Percy's POV

At the Three Broomsticks, we sat at a table for eight, since Draco was sitting with us.

"So," Draco said dully, biting into a Chocoball, "how do you like Hogwarts so far?"

"It's awesome!" I cried. "I can make water out of thin air without even using an ounce of my energy!" I pulled out my wand, "Aguamenti!" A shower of water splashed Draco in the face.

Draco swore and indignantly snorted water out of his nose while I apologized insincerely. 

Being my Wise Girl, Annabeth commented on the architecture at Hogwarts. "Oh, it's incredible. I can really see the influence of the Middle Ages. Magical architects have so much more potential to design fantastic structures, since physics won't need to be taken into account." She went on and on, until she realized nobody was listening except me, who'd already heard the speech a thousand times over.

"I'm a bit concerned," Jason said, "about the quest. It's like nothing is even happening. The prophecy says there's supposed to be some impossible task, but all we're doing is going to class and detention."

"The homework is impossible," Leo said, eating a Chocolate Frog. It looked really weird since it was wiggling in his hand.

Jason rolled his eyes, "It wouldn't be if you were awake in class. Draco, do you know anything about Voldemort somehow returning?"

Draco shrugged, "My mum and stepdad don't know anything about Voldemort coming back. And see," Draco cautiously looked around, then lifted his sleeve to show us the Dark Mark, "it's not getting clearer, if he's coming back, my Mark wouldn't look all faded like this. And he can't come back unless he still has a Horcrux that wasn't destroyed."

After Annabeth reminded us what a Horcrux was, I nodded and said, "We can just go with the flow. The prophecy's going to happen no matter what we do. I hope it's not too soon though," I said, trying a Treacle Tart, "this food is delicious."

"What do you think the impossible task is?" Annabeth asked worriedly.

Her mood spread around the table. I spotted a full bottle of Butterbeer on an empty table. Hm...was Butterbeer supposed to be that color?

"Can we not talk about something so depressing?" Leo interrupted my thoughts, a ring of chocolate surrounding his mouth. "At least not now? Jason, you should try this." Leo handed Jason a pink piece of candy.

Jason cautiously took it and put it in his mouth. He floated a few inches out of his chair, "Whoa!"

Leo grinned, "I knew I wasn't reading it wrong! Fizzing Whizzbees make you float! I'm going to try twenty at once—"

"No!" Piper shrieked. "You already threw up from eating all those Peppermint Toads! Twice! All over me!"

"How was I supposed to know it would feel like frogs were jumping around in my stomach?" Leo defended himself.

"You could have at least not done it on me!" she huffed.

"Come on, nobody saw right?"

"Oh no, not at all," she said sarcastically, "just a few dozen people. No biggie. And they also did not turn to look when you guys all began laughing like madmen."

"I wasn't laughing!" Jason protested.

"Then what were you doing after Leo threw up if it wasn't laughing?"

Jason didn't answer.

"He was having a seizure," Leo supplied. "Remember that mole on your foot? Maybe it's not benign."

"Um..."

"I suggest you don't eat that too fast," Draco said, as Leo pulled a green lollipop from his tool belt. "It's an Acid Pop. Would burn a hole right through your tongue if you suck too long."

Leo licked it carefully, "Mm, tastes good though."

Annabeth ordered some Butterbeer as I tried some Jelly Slugs, they were surprisingly good, despite the disgusting name.

Nico tried to feed an owl sitting on the next table a Jelly Slug, but it ruffled its feathers and hissed at him.

The lord of darkness recoiled, "Did it just..."

I patted his arm, "Don't anger it."

Leo was vibrating from all the sweets, Nico and Thalia's eyes were wild, and Annabeth was trying to keep me in my seat. Jason's teeth were chattering, but it might have been because of the Ice Mice.

Honeyduke's Best Chocolate really was the best. It made Leo start giggling and jumping uncontrollably.

Piper moved the pile of candy Leo had dumped out of his tool belt away from him, "I don't think you should eat anymore, Leo."

"Why not?" Leo asked, hands shaking with energy as he reached for his Butterbeer. He dropped the cup and it shattered on the table. Butterbeer spread across the entire table and drenched everyone's laps. Leo stared, "Whoops."

"That's why," Piper said while everyone took out their wands to clean up the mess. "That's the second time you got liquid on me, Valdez."

"Sorry," he said apologetically. "Cauldron Cake?" he offered, hands shaking as he picked one up.

"Um, no thanks. I feel sick just watching you guys."

Draco eyed me as I poured a packet of Glacial Snow Flakes into my mouth. "How do you fit all that in your stomach?"

"Stomachs," I corrected.

"I feel like I can run ten miles!" Leo announced, "I'm pumped!"

"Maybe we should go run around a bit," Annabeth suggested quickly, desperate to save them. "Most of you will go crazy if you have to sit down with all that sugar in you."

Thalia, Leo, and Nico jumped up so fast they knocked down the entire table.

Piper sighed and stared at her newly soaked jeans, "Third time Repair Boy."

Jason put the tables and the chairs back while the rest of us picked up the candies, cleaned up the Butterbeer, and fixed the cups.

Madam Rosmerta glared at us disapprovingly and shooed us out of the pub, her high heels suddenly sounding like knives.

Annabeth forced us to use some Toothflossing Stringmints once, saying we can't have our teeth rot, and that I'm not getting any kisses if my teeth turn black with cavities.

I ate them rapidly.

Outside, we passed Neville, who was chasing after his toad, Drew, who was trying to hit Wilby with her book bag but he was dodging every time, and Dawn, who was reading a textbook and crashing into trees. She dropped her shoulder bag at one point and picked it up again, not realizing a few candies had spilled out.

As Annabeth pointed out a Quidditch souvenir shop, Thalia smoothly scooped up the candy and unwrapped one, putting it in her mouth.

We went inside the souvenir shop called The Quidditch Counter. There were action figures that walked around, shimmering flags, moving posters, broomsticks, fireworks, and a ton of other things about Quidditch.

Draco pointed out to us the best players and teams, "That's the Bulgarian team. Their Seeker, Viktor Krum, is only twenty-two. One of the youngest players ever. We have Quidditch teams at Hogwarts too, did you know?"

"WE DO?!" Leo yelled. "I want to join! Where do I get a broomstick?"

Draco looked terrified at his enthusiasm, "Well...there are some brooms here, but they're mainly just for decoration. We can go to Spintwitches Sporting Needs later."

In the meantime, they split up and browsed the store.

Annabeth bought a pack of stickers for the logo of every Quidditch team in the world. Even teams from the United States League.

Leo bought three action figures, all Seekers. Aidan Lynch, Viktor Krum, and Gregory Cotton. Viktor walked around scowling at Leo, Gregory stomped his feet, and Aidan repeatedly fell on his face.

I bought a poster of the Irish Quidditch team, mostly because it was so cool how they could move.

We went out to check out the other stores. Annabeth wanted to go to Tomes and Scrolls, the bookshop, but of course none of us shared her opinion.

We agreed to go at the very end and first go to the Shrieking Shack.

Leo skipped ahead of us, singing "Let it Go" at the top of his lungs.

Nico, Thalia, Jason, and I joined in, while Piper and Annabeth muttered the lyrics under their breath.

At the chorus, Leo threw a fireball up in the air, which was totally not what Elsa did.

"Hey!" Annabeth hissed, looking around nervously, "Someone could see you!"

Leo frowned and extinguished the three fireballs he was juggling, "That was the best part!"

We continued to the Shrieking Shack.

"There's really nothing there," Draco said. "It's just a house. It's not haunted."

"I still want to see it," I said.

It was the oldest little house I've ever seen.

"See?" Draco said. "You can't even go in. You'd have to go under the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts. There's a secret passage there that leads to the Shrieking Shack. I mean, there used to be stuff there, but not anymore."

Before we could leave, someone yelled, "Hey! What are you lot doing here?"

It was Duncan, Kreto, and Isabell.

Cringe.

"Why are you admiring your own house?" Isabell asked, looking at the shack with distaste. "Were you homeless in America? Dumbledore loves letting in homeless people. This must be your Orphan Shack."

"You do realize that three of us are teachers, right?" Annabeth crossed her arms.

Their eyes moved to Draco. "What are you doing with these gits?" Duncan demanded.

Draco shrugged. Then he yawned.

"They can take points off!" Leo taunted. "And give you detention for a month!"

Duncan looked behind him, "I don't think Professor McGonagall would like that." The Head of Gryffindor was coming towards us.

Even though Minerva McGonagall was a daughter of Hecate, and had come to visit Camp Half-Blood once — though we had no idea she was a witch, she still treated us like we were any other student. She wasn't one to play favourites.

"And at Hogwarts," Isabell added, "you'd better watch your back. Especially you Flamehead." She glared daggers at Leo.