Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“I just have to get through tonight, and then I can leave the Dursleys!”
Harry was determined to think positively about Snape’s impending arrival-that he failed to inform his relatives about-despite the fact that it made him nervous.
Hopefully the greasy haired Potions master hadn’t noticed the unusual abrasions and such all over his body. Maybe the scarce lamp lights and darkness outside would be on his side. Then again, the man noticed everything. Plus, he was limping-his ankle had been nearly purple and the size of a baseball-how likely was it that the dungeon bat hadn’t noticed that?
He was in the middle of watering his aunt’s prize flowers when Uncle Vernon slammed his car door, the loud noise setting off Harry’s inner warning bell immediately. Where the older man had been mostly calm and generally ignorant of his nephew earlier in the morning, he was now belligerent and approaching the smaller boy the way a tractor would approach a dirt pile at a construction site. He grabbed Harry by the shirt, pulling him along like an old suitcase.
“‘S ALL YOUR FAULT, FREAK!”
His face was redder than a Weasley’s hair, and his breath smelt worse than a dragon’s…which Harry knew was like first hand. He was so close to him at the moment that spit hit him in the face as he screamed.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his aunt walk out the front door, her lips pressed tightly together, arms folded.
“Pssst, the neighbors, Vernon!” She hissed shrilly. The woman either didn’t realize or didn’t care that her husband was drunk off his high horse. Uncle Vernon ignored her, content to drag Harry into and across the house.
The small, dark, haired teen had no idea what the whale could possibly be blaming him for this time, but he learned that it would be better in the long run not to ask questions.
“I’D STILL HAVE A JOB IF IT WERENT FOR YOU!” He yelled, at last throwing Harry to the floor of the living room.
Oh.
Well then.
He knew he actually had nothing to do with the man losing his job. Vernon just wanted a scapegoat to blame the whole situation on and Harry was the perfect person for that position, apparently. Wouldn’t be the first time in his life.
He found himself disassociating, letting the sounds of continued screaming and the brandishing of what was obviously his uncle’s belt wash over him.
What would happen, Harry couldn’t help but wonder, if the whole family was kicked out onto the street? He never thought life with the Dursley’s could get any worse, but maybe it could?! Maybe he’d run away at that point, like he should have done a long time ago-
“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!” The whole room seemed to pause, and then move in slow motion for several minutes. Harry felt his uncle turn away, but he knew better than to move a muscle. He settled for squeezing his eyes shut instead. It was undoubtedly his most hated Professor, he knew-the Potions Master, Snape. When did he get here?
“Who the bloody hell are you?” Uncle Vernon finally asked after a long stretch of shocked silence.
“YOU!” A high voice squeaked suddenly. Aunt Petunia. “Your kind aren’t welcome here, Snape.”
Aunt Petunia knows Snape?
The woman squeaked again, and Harry knew that Professor Snape had pulled out his wand. “Fifteen years ago,” Snape began in a dangerous voice. Snape’s low, dangerous tone was even more frightening than him yelling, Harry knew. “Your nephew was entrusted to you after your sister,” Harry could only assume with the pause that he’d pointed his wand at his aunt. “Was MURDERED by the hand of a dark wizard. He was left here in the hope that you would protect him, aided by the protections that Lily Evans Potter left behind. Instead, you decided to hurt her only child. Your own nephew! You do realize he could have died, thanks to you?”
“And all the better off we would have been for it, too.” Uncle Vernon sneered.
Well, he knew the Dursley’s hated him, but he couldn’t pretend that that didn’t sting….
Three loud thuds-Dudley must have entered at some point-could be heard, and he knew that Snape had stuck them to the wall. Dead Cedric crossed his mind, followed by the memory of when Ginny almost died in the Chamber. Slowly, he rose, groaning under his breath as he did so. His injured leg was making the process harder than it needed to be. He finally turned his head to see the Potions Professor advancing towards them. Dudley squeaked frightfully.
“Don-Don’t hurt them, please, sir.”
“Potter-“ Snape paused, a questioning look on his face. He seemed to eye Harry up and down.
“Please, Professor-“Aunt Petunia gasped “-I don’t want-I don’t want anyone else to be hurt because of me.” The strength faded from his voice, and he fell to the ground.
“It wouldn’t be because of you, Mr. Potter.” Snape said frankly. “But if you are sure…” The man glanced toward them threateningly.
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Know this: The only reason you’re walking free as of this moment is because your nephew wishes it.” Snape uttered dangerously, advancing towards them again. “You should thank him for his kindness, especially because you do not deserve it.” He paused, pointing his wand at Uncle Vernon’s head. “But you should also know that this isn’t the last you’ve heard from me. Now, leave my sight before I regret leaving the three of you intact!”
For Harry, the room seemed to be spinning, the air flying away from his lungs. Harry thought someone was speaking to him, but he couldn’t tell.
“Breathe, Mr. Potter! In, out, in, out!” The voice coming to him sounded almost desperate. Slowly, the world righted itself, and Severus Snape’s face swam into view. He’d never seen that look on the man’s face before: concerned. He couldn’t believe that the concern was for him.
“Potter.” Snape said a moment later in what sounded like…relief? as his breathing seemed to go back to normal. “Are you all right?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Glad to hear it.” He sighed, and Harry was startled to realize the man really did sound glad. It felt a bit odd, but he was grateful someone cared nonetheless.
“Mr. Potter, where are your things?”
“Hedwig’s cage is upstairs. I sent her back to Grimmauld last night.” He responded. “But everything else…erm…” Harry cast a meaningful glance at the Cupboard Under The Stairs.
A low, angry noise sounded in the man’s throat. “Alohamora!” He said, and the Cupboard door opened up on its own. His trunk and broom floated out of the cupboard and over to Harry, where he still sat on the ground. Meanwhile, Snape Accio-d Hedwig’s cage.
Then, he wordlessly assisted Harry in getting up and walking, Severus’ arm slung around his waist as they moved. “I don’t need help, sir.” Harry protested. “The damage to your leg would suggest otherwise.” The Professor opened the front door, and he slowly got out, Snape continuing to help him, as Harry’s trunk, broom, and his owl’s cage floated behind them. “I suppose you won’t object to the Imperio I placed upon your relatives?”
“You what-?!” Harry asked, briefly alarmed, before sighing in defeat. “No.”
“It is the least of what they deserve.” Professor Snape muttered. “Your uncle and aunt will be sent to a muggle prison, and as for your cousin, that is up for the muggle authorities to decide.”
“Now, I’m sure your friends are ecstatic to see you, Mr. Potter.” Snape said as they made their way down the drive, around the corner, and down the street. “But we can go back to my home for solitude if you’d prefer not to deal with all that noise just yet. I would like to treat your wounds, anyway.”
Harry was shocked. If there were a list of Top Ten Things That Will Never Happen list, he thought that being invited to Snape’s house would be at the top. “I…um, I think silence would be the best for now, Professor Snape, thank you.”
He and Snape went behind a tree in an alley not far from Arabella Figg’s. The only thing that could see them now was one of her cats. The world faded from few as they were squeezed into what seemed like a black tube. Moments later, they were standing in a modest neighborhood that looked not at all like Private Drive, which pleased Harry very much. The houses were on the smaller side, each one separated by either a rectangle of rocks or grass in the ground. The paint on every building was slightly faded, telling him that they’d been there for a long time. They stopped before the last house at the end of the street. It was easily the tidiest house on the block: the colors seemed to be the brightest and the patches of grass devoid of weeds. Next to it on the right was a large park, all paths leading to some slides, a swing, and a merry-go-round. Beyond that were more paths leading to other neighborhoods. It was not what Harry imagined Professor Snape’s house to look like.
“Come, let’s go inside.”
“Is there anyone else here?” Harry asked curiously.
“No,” he answered, “Just me.” They walked through the front entrance. “And a house elf.”
The front room and adjoining kitchen were, like the outside, bright and cheery, though there was a lot of Slytherin green, which he wasn’t too surprised by. “Go ahead and lay on the couch, Potter. I’ll want to look at your back, first.” Snape headed toward a set of stairs heading downward. “I need to grab some things from my Potions storage. One moment.”
Harry took the time to look around. On the mantle was an old clock, Roman numerals etched onto the round yellow face. It looked to be very old, possibly a family heirloom? He’d heard people talking about those. Beside it sat a few books, all Potions themed, obviously. They, like the clock, looked very old. Some of the pages seemed to be hanging for dear life. Evidently, these books had been read about a million times. One of those books, Harry noticed, was a copy of the book he needed for school this year. On the far end was a picture of what was possibly a young Snape alongside a girl his age, both smiling at the camera. It was the first time he’d ever seen the man smile, Harry realized. The woman had long red hair, green eyes, and freckles, all of which seemed to pop against Snape’s pale face and dark hair. They were in Hogwarts uniforms, which meant this must have been sometime during the school year. Harry limped over to it to get a closer look.
“That was your mother and I just before our third year.” Snape said softly, and he could hear the smile in the man’s voice. Harry turned. “Her mother took it. It’s the only picture of us I have.”
“She’s beautiful.” Harry said.
“I suppose I never realized how much you really look like her.” He replied, staring at the photograph.
“Everyone tells me I have her eyes.” Harry shrugged. “Never anything else.”
“You have more than just her eyes. I see her in your temper at school, as well the same protective nature that you have for your friends. You have her knack for transfiguration and charms and her inability to create a decent potion, though she did get better by her fifth year. You’re like her in a lot of ways, and I apologize for always comparing you to your father. To James’ horrible traits, and never his good ones.”
“Thank you.” Harry said softly, staring at the photo again. He was too in shock to really digest the fact that Snape had given him a formal apology-and compliments-just yet. “Come, let me see your back.” The tall man said finally after a brief silence. Harry hesitated. No one, save Dudley, his Aunt, and of course Uncle Vernon-the inflictors-had ever seen his scars. “Unless you’d like them to get infected, Mr. Potter.
He didn’t. Quietly, and feeling rather self-conscious, he tore off his shirt and turned over onto his back, ignoring Snape’s almost inaudible gasp. It must have looked worse than he thought. The ointments were cold, but they felt good on the pain areas of his skin, almost like a massage on aching muscles.
“Are you ready to go to Grimmauld Place, Mr. Potter?” Snape asked gently once he’d finished. “Molly Weasley likely has some food ready, and I’m sure those….people didn’t feed you.”
“Yes, sir.” Snape snapped his fingers once. “Sending your owl’s cage and your other school things ahead. Now, grab my arm.” Harry was never a fan of the tube-like feeling side-along apparition always led to. It was probably thanks to Snape that he came to quite a smooth landing.
The hidden house burst forward instantaneously as Harry looked up. The home no longer seemed so bleak and black as it had the last time he was here. Nor was it…cheery, but somewhat of a mix in between.
The door had scarcely been opened when he got a face ful bushy brown hair. “Harry!” It seemed like forever until she let go. The faces of Ron, George, Fred, and Ginny appeared behind her, each taking a turn with a “welcome home” type of hug.
“Oh good, you’ve made it here safely, Harry!” Molly Weasley came down the hallway, pulling Harry into a hug. It was times like this that he hated how much these people love to hug.
“There’s food in the kitchen. I’m sure you must be hungry after traveling like that!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley.” He muttered, heading straight through the revolving door behind her.
“How many times have I told you to call me Molly!?”
Several pairs of eyes met his at he entered. Some he knew, some he didn’t; but the table was nearly half-full.
When he saw Sirius, a genuine smile grew on his face. The dark haired man stood up slowly, eyes lighting up. “Harry! It’s great to see you here.” His voice sounded half wondrous, half in pain. Slowly, he came from around the table, and Harry pulled him into a hug, ignoring his ever growing exhaustion.
As the other Weasley’s and Hermione followed him and Snape into the room, they pulled apart. “Obviously, you know Remus and Mad eye-Moody,” Sirius gestured at the table as Lupin waved, a tentative grin on his face. “That’s Tonks, Mudungus Fletcher, Kingsley Shaklebolt, and of course, you know Molly’s husband, Arthur.”
“Hi, everyone.”
“You should know I’m clumsy as they come!” Tonks, a witch with bright bubblegum-pink hair, said brightly. “I set off that portrait every time I come here, and at least twice a day after that.”
“Portrait?” Harry asked curiously. He hadn’t seen any portraits at all on his way to the kitchen, only an awful line of elf heads and a set of red curtains.
“This is the house I grew up in, Harry.” Sirius explained darkly. “My wonderful mother magically glued a large portrait of herself to the wall at the end of the front hall. Noisy woman, that one.”
“We’ve covered her with curtains, so now she only goes off if there’s an especially loud noise, instead of every time we go past her.” Lupin added.
“Like when that one,” Sirius grinned, pointing to Tonks, “knocks over the umbrella stand.”
“I told you I was sorry!”
“Yeah, not as sorry as my idiot mother will be when I die.” He muttered, causing Tonks and Remus to laugh.
“Please, sit, Harry dear, and I’ll get you some food.” Molly jumped in quickly, adding another plate to the row of ones on the counter. Minutes later, plates of Fish and Chips floated over to the now crowded table, each muttering their thanks as they dug in.
Minutes later, another pair of shoes filled the now quiet kitchen, and Harry looked up to see the Transfiguration Professor.
“Ah, hello Minerva! Please sit, and I’ll bring you some food!”
“Sounds wonderful, Molly, thank you!” The older woman grinned, taking a seat across the table and immediately starting a conversation with Remus.
When the twins had emptied their plates, they looked up at their mother. George nodded once, and Fred asked, “When’s Dumbledore coming, mum?”
Harry knew the twins well enough by now to know that the pair always had some sort of motive for just about everything they did. So he looked up with interest at the question, which was posed in such a way to be too suspiciously innocent for casual conversation. “Dumbledore’s coming?”
“Yeah, he comes for the Order meetings.” George spoke up, and Harry noticed the subtle grins that Hermione and the other Weasley children sported. He winked at Harry, ignoring the glare his mother was giving the two brothers.
“Order meeting?”
“It’s the Order of the Phoenix.” Hermione clarified. “Essentially, a bunch of people Dumbledore assembled to defeat Vol-um, You-Know-Who.”
“And we know there’s about to be a meeting, since Tonks, Remus, Snape, and the others are here.”
“I want in.” Harry said immediately.
“Yes-“ Sirius began.
“No.” Molly interrupted. “He’s still a child.”
“‘He’ is right here.” Harry complained. “And I’m 15, not five!”
“He’s got a right to know what’s going on in our world!” Sirius cried.
“‘He’ is right here!” Harry repeated again, indignant.
“He needs to keep his innocence, not fighting a war!” The Weasley matriarch fired back desperately.
“‘HE’ IS RIGHT HERE!” Harry yelled incredulously, interrupting whatever Sirius was going to respond with.
“For the record, Molly, I’ve pretty much been fighting this war since I was a year old. Voldemort killed my parents and attempted to kill me. He’s tried to kill me again every year since-except for third year, which is when Pettigrew escaped.” An angry growl rose from the throats of both Sirius and Remus at the mention of their ex-friend.
”I saw Peter kill Cedric Diggory on his orders. Then I watched as Voldemort rose again. So to be honest, my “innocence” was taken from me a long time ago.” Harry narrowed his eyes at the red-headed woman.
“I believe Mr. Potter makes some very valid points.” Professor Snape said. His eyes seemed to glitter with approval.
Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins raised their eyebrows, shocked. Snape is agreeing with Harry on something?
“And he would be vital to the war effort-for reasons he’d just explained.” Remus spoke up.
“I think you’ve been outvoted, Molly.” Sirius said smugly.
It was at that precise moment that Dumbledore strolled into the room. “It certainly seems so.” The old Wizard said with a frown, sounding surprised. Had he been eavesdropping?
“Now Harry, I must say that I’m shocked to see you here…”
“Albus, we talked about this.” The potions master said, a hard edge to his voice. Harry frowned. Dumbledore clearly wants him to remain out of the loop-but why?
“That we did.” The old Wizard agreed. “But I did not expect to find out that the Dursley’s are gone as well. Is there something I do not know about?”
“Maybe they went on some grand vacation.” Harry offered sarcastically.
“Without you?” The Headmaster sounded rather surprised again, and Harry snorted. “Tell me-why did I find the Dursley’s in a muggle prison, of all places? That doesn’t sound like a splendid vacation.” The old Wizard’s tone sounded vaguely threatening.
Hermione gasped.
Harry opened his mouth, but before he could respond, Snape slowly stepped forward. His voice was low and menacing, the very tone no student ever wanted to be at the end of, as it was worse than his yelling. “Did you think to check on him over the last 15 years? Or to send someone? I would have gone, if you had only told me where he was! Then, today, to find out that he was with Lily’s sister, Petunia Evans, and her vile whale of a husband, Vernon Dursley…-“
“YOU LEFT HIM WITH THOSE DESPICABLE MUGGLES?!” Mcgonagall screamed, coming around to face the Headmaster.
“Well, I had Arabella Figg-“
“S-she’s a witch?!” Harry spluttered.
“The old squib?! She isn’t aware of anything beyond her many cats! I wouldn’t ask her to help me find a needle in a haystack!” The Transfiguration Professor cried hotly.
“A squib is someone born without the ability to do magic to magical parents. So, like the opposite of a Muggleborn.” Hermione whispered to him. Harry nodded his thanks.
“What did Mrs. Figg tell you, Dumbledore?” Harry asked curiously, despite the ill feeling he currently had against the Headmaster.
“Well…nothing.”
“Nothing at all? Shouldn’t that have raised alarm bells, Albus? That maybe something was wrong? Or that you didn’t pick the right person for the job?” Snape asked genuinely.
“Unless..that was part of your plan. Maybe you intentionally picked somebody who was off her rocker just to placate yourself.” Harry said suddenly.
Snape looked briefly confused before the dark haired boy added, “I’m starting to wonder if maybe you knew what was going on the whole time.”
A look of understanding crossed the Potions master’s face, followed by a look of despair. “Please, oh Merlin, don’t let that be true. Albus?”
“Don’t let what, be true, my dear boy?” There was unmistakably a shaky lilt to his voice.
“And the Snitch drops.” Harry gave a weak chuckle and he sank down into his seat, feeling rather betrayed. “You knew. This whole time…and still you kept me there. You remember, after first year, when I asked if there was a way I could leave the Dursleys? No question as to why…just something about my mother’s sacrifice.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw as dawning comprehension crossed Hermione’s face.
“But clearly, that wasn’t the real reason. Why then? For your “Greater good”?”
“You needed to grow up hardened and ready for battle. The Dursleys were the perfect path for that.”
“He did NOT just say that?!” Hermione gasped in outrage.
Ron looked confused for a moment, until Hermione whispered in his ear, and then he gasped, face turning as red as a tomato as he looked at the old headmaster angrily. “He DIDN’T.”
Molly Weasley, her face a storm of anger, crossed the kitchen until she was in front of Dumbledore, wand out. “You know very well that Harry is as good as one of my boys to me! You should have left him here, where he would be loved and cared for! Not in a place where he is no better than a house elf, Albus!”
Then one voice suddenly drowned out all of the chaos that filled the cramped kitchen.
“GET. OUT. OF. MY. HOUSE.” Sirius yelled suddenly. Once realization had struck, he’d been standing there, frozen, for the last minute or two. It was like a muggle movie had been paused because he suddenly realized why he saw so much of himself in his Godson. He didn’t know what to say or do…until he looked at Harry…and then he exploded. “You’re a disgrace to all wizards everywhere!”
“Sirius, m’boy-“
“You old git, you’re worse than Voldemort. HE never condemned MY GODSON to abusive relatives! OUT!!”
With a frown, Albus Dumbledore popped away.
After the old man left, Sirius turned to the room at large. “Today’s meeting is cancelled. You all are welcome to stay and mingle, of course.”
When chatter and chaos reigned again, Harry slipped away, followed by the other Hogwarts age kids in the house. Snape watched them go, overhearing them discuss a trip to Diagon Alley. He didn’t like to admit it, but he was worried about Potter.
—
Thanks to Percy’s gift from Poseidon, it didn’t take more than a couple of hours to reach their destination. When they left New York, the sun was beginning to rise, warming the city up with its’ rays. Even with the darkness of England, it didn’t take them long to find The Leaky Cauldron, a small shabby pub smack in the center of London. When the non-magical passerby didn’t even glance at the place, Percy realized that it was invisible to their eyes. It was certainly odd, though, to have a magical location be in a heavily populated no-maj (muggle?) area.
They were relieved to find the bar to be relatively empty, save for an older lady passed out at a table, at least a dozen empty glasses strewn around her, and a shorter, bald man cleaning mugs with a dusty old rag behind the bar. One shoulder seemed higher than another, likely due to the prominent hump on his back. It reminded Percy of that Disney movie he once watched as a kid-The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
When they sat on the stools, the old man put a hand on his chest and opened his mouth, obviously intending to speak. It took him a moment, and a few unintelligible mutterings, before he slowly said, “Tom.” When it became clear that this was the old barkeeper’s name, they introduced themselves.
“Do you have any food?”
“Percy-“ Annabeth sighed exasperatedly.
Tom just laughed loudly-more like a loud, off-putting braying of a donkey-and snapped his fingers. Four menus appeared before each of them. Annabeth sat down next to Percy as Nico cheered. Will Solace, on Nico’s other side, had a wide smile, cheering alongside his boyfriend.
In the end, the three boys got pizza (you can take the boy away from New York City, but you can’t take the city out of the boy), and Annabeth got soup. They also tried Pumpkin Juice for the first time-another difference from the American wizarding world-and it was honestly a drink worthy of the gods, in his opinion.
“Can we have two rooms? And add it, along with the food, to a tab, please.”
Tom smiled and nodded, handing over two sets of keys. Annabeth thanked the man and the teens set off, he and Annabeth taking one, and Nico and Will in the room across the hall. They deposited their bags and collapsed on the single large king bed in the room. It was only then that the couple realized how tired they were. Within minutes, they were sound asleep.
———
Nobody batted an eye when a tawny brown owl soared into the currently full pub at breakfast the next morning. No one except the four questers, who instinctively covered their food when the bird flew towards them. It landed on the counter, sticking his leg out to Percy. There were four letters, all bearing the Hogwarts crest.
“So Hogwarts does owl post? That’s interesting.” Will grinned.
“Oh! It’s our supply lists!” Annabeth beamed.
Percy grinned at her as the bird flew away. “This should be fun.”
“Could you show us how to get to Diagon Alley?” In response, Tom waved a hand in a sort of “Come follow me” motion and turned away, hobbling towards a brick hallway. The teens immediately hurried after him. Tom paused halfway down the hall, where he withdrew a short, crooked brown wand. He tapped it on several squares, some only once, others twice. The bricks then seemed to pull themselves apart, shifting and revolving and moving aside to reveal a crowded street full of people in both robes and mortal clothing alike.
“Holy Hephaestus,” Will breathed, and it was clear that they all shared the same sentiment.
“It’s like we’ve been transported back in time,” Annabeth said.
“Yeah, this place looks extremely outdated, and coming from me, that’s saying something.” Nico replied, nodding at the single flame burning in the lampposts.
“You had electricity in Italy?”
“I’m not that old, butthead.” Nico rolled his eyes, swatting Percy.
Looks like Quidditch is a bigger thing here,” He said suddenly, turning to where a group of kids surrounded a glass class, hoping to get a better look.
“Not yet, Death boy. We need to get the money to pay for all this stuff first.” Annabeth pointed to the tallest, shiniest building at the end of the scenic street.
Inside, the lines to each teller weren’t very long. The bank tellers were interesting creatures, ones that you didn’t normally see in America. Not many do, anyway. They all had long, pointy ears and wrinkly skin with a greenish tinge. They were short, maybe three feet tall.
“What are they?” Will asked.
“Goblins.” Percy answered. “I saw one at Ivermoney once.”
They approached the counter, and when the goblin looked up at them, he widened his eyes.“Demigods back in the Wizarding word at last! It has been a millennia since we’ve seen the likes of you.”
“How?-“ He spluttered.
Annabeth shushed him. “My name is Gornuk. I’ll be assisting you today.”
The group went through several sets of large golden double doors, until they were in an extravagant, circular white room. On the other side of the room stood a large silver vault, as Chiron called it, though most Americans would call it a safe.
“This is the Camp Half-Blood vault. The Gods of Olympus set it up in the event that a Half-Blood arrives at Hogwarts. So I guess this is a gift from your parent, if you will.” The little creature paused, snapped his fingers, and small red bags appeared in each of their hands. “This bag will refill magically to the exact amount you first withdraw if you run out of money thanks to an extension charm already placed on it. Now, The large gold coins are galleons, the silver ones are called Sickles, and the little copper coins are the Knuts.” He snapped his fingers again and the vault opened. The goblin waved a hand inside. “You may fill your bags and get your supplies. Good day to you.” He stepped to the side and stared at the front as they entered the vault.
“Holy Hephaestus.” Will muttered.
“Thank you, Gornuk.” Annabeth grinned kindly at the goblin, once the bags were appropriately filled. “Is there anything else we need to do before we leave the bank?”
“No, Miss Chase. Thank you for choosing Gringotts today.”
“Well-it’s not like there is another bank to go to here, is there?” Nico wondered out loud, causing Annabeth to nudge him for being rude.
“You would be correct, Mr. Di Angelo. But we at Gringotts recognize that you are Americans and that there is another Wizard Banking service where you come from.” With that, the goblin shooed them out of the bank, where they immediately gathered in a circle at the bottom of the stone steps.
“All right, where to now?” Will asked, looking pointedly at Annabeth.
“Why me?”
“Brainiac always knows what to do!” Nico joked. He ignored him.
“It just feels like the quest belongs to you, and to Percy. Maybe it’s because you’ve been on more quests than I have.”
“Sounds fair.” Nico agreed with a shrug. “We all know I’m not leadership material, anyway.”
“Well…” She paused, pulled a parchment from her pocket-before now, everyone else seemed to forget about the lists-and scanned it. “It looks like we’re going to have a heavy load by the end of our trip.” She said thoughtfully. “And I think British Wizards use trunks instead of bags. I think I see a trunk shop just over there.”
The trunk shop turned out to be a large brick building. On the front were the words, “Jack Of All Trunks” written in calligraphy over the picture of a large brown trunk. Percy found it a bit odd that even with his dyslexia, he did not have trouble deciphering the words.
Once inside the place, a tall blonde haired twenty-something year old clerk ran over to them, an excited light in his eyes. “Hello! Welcome to Jack of All Trunks! My name is Jack the second-named after my father, who owns the shop.” He grinned at the half-bloods.
“Going to Hogwarts, I assume? Usually, it’s First years who come in for new trunks, but you look too old to be in First Year.”
“Nice to meet you, Jack.” Annabeth said. The young adult’s enthusiasm made her smile, but they didn’t have all day. “Yeah, we’re not First Years, but this will be our first time at Hogwarts, so we need to get trunks.”
“Americans? Oh, I see.” He said, nodding. “What kind of trunks would you like?” The boy asked, leading them to an aisle full of brown trunks.
“Just something basic, maybe with a few extension charms, and anti theft charms?” She paused and her mind wandered to the Stoll brothers back at camp. “And maybe some Anti-Prank protections.”
“Excellent, anything else?”
“No, that’s it.” “Four trunks, coming right up!” Jack turned and jogged away.
“Anti-prank?”
“Percy, I practically grew up with the Stoll brothers and we’re going to a castle full of pre-teens and teenagers.”
“Okay, that’s fair.” Percy muttered.
Fifteen minutes later, Jack walked out with another young woman, who must have been his sister. Annabeth thought they might have been twins-like him, she had honey blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Between the two, they carried four identical trunks, gently setting them down on the ground when they approached. “May I have your names, to engrave on them? No extra charge, of course.”
“Annabeth Chase!”
“Nico Di-Angelo.” He folded his arms and turned to his boyfriend as Jack used his want to charm it onto the trunk.
“Will Solace.”
“Percy Jackson.” The girl beside him widened her eyes.
“Forgive me,” she said. “But for a minute I thought you were Harry Potter.”
“I have no idea who that is, sorry.” Percy apologized. “Who is he, anyway?”
“He’s the Boy-Who-Lived.” Annabeth answered quickly. “A boy who defeated a dark wizard.”
“Of course you know that.” Nico chuckled. “You read too much, Brainiac.” Annabeth pretended not to have heard him while Percy and Will sniggered.
Instead, she continued. “We’ll be in his year, so you will know who he is soon.”
The others gaped at her, until the red headed female clerk continued. “Sorry…Percy, right?” You look exactly like him!”
“That’s interesting, I guess.” Percy shrugged. “What’s your name, by the way?”
“Evangeline, but you can call me Evan.”
“Well, thanks to the both of you for your help today, Jack and Evan.” Annabeth smiled. “Glad to be of assistance! Let us know if we can do anything else!”
The group paid and once outside the door, Annabeth consulted the list again.
“Why do I think this Harry Potter character will have something to do with our quest?”
“So apparently,” Annabeth said, not having heard Percy. “Hogwarts students wear robes instead of Ivermoney’s skirts and slacks. So, I think we need to get robes.”
“What happened to a good old fashioned pair of jeans?” Nico grumbled.
The group entered an old, but neatly kept shop. On one side of the vast room was a number of cloaks and robes hanging from racks, the front half of the room filled with black, while the latter was filled with an assortment of different colors. On the other side were racks of the fanciest robes and dresses you can imagine. In the center of the room, immediately catching their gazes, was an older woman with graying brown hair. “Hello, my dears! I’m Madame Malkin!” She was bright and perky, more energetic than anyone would have thought considering her evidentially wizened age. “And who might you be?”
The soon-to-be fifth years introduced themselves. “Americans!” Madame Malkin said excitedly. “I haven‘t seen an American within Diagon Alley for quite a long time! Are you headed to Hogwarts?”
“Yes ma’am.” Annabeth grinned
“Excellent! Well, I’m sure you’re here for robes, then. Come on, dears, step on up!” The group complied, and each stood on a step-stool before a large silver mirror in a gold frame. With a wave of the woman’s wand, four yellow measuring tapes flew across the room until it surrounded each person, taking a few moments to measure up, down, and across their bodies.
“Excellent, my dears, you’re all set!” She led them to the payment counter on the other side of the room, where after they payed, they were given their newly tailored robes and after thanking the woman they departed. The robes were placed in their trunks right away.
“Okay so, what now?” Will asked.
“Our books.” Annabeth responded. The other half-bloods groaned but knew she was right.
“That would be at a place called….Flourish and Blotts!”
Though it took the group a few minutes to find the shop, they entered soon enough. This time, no one approached them, instead leading them to find the books on their own. Annabeth, ever the curious learner, found a copy of Hogwarts, A History and bought it, intending to read it on the way to school. As the group walked out again, they stopped to put their books in their trunks.
Once they rose again, they came face to face with “Eeloyps Owl Emporium”.
“Owls are my mother’s sacred animal.” Annabeth grinned. “Want to go in there with me, Seaweed Brain?”
“No!” Percy wrinkled his nose. “You know birds, especially owls, don’t like me!”
“And you would know that how?” Annabeth teasingly placed her hands on her hips.
“Just come in with me!”
“I’m gonna get one.” Will decided. “What about you, Neeks?”
“Hades’ sacred animal is the screech owl…”
“Okay, fine.” Percy relented. “Since I don’t want to stay out here by myself.”
Inside, they were met with cages of varying sizes in neat rows. Most of the cages had animals in them, and most of the ones that were empty had “sold” signs pinned to them. Several owls were flying around near the ceiling or sitting on a perch.
“Why call it an Owl emporium when there’s more than just owls available here?”
Annabeth rolled her eyes. “An emporium literally means to sell a variety of goods.”
“Who decided on a toad or rat, anyway? Percy went on, ignoring his girlfriend. “Why not a dog? I mean, I understand why a big one might not be a good idea, but I’d love to have a Corgi or something.”
She looked over thoughtfully. “I heard that someone up at the school has a cat.”
“Bet the rats just love that.” Nico snorted.
“Hi!”
From behind the counter was a mousy brown haired woman with multiple tattoos and piercings. She wore an oversized quidditch T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers: the appropriate outfit to wear when working with animals and their droppings, Annabeth supposed.
“I’m Ivy Berrycloth, the owner’s granddaughter.” She said. “What can I help you with today?”
“We’re all here to get owls.” Will replied. Ivy leaned casually against the counter, brown eyes bright with excitement.
“Go on, take a look around, and come back once you’ve found what you like!”
The moment they approached the owls, the birds seemed to lean away as though they were afraid of the demigods, which very well could be true.
(Except, of course, they all loved Annabeth. Figures.)
As she stepped closer to the birds, the daughter of Athena held out her arm. A cute little brown barn owl hopped onto it, looking at her curiously.
“Well,” Annabeth said, turning to grin at her friends. “I think I’ve found Pronoia.” Percy raised an eyebrow as Will ventured forward, holding his arm out now, too.
“It means ‘Providence’ or ‘Foresight’ in Greek.” She said defensively.
Before Percy could even think about responding to that, a large white bird hurtled down from the sky and landed gracefully on his shoulder. He looked as the creature in disbelief, blinking.
”That looks kind of like a seagull.” Will said in surprise.
“The albatross chose you. Interesting.” As one, the group behind them turned to find an elderly version of the girl they met earlier. “Good afternoon, Demigods.”
“How does she know?” Percy whispered. Annabeth nudged him again.
“It is interesting, Perseus Jackson, that the Albatross chose you.”
“Interesting?” Percy echoed a bit nervously. If they used his full name, it usually meant they were either a monster, a mighty god or goddess from Olympus, or, on occasion, his mom when he’d really messed up.
“He was brought in here decades ago, by a red-haired woman who claimed to be a seer. She believed this bird was meant for a someone special. And now, a demigod child of the Big Three, who is also a wizard comes in just as You-Know-Who makes his return! Not to mention the first son of Poseidon seen for millennia. Someone special indeed.”
“Big things are about to happen, demigods. Play the game wisely.” And with that, she disappeared into the back of the shop. “That was…unexpected.” “And vague.” Annabeth added, wrinkling her nose. “I hope British wizards aren’t all this vague.”
“that woman scared me.” Nico muttered. “And I’m the son of Hades.”
“What’s your owl’s name, Will?” Percy asked, changing the subject. Will did, in fact, have a small white bird on his shoulder.
“Alectoris, which means light and sun.”
“That’s very on brand for you, sunshine boy.” Nico teased, smirking. He too had a bird on his arm, a black and brown screech owl on his shoulder.
They walked up to the counter, where the first girl, Ivy, was writing something down. At their approach, however, she set it down and looked up at them. “The albatross finally picked someone, huh?” She grinned crookedly. “What’d ya name him?
“Odysseus.”
“Cool. That’ll be 10 galleons each, please.”
Annabeth paid, and they left the shop, blinking in the bright sunlight.
“Your turn, Neeks. What’d you name your Owl of Darkness over there?”
“Umbra.”
“Meaning shadow.” Annabeth realized slowly. “Perfect.”
“I thought so, too.” Nico winked.
Annabeth grinned. “Next, we should go to the Apothecary, which is right over there.” She pointed to a place across the street. “It’s a Potions place, and it looks like we’ll need cauldrons, as well as ingredients.”
The smell inside was atrocious. Let’s be quick. I don’t know how long I can take this smell for, Percy thought.
Lining the walls and on shelves throughout the building sat different Potions ingredients. Across the other end of the shop was a balding, grey haired man behind a register. Not seeing Cauldrons anywhere in sight, they decided to go up and ask him.
“Good afternoon, sir.” Annabeth greeted politely. “Where would the cauldrons be?”
“In the next room, through that entryway.” The wizard answered in a gruff voice. “Wanted ter keep ‘em separate from the ingredients, ya know?”
“Yes sir. Thank you.” It smelled slightly better in that room, but still not great. Breathing wasn’t as painful, anyway.
In almost no time at all, each had a new cauldron and ingredients. Each bent down after paying and placed the newest possessions in their trunks.
“Our last stop will be for quills and parchment.” Annabeth said, heading towards a shop called, “Mother’s Quills and Parchment”
“Quills and parchment?” Nico echoed. “What is this, the fifteenth century?”
“Some things do look like they’re a little outdated.” Annabeth admitted. “But we need to fit in, right?”
“I guess so.” Nico replied indignantly. The store had not a clerk in sight, but that was okay, because It took the group almost no time at all to find what they needed. Annabeth was surprised at the number of quill options there were-quills that wrote for you (“no, Percy, I won’t let you get away with cheating at our new school. Besides, it’s likely not allowed in classes, anyway.”), a quill that changed the color of the ink as you wrote (which Percy thought might be the coolest), a quill that taught you how to write with one..the options were endless. All four of them did end up getting those, since they sounded useful.
On the way out, they passed“Quality Quidditch Supplies” again, where this time only a couple of redheads and a dark haired boy were gawking at the newest broom on display. Off to the side, with her arms folded, stood a curly haired brunette girl, rolling her eyes. “Boys!”
Next to it was an ice cream shop, Florean Fortesques, where they stopped for a treat. Nico, Will, and Annabeth got a chocolate sundae, while Percy got a sort of sea-blue ice cream. No one knew what it was actually called.
“How is your blue ice cream, seaweed Brain?”
“Pretty good, actually. Tastes like cotton candy.”
Finally, they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron, where they found a spring of water, perfect for Iris messaging. According to Chiron, camp was just as quiet as when they’d left (of course Mr. D had to say that it’s quieter now that they’re gone).
Annabeth squealed when Sally showed off the ring and then asked her to be a bridesmaid. Then, Paul asked Percy to be his Best Man. It goes without saying that they said yes. His mom was pleased to hear that they’d arrived without a single monster fight and surprised that Percy had gotten his supplies already, to which he said this was Annabeth’s fault. That just made the woman love his girlfriend more, though. Sally was surprised-but just as pleased as Chiron, Percy, Nico, Annabeth, and Will to learn that they hadn’t had any monstrous encounters yet. Truly, they were lucky in that department.
Soon, the sun sank below the horizon, and each went to bed, falling into a-for once-dreamless sleep, which they hoped would be a common occurrence.
—