Okay so here's a little something for you.

This was supposed to be some sort of RP self-para for an RPG I was a member of. Unfortunately, I had to leave said RP group and I had this thing lying around. I just finished it when I was supposed to be writing and finishing chapter 3 for Unclear Motives.

Disclaimer: None of the characters mentioned is mine. They would either be from Rick Riordan or from J.K. Rowling. The general plot wasn't mine either because it's based from the bio of the characters in the RPG. No copyright infringement intended.

Welcome to Hogwarts

...

Annabeth Chase had arrived with Luke Castellan in King's Cross Station at exactly 10:45AM. She reached inside the pockets of her huge button up shirt, one that was previously Luke's, and took out the small rectangular paper that was inside the letter she got from the owls. Her eyes scanned the page and read the familiar words of the ticket for what could have been the hundredth time already.

LONDON to HOGWARTS

For ONE WAY travel

…

PLATFORM 9 ¾

…

Hogwarts Express leaves King's Cross Station at 11 AM on the 1st of September

"You already have that memorized," Luke told her as he snatched the ticket from her hands. "Come on, we need to find the train before it leaves without us aboard."

Luke pulled a trolley and placed everything they had on it: two black suitcases, one with Annabeth's initials on it and the other had Luke's. He also placed Annabeth's owl cage along with everything else they bought from Diagon Alley. Annabeth began walking alongside Luke as he pushed through the station. He began looking at every platform's sign, waiting to see 9 ¾.

Annabeth had her eyes on the platform signs as well, but then she began frowning when the number traveled from 3 to 4, and then 5. They were all whole numbers, and there wasn't even a sign of a platform with ½ on it. She continued looking up while keeping a hand on Luke's sleeve. 6, 7, 8, 9… She counted in her head as they passed. 10. And they stopped. Annabeth could see Luke scrunching his brows in confusion. He took his own ticket from his pocket and read it again.

"Well it said 9 and ¾." He muttered. "Here's platform 9, and there's 10. No ¾. Maybe we should ask the guard or something. Keep an eye on our things?" Luke asked her before walking away to find a security personnel or anyone else that could help. Annabeth's eyes followed Luke for a while, but then something else caught her attention. When you're a demigod, you don't just focus on one thing far too long.

There was a group of people, some were her age, and the others were older. They seemed to be a family because they somewhat looked alike at some point. What caught her attention, apart from the fact that they were loud and many, was that they seemed to carry the same things she and Luke did. They had suitcases, but everyone in the station had that. No, it was the owl cage that gave them away, and she even thought that she saw a rat there somewhere, too. Annabeth continued to follow them, but they stopped on the platform between 9 and 10. Were they having the same trouble? Could they also not find platform 9 ¾? Annabeth wasn't even sure they were looking for the same place.

"All right, you go first." One of the taller guys said. The young boy he spoke to nodded and pushed his trolley away from the platform between 9 and 10. He positioned it straight toward the wall, as if he was going to want to charge it. And that was what he did. The boy started to run while pushing the trolley, and soon he was colliding with the wall. Annabeth let out a yelp when she was sure that the boy would crash and get hurt, only he disappeared. Her gray eyes blinked once, and then twice, before scanning the place for any sign of the boy. Only there was none. One by one, the group disappeared into the wall until there were only two left: the older guys.

"Better hurry," one said. "It's almost 11. The train will be leaving."

But Annabeth didn't get to see them disappear as well. Luke had come back from wherever it was he came from to seek help. "Hey," he said. "What got you so caught up?" He may have looked around to see but he saw nothing since the group had already gone through the wall. "Anyway, everyone I asked made me look like a fool. There is no platform 9 ¾. Stupid owls."

Annabeth walked off, leaving Luke with the cart. She stood in front of the wall the group had disappeared to. Luke followed her and said, "It's just a wall, Annabeth. Come on." But the girl didn't listen. She placed her hand against the wall and it passed through.

She looked back to look at her friend only to see him with wide eyes. "Come on," she said before disappearing into the wall completely.

For a while, darkness engulfed her. Light soon came, and then there was that loud sound of a train's engine. People were suddenly everywhere. The train was right in front of her, black and majestic looking. It had a steam engine, hence the smoke coming out. It read Hogwarts Express up front. Annabeth looked up to see the sign platform 9 ¾ hanging from the wall she went through. She smiled and walked on.

Annabeth followed the sea of students that was coming on board the train. She was almost at the door when a hand reached out for her. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Luke whisper-yelled. Luke, how could she forget about Luke? "Come and help me with the luggage for a while." And she only nodded.

When they were finally aboard the train with Luke leading the way, they began searching for their own room. Everywhere else seemed to be full save the one they found where a boy was looking out the window. They quietly entered and sat on the opposite side. As soon as they sat down, the train let out a loud sound and in a few more moments, they began leaving the station and moving out to head to Hogwarts. Family members outside began waving their goodbyes and the boy they were with waved at a woman, probably his mother, for as long as he could see her. When they were out of King's Cross, he sat quietly but fidgety before looking at the two of them.

"My name's Percy Jackson."

Luke was the one to answer. "Luke Castellan, and this is Annabeth."

Percy nodded before continuing, "Well, I'm going to catch some sleep. My mom and I caught a late flight from New York so I didn't get much rest." He smiled before leaning against the window, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and closing his sea green eyes.

For a while, Annabeth and Luke remained quiet while looking out the huge window the showed them a view of bare and plain fields, rivers, seas, and forest. It seemed to be a far away world from the modern one where they came from. It was as if they stepped into an older one. Soon, Annabeth's eyes began to feel heavy and she leaned against Luke, but just before she could completely fall asleep, Luke nudged her and whispered. "Hey, I'm going to get us some food. We haven't eaten since yesterday." He pushed her up gently and she stifled a yawn. Luke smiled apologetically at her before standing and silently leaving the cabin.

As soon as he went out, Annabeth leaned against the window to continue looking outside, but she soon got tired of seeing nothing but greenery. She averted her gaze to inside the cabin then. There was nothing. It was just her and the boy that remained asleep across from her since the train left the station. Since she had nothing to do, and because she was Annabeth Chase, she observed the boy with her eyes.

He had black hair, dark as midnight, to be exact. It also looked like he forgot to brush it since it pointed toward all directions. His complexion seemed fair with only the slightest bit of tan. He looked young, probably someone about her age. But then he seemed to be short. If they ever stood up, Annabeth figured she'd be taller by a few inches. He wore a blue shirt underneath the dark blue sweater he had with a faded pair of jeans and some converses. That was about it.

The boy shifted from his sleep and it startled Annabeth. He had been so still for a while that the sudden movement surprised her. It turned out he was waking up as well. He slowly opened his eyes to reveal the sea green color she remembered from earlier. His hands rubbed the sleep away before his eyes focused on her.

"Oh, we're still here…" he said.

But Annabeth only said one thing. "You drool when you sleep."

Percy immediately used his sweater's sleeves to wipe the liquid away from the corner of his mouth. Annabeth only watched him blush out of embarrassment.

"Sorry." He muttered. "Hey, where'd the other guy go?"

Without moving from her position, Annabeth answered, "He went out to look for food."

Percy suddenly snapped his fingers and his sea green eyes, the only thing Annabeth was so focused on right now, lit up. "That reminds me!" He stood up and reached up on top of his seat. Her eyes followed and she saw a backpack up there. Probably his. He placed it beside him and opened the front zipper. His hands dug inside until he found what he was looking for: a Ziploc full of blue cookies.

"My mom made these for me." He opened them and inhaled the scent that escaped the bag. Percy took one piece and bit on to it. His face said it all. After finishing the first cookie, he thrust the bag towards Annabeth and offered her some. She refused.

"It's fine. If you're worried about the color it's just dye." He explained and offered the bag to her again.

After her hesitation, Annabeth reached into the bag to grab a piece. She brought it to her lips while Percy watched her expectantly. As soon as her teeth bit into the sweet she could taste the amazing flavor. After chewing on the first bite, Annabeth smiled and said, "It's great." And Percy smiled.

When she had finished her cookie, Percy offered her another and she gladly took it. Before eating it though, she stared at it. "Why blue?" She asked. "Is it your favorite color?"

"Yeah!" Percy answered after he swallowed his third cookie. "But that's not the reason why it's blue. My stepdad, well, he told my mom that there's no such thing as blue food. Since then, my mom and I added blue food dye in everything we eat: pasta, cake, waffles, pie, even drinks. Pissed Gabe off all the time."

"Rebellious." She nodded and she ate the cookie.

The doors slid open to reveal Luke with two plastic bags in hand, one with sandwiches in them, the other with drinks. He looked at Annabeth and the cookie in her hand, then at Percy. "Oh, come on, Annabeth. You couldn't wait five minutes?" He kidded while claiming the seat next to her again. "Where'd you get that?"

"He gave me two." Annabeth told him while pointing at Percy. "It's good."

"Here," Percy offered one at Luke. He hesitated, just like Annabeth but he took one anyway. Luke placed the entire cookie in his mouth and chewed. After a while, he nodded. "It is pretty good."

"I'll let my mom know." Percy said with a satisfied and proud smile.

"Anyway," Luke turned to Annabeth while unwrapping the food he got. "Here's real food for now. I swear I heard your stomach earlier." He gave one sandwich to Annabeth and placed another one beside him. "Percy, right?" He asked. "I got an extra one. Originally, I would eat that as well, but… here you go." Luke reached the plastic at him.

"Oh, no, no. It's fine. I'm good." Percy refused, but Luke tossed the bag at him nonetheless.

"Annabeth and I could share mine, too." He removed a larger cup from the other plastic while he gave the smaller one to Percy.

"Uh, thanks?" Percy said.

"No problem." Luke said.

It wasn't later after they started their meal that a student in long gray robes knocked on their door. Luke unlocked it and let the guy in. He had announced that they would soon be arriving and that it would be best if they all changed into their uniforms. Luke said they would as soon as they finished eating. He thanked the guy and closed the door once more when he left. When they were done, Luke put the thrash away, telling Annabeth to go ahead and change while he cleaned up. She went out the cabin to find a place to change into her robes.

Twenty minutes later, Annabeth returned to their cabin to find Percy alone and changed into his own uniform. "Where's Luke?" she asked and Percy told her that he went out to change about five minutes ago. Annabeth nodded and sat back down to wait. Five more minutes later, the train began to slow down until it completely stopped. Annabeth looked out the window to see nothing but darkness. It had been nighttime already. Clearly it took them about six hours to leave London and reach Hogwarts. As soon as the brakes sounded, the sliding doors opened to reveal Luke in his robes. Annabeth looked him up and down, obviously not used on seeing him wearing something like that. Luke caught her and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. Deal with it though."

Annabeth simply shrugged.

"We better move. They're getting the students out the train." Luke said while he grabbed Annabeth's backpack and slung it over his shoulders. "Percy, you coming?"

"Yeah, sure." He grabbed his own bag and followed them out of the cabin and out of the train. They were lined up towards a boathouse where the students were asked to board. But Annabeth wasn't focused on that. Ahead of her, in the distance, a castle she only saw in movies stood. It stood tall and dark. Lights were coming out of the windows. Annabeth had Goosebumps. This was Hogwarts. This would be her home. She'd be living here now, with Luke and Percy, and the rest of the students. Without Thalia. Annabeth regretted thinking about her.

"Get in." Luke told her when it was their turn to board. She took a step inside the boat but the waves of the water weren't calm. She stumbled and almost fell but Percy who was already on the boat surprisingly got a quick hold on her. Annabeth felt her blood rush to her cheeks momentarily. She thanked him quietly before seating down and making space for Luke.

"Are you okay?" He asked her and she nodded. She kept her eyes on the castle while the boat moved by itself toward it.

Soon, light came into view and the boat made it's way toward it. Everyone got out of the vessel and walked on. Their suitcases were already by the foot of the stairs, but they passed by it and moved to climb. At the top, a line of students formed and a woman in dark robes stood up front waiting for everyone else.

When the rest of the students came, the woman raised her hand to ask for silence and everyone did. She began talking and explaining how everyone would be entering the school a few moments later. They would be escorted into the Great Hall where they will be sorted into different houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. After that, dinner would be served. Some of the students hooted at the news and the woman only smiled. She told everyone to keep in line before walking ahead and into the Great Hall.

Annabeth walked beside Luke, but her eyes were trained everywhere. The castle was amazing. It was obviously old, but that was to be expected. The bare walls were magnificently intact. Not a single sign of a fault anywhere. There weren't any cobwebs either, even the on the places where it would be impossible to reach. She figured cleaning must be down with magic here anyway.

The door to the Great Hall wasn't so far and they opened on their own accord. Annabeth and the rest of the new students were greeted with four long tables, each filled with every kind of food anyone could want. There were students seated, but the spaces up front weren't occupied. Those must be for them. A separate table was placed higher up ahead, and right in the middle was the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Different witches and wizards sat next to him.

The lady that led them in these halls stopped upon reaching the single wooden stool that was up front and center of the room. On top of it was a scroll and she took it in her hands. Without further waiting, she unrolled it and read on through her eyeglasses. A girl was called, and she nervously stepped forward, sat on the stool, and a pointy hat was placed on top of her brown hair. For a moment, nothing happened, but a collective gasps came from the new students as the hat spoke. Annabeth's eyes widened and she stiffened as she watched.

The hat had sung a song before it grew quiet before it yelled out loud and clear for the whole room to hear, "Hufflepuff!"

Three more people were called, two boys, one of which was placed in Ravenclaw and the other in Hufflepuff once more. Then there was a girl, before the lady had called for Luke Castellan.

Annabeth held her breath as she watched him walked forth carefully. He took a seat on the stool and the hat was on top of his head. It could have been Annabeth's imagination, but she thought that Luke muttered something and the hat produced a frown. It seemed to whisper back. Luke only closed his eyes. Annabeth had been too concentrated on the exchange that she was startled when the hat had placed him under Slytherin.

"Annabeth Chase?" Her name was called.

As she stepped forward, she looked towards Luke who was coming down to join the table at one end of the room. When she sat on the stool, she could see the old students greet him with smiles.

She didn't feel the hat placed on top of her head. Her eyes were kept on Luke's and he was looking back at her with unreadable expressions. Annabeth was scared. What if she was sorted into a different house? What if Luke was taken away from her, too?

"Such wisdom." She heard a voice say softly. "Truly a clever girl you are, Miss Chase."

But she had begun chanting in her mind. She begged to be placed with Luke, with the Slytherins.

Luke. He's my only family left. Please put me in Slytherin, too.

"The Fates forbid." The voice answered. "Slytherin is not the one for you."

Please. Please. Please.

"Ravenclaw!"

And Annabeth's heart was filled with sadness. Luke was in Slytherin, and she was in Ravenclaw. They were in different houses. She looked back his way when the hat was lifted from her head. He was smiling at her. Annabeth could only give a light smile as she made her way towards the table where she would be eating for the rest of the year.

The boy from earlier tapped her shoulder and offered a hand when he introduced himself. "Hey, I'm Malcolm."

"Annabeth," she answered lightheartedly.

"You seem sad." He observed. "Didn't you like to be placed here?"

"I wanted to be in Slytherin," she admitted.

He only nodded. "That boy over there," he pointed at Luke. "Your friend?"

"Family," she clarified. "The only one I have left."

Annabeth faintly heard the lady up front call up another name, Percy Jackson. She whipped her head to see the same boy from the train station walking forward and sitting on the stool. He grinned ear to ear as the hat decided where to place him and then there was the loud thunderous voice that placed him under the brave Gryffindors.

"You don't want to be away from him."

"No, I don't. But I am now." Annabeth sighed and ignored the rest of the sorting ceremony.

"I can be your brother," he offered. "We're housemates now. I'll be your brother."

Annabeth's gray eyes studied him. He seemed like a nice guy, and he had to be smart someway to be placed under Ravenclaw. She could tell that he was offering as a friend and she figured that if she was going to be away from Luke, then she might as well go ahead and make friends with people from her house.

"I'll think about it," she said and Malcolm nodded with a smile.

…

"Can't you do something about it?" She asked, almost desperately now.

Annabeth stood with Luke at the Headmaster's office. It was past bedtime and if someone had caught the two of them, they would have been expelled on their first day of school. Thankfully, no one noticed and they made their way here with no problem. Well, except for the staircase that led up here. It took them forever.

"I'm sorry, Miss Chase, but the Sorting Hat's word is final. You are in Ravenclaw and Mr. Castellan is in Slytherin."

"Yes, but…"

"Annabeth," Luke said. "It's okay."

She turned to him to see him so calm and collected. "Why do you seem so unaffected of this? Don't you want us to be in the same house?"

"I do, but like he said, the Hat's word is final. We'll still be in the same castle. I could still look after you."

"I'm not a kid, Luke." She snapped at him.

"I know. I'm just saying. Maybe we could make friends here now? We'll still see each other, Annabeth."

"Fine! If you're so keen on staying away from me, I will!"

And she bolted out from the Headmaster's office with tears streaming down her eyes. The echoing sound of her name reverberating the walls reached her ears but she didn't stop to look back.

She didn't need him anyway. She will be fine on her own.

FIN

Please Review!

It's not the best ending, but then again I hurriedly finished it after having it lying around. Thoughts?

Please check out my other stories. They're on my profile.

Thank you for reading and reviewing (if you did).

UPDATE: [05-12-2015] A few edits here and there... nothing major to affect plot. And a chapter 2 might be somewhere around the corner. :)

love,

Greek Wise Girl