"How exactly do we...?" Percy asked.

Reyna shrugged.

"Let's just wait here and see how other people get on." Annabeth suggested.

"Or, I could just ask." Piper suggested.

"Excuse me, but how do we get on Platform 9 3/4?" she asked sweetly to a redheaded boy standing near them.

"Uh just run at the bricks." He replied in a dazed way.

"Head to the bricks? Jason, you go first!" Percy teased.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

The black-haired boy standing to the red-head's left frowned at Leo, then whispered something to the girl standing next to him.

"Well, might as well try it." Nico said.

Before anyone could stop him, he ran through the barrier and disappeared.

"Cool! I'm going next!" Leo said.

He vanished as well.

Pretty soon, they were all on the platform, followed by a group of wizards and witches.

Jason had been the last one.

They all settled into compartments and prepared for the trip.


Jason, Nico, and Percy sat by themselves in a compartment until the three kids from early entered.

"Sorry, everywhere else is full." The bushy-haired girl from earlier apologized.

"It's fine." Percy assured.

There was an awkward silence.

The black-haired boy sat in the middle, the bushy-haired girl on his left and the redhead to the right.

Nico sat closest to the window, Percy in the middle, and Jason on the other side.

"So...what are your names?" asked Hermione asked, trying to break the ice.

"Nico. Nico di Angelo."

"Perseus Jackson, but call me Percy."

"Jason Grace."

"I'm Hermione Granger and this-"

"Ron Weasley, and tha-"

"Harry Potter." the three wizards said, interrupting each other.

Ron frowned.

"Where are guys from? I've never seen you at school before, and your old enough to be fifth-years."

"I'm from Italy, but I've lived in America most of my life." answered Nico.

"I've lived in Manhattan, New York my whole life." stated Percy.

"I'm from California."

"Oh, you guys are all from America? I didn't know we would be getting exchange students this year." Hermione smiled.

Her smile soon faded, though.

"Ron! We're supposed to be in the prefect's carriage! Come on!" she hopped up, taking the redhead with her.

Then it was just Jason, Percy, Nico, and Harry.

Percy whispered something into Jason's ear that was meant to be funny, because Jason smiled.

Percy whispered something that sounded similar into Nico's ear (Percy was a loud whisperer, and it seemed to be a different language) while Nico just rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, Seaweed Head."

"It's Seaweed BRAIN, Death Breath." Percy corrected.

"At least you didn't call m-"

"Shut up, Sparky."

"Dang it."

The way these people acted, it was like they'd been through many things together and thought of themselves as a team and good friends, yet Harry was wondering- why those nicknames?

And what was that weird language?