Hey guys! I'm sorry that I haven't updated yet, I didn't have my laptop (and so my fanfics) for TWO WHOLE DAYS! I, needless to say, died from lack of a place to safely write and save my fanfics, but from now on, meaning from the next chapter onwards, I am going to update only on Sundays, and maybe Saturdays.
Anyway, here's the next chapter for you all! The demigods meet Malfoy (don't kill me for what I did to him), befriend our Gryffindor gang and get sorted here. It's really long, so I hope this makes up for the wait! And I might have said this already, but this is set after TLO, TLH hasn't happened yet but it will, and in the sixth HP book. And because I feel like it, Nico and everyone are the same age (16), and Snape is still teaching Potions while Slughorn is teaching DADA. Have fun reading!
Disclaimer: If I were Rick Riordan, I would not have killed Bianca, Ethan, Silena, Beckendorf or Luke etc. etc. If I were J. K. Rowling, I would not have killed Sirius, Dumbledore, Dobby, Lupin, Tonks, George… the list goes on. You happy now?
PS: Review replies the bottom! I heart you guys!
Nico's POV
I woke up to a wave of cold water and a grinning Percy towering over me. "Get up, Death Boy!" He literally screamed. I just kept staring at him, wondering if this was one of my crazy dreams again… until another wave of icy-cold water splashed over me.
"We're late, sleepyhead! Get up!" He said, grinning wildly. "Why have I never tried to wake you up this way before…?"
"…"
"Oh, jeez, Nico, get up already," he said, climbing off of me (NOT what you think, perverts!) after drying me off (again, NOT what you think!). I groaned and sat up. Being woken up by an icy cold shower by an obviously hyped-up Percy did not make my 'Top 10 things to do' list. But Percy's usually the last one up, which means…
Oh. My. Fucking. Styx.
We're seriously late!
I got into action and was ready in a record total of ten minutes, counting the fastest shower I've ever had. I rushed out the room into the girls' room only to see Annabeth and Thalia sprawled out on the bed in a mess of limbs and bodies. They were both wearing a camisole and boy shorts that barely covered them. I blushed, hard. Thalia looked so sexy like that. Jeez! I feel like a pervert. I slammed the door and rushed out and realized…
WTF? They're not even up yet! It was only then that I thought of checking the time…
"PERSEUS JACKSON, YOU WOKE ME UP AT SIX O' CLOCK N THE MORNING?" I screamed, probably waking up half the people here.
Percy stuck his head out the door, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I'm just kind of excited…" I sighed. Percy had probably had a midnight snack of some candy. And by the way…
Demigods [Percy] + sugar [candy] = BADBADBAD
"At least I can get some sleep for a while," I groused and flopped on the bed after undressing. Knowing Percy, he'll probably wake me up after an hour or so.
Exactly Two Hours, Forty-Two Minutes And Thirty-Five Seconds Later...
"Wake up, Death Boy! We're gonna be late!" Annabeth screamed in my ear. I groaned and rolled over. Wait a minute… Annabeth?
I yelped as a wave of ice cold water splashed over me (for the third time today) and sat bolt upright. I checked the time. SHIT man, we're late for real! I got ready a bit faster this time courtesy of Annabeth yelling at me (you do NOT want to see that girl angry). I pulled on a black t-shirt which had a grim reaper on it {one of my favorites, it looks just like Charon}, black ripped jeans, my signature aviator jacket and my personalized converse with skulls on them. My skull rings and knives were in place, like always. I was about to leave when Annabeth shouted at me, "Your wand!"
I winced. Did she really have to shout? I went back, grabbed my wand box and dashed downstairs to grab some breakfast. Everyone (meaning Percy, Thalia and Hagrid) was there and they were almost done. Percy was wearing a blue hoodie over a sea green t-shirt with a trident on it, along with khaki shorts that went to his knees, and Adidas sneakers. Annabeth was wearing a grey owl sweatshirt, denim shorts, owl earrings and light brown uggs. But Thalia looked stunning. She was wearing a black 'Death to Barbie' t-shirt that had Barbie's head with an arrow through it, a hot pink skirt, tights that were ripped in many places, guitar earrings, eye shadow that gave her the smoky eyes look and her signature black eyeliner. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Percy coughed rather loudly and I glared at him and Annabeth, both of whom were smiling at me too innocently.
"We best get a move on," Hagrid rumbled. "Don' wan' you ter be late." I barely had time to grab a sandwich before Annabeth dragged me off with everyone else. Come on, a growing boy needs his food!
We took the subway again to this place that was a railway station; it was bustling with people. I was glad for the charms or whatever the Hecate cabin had performed on our suitcases to make them lighter. They were big and inconvenient as it was, they didn't need to be heavy too.
I tried to make out the letters on the sign, but the fancy Old English print was too much for me. I gave up and asked Hagrid, "What does the sign say? Where are we?"
He looked at me funny, but answered my questions. "We're at King's Cross Station, kid," he said gruffly. "You have a good twenty minutes, but you'd best hurry up if yer don' wan' ter be late. Here're yer tickets, just head through the wall ter reach the station. Have a nice time and watch out fer them Slytherins," he smiled at us and was gone.
Annabeth's POV
His directions confused me. Walk through a wall? Yeah right, if you want a Texas-sized knot on your head. Then I saw the three people we had seen earlier in Diagon Alley. There were three or four other redheaded people with them, whom I assumed were their family. They must know how to get on the train. I ran after them, gesturing to the other three to follow us.
"Hey! Harry, Ron, Hermione!" I called out, mentally congratulating myself for remembering their names. They turned around, wary at first but relaxed when they saw it was just us.
"Hey," I said, catching up to them, "Do you know how to get onto…" I quickly checked my ticket. The numbers swan around for a minute, but I was able to distinguish them, "Platform 9 ¾? Because Hagrid didn't really tell us how to…"
"Oh, no problem… Annabeth, wasn't it?" Hermione spoke up. I smiled at her; the two boys were just gaping at us as if we fell from the sky. I resisted rolling my eyes. Boys are the same everywhere.
"We'll show you how to get through the barrier," she continued helpfully. "You just walk through it, though it's better to go at a run if you're nervous, but not too fast, the muggles shouldn't suspect a thing."
"Don't you mean mortals?" Percy asked. I rolled my eyes. He's such a Seaweed Brain.
"What are mortals?" The red haired guy (Ron, I think) spoke up. I quickly thought of a reply.
"They're what we call muggles in America," I explained and glared at Percy, who grinned sheepishly.
"Here, Ron would be more than happy to demonstrate," Hermione said, glaring at him. Ron sighed and started walking to the wall. I expected him to crash, but he just went clean through. I gasped in surprise. Is that how we're going to get there? Apparently yes, because everyone else was looking amused at my reaction.
"I'll go first," I offered. "And the rest of you better come quickly because we're late!" I glared at Thalia and Nico, who were having a staring contest, though it looked more like goo-goo eyes to me. I smirked and took Percy's hand. "You're coming with me, Seaweed Brain," I smirked. "Let's leave the punk and emo lovebirds alone for a while," I said loud enough for them to hear. They blushed and moved away from each other. I coughed to cover up my laugh and pulled Percy toward the wall.
"Annabeth, are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked nervously and gulped when he saw my expression. Never, and I mean never, ask an Athena kid whether something's a good idea or not. It's like asking them whether they are smart or not. Basically, it's an insult. But I let it slide for now. Plenty of time to punish Percy later.
We headed through the wall, expecting a collision, only to go through it and arrive on a bustling platform. I was glad of that, because I didn't want anything to happen to Harper, my owl. Moments later, Thalia and Nico appeared with the others behind them. There weren't many people on the station, but the train-a huge, red and black, traditional train-was waiting. I quickly clambered aboard, dragging an awestruck Percy behind me. I frantically waved to Thalia and Nico to climb aboard, which they did just as the train started moving. I breathed a sigh of relief and started hunting for an empty compartment.
[AN: The train trip here is not the same as the one in the book. It's a lot weirder and has a totally unexpected twist!]
After a while, we came across an empty one (or at least one that had room for us). There was one girl and a boy I recognized as Harry Potter inside. Harry looked thoughtful while the girl was reading a magazine upside-down. I opened the door and asked, "Can we sit here?" The girl put down her magazine, smiled and nodded. It was then that I recognized the blonde hair, large, grey eyes, strange earrings and necklace and absentminded expression. [AN: Are Ron and Hermione still Prefects after the fifth year?]
"Luna!" I exclaimed, surprised. There was a chorus of "Hey, Loony" and "Yo, Luna" and "Hello, Luna" from Percy, Nico and Thalia. Luna's a daughter of Iris and one of my best friends other than Thalia, Grover and others. I had had no idea that she was a witch. Her smile became a lot happier and more genuine as she hugged me. "I had no idea that you guys were coming here, Annabeth," she said joyfully. "I hope you're in Ravenclaw!"
"I hope we're all in the same house," I said honestly. I didn't want us four to be separated. That would make our task much more difficult. It was then that I realized that I should probably greet Harry. "Hello, Harry," I said cheerfully. I wonder how many other half-bloods are there in Hogwarts.
Harry looked surprised to see that I remembered his name. "Hey, Annabeth," he said. I noticed that he looked a little upset, but it wasn't my place to ask. "So, what year are you in?" I asked, trying to make small talk. "Sixth year," he said. "Hey, isn't that our year, Annabeth?" Thalia asked, finally looking away from Nico. I smirked.
"Done staring at Death Boy, are you, Thals?" I asked innocently and laughed as she blushed a deep red. Thalia must really be in love with him if she blushes at comments like these. "Yeah, it is," I said, turning to observe the others. Percy was pretty much asleep (his Achilles heel tires him out easily), Thalia and Nico were thumb-wrestling and subtly flirting with each other too, Harry was staring out the window, Luna was reading her magazine, which left me. I pulled out my architectural designs for Olmypus and was just working on a temple for Aphrodite (maybe then she'd leave me alone) when the compartment door slammed open. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Harry tense and grab his wand.
Without looking up I said, "This one's full, sorry."
The person tut-tutted. "Is this how you greet everybody, Annabeth? I thought Mother taught you to be polite." I looked up in surprise. That sarcastic wit and smug tone could only belong to…
"Draco!" I cried out joyfully as I hugged him. He laughed and hugged me back. "Nice to see you too, Annabeth," he said. Draco was a son of Athena as well; he was also a legacy of Hades. He was a summer camper, but he and I were pretty close. However, I hadn't seen him in almost three years, since the time I had been kidnapped by Luke and had to hold up the sky. I sighed sadly, thinking of Zoe Nightshade and her incredible bravery. A cough from Draco startled me out of my reverie. I introduced Draco to Thalia and Nico, I don't think they've met. Nico stared at Draco for a bit before announcing, "Lucius should watch his back. Our friend downstairs," he said cautiously, hoping we got the point, "isn't very pleased with his activities."
Draco nodded angrily. "I've tried to tell him countless times, but all the power has just gone to his head. He's being an ass these days," he said, his silver eyes darkening. Harry was just looking at all of us, dumbstruck. "No one's supposed to know that the four of us are demigods, so keep quiet," I whispered in Draco's ear. He nodded, understanding that we're probably on a top-secret quest, which we are.
"Hey, Fish Face, look who it is," I poked Percy and he jumped up, half-awake, ballpoint pen in hand, screaming, "Show yourself!" Thalia zapped him and he looked around, disoriented. Luna giggled and poor Harry looked confused. I sighed. "Thalia, do the honors," I said. "We can't have him finding out now, can we?" Thalia snapped her fingers and Harry's eyes glazed over. "I slapped Percy, and he jumped up surprised," she said. Harry nodded absentmindedly and then came out of his stupor.
"What's going on?" Percy said curiously, then noticed Draco and said, "Hey Drakie, where were you? We haven't seen you for like, years! Annie here," he said, earning a smack from me, "thought you were dead."
"Oh, I had stuff to do, places to go, you'll have to fill me in," he said carelessly. "Oh, hey Luna, didn't see you there," he greeted Luna, who nodded back. He turned to Harry with a smirk. "Cat got your tongue, Potty?" He smirked at Harry, who furrowed his eyebrows and looked away. I smacked Draco and hissed in his ear, "What the Hades, Draco? You're acting like a jerk!"
His eyes looked pained. "I know I am," he whispered back, "I just wish I could say that the wizarding world's knight in shining armor was a saint. He hates me because of my father and because I'm a Slytherin. I've been a jerk to him for five years, I can't exactly stop now!"
"You can and you will!" I growled. "We aren't mean to anyone without a reason!" I turned to Harry, who looked bewildered. "Sorry about that, Draco's usually not so rude," I said apologetically. Harry looked at me as if I had grown a third eye.
"Are you sure you're talking about the same person, Annabeth? I think you're undergoing an identity crisis!" He said sarcastically. I couldn't help it, I saw red. I marched up to Harry and nearly shouted at him, "Maybe you'd know what Draco is really like if you gave him a chance!"
"Sh, Annabeth," Percy came up to me and put an arm around my waist. I calmed instantly and relaxed into his embrace. Percy just has this effect on me that I can't begin to explain. He has some sort of power over me that no one else has.
"Harry, I don't know what's up with you and Draco," he gestured to the blonde who was leaning against the compartment door, seemingly unperturbed (but his eyes gave it all away), "but not all people are as bad as you think. Either they're better, or they're worse." His face darkened; I knew he was thinking about Luke, and how he turned out to be good in the end. I hugged him tight and his face lightened.
"But you're not going to know until you give them a chance, until you trust them, until you take a leap of faith that everything's gonna turn out all right," he said softly. Everyone stared at him until Nico broke the silence.
"Perce, did you just say something cool, sensible, philosophical and totally cheesy?" He asked sarcastically. Thalia giggled, actually giggled. I raised an eyebrow at her and silently said, 'Who are you and what have you done with Thalia Grace?'
'It's called falling in love, dear Annabeth,' she mouthed back. 'You should know, you're all gaga over Percy here.' I blushed slightly and looked away. Nico smirked at us as if he saw and understood everything, but I saw a curious and hurt look in his eyes. Percy just looked plain confused.
Luna, of all people, burst out laughing and looked at us. "You guys are better than any old television sitcom, coz you're so unpredictable!" I looked at her strangely. That girl wasn't right in the head.
Harry's POV
What was wrong with this Annabeth girl? She's sticking up for Draco freaking Malfoy! And here I thought that she was nice! I thought that about all four of these exchange students actually, but anyone who's friends with Malfoy can't be all good. I'm not really sure what to think anymore, though, because Draco's face when she hugged him… his smile wasn't strained or fake. He was truly happy to see her. It was as if he was meeting a long-lost sister. And his expression when I said that about him… it looked as if he actually cared about what I thought. As if he cared about anything or anyone besides himself and making my life miserable.
But my eyes have got to be wrong, because Draco Malfoy can't possibly be so sensitive and caring… Right?
Nico's POV
I'm not sure what to say right now, because Thalia and Annabeth just did that whole silent talking thing. I caught something about falling in love, or was it 'your mom is a dove'? But anyway, as far as I know, Thalia is in love with someone that is (probably) not me. And I just felt my heart break into tiny pieces.
I can't really do anything about it, though. I just can't stop loving Thalia. I've had a crush on her ever since I saw her, but it wasn't until that quest that I really started loving her. But I want what's best for her; I just want her to be happy. [AN: I'll write a story on the quest soon! :) And sorry for so many AN's in the middle!]
"Well, I'll be off, then," Draco broke into the silence and strolled away, seemingly undisturbed. I went back to thinking about the Second Titan War, and about how my status in CHB was a little better (not like I cared. Really!). Annabeth had pulled out some sort of blueprint, Percy was sleeping (again), Thalia was fiddling with Aegis and failing miserably at having a conversation with Luna, and Harry was staring off into space, probably thinking about the fiasco that just happened. I didn't blame him for being confused. He had probably hated Draco's guts for years.
Suddenly the train lurched to a stop. I looked at everyone questioningly, and Luna said in a soft voice, "We're not here yet. Something's wrong." I stood up immediately. Something was coming down the aisle, sucking all the color and happiness out of everything that it touched. I paled. Surely it couldn't be a dementor. I hadn't seen one since I had gone to the Underworld this summer. My dad used them to guard the various exits to the Underworld, usually the pit of Tartarus, in case the souls tried to escape. They were called guardians of the souls, as they would suck out the soul of any that tried to escape. Its being here was not a good sign. Apparently they are present in the wizarding world as well.
My worst fears were confirmed as a hooded shape glided up to the compartment. It pulled open the door. I went up to it and took out my sword. It recoiled at the sight of it.
"What are you doing here, guardian of the souls?" I asked it in Ancient Greek. Everybody else was cowering at us.
"I am sorry, your Highness, the Ghost King," he answered me. I have been ordered here by the Dark Lord."
"As the Son of Hades and the Ghost King, I command you to leave us at once and do whatever these wizards use you for here, or else I shall slice you with my blade and send you to the pit which you guard," I ordered in my most commanding voice. It sounded pretty good, even to me.
The dementor was loathe to leave, but I raised my sword threateningly. He took one look at it and left hurriedly. I laughed evilly; it was a cruel, harsh, humorless laugh. Hades would've been proud to hear it.
Everyone gaped at me as I sat down. Even Percy looked surprised. Then that Harry kid spoke up.
"How come that dementor listened to you?" He asked me with narrowed eyes. "How do I know you're not a Death Eater?"
I guffawed when he said 'Death Eater'. Thanatos may look pretty good, but I don't think he's very tasty. A glare from Annabeth silenced me, but the slight upward curve of her mouth told me she was the only one who understood what was so funny. Thalia and Percy were looking at me like I was crazy.
"And what," I asked Harry sardonically, "would a Death Eater be?" He looked at me, shocked, but replied anyway, "They're the most loyal followers of Voldemort."
"You mean that Riddle guy?" I asked casually. Harry raised an eyebrow at me calling him 'that Riddle guy', but nodded. "My father keeps on complaining about him and his ridiculous theories," I complained. "He says that Riddle causes enormous backlogs for him, hates the guy's guts." Harry, for some reason, looked relieved. Obviously he thought I was evil, which I wasn't. I just practiced dark magic, but he didn't need to know that.
The train slowed to a halt again. This time, we had arrived. Thalia, Percy, Annabeth and I got out, followed by Harry and Luna, who were instantly joined by Ron and Hermione. Harry's mood lifted instantly. We went outside, to the sort-of station, where Hagrid was waiting with a lantern to guide all the first years. Apparently they got to the castle in a different way. I was glad that we didn't have to follow them, because there were wagons pulled my favorite animal (okay, it's the only animal I like), thestrals.
They're the only creatures that aren't afraid of me and my aura of death, perhaps because they're already dead. I went up to them and petted them. They nuzzled my hand affectionately, as if asking for treats. Yay, they liked me too! Percy went up to them and started having a silent conversation with the one that was ahead on the right (they are horses, after all), while Annabeth and Thalia petted the other two. Harry and Luna seemed to see them too, but Ron and Hermione looked at us oddly. I remembered that you can only see them if you've seen someone die, and I had seen a lot of people die.
The four of us decided to get in a separate carriage, and just as we were about to go, a boy with a roundish face came up to us. "Hey, can I join you guys? The other on-Hey guys!" He exclaimed enthusiastically. "Didn't expect to see you here!" And with that, Neville, son of Demeter, clambered in.
"Hey Neville!" Annabeth greeted him. He had also fought in the Titan War along with us. He was pretty good, except he got nervous a lot. I had no idea that he was a wizard. How many demigods are we going to find in this school? Soon we'll find out that Moldy Voldy (my nickname for Riddle, Annabeth doesn't approve) is a son of a Titan or something. I chuckled inwardly and turned to the school, which had come in view.
I'm sorry, did I say school? I meant castle. The place is huge, a fine example of any old Medieval castle, and Annabeth is going nuts. She won't stop talking about the arches and towers and shit like that which no one understands at all, except maybe Hermione. She probably just found another building to add to her 'Awesome Places' list. The place is pretty cool, though. I bet it has more than a few places that would make perfect hiding places for me.
As everyone went inside, a stern-looking woman pulled us four to the side. I signaled Luna and Neville to keep walking. "Good evening, demigods," she said, and smiled slightly at our shocked expressions, hands on our weapons. "Don't worry, I'm not a monster. I am Minerva McGonagall, or Professor McGonagall, a child of Trivia," she smiled at us. I was pretty sure that wasn't a god or goddess. I could literally see the wheels turning in Annabeth's mind as she spoke up.
"Child of Trivia… but that means that you're a Roman demigod!" She exclaimed, surprised. I raised my eyebrows. There were Roman demigods here too? "Yes, child," she said. "You do not know, but you and the Romans must work together in the future to save the world."
"And," she added, "You four will be sorted along with the first-years, at the end. Follow me." And so we did, into the biggest hall I've ever seen. It looked as if it had no ceiling, but I knew it was enchanted, and so were the candles. There were four long tables, each decked in different colors, with many ghosts hovering over each one. I scowled as they all ran/floated toward me, begging for forgiveness.
"You all have defied your fate," I said, "and for that Hades would have severely punished you." I paused for dramatic effect. "But, you are pardoned," most of them looked relieved, "ONLY if you shall listen to me and me only, and no bowing down to me or anything IN PUBLIC. I am here incognito and it must remain that way." The ghosts nodded and looked relieved. "Scram!" I told all of them, and they hurried away. All the first-years looked impressed, even scared. I sighed. So much for going undercover.
Then Professor McGonagall came into the hall carrying a worn and weathered black hat. It was set down on the stool, and then it opened at the brim and began to sing a rather tuneless song, which I tuned out. After that, each of the first-years had to sit on the stool with the hat on their head while the hat decided which house they belonged in. I thought it was all really boring, but rather amusing the way each house cheered when someone joined them. Soon, it was our turn.
"This year," began an old man with a really long beard and twinkling blue eyes, "we have some transfer students from America. We hope you shall welcome them heartily, regardless of their, ah, heritage or culture. And now, let them be sorted!"
Annabeth's POV
"Chase, Annabeth!" McGonagall called. I went to sit on the stool while the hat was placed on my head. Instantly a voice spoke in my head. 'Ah, a demigod! What a pleasure to meet you! Ideally, you should be placed in Ravenclaw, as you are bery wise and knowledgeable for your age. It is only right that you are, but wait! What is this? You are indeed a treu hero, and seeing all the deeds you have done, I think you belong in…'
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted out. It was lifted off my head to reveal the leftmost table cheering. I went there and sat on the bench, eagerly hoping that Percy would be sorted here, too.
Nico's POV
"di Angelo, Nico!" The stern lady called out. I went to sit on the stool, and the hat was placed on my head. 'Ah, interesting,' a voice spoke in my head. I nearly jumped off the stool. 'Do not be scared, child of Hades. You would do well in Slytherin, you are cunning, powerful, mysterious, with a lot of potential, but there is more. Ah, you are definitely not evil, but nevertheless, I must dig into your memories, you are giving me a hard time…' "No!" I thought frantically, but it was too late. The hat saw everything: Bianca's death, the war, bringing Hazel to life, the horrors of the Underworld, the death and destruction in the war…
The hat opened its mouth shakily and said, "For surviving all that, GRYFFINDOR!" I smirked and went to sit near Annabeth, leaving space for Percy and Thalia.
Thalia's POV
Grace, Thalia!" The stern lady called. I winced at my last name, but went up anyway. The hat murmured in my head, Ah, welcome, daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of Artemis. You would do well in Hufflepuff for your loyalty and caring nature which remains well hidden, or perhaps Ravenclaw for your wit, but your heroic tendencies and cautiously hidden concern for your dear ones irrevocably put you in…'
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted out, and I went to sit between Annabeth and Nico. Annabeth hugged me happily and Nico squeezed my hand under the table. I almost blushed, but when he kept holding on to it, I really did blush and shot him a questioning look. He answered with a smirk and mouthed jokingly, You are mine. In your dreams, I mouthed back and slid my hand out from his. I was kind of disappointed he didn't grab it again, but he looked hurt for a second before covering it up and concentrating on the only one left: Percy.
Percy's POV
"Jackson, Perseus!" I winced when the strict looking lady called out my real name, which I never told to anybody. I went up to the stool and the hat was put over me. As soon as it touched my head, it called out 'GRYFFINDOR! He is a true hero!" I blushed, and was kind of disappointed because it didn't say anything to me while I was sure it said something to everyone else. I shrugged and made my way to the table where Thalia, Nico and Annabeth were sitting. I kissed Annabeth quickly before whispering in her ear, "We'll finish this later, Wise Girl." She blushed but quickly covered it up and nodded while smirking.
Then the guy with the long beard and twinkling blue eyes stood up and made a speech (I confess to not listening to a word he said), said some weird words and then clapped his hands. Food magically appeared on the table. I stared at it in shock, but everybody else just began eating. Thankfully, we didn't have all the gross stuff that appeared everywhere else, we had normal food: steak, burritos, chicken breast, stuff like that. Everyone else was looking at our food strangely, as if it was from outer space, but I ignored them and dug in.
After dinner, there was dessert, and don't ask me how, but right in front of me was a plate of my mom's blue cookies! I elbowed Annabeth, and showed her the plate, and her eyes widened in surprise. "How did they get this?" She asked, shocked, but I just grabbed a couple and ate them. They tasted devastating, as usual. I dug in while Annabeth rolled hr eyes and grabbed one, too. I smirked. No one, and I mean no one, can resist my mom's cookies.
After the feast, everyone got up and separated. "Where do we go now?" I asked the guy on my right, whose name was Seamus. "We're all supposed to go our common rooms," he replied. I got up and followed the other three out of the hall, when we bumped into Draco, again.
"Hey guys!" he greeted us. "So how did you like Hogwarts?" He asked. Annabeth instantly went off, talking about the wonderful architecture and how it must have a beautiful history, and Draco was actually listening to her! I rolled my eyes and was going to ask Nico whether he wanted to go on without those two when someone came up to us.
"Hey all of you," Hermione greeted us. "I'm sorry, but I overheard Annabeth talking about Hogwarts and its history and," she blushed slightly as she showed Annabeth the book in her hands, "I have a book on it which you might like. It's called Hogwarts: A History, and it's my favorite book."
"Aren't you going to greet me, Granger?" Draco said. Hermione pursed her lips and said icily, "Hello, Malfoy." She turned back to Annabeth. My guess is that she hated Draco a lot, just like Harry, and presumably, the entire Gryffindor house.
"Why so distant, Granger?" He asked, smirking. "I don't bite, you know." Anger flashed in Hermione's eyes. She turned to Malfoy.
"After how you've behaved to me for the past five years, Malfoy," She literally spat out the name, "I don't think you deserve any courtesy from me." She stormed away, taking the fat book with her. Hurt and sadness was visible in Draco's eyes, but he just sighed.
"She obviously won't like me instantly, because I've been an idiot for the past five years, but I figured that it's worth a try," he said sadly. "I'll just have to try harder." Annabeth hugged him tightly. "Don't give up, Draco, they'll see how wrong they were soon," she said soothingly, and he smiled gratefully at her.
"I should get going," he said. "Hopefully, I'll see you tomorrow!" We waved good night to him and followed some straggling Gryffindors to wherever we were supposed to go.
The Gryffindor common room reminded me of a huge living room where one big, happy family lived. There were comfy armchairs, sofas, a couple tables, painting, and two staircases leading to what I supposed were where we slept. And other than that, the whole place was covered in red and gold. Nico and I followed all the boys up to the dorm where we saw Harry go, and saw our stuff next to two beds. I went and changed into my pajamas and fell asleep immediately.
It's me, nobody, avalongal316, loretta537, DANGEROUS-NINJA, Tasolae, Silex Wordweaver and 15, and two people that left the name blank:
Thanks so much for your enthusiastic reviews! They really made my day, and are what really encouraged me to get off my lazy ass and write this.
Prince Giarad:
Thanks for the compliment! i love Thalico as well, and I've actually put all my other stories on hiatus because I'm working on this! And as I mentioned above, it's set in the sixth book of HP and after TLO, but TLH will happen. But I'm kind of twisting around HP canon, if you thought that my making Malfoy a demigod was strange, wait till the next few chaps!
Retrobution:
I totally forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me. Be sure to tell me if I forget anything else!
Everyone else who read/alerted/favorited my story but didn't bother to review:
No pressure at all to review, because just getting the email that you've alerted/favorited my story is (usually) nice enough. Hope that this chapter is good!
Everyone who author alerted me:
THANKS SO MUCH! I'm not sure you know how much it means to me when you put me on your author alert list. I love you guys!
And last but not least, how did you like this chap? Good? Bad? Excellent? Needs improvement? Just click the review button and let me know! Tell me if I've forgotten anything, especially when it comes to HP, and concrit is always appreciated! Flames can't hurt me coz I'm with Leo, so peoples who have nothing better to do than destroy various authors' hopes, get lost!
-Goddess Athena In Disguise