Chapter 32

Harry's Point of View

I woke early the next morning, as if our body was allowing us more time to mentally prepare ourselves for the journey home. I listened for Percy, but I could only see the watercolour images of dreams flashing on his side of the bond, and so left him be. I checked our watched, which was still strapped tightly to our wrist.

I blinked and checked the arms again, just to be sure I didn't have them mixed up. Nope. It was still reading five thirty. I cursed. Why in the name of the gods did we wake up this early? I groaned, but knew returning to sleep was a lost cause. Rolling out of bed, I threw on some clothes and walked outside. The camp was silent as the sun began to rise over the cabins. The first rays hit the Apollo cabin, and I winced, squinting against the heavy glare of the golden reflection.

Our feet moved at their own accord, carrying us down to the lake. Feeling restless I grabbed a canoe, and pushed off into the lake, the blades of our paddle slicing the water silently. I had a quiet sense of power as I manoeuvred the canoe, moving quickly across the wet surface. I fell into a therapeutic rhythm, and turned my mind to the gifts we had haggled out of the Hermes Cabin.

Shortly after returning from our quest we had discovered that if you wanted anything at camp that could only be purchased outside of camp, then the Stoll brothers were the ones to go to. With the right money, or deal, Travis and Conner were more than willing to slip out of camp and get whatever it was for you. Of course, being sons of Hermes, their business deals were strictly a 'don't ask and we'll tell you no lies' sort of arrangement. Of course, we had absolutely no doubt that they stole the goods.

In fact, on one of their sibling's birthday, the Hermes Cabin had (with a lot of proud grinning) provided a store-bought cake, and gave the boy in question the receipt as a present. It had been a momentous occasion, apparently, and the Hephaestus cabin had even taken a picture of it and framed it. Percy asked for a spare copy of the photo and charmed it to move, and we still laughed every time we saw the photo, looking at ridiculously proud looks on Travis and Conner's faces.

Anyway, we had managed to track down a muggle sweet store, and had asked Travis and Conner to buy us a sample of any and every blue confectionary they had. We had had a bet with Draco before we had left for the summer, on whether or not blue food existed (that wasn't spelled blue) and so we had come to the decision that any form of muggle blue food should match that description. We hadn't quiet been expecting the bags and bags full of sweets that the Stoll twins had returned to up, but laughed and accepted it all the same.

For Charles we had investigated the local Quidditch teams in America, and had managed (for a great sum of money) to purchase a large poster of the four semi-finalists from this summer, signed by each and every member of the teams. We hoped he liked it.

"Harry! Percy! Potter!"

I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard Leo yelling our names. I paddled quickly over to him, noting that the sun as a far few degrees higher in the sky.

"Hey, what's up?"

"You almost missed breakfast. We came to find you. Lee had noticed and looked ready to drag you to the infirmary again, so Annabeth and Luna and I quickly volunteered to find you, being the caring people we are." Leo grinned.

"Thanks mate." I grinned. "I woke up really early, and Percy is still sleeping, so I decided to go on the lake to think for a bit."

'Oi!' I poked Percy, who groaned and mentally shoved me back.

'Gettaway.' Percy mumbled. I chuckled.

'Come on, Perce. Wake up. We need to get to breakfast and say goodbye to everyone before we have to leave.'

Percy send a flash of confusion across our bond.

I smiled. 'Happy Birthday, Percy.'

'What? No! I don't wanna go home.' Percy pouted.

I sighed in silent agreement. Not that I was going to voice those wishes. If I did, I had little doubt that Percy would try and persuade me to stay. I wasn't going to do that.

We raced Leo to the pavilion where everyone else was calmly eating breakfast. Chiron jerked his head up when he heard us tumble over one another in our attempt to trip each other up as we raced to be first in. We landed in a tangled mess on the floor. Leo, was just outside the columns of the pavilion. We, however, were just within them.

"Yes!" Percy exclaimed, bounding to our feet. "Beat you! Sucker!"

Percy then proceeded to stick out his tongue at Leo like a five year old, resulting in most of the camp bursting into laughter. Leo pouted in an equally childish manner as he picked himself off the floor. Then Leo grinned.

"Man you can run!"

"Well, thanks, we do try…" We grinned back, as the pair of us walked in the direction of our table. Chiron gave us a small look, but decided to let us off. I mean, we weren't really supposed to have non Poseidon kids at our table, but it was our last day here after all.

Annabeth joined us shortly after as well, sending looks over her shoulder at someone. Following her gaze, I caught sight of Lee, his eyes narrowed as they focused on us. We shrunk lower in our seat, trying to escape from his disapproving glare. It didn't work. We could still feel his blue eyes burning into us. Annabeth abruptly turned around and returned Lee's glare. Now, as none of you have probably ever been on the receiving end of one of Annabeth's glares, let us tell you one thing. If she glares at you, then you know you are really in her bad books. Word of advice in that case – do whatever you possibly can to remedy the situation. In Lee's case, this consisted of him scowling, and then quickly turning his attention elsewhere.

We grinned at Annabeth. "Great Merlin! Can we take you to school with us, please! With that glare you could get even Madam Pomphrey to leave us alone!"

Annabeth and Luna grinned at us, but didn't answer. Leo tilted his head at us.

"Who's Madam Pomphrey?"

"Our school medic." We shivered. "She hates us, because either our brother or we seem to end up in her care ever few weeks or so."

Percy grinned mischievously. "Yeah, if it wasn't a troll then it was Quidditch, or our magic getting out of control, or us fighting..."

'Don't forget we go swimming with the Giant Squid!' I chipped in mentally.

'Who could forget him?'

Leo looked excited. "Dude! What kind of school do you guys go to?"

Percy chucked. "A magic one, duh!"

Leo sniggered. "Of course, what else, oh blessed by Hecate."

"Well, oh great fire-starter, what did you expect?"

"I was hoping, favoured son of the Earthshaker, that it might be one demigods could attend." Leo shot back.

When breakfast had finished the three of us trailed over to our cabin to pack. Much to Annabeth's and my horror, Percy's and Leo's idea of packing was dumping everything into our trunk, and hazardously half wrapping our weapons with our clothes. I mentally hit my forehead and groaned. Luna sighed, shaking her head at the boys.

"Even the nargles know that that's not how you pack. Really. Athene only knows how many wrackspurts you've accidentally trapped in there." Even as Luna spoke, Annabeth blushed faintly, still not entirely used to the Luna talking about her strange creatures out loud. Percy flashed them a grin.

"Well then. Looks like we'll be bringing some more pets home!"

'Percy, that's really not the spirit. I know you don't like concentrating on something for more than a few minutes, but seriously? Could you at least try? If Lily hears those swords clattering then we're done for! You know she banned us from touching weapons for the summer.' I begged. Percy paled and groaned.

'I'm going to have to spend the rest of the holiday sneaking swords into the forest to practise, aren't I?'

'Most likely yes. Alternatively, we could read up on next year's texts.'

Percy shook his head, pulling out our weapons and deftly wrapping them up properly this time and carefully placing them in our trunk.

The next hour was spent saying goodbye to all the campers. The Stoll brothers made us promise to at least play one prank in honour of them. Will Solace, the little Apollo camper we had accidentally shot with an arrow, jokingly gave us a bow and quiver of arrows with instructions to practise over the year. We grimaced, but assured him we would when possible. Annabeth and Luna and Leo insisted that we wrote to them, which we said was given, obviously!

Chiron smiled, and told us to have a good year. Percy (admittedly reluctantly) offered him back Riptide, but the old centaur just shook his head.

"No, Percy. You and Harry will need a weapon to defend yourselves. Your scent is strong – even stronger now you know you are a demigod. Use it well, so we can see you again next year."

"Thank you Chiron!" Percy and I wrapped our arms around his waist – the highest part of him we could reach. Chiron bent down and hugged us back, a smile playing at his lips.

When we slipped out of the embrace, Dionysus was standing behind us. His usual sneer was on his face, but the god had a strange look in his eyes. We couldn't make it out. Was it... apprehension? We couldn't quite tell.

"Potters. You're good heroes, I suppose. Don't mess up and die, ok? We gods only know you're good at getting into trouble. Since I doubt mine will, may your father watch over you, young demi-wizard."

Percy tilted his head and I frowned in puzzlement. "Aren't you usually asking us to get killed, not the other way round?"

"Well." Dionysus glared at us. "I think I can trust you to protect Olympus, much more than my father or uncle's spawn."

Before any more could be said, our watch lit up. One minute to go. We grabbed our trunk, and stepped outside the wards of the camp. We waved.

"Bye!"

There was a strong tug, just above our navel before we were pulled away, spinning across the landscape and the portkey took us home. Sea spray softly touched our cheek as we sped over the sea, then green fields and the grey blur of cities past below us as we reached England. Shortly, we were stumbling to a stop in the large field at the back of Potter Manor.

Charles' birthday party was in full swing, it appeared. There was a large marquee in the middle of the field, and a large barbeque was set up just outside. The entire Weasley family was here, judging from the amount of red heads running round, and so were the Longbottoms and Grangers. In fact, much of Gryffindor was here!

Sighing, we started lugging our trunk into the house. Before we reached the patio doors, however, Charles spotted us.

"Harry! Percy! You're home!"

A few seconds later we had an armful of our twin as he jumped on us. We collapsed under his weight, tripping over our trunk and ending up on the floor, much like Leo and we had after our race to the pavilion earlier that morning. Percy groaned, and I fully agreed as we looked up at our brother's grinning face. He looked far too happy for him this early in the morning.

"Hello to you too." We grumbled.

Charles pouted. "Aw, don't be such a spoil sport. It our birthday! Let the elves take your trunk inside and then join the fun."

We paled slightly. "Um... they won't unpack our trunk will they? We'd prefer to do that..."

Charles chuckled. "Why? What have you smuggled in?"

"We just want to get your present, it won't take long. We'll be out in fifteen minutes, please?" Percy used his puppy-dog eyes on Charles, who quickly relented.

"Fine, but be quick! Malfoy has been bugging me all morning asking when you'll be back."

We froze. "Draco's here?"

Charles laughed. "Of course, didn't you think we'd invite some of your friends for our party?"

Percy and I smiled inwardly. Of course we should've, but we hadn't. It had always been Charles' birthday parties before, even when we supposedly shared them. We didn't have any friends to invite, and tended to hide in corners. We despised the attention being centred on the boy-who-lived and so would hide when the time came to cut the cake. Our parents tried, they really did, but it was the public in the end who decided to cut us away from our birthday.

"We'll be back soon."

We quickly ran to our room, shoving grabbing Charles' present from our trunk before shoving the trunk under the bed to worry about later. We ran back to the party, discovering Charles was exactly where we had left him, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Happy birthday Charles." I declared passing him our present. Charles smiled, grabbing our hand and pulling us along after him to where everyone was milling around. He shoved us into a group of people with a smirk, then disappeared.

"Watch it!"

A familiar voice drawled from above us. The boy we had been pushed into had deftly moved out of the way, and so we had, for the third time that day, ended up on the floor. We looked up into annoyed silver eyes.

"We were. Our brother, unfortunately, was not." We retorted with a wry grin.

Draco blinked, and looked again. "Percy, Harry! I didn't recognise you!"

We laughed, looking down at the rich tan we had manage to earn during our weeks away. Our arms, too, had gained a little more muscle.

"We haven't changed that much."

Before Draco could reply, Blaise and Theo grabbed us and pulled us up into a firm embrace. When we got our arms free we hugged them back, then turned and grabbed Draco in a hug, ignoring his complaints about being in public and ruining his reputation and something about Gryffindors.

"We missed you guys so much!" Theo exclaimed.

"How was the camp?" Blaise pulled a face. "My mother always threatens to send me to one if I keep on 'misbehaving', as she puts it."

We shook our head. "It was alright actually. Lots of active activities – we learnt sword-fighting and had running and boat races, and had a climbing wall as well. Of course, we couldn't use magic, but other than that it was quite fun actually."

"And during the first week when we didn't hear head nor tails of you?" Draco asked with narrowed eyes. We winced. He was angry.

"Um…"

'What do we say?'

'Tell them the truth.'

'No, Percy, we're not supposed to tell them about us being Demigods remember!'

"Well…"

"I'd like to know what happened then as well."

We spun around to see James standing behind us.

"We were doing this survival course thing in the local woods." Percy said, thinking fast. "We had to build a shelter to live in for a week. They would provide food, but we had to cook it. As such, we didn't have time – or the resources to write."

"And you didn't tell us in your following letters?" Draco said, still looking miffed. We ducked our head. We should have known lies wouldn't work.

"Look, we're sorry, it's just…"

"James! Boys! It's Harry and Percy's birthday. It's rude to make the birthday boy cry! Hold off your accusations just a little while longer."

We looked up to see Lily looking down at us all in disappointment. "And Harry, Percy – you know you can tell them, right? You can trust your friends, can you not? I know that Slytherin's are called distrustful, but you are perhaps the most loyal house when it comes to your friends."

We nodded, blinking back the water in our eyes. Lily had sounded harsh, but her eyes were soft with worry. She blinked at us in a sort of understanding. One of her best friends at school had been Severus, and he a true Slytherin. She was right, we decided. And we should tell them sooner rather than later

We grabbed Theo and Blaise and beckoned to Draco with a small nod. "Come on. Let's go somewhere a bit quieter."

Percy led our friends towards the manor, and to our room. They gazed at the additions to our walls – we had added several more paintings during our restless night before heading over to camp. We'd painted our entire ceiling with the night sky, complete with constellations and planets.

"So. Are you going to tell us the real reason?" Blaise asked. His face was blank, but his eyes looked hurt. We pushed down the guilt.

"We are, it's just… we're not sure you'll believe us. I'm not even sure I really believe it…" Percy said.

We spend a good hour telling our tale. Starting with the Fury in the park, and then moving on to talk about Chiron and Grover visiting us, then about Clarisse and Annabeth and Luke before explaining our quest and our meeting of Leo. We finished with Luke's betrayal and the completion of our prophecy.

Draco seemed to catch on the easiest. "So… You're a demigod – a proper little half-blood after all."

Percy tilted our head. "Huh?"

"That's the origin of the term, you know. Mudbloods are decedents of Squibs re-blessed by Hecate, which is why they are often seen as weak. Some, the more powerful ones are her actual children with muggles, which is why they are half-bloods."

I nodded. "So we're not actually that rare? Chiron told us not to mention our heritage to anybody, however, so would you mind keeping this between us?"

"Of course!" Draco, Blaise and Theo looked insulted we'd even think otherwise. "Snakes honour."

We all chuckled at that. Snakes honour meant nothing if offered to a Lion, Raven or Badger, but to another Snake… if was a less official unbreakable vow.

Still grinning, we headed back to the party just in time for cake. Tomorrow all the Hogwarts letters would be sent out, and we'd have to go shopping. But for now… we just sat in the large marquee, listening to music and eating cake as Charles opened his enormous pile of presents. Percy and I had a small pile, as apart from our friends and family, only the Weasleys and Longbottoms had brought us a gift, but we didn't mind. All our presents were one's that we would truly care for, and that was what mattered.

Percy's Point of View

The next day we woke up really early at the break of dawn. We were wide awake, which I figured was due to being jet lagged. Stupid time difference! Yesterday's party had been brilliant. We had gotten of books, quills and sweets, along with several items of 'fashionable' clothing (from Draco, of course).

I persuaded Harry to use our early start as an excuse to go for a run round the field and forest, saying hello to the various wildlife we hadn't seen in months. The local centaur herd greeted us warmly, despite almost shooting us before they had realised who we were. The were-wolf pack was back, and happy to see us too. James, we was glad to hear, was still ignorant of them. The fairies flittered round our heads, and the nymphs giggled at us from the shadows.

By the time we had finished our morning jog and showered, the rest of our house was awake. James and Lily were cooking breakfast. They didn't often, as the house-elves preferred to do it, but it was one of the occasional mornings when they did.

Our Hogwarts letters came in the post. Our train ticket was inside, with instructions to catch the Hogwarts express as usual at 11 o'clock on the first of September. Also enclosed was our books list.

Second-year students will require:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

"What's it with Lockhart's books?" Charles questioned. "The new DADA teacher must be a fan."

Lily blushed slightly. "He's a great man, though isn't he?"

'A complete fake, more like.' Harry huffed.

'What do you mean?'

'You don't really think that a little pansy like Gilderoy Lockhart could actually succeed in doing the things he did in his books? They hardly have any real details in them. Beside, how we're going to learn from them is beyond me.'

Concentrating I thought back to when Harry had jokingly picked one up to read when we were ten. Recalling the drivel written in them made me scowl.

"I really hope the DADA teacher is more competent then the man himself!"

Two hours later, I was fuming as my words came back to haunt me. We were in Flourish and Blotts, watching Lockhart at his book signing. He had caught sight of Charles, pulling him forward for a picture. He whispered something to Charles before grinning as the camera flashed.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lockhart declared loudly. I frowned. What was he up to now? "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time! When Mr Potter here stepped inside to get a signed copy of my autobiography, he had no idea, that this year, he and his fellows will in fact be getting the real magical me! In September I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

I groaned, hitting our head in dismay. Despite Harry's mutual horror, I could feel a sense of amusement from him as well.

'Not one word. Not one single word.' I gritted out with a snarl. Harry burst out laughing as I scowled fiercely at him.

We escaped outside with Charles and our parents, to where we might find the rest of our school stuff. Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy were arguing, while Draco was watching with a look of bland amusement on his face. Ron and his younger sister, Ginny, were red in the face as they glared at the Malfoy's.

Malfoy senior had a disdainful sneer as his picked up a battered second hand book from Ginny's equally battered cauldron and said something. He dropped the book back in, and I noticed a black book fall out his sleeve into the cauldron with Ginny's text book. Nudging Lily, I asked if I could tag along with Draco for a bit. A little reluctantly, Lily agreed and we ran off.

"Draco!" We exclaimed, creeping up behind him. Much to our amusement, he jumped almost a foot into the air.

"Don't creep up on me like that!" Draco whisper shouted, as the Weasleys and Mr Malfoy turned to look at us.

"Sorry." We chuckled. "Lily said we could go round with you for a bit. What else do you need to get?"

Lucius Malfoy gave us a small smile. "Why don't you two run along? I have a couple of errands to run myself."

He handed Draco a money bag before letting us 'run along' as he put it.

"Thanks for interrupting." Draco flashed us a smile. "That feud with the Weasley's is kind of annoying."

"What is that all about anyway?" Harry inquired. "I would have thought feuds were beneath Malfoys."

"Nobody is above vengeance." Draco mumbled. "Just father won't tell me why we have the feud. That's what annoys me."

"Ah." We nodded.

We spend another hour collecting potion ingredients, robes and the like before declaring our shopping spree over for the day and waiting in Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour. A nice end to a good day.

And, although Harry and I missed camp, it was good to be home at last.