was just 15 years old, she was kidnapped by a well-meaning family friend, who took her to England. She eventually became pregnant and had a son, only to be slain by a witch who took her son from her.

Annabeth said, "Well, that answers so many of our questions, but I'm still confused. Why didn't anyone get out and search for this woman? How did they manage to sneak her out the country before anyone noticed? Who does stuff like this?"

"I don't know," said Percy. "In fact, who knows if this story is even real or not?"

"Mayhaps a trip to the hall of records ought to answer that question," said Grover.

They all walked down to the hall of records and slipped through an open window. But for some reason, they seemed to forget that Clarisse La Rue was among them, as she nearly tripped over a trash can, sending the can tumbling down the stairs.

The night janitor shouted, "Who is in here?" At the same time, everyone else hissed, "Clarisse???"

"Sorry," the girl in question hissed back as they quickly made their way to the hall.

Soon, it began to rain. Wait, scratch that. It was a downpour.

"I'm just glad we got here just in time," Annabeth said as the kids sat under a table. "We may be demigods, but we still need a place to stay just in case."

"They'll never find us here," Grover said. "Now, let's settle down so that we can get back to Camp Half-Blood tomorrow."

At the same time, Magnus began grilling Jacquelyn about Ron. "You mean to tell me that Ron isn't really a Weasley?" he snapped.

"Well, in a matter of speaking," Jacquelyn said.

"But how can he not be a wizard?" Magnus said.

"Well, if it turns out that you can't do wizard's magic, then you shouldn't be allowed to attending Wizarding School," said Jacquelyn. "It's a matter of truth. If you can't perform a spell, then you can't call yourself a wizard, or can you?"

"That may be you, but I don't understand Ron," said Magnus. "I mean, how can his family afford to go to a place such as Hogwarts when they're poorer than dirt? That doesn't even sound right. In the real world, children whose families don't have a lot of money usually get sent to public school."

"Maybe we should take that up with the school governors when we get back to London," said Jacquelyn. "As for Ron, when word gets out about his apparent muggle origins, Arthur and Molly Weasley will be forever shamed, if it hadn't already happened. The Weasley family will possibly be kicked out of the wizarding community and be forced to live with muggles. Not to mention what this is going to do to Dumbledore's reputation when it's implied that he may have a hand in Ron's upbringing."

"Shame on him," said Magnus.

Jacquelyn stood up and walked around the place, thinking to herself for some odd reason, I'm beginning to wonder what really happened to Ron's mom to make her end up on the wrong side of the wizarding would. How did she even end up becoming a witch's victim when the Puckerman family didn't have anything to do with wizards at all? Or did the person who kidnapped Joanna have a connection with certain wizards?

The Hermaphrodite, far from giving up, was watching his prey as she walked around the hall of records. He smiled, knowing that this was his only chance to steal the girl without her friends interfering. This time, Jacquelyn-Claire Ulrich wouldn't be able to fight back.

---

The next day, Ron woke up to a pile of papers on the table where he was at, along with a message: I have Jacquelyn. If you want to see her again, you know where to go.

Ron woke up and alerted the others, knowing that unless they moved quickly, they would never see their spellcaster again.

Notes:

Joanna Puckerman: Ron's alleged mother. She was just 17 when she gave birth to Ron and was killed by Molly Weasley.

Chapter 23: In Which the Demigods Must Rescue a Spellcaster

Summary:

Where we last left off:

The next day, Ron woke up to a pile of papers on the table where he was at, along with a message: I have Jacquelyn. If you want to see her again, you know where to go. Ron woke up and alerted the others, knowing that unless they moved quickly, they would never see their spellcaster again.

"I don't believe this!" Ron snapped as he stared at the spot where Jacquelyn was sleeping. "How could we have been so blind as to not knowing that the Hermaphrodite would kidnap her?"

"I made sure that the window was shut and locked before we came here," Annabeth said as she held up her hands. "How was I to know that he could just sneak in here and take Jacquelyn without us noticing him?"

"Whatever," Ron muttered. "Let's go and find her."

They quickly left the Hall of Records and rushed to the nearest bus station. Within a few minutes, they had taken a Greyhound bound for Las Vegas. Ron was silently fuming; none of this would have happened to him if he had remained as a wizard.

"It was going to happen whether you were a wizard or not," said Grover .

"What? Jacquelyn being kidnapped?" Ron snapped at him.

"Yeah, and that too," said Grover. "You don't know who she knows, and there are some people out there who prey on young girls who don't live with their parents. They snatch those girls and no one notices until it's too late."

"What are we going to do?" said Annabeth. "We don't know what is going on with her. Who knows what that freak is doing to her!"

"I'm going to kill him, and perhaps Luke as well," said Percy. Everyone stared at him. "Luke was behind this, no doubt. He planned this, knowing that we weren't about to return to Camp Half-Blood with Clarisse."

"How do you know?" Clarisse snapped.

"We're going to Vegas, not New York," said Grover.

"Good point," said Clarisse.

"Now what do we do?" said Annabeth. "Jacquelyn's probably out there frightened and alone. She could be hurt. We have got to save her!"

"That we must do," said Ron. "Who knows what that Hermaphrodite is up to."

Magnus stared out the window; his brothers Hansel and Francis were very sullen. They had woken up to a missing Jacquelyn and a note demanding that they go to Las Vegas. Magnus was angry; no one messed with Jacquelyn and lived.

"I think we have less time than we thought," he said to the others as they stared out the window. A huge storm was brewing outside, complete with a huge lightning storm . "If we don't hurry, this world could very well end."

"You're right," said Grover. "We can't save Jacquelyn if we're just moping about." The bus pulled at the station in Vegas. "We have just one chance to get her. If we fail, then the Apocalypse will come swiftly."

No one noticed Hansel and Francis Kroger sneaking off; they had overheard two men speaking in a dark corner. Words like "marriage" and "cousin" had reached them, and they knew what was happening.

"If she marries that Hermaphrodite, she could become their cousin," said Hansel.

"Indeed," said Francis. "You know that Maggie loves her. He won't allow it to happen."

"I bet they know where she is," said Hansel.

The boys hid in a huge armored car as the others made their way to the many casinos that were on the Vegas strip. The car took them to a huge building that was deep in the city. Hansel looked up and saw that there was a huge gathering of men and women wearing silver and blue robes in the lobby of a grand hotel.

He said to Francis, "It's a wedding all right. We don't even have to ask who the lucky bride is." They knew who the unlucky bride was. It was now up to them to save her before it was too late.

---

As for Ron and the other demigods, they found themselves trapped in the penthouse of another hotel. Luke Castellan was staring at them with an angry look in his eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day when my own family betrays me and runs off," he said to them. "What were you all thinking? Wait, you weren't thinking, were you? You just up and ran off. Why did you do this?"

"I was trying to escape," said Ron.

"Did I hear the sound of you doubting that we could protect you?" Luke turned on Ron. "You call yourself a demigod? Well, I'm very disappointed in you; you should know better!"

"Well, did you send the Hermaphrodite after Jacquelyn?" Annabeth snapped at him.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Luke responded, "but all the same, you're all in big trouble. Mr. D. is going to have a field day punishing you when you get back to Camp Half-Blood. That is, however, if I allow you to go back at all." To a group of older kids, he said, "Take them away and lock them up. Then find Alexandros and the spellcasting bitch and bring them here. I will not have anyone interfering with my plans." Ron found himself protesting as he and his friends were shoved into a huge room and the door was locked. "I'll feed you later, but don't you dare try to escape," Luke continued. "You'll be very sorry if you do."

Tears slid down Ron's face as Luke left the door and walked off. He turned to stare at his friends; all of them were very upset as well. How were they going to save Jacquelyn now?

Chapter 24: In Which a Spellcaster Must Rescue Several Demigods

Jacquelyn woke up in a room.

The room was soft, with pinks, greens, and turquoise. The carpets were plush, the curtains were heavy but soft, and the room gave you the feeling of being safe.

Except that Jacquelyn wasn't safe at all; she was a prisoner of the Hermaphrodite.

He said, "Well, sweetheart, I take it that you've enjoyed yourself?"

"No," said Jacquelyn angrily. "How can I enjoy myself if I'm your prisoner?"

"But you liked it, sweetie," the Hermaphrodite snapped at her. "You are just a silly girl who thought she could escape from me, but you know nothing. you'll never escape from me!"

"Try me," Jacquelyn snapped. 

Just then, someone walked into the room. "Hello, Jacquelyn," said Luke. "I'm glad you came to join us."

"What the freaking hell??" Jacquelyn cried out as she glared at Luke. "Did you seriously kidnap me?"

"You better believe it," said Luke. "Do you know how long it took me to find you?"

"Well, I've been told that I've been very hard to find," said Jacquelyn. "But the question is though how did you send that Hermaphrodite after me?"

"Because you happen to be very powerful and very elusive," said Luke. "People like you who are very powerful and very elusive are also very dangerous. And because you're dangerous, I had to find you before some other people did."

"What did you do with my friends?" Jacquelyn snapped at him. "You better tell me what you did with them or else..."

"What are you going to do to me?" said Luke. "Zap me? You don't even have  strength to do anything harmful to me!!"

A swift kick silenced him before he could continue his insults. He glared at Jacquelyn, who said, "Like I told Annabeth a few days ago, "even when I'm down, I can still beat you up." You may have not the strength to fight me, but I still have the capacity to kick your butt if I feel like it! So don't try to do anything stupid with me!"

"I see," said Luke. To the hermaphrodite, he said, "Make sure she stays in this room while I go secure the other guys. Once everyone's secure, we can proceed with our plans."

But Jacquelyn was not finished with Luke, as she said, "You're not gonna get away with this! I know what you're up to, and when they find out, they're going to rip you apart!"

"And I will assure you, that you are definitely going to regret saying that," Luke said as he left the room.

---

Ron continued crying as the others made plans on how to escape. So far, Magnus and Annabeth had to shoot down any plans that involved poisoning or sabotage. Grover said, "Now this is crazy talk! We can't just sit here and allow them to take Jacquelyn. Who knows what that Hermaphrodite is doing to her."

"When we get out of here, he'll be the first to go," Percy muttered. "He's a sick, disgusting creature who chased us because of her."

"I hope so," said Annabeth. "But we need a non-lethal way of getting out of here...wait."

None of them noticed Ron aiming his sword at a keypad that was next to the door frame. Within a few minutes, an alarm had gone off, alerting the demigods of the security breech. "Now's our chance," Ron cried out. "Run for it!"

Clarisse was about to warn them about Luke's threat when the others took off running. "No one ever listens to me," she snapped as she chased after them.

---

Hansel and Francis weaved in and out of the crowd until they found Jacquelyn's hotel room. The boys gasped as they noticed a silver dress and matching silver shoes. A blue beaded belt was wrapped around the waist of the dress. They knew that this was a wedding dress, and it was meant for Jacquelyn. No way were the going to allow her to marry the Hermaphrodite.

They charged into the room and saw Jacquelyn laying on a huge bed, crying. She was trapped in a cold dark room as punishment for defying Luke when he went to confront her. She didn't need any more drama.

"Jacquelyn," the boys cried cried out. "We're here to rescue you!"

"I hope so," Jacquelyn cried out.

"Good!" the twins tossed her the dress and shoes. "We're getting you outta here."

"Thank goodness!" Jacquelyn cried out.

Jacquelyn, Hansel, and Francis quietly slipped from the hotel room and went down the hall towards the lobby. They gasped as they took in the guests; it was a high-profile wedding, and everyone was there. Jacquelyn did not see her cousins Seamus LeSouse-Rowes or Nichollo Trichenberg among the guests, or they would've said something regarding her appearance.

" I wonder who is getting married today," Jacquelyn said as she took in the scenery. " I hate to be the one responsible for a missing dress."

"But you can't go running around Vegas in nothing but your pajamas," said Francis. "That's not righteous."

"And that guy who is keeping you prisoner was not righteous either," said Hansel. "In fact, he deserves all the kicking that you gave him."

"Oh, he'll be getting more than that," Jacquelyn said as she noticed a car parked in front of the front desk of the lobby. She and the boys ran from the hotel as more people began to walk inside.

---

The alarm continued to ring as the demigods raced through the hotel and eventually, into the streets of Vegas. Ron gasped as he thought about the times that he, Harry, and Hermione escaped from danger. None of those escapes was as exciting as the escape that was taking place right now. He knew that Luke would be angered by them escaping, but right now, he didn't care. He had to get out.

---

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE ESCAPED???" Luke yelled when a demigod named Albert Gard informed him that Jacquelyn had escaped from the Hermaphrodite.

"That spoiled bitch thought that she could escape from me," said the Hermaphrodite. "After all I've done for her."

"Don't worry, Alexandros," said Luke. "We'll make her pay for this."

Just then, another demigod named Beverly Fargo came to him and said, "The others have escaped."

"I knew it was too good to be true," said Albert. "They won't stay still."

"I'm going to hurt those brats," Luke snapped in anger. "They have defied me for the last time!"

---

Percy gasped when he saw a flashy red car pull up beside him. He was standing next to the Hilton hotel. "Get in!" Jacquelyn cried out.

"How did you..." Grover began to say, but Jacquelyn cut him off. "There's no time. We have to leave now before Luke and the Hermaphrodite catch me!"

"Right!" Grover said as everyone piled into the car. Jacquelyn quickly pulled away from the curb and the car zoomed away from the strip.

Chapter 25: In Which the Kids Must Escape From Singing California Condors

After a few hours of driving, Jacquelyn had grown tired of everything. All of the running, hiding, and fighting was beginning to take its toll on her. She said, "I suppose that an explanation is needed."

"Luke captured us," Percy said.

"For shame," said Jacquelyn. "You think you know a guy."

"Indeed," said Grover.

Just then, someone who Jacquelyn hoped to never meet during the summer surfaced in the back seat of the cast. "Hello, Jacquel."

---

At the same time, there was a huge uproar when the dress that the twins had picked up for Jacquelyn to wear in the last chapter had gone missing, along with the shoes and belt. Everyone was mad about that, but they were even angrier when they found out who has stolen the dress and shoes.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! That little girl was trouble from the start!" A man yelled in anger.

"Well, don't look at me," said another man. "She got it from your side of the family!"

"Are you blaming me for Jacquelyn causing trouble?" said the first man. "When last I checked, it was her grandmother who started all this mess when she was born!"

"Are you blaming all of this on Isabella?" said a woman.

"Well, if it weren't for her, Jacquelyn wouldn't be in this mess," said the second man. "Now look at her, she's running around with the wrong crowd and learning the wrong kind of magic!"

"Well last I checked, she's just 13 years old," said another woman. "She should be at Gareth Hall Academy learning how to do magic, not at the this useless Hogwarts that everybody keeps saying she should be. I personally I think that that Professor Dumbledore is a terrible judge of character."

"Or, Dumbledore is one of the worst people you'll ever meet on this earth," said Seamus. "And why shouldn't he be? He has lied to and manipulated so many people, I'm surprised that the supreme counselor isn't already calling for his head..."

"We'll deal with that later," said a man. "Now somebody better help me find my dress or I'm going to snap!"

---

"I can't believe that Harry's fat cousin followed us all the way here!" Ron cried out as he and the others found themselves walking through the desert. "I mean, how did that happen?"

"Who knows?" said Jacquelyn. "Anyway, we've gotta get going. I have a strange feeling that if we stop now, we'll be recaptured."

The large group of demigods, spellcaster, satyr, cyclops, and humans continued to trudge their way through the desert. Grover looked up and saw several California condors staring at him. He cried out, "Uh, guys? Can we move a little faster? I'm dying back here!"

"Oh no, what a nightmare!" Clarisse mocked him.

"That's enough, Clarisse!" Annabeth snapped at her. "I've had it up to here with your snide remarks!"

"Look at them," said Ron. "They're just sitting there, staring at us. I wish I knew what they were thinking."

Just then, the birds stared at the kids and began to sing:

Bird: Food, glorious food! We're anxious to try it.

Bird 2: Three meals a day -- Just the way we like it!

Baby Bird: Just picture a piece of meat -- Baked, fried, roasted, or stewed.

All: Oh food, Wonderful food, Fabulous food, Marvelous food, Glorious food.

Jacquelyn: RUN!!! (kids run as the birds continue singing)

All: Food, glorious food!

Bird 3: How's about some fresh fish

Bird 4: Soup made from a goat

3 Birds: Or a hamburger patty!

2 Birds: Why should we waste our lives doing nothing but brood

All: On food, once again food, Beautiful food, Delicious food, Glorious food!

All: Food, glorious food!

4 Birds: Skin peeled off the dead ones

All: Ripe, ready to eat...

Bird 5: Soon, we'll be the fat ones!

2 Birds: Just thinking of rotting flesh really gets me in the mood --

All: For food, Wonderful food, Marvelous food, Fabulous food, Beautiful food, Delicious food,

Baby Bird: Magical food...

All: Glorious food!!!

At this point, the kids found themselves dangling off a cliff that spanned over a huge lake. The birds had them completely surrounded. Jacquelyn said to Ron, "You just had to know what they were thinking, didn't you?"

Ron was about to respond when the rocks slid off the cliff, sending everyone careening into the lake.

To be continued...

Notes:

Just so you know, the scene where the birds are chasing the kids is based off the same scene in "Ice Age 2".

I was going to post a picture of the condor, but recanted. That bird is ugly!!!

I may do a sequel to this story eventually.

Chapter 26: In Which the Kids Are Rescued by a Wizard

Summary:

Where we last left off...

The kids found themselves dangling off a cliff that spanned over a huge lake. The birds (California condors) had them completely surrounded. Jacquelyn said to Ron, "You just had to know what they were thinking, didn't you?"

Ron was about to respond when the rocks slid off the cliff, sending everyone careening into the lake.

"Well, that's just freaking great!" Grover cried out as everyone else rose from the water. "I never asked for this!"

"And neither did we," said Annabeth. "It was just bad luck that we had to run into those birds."

"And what was the point of their singing?" said Ron. "I can appreciate a good song, but this was too much."

Just them, a huge yacht pulled up next to them. A boy stood on the deck, saying, "What are you doing here, Weasley? Did you ditch your friends for good?"

"Malfoy," Ron and Jacquelyn snapped as they stared at the boy in question.

---

After the rescue, Draco Malfoy said to the group, "Out of all the people I had to go rescue, it just HAD to be the weasel and the bitch. Why?"

"Because we're here and they are not," said Jacquelyn. "What's it to you, Evil Faith?"

Draco laughed and said, "What do you know?"

"You don't know anything about Ron," said Jacquelyn. "You don't know that his parents are not Arthur and Molly Weasley. You don't know that he's a demigod. You don't know about me either, but that's for a different time."

Draco shook his head as he watched the kids go below deck. Who were they kidding? Draco knew that Ron wasn't fooling anyone with that demigod crap.

Or was he really a demigod?

Something had to give here.

---

Within a few hours, the yacht was quickly moving towards Los Angeles. Ron had sat up while the others rested; he needed to think. Nothing in his life made sense at all, not if he discovered that his mother was a normal, non-magical human and his father was the Sea God Poseidon.

I've been living a lie, Ron mused as he watched the ever-changing atmosphere. I've lied and I'm been lied to. I wonder if there is a God out there who can wipe away the memories that I've held on to almost my entire life.

Just then, there was a rumble in the water. The others woke up and they all rushed to the deck, looking out into the ocean. There was a huge yacht ramming towards them.

"Is that the Andromeda?" Percy snapped as he gazed at the yacht.

"It is," said Annabeth. "That's Luke's yacht."

Jacquelyn turned on them, glaring, "What the hell did you guys do?"

"We escaped from him?" Magnus offered by way of explanation.

"Indeed," Jacquelyn snapped. "Why?"

"Luke captured us and he was going to take us back to Camp Half-Blood by force," said Grover.

"Or he was going to put us on the Andromeda," said Clarisse. Everyone glared at her. "Either way, he had captured us."

"And he made it so that you couldn't stop him or save us," said Percy.

"How did he do tha..." Jacquelyn began, but then she knew. "The Hermaphrodite! Luke used him to put a spell on me and that's why I couldn't help you guys!"

"That's right," said Annabeth. "That's why the Hermaphrodite was chasing us! He wanted Jacquelyn, and he waited until we let our guard down before kidnapping her!"

"There he is!" Hansel cheered as he stared at the angry boy in question standing on the deck of his own yacht.

"He looks pissed!" Francis cheered as well.

"You brats are in so much trouble!" Luke snapped as he approached them. "Not only did you escape, but you had to squeeze past my brother just to get the spellcasting bitch as well! What makes you think that I wouldn't find out about what you have done? You weren't thinking, were you?"

"OK, what's going on here?" Jacquelyn snapped at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Same reason why I left the camp," Luke snapped. "Do you know that most demigods don't get a chance to live past their 12th birthday? That's because monsters are everywhere trying to kill them! I know you're glaring at me, Annabeth, but do you remember what happened to our friend Thalia? Do you remember how and why she died? It's because of the monsters had gotten to her just as we were at the borders of Camp Half-Blood! Did our fathers and mothers help us? No! They left us to die!"

"Just because you're mad at your parents for not helping you when you needed it doesn't really give you the right to take your anger out on the world," said Jacquelyn.

"What you know is foolishness, spellcaster," Luke ranted at her. "You don't remember your brothers Sam and Alex? You don't remember how they died? They were slain by monsters, monsters that feed off the bodies and souls of bastard-born children! Ask your mother about her children if you refuse to listen to me!"

"What is he talking about?" Ron said to Jacquelyn.

"You should recall an incident that happened when you were seven years old," said Luke. "You, your parents, and your brothers and sister were camping near Camp Half-Blood. Your friends were with you. But monsters attacked and two of your brothers were killed. They would have gotten you too if you weren't a trueborn child of a spellcaster; and standing at the borders of the camp solved most of the problems, as the monsters that chased you were struck by lighting and died. But it brought your mother no comfort knowing that four of her children was trueborn and the bastards she bore were torn to pieces and devoured. But that's not why I'm angry."

He pointed to Ron and said, "This is the straw that broke the camel's back. He's the one who started all of this! Now, I'm going to capture all of you and bring you onto my ship, by force. But before I do, I'm going to make an example of him so that you'll learn what I'm capable of doing if you decide to defy me again."

Luke pointed a crossbow at Ron and fired. Everyone else was too shocked to react. Tyson threw himself between Ron and the arrow, with the arrow piercing his chest and him falling into the ocean.

"Tyson, no!" Percy cried out as he watched his brother fall. "Luke, HOW COULD YOU???"

"Silly, silly Percy Jackson," Luke laughed at him. "When are you going to learn that it's much easier to join me than to defy me?" To his troops, he said, "Apprehend them!"

This time, Ron went with his captors without a struggle. So did Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Grover. But Jacquelyn refused to be recaptured, and so, she decided that the quickest way to stay out of Luke's hands was to jump off the ship. Dudley, Magnus, Hansel, and Francis followed her.

With the capture of the demigods, Luke sailed away from the Malfoy yacht. Jacquelyn watched until the yacht disappeared from her vision, then climbed into an emergency life raft that was behind the yacht. She dispatched Magnus to retrieve her bag (which contained Ron's book, the POV gun, the diary and the rosary beads, and the wand) as the others climbed into the raft.

When Magnus returned with her bag, Jacquelyn started up the raft and the raft quickly sped away from the Malfoy yacht. She felt guilty for not being able to stop Luke or help her friends. Magnus said to her, "You did the right thing; Luke was foolish to think that he could take on both you and them. Plus, we can't be on his ship, as we're not demigods."

"You're right," Jacquelyn said as the raft shuttled towards Los Angeles. She knew that it was not over yet, as Luke was planing to go after her as well...

To be continued...

Notes:

Out of the frying pan and into the fire! How will our heroes deal with this unexpected twist in the tale?

Chapter 27: In Which a Spellcaster Must Confront Her Past

Summary:

With the capture of the demigods, Luke sailed away from the Malfoy yacht. Jacquelyn watched until the yacht disappeared from her vision, then climbed into an emergency life raft that was behind the yacht. She dispatched Magnus to retrieve her bag (which contained Ron's book, the POV gun, the diary and the rosary beads, and the wand) as the others climbed into the raft.

When Magnus returned with the bag, Jacquelyn started up the raft and the raft quickly sped away from the Malfoy yacht. She felt guilty for not being able to stop Luke or help her friends. Magnus said to her, "You did the right thing; Luke was foolish to think that he could take on both you and them. Plus, we can't be on his ship, as we're not demigods."

 

"You're right," Jacquelyn said as the raft shuttled towards Los Angeles. She knew that it was not over yet, as Luke was planing to go after her as well...

"This really sucks," Jacquelyn snapped as she and the others pulled up onto the dock. They had recently evaded capture by Luke Castellan and so far, they all knew that give or take, Luke was going to come after them. It was only a matter of time when that happened.

"Now, let's go over this again, shall we?" said Jacquelyn.

"Go over what?" said Magnus.

"Remember the night when Sam and Alex died?" said Jacquelyn.

"Well, that's not something that we need to talk about," Magnus said with a strange look on his face.

"I have a feeling that Luke knows something that we don't," said Jacquelyn.

They frowned as they thought back to the day it happened...

(Summer 2006)

7-year-old Jacquelyn was glaring at the lake; she wasn't too fond of swimming in something that fish, ducks, and turtles swam in. She was going through her "clean" phase.

"Don't tell me that you're scared of a little lakewater," 11-year-old Sameth laughed as he saw Jacquelyn.

"No," said Jacquelyn. "I'm not fond of swimming in water that fish swim in."

"Gross!" Magnus (who was also 7) echoed.

"Come on, Sam, leave them alone," 10-year-old Alex snapped. "I'm sure she don't want to scare off the fishes for tonight's dinner."

"That's enough, you two," 9-year-old Sara snapped. "Leave Jacquelyn alone or else your head's going to end up in a garbage can!"

"I don't see how this is helping us," Magnus cried out.

"Wait, there's more to this story," Jacquelyn snapped. "Remember what happened that night?"

"Oh, I think we haven't forgotten that night," Magnus said.

(the night of July 10, 2006)

The kids were laughing as they heard Arexus sing yet another bawdy song, one that annoyed Irina to no end. She said to him, "Rex, are you sure that the kids should be hearing the beer song?"

"They're only kids once, Rina," said Arexus. "We can't protect them forever."

"It's not that," said Irina. "I'm just concerned that they'll grow up repeating those naughty jokes that you're exposing them to."

"You know my clan can't resist a good beer joke," Arexus laughed. "Now, tell the kids to get ready for the night hike. If all goes well, then they can get a glimpse of Mars tonight."

Meanwhile, the kids had climbed down a huge hill and were wandering around in anticipation for the night hike. None of them knew that they were standing near Camp Half-Blood. Magnus said, "Uh, I really think that we should be heading back to camp."

"What's the matter, scaredycat?" Sam mocked him.

"Sam, would you cut that out?" Sara snapped. "Besides, he's right. We don't know what's down there."

As the kids climbed back up the hill, a huge monster was spotted. Jacquelyn noticed the monster and shouted, "It's a monster! Run!"

Arexus heard her scream and rushed towards the terrified children. The monster roared as he lunged at Rex, who swatted him away. Irina pulled out her staff and zapped another monster. The kids ran to the pentacle of protection that Irina had set up hours earlier. The monsters snarled and lunged at Jacquelyn and Sara, but Arexus and the older children pounced on him and they all vanished without a trace.

Irina was heartbroken to discover that her husband and children were no longer there, but Jacquelyn and Sara were safe. Magnus had alerted his father, Helmut Ebersbach, and he and the other werewolves quickly subdued the other monsters.

With the rumored deaths of Arexus Ritterwolff and his stepsons Sameth and Alexis Ulrich, Irina blamed a local wizard for her husband's death. The Silverroot clan rallied together to get that wizard executed. Irina, Jacquel and Sara (along with their little brother Jeremiah) and went to stay with her mother Isabella Braumlein Crenshaw.

Magnus said, "I think Luke told us because maybe he was giving us a clue. But a clue to what, I wonder."

"Maybe Sam and Alex aren't as dead as we think," said Jacquelyn. "Mom refused to believe that; she set out to go find them last year. I bet she's still looking for them as we speak."

"We'll go find them after this is over," said Magnus. "They can't be missing forever. If we're lucky, then we might be able to find your dad as well."

"Indeed," said Jacquelyn. "But we need new clothes. It'll do us no good to be wandering around L.A. dressed like this." She glanced at her travel-stained silver dress and shoes. "We need a disguise and a place to hide where Luke will not be able to find us."

Within an hour, in clean clothes, the tiny group found themselves hiding in Disneyland. Magnus felt skeptical, as if he knew that something bad was going to happen. But Jacquelyn and the twins had convinced him that Disneyland was the safest place for a spellcaster, three young werewolves, and a stowaway to hide. Plus, the tourists there could be fooled into thinking that the magic was part of the park.

Even then, Jacquelyn knew that nothing good was going to come from her hiding in the park, especially when her biggest secret was about to be revealed...

Notes:

Jacquelyn's family:
1. Sameth Ulrich: Jacquelyn's older brother. disappeared at age 11; presumed dead.
2. Alexis Ulrich: Jacquelyn's older brother. disappeared at age 10; presumed dead.
3. Sara Ulrich: Jacquelyn's oldest sister.
4. Irina Ulrich: Jacquelyn's mother.
5. Arexus Ritterwolff: Jacquelyn's father. presumed dead
6. Jeremiah Ulrich: Jacquelyn's younger brother

Chapter 28: In Which a Demigod Confronts Two Wizards

Summary:

Where we last left off...
Luke had cornered the demigods, Spellcaster, and others on the deck of the Malfoy yacht. He pointed to Ron and said, "This is the straw that broke the camel's back. He's the one who started all of this! Now, I'm going to capture all of you and bring you onto my ship, by force. But before I do, I'm going to make an example of him so that you will learn what I am capable of doing if you decide to defy me again."
Luke pointed a crossbow at Ron and fired. Everyone else was too shocked to react. Tyson threw himself between Ron and the arrow, with the arrow piercing his chest and him falling into the ocean.
"Tyson, no!" Percy cried out as he watched his brother fall. "Luke, HOW COULD YOU???"
"Silly, silly Percy Jackson," Luke laughed at him. "When are you going to learn that it's much easier to join me than to defy me?" To his troops, he said, "Apprehend them!"
This time, Ron went with his captors without a struggle. So did Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Grover. Jacquelyn (who was smart enough to avoid recapture) jumped off the yacht and hid in a lifeboat. With the capture of the demigods, Luke sailed away from the Malfoy yacht.

Ron felt even more rotten than ever; Tyson was dead and it was all his fault. He knew that he should have stayed in Camp Half-Blood and allowed Chiron and Luke to deal with Molly Weasley.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened to Tyson," Annabeth said to him. "Trust me, you would have done the same thing for him if it were him being shot."

"But I feel so sick over the whole thing," Ron cried. "Why am I so sad over a Cyclops?"

"He's our brother," Percy said to him.

"Maybe that's it," said Ron. The others stared at him. "I never really liked any of my brothers or Ginny for that matter, and they've gone out of their way to make me feel small and insignificant. I don't know why I'm not shedding any tears for them and yet I'm very upset over Tyson. This isn't right."

"No, it isn't right," Luke said as he approached the demigods. "Yet, look at what you have done, Ronald Weasley, or should I say Ronald Puckerman?" Ron glared at him. "How did I know who you were? Well, let me tell you this in terms that you can understand: after you left the camp, I found that Hermione girl and tortured her into giving up your secrets. With that, my troops and I found your weasel family and tormented them until they admitted to stealing you and killing your mother. You can guess what I did with them upon them admitting the truth about you."

"You killed them?" Ron's grief had now turned to anger and hatred for the older demigod standing before him. "How dare you..."

"Well, they committed a grave crime against the gods," said Luke. "By stealing the son of Poseidon and raising him to be something that he was not, Arthur and Molly Weasley had broken the laws regarding the care of a child. I mean, if we had left you alone, you would still be with them, right?"

"Well..." Ron began.

"Exactly," said Luke. "Plus, I took her and some boy captive and forced them to give up their secrets. When they refused, I then had Alexandros kidnap the bitchcaster and feed her ambrosia and nectar, both of which can immobilize her kind. It also makes a great truth-telling serum, which she will learn to her sorrow. Ask Alexandros and he will tell you that the little minxcaster was singing like a drunk man on Sunday morning. She revealed all sorts of damning secrets about your little wizarding world and even spoke of some things that some men would kill to keep secret."

Ron paled as the reality of the prophecy hit him. "If she comes into any form of contact with the Hermaphrodite, it will bring such a disaster that the world could end." But the prophecy didn't say WHICH world would end, or did it?

"Prophets don't know everything," said Grover. "I mean, there have been many prophecies in history and they all came true, but not in the way that you expected."

"I knew that Jacquelyn could bring about the end of the world if the Hermaphrodite got to her," said Ron, "but I had no idea that it meant that the wizarding world was going to end because of her."

"Well," said Luke, "my mother predicted that a spellcaster would mate with a werewolf prince; their daughter would bring about the end of a hidden magical world. But she didn't know that it meant that OUR spellcaster was the prophesied one, or did she?"

"Well, this changes everything," Annabeth frowned.

"If she found out about the prophecy, the minx would go to great lengths to avoid making it come true," said Luke. "But she was a fool to prevent the downfall of the most evil man that the wizards have produced in recent years."

"Dumbledore," Ron muttered almost to himself. The others stared at him. "Dumbledore killed her grandfather and tried to capture the rest of her family, but they escaped and went into hiding. He tried to capture Jacquelyn, but her mother and grandmother resisted him. She was watched by all her relatives until she was old enough to go to Hogwarts."

"Take them to my room and lock the door," Luke said to Albert. "Make sure that they don't get out."

"Why not the brig?" said Albert.

"Knowing that they will try to escape if we put them in the brig, this is a good idea," said Luke. "Besides, nothing but the best room in the house for my favorite cousins and goat-man."

Within a few minutes, Ron found himself trapped in Luke's office. The others were just sitting around, plotting their inevitable escape from the boat. But Ron had some questions, questions which Luke would not be able to answer.

He slipped out an open window and after deftly evading any wandering guards, he found Harry Potter and Hermione Granger sitting in the brig. His jaw dropped as he stared at his former friends; they had been beaten up and their clothes were torn and damaged. They don't deserve this, Ron thought to himself.

"Ron?" Hermione cried out. "Is that you?"

"It is," Ron said. The feelings of anger at Hermione's betrayal melted immediately as they stared at each other. "I heard that my family is dead."

"They all died screaming for you to come save them," said Harry, "but that kid laughed as his pet monsters tore them apart. Even Ginny cried for you. But your mother was crying out the name Joanna, and I didn't know what that meant until now."

"Joanna Puckerman is my mother," Ron said sadly. "I never knew her. But at least you're lucky that you got to know your mother before her death."

"Indeed," said Harry.

"Now, let's get off this ship and find Jacquelyn," said Ron. "If we're lucky, she will be three steps ahead of them."

"And how are we going to do that?" said Hermione. The boys glared at her. "We're on a ship in the ocean."

"In case you haven't noticed, one of you know who my father is," said Ron. He glared at the water; the ship began to rock violently and things began to topple over.

Percy was sitting in Luke's chair when he felt the place shake. "Time to go," he said to the group.

"You just can't keep a good man down, can you?" Clarisse quipped.

The ship rocked so hard that the bars to the prison broke. Ron snatched Harry and Hermione and they all ran to the top of the ship. Albert noticed them and shouted, "Luke, he's doing it again!"

"Figures," Luke muttered. "We just HAD to be over water."

"That's right," Ron snapped as he punched him across his face. "You just made the mistake of capturing the son of Poseidon. You made another strategical error, which is sailing away over water."

"How amusing," Luke muttered.

"The water is my domain, you forthright son of a bitch," Ron shouted as he grabbed Harry and Hermione and they jumped into the water.

Meanwhile, during Ron's confrontation with Luke, Percy seized a lifeboat and everyone jumped on. "Quick, before they notice that we're gone!" he hissed. Annabeth steered the boat around the Andromeda until the ship was a few feet away from the boat.

Ron, noticing the ship leaving and the boat coming towards them, said, "This is our ride." They all swam to the boat, where the demigods loaded them into the boat and they all took off towards shore.

Notes:

Ron has found Harry and Hermione, but little did he know that something about them had changed. Will their friendship survive?

Chapter 29: In Which the Demigods Make a Trip to Disneyland

Notes:

Where we last left off...

A few hours earlier, Luke had captured Ron Puckerman, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Clarisse La Rue, and Grover Underwood and forced them to board his yacht, the Andromeda, as prisoners. Luke had shot Tyson (a Cyclops who was the brother of both Ron and Percy) as punishment for the children escaping from him. Jacquelyn-Claire Ulrich, a Spellcaster, evaded Luke; her location is currently unknown although the readers know that she is hiding out in Disneyland.

But she didn't escape from Luke alone, as she had her friend Magnus Kroger and his younger brothers Hansel and Francis Kroger. All of them were currently missing after the confrontation with Luke.

Ron finds Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who were also captured by Luke. They tell him that Luke had captured the Weasley family and upon learning that Molly had kidnapped Ron and killed Ron's birth mother Joanna Puckerman, Luke had the entire Weasley family killed in retaliation for Joanna's murder. Ron confronts Luke a second time and he and his friends escape from the Andromeda.

Not to be outdone by Ron, Percy uses the confrontation to mount yet another escape from Luke. He and the other demigods rescue Ron and they all sail away from the yacht.

After escaping from the Andromeda, Ron said, "I don't suppose that anyone here has a plan on how to hide ourselves from Luke, or do we?"

"No," said Annabeth. "We're just making this up as we go along."

"We need a plan on how to hide," said Clarisse, "and no, we don't need any Spellcasters involved."

"But Jacquelyn is our only chance at victory," said Grover. "Luke shot Tyson and we don't know if we're going to be the next to die. I'd like to get somewhere where no one is going to notice us."

"Why not try Disneyland?" said Percy. Everyone stared at him. "Disneyland is the safest place for us to hide while we escape back to Camp Half-Blood."

"I hope you're right," said Annabeth. "It would be better for us to become faces in a crowd than to be sticking out."

"Let's go," said Ron, but he was reluctant to go back to Disneyland. After all, he, Harry, Hermione, and Jacquelyn already had a bad experience when they went to Disneyland the year before, and he didn't want to repeat the same story.

For once, he was certain that something was forcing him to confront his worst fears.

---

When they all reached Disneyland at last, none of them were prepared for what they saw; apparently, everyone in the park was dressed as a character from the Disney cartoon Hercules.

"Now you know that's not even right," Grover said with a disapproving look on his face as he watched the crowd walking around the park. "Disney got this story wrong."

"You're telling me," said Annabeth. "That cartoon took the true story of Hercules and turned it into a pile of crap."

"And that's why I refused to watch that movie," said Percy.

"What story did Disney NOT get wrong?" said Annabeth.

"None of them," said Clarisse. "It's like they just can't stop screwing up the story. Come on now."

At the same time, Ron was not happy to be back in Disneyland. He, Harry, Hermione, and Jacquelyn had had the worst summer of their lives there, mainly when they nearly drowned after a mishap on the ride Grizzly River Run in Disney California Adventure.

"We go back to the same place that we swore we'd never return to," said Ron. "We must be crazy."

"You're telling me," said Hermione. "Between The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Grizzly River Run, last year's vacation stopped being fun."

"Indeed," said Harry. "I did NOT appreciate being dropped from a building and almost falling to my death."

"Luckily, Jacquelyn was smart enough to stop us from hexing that poor guy who operated the Grizzly River Run," said Ron.

"Yeah," said Hermione, but then she grew confused. "Hey, wait a minute, Ron. Since when was she Jacquelyn?"

"What are you talking about?" said Ron. "She's always been Jacquelyn."

"No, she's not," said Hermione.

"Yes, she is," said Ron.

"Well, which is it, because I'm a bit confused here," said Harry. "Is she Jacquel or is she Jacquelyn?"

"She's Jacquel Romanov," said Hermione at the same that Ron said even louder, "She's Jacquelyn-Claire Ulrich!"

"Well, be that as it may, I still say that she's Jacquel Romanov," said Harry. "That's who she is and that's who she's always been."

"She's not," said Ron. "Besides, Dumbledore made her up just to trick us. I've been with her the entire summer and you haven't. I know things about her that you don't know. I know that her mother was a Spellcaster and that's how she's a Spellcaster. I know that her father is from Germany. In fact, I also know about her brothers and sister."

"And I know that she's an orphan who came from some crazy woman who claimed to be a Romanov," said Hermione, but Ron ignored her. He was done listening to her lies about Jacquelyn-Claire Ulrich. "Are you even listening to me, Ronald Weasley?" she snapped at him.

"My name is Ronald Puckerman," Ron snapped, "and don't you dare be forgetting that!"

"What's happened to you, Ron?" said Harry. "It's like you've become a completely different person overnight. What happened to the Ron Weasley who was my best friend, the friend who went with me while others cringed? What happened to him?"

"He went away the moment the centaur claimed him as a demigod," said Hermione. Harry's angry look told her that he didn't hear the entire story about how she and Jacquelyn had to get Ron to safety while monsters attacked them.

"I want to know what's going on here," Harry said with a snarl on his face. "You are going to tell me the truth. How is Ron a demigod? Who was that guy who attacked us? Who are the Greek gods? Don't you dare lie to me."

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, wondering what they were going to tell Harry. They both knew that Harry didn't have much of a right to know about Ron's secret past, but it didn't mean anything now, if Luke's claims that he knew about the wizarding world were true.

Plus, there was the matter of Jacquelyn and her torment at the hands of the Hermaphrodite. If anything, Ron swore to kill the creature when they next met. "Why should I tell you anything?" he spoke his next words carefully. "You never liked me, you just wanted me for my family. Now my family's gone, and it's like I don't even know you at all."

Hermione nodded in agreement, but Ron turned to her and said, "And I haven't crossed you off the list of people who told Molly Weasley about my trip to Camp Half-Blood. Where were you when Amy Winehouse died?" Hermione looked at him in shock. "All I know is that you two had better get your alibis straight when the God Poseidon finds out about this."

Just then, Percy came to them, saying, "We found Jacquelyn and the others. They're over by the Haunted Mansion."

"OK," said Ron. He went to join the others, leaving Harry and Hermione behind, their dignities ruffled and their lies exposed. Jacquelyn was going to know about them and when she did, no amount of wizard's magic would protect them from the Spellcaster's wrath.

to be continued...

Notes:

Looks like it's the end of the line for the Golden Trio; it was fun while it lasted, but Ron has some new friends now, and they won't stand for any silliness!

Next time, Jacquelyn tells everyone about her secret past and Malfoy shows up a second time!

Chapter 30: In Which the Demigods Must Deal with Luke a Third Time

Notes:

Where we last left off:

Just then, Percy came to them, saying, “We found Jacquelyn and the others. They’re over by the Haunted Mansion.” 

“OK,” said Ron. He went to join the others, leaving Harry and Hermione behind, their dignities ruffled and their lies exposed. Jacquelyn was going to know about them and when she did, no amount of wizard’s magic would protect them from the Spellcaster’s wrath.

Jacquelyn frowned as she stared at the front gate to the Haunted Mansion. She was still sure that Luke had something to do with her family tragedy, in which her father and brothers were killed by monsters and she, her older sister, and her mother survived.

She looked up and saw Percy, Grover, Ron, and Annabeth approaching her. She said to them, "I take it that you also got away from Luke?"

Ron said, "Well, to be honest, I don't know if we got away from him, per se. He's looking for us, you know."

"Good," said Jacquelyn. "It's time for me to give him a piece of my mind. He's pushed me around far enough."

"Indeed I have," Luke said as he stood behind the kids. They all glared at him with anger. "I thought that I told you to stay on the boat, didn't I?" He snapped.

"Oh shove it," Jacquelyn snapped back at him. "You killed Tyson and you know it. I bet that you also killed Sam and Alex as well! You are the biggest prick that ever walked the face of the earth!"

"Whoa, back off, child," said Luke. "You would refer to me as a part of the male anatomy?"

"Yes, I would," Jacquelyn yelled. "Luke Castellan, you are a complete dick who has no right to be here!"

Everyone who heard Jacquelyn's tirade gasped in horror. Magnus said to Ron, "At least she didn't call him a...you know."

"Tie them up and bring them to It's a Small World," Luke said in anger. "They have defied me for the last time."

"Only if you can catch me first," Jacquelyn snapped as she pushed him aside and took off.

"Get that spellcasting bitch!" Luke yelled to a monster that was nearby. "Don't let her get away!" To the others, he said, "I must admit that you're all a bigger pain in the neck than I thought, but this ends now. I will have you back on the Andromeda, demigod or no."

During Luke's tirade, Ron said, "Let's go before he notices us." They all snuck away and headed toward California Adventures.

---

Jacquelyn frowned as she saw the monster chasing her. "I really don't have time for this shit," she muttered as she pulled out her bow and arrow and shot it. The monster roared as it was struck by her arrow and fell to the ground.

Jacquelyn wasted no time pouncing on the monster and stabbing it, yelling, "That's for dad! That's for Sam! And this is for Alex!" The monster roared as it died. She stood up, tears in her eyes, knowing that she had avenged the deaths of her family. Her mother could rest in peace knowing that her fifth surviving child had slain the monster that destroyed their family.

---

Ron, meanwhile, had reached Splash Mountain and said, "We need to split up. There's no sense in Luke capturing all of us. Some of you head to California Adventures while the rest of us head to Space Mountain. Once he's gone, we regroup at Downtown Disney."

"How will we..." Annabeth began, but Ron stopped her. "This isn't a game, Annabeth. We are fighting for our lives. Luke wants us for a reason, but we must never allow him to capture us. He is behind everything that happened to us this summer: the Cyclops that chased us in Atlanta, the chimera that nearly killed Percy and Jacquelyn, the storm that almost knocked us out of the sky, the Hermaphrodite that kept chasing us, and I'm sure that he had an alliance with Circe. He's out of control and he needs to be stopped immediately before he does any more damage."

"That's fine and dandy," said Grover, "but how are we going to stop him?"

"We won't," said Ron, "because I'm going to stop him. He ruined my life before I met him and now I'm taking my revenge for everything that he had done to me."

"He'll hurt you if you fight him," Annabeth warned him.

"This is a chance that I'm willing to take," said Ron. "I am a demigod, and I know that it's time for me to fight for that right. Everything else has led to this point. I now know who I am and who I am not. I am the son of Poseidon and he's going to learn to accept that, one way or another."

Everyone gasped in horror as they heard Ron's newest revelation. None of them had any idea that Ron was still doubting his identity as a demigod and no one was convinced that he was the son of Poseidon. But now was not the time for questions; it was time to attack...

~to be continued...

Chapter 31: In Which There Is Another Battle to be Fought

Ron Puckerman knew that the time had come for him to deal with Luke Castellan. He had spent most of this story running from and dodging monsters, not to mention escaping from the cruel older demigod on a number of occasions. But enough was enough.

Luke Castellan needed to go down.

Ron said, "You guys go distract those monsters; I"ll deal with Luke." As the others rushed off to engage with the monsters, Ron pulled his pen from his pocket. The pen turned into a sword. Ron held up the sword and thought to himself right, Luke. You and I have a score to settle.

---

Meanwhile, Jacquelyn was at the Hollywood Tower of Terror. She recalled an incident last year where she and the others were tricked into going on the ride:

Harry said, "No, dude, we're not going on that ride!"

"Then you're not a man," said a boy named Ramiro Glynn. "You can't call yourself a man until you ride a man's ride!"

"I rather we ride the Cars ride," Harry snapped, but Ramiro shoved him into the line for the Tower of Terror. "I didn't come here so that we can ride no damned kiddie rides," he snapped. I came here for the big rides! Now, are you going to ride this ride or not?"

Jacquelyn shuddered as she recalled her cruel older cousin forcing Harry and the others to ride the big rides. At one point, Ramiro took her aside and said, "I would suggest that you leave these guys. They're no good for you. Anyone who isn't part of the family is the enemy."

I should have listened to him, but instead, I played the fool, Jacquelyn shook her head. She had instead screamed at Ramiro and forbade him from participating in any more family activities. No one told her who she could or could not hang out with.

Not until now, that was.

Jacquelyn faced Harry and Hermione and said to them, "This is too good to be true. You guys were behind this, weren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" said Harry.

"You should know who I am," said Jacquelyn, "but you do know who I am not. And since you insist on referring to me by that name that I will not repeat, I have no choice but to issue a fight to the death!"

Harry and Hermione stared at her in fear; whenever a fight to the death was issued, the two wizards would fight until one of them fell dead. If a wizard were to fight a spellcaster, it would be an automatic win for the spellcaster. Harry knew that if he or Hermione were to fight Jacquelyn, they could look forward to an early death.

Jacquelyn said, "Harry, since you are so bold as to state my false name, and don't ask me how I knew about that, I order you to fight me." Harry shook nervously as he pulled out his wand and stepped forward. Hermione knew what was good for her and stepped back in fear. Jacquelyn pulled out the wand that she had stolen from Circe and said, "I'm not sorry that our friendship has to end like this, Harry, but that's how life goes. We can't always keep the friends we have; there will be time in our lives when we make new friends and have to leave our old friends behind, and there are times when we must turn our backs on our friends for many given reasons. I know that I had lied to you in the past, because you are a fool who trusts Dumbledore without question. But when it comes to me, you can only see my toys and games..."

"Why?" said Harry.

"Because when it comes to true magic," Jacquelyn continued, "you'll never know how inadequate you are when you compare yourself to the power and might of a spellcaster!"

As she finished, Jacquelyn raised her hands and she seemed to take off all by herself in the air. Harry summoned his broom and chased after her, with both magicians aiming fire bolts at each other. Hermione gasped as she saw Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, fighting against Jacquelyn-Claire Alexandra Ulrich, who was the former Pink Princess of Hogwarts. Jacquelyn had gone from fourth-best student at Hogwarts to a powerful and deadly spellcaster within a matter of weeks. Harry could hardly keep up with her, as she kept zapping him whenever she could. The tourists, not knowing that they were witnessing a magical fight to the death, applauded and cheered as they saw the duel taking place. Jacquelyn ignored the cheers; she had a score to settle.

-----

During the duel, Ron pounced on Luke and they both fell to the ground. They began fighting as Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and Clarisse fought against the other demigods. What started as a simple duel soon turned into a full-scaled battle, with Ron and Luke at the center of the storm.

Luke laughed as Ron struck at him. "You still think that you can defy me?"

"I have been fighting you since I first came to Camp Half-Blood," said Ron. "You said that I would never amount to anything, that I was not a demigod. But you're wrong. I am Ronald Puckerman, the son of Poseidon and Joanna Puckerman. Yes, I was raised by wizards, but they couldn't make me one of them. I am a demigod, and it's time for you to accept that, for better or worse!"

Luke struck him, saying, "You're right, Ronald Puckerman. You are a demigod. But you are also a fool. You are blind to the troubles that you have seen. This so-called "wizarding world" will face destruction from the gods when I reveal to them who had stolen their child." He leaned over and whispered, "And by the way, I never killed your weasel family; I only said that to force you to leave them and their pathetic world. And I guess my trick worked because you no longer belong to them. Molly Weasley killed your mother, and in doing so, the wrath of the gods should have sent her and her family to their graves. But since it didn't happen, I had to switch to the next best thing, which was to have them abandon you and leave you at the mercy of various monsters that lurked in New York.

"But little did I know that you would bring your spellcasting friend with you, and that other girl as well. I had done my job too well, because I have given Kronos enough information for him to destroy the magical world and everyone living in it.

"Now you know the truth about yourself, Ronald Puckerman, so the next question is this: what are you planning to do with the information that you were given?"

"Well, I intend to tell everyone back at the camp about who and what you really are," said Ron, "and there's nothing that you can do to stop me."

"Is that so?" said Luke. Ron glared at him. "Well, I'm afraid that I will have to stop you from doing that."

"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" Ron taunted him.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you," said Luke. "As you can see, I already won. I got you away from those so-called "friends", save for the spellcaster. I brought you here. But somehow, you must have forgotten about how inadequate they made you feel. The wizards had no right to be keeping you, so I'm going to teach them all a lesson about messing with the gods. Also, I might devise an ending for the girl who betrayed you. But if you play your cards right, you will be known as the Son of Poseidon, and the whole world will know who you are."

"Thank you very much for telling me that," said Ron, "but I must go and see if you are just telling another lie. You know how I get about lies."

"Understandable, seeing as you've been lied to your whole life," said Luke.

In response, Ron smacked him with the remains of his old, broken wand and he fell to the ground, unconscious. He then turned around and saw his friends, who were losing the fight against the other demigods. He rushed over to join them as the large wolves arrived to scare off the cruel demigods.

-----

Meanwhile, Jacquelyn had knocked Harry's wand out of his hands and they both fell on the ground. "Harry!" Hermione screamed as she rushed towards them, but Jacquelyn waved her wand and sent her flying. "Not this time, Hermione," she said quietly. "This time, you don"t get to intervene. But don"t think that I forgot what you said to me the night before we were sucked into the world of Greek Mythology. You"ll be paying for that soon."

She turned to Harry and said, "If you can"t beat me, then how do you expect to beat the Dark Lord? You can't. But I have a solution that will benefit everyone."

Harry grew angry and pounced on her, but the Hermaphrodite grabbed him by the waist. "Oh no you don"t," the creature said angrily. "That is MY sweetheart; get away from her!"

"Who do you think you are?" Harry snapped at him.

"You will NEVER touch her again," said the Hermaphrodite. "In fact, I've gotten the perfect punishment for you. You hurt my sweetheart, and for that, maybe it's time that you learned of the innocence of youth. I say we start at the beginning, before she met you!"

And before Jacquelyn could protest, the Hermaphrodite had touched Harry, turning him into a newborn baby. The baby screamed and cried as Jacquelyn yelled, "What have you done to him?"

"Oh don't worry, sweetheart," said the Hermaphrodite. "I didn't kill him, just made him go back to his childhood. This time, he'll be a good boy and not play with magic. I think I know where to put him."

"So, did Luke really kill the Weasley family?" said Jacquelyn.

"Yes, he did," said the Hermaphrodite. "They knew they were wrong to kill that poor woman and steal her son. They deserved the death that we gave them."

"Oh," said Jacquelyn with a strange look on her face. She had liked Fred Weasley, but Fred was dead more, along with the rest of his family. They would never get the chance to marry or have children.

She then picked up the crying baby and said, "What did you intend to do with him?"

"He has another chance," said the Hermaphrodite as he took the baby. "Don't let him waste this chance."

Jacquelyn nodded as she saw a huge bird flying towards them. Not another California Condor, she thought to herself. But the bird swooped down and picked her up, carrying her away. The Hermaphrodite grabbed the baby as another bird picked him up.

-----

Meanwhile, the group was close to losing to Luke's henchmen, despite Ron, Magnus, and Magnus's brothers Hansel and Francis joining them. Sabrina saw a monster reaching out for her to claw her to death, but Ron jumped in front of the monster and it stung him in his chest.

"Ron!" Annabeth cried out in terror, but then a Cyclops pounced on the monster and tore it apart.

"Is that you, Tyson?" said Ron. "Are you reaching me from the great beyond?"

"I"m still alive," said Tyson.

"I thought you were dead!" Ron cried out. "I saw Luke shoot you with a crossbow! How are you still "alive"?"

"Son of Poseidon," said Tyson. "I fall in water and get healed."

"Indeed," said Ron as he tried to sit up, but he was filled with poison. "Oh no," he cried out as he fainted.

"Annabeth, what happened to Ron?" Percy cried out, but then a flock of California Condors showed up, swooping the demigods onto their backs and fighting off Luke's henchmen. When the group was safely on the backs of the condors, the condors took off into the night sky.

~to be concluded...

Notes:

The story is almost done! Just one more chapter and then it's the epilogue!

Chapter 32: In Which This Story Comes to an End

Notes:

Here's where it all comes to an end!

The California Condors took off high into the sky with the demigods, spellcaster, satyr, and Cyclops on their backs. The birds were heading back to New York.

(Cue the song Resurrection from the game Shadow of the Colossus)

Jacquelyn clutched to the neck of the bird she was riding as Sabrina clung to her. She looked down and saw Ron, who was laying in the claws of another bird. He was unconscious.

"RONALD!!!" She screamed in horror as she saw him.

Percy also gasped in horror as he saw his non-Cyclops brother lying in the claws of the condor. The birds flew on, as if they were guided by the wind itself. Within a few moments, everyone found themselves staring at the skyscrapers in New York. The condors landed on top of the Empire State Building and the kids jumped off the birds. The birds then flew away as the kids regrouped.

Jacquelyn rushed to Ron's side and stared at him. She said, "He was stabbed by a scorpion-wasp. I bet that this was the same monster that killed my siblings."

"It was," said Sabrina. "The monster was going to kill me, but Ron saved my life. I was prepared to die, and I should have died a long time ago. I should have died when my family was killed, or when you were out camping with your family. Once again, I put myself before a trueborn child, and that child is now dead."

"Ron"s not dead," said Grover. The others stared at him. "He"s been poisoned, but he's certainly not dead."

"We need to get back to Camp Half-Blood and quickly," said Clarisse. "Only Chiron can heal this type of injury."

This time, no one argued with Clarisse as they boarded a bus bound for the camp. The bus was filled with passengers who were heading for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When the bus left the stop near the camp, Chiron noticed the kids and rushed to them.

He said, "You kids are lucky you got here in time; most people who are stung by scorpion-wasps usually die within a few hours. Now, let's get that poor boy to the Apollo cabin and then you kids will provide Mr. D and myself an explanation as to why you left the camp."

---

A few hours later, in Mr. D's office, Chiron said, "I can't believe that boy; I'm going to have a stern word with him when he comes back. I don't understand how he could do something like this."

"Kronos made him do it," said Jacquelyn.

"And everything falls back to Kronos," said Dionysus. "How could we have been so blind?"

"And I know Luke isn't to blame for the incident with the Hermaphrodite," said Jacquelyn. Everyone stared at her. "It was my fault; I should have known that what I did would destroy the wizarding world. I was too blind to see beyond my own lustful desires. Also, the death of the Weasley family was the result of my...dalliance with the Hermaphrodite, which Luke had no hand in. That is all."

She walked away from the office, but Sabrina came to her, saying, "Why did you lie to them?"

"It was my fault, and you know it, Sabrina," said Jacquelyn. "Now I alone must pay the price for my wicked deeds, as you must pay the price for your mother's sins."

"I knew that my time here was up," said Sabrina, "yet once again, I'm still here. I wonder why."

"Maybe God is keeping you alive for a reason," said Magnus as he joined them.

"Who knows?" said Sabrina. They all stood at the tree that defined the premature end of their childhood and the beginning of the complicated road to growing up. Had they stared at the tree for but a second, they would have noticed that the tree had four pairs of eyes staring at them from the roots of the tree.

---

The next day, Ron was sitting by himself at the Poseidon table. Everyone had cheered for him as he walked by, but they knew nothing of the suffering that he had endured while on his soul-searching journey. None of them knew about the truth about his mother, her tragic life, and her upsetting death. Joanna Puckerman didn't warrant an interesting story, let alone being the mother of Ron Puckerman.

Percy and Tyson came to him, with Percy saying, "Why are you so upset?"

"Look at my life," said Ron. "I've been deceived and lied to. I feel so miserable."

"It's not your fault," said Percy. "None of us knew what your other family was like."

"Jacquelyn did, and she ignored it," said Ron. "She too was blinded by love for my brother Fred. I guess love is only for mortals, as immortal creatures can never experience love." He shook his head again, saying, "And when I thought that Tyson was dead and cried for him instead for my other family, that was a warning sign that I never loved them and they never loved me. I feel so sick, I don't know what to do with myself."

"Maybe some nectar will cheer you up," said Tyson. "And remember this: once a demigod, always a demigod. We are your family now, Ron."

"I hope so," said Ron as he glanced around the camp. Everyone was still talking about how he managed to best Luke and survive various disasters that would kill even the strongest demigod. Jacquelyn had lied about Luke's alliance with the Hermaphrodite and played up her own foolishness in trusting the strange creature and betraying the boy that she loved, which resulted in his death. She's doing it again, Ron thought to himself as he stared at the girl in question, who was sitting next to her sickly cousins. She's lying and covering up other people's misdeeds. I really need to stop her before she covers up for a very evil person.

Very soon, Percy and Grover dragged him towards a huge pine tree. Annabeth was standing there, along with Clarisse. A huge group of demigods were also there. "What's going on here," said Ron to Grover.

"I don't know," said Grover.

Suddenly, the tree opened and four people stepped out. The first girl was dressed in black and had long black hair. The second girl had long red hair and wore a black t-shirt and green camouflage pants. The third girl also had long red hair, but wore a neon pink shirt and pants with pink boots. The boy had long brown hair, and he was wearing wire-framed glasses and dark clothing.

"Oh my good golly gosh!" Sabrina cried out. "Is that who I think it is?"

"It is!" Jacquelyn cried out. "It's Sam, Safie, and Angelica! How on earth did they end up over here?"

"I thought they were dead!" Magnus cried out. "How is it that they are still...here?"

"They were with me," said the first girl. They all stared at her.

"And who are you?" Ron said as he stared at the girl.

"My name is Thalia Grace, and I'm the daughter of Zeus," said Thalia.

Everyone gasped in horror and Ron stared at Percy. He stared at Annabeth and Grover. Grover said, "I don't know what happened, but whatever we did, we did the job too well. Now we've got even more problems, and guess who's going to exploit them?"

"Luke," everyone said in a bored tone.

"Exactly," said Grover.

---

Sabrina said, "I can't believe they came back."

"I can't believe they were in a tree," said Magnus.

"This is so much fun," said Hansel.

"I know, we're going to tell grandma lots of stuff when we get home," said Francis.

"They'll be talking her to death," said Magnus as he watched Jacquelyn try to catch up with three presumed-dead siblings. "I don't even want to see her react to the part where Jacquelyn gets captured by that icky old Hermaphrodite."

"And "that icky old Hermaphrodite" saved her life," said the Hermaphrodite as he approached them. "I protected her from those two awful wizards, yes I did. You two better be nice to be, as you'll be seeing me for a very long time."

"You would dare..." Magnus began his tirade, but Jacquelyn yelled out, "Look who decided to show up here!" They all stared at her. "It's an Evil Faith! And why is he here, I wonder?"

"It's all your fault, you little jinx," Draco Malfoy snapped as he stared at the spellcaster. "You and that Weasley brat conspired to force me to go to your stupid camp and my father was called away. Mother is with him and now I and my friends have to be around your kind!"

"Watch it, Malfoy," Ron said as he approached them. "You're on my turf now, so I'd better show some respect if I were you."

"Ron Weasley," Malfoy spat in the way of greeting. "I knew you were up to no good, and this is why!"

"I"m Ron Puckerman now," said Ron, "so you better watch what you call me!"

"Say what?" Malfoy snapped.

"Yeah," said Ron. "I'm not a Weasley anymore. Thought you'd let everyone know that."

"Oh God," Malfoy snapped at him. "Has this world gone mad? Father tells me that the Dark Lord is now some old man, if you can believe that. And no one has seen that Potter boy or the Granger girl. Plus, everyone's talking about how those stupid weasels got what they deserved. But you...you don't even look like you anymore. Where's the red hair?"

"I cut it off," said Ron.

"Shame," said Malfoy. "I expected more from you. But no matter; I'm still going to push you around every chance that I get."

"No you won't," said Ron. "I'm a demigod now. I won't stand for your crap anymore."

"Really?" said Malfoy.

"You better be nice to him if you want to keep your head," Percy snapped as he approached the rude boy.

"And you are," Malfoy snapped.

"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, a demigod," said Percy.

"Indeed," said Malfoy.

"You're not the new camper, I hope," said Clarisse.

"And who are you?" said Malfoy.

"She's Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, a demigod," said Ron.

"Yeah right," said Malfoy.

"You better be showing some respect," Annabeth snapped at him.

"And you are," Malfoy began.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, a demigod," said Annabeth.

"How funny," said Malfoy. "I think I know who you are. You're half-bloods, right?"

"Well," said Ron.

"And him," Malfoy pointed to a random demigod, "he's a half-blood?"

"Yes," said Ron. "That's Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus, a demigod."

"Half-blood?" Malfoy was beginning to lose his cool.

"The camp is called Camp Half-Blood," said Ron. "And as such, everyone here is a half-blood."

Malfoy stared at him and yelled, "How many half-bloods are in this place?"

Everyone (with a few exceptions) stood up and yelled out, "Yo!"

Malfoy stared at the group of demigods for a long time. The reality of it all hit him. "I knew it!" he cried out. "I'm surrounded by half-bloods!"

"That's what you get for thinking that you're better than us," said Jacquelyn. "You really ARE an Evil Faith!"

Malfoy found himself whimpering as he was escorted to Hermes Cabin. Ron laughed, saying, "He's so going to lose his patience before the day is out."

"Once an Evil Faith, always an Evil Faith," Jacquelyn said, "and he's never going to change his ways."

"For shame," said Sabrina. "I feel sorry for everyone who has to put up with him."

"Indeed," said Jacquelyn as she stared at Oliver, Olivia, and Tyler. The poor kids were still sick, and Olive would not rest until Jacquelyn was married to her son. Hopefully, her grandmother would put that woman in her place.

But then she had an idea.

She approached the Apollo cabin and mixed up a batch of medicine. She was going to save her cousins from themselves and possibly their mother.

Jacquelyn was just about finished with the batches when Sabrina came to her, saying, "Your grandmother is here to take us home."

"Good," said Jacquelyn. "After that unexpected road trip, I'm really going to need a vacation. No monsters, no demigods, no magic, no wizards and certainly no hermaphrodites! I just want a normal vacation, being surrounded by normal people in a normal setting, like Florida. But I can't have that at all, no thanks to me outing myself as a spellcaster and making a mockery of my entire family. What have I done?"

To that, Sabrina had no answer.

---

Within a few hours, it was time to say goodbye.

Jacquelyn stood by the door, her things packed and she was looking forward to going home. A few weeks of rest should help her recover from her ordeal.

She nodded as she said her goodbyes to Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson. But it was really Ron who she would miss the most. They had known each other before Hogwarts and had many of the same classes together. Now, Jacquelyn was imagining the difficulties of having to go on without her friends with her.

Suddenly, what she had said to Harry in Disneyland before their duel slapped her across her face.

Ron said, "Don't worry about Hogwarts too much; I'm sure they will understand after you tell them about Joanna."

"I'm not going back to Hogwarts," said Jacquelyn. Ron stared at her. "I can't go back, not after I betrayed the wizarding world to its enemies. I can't imagine that they would be forgiving when the truth about me is revealed. Besides, spellcasters and wizards are mortal enemies, meaning that I'm now an enemy of those who insist on using wizardry. You know the truth about me, and I'll be dead before I set foot back at Hogwarts."

"I know," said Ron. "There's nothing left for us back there; everything is here. Don't go forgetting that, or you'll be regretting it forever."

And with that, they both said goodbye.

As Jacquelyn turned to leave the camp for the summer, Percy caught her, saying, "I'm not letting you go without this."

"Like what?" Jacquelyn scoffed.

"That trick you played on me during that Capture the Flag game," said Percy.

"You mean...this trick?" Jacquelyn replied with a strange look on her face as Percy kissed her. But she had the last laugh when Percy gasped in horror and saw that Jacquelyn had slipped sauerkraut down the front of his pants. "Now go clean yourself up," she said, "because that was just flat-out embarrassing."

"You little minx!" Percy snapped back, but Jacquelyn was already gone. Ron said to him, "She did the same thing to me last year, just before her grandmother whisked her off to Moscow. You better get used to it."

"Indeed," said Percy as he stormed off to change his clothes.

Ron sat at the entrance to the camp, not believing what had happened to him over the summer. He had found out who he was and his true destiny, but he had made new friends and found a new family. But nothing was going to replace the friends and family that were forever lost to him.

He pulled out the book D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Mythology, which started his summer adventure. He also pulled out the diary, the prayer beads, and the POV gun. He would need them in the coming months, when he had to do battle with Luke and his henchmen. He knew that he was not safe as long as they were around.

But what of his family's past, he wondered to himself. Who were the Puckermans? Did they know what happened to Joanna? Who was Joanna Puckerman?

Ronald Puckerman sat up with a look of terror on his face. He knew that the story wasn't over. Far from it.

In fact, the story was only beginning...

Notes:

And there you have it! It took me forever and a day to write this one out, as I wrote this story on my fan fiction blog once a week. I know that this story isn't over; far from it. Ron still needs to find out about the Puckerman family as well as his own legacy, and to deal with Luke Castellan. He also needs to meet with Poseidon and find out the truth about his mother.

I'll be doing the epilogue and then moving on to part two of the story!

Chapter 33: In Which We Have an Epilogue

Notes:

(I can't end this story without clearing up a few things, so here we go with the epilogue of the story...)

Whatever happened to Hermione: Hermione screamed as she was sent flying over Los Angeles and landed in a pool. She climbed out and looked around her. "Jacquelyn, or whoever you really are, I'm going to make you pay for this!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "No one upstages Hermione Granger, you hear me?"

Just then, a girl and two boys stepped out the door of a giant building. Little did Hermione know that the pool was connected to a religious boarding school. Hermione's goose was certainly cooked now.

"And who the heck are you?" Hermione snapped at them.

"My name is Jasmine Ulmfred, and this is Harley Palmer and Reginald Winslow," said Jasmine. "And you are..."

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Did you run away from witchcraft school?" Jasmine said to her. Hermione stared at her. "I can tell that you came from the World of Witchcraft Academy. Well, so have I and my friends. We escaped from the school last year and came here. Our leader, Emily Garrison, will help you as you adjust to your magic-free life. Now, let's go."

Hermione frowned as the children took her inside the school, not knowing that the next few months would have her questioning her entire life...

---

Whatever happened to Olive: Olive Harlequin Grantley was not happy with her niece Jacquelyn-Claire Ulrich and her decision to (once again) escape from marriage to Olive's son, Oliver Harlequin-Grantley. She was even more upset to know that Jacquelyn had a lover named Fred Weasley, who died along with the Weasley family when Luke Castellan killed them upon finding out about thier abduction of one Ronald Puckerman and the murder of Joanna Puckerman. At the time of this writing, Olive and her co-conspirator, Boris Von Der Dausten, are still plotting to find Jacquelyn and force her to marry Oliver and get rid of Jacquelyn's best friend, Sabrina Haettenschwiller, who Olive blames for Jacquelyn not being married to Oliver.

---

And as for Luke Castellan, he and the other demigods were recovering from whatever Percy, Ron, and Jacquelyn (along with Grover, Annabeth, Tyson, and Clarisse) had done to them. He was angry because the kids had defied him and Jacquelyn had outsmarted the Hermaphrodite and escaped from him. He vowed to make the kids pay for their defiance with their own lives.

"Luke?" said Beverly, who had a bloody nose, courtesy of Tyson. "What is our next move?"

"I say we go chasing after the spellcaster," said Luke. "She had no right to be on their side."

"Well, I highly doubt that this is a good idea," said Albert, who got a fat lip from Clarisse. "You know that if she sees you, you're dead meat."

"Oh, we'll see about that," said Luke. "There are plenty of undiscovered demigods out there in New York, and they'll find her soon enough. We'll have her in our hands before the week is out."

The hermaphrodite was not ignored; in fact, he said, "You will give me back my sweetheart, won't you?"

"Not to worry, Alexandros," said Luke. "We'll get her back, and then we'll make her sorry that she ever tricked you."

Luke stared out the window, knowing that Ron Puckerman would want a rematch. The boy just didn't know when to quit, and he really needed to let go of the Weasley family. None of them liked him, they just wanted his mother out of the way so they could steal her son. He hoped that no one would be able to find the remains of the Weasley family.

---

Sean Michael Black frowned as he stood over what remained of the Weasley family. Earlier, someone had discovered a huge pile of bones in Central Park and alerted the police. None of the aurors wanted to handle the Weasley family massacre, so Sean took the task himself.

"I'm sorry that you have to quit your vacation over this," said Chief Auror Melissa Gedman, "but no one else wanted this assignment."

"Yeah," said Sean, but he honestly didn't want the case. He had to look after his cousin Jacquelyn until her grandmother returned. He wanted nothing to do with Arthur Weasley, not after the cruel way that he had insulted him and his father, Seamus LeSouse Rowes. Arthur's wife, Molly, was a very cruel woman and their children had to live up to her unrealistic expectations. Small wonder why Ron never wanted to be part of that family.

"If there was a god, they deserved whatever fate that they have gotten," Sean summed up his conclusion. "There's nothing else for it. I have performed the identity spell and can safely confirm that the remains that were found at the park today are those of Arthur Weasley and his family. Now if you would excuse me, I have to inform one of my many cousins, who I should be looking after, that her boyfriend is dead."

He walked away from the crime scene as the other aurors watched in shock. Sean didn't care; he had to get away from the Weasleys or else he would go insane. After all, he had to tell Jacquelyn the truth about Fred and his family.

---

As for Jacquelyn, she was sitting in her room at her grandfather's penthouse when a message arrived for her. She read it and it said, "If you want to find me, go to the Institute in New York and ask for Hodge Starkweather. He will help you." The letter was signed Irina Ulrich.

Mom's out there and she needs me to find her, Jacquelyn thought to herself as she read the note. I shall tell her the truth about what happened to Sam, Safie, and Angelica, but not so soon. She still thinks that I'm her only surviving child.

But she too had no idea that her life was tied to the demigods, and her life would be tied to a group of shadowhunters as well...

To be continued in the story "Of Demigods & Shadowhunters"

Notes:

And there you have it! I will be doing the sequel to this story next week, so watch for it!

Thanks for reading!

Second Note: Alternative ending to Hermione's story http://archiveofourown.org/works/3240770/chapters/7132526

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Gods and Monsters Saga