"What?!" Percy yelled, bolting up from his chair.
"If you would just calm down Percy I'll explain." Chiron said while Annabeth tried to pull him back down.
"I will not calm down!" Percy pointed a finger at Chiron, "He is suggesting we go on another quest so soon after the giant war! No, the answer is no Chiron." With that he stormed off with the drinking glasses rattling in the ping pong table.
"I'll talk to him." Annabeth said getting up, "I'm sure he'll accept, it is only a scouting mission." with that she followed her boyfriend out of the big house.
~oOo~
She found him sitting at the bottom of the lake, chatting with a niad. She dropped her new dagger, a gift from Leo, into the lake. Percy glanced at it, then at her. He picked it up and the water carried him up onto the dock.
"You dropped this." he said, handing her the dagger.
"You're frowning seaweed brain," she turned his head toward her, "Hey, it's only a scouting mission." He looked her in the eye.
"There are always monsters." she smiled sadly, "Yes, there are. But would you rather fight them here, or on a quest?" he gave in, "Fine, but no more after this, after this we go to college in new rome and make a life together, okay wise girl." She smiled "Deal."
~oOo~
The pair made their way back to the big house and met Chiron, who explained the rest of the quest in detail. "You'll leave to the school in two days, you have till then to assemble your group. It will be the usual group of three since there is no big prophecy to tell us otherwise." Percy and Annabeth nodded.
"Okay, I think that's all, you can go pack your things and find your third quester."
They left the big house and headed to their cabins to pack. "Yo, Percy, Annabeth!" Leo yelled from Festus as he flew over the big house. They had started sending Leo out on Festus to pick up new campers when a sater reported finding one, it was less dangerous that way. They waved back as Leo disappeared over half blood hill. They parted ways to go to their separate cabins and pack.
Annabeth entered the near empty Athena cabin. There were a small group of her siblings reviewing a battle plan for capture the flag, which was taking place at the end of the week. She waved to them briefly and took out her backpack. She packed herself a couple sets of cloths and a collection of extra weapons, along with a water bottle of nectar and a few plastic baggies of ambrosia. She hesitated a moment before adding a pouch of drachmas for IM's. Then she took out the list Chiron had given her. Both her and percy had been given wands, which Hecate had blessed to produce magic, and separate duffle bags with their wizarding supplies. All they needed were uniforms, which they would get at diagon alley when they got to england.
Annabeth checked the list with the duffle bag to make sure she had everything, she did, then went through her personal bag. Her hand went to her throat, where her bead necklace rested, now with an orange and purple bead with the roman laurels under the greek pegasus in black painted onto its clay surface. She took it off and looked at it, running her fingers over all the beads and remembering each adventure. She put it back around her neck, resolving to bring it with her to the wizarding school. It wasn't like she was bringing Festus, a necklace would be easy to explain.
She met Percy outside his cabin. "Who do you want to bring?" he asked when he saw her. "I don't know, maybe Will? Having a doctor would be useful, considering we don't know how their wizard cures will mix with our godly blood." Percy considered this, then glanced behind her, where Will and Nico were talking on their way to the sword fighting area, "But do you want to take him away from Nico this soon? I mean the kid hardly smiles as is, I think that Nico needs Will more than we need him right now." Annabeth nodded, "How about Hazel, she's good with the mist, so if the wizards can see through it she can cover up anything suspicious, plus, she knows us, which means if we go running off she'll come up with a viable excuse." Percy nodded, "All we have to do is convince her to come with us."
In agreement, they made their way to the climbing wall, where Hazel was watching Frank make his way up the shaking stones. They came up next to her just as a fresh stream of lava started flowing down the rocks toward Frank.
"Hey Hazel." Percy said as Frank swung himself out of the lava's path and continued to climb. "Hey Percy" she responded, eyes glued to the climbing wall. "So Annabeth and I have a quest, and we were wondering in you would join us?" she glanced at him, "What's the quest- Frank on your left!" she shouted a warning at her boyfriend just as a boulder tumbled down at him. He dodged and shouted something back at her, probably a thank you, before continuing his climb, a little faster now.
"Well, it's just a scouting mission, minimal combat. We have to go to this wizarding school in, Scotland was it? And check up on the school, apparently Chiron's sorce died in a wizarding war that ended recently and he just wants us to check on the aftermath. We aren't allowed to tell anyone who we are, instead we're supposed to pose as witches and wizards and attend for our seventh year there." Hazel cheered as her boyfriend reached the top of the wall just before the two walls crashed together and turned to face them, "Ya, sure. It'll just be the three of us?" Annabeth nodded, both her and Percy were fidgeting from spending to much time in one place.
Frank started making his way down the wall using the same path he had used to get up and Hazel finally turned to them. "So wizards exist?" she asked, not even a little surprised. "Apparently." Percy said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "When do we leave?" Hazel asked, once again watching Frank's progress.
"Two days, we'll be riding pegasi, but I'm sure you'd prefer Arion." Annabeth said and Hazel nodded and shouted at Frank, who nearly put his hand on a stream of lava. "I'll pack, I'm sure there are some things I'll need for this wizarding school, textbooks and such."
"Ya, and uniforms, we'll get those in england, some place called Diagon ally." Hazel wrinkled her nose at the word 'uniforms' but nodded. "What's the name of the school?" Percy snickered and Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs, "Oh come on, it's ridiculous!" He protested and Annabeth rolled her eyes, "Hogwarts." She said and Hazel giggled, "Really, like, some wizard actually founded a school and named it Hogwarts." Hazel was laughing harder now, "Yep, and no one thought to change it." Percy said and they both bust out laughing. Annabeth tried to keep a straight face but joined them after a few seconds.
Percy finally composed himself and wiped the tears from his eyes, "So we leave in two days, apparently there's a celebrity of sorts repeating his seventh year because of the war. He was apparently the one to kill the evil wizard who lead the other side of the war, Voldemort I think, anyway Chiron thought that we should know about him and his friends, Ron, Hermione, and his girlfriend Ginny." Hazel nodded and stood, wiping away her tears as Annabeth did the same. They went over the specifics, finishing just as Frank made it to the bottom of the wall.
Hazel ran to her boyfriend and started to explain the quest to him While Percy and Annabeth made their way to the woods to test their luck with the monsters there.
~oOo~
Two days later the three of them stood on half blood hill with their packs and prepared to leave. Blackjack was there with another pegasus Percy had never seen before with a spotted coat like an appaloosa and dusty grey wings to match the spotts. Annabeth mounted the new pegasus and Percy got on Blackjack. Hazel said her last goodbyes to Frank and summoned Arion, who spouted out what percy supposed was supposed to be a greeting but was laced with so many words that he dared not repeat that he wondered just how friendly he was trying to be.
Hazel gave Frank a final peck on the lips and mounted Arion, her spatha strapped at her side. Chiron had objected to her bringing it but she had argued that they might encounter monsters on their way and she didn't want to be defenceless if that happened. Chiron had allowed her to keep it, but insisted she send it back with Arion when they got to safety. She had agreed, but Annabeth doubted she would comply.
Chiron stepped forward after the rest of the seven had said their goodbyes and addressed the questers, "It is on utmost importance that none of you reveal who, or rather what, you really are. Think of the wizards the way you think of mortals. They don't need to know and thus, shouldn't know. You will all be there under the guise of american transfer students from 'Chiron's academy and summer camp of magic and combat' or you can refer to it as 'Chiron academy'. The headmaster will be unaware of what you are, only that you do not come from that academy and that an old friend of the former headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had requested you go there for the year. Albus was my former source and was trusted by the new headmaster, professor Mcgonagall. If you must reveal your identities to her I give you permission to do so, but only if you must." he then said his goodbyes and sent the others back to camp.
The pegasi lifted into the air and took off, headed for England, while Arion sped off in the same direction. Annabeth laughed and spread her arms. Percy looked at her quizzically, "Just like old time's!" she said and whooped. Percy laughed leaned down, "Race ya!" he shouted to her, "You're on!" she said and the pegasi put on a burst of speed.
