Chapter 2:- Earlier in the life of Joshua Grace.
Lord Zeus was sitting on his throne at the head of Mount Olympus, the seat of amazing power. In his right hand, he held his Master Bolt, the most powerful lightning bolt in the universe and in his left he held his head.
Zeus looked up at the colossal room and was annoyed by how few of the Gods had turned up even after receiving his message. He had not expected Hades to turn up, but then he was not invited. There was Hera who looked equally annoyed that the only other God to arrive was Poseidon, God of the Sea.
Ares and Dionysus were there too, but they were ready to leave any moment and Hephaestus had not bothered to show up at all. Zeus's anger was mounting higher and higher which could be heard in the rolling thunder outside, unusual in the middle of June for Americans.
"THIS is the unbeatable force of the Olympian Gods? In these years we have come so far apart that we fail to realise the threat which looms over our very existence!" Even as he said that, lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the city of Manhattan more than all their light combined could.
"Brother please, anger is not the answer. You must keep calm, send the message again, five of us are here, six more are to come, they will respond." Poseidon, though less powerful than Zeus, treated him always as an equal. His sea coloured eyes looked pleadingly into Zeus's dark grey ones and Zeus gave way.
"Only because you say so, otherwise the world would feel the full force of the Master Bolt tonight." Then Zeus stood up and walked out the great doors, into the open air of Mount Olympus. His voice drowned all other noise, even of the thunder which he caused. "GODS OF OLYMPUS! I have sent you a message to meet me at Mount Olympus; it angers me to see how few of you have reacted to it. For all those absent, if you value your existence and that of your loved ones, make yourself present this instant! Let a river of Ichor not stain the beauty of the Seat of the Gods."
"I had said to shout a message not a threat, brother. But look, already it is starting to take effect. Here comes Hermes now, and I think it is Apollo who follows." Indeed it was, the God of thieves and messengers floated down via his flying sandals. Following him appeared the God of poetry and healing in all his glory.
"Lord Zeus, could you please not send your messages to all the gods at once, to deliver those takes every ounce of energy I have." Hermes bowed to Zeus after almost every word. Apollo just started munching of a chunk of ambrosia which was beautifully presented on a table laden with food.
Soon all the Gods had arrived and were seated on their respective seats. Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hera, Hermes, Dionysus, Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus and Poseidon all looked up at Zeus.
Zeus looked uncharacteristically tense, the only expressions which suited him were anger and arrogance, Poseidon was quick to notice. "Brother, you seem worried, what is it? You can discuss it with us, we are your family."
"Family! Do you even know what that word means, Poseidon? We only meet one another twice in a year and you expect me to share my troubles with you? Nevertheless, we have a civilisation to protect, the centre of which I am, and I cannot afford to be tense."
All the Gods looked up at him as he finished speaking, most of them looking worried; if Zeus, King of the Gods was tense, the matter had to be big. Apollo looked towards the sky and was half tempted to make the sun rise earlier than usual, but he also realised that he would have to spend an eternity in The Abyss for doing so.
Poseidon wanted to speak again, but realised that at that particular moment Zeus was too angry to receive any words without anger, so he waited and allowed Zeus to initiate conversation. What he did do, however, was create a beautiful, black Pegasus out of thin air and sent it into the night sky, with a message unheard by any of the other Gods.
"Kronos is rising yet again from Tartarus, and I fear my brother helps him to do so. He gains more and more power; it is only a matter of time before he is awake again. We need demigods who will be able to stop him, and it has to be one of our sons or daughters. Poseidon's, Hades' or mine, a child of the eldest Gods. You have all heard the Oracle's prophecy?"
No one said anything for none of them had thought that hearing the prophecy would be necessary. Zeus was appalled, but he knew he would have much time to express his anger but right now he needed to alert everyone.
"Hestia" he called to the goddess of warmth and homes, who was sitting by the fireplace, "recite to us the prophecy, it is vital that we all know it."
With a bow to Zeus, she followed his command.
"A half–blood of the eldest Gods
Shall reach sixteen against all odds
And see the world in endless sleep
The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap
A single choice shall end his days
Olympus to preserve or raze"
"Well then, the prophecy is a mistake, The Oracle was wrong!" Apollo screamed out loud, startling everyone, and heating up the room intensely.
"The prophecy was made seventy years ago when these circumstances were perfectly possible. This prophecy is what led to our pact, the pact to never have children." Poseidon, of course, knew that he was guilty even as he said this. Zeus knew that he was also guilty of breaking the pact, but guilt isn't something associated with the King of Gods.
"Regardless, we must set up all defences. Poseidon, protect the seas, the Elementals have been after us for Aeons and they will take this as an opportunity to attack. Rest of you, protect your domains; get your children prepared for the fight that will inevitably come. I trust that all of you have Godly businesses to attend to, go on."
Poseidon stayed back for he realised that there was something else going on in Zeus's mind which he thought too grave to share with everyone else. He decided to try his luck. "What is bothering you brother, there is something much more serious than Kronos rising, isn't that so?"
"I fear so. Kronos rising, as dangerous as it is, can be controlled if all our efforts are combined. I fear that something else, much beyond our power, is happening."
"What is it brother?"
"I don't want to tell you Poseidon, I don't want to get you panicked unnecessarily. Leave now, I need to be alone."
"I know what you fear brother, and I can't let you fight this war alone. I will have to alert the other Olympians. I have been trying to prevent it, but my efforts have been worthless. My earthquakes have no effect; floods and rain seem to avoid their purpose. It will be tough, and we will need to stand together."
"You will not tell anyone! She is not our immediate threat, Kronos is. We need to focus all our powers at stopping him from rising. Kronos is someone there is any use in trying to stop; her awakening is uncontrollable."
Poseidon bowed to Zeus and disappeared in a wave of water, which in turn disappeared the moment he was gone, leaving Zeus and Hera alone.
"You really think that she doesn't pose a threat, don't you? Please tell me, Zeus, that what you said to Poseidon wasn't just consolation." Hera's voice and face were impassive, but Zeus knew that she was deeply frightened on the inside.
Zeus looked back at Hera, who was not only disappointed but also shocked to see worry in her husband's eyes. "She will awake, Hera, and when she does it will be the end of Olympus."
Meanwhile, six hundred floors down, somewhere in the middle of Manhattan, Sally Jackson screamed. "Is it a boy? Please tell me it's a boy. IT NEEDS TO BE A BOY!" amongst her screams of pain, it was amazing how she was able to debate on whether her baby was a boy or not.
Lying on a blue stretcher, with blue sheets and pillows, in a blue gown, Sally looked like a wave in the middle of the sea. She had already decided what to name her son, he very extraordinary son. She was confident that it would be a son, no reason at all; she just liked a son better than a daughter.
"Perseus" Sally whispered to a nurse who had just asked her what she would name her child. "I'll call him Perseus, like the son of Zeus."
"And what if it's a girl?"
"Shut up! It won't be a girl."
Then she screamed again, as she got rolled into the maternity ward. The walls of the ward, to Sally's dismay and anger, were white. This, the doctors, nurses and other patients soon realised was another opportunity for her to scream. "BLUE! I said I wanted the walls to be blue; I wanted everything to be blue! Why are the walls white?"
The doctor ignored everything she said, naturally, and continued to treat her. Half an hour later, she held Perseus Jackson in her arms and was smiling happily; this was one instance she loved in non–blue.
Sally called on to Poseidon, the father of Percy Jackson and told him that she had conceived his child. He was indeed very disappointed, but realised that this was an occasion of celebration for her and he tried to participate with a happy mood.
"What is wrong, dear? You aren't nearly as happy as I thought you would be. Tell me." Sally Jackson had the uncanny ability to look through everyone, even Gods of Olympus. What was more surprising was the fact that she could see the Gods themselves, through the Mist.
"We are not supposed to have children, you know that. I just fear what will happen when Zeus finds out; he could banish me from Olympus."
"Zeus can't do that to you, he would have to do that to himself then. Weren't you telling me that he had a son with the Grace woman some twenty years ago, and he recently had a daughter some six years ago as well, and then another son? That, now that I think of it, is just very weird."
"Don't even think that way, ever. Zeus is the King of Gods for a reason, he can hear everything anyone says about him, and he gets angry really quickly. Now, I have to go. Wish my son luck for his life, which probably won't be any longer than eighteen years."
And on dropping that bombshell, the God of the Sea disappeared in a spray of water and salt, which didn't wet Sally at all. She smiled, and then frowned, then got a quizzical look about her face and finally she broke something made of glass on her bedside table, causing all the doctors and nurses to look up at her in surprise.
Joshua Grace, however, was completely oblivious to all this as he was only half a month old, but twenty in essence. Joshua Grace was Zeus's son with Ms Grace, who was born twenty years earlier to Percy Jackson, yet would only grow to be eleven when Percy Jackson turned seventeen.
Zeus had realised the grave error he had committed, and had sought to right his mistake. On conceiving the child of the most powerful Olympian God, Ms Grace had been in a very weak state, weak enough that Zeus was able to convince her of the fact that she had not conceived any child at all.
What he had done was give the child to a Fury, not, however, for murder but for safekeeping until he could think of what to do with him. It took him two weeks to finally understand what to do with his son; he would follow in the footsteps of Hades.
Hades had hidden his children, Nico and Bianca di Angelo in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, a place where you didn't grow up at all. That's what he would do with his son, Joshua Grace; he would keep him in the Lotus Hotel where he would remain forever at the age of two weeks. No one could raise any objection.
'I will need someone to take care of him' thought Zeus. A million names flashed across his mind, but one kept repeating. That one particular person was easily the best person, but he would be very reluctant to take up the offer, no matter how many Drachmae he offered him. Chiron.
The centaur was the most reliable person he knew, but he was also the most devotional teacher ever, he would never leave the joy of teaching for taking care of a demigod, but Zeus had to try.
"Chiron" Zeus whispered to the wind, and the wind spirits following his command transferred his message to the centaur, which appeared in front of him within moments.
"Lord Zeus, you called?" asked Chiron, bowing down to give Zeus the utmost respect.
Zeus, of course, gave no respect in turn. "I need you to take care of my new born son, I plan to leave him in the Lotus Hotel and I will need you to take care of him there. I will offer you anything you want in return, anything at all, a seat with the Olympian Gods, you could have your own domain.
"No." Chiron was always a straightforward person, he didn't like to dwell about the point, and this was one such point. "With all due respect, Lord Zeus, I consider the fact that you would trust me with such a job prestigious but I have students who I love, and nothing you could give me would replace that."
Again Zeus's anger caused the sky to rumble, and yet again the ground shook, ready to split. All that Chiron was waiting for now was for lava to spew out from somewhere in the middle of the street. The Big Three went in a kind of chain reaction: Zeus got angry and started to make thunder and clouds roll across the sky, causing Poseidon to get angry that the sudden storm would disturb his domain, so he caused an earthquake. With every earthquake, more souls tried to break free from the Underworld, causing Hades to get angry. Hades being the God of everything underground, spewed lava whenever he got mad.
"I hope, Chiron that you realise the gravity of what you have just said. You haven't only turned down a seat on Olympus but also Lord Zeus. Pray to all your Gods that I forgive you for this!"
"By all means Lord Zeus, kill me now if you desire, but I cannot fulfil your desire. However, I do know someone who can, but the choice is all but acceptable." and he duly bowed down before Zeus, not a trace of fear in his manner, just respect.
"Who is it? I demand of you!"
"Bianca di Angelo."
"You dare suggest that a daughter of Hades take care of a son of Zeus, do you not value your life, Chiron?"
"I had said before, Lord Zeus, that the choice is indeed all but acceptable."
Then, for the first time since cutting Kronos up into pieces, Zeus threw his Master Bolt down, causing the entire sky to light up brightly. He looked at Chiron with eyes mirroring the clouds in the event of a thunderstorm and at last Chiron felt afraid. Chiron backed away from Zeus, nearly tripping over his own four feet but bowing continuously.
"If that is what must happen, then it shall be so. Chiron, you will not mention this to anyone, it will be your last day, and that of your beloved students when I hear you mentioning this to anyone."
Chiron bowed even lower and Zeus disappeared behind a large cloud, leaving him alone in the middle of the street. He raced back to Camp Half – Blood and tried to forget the awful experience he had just had.
Thousands of miles away near Las Vegas, Zeus appeared out of thin air in his human form at the gates of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. He charged in and marched to the main reception. The receptionist recognised him instantly and she directed him to a room off the side of the lobby. Even though Zeus wasn't in his God form, she had trouble looking at him.
"Master Zeus, how can the Lotus be of assistance to you?"
"Bring me Hades' daughter, Bianca di Angelo, and not a word to anyone about what will happen."
The receptionist was frozen in place for a few moments. It had been Hades' greatest demand that no one, especially Zeus, find out about his children, and clearly she had failed him. She feared to think what Zeus wanted with the little girl and why he didn't ask for the brother.
Perhaps he didn't know of the brother, perhaps he wished to separate them or, against all odds, he would kill them one by one. Whatever the reason, the receptionist decided that she wouldn't give in just yet.
"I have no idea of what you are talking about, Master Zeus; I can assure you that no child of Hades had made his way to this hotel." She knew that it was a hollow lie and Zeus could be able to see through it instantly. She also realised that she was lying to a God, and one who would not think twice before zapping her into thin air.
"Bring her to me."
Alice, the receptionist, just felt lucky that Zeus had decided to let her live that she left the room without another word. Moments later she was back with a small, scared looking girl behind her.
"Bianca, I need you to take care of my son for me. He should be safe at all times."
"But I have only been here five minutes, how am I supposed to take care of someone?"
Zeus was familiar with the magic of the hotel: it caused one to believe that one had only been there for hours when they had really been there for days or even years. He also knew that Bianca would be too immature at the early age, but he also knew that he needed a person of magical blood to take care of his son.
However, he was Zeus, King of the Gods, Lord of the Sky, God of Power, he did not have time to explain the concept to a child, and he had other things to attend to and considerably more important ones. He turned to Alice and looked at her with a meaningful gaze, thereby explaining to her what exactly he desired. His last words acted like a cue for a huge mist to cover him completely, making him disappear yet again.
Twenty six years later Zeus visited the Lotus Hotel yet again but this time, he didn't call on anyone. He walked up to the only room on the top floor of the hotel, pulled his son out of the arms of a rather shocked Bianca and jumped out the window. He landed elegantly on the doorstep of an Italian family and transformed into his human form yet again.
Zeus had known the family for quite some time and he knew that they were reliable. Their ancestors had been responsible for the protection of many demigods after they had been snatched away by a huge wolverine. Zeus trusted them for another reason; they were wizards. They knew of the existence of magic and though they couldn't channel the powers of Joshua, they could give him some training. Hence, Zeus knocked on their door and waited patiently for someone to open the door.
Mr Antonio Russo opened the door and at the sight of Zeus gave a small smile. He didn't invite Zeus inside as he knew the God wouldn't have enough time.
"This is my son, Antonio; I want you to take great care of him. I wanted to take him out only when Bianca left but I feared that any longer in that cursed place and both he and I would go mad with agony. You longed for a son, Tony, you have one now."
For eleven years to come, Joshua Grace would grow up with Antonio and Maria Russo, growing up to be something more than just a wizard. His identity would be kept secret even from him.
Eleven years later he would board the Hogwarts Express and would indulge with fellow wizards for the first time ever.
"Joshua, would you check the post please, I think there's something special about it today." Joshua's adoptive mother, Maria Russo, was a tall woman, with long black hair and by contrast a beautifully white face. She also happened to be an excellent cook and a very kind and loving woman.
The Russo family had already told Joshua that he was a wizard and also all about a special school called "Hogwarts", though why one would name something hog and warts was completely beyond him. He knew of Hogwarts' history, both ancient and modern. Amongst all the events and people related to Hogwarts' history, he felt particularly fond of two people he knew he ought not to be fond of; Salazar Slytherin and Tom Riddle, alias Lord Voldemort.
Joshua had confessed his feeling to his parents, but whereas his mother had just discarded it as child's fantasy, his father had looked slightly uncomfortable, as though there was a deeper reason. But Joshua also knew that the famous Harry Potter was still alive, and that he would definitely want to meet him, not because he was fascinated by him, in fact he thought that the only reason Harry survived was due to his luck and friends, but because he wanted to see if such a person could be normal.
The Russo's dog, who Joshua had very well called Dudley, was barking loudly at the mail flap, which was still shaking due to the heavy post being shoved down it. Being a Sunday there should have been no post at all, but Joshua knew the workings of the wizard world: owls didn't know Sunday was off after all. Since the letters were from the wizard world they had to be for Joshua, and were most probably from Hogwarts. No wonder his mother had asked him to get the post.
To Joshua slight surprise and utter disappointment, the letters were from his Aunt Theresa, who was very much a Muggle and lived in Paris, not Hogwarts. He slowly brought the letters in and dumped them heavily onto the table feeling more than ever anxious for his acceptance letter. He was about to retire to his room when suddenly the flap flapped again and Dudley started barking even louder: two posts on a Sunday, outrageous!
In the hallway, near the door lay three heavy envelopes made of yellowish parchment with coats of arms on them. Joshua picked them up, his smile widening with each step he took to the letters and each step he took back to the living room. He sat down on the edge of the chair and called out Mum in a feeble voice, not caring enough in his excitement to look back to see whether or not she had reappeared.
Joshua tore open the first and thickest envelope and out fell two pieces of yellow parchment, each bearing the Hogwarts coat of arms. One was a list of books and items which each first year would have to purchase and the other was the much awaited acceptance letter. He prayed to all his stars and thanked the very fact that he had come to this family then he looked at the paper.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY
(Order of Merlin, Third Class, Deputy Head, Order of the Phoenix,
Curse Breaker, Head Boy, Restorer, International Statue of Secrecy.)
Dear Mr Grace,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours Sincerely,
Neville Longbottom
Neville Longbottom
Deputy Headmaster
Joshua read and re-read the acceptance letter, unable to believe what he was seeing. He was very excited that he has certainly gotten himself at Hogwarts, but they had gotten his surname wrong! He was Joshua Russo, not Grace; as it turned out, even professionals could make drastic mistakes.
What shocked him more, however, was that Bill Weasley had managed to find himself headmaster, how outrageous! Surely there was someone who was more worthy of the post than him.
Putting all that aside, Joshua turned to the second paper, the requirements list.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require
Three sets of plain work robes (black)
One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
Book of Spells for New Wizards
By Hermione Granger
The real History of Magic
By Cuthbert Binns
Theories of Magic
By Hermione Granger
Herbology for Beginners
By Neville Longbottom
Transformations and where they start
By Hermione Granger
All about Brewing and Standard Potions
By Horace Slughorn
Creatures around Us
By Luna Lovegood
Training in self defence
By Harry Potter
Flying and how to do it right
By Harry Potter
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass of crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
1 broomstick (standard Nimbus 2000)
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl, OR a cat, OR a toad.
Joshua knew all these people! He knew them by name at least, and that was enough to get him overjoyed. Now that Joshua had read his acceptance letter and his requirements list, he almost didn't care about the other ones. But he was a curious little boy; he tore open the second heaviest envelope. It was a letter to him, by a Minerva McGonagall.
Dear Joshua Grace,
I am sure that the thought which most persists in your mind as you read this letter is that of being called Grace as opposed to the Russo that you are used to. I must therefore duly inform you that this is one of the many surprises you will receive as you carry on reading this letter.
If you have yet not read your acceptance letter and haven't been informed so by your parents, you should know that you are a wizard. You are one of the most special people that will walk through the Hogwarts doors. I must now reveal to you your true identity.
You are the son of a Muggle woman and, unbelievably, Lord Zeus himself. You are what the Greeks would call a demigod. I have only ever come across one such person and I must warn you that your life is going to be full of danger. Your father has taken a special interest in you, something which he hasn't done since the time of his favourite son, Hercules.
A question you may have unanswered is whether you are a wizard or a demigod. When you were just a baby and delivered to the Russo's, I watched over you. I watched over you much as I had the Potters' boy.
I made sure that you had a better fate than other demigods because I had heard a prophecy of which you were the subject. I knew you were destined for greatness and I wanted to make sure that you achieved it. In doing so, I imitated a man named Albus Dumbledore.
When I saw you for the very first time, you seemed to me a reflection of Harry Potter, just without the famous scar. I did for you what I had to ask Albus to do for Harry, I tied you to the Russo family; I made you a wizard.
Had Zeus any spare time, and were he more powerful than me, he would have blasted me to bits for telling you the truth which I just have. However, as a favour to your family you have treated you as one of their own, resume your life normally. I wish for you to know what you are, but I do not want that to affect your life in any way whatsoever.
Thank you, good luck, and welcome to Hogwarts.
Minerva McGonagall.
Joshua was shocked. More shocked than he had ever been in his life. More shocked than when he almost blew up his first grade teacher, more shocked than when he played with a cloud for the first time, more shocked even than when he flew for the first time ever.
'I am a demigod, my father is Zeus, I am going to a school full of magic people and my parents aren't my parents.' Joshua thought a lot about what he had just found out, and realised that he didn't have the nerve to open the third envelope just yet.
"Mum, I want baked beans and bacon for breakfast".