Chapter 1
The plane shook.
My hands clenched the armrests.
Arms shaking, eyes sewn shut, I was desperately praying to Zeus, hoping he wasn’t trying to blast me out of the sky. He and I weren't on great terms despite all I had done, being the son of Poseidon and all. Hopefully, after saving Olympus multiple times, he'll be kind enough to let me make it to my destination in one piece.
The plane shook again.
Nope, I am not making it there in one piece.
It started off as a peaceful flight. Clear weather all around, not a single cloud in sight, when suddenly a storm appeared straight out of nowhere.
The next thing I knew, the plane began shaking violently. Thunder could be heard penetrating through the loud hum of the engine with the occasional bright flash of lightning illuminating the inside of the plane. The continuous turbulence, along with the booming thunder, awoke many of the sleeping passengers, who up until now, were enjoying a peaceful flight.
A baby a couple aisles down started crying. Other people around me were sporting looks of mild to major concern.
I kinda feel bad. Zeus wouldn't be throwing such a hissy fit, scaring the living daylights out of the other passengers if I weren't here.
Without warning, lightning struck the plane and around it multiple times, in what would have been a pretty cool lightning show if I wasn't thousands of feet above sea level and scared for my life.
Zeus really is a drama queen.
At this point I found myself clutching onto my armrest like there was no tomorrow. I may or may not have yelped a few times like a girl.
Gods dammit, I hate planes.
You may be wondering: Percy Jackson, why are you on a plane 30 000 feet above the ocean?
Because I'm going to Britain.
Now you may be wondering: why are you going to Britain?
That is a very good question. You see, it all started in sixth grade, when I accidentally vaporized my grade 6 pre-algebra math teacher.
But you already know that story.
What you don't know is what happened after the great prophecy and the second titan war.
Well, let's just say Hera, being the bitch she was, wiped all my memories and sent me all the way to California where Camp Jupiter was located. Two annoying ass Gorgon's constantly chased me as I tried to find the camp and just wouldn't die. In the end, feeling an unknown force calling out to me from a random tunnel, I found Camp Jupiter.
However, the last obstacle in the way was a river. But this wasn't just any river, it was the little… Tiger river.
Something like that.
The moment before I stepped foot into the river, I heard a strange voice inside my head say something along the lines of, "Perseus, crossing this river would take away your invulnerability. Proceed at your own discretion."
Lucky for me, my father happens to be the god of the ocean, among many other things.
So, to get across the river, I pushed the water out of my way, allowing me to keep my invulnerability.
I know, I know, I'm a genius.
Afterwards, there was the feast about Tuna, and a crazy kid who stabbed stuffed animals, and then eventually we killed Gaea with a mixture of storm and fire thereby saving Olympus once again.
A few details may be missing here and there, but you get the gist of it, right? So, why am I on a plane?
Because I had a dream. And it wasn't just any regular old dream. It was a demigod dream. A demigod dream involving one Lady Hecate and Lord Hades. It went a little something like this:
The dream started out normal. No, scratch that, I was having an amazing dream filled with all the blue food you can imagine. Blue pancakes, cookies, waffles, candy bars, you name it. And then lo and behold, a goddamn hole just appears out of nowhere with one god and goddess casually walking out of it.
First to enter my dream was Lady Hecate, goddess of magic, the mist and crossroads. The polecat with intestinal problems was not with her. Thank gods for small miracles.
Following Hecate, the ever so emo and dark figure of Lord Hades appeared.
I sighed. Really, after saving the world multiple times, you would have thought the gods wouldn't need my help anymore. Or they would have learned that, hey, maybe we should do a better job of ruling the world and get another demigod to save it if we mess up.
Being the ever so optimistic self I was, I thought, maybe, just maybe they were just here for the blue food. I mean, there's definitely enough for everyone.
I bowed, "Lord Hades, Lady Hecate, what brings you two here into my dream?"
Behind my back, my fingers were crossed, praying to the fates that they weren't here to send me on another quest.
Hecate spoke first. "Rise, Perseus Jackson," I cringed a bit at them using the name Perseus, "We are here to just take some of your amazing blue food."
Relief washed over me like a blazing hurricane, and all the stress that had built up over the little time they were in my dream evaporated within seconds.
But Hecate hadn't finished her sentence yet. The moment she continued on, my heart sank faster than the Titanic, which didn't actually sink that fast but you get the point.
"And we are also here to send you on a very important que-"
"Oh, fuck off."
Whoops. That sorta just slipped out of my mouth.
But in my defense, if you're going to interrupt this amazing dream of mine to send me on another quest and take my amazing blue food, you sure as hell bet I would be pissed.
There was a brief flash of surprise on Hecate's face before she narrowed her eyes dangerously. I also think I heard Hades audibly sigh somewhere in the background, but that could have been my imagination.
"For your own safety, I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Hecate said. There was a cold edge to her voice.
I nodded rapidly. Yup, I, Percy Jackson, did not cuss at a God.
"Right then, why are you two here?"
I was genuinely curious. Hades always struck me as the solitary type. Why he and Hecate were here was beyond me.
Hecate began her explanation. "I need you to complete a quest for me."
I nodded slowly.
"Unlike most quests you are used to, this one will not entail a prophecy," Hecate continued on.
The no prophecy reminded me of that time Mars, or Ares, sent Frank on a quest. That one didn't include a prophecy either. Well, technically anyways. You could hardly count ‘Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by sundown on June 24th or die’ a prophecy.
"Infact, this quest will be unlike any other you have done so far."
That was both interesting and concerning at the same time. I wanted to ask what made the quest so special but I knew better than to interrupt a goddess.
"You will go to Hogwarts, a magical school in Great Brit-"
"Whoa whoa whoa, slow down. Did you just say magical school?"
I know I just said I knew better than to interrupt a goddess, but I just had to. I mean, magical?
Okay, now that I think about it, why am I even surprised.
"Yes, magical school. Now, if you would be so kind to stop interrupin-"
"Okay, I got it, so you want me to go to this magical school for something?"
I could have sworn I saw a vein tick in Hecate's head, if gods even had veins. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and stood still for a few seconds. I must've 'accidentally' ticked her off real bad. I do have a knack for doing that.
I pushed on. "Sorry, but no can do. I'll be attending New Rome University with Annabeth this year. I did promise her."
Hecate opened her eyes. Those black eyes, swirling with power and fury stared right into my sea green ones. I was starting to feel a little uneasy. Maybe pissing her off wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Unfortunately," Hecate said, though the way she said it made it seem like it wasn't very unfortunate, "Thousands of innocent lives will be in danger here. Not to mention, this is a direct demand from a goddess. You will obey me."
There was a bit of an emphasis on the will. I felt the mist around me change and swirl, perhaps trying to manipulate me into agreeing.
I was not convinced. "Why can't you get some other poor demigod to do this? And since when did gods care about the lives of a few thousand innocents?"
I mentally winced. That sounded harsh. Those innocent people don't deserve whatever fate the gods have brought upon them. But it also isn't my responsibility to save everyone all the time. I just want to live a peaceful life now. Is that so hard to ask?
Probably. It’s the fate of all Demigods to struggle to live a peaceful and normal life.
"I care because they are my legacies," was Hecate's answer.
Yeah right. No way in Tartarus do you care about your legacies. I mean, the gods barely even care about their children, much less their children's children.
"Besides," Hecate continued on. "I feel you would sympathize deeply with the person you are protecting on this quest."
Wait a second. "Protecting? You never said anything about protecting someone."
The goddess rolled her eyes. "Because you kept interrupting me before I could finish explaining."
"Oh… okay then. I won't interrupt any more, I promise."
I said it in such a sincere way that even I almost fell for my sincerity. Almost.
"Harry Potter, much like you, has a prophecy looming over his head."
Oh no. She's trying to guilt trip me.
"He's lived a hard and arduous life thus far, facing grave peril every year in school…"
And it’s working.
“...and thus, I fear that this year, with the looming dangers present, he will not be able to overcome the grave danger he will be exposed to.”
The more Hecate explained, the closer I came to agreeing to the quest. His life sounded so much like mine, and in some ways, even worse. At least I have a loving mom to support me. Harry? He's an orphan living with relatives who hate him.
And not to mention the prophecy about him, which doesn't rhyme by the way.
That bothered me way more than I would like to admit.
Besides, I know how it feels to have a prophecy looming over your head. The weight and expectations of those around you. The pressure and anxiety along with the feeling of not being good enough.
In the end, I agreed to go on this quest. Annabeth was so going to kill me, but either way, at least I'm still going to school…
Right? I mean, a school's a school, even if the school’s name is rather odd. You'll learn something new no matter what, either way. Plus, schools aren't dangerous. At least, they aren't supposed to be, but knowing my luck, even the warding around Hogwarts won't stop all the monsters being attracted to my scent.
I accepted. I had to. The kid I was supposed to protect, I related a bit too much to him.
"Excellent," Hecate said, clapping her hands together, looking pleased.
Me on the other hand, I had the look of dreadful acceptance and pain plastered over my face.
"But before I send you on your way," Hecate continued on, "there's some things you should know first."
"Is this about how 'this quest will be unlike any other you have done so far.' bit you mentioned earlier," I asked.
I wasn't going to get my hopes up, but you never know. The gods can surprise you sometimes.
"Precisely. Before, I must explain something. Most of the information regarding the quest will be automatically transferred into your brain after this dream. However, there's a few things I'd like to discuss in person first."
I nodded slowly. Information being loaded into my brain. I wonder if this would be a slow process like getting my memories back when I drank the Gorgon's blood or something more instantaneous.
"Regarding what makes this quest so special: unlike what you demigods are used to, this quest does not include a deadline," Hecate explained.
No deadlines? Hell yeah! I almost whooped for joy on the spot, risking interrupting Hecate again, but I kept my composure.
"There is also the fact that the wizarding world is remarkably different from both the mortal and demigod worlds."
"How so?"
And that's when Hecate threw a bombshell at me.
"Wizards and witches pride themselves in being far superior to muggles."
Noticing my questioning gaze, she went on and explained. "Muggles are mortals essentially."
Ah, okay. Weird name, but okay.
"Because of this superiority complex, there is a deep rooted prejudice against muggles and muggleborns."
That makes sense. Oftentimes in history, people look down upon those who are weaker or different than them. What this has to do with my quest is anyone's guess. I wanted to ask, but I kept my mouth shut.
"Families who can trace their lineage back several generations are viewed as more important than others. Their names carry more weight."
I nodded, pretending to understand where this was going. I didn't. Annabeth probably would, but I'm no child of Athena.
"As such, when you are attending Hogwarts, you'll be under the disguise as Percy Jackson, prince of Atlantis."
I managed a "Huh? What are yo-" before Hecate interrupted me. Oh how the turntables.
"Hold it. I'm not done talking."
I made a go on gesture.
"Wizards value powerful families. You'll be less likely to face discrimination as a transfer student that way. It’ll also help you on your quest."
"Are wizards really that prejudiced?" I asked. From the impression Hecate gave me, they didn't seem to be the nicest of people.
"Unfortunately, the ones in Europe, namely Britain, are. The wizards in the other continents are much more open minded."
I groaned.
"Enough of that. You won't be facing any of this discrimination other muggleborn and halfbloods face."
Halfblood? "But wait, I'm a halfblood."
Hecate facepalmed. "Halfblood in wizarding terms means a kid who has a muggle or muggle born parent and one pureblood parent."
"Oh."
Hecate sighed. "Let's get back on topic. Your father already knows about all this. Further information about how to act properly like a noble person will appear in your head once you awake."
Wait a second. Did I hear what I think I heard?
"Act noble? Like all prim and proper."
Hecate grimaced. "Unfortunately, the wizarding world is a few centuries behind ours. Noble houses, blood feuds and betrothals are all a thing in the wizarding world."
"Right," I said, dragging out the i. "This sounds like it'd be better for some other demigod to do. Someone who's," I shrugged my shoulders, "I dunno, more mature I guess."
"You're thinking about the children of Athena, aren't you?"
"Yeah. They're smart. This type of quest fits right up their alley."
I paused.
"Don't you dare send Annabeth in my place though."
"I can't. You're the best option."
That surprised me. "Why?"
"You have prior experience with prophecies, fought through overwhelming odds, taught younger campers how to defend themselves, experienced different worlds already, have an easy medium to transfer my magic to, and you'll be able to blend in well among wizards."
They were all valid points up until the last one.
"Wait, how though?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"How what?" Hecate asked back, also confused.
"How will I be able to blend in with the magical people?"
Hecate made an 'o' face before launching into her explanation. "Simple really. Sending a child of Athena means we'd have to make up their wizarding background. We can't make it noble or pureblood either which means she'll struggle a bit as well. Not to mention, the mist doesn't work too well against wizards. They use it for their 'magic' anyways."
I will be happy to say I understood that explanation well, up until the last part.
"Magic and… the mist?"
Hecate sighed. "This information would be downloaded into your head, but I might as well explain it here.
"As you know, I am the God of not just Magic, but the mist as well as crossroads. My demigod children can use Magic, but their children cannot. However, the power to see through and manipulate the mist can be used by people with much less godly blood in their veins. In fact, a 40th generation legacy of mine can manipulate the mist just as well as a 1st generation legacy.
"Wizards themselves don't actually know they are manipulating the mist. Simply put, wizards need to use some sort of medium, their wand in most cases, to manipulate it. If you ever see someone use wandless magic, it usually means they are a demigod."
I nodded in understanding. That was a lot to take in.
"So," I started, "when Thalia snapped her fingers in front of the teacher telling him we were students, she was doing ‘magic’?"
"Correct. In fact, what she did was a confundus charm. Wizards have specific wand gestures and name incantations for their 'magic'. In reality, however, all they need to do is to cast their spell with a clear image of what they want it to do, and intent."
"So," I went, "will I be getting a wand? To, y'know, blend in?"
"Of course," Hecate replied. "Catch."
She threw a stick at me. With my quick demigod reflexes, I caught it easily with one hand.
The wand, upon touching my hand, felt like a stick. I was expecting perhaps a bit more, like some sort of reaction, but nope. Nothing happened. It felt just like some boring old stick.
"Nine and a half inches, pine, pegasus feather core."
I had no idea what that meant.
"It's a fake wand as you wouldn't be needing it with my blessing I'll be giving you after you wake up."
Afterwards, Hecate talked about some other things relating to the quest, mostly emphasizing about keeping my Demigod identity a secret, before leaving. Hades, on the other hand, was still in my dream, leaving me a tad bit confused. Actually, I may have completely forgotten about him while I was talking with Hecate.
"Lord Hades, not to be rude or anything but, why are you here exactly?"
Silence.
Okay then. Maybe he zoned out or something. "If you're here for the blue food, take as much as you want, though the blue pancakes are off limits."
Further, ominous silence.
"Seriously Lord Hades, why are you here?"
His mood seemed to change, going from a neutral expression to, and I'm going to make a bold statement here, angry and even more dark than usual. Okay fine, he looked furious, and you could feel the dark energy emanating around him. Let me tell you, you don't want an angry god of the underworld after you.
Trust me, I know from personal experience.
"The doors of death being opened led to more than a few escaped souls. The underworld is in complete chaos right now." His expression seemed to grow tired, and his face seemed to age a bit. His usual dark calm voice became more strained as he went on. "I mean, the amount of paperwork that has to be done."
"Yes, Lord Hades, the worst part about being a god is all the paperwork you have to do. The unimaginable horror. The only saving grace is the lack of taxes you have to do."
Good thing I declined godhood. Imagine the amount of paperwork I'd have to do as Poseidon's Lieutenant.
A small flicker of a smile appeared on his face and if you weren't paying close attention, you wouldn't have noticed it. "Yes, yes, of course. But I'm not here to complain about paperwork. I'm here to send you on a quest."
Oh fuck no, not another one.
Looking at my distraught face, Hades quickly continued on. "Relax Percy, it's essentially the same quest as Hecate's. Think of it as a side quest really."
I looked at the god in confusion. "So this is like a video game in which Hecate's quest is the main quest, and yours is just the side one?" Damn, my life was starting to feel a bit like a video game now. All these quests and stuff I had to do for the gods does make my life feel that way now that I think about it. And the loot drops from killing monsters, it really makes you wonder.
I wonder what level I am then.
But more importantly, am I the main character?
I'm not dying as a side character anytime soon.
Hades nodded. "Yes. While Hecate's quest is for you to protect this wizard from Voldemort, mine is for you to return Voldemort's escaped soul back where it belongs."
Well that seems easy enough. "Alright then, I'll do it."
Hades seemed pleased by my response. "Good. Normally, I'd give these tasks to my children, but since Nico's off doing whatever with Will… " if it was possible, the god of the underworld, the ultimate emo seemed genuinely happy.
"I have much to thank you for, and if you ever need help from the underworld, don't hesitate to ask."
And with his final words, Hades disappeared.
My amazing dream of a blue food paradise continued on as if nothing had happened.
The moment I woke up, I got a killer headache. All the information about the wizarding world seemed to apparate into my head.
Wait, apparate? Oh god, I'm a wizard now.
The pendant on my chest started to feel warm, distracting me from my thoughts and new vocabulary. I could feel the additional powers of the underworld and Hecate's magic enter it.
Speaking of which, I should probably explain. The pendant was a gift from the gods for saving the world a second time. They knew I was going to deny becoming a god, so they came up with the great idea of putting their powers into a pendant for me to wield.
The pendant has an ever changing design and holds a bit of power from each of the olympians, with me being the only one able to use it. The pendant is ever changing so If you look at it, then look away briefly, the pendant's design will change. Each pendant form is a symbol of the god's who put their power into the pendant.
My pendant also returns to my neck whenever I lose it, like riptide.
Jason got one too, and I'm pretty sure Leo got his as well after his whole dying but not really stunt.
You probably want me to explain in more depth the abilities of the pendant, so I might as well do so.
First off, from Zeus, the drama queen of gods himself, the ability to shock people was given to my pendant. And not like the type where I summon actual lightning or the type where I can shock or surprise anyone like a, well, drama queen. No, the Zeus aspect of the pendant gave me the ability to not have to rub my socks against the carpet to static shock people. Pretty useful for pranks, but useless in a life or death scenario.
And then there was Jason, which Zeus gave his pendant much more power over his domain. I'm talking about huge lightning storms that could destroy a small town or the ability to lift up to multiple people using the wind.
Unfair if you ask me, but I can't complain. Even Leo got something better, being able to charge his stuff up with electricity directly from his pendant. Useful for whatever Hepheastus' kids are building these days.
From Hades, my pendant got minor control over the dead. A bit more than his legacies but much less than the control of his children. Definitely more than Jason or Leo though. I guess getting his throne back on the council made him favor me a bit more. Or by just being awesome.
However, with the new quest Hades has given me, I'm sure the pendant's underworld power has increased even more. I don't have anything to back the claim up, but I can just feel the newfound powers emanating from it.
Hera was nice enough to give my pendant the ability to remember things. How thoughtful.
Hephaestus, the forge dude, was like, "since fire and water don't mix, I'll grant your pendant with superior forging capabilities, as well as an olympian grade armor set your pendant can summon." I have yet to try on the armor though, but I bet it's good being built by Hephaestus himself.
Apollo made it so whenever I am wearing my pendant, I can use a bow and arrow properly as well as sing amazing haikus. He also gave my pendant the ability to tell what time it was as long as it was during the day.
Artemis was kind enough not to complete the set so I'll need an actual watch at night. But at least she gave me the privilege to keep my family jewels. My hunting and tracking skills were also increased as long as the pendant is on me.
Demeter gave my pendant minor control over plants as well as the ability to give me a never ending supply of cereal.
Hermes gave my pendant the ability to pickpocket any individual as well as free international instantaneous shipping and the occasional news from Olympus. He also gave my pendant the useful ability to translate any language and understand any accent. Not sure how useful that's going to be, but you never know.
Athena stared me down real hard when giving her blessing to me and Annabeth's relationship and said something along the lines of: "And if you ever decide to fuck my daughter, make her orgasm before you, or there will be consequences."
In addition, my pendant was able to answer one knowledge based question a day. An example would be: how long does the average female take before she orgasms?
Yeah, that may or may not have been the first question I asked.
Maybe demigod female should have been used, because damn, she lasted long in bed. 20 minutes my ass. We don't talk about me though.
Aphrodite's blessing to my pendant helped me with that situation, though there were some awkward questions. I'm sorry Annabeth, the pendant stays on during sex.
Hestia was kind enough to give my pendant the ability to heal others as well as summon home cooked meals. Jason and Leo's pendant only got the ability to summon home cooked meals. I guess I'm also Hestia's favorite demigod.
Dionysus provided my pendant the ability to summon quality wine whenever I pleased. I'm underaged, but you know, a shot or two couldn't hurt.
Well, it did. And I will not give you the details of what happened that day.
Ares gave my pendant the ability to provide me with more endurance and stamina as long as it's on me. Especially useful because of the Achilles curse constantly making me tire more easily.
Last but not least, my dad gave not just my pendant, but me superior control of all things under his domain. All that power is really scary, and I swore never to use it unless I had to. Perhaps if I ever drop back down to Tartarus I’d use it. Not just that, but he made it so my pendant could directly summon water from Atlantis itself whenever I needed it.
My dad really is the best.
And with Hecate's quest, I could feel a bit of her magical power swirling inside my pendant, as well as the information for when my flight to Britain was.
Not to mention, on my pinky finger, a fancy ring appeared. On it was a trident design along with many sparkly rocks that were probably worth a fortune.
Well, I better get out of bed now. I got a long day of packing and explaining to do.
And that's the story of how I ended up in a wizarding war against a noseless guy.
Line Break
After what seemed like an eternity, the storm filled with abnormally large amounts of lightning, thunder and drama finally ended. Zeus' temper tantrum from a child of Poseidon being in his domain seemed to have died down. I could practically feel all the other passengers relax as the plane began flying smoothly again.
But the moment the captain said, "Alrighty, ladies and gentlemen, we have passed through the surprise storm which seemed to appear out of nowhere. We apologize for the turbulence, and expect a smooth ride for the remaining trip. Thank you," the plane seemed to jerk violently in what seemed to be another bout of severe turbulence.
Outside the windows, I could see two wind spirits flying around the plane, likely causing all the shaking.
At this point, even the captain sounded concerned. Really, jumping out of the plane would have been a more viable option.
Why oh why couldn't I have flown on Blackjack. Or just straight up just swam to Britain.
A look around the plane showed more than a few people looking sick, while others straight up were having a panic attack.
I was having a panic attack.
But just as suddenly as the intense storm and wind appeared, it ceased.
Relief washed over me like a massive tidal wave. Maybe I'll sacrifice a bit more of my meal to Zeus next time.
My pendant warmed up slightly as I discreetly used the powers given from Artemis to track where we were and how much farther Britain was.
Channeling Artemis' blessing through my pendant, it changed forms to a combination of a bow and arrow, the moon and a dear. It really was fascinating watching it take many different forms and would never get old.
Now imagine my surprise when I discovered that not only did the wind spirits blow around the plane like crazy, but also redirected it to Africa. More specifically, Morocco.
Seriously, that does not Mor-rock-bro.
We're so high in the air, I just need More-rock(s)-bro so I will be on the ground.
Fuck me, this was going to be one long plane ride.
Line Break
Soon enough, the plane finally landed.
In Paris.
The plane landed in Paris to refuel because of the detour caused by, and I quote, "unexpected violent and strong winds."
It needed repairs as well. One of them being broken armrests I may or may not have something to do with. Honestly, airplane companies should really make better armrests that are not only sturdy and unable to be broken apart by a demigod, but also be more easily differentiated so I know this is my armrest, not the stranger's next to me.
Like for fuck's sake American Airlines, I do not want to touch the hairy arm and elbow of the person beside me.
A few passengers also needed a bit of help from that traumatizing experience in the sky. Even the pilots looked worse for wear.
While waiting to unload off the plane, because holy fuck that takes a long time, I decided to check in on the latest news from Olympus using my pendant. Apparently the wind spirits went a bit trigger happy and the whole Northern part of the Atlantic ocean was filled with planes experiencing sudden rough turbulence. However, Zeus actually denied having taken any part in controlling the wind spirits, claiming they were "rogue little bastards". Also from my pendant, I found out that Aphrodite lost her second favorite pink hairbrush again and has no doubt sent a bunch of poor demigods to retrieve it.
I feel for them.
But enough about Olympus.
After my traumatizing experience in the sky, I think I'll take a boat to Britain. Or catch a ride on the back of a whale. I was even considering using my pendant to shadow travel, but I really don't want to end up halfway across the world in some obscure part of Brazil again.
In the end, I made it to Hogwarts. The place was a magnificent medieval castle-like place that I just can't place my head around how amazing this place is. Alright fine, I'm probably too feeble-minded to understand the beauty of architecture like Annabeth would. I mean, an arch is an arch, but I can understand that this place was breathtaking. I think I used place too much in that sentence. Maybe I should have replaced the place and placed something else in its place.
You can shoot me now.
But nonetheless, this place was majestic.
Gods dammit, I used pla-
…
You almost got me there.
Anyways, all I can say is that Hogwarts was a majestic pla - castle.
What, you thought I was going to bore you the details of my remaining trip to Britain? Well, all that happened was a very loud taxi cab whistle with my trusty pegasus showing up and bringing me to one Diagon alley which eventually led me here.
Important things did happen on that trip though that aren't just for attempted comedic purposes, so let's back up a bit, shall we?
Hey boss! Got any donuts?
Yeah, Blackjack's got an obsession with donuts. Yeah, I also pretty much gave up on trying to get Blackjack to stop calling me boss.
A shake of my head answered his question. "Sorry, but I need you to get to some place named Diagonal alley in London. I think it's called that. Are you up for the job?"
Sure thing. But you owe donuts after this.
"Of course." And we took off.
Actually no, before we took off, Blackjack asked me, Why didn't you just get me to fly you to Britain in the first place? I mean, that plane ride sure didn't look fun, with all the shaking it did.
He sounded a bit offended. I had fun answering that. You know what else I had fun doing. Flying in the air on the back of my pegasus, without having the need to fear for my life. That's what.
And was Blackjack following my plane the entire time?
Whatever. I made it to my destination in one piece, which is all that mattered.
According to my brain, I was supposed to meet someone at a pub or something. Looking around, I had no idea where to go, just the general idea of where to be. Blackjack had already gone off after I bought him some donuts at the local convenience store. Apparently he saw some hot mare on the way here, in Paris I think, and wanted to seduce her.
Blackjack philandering with the local mythological population is great and all, but now my mode of transportation is gone. Let's not forget that monsters within a 5 mile radius would no doubt have picked up on my scent by now.
Just as I was about to call a cab to hightail the fuck out of here, I felt a pulse from my pendant, guiding me to down the street to a shaddy little place everyone seemed keen on ignoring.
A place specifically named the… Lively Cockrun.
What the fuck? There's no way. No, it must be my dam dyslexia. Dam. Haha.
That joke is so overused, but somehow never fails to get a chuckle out of me.
I stood there staring, much longer than any regular person would to read a sign, trying to discern what the fuck it said. Lively Cockrun? Can't be. Leetle Cotton? Don't think so. Leaky Cauldron? I'll leak into your cauldron. Lusty Captain? I mean, the names in the wizarding world are peculiar, so they're all plausible.
Though Lusty Captain makes the place sound like some sort of strip club.
I would just enter, but after a few experiences with seemingly innocent and odd places where mortals avoid being traps, I'd say I'm much more cautious now. Nah, I'm just kidding. I was getting restless and went, fuck it, what's the worst that could happen.
Famous last words but I entered anyway…
I didn't know what to expect when I entered. Maybe an innocent lady who is really a monster beckoning me inside to serve me food but instead tried to turn me to stone. Yeah, looking back at my first quest, that really was a stupid moment in hindsight. I mean, literally everything around me was screaming red flags, gtfo! But nooo, my stomach was like, oooohhhhh, I smell cheeseburgers.
Let's count the red flags, shall we? Shop in the middle of nowhere. Check. No mortals in sight? Check. A satyr mumbling, I smell monsters? Check. Creepy stone statues and other various things that really should not belong there? Check. Weird lady who was super nice and somehow knew our names? Check.
How much was that? A lot. Yeah, and now, being more experienced, I definitely won't make that same mistake entering the Lava Cretin or whatever.
The moment I entered the pub, a strange smell went straight up my nostrils. That would have been a red flag, but you know, I can't really smell monsters and the odor could just have something to do with pubs, alcohol and British people. I mean, I've never been to a pub before. Or Britain.
After looking around for a bit, I noticed how dark and gloomy the place was. Everything just felt off and over the years, I've just learned to trust my Demigod senses. My hand instinctively went towards my trusty pen in my pocket.
That was when I noticed how odd everyone looked.
Long ass robes, pointy hats and pet owls? Yeah, these had to be witches and wizards. They were pretty much just as Hecate described.
I relaxed a bit. My eyes scanned around the pub, looking for the person I was supposed to meet.
It was at that moment when I encountered the biggest red flag a demigod could ever face.
"Are you, by any chance, Perseus Jackson?"
If you are a half-blood and some stranger or sketchy looking person you don't know somehow knows your name, that is the number one sign of that person being a monster. Or a stalker. Either way, I don't care if he's your neighbor, busdriver or pre-algebra math teacher, if you don't know them, and they know you, get ready for a fight.
Or maybe they're just a really determined fanboy/ fangirl. I've had my fair share of them, but I doubt you'll have any. I mean, how many times have you saved the world?
Exactly.
That being said, I highly doubt an old man with a 5 foot long beard is a fanboy. He probably hasn't been a boy for a few centuries now, looking at him. But looks can be deceiving, and Mr. Gandalf-look-alike could be a monster in disguise. Though, why would any monster want to look like that to me is astounding.
I mean, that beard. How the fuck do you not trip on it. Managing that scraggly thing must be a pain.
So I decided to ask him.
"That beard of yours, how do you manage it? It’s gotta be like, 5 feet long."
Heck, I bet at full stretch, his beard would be longer than Leo is tall. That may just be because Leo is really short.
The old man's eyes twinkled. I kid you not, they twinkled. "It's a simple spell but quite effective. Now, if you would be so kind as to confirm whether or not you are in fact Perseus Jackson."
"Percy Jackson," I said, correcting him.
"Of course, of course. You must be the new transfer student, Mr. Jackson."
He said it as a statement, not a question. His voice also held authority and power. "Uhhh, yes, that would be me.”
Suddenly, like my brain was lagging, the information regarding Dumbledore appeared. Apparently he was a very old and very important person.
"Would you be so kind to sign here, here and here,"
He gave me a piece of parchment and quill, pointing at the various places I needed to sign. I did.
"Excellent. I hope you enjoy your year at Hogwarts."
I nodded. "Thanks. I'll try."
I should probably explain a bit. Like how Romans and Greeks never got along in the past, Demigods and Wizards don't either. As such, I'm undercover as a transfer student at Hogwarts. The story is pretty simple. I'm the prince of Atlantis, a very wealthy and powerful family in America. I was homeschooled until now.
Hecate stressed to me, repeatedly, that under any circumstances, the wizards cannot find out about me being a demigod.
I repeat, under any circumstance, do not let the wizards find out your true identity was what Hecate told me.
It's part of the reason why it's only a one man quest instead of the usual three. The more demigods there are, the more chaotic it will be which leads to a higher chance of blowing cover.
The only person that knows is Dumbledore, the person I'm talking to. He's the headmaster of the school I'm attending and also a powerful enough legacy with enough godly blood to also use actual Magic, like a child of Hecate would, albeit weaker.
And he likely won’t be the only legacy that could as well.
We took the floo, an odd name for wizard teleportation transport, to the headmaster's office. It was September 1st, the first day of class.
Apparently this meant that there was going to be a feast, as well as my sorting and introduction.
I didn't need any explanation on the 4 houses; that information was already in my head, courtesy of Hecate. Infact, with all the information in my head, I probably would never have to study for tests. Homework would be a pain though.
My dyslexia is probably going to make me write out 'transylvania enterprise' instead of 'transfiguration essay'. At least there's actually a spell that can translate the words I'm reading into ancient greek.
I followed Dumbledore towards the great hall.
I stood in line, waiting to be sorted. All around me, I could hear whispers of curious students, pointing and staring. I definitely looked out of place standing among the first years. Just a bit.
I was the last to be sorted.
I took a deep breath and walked up to the hat. My adventures in the wizarding world have just officially begun.