Albus Dumbledore sighed heavily, his brow creasing and fingers massaging his temple; Cornelius Fudge was starting to get on his nerves. Ever since Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, Cornelius was ever insistent on adding Dementors to the Hogwarts grounds.
It was something that he was vehemently against, and he would do everything in his power as Headmaster to stop it. Dementors were rouge creatures that held allegiance to no one except Tom Riddle.
In Albus’s humble opinion, the Minister of Magic was an absolute fool for thinking he could control the evil creatures. Thankfully, Dumbledore’s musings went unnoticed by the Minister’s head in the fire, and with a sigh, he slowly brought his ears back to attention.
“-hat is why it's imperative Dementors be used to help monitor the school’s perimeter, Albus. Harry’s life is at stake here. You know just as well as I do that Black wants him dead as revenge for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”
Dumbledore shook his head for what felt like the hundredth time today.
“Cornelius, The Dementors are uncontrollable and evil creatures. They have no place in a prison, let alone a school full of children. As long as I remain Headmaster, those foul creatures will not be allowed anywhere near Hogwarts. It’s bad enough that you are stationing them around Hogsmeade.”
The Minister of Magic rolled his eyes as much as a head made of fire could.
“Dumbledore, those creatures are the only things a madman like Black fears. We still don’t know how he escaped, but from all accounts we’ve gotten, Black hated the Dementors.”
Albus did his best to mask his annoyance, trying not to show the Minister how irritated he had become with what felt like the twelfth conversation they’d had about the same issue. The Headmaster was confident it wouldn’t be the last either since the beginning of the school term was right around the corner.
“Cornelius, Black might’ve hated the Dementors, but they still couldn’t keep him in prison. If they couldn’t keep him in, what makes you think they can keep him out?”
The Minister of Magic opened his mouth to speak, but Albus cut him off before he could say a word.
“I understand your fear Cornelius, but I trust in the wards and staff around Hogwarts to keep its students safe. I will not have Dementors running amuck on the school grounds. Now, I have a staff meeting to commence that briefs the faculty on how to handle Black should he show up. So, if you would excuse me.”
The Headmaster stood up after a moment of silence from the Minister. However, before Cornelius disconnected from the Floo Network, his pride ensured he got the last word.
“Very well Albus. I will contact you later this week to review some other issues and concerns. Good day.”
With that, the head in the fire disappeared, leaving Dumbledore’s face looking older than ever. Only a fool would believe that Cornelius Fudge was finished with the issue, and Dumbledore was no fool. Resigning himself to the fact that they would talk about the Dementors again when the Minister next called him, Albus started to make his way to his office door.
Before he could take a step, though, a bright flash in the room forced Albus to shield his eyes. For a moment, the Headmaster thought it was a prank pulled off by the Weasley twins. However, when he looked at the source of the light, his eyes locked with a truly beautiful woman.
She was dressed in white robes with an ornate silver design inlaid throughout. The design itself looked like vines connecting to different shapes and objects. It eerily reminded the old Headmaster of a few ancient runes he had learned of during his time at Hogwarts.
These runes, however, seemed to hum with a power untold, an energy that he had only felt when he tinkered with the most ancient of magic. Bringing his attention back to the woman, he noticed that she had midnight black hair that just barely reached her shoulders.
Her face reminded him of Greek statues from his time in Greece. It was pale, with sharp angular features and a fierce look that seemed to stare into his very being. The most intimidating aspect, though, was the vibrant green aura surrounding the woman.
Dumbledore didn’t dare move. He doubted he could even bring his wand up before dying at this woman's hands. He didn’t know how, but she somehow got through the wards surrounding Hogwarts and into his own personal office. It was simply unheard of unless you were the Headmaster or Headmistress of the school.
Suddenly, all the portraits behind him started coming alive, awoken by the woman's arrival. At once, it was like a switch had been flipped, and all the illustrations began speaking simultaneously. All of them trying to shout over one another to ask the same question.
Before Dumbledore could get the portraits to quit and be quiet, the mystery woman smirked. Swiping her hand across the paintings, she put all the former Headmasters and headmistresses to sleep.
Understanding that he was incredibly outclassed, the wise old Headmaster sat back down behind his desk. Pushing forward the sweets he had reserved for guests in his office as he spoke.
“Hello there, would you like a Lemon Drop Miss...?”
The woman gave a curious look towards the wizard before speaking.
“I believe I shouldn't; mortal candy always gives me a headache. My name is Hecate, and I am happy to say that your prayers have been answered Albus.”
Dumbledore looked at the woman, a bit dumbfounded.
“And what prayers are you talking about, Miss Hecate?”
The woman smiled at him like an owner might their pet when the animal did something they liked.
“The ones where you wished for more help looking after young Harry Potter.”
Albus nodded his head, gesturing for the woman to take a seat as he formulated a response.
“Are you here to offer your services as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts? Because I am afraid that I do not just allow anyone into that position, Miss Hecate.”
The woman laughed as she took the gestured seat. Her laugh reminded Albus of something akin to a muggle asking a king to shine his shoes.
“No, nothing of the sort.” Her smile turned serious as she continued. “I have come to tell you that there are powers much more powerful than mine that have taken an interest in this war, and they see it fit to make sure you wizards win.”
“For if Voldemort were to emerge victorious, it would affect more than just witches and wizards. So, they see it fit to send our best to assist you.”
Dumbledore gazed at the woman with curiosity and trepidation, deciding it best to voice his questions now rather than later.
“Excuse me, Miss Hecate, but you speak as if you are not a witch yourself. Are you not a witch?”
The woman got a Cheshire grin on her face as though she had been waiting forever for him to ask her that question.
“Tell me, Albus, have you ever been curious about how you wizards and witches received your magical ability?”
Dumbledore nodded his head.
“If I recall correctly, the first known witches and wizards were born in Ancient Greece, and after becoming feared due to their power. They were banished from the Greek cities and sent to live in the land beyond the known world, which is modern-day England, no?”
A smaller smile broke out on Hecate’s face this time.
“Yes, that is a broad summary from mortal accounts. I still don’t believe Merlin and the others deserved that fate, but I digress. That is indeed the first recorded history of wizardkind, but magic existed long before ancient Greece. I simply gave mankind the ability to wield it. However, the powers I spoke of earlier did not see fit that my blessing mingle too much with mortals.”
“After some groveling and a few favors, though, I convinced them to keep the original wizards and witches alive. However, I was forbidden from helping them with their gifts, and they were forced to learn on their own.”
Albus gazed at the woman in a new light as everything clicked into place inside his mind. Realizing that if this woman was indeed the Goddess Hecate, then they really might have a chance after all. Deciding to try and confirm his beliefs, Albus spoke up.
“Miss Hecate, you talk as though you were there when the first witches and wizards were banished.”
Once again, a small smile bloomed on the woman’s face, and that was all the confirmation the wizened Headmaster needed. He began to thank his lucky stars for having gained such a powerful ally, but at his thought of ‘ally,’ Hecate’s smile vanished.
Realizing that the deity most likely read his mind and was a master of Legilimency, Albus cleared his thoughts. The last thing he wanted to do was upset a Goddess of Magic lest he end up dead or a squib.
Hearing his thoughts, Hecate chuckled.
“Relax Albus, I will not hurt you. Sadly, I am unable to interfere in mortal affairs to that extent. But I assure you, the ones I referred to earlier are indeed our best. They have a lot of experience, not only with wars of this scale, but also prophecies.”
“For this assistance, however, you must open up two new aide positions and help them acclimate to the wizarding world. The girl is an especially quick study and is an expert in relaying the information to the boy in a way he can understand.”
Dumbledore raised a curious eyebrow at the strange request, but it was one he could live with.
“I also want to mention that anything said here should not leave this room. I would hate for wizardkind to fight a war on two fronts at once.”
Dumbledore grimaced at the threat, but he didn’t plan on saying anything about the current conversation anyway. Still, he had a fairly large concern that would need to be addressed before he made such changes.
“Miss Hecate, I mean this in the best way possible... But why involve yourself now? I understand Sirius is a threat, but why not have interfered when Voldemort was in power?”
Hecate gave a nearly unnoticeable grimace at his question and was about to open her mouth to say something when an audible roll of thunder shook the Headmaster’s office. Sighing, the goddess closed her mouth and reopened it.
“I cannot say, and for that, I am sorry Albus. I will leave you with these parting words: An Animagus’s form is a reflection of one’s true self.”
With that, the goddess disappeared in a cloud of mist, leaving the Headmaster looking twice his age. Dumbledore let loose a long sigh and began to massage his forehead once again as the paintings around him began to wake up from their forced slumber.
Thankfully, no one seemed to remember anything past Cornelius’s meeting with the Headmaster. That thought, however, left a pit at the bottom of Albus’s stomach as he remembered that any new hire to Hogwarts had to be approved by the Ministry of Magic.
Albus Dumbledore felt that the usually painless process would be the catalyst for Cornelius Fudge getting Dementors on Hogwarts grounds. Standing up from his desk, the old Headmaster started making his way to the door. The aid from Hecate was a problem for later. Right now, he had to make it to a staff meeting, which he was currently twenty minutes late for.
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Percy POV:
The waves of the Long Island Sound lapped at Percy’s feet, soothing his troubled mind. The second Gigantomachy ended nearly three months ago, and Camp Half-Blood was starting to return to normal. Percy hated it.
When new campers arrived and heard the stories of his adventures at the campfire, they looked at him like a god. After all, he was the great Percy Jackson, Slayer of Kronos, One of the Seven, Survivor of Tartarus, and so many more undeserving titles. What they didn’t hear in those stories were the sacrifices made, and the loved ones lost.
They didn’t know that he would’ve never been able to defeat Kronos without Annabeth taking a dagger for him or that he never would’ve gotten out of Tartarus without Bob or Damsian. They didn’t know that he and Annabeth were the reason Gaia woke in the first place or that Leo died because they had been captured.
A pair of hands covered the demigod's face, breaking him out of his troubled thoughts. And a feminine voice whispered next to his ear, making the hairs on his neck stand up.
“Guess who, Seaweed Brain.”
A genuine smile graced his lips as he let loose a small chuckle.
“Jason? Dude, how many times do I have to tell you Annabeth is at camp. We can’t show our real feelings.”
The woman let loose a small chuckle as she uncovered Percy’s eyes as he turned to face her, mirth in her voice as she spoke.
“Is there something you wanna tell me, Percy?”
The demigod let loose a laugh as he pulled her into a hug, whispering in her ear as the roar of a wave approached the two.
“Yeah, don’t sneak up on a son of Poseidon at the beach.”
Before Annabeth could even form a rebuttal, a huge wave crashed over top of the duo and brought them out farther into the Long Island Sound. Once they were beneath the water in their own little air bubble, Athena's daughter pulled away from the hug, smacking Percy lightly on the chest as she spoke.
“I hate you.”
Percy just laughed. He might’ve taken his girlfriend a little more seriously if it wasn’t for the massive grin on her face as she stared at him. Grabbing her by the waist, he pulled her into his lap, kissing her on the nose as he did so.
“I don’t believe you, Wise Girl. If you did hate me, I don’t think you would’ve done what you did last night.”
The blonde blushed scarlet as she let loose a muffled groan into his chest. Percy just chuckled as he rubbed her back, admiring all the aquatic life around them as they went about their day. They had gotten used to his presence over the last three months since the war ended.
For Percy, underneath the waves was the only place he felt like he was truly at peace when he was by himself. Surrounded by his father’s element, he felt calm and could actually face the trauma that came with going through Tartarus.
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Sure, he still had terrible nights, but they were getting better, especially with his Wise Girl by his side. He just wished he could help her as much as she had helped him, but it seemed to him that her method of coping was throwing herself into her work.
She was working herself to the bone, and Percy wasn’t sure what he could do to help her. Whenever he was struggling, he could go to the ocean quite frequently, he might add. But for his beloved, she was stuck at camp, having to stay strong and look the part of a leader.
Her only escape was his cabin at night, and that was something Percy had fought tooth and nail with Chiron on. He hadn’t realized how much the trainer of heroes viewed Annabeth like a daughter until he had to convince the centaur to let his girlfriend sleep in cabin number three with him.
A kiss on his lips broke Percy out of his inner thoughts as he reciprocated the kiss, pulling away with a goofy and happy smile on his face.
“What was that for?”
Annabeth just smiled, kissing him again before speaking.
“You were off in your head again, and we need to return to the surface. We’ve been down here for at least fifteen minutes, and Chiron wanted to see us at the Big House. I don’t want to give him more of a reason to think we are uncontrollable horny teenagers.”
Percy just laughed as he willed their personal bubble closer to the surface.
“Well, I’m only horny cause you're so damn pretty, and when you give me tha-”
The demigod didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence since his girlfriend slapped his chest playfully before kissing him one last time on the lips as they breached the surface.
“I’m sorry I’m so pretty that it's distracting your Seaweed Brain. I guess I’ll have to stay away from you so you can concentrate.”
As she said it, Percy watched as she shook her hips, emphasizing each word. The demigod son of Poseidon just growled as he caught up to his girlfriend, interloping their hands as they made their way towards the Big House.
“If you stayed away from me so I could concentrate, the only thing I would be able to focus on is the fact that my Wise Girl wasn’t by my side.”
A genuine smile formed on Annabeth’s lips as she squeezed his hand.
“For a brain full of Seaweed, that was a pretty good answer ya know.”
Percy laughed as he squeezed her hand back.
“It’s not all seaweed. There’s some kelp, seagrass, plankton, and even algae in there as well.”
Annabeth’s laugh was enchanting to his ears as they walked up the steps to the Big House. Percy opened the door for Annabeth, only to groan as he walked in after her, getting a good look at what was waiting for them.
Chiron stood next to an incredibly beautiful yet extremely pale woman. She was wearing dark robes with numerous ornate designs and runes that seemed to be woven into the fabric itself. Percy was distracted by the polecat that rubbed against the woman's leg, completely overlooking the two torches she held until she moved her arms.
The woman screamed goddess, and based on Hazel’s description, she gave them on board the Argo II; Percy was pretty sure the deity in front of them was Lady Hecate. While he tried to figure out what in the world the goddess wanted from them, Annabeth went into a slight bow.
If the goddess was offended by his lack of respect, she didn’t show it. Right when Percy was about to speak, however, Annabeth elbowed him in the side, motioning him to bow with her. The demigod gave his girlfriend a look that said.
‘You already know she is going to ask us to either go fetch an item or go on a quest. She can suck it.’
The daughter of wisdom met his gaze with a stern look in return, saying, ‘Bow to the goddess Percy, or you will have a lot more problems than her.’
His girlfriend’s gaze softened slightly as she conveyed her real concern. ‘I don’t want you to go missing again for eight months,’ she said.
With their silent conversation finished and an amused look from the goddess and Chiron, Percy gave a slight bow along with his girlfriend. Chiron chuckled at their antics as he introduced the deity.
“Annabeth, Percy, this is Lady Hecate. She has a favor to ask the both of you, and I thought it best you heard it from her. As I, uh, may be a bit biased when presenting the facts.”
With that, Chiron motioned for Lady Hecate to take the floor, which she did with a nod of thanks. Looking down at the couple's entwined hands, a small smile appeared on the goddess' face before speaking.
“Thank you both for coming, and I would like to thank you, especially Perseus. Because of you, my children have a home here at camp, and I was not punished for my transgressions in the Titan War.”
Percy nodded his head, remembering the sacrifices made in the Battle of Manhattan and how many minor gods and their children turned away from Olympus, either because they were not respected or felt they didn’t have a home at camp.
Percy cleared his throat. “You are most welcome, milady.”
The goddess smiled slightly before frowning. “That is why it pains me to ask that you both go on yet another mission for Olympus and the gods.”
Perseus felt only one thing at Hecate’s words: rage. He was angry—angry at Chiron for not standing up to the gods, furious at Hecate for acting like she was on their side when all she cared about was getting what she wanted, and most of all, though, enraged at the gods themselves for asking more of him and Annabeth.
An elbow to his ribs brought Percy out of his head, calming him slightly as he saw the concern in Annabeth’s eyes. Taking a deep breath to reign in his emotions, he answered Hecate’s request.
“No, the answer is no. Don’t you think you pompous assholes have asked enough of us? That we’ve been through enough? Annabeth and I are spending our last few weeks here at camp before we head to College in New Rome.”
Sure, Percy might’ve regretted his words after he said them, but that didn’t make them any less true. What they did do, however, was cause Annabeth to nearly break all the bones in his hand from squeezing it so hard.
It also caused quite a large rumble of thunder from the King of Olympus, who no doubt resented being called a ‘pompous asshole’ no matter how true it was. It wasn’t until he looked at his girlfriend's face and saw her murderous gaze directed at him, instead of the goddess asking too much, that he took a second to breathe and face the goddess.
Who looked crestfallen rather than angry like he thought she would. It wasn’t until Hecate's following words that he realized this wasn’t one of the god's typical requests.
“I am sorry for all that we’ve put you both through. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please hear the rest of what I have to say before making a decision?”
Percy let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding and looked over at Annabeth to make the decision for them. Who, after a moment, nodded her head. Giving the goddess their permission to continue.
“Thank you both for listening; I appreciate it. You both know about the mist and its part in keeping our world hidden from the eyes of mortals, correct?”
Together, the couple nodded their heads in agreement.
“Good. Now, the reason we are once again asking the two of you for your help is because there is an enemy who seeks to openly take over the world through the supernatural. Which would be bad, yes, but not immediately affect us.”
“Over time however, it would have severe repercussions on the godly world because they want to take control openly & publicly. By doing this, they open the eyes of the mortals to the supernatural, and soon, the mist can no longer hide the godly world.”
“This means Mount Olympus, Camp Half-Blood, New Rome, and everything supernatural will be seen by mortals. I am sure you can imagine the chaos when people look at the Empire State Building and see a floating city above it or see a hellhound and cyclops walking down the street.”
The duo grimaced, and Percy could picture what Lady Hecate was saying. It would be bad; demigods would no longer be safe or be able to lead a semi-normal life. Mortals would panic at the first sight of a monster, no doubt getting killed while trying to fight them. Percy glanced at his girlfriend and saw her troubled look as well, no doubt thinking of all the repercussions of such a catastrophe.
Hecate continued. “All is not lost already. There is a boy destined to fight this enemy, and while it is unclear who will come out victorious. The prophecy surrounding them says, ‘neither can live while the other survives.’”
“All we are asking of you two is that you go to the boy’s school and help train and protect him. I would not be asking for your help now if the stakes weren't so high. But, you two are the most capable demigods of this generation, and we have faith that you two could help turn the odds in the boys' favor.”
Percy nodded along with Hecate's words, barely listening as he was still processing all the damage that would take place if the mist fell. He and Annabeth would never get their well-earned happily ever after, while demigods would most likely be persecuted by both monsters and mortals.
With a sigh, the son of Poseidon turned to face his beloved. He wasn’t about to do this quest alone, and when he said that they were never getting separated again, he meant it. All it took was for their eyes to lock, and Percy knew they would once again be a part of saving the world.
Letting Annabeth have the honors, he collapsed down onto a chair.
“We’ll do it Lady Hecate. Tell us what we need to know.”
Hecate smiled as she magically conjured a seat behind her while Annabeth joined him on the couch. Once the two were comfortable, Percy spoke up.
“Alright, so what did you leave out? Is there another pantheon that we aren’t supposed to know about?”
He had said it as a joke; he really did, but the look on Hecate’s face had Percy letting out the most prolonged sigh of his life.
“Well, they aren’t another pantheon per se... But they are witches and wizards.”
Percy leaned back into his chair and let out a groan of frustration. Hecate ignored the demigod son of Poseidon’s reaction and continued on.
“Long ago, not long after we won the First Titan War, I stumbled upon Magic. It was similar to the magic in my domain, but not quite. Where I and my children could make things out of nothing or create things like the mist. This Magic was something more, and from what I could tell, absolutely ancient.”
“It had its own rules, its own power, and distinctly lacked a divine element. So, I learned how to wield this Magic and bestow it to my most devout followers and a few of my children. As you can imagine, Zeus was not a fan of my generosity since I gave this gift so soon after Prometheus gave man fire.”
“But, after some convincing, he allowed them to live. However, they were forced into solitude and prohibited from intermingling with the regular mortal world. What Zeus, or myself for that matter, didn’t realize was once I released this Magic into the world, it got a mind of its own.”
“It picks and chooses who has access to its power, without my interference at least, and seems to stick to people of the same family, but not always. I’ll get into that later; for now, I wanted you both to know that this isn’t the magic you see my children performing around camp.”
Percy nodded along with Annabeth. It wasn’t the craziest thing he had ever heard—he was the son of Poseidon, for Pete’s sake. However, what did shock him was that this Magic lacked a divine element.
It made his inner child giddy with excitement that he could be casting spells like Merlin or any of the other wizards from the stories his mom told him as a kid. Suddenly, Percy found himself looking forward to this mission. Even more so after he saw the look on Annabeth’s face when Hecate answered her question.
“You said we would be going to a school, right, Lady Hecate? Where is that school exactly?”
Hecate smiled. “The school is in Europe, and to be more precise, Scotland.”
Annabeth’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning after Santa had come. Whispering to Percy in her excitement.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Europe! Scotland has some of the most pristine castles and iconic architecture. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I am actually looking forward to this mission.”
Percy just laughed as he agreed with his girlfriend, kissing her on the cheek and squeezing her hand. It was crazy to him that moments ago, he was vehemently against the idea of doing anything more for the gods, yet now he was excited about the upcoming mission.
Hecate cleared her throat, bringing Percy and Annabeth’s attention back to the goddess, who had a genuine smile on her face. Leaving Percy to assume that she had already figured out that they were actually enlivened for this mission.
“Now, as I was saying earlier, while these original wizards and witches were allowed to live. They were forced into isolation through the gods' will, and after several generations, forgot where they came from.”
“Some of them soon believed they were above everything else because of their gift, magical creatures included. Then, when that was not enough for their ego, some began to see themselves above other witches and wizards because of blood purity.”
“Do you remember what I said earlier about the Magic not always sticking with genetics?”
Annabeth and Percy once again nodded their heads.
“Well, that’s where the blood purity stems from. The Magic primarily sticks with those born to parents who have already been granted access to its gift. As such, witches and wizards consider children born from two magical parents pure-bloods and are believed to be more powerful. Meanwhile, children born from only a singular magical parent are called half-bloods.”
She continued as if knowing the question Percy was about to ask.
“As far as I can tell, blood purity has nothing to do with magical power. It’s all decided by the Magic itself on how much power an individual can access at one time. Although, it seems that, like with anything, training helps.”
“And that’s how we get to the final classification of blood purity, mud-bloods.”
A grimace appeared on the goddess’s face at the term, but she continued nonetheless.
“A mudblood in wizardkind’s eye is an individual born with magical abilities despite not having a magical parent. In reality, it's just an individual that the Magic decided to give access to its power.”
Annabeth and Percy expressed frustrated indignations at the idea of a ‘mud-blood,’ causing Hecate to smile at them.
“I agree, but there is nothing I can do about it,” she said, stressing the fact that she couldn’t do anything. Something that the two demigods were quick to pick up on as she continued.
“One final term that you need to know is a squib. Witches and wizards believe it's simply a person born of two magical parents who does not have access to Magic. In actuality, it’s an individual that Magic deemed unworthy of its gift. Now, I believe I have explained enough for one day. Do you two have any questions?”
Annabeth nodded her head, and Percy smiled at her eagerness.
“What type of school is it? Percy and I are a bit old for High School, and we have a lot to learn, considering we just learned about this Magic today.”
Hecate nodded like a teacher when a student asked a good question.
“It is like a High School, but you two will not go as students. Rather, you will be attending various classes as faculty aides to decide which subject best interests you so that you can teach it someday.”
Annabeth’s excitement was infectious, and Percy realized that this was exactly what his girlfriend needed to help relax from the war and deal with the issues from Tartarus. Suppressing a shudder as he thought of that hell hole, he zoned back in on the conversation.
“-ou’ll both share the same room and have several classes with Harry Potter, the boy the prophecy’s about. As for the studying and knowledge aspect, I will be helping the both of you.”
“Throughout the next few weeks, I will help you both gain a proficient understanding of Magic that will help you maintain your cover. As for the Magic itself, I will give you both access to that gift the same way I did ages ago.”
The duo nodded along as Hecate continued.
“I will perform the ritual tomorrow morning, as it must be done with the rising sun, so meet me back here at 6 o’clock in the morning. Do you have any more questions before I depart?”
Annabeth nodded her head, and Percy was once again reminded of his girlfriend's thirst for knowledge.
“I actually do have one more question, Lady Hecate. Should we let the wizards know we are demigods?”
The goddess shook her head before elaborating further.
“No, not unless it is absolutely essential. At the moment, the only person who knows of the gods' existence at all is the Headmaster, Dumbledore. Despite the threat, Zeus’s paranoia is ever present.”
“Because the witches and wizards' power derives from something older than the gods themselves. Zeus fears that they might try to start a war should all of wizardkind learn about the gods' existence.”
Percy couldn’t quite believe his thoughts as he saw the logic in Zeus’s rationale for the first time. If these witches and wizards believed so much in blood purity that it affected how they treated other magical creatures, then Percy could realistically see them starting a war to reassert their place at the top of the food chain.
While he was confident they could win, the last thing the son of Poseidon wanted was another war so soon after the previous two. Not to mention that he had no idea how divinity reacted to the Magic wizardkind had access to, considering it was older than the gods.
With a start, Percy realized he had his first question about the mission.
“Lady Hecate, do you know how this Magic reacts to the divine?”
Hecate seemed to ponder his question for a moment before answering.
“Honestly, I am not quite sure.”
At the hero's incredulous expressions, the goddess continued.
“All I have to go off of is that only two demigods ever received the ability to wield that type of Magic. Both were my children and were part of the original group to whom I gave the gift to. Then, because Zeus forced them into isolation and I was not allowed to look over them or help them with their gifts, they fell off our radar.”
“You two will be the first demigods to wield this Magic in several millennia. As such, you will be the ones to enlighten the gods as to how this Magic reacts to the ichor in your blood.”
Percy and Annabeth sighed at the same time, causing the duo to smile at each other. Realizing they had no more questions, Hecate reminded them to meet back at the Big House at 6:00 a.m. before disappearing in a flash of light. Leaving the duo alone in the Big House until Chiron walked in, a sad smile on his face.
“I assume you two accepted Hecate’s request?”
The couple once again nodded their heads, and the trainer of heroes let out a long sigh.
“I figured as much; it seems the Fates just love you two.”
The centaur let loose a dry chuckle at his joke that the duo reciprocated. Letting a calm silence take over until Chiron spoke again.
“Before you two go, I feel obliged to tell you both that I have known about wizardkind for some time now, not that I could’ve ever said anything about it.”
At the shocked expression on the couple’s face, he continued.
“A colony of centaurs calls the forest around the school home. We visited them once during my Party Pony days and encountered a young wizard lost in the forest. Thus, I learned of wizardkind and was sworn to secrecy by the gods.”
“I really do believe that this mission will be good for the both of you, though. The wards around Hogwarts are strikingly similar to the protections here at camp, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about monsters attacking you inside the school.”
The centaur had to pause as the duo in front of him broke out into giggles. At his curious eyebrow, Annabeth spoke up, getting her laughter under control.
“The name of the school is Hogwarts? Who would name a school after a pigskin disease?”
Once again, the duo broke out into a fit of giggles, and Chiron was again reminded that the most capable demigods of this generation were still children who grew up too fast. Nonetheless, their enjoyment at something so trivial made him smile, joining in their laughter at the name of the wizard school.
The legendary trainer of heroes had no idea how Hecate had not mentioned the school's name once but was glad she didn’t so he could share this moment with the duo. Once their laughter was under control and the air in the room much lighter, Chiron continued.
“As I was saying, you should be protected and will have allies in the area should you need them. So, view this mission as a vacation. If nothing else, it will help prepare you for college at New Rome.”
Chiron smirked as both Percy and Annabeth looked wistful at his words. He wondered if the two realized how similar they were at times. Taking a look at the time, Chiron tsk’d and motioned the couple out of the Big House and towards the pavilion.
It took only a moment for the duo to realize that he was ushering them because it was time for dinner, and Percy quickly went from wistful to excited. The legendary trainer of heroes shook his head as the son of Poseidon practically dragged his girlfriend to the pavilion ahead of the centaur himself.
Chiron chuckled as he mumbled to himself, making his way to the pavilion at a much more sedate pace.
“It’s a miracle he hasn’t gotten fat with how much he eats. Must be his godly DNA.”
With that, the trainer of heroes continued on his way, sending a small prayer to the gods for their assistance in letting the couple have as relaxing and easy of a mission that a demigod could get.