AN: Hello readers! This chapter is almost as long as the previous one. I'm apparently unable to write anything shorter. Oh, well.

We finally have the much awaited for meeting between the two cousins. I hope you guys like it. A few new characters will also be introduced in this chapter and they may or may not be important to the long term plot. I'll leave you with this mystery. As they are OC, I'd like to know what you think of them.

Most of the information about the schools of magic are canonical and can be found on Pottermore. I changed a few things to better fit the story.

I'd like to thank the guests who reviewed. I hope you guys keep reading.

Slade, again? I don't have the time to argue with you. The first thing you did in your previous review was insult me, calling me brain dead and telling me to "take this crap down". Next time you think someone has made a mistake maybe you could try telling them that without insulting them needlessly if you can manage it. Fortunately, it's not my job to teach you kindness or respect so let's end this here.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I just borrowed these characters and these worlds to have fun.

Chapter 4 – In which everyone has secrets

Sally and Percy's apartment was tidy, but obviously lived in. Everywhere he looked, Harry could see the little touches that turned a simple place to live in into a home. A couple of books had been taken down from the shelves and stacked on top of the coffee table. There was a still running laptop abandoned on one of the couches and a pair of green converses by the door. Harry had almost tripped on them coming in.

In short, it had none of the fake, sterile air Harry had come to associate with the Dursleys' house. Sally must not have been as much of a neat freak as her eldest sister.

Harry and Professor Dumbledore had gotten to the United States a little after nine a.m., using a magical device called a Portkey. Harry had never used one before and, frankly, he was hoping to never have to use one ever again once he got back to England. All that spinning had made him nauseous and as soon as his feet had touched solid ground again, he had let go of the garishly coloured sock and basically kissed the floor.

Their landing point had been a gigantic room, lavishly decorated with marble columns and statues of half naked men and women Dumbledore had told him were the Greek Gods. He had also explained the room was designated for international Portkey travel inside the U.S Ministry of Magic. Around them, many others had been appearing and disappearing and a young ministry worker had soon pulled them away from their arrival spot.

"Another group is supposed to arrive in two minutes." She had explained in a rather strong accent that had taken Harry by surprise. "Better not stand there."

The woman had introduced herself as Emma Wright and she had explained a bit about the US – and in particular New York as that was where they were headed – as she led them to another room.

"Where are we exactly?" Harry had asked in a whisper to Dumbledore while they waited for the elevator. "I mean, what city?"

"Ah, I'm afraid that as a foreign citizen in US land, you're not allowed to know the exact location of their ministry, Harry." He had answered, loud enough that Miss Wright had turned to look at him. Harry had blushed deep red, but the woman had simply smiled before facing the elevator's doors again. "I'm aware of it only thanks to my position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Although," he had continued in a softer voice, "it wouldn't be considered a breach of trust if you were to simply glance outside a window."

Harry had done just that.

As soon as they had reached the new floor, he had found a window and had inconspicuously slowed his walk just as he was passing in front of it. Standing out over every other building, there had been a tall obelisk made of what looked like marble. A monument to George Washington, his mind had supplied. They were in Washington D.C.

Two Aurors in red uniform had done a thorough background check on their identities before allowing them to leave. It was obvious no one really suspected Albus Dumbledore of being someone else, but one could never be too sure. Harry himself had received a few wide eyed glances, but most people here didn't seem to know what he looked like. It had been rather refreshing.

From there, they had travelled to New York via Floo. It was just as bad as Harry remembered and barely more acceptable than the Portkey.

They had been rudely spat out into a busy office. Well, Harry had been spat out, covered in soot from head to toe and glasses askew; Dumbledore had simply stepped out of that death trap looking immaculate as ever.

An Auror, a tall woman who looked old enough to have attended school with Dumbledore and stern enough to give McGonagall a run for her money, had been waiting for them.

"Fiona, my dear, how are you?" Dumbledore had greeted warmly.

Fiona had revealed they were in the Auror office of New York, in the Empire State Building. She had checked their identities once more and then accompanied them out through the front door, where a line of tourists had been waiting to go up.

Harry had kind of envied them. He had wasted a few minutes gaping at the building and wishing he could ride an elevator to the top too.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Dumbledore had said. Harry had nodded, still in awe. "And full of secrets too."

Harry had looked at him. "Beside the office?"

"Yes, Harry, beside the office."

He had been staring at the sky above the Empire State Building keenly, which Harry still thought was more than a bit odd. It was a cloudy day and, as far as he could see, there was nothing of interest to be found in the sky-line.

"Professor? What's wrong?"

That had brought Dumbledore's attention back on him. "Nothing, my boy. Just a suspicion a friend of mine and I had, many years ago. Come, Sally and Percy must be waiting for us."

So now he was sitting around the table in his newfound aunt's dining room.

Harry thought Sally looked quite a bit like his mom, definitely more than Aunt Petunia. She was tall and slim, but not bony like her eldest sister. Her hair was a rich brown colour and every time the light hit it, it highlighted a more auburn aspect. It fell in ringlets around her shoulders, the same way he had seen his mom's do in the few pictures he had of her. Even their eyes shared the same form, big and almond-shaped. Sally's, though, were blue like Aunt Petunia's and not green like his or his mom's.

She was a beautiful woman. Harry couldn't help but think that his mom would've been just as beautiful and he felt a pang in his chest that she hadn't been given the opportunity to grow older.

Dumbledore had been right about her. Even though Harry had known her for barely an hour, he could already tell she was a caring woman and as motherly as Mrs Weasley in her own way. But while Ron's mother could be a bit...overbearing in her affection, Sally was more of a free spirit. She seemed like a fiercely independent person and she had obviously passed that on to her son. Had his mom been like that too?

"Are you sure you don't want something else to drink, Harry?" the woman in question asked. She had just come back from the kitchen, carrying a teapot in one hand and a blue cheesecake of all things in the other.

He shook his head, smiling. "No, thank you, Ms Jackson."

She rolled her eyes. "I told you not to call me 'Ms Jackson', Harry. It's Sally. Or even better – Aunt."

Harry blushed. "Oh, er, sure, Ms Jack – Sally." He wasn't quite yet ready to call her Aunt. In fact, he wasn't sure he ever would be – it was a word his brain insisted on applying to Aunt Petunia and no one else.

Percy snickered. "You're embarrassing him, Mom."

His newest cousin was sitting on the opposite side of the table from him and already busy demolishing a rather consistent slice of cheesecake. Harry wondered, not for the first time, where he put all those calories. He had already eaten something like ten cookies and yet he was just as skinny as Harry himself. Of course, Percy was more lean than scrawny and Harry spied young muscles subtly straining against the material of his long-sleeved shirt. Still, even if he practiced a sport, it was a miracle he wasn't as big as Dudley, especially if that was his usual diet.

"But you've got to try the cheesecake." Percy went on. "Mom spent the whole evening yesterday making it. You don't want her efforts to go to waste, right?"

"Percy." Ms Jack – Sally scolded gently. Harry was pretty sure she had kicked him under the table, but all Percy did in response was grin cheekily.

Harry had realised after only five minutes of meeting him that Percy was, as the Weasley twins would say, a 'sarcastic little shit' and rather proud of it, too. Sarcasm was his default mode and the only language he understood. Taking his friendly taunting laying down would not endear him any to Percy.

He pointedly stared at Percy's by now empty plate. "It doesn't seem like her efforts are going to waste to me."

"I'm a growing boy." He brandished his fork against Harry. "And I helped make it. I deserve a reward."

Harry faked an exaggerated grimace. "Now I really don't want to eat it."

Percy stuck out his blue tongue. "Funny. I'll have you know I'm a great cook." He turned to his mom, all puppy-eyes and pouty-lips, "Aren't I, Mom?"

Sally visibly melted. Harry couldn't blame her: Percy was scarily good at making himself seem cute and innocent. That was probably why he hadn't been arrested despite shooting a cannon at a bunch of students.

"Of course, honey."

She passed a hand over his cheek and Harry's heart gave a painful tug. Would his own mother have been the same with him? He had felt something similar last summer at the Burrow. While he knew the Weasleys cared about him, it simply wasn't the same as having a family of his own. Somehow, seeing Sally and Percy together was even worse – maybe it was because they were related and a part of him recognized that he could very well have grown up with them if Dumbledore had known about Sally. Or maybe it was because they seemed closer than the Weasley children were with their parents.

"But we're not here to talk about your culinary abilities. We are here to get to know each-other."

That was what Dumbledore had said too before leaving, just after Sally and Percy had told him they had decided to accept his offer (and with no need for persuasion!).

"Don't worry, my dear." He had reassured Sally when she had asked him if he really didn't want to stay for breakfast. "There is an old friend I need to meet before going back to London. Harry, I shall see you in a couple of hours. You should take advantage of this time to get to know your aunt and cousin better."

As soon as the old professor had walked out the door, things had turned rather tense. Sally hadn't felt it, apparently perfectly at ease having her newly found and completely unknown nephew in her home but Harry, who had never been exceptionally skilled at interacting with others, hadn't known what to say and had let a heavy silence envelop them. Percy had quite obviously been in the same boat as him because it had taken him a bit to warm up to Harry.

"Ok, ok." Percy raised his hands. "Let's have a heart to heart and share all our innermost secrets. Hey!" his impish grin widened. Harry felt his stomach fall to somewhere near his feet: that shit-eating smirk didn't promise anything good. "Let's play twenty questions!"

Sally groaned out-loud at the sight of his mischievously twinkling green eyes.

Percy didn't look much like his mother. The only thing they had in common was the shape of their lips, which were as plump as Harry's mom's had been. His, on the other hand, were thin. Like with many other things, he took after his Dad in that too.

Percy's features were harder. His jaw was sculptured, his nose straight and his cheekbones higher and sharper than Sally's. He didn't look American nor British. The first thing Harry had noticed upon being introduced to him had been his eyes. They were green like his own, but at the same time completely different; more of a sea green than a light green. Strangely enough, the longer he stared at them, the more certain he was he could hear the waves rushing to the shore in the far distance. It was perplexing. He wondered if it was some kind of weird visual effect.

"Twenty questions?" he asked suspiciously. He was pretty sure it was a stupid game Dudley had used to play with his friends.

"Yup." Percy popped the 'p'. "Like, we ask a question and then you ask one to us. Easy. It's a funny way of getting to know each-other, don't 'cha think?"

Harry was tempted to ask if he was exaggerating his accent on purpose to annoy him as his first question.

"Don't worry, Harry." Sally interjected. "I won't let him ask anything embarrassing."

Percy glared at her. "Wasn't going to." He mumbled. Harry thought he sounded too disappointed to be credible. "I'll start then. What's Hogwarts like? Since I'll be attending and all."

Harry felt a soft smile stretch his lips at the mere mention of his beloved school. "Hogwarts...Hogwarts is amazing. It's a medieval castle and it's gigantic. I mean, I've been going for two years and I still get lost sometimes. I doubt even the full seven years would be enough to uncover all its secrets. 'Course, the moving staircases don't help. They like changing place when you're on them. And some doors are not really doors, but walls disguised as doors and a few others like moving around. One morning they are near the Transfiguration classroom and the next you couldn't find them to save your life. It's a bit stressing, but fun most of the time."

Percy had a flabbergasted expression on his face. "Well, at least I won't be bored." He commented. He grabbed another cookie from the plate and began playing with it. It seemed to Harry as if he didn't know what to do with his hands.

Sally's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And what exactly will you be doing, young man?"

Percy's face took on an innocent expression that didn't fool anyone. "Nothing, Mom. Maybe just jump from a moving staircase to another or something like that. I could surf staircases. How cool would that be?"

He winked to which Sally rolled her eyes heavenward, apparently used to her son's oddness.

Harry coughed to hide a laugh. He decided to save his cousin from his own foot swallowing tendencies. "I'll make sure he doesn't get himself killed, Sally."

"Why am I not reassured?" she asked rhetorically.

Percy and Harry exchanged a glance full of meaning and looked away just as swiftly, snickering.

"I'll have him surfing staircases in less than a week, that's why."

"Anyway," Harry interrupted before their friendly banter could escalate into a full blown-out war, "Hogwarts is surrounded by extensive grounds. There is a forest, but students are forbidden from going in because of all the creatures living in it, and a lake."

Percy perked up. "A lake? Can we swim in it or is it against the rules?"

"Well, I don't think it's against the rules per se," Harry said slowly, "but I've never seen anyone swimming in it. I don't think anyone even wants to. I mean, the water is really cold and there is a giant squid living in it."

Percy didn't seem discouraged by it. "Cool."

"You like swimming?" Harry eyed him again. Swimmers burned a lot of calories, right? It could explain his lean physique. God, now he sounded like Hermione.

Percy brightened at once. "Love it."

"He's a fish out of water, I swear." They both laughed, as if sharing an inside joke no one else was privy to. "What about you, Harry? What sports do you like?"

"Well, I don't know how to swim." Harry admitted, blushing lightly. Was that strange for someone his age? "But I play Quidditch. I'm the Gryffindor Seeker."

Percy appeared horrified. "How can you not know how to swim? It's, like, fundamental!"

Sally elbowed him on the ribs. "Don't listen to him, Harry." She told her highly embarrassed nephew. She put an hand on his arm. "Just because he learned how to swim before he could walk doesn't mean everyone has to love it as much as he does."

"There was no need to hit me." Percy complained, rubbing his side.

Sally's smile was as sharp as a knife. "Just reminding you of that talk we had about brain to mouth filters and how to develop a few." She turned to Harry, ignoring Percy's annoyed expression. "Quidditch is played on brooms, right? I think I remember Lily saying something about it."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, we fly on brooms. It can be a bit violent and dangerous, but it's really exciting." He grinned at the mention of his Mom. "Did Mom really talk about Quidditch?"

Sally hummed affirmatively. "I remember she didn't like it all that much. She was scared of heights."

That sobered him up quickly. Well, at least he knew his dad had loved it the way he did. "I could teach you." He offered Percy tentatively. "And you could teach me to swim." He wasn't too keen on getting into the icy waters of the Black Lake, but that was the kind of thing cousins did together, right?

Sally paled and Percy laughed nervously. "No, I – I like my feet on the ground, thank you." He stammered.

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. His mother hadn't been the only one with a fear of heights, apparently. He could sort of understand why considering Sally's parents – his and Percy's grandparents – had died in a plane crash. That wouldn't endear anyone to the notion of flying. Still, it was a pity.

"It's your loss." He shrugged. He didn't want to make Percy feel bad about his phobia, even if the other boy had kind of made fun of his inability to swim. "I guess that means Hermione will have someone with whom to bond over her hate of Quidditch."

"Hermione? Is she your friend?" Percy asked.

"One of my best friends." Harry specified. "She's the brightest witch of our year and she knows more spells than anyone else, even though she's a muggleborn."

"Which means her parents are non-magic, right?" Percy scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry, I have trouble remembering this sort of things."

"Yeah, that's what it means. But don't worry, it's not important, even if there are some who like to think it is." He grimaced, thinking of Draco Malfoy and his gang of blood purists in training. "They just can't accept that a muggleborn is more talented and intelligent than them, but Hermione has shown them up more than once. She got me out of a few tough situations too."

"Sounds just like Annabeth." Sally winked at her son. "I don't know where you'd be without her."

Percy smiled self-deprecatingly . "Not here, that's for sure." At Harry's curious expression, he elaborated, "Annabeth is a friend. My best friend, I guess, together with Grover. And she's a genius. Like, a real genius. Really brave too. We went through some difficult times this summer and she – she helped a lot. Wait a moment," he tilted his chair back on two legs and detached something from the fridge's metal door, "here, that's them." He passed a picture over to Harry.

In it, there was Percy, wearing an obnoxiously orange t-shirt and looking a bit rumpled. His hair was pushed all to one side and there was mud spluttered on his face, but he was smiling so wide his cheeks had to hurt. He had his arms around two other kids sitting on either side of him. The boy looked to be a bit older than them. He had the beginning of a scruffy beard on his chin and pimples on his cheeks. He was wearing the same orange shirt as Percy and a red, green and yellow cap over curly brown hair. The girl was around their age. She had curly blonde hair and startlingly grey eyes, almost silvery. Harry found they reminded him of someone, but he couldn't pinpoint who. She was tan and even more athletic looking than Percy. And pretty, definitely pretty. In fact, it seemed to him as if Percy had a bit of a crush on her, but he didn't comment on it. They didn't know each-other well enough for that.

"Did you go to school together?" he asked, passing the picture back to Percy.

Instead of replacing it on the fridge, his cousin pocketed it. "Nah. We met at this summer Camp we both go to. And Grover. He's the one who convinced me to go. Sort of."

"I've never been at a summer Camp." Harry said wistfully. Dudley had gone once, when they were ten, but he had thrown one of his tantrums within a week of leaving and he had been sent home. The Dursleys had told everyone that Camp was simply not good enough for their 'Dudders', but Harry knew that his cousin had been unable to keep up with all the compulsory outdoor activity and that his bullying had gotten him in trouble for once in his life. He himself would've loved going, but of course his uncle and aunt would never have paid for it. "What do you do there?"

"Loads of things." Percy said excitedly. "We have got a climbing wall and canoeing, archery, horse racing, swimming. The best thing is that all the kids there have ADHD and dyslexia like me and we learn to keep them a bit under check."

Harry blinked. "I didn't know you were ADHD and dyslexic. Is that why you've had all those problems at school?" Realizing belatedly how that must've sounded when Percy blushed deep red, he backpedalled. "I mean – I didn't mean it as a bad thing, just..."

"No, it's okay, really." Percy scratched the back of his head, not looking at him. "I know my school records are not..." he turned to his mom for support.

Sally ruffled his hair affectionately. "You do your best, that's what matters." Harry had a feeling she wasn't talking just about school. She smiled at Harry. "Why don't you tell us more about Hogwarts? What subjects do you take?"

Maybe he had become paranoid after what had happened at Hogwarts – first the Philosopher's Stone and then the Chamber of Secrets – but there had been something peculiar in Sally's tone. It seemed to him she had wanted to divert the attention from the topic of Percy's learning disabilities and Camp. Maybe she hadn't wanted to further embarrass her son. Or maybe, countered a dark voice in his head, they're hiding something, just like everyone else in your life. Harry silenced it.

"Well, there's a set of core subjects – Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, Defence against the Dark Arts and History of Magic – and a few electives. I've chosen Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, but there is also Runes, Arithmancy and Muggle Studies."

Percy threw his head back with a groan. "I'm liking this school of Magic thing less and less."

Harry smirked. "It's not as bad as it sounds. You get used to it after a while, even if some teachers are..." he trailed off. Percy didn't need to know about Snape yet. He was quite certain they weren't going to get along anyway. "...a bit strict."

Percy actually looked like he was going to be sick. "Great. Strict teachers and I get along fabulously."

"Don't worry, honey." Said Sally. "Everything will be okay as long as you don't explode a classroom or something like that."

Percy stared at her strangely. "Why is everyone convinced I'm going to make a classroom explode? Dad said the same."

That, thought Harry, would have been the perfect moment to ask about the missing father. It wasn't any of his business, but it was difficult to rein in his curiosity. He did it only because he knew firsthand what it meant to be judged by near strangers for being an orphan. He had no idea where Percy and his father stood and he didn't want to rub salt in a possibly open wound.

He asked something else. "Is it my turn for a question now?"

"We have kind of taken over the conversation, hm?" Sally grinned sheepishly. "What would you like to know?"

He raised a cookie to his eyes, studying its unnatural colour suspiciously. "Why blue?"

/

/

An inviting scent came from the green tea and Albus felt the long-accumulated tension leave his limbs. He moved his face over the cup and inhaled the beneficial vapours.

"Your tea always makes me feel better, Saya. Much more efficient than our pick-me-up potions."

Ryusaki Saya smiled at him over the brim of her own cup. "And yet I doubt you came here just for my tea, Albus." She said, her accent just as strong as the day she had moved to the United States, over four decades ago. "What do you need?"

"You can't believe I just wanted to see an old friend?"

Saya laughed gaily. Time had been merciful to her – it had preserved her youthful beauty even in her old age. It became more apparent when she laughed or smiled.

"Oh, Albus. Let's not kid ourselves. We're not the kind of people who visit old friends without ulterior motives."

Albus sighed. "And we're too old to change, I guess."

Saya's smile turned bitter. "I was never the one scared of the decay of old age, Albus."

No, that had been Gellert and him. Even as a young woman, Saya had been too wise to fall for the deceiving and empty promises of the Hallows.

"Well, it's not something I need as much as something I'm curious about." He admitted. "I accompanied a student to meet relatives of his and I thought I'd stop by and see if you could perhaps help me."

"The great Headmaster of Hogwarts babysitting a simple student? Will wonders never cease?"

Albus glared at her. Anyone else would've been hard-pressed not to find that at the very least a bit unsettling, but Saya just laughed again, carefully sipping her hot beverage.

"Must be someone special." She continued.

"He is, in fact." Albus conceded.

Saya raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Knowing that she could be like a dog with a bone when it came to information, he relented without even trying. "It's Harry Potter. I admit I've a vested interest in his life, for better or for worse."

"It's to be expected. It's not every day a child survives the Killing Curse." She scrutinized him, dark eyes glinting. "And how is he? I cannot imagine he escaped unscathed, scar notwithstanding."

Albus shook his head resolutely. "No, I will not have you turn him into a clinical case. And that's not why I'm here, anyway."

"Bah!" she repositioned her shawl on her shoulders, annoyed. "Have it your way. I was simply curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Saya smirked. "But satisfaction brought it back."

Albus laughed. "Too true, my friend."

The swish of something sharp cutting the air, followed by a muted thud, interrupted the conversation. Albus frowned, wondering who else was there.

Saya correctly interpreted his expression. "It's just my granddaughter practicing her archery. She's incredibly talented."

Albus' eyebrows rose in surprise. "I wasn't aware you had grandchildren. How old is she?"

"Only the one." Saya said. "She's nine. She wasn't born last time we saw each-other."

"Time has gotten away from us, it seems."

She nodded. "Why are you here then? I get tired of these small talks, you know."

He smiled, a tinge of melancholy to it. It might have been over a decade since they had last met, but she was still the same old Saya.

"I was curious to know if your research had gotten somewhere."

The woman leaned back on her chair. She stared at him thoughtfully. If Albus knew her at all – which he did – she was weighting how much to say and what to keep to herself. Those who thought he was secretive had obviously never met Ryusaki Saya. She breathed and lived secrets. Not even the man she had loved and who had given her three children had known all she had done.

"You want to know about the Gods and their children. You want to know if they really are here in the United States."

"Simply put." He stirred his tea absentmindedly. "I'm aware you interrupted your research a few years ago." He went on, keeping his eyes on the gently swirling liquid. "The only reason you ever stopped looking for the truth was because you had found it."

"And now you want me to share it with you." She shook her head.

Albus saw something unexpected in her gaze – vulnerability and exhaustion. He had known her since they were in their thirties and he had never seen her look quite so...defeated.

"You're forgetting something, Albus. I'm old. Old and tired. I sacrificed decades of my life to this...quest in the hope of unearthing clues, no matter how small, that would take me closer to the Gods. All I got was disappointment and heartache. I never found anything conclusive. There were times I thought my failure would drive me mad." She fidgeted with her shawl. "I decided after my grand-daughter was born that it was time for me to take a step back. Let the younger generations of truth seekers deal with this madness, I say!" a fleeting smirk traversed her face. "You should think about doing the same. I can hear your bones creaking all the way over here."

Albus let the dig wash over him, not allowing it to divert his attention. "I still have a few years of work left before I can rest."

Saya's face darkened. "What kind of work? From what I hear, your Dark Lord is dead and his Death-Eaters no longer active."

"I'm afraid those rumours are little more than the unexpressed hope of a scared and tired community. That particular war is far from over."

"That Voldemort." She spat out in disgust. "You believe he'll try to conquer Britain again?"

Albus nodded solemnly. "And not only Britain. And Harry will be his first target, I fear."

"Of course, he'll want to prove no one can beat him and that the Potter child's survival was but a stroke of luck."

Her expression was strained and revulsion oozed out of her every wrinkle. Saya had always held a certain antipathy for the Dark Arts and those who practiced them, but it had escalated into loathing after her eldest daughter, a curse breaker dispatched in Romania, had been killed in a skirmish with a raising Dark Lord who had subsequently been arrested.

"I plan on stopping him from succeeding." Albus guaranteed forcefully. "But don't think I've forgotten what I'm here for." His lips twitched at her grimace. "My memory hasn't quite gotten that bad yet. In fact, I seem to remember you once saying you'd die before giving up on a search."

Her frown intensified. She seemed to battle with herself for a long moment before finally saying, "I said only death would stop me. Maybe. At least get it right, you insufferable old man."

She got up, taking her cup with her. She walked to the kitchen counter deliberately and poured herself more tea. "Want some more?" she waved the teapot.

He raised his still half full cup to decline.

Saya huffed. "Well, you're not wrong. I'm fairly sure I solved the mystery, but I've nothing tangible to offer, only circumstantial proofs and a healthy dose of sixth sense." She leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Yes, the Greek Gods are here in the United States right now. They also have a bad habit of reproducing with humans. More than that, I cannot say."

Albus felt his heart rate accelerate. For years he had held silent on his suspicions, fearing his involvement would cause more trouble than it was worth, but now, to finally have some answers, no matter how inconclusive...

Whatever Saya said about not being sure, he knew she wouldn't have closed her investigation if she hadn't been certain of her discoveries.

"And the Empire State Building? Does it have something to do with them?" he asked fervently.

Saya's eyebrows pulled down together. "Why do you want to know? This – this was never something you were interested in. The only reason you even came to me years ago was because you thought Gellert Grindelwald, your enemy, might've been looking into it."

His enemy. Saya was right, but she didn't know the whole story. Gellert had been his friend and perhaps the love of his life long before he was his enemy.

In their youth, they had been completely taken by the Three Hallows. Not much else had interested them, with the exception of eradicating the 'muggle plague', as they had called it. He didn't know what had pushed Gellert into searching for the Gods, especially after the tale of the three brothers had been proved true, but the not so small part of him that still couldn't let go of the golden haired German boy he had once loved couldn't bear to give up on what had turned out to be his last investigation.

If there was something of Gellert that deserved to be remembered, it was his love for knowledge.

"I just don't like to leave things unfinished." He said at last. It wasn't a lie, after all, just not the entire truth. "And you know I don't have the time to investigate on my own, not with my duties and all that has been going on in Britain in the last two decades. That's why I came to you today."

Saya crossed her arms over her chest. "Very well, Albus. But don't think for a moment I believe you." She waggled a finger at him as if he was a naughty child caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. "I didn't fall for your innocent facade seventy years ago and I'm not falling for it now." She sighed, shaking her head. Her still pitch black bun swayed precariously. "But I guess we're all entitled to our own secrets. Gods know I have more than a few. Yes, as much as it pains me to admit it, the German Dark Lord was right. The Gods' central of power is somewhere in the Empire State Building. Don't know where. Don't care to find out. The Gods are more attached to their secrets than either of us could ever hope to be and they don't appreciate people putting their nose where it doesn't belong.

"Grindelwald was also right in his assumption that the Gods, or most probably their children, had an active hand in the outbreak of the Second World War."

Which was what Albus suspected had prompted Gellert to follow up on his suspicions on the existence of the Greek Gods. Saya was another story altogether: she had always been unhealthily interested in the Gods. All Albus knew was that an ancestor of hers had proclaimed himself to be the child of one of them. (And maybe he truly had been. Who knew?).

He made to ask one more question, but Saya was faster than him. "And don't even think to ask me where they are hiding. The half-bloods are the Gods' most well kept secret."

He frowned, something tugging at the back of his mind. "Half-bloods?"

"Just another name for demigods." Saya shrugged. "Isn't that what you English speakers call some wizards too?"

"It is. Strange coincidence, wouldn't you say?" Nothing. Whatever connection his mind had made had slipped away. He was getting old. "What do you know about them? What are their powers?"

"I know what everyone else knows." Her voice had taken on a hard tone which told Albus she was getting annoyed with the conversation and with him in general. "A demigod is the child of a mortal and of a God or Goddess. They inherit some of the powers their godly parents have, though some are more blessed," she spat the word, "than others. Children of the eldest brothers are more powerful than the rest and because of this, rarer too, despite popular belief."

"It would seem the Gods are wary of power too." Albus commented lightly.

Saya snorted. "Only of the power they cannot control. Demigods are free spirits. They're the bridge between the mortal and immortal world and that gives them a connection their godly parents fear and envy at the same time." She looked down at her wrinkled hands. "Still, for all their strength, they're incredibly vulnerable. Few of them survive to adulthood."

Albus was sure he spied tears glinting in her eyes, but when she brought them back on him, her gaze was clear and hard. His brow furrowed. While not a cold person by any stretch of the word, Saya had always strived to keep her emotions in check. She was an incredibly private woman and she didn't believe in sharing her feelings with others, much less with him. Albus did not fool himself into thinking Saya trusted him. He found it hard to trust her too.

He chose to let the matter rest. "It explains why most of us know nothing about them."

"They are just good at hiding." She countered. "I suspect our society will know about theirs only when and if the Gods will want us to know."

Albus got up, his knees complaining the long stretch of time spent in the same position. "You mean never."

It was disappointing. If the demigods were as strong as he suspected them of being, they could've been a huge asset in the fight against Voldemort and his Death-Eaters.

"Don't even think about it." Saya barked.

Albus' eyes widened. "I don't –"

"Oh, I know that look, Albus." She interrupted menacingly. "You were thinking how useful they could've been in your fight against the Dark Lord."

"It's not my fight." He retorted sharply, for the first time losing his composure. "It's everyone's fight."

"But not theirs." Saya pointed out gently. "Half-bloods fight in the name of the Gods or for other half-bloods. They own their loyalty to no one else. And why should they? Their lives are dangerous enough as it is. And even if they thought your war was a just cause to fight in, the Gods would never allow them to risk themselves for a mortal matter."

For someone who had maintained she had no certainties, she seemed to know quite a lot about demigods and their way of life.

"Saya, what el–"

"Obaa-chan?"

The door opened and a young girl stuck her head into the kitchen. She had Saya's straight dark hair and her elfish features, but her eyes were as blue as the morning sky, contrasting greatly with her Asian traits. When she opened the door fully, he saw she was carrying an old-fashioned bow as tall as her and had a quiver strapped to her back.

"Kikyou, I told you not to disturb me when I have visitors." Saya reprimanded.

She didn't sound annoyed, though, and the child obviously picked up on it because she blithely ignored the half-hearted rebuke in favour of studying him.

"Good evening." She greeted with an half bow, her startlingly clear eyes fixed on him.

Albus felt oddly judged by her serious gaze.

"Good evening to you too, young lady." He smiled. "You must be the talented archer your grandmother told me about."

The girl blushed lightly and fiddled restlessly with the plume on one of her arrows. "I'm not as good as Sobo says."

Saya rolled her eyes. "She's too modest."

"Ah, modesty is a good trait to have." Albus ignored Saya's disgusted 'Bha!'. "Don't listen to your grandma." He winked, making the child giggle. "Do you attend Mahoutokoro like your grandmother did?"

Mahoutokoro was the only school of Magic in Japan and the oldest in the world. Unlike his English (and American) counterparts, it admitted students from the age of seven, though they didn't board until they were eleven. Albus had never had the honour of visiting it – though he knew it was hidden on the topmost peak of the volcanic island of Minami Iwo Jima – but Saya had shared with him a great deals of details and so he knew it was one of the best schools in the world and probably the only one that still taught Ancient Magic.

Kikyou shook her head. "No. I'll be going to Salem in a few years."

"Her mother works here in the United States so we decided it would be better for Kikyou to stay here." Grandmother and Granddaughter exchanged a loaded look, which told Albus that wasn't the whole story.

"And your father? Is he American?"

Saya's mouth twisted in a scowl. "In a manner of speaking.", was the only answer she gave.

Kikyou's lips thinned in displeasure at her grandmother's obvious scorn.

Beginning to feel a bit awkward, Albus decided it had come the time for him to leave. "Well, it was an incommensurable pleasure seeing you again, Saya. And meeting you, Kikyou. But it's time for me to go. Harry must be getting impatient."

Saya stared at her nails nonchalantly, studiously avoiding both his eyes and Kikyou's. "It was time for you to go two hours ago, Albus."

Albus winked at her over his shoulder on his way out. "Always so polite."

"Bha! I'll give you polite, you insufferable old man!"

He stifled a laugh.

/

/

Kikyou put her quiver on the table, knowing full well that it annoyed her grandmother. She would know she was getting back at her for her crack about her father.

The woman tightened her lips, but she didn't say anything on the matter.

"You heard?" Sobo asked as soon as the unmistakable 'pop' of an apparition reached their ears.

Kikyou nodded. She didn't even try to hide it: nothing escaped her grandma's notice. And she being who she was, lying didn't come as easily as to most other kids her age.

"Should we worry?"

"Yes." Her grandma said without a moment's hesitation. "Albus Dumbledore is not to be underestimated. He may appear innocuous and even friendly, but he's as dangerous as a shark that has smelled blood."

Kikyou grimaced. "Nice. Why did you tell him all those things? Wouldn't it have been better to lie?"

Her grandma waved the suggestion away. "It wasn't anything he wouldn't have found out on his own if he wanted to. And to be honest, I don't know if I could've been convincing enough; he's too well trained at spotting lies, too good at seeing through facades. It would've aroused his suspicions way more than any information I gave him could ever do."

She sighed. "I better IM Chiron, hm?"

"Yes, my child. You'd better."

/

/

"You'll be leaving soon?"

"I guess. I mean, Mom and me–"

" 'Mom and I'." Annabeth corrected at once.

Percy glared at her. "Mom and I are going to London tomorrow to buy school supplies, but term doesn't start until September First so I'll probably leave on the thirty-first."

Annabeth hummed contemplatively. From the little he could see in the rainbow of the Iris Message, she was in a bedroom, probably hers at her dad's house. He could glimpse the edge of a bed covered by a green blanket, a wooden desk submerged by worksheets and drawings of temples and a wall which was, strangely enough, half white and half painted in green.

"Are you renovating?" he blurted out.

She tilted her head to the side, staring at him impassively. He knew that look: she wore it every time he said or did something that made her doubt his intelligence.

"I, it's just –" he floundered, flushing, "it doesn't really seem you, you know?" by her raised eyebrow and generally unimpressed expression, he deduced that no, she did not know. "I mean, your favourite colour is grey, but everything in your room is so...green!", if you fail the first time just try again, right?

Inexplicably she grinned, her eyes lighting up. "It is, but I like green better lately. It soothes my nerves, kind of."

Percy gaped at her for a moment. Why did she have to be so strange?

"Whatever. Well, what do you think about all this?"

"About the...wizarding world?" she crossed her legs underneath herself. Even though her bed was only a few feet from her and there was a plush chair pushed in front of the desk, she was sitting on the floor, a cream coloured rug the only thing between her and the cold tiles. "I guess I shouldn't be so surprised by its existence. If there is a Goddess of Magic, it's only logical there would be people able to wield that same energy. I've never met a child of Hecate, but I imagine they are able to use magic too. I'm just a bit annoyed Chiron hasn't told us anything, but he probably has his reasons."

Percy frowned. He hadn't thought of the possibility that the old centaur might have known about wizards all along. "Do you think I should tell him?"

"Yes." Annabeth said decidedly. "His advice will be invaluable. Honestly, I'm a bit worried."

He bit his lip. "You don't think I should trust them?"

Annabeth shook her head, looking concerned. "I know Harry is your family and everything, but really, what do you know about him? And from what you said, these wizards are not particularly open-minded. I'd hate to see what would happen if they found out about the Greek world." She blushed lightly, "Or what they'd do to you."

Percy smirked. "You're worried about me. That's so cute."

Despite the kilometres separating them, he swore he could feel the heat of her glare. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

He snickered. "Well, you shouldn't. I wasn't planning on telling them anything about us."

Annabeth took a moment to answer, a part of her probably wishing to give him the cold shoulder for having made fun of her. Percy could actually see her pathological need for information come up on top of her feeling of annoyance. His grin stretched so wide he was sure his face was going to split open.

"Not even to your cousin?" she asked at last.

Percy briefly entertained the thought of giving her a hard time, but in the end decided it just wasn't worth it. He didn't want her angry at him. She'd probably ignore his Iris Messages when he was at Hogwarts and lonely. Just thinking about it was enough to put a lump in his throat.

"Not for now. I'll see if he can be trusted."

"Hm." Annabeth studied him searchingly, lips tight and eyes dark. "You're worried too."

Percy avoided her gaze. "It's just...I haven't got the best track record when it comes to making friends. Before meeting Grover and then you, I was pretty much always on my own. I guess I'm just worried I'll be homesick." He laughed self-consciously. "Pretty childish, hm?"

"No, it isn't." Annabeth denied fervently. "It was like that for me too before I went to Camp. Mortals can feel there is something different about us, even if they don't know what, and it scares them. I know exactly how I feel."

Her self-assured tone made him smile. Sometimes he forgot that he wasn't alone anymore. He had always had his mom, sure, but knowing that there was a group of people who had gone through roughly the same things he had and felt the same way he did, made the world seem less cruel and empty.

Whatever happened at Hogwarts, he'd always have Annabeth and Grover and the rest of Camp Half-Blood. It was in moments like this that the dangerous life of a demigod felt like a price worth paying in exchange for the companionship they shared.

"You know, I'm kind of worried about going to a new school too." Annabeth admitted hesitantly. "Institutionalized education makes me feel stupid."

"It's the dyslexia. Most teachers don't care for us. They're just happy if we're kicked out of their classes." He grumbled moodily. "But you're a genius. And if you ever feel stupid, you'll just have to IM me and I'm sure you'll feel intelligent again."

The dig at his own expenses worked. Annabeth laughed, her previous good mood restored.

"You're such a Seaweed Brain." She said fondly. "And you aren't stupid, just terribly oblivious."

"Eh." Percy scratched the back of his head. "I'm pretty sure that's the first time you ever complimented me."

She rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a compliment."

"You said I'm not stupid. Good enough for me." He shrugged. "How is it going with your family?"

Annabeth grimaced. "My father still needs to grow a backbone and my step-mother still thinks I'm a bomb about to go off. My step-brothers are the only ones who don't walk on eggshells around me."

Ouch. Percy winced, regretting having asked. "Sorry."

"Is not your fault, stupid."

He stuck his tongue out at her. So much for wanting to make her feel better.

Annabeth made a face back at him and their conversation soon degenerated into a battle for supremacy. It came to an end when Percy went cross-eyed in an attempt to scowl and scrunch up his nose at the same time.

It left Annabeth breathless with laughter and Percy flushing red. "Shut up, Wise Girl. It wasn't that funny."

"Oh, it was. It –" she hiccupped loudly. Percy smirked. "Shut up, Sea –" her shoulders quivered with tension as she suppressed another hiccup, "–weed Brain."

He laughed, feeling vindicated. "Must be Karma, Wise Girl."

Annabeth grumbled darkly under her breath. "You don't –" an hiccup cut her off, "even know what–" there she went again, "Karma is."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do –"

"Kids, are you bickering again?" his mom called from the living room.

"No, Mom!" Percy lied. It was easier to do when he didn't have to look at her in the face. "Just a divergence of opinions." He glowered at Annabeth, who was snickering behind her hand. "And yes, I know what divergence means!" he added snidely.

He could actually feel his mom roll her eyes heavenward (Olympusward?) even through the wall hiding her from view. "Listen to Annabeth. She's always right."

Percy snapped his head around and gaped incredulously at the door. "Mom!"

Annabeth chortled. Gods, now he was going to have to put up with her insufferably gleeful expression.

"I'm still right." He crossed his arms mutinously, turning to face her. As he expected, she was looking incredibly satisfied with herself.

"Even your mom agrees with me."

Percy sniffled haughtily. "I don't have to listen to you."

Annabeth spread her hands. "Suits yourself. Hey, do they teach normal subjects at that school?"

Percy side-eyed her, still not sure she was done laughing at his expense. "Normal? Like Math and English?" at Annabeth's nod, he shook his head. "I don't think so. Why?"

She shrugged. "You need to graduate from high school to get into College and I don't think they accept a Diploma in Potions or something like that. If Hogwarts doesn't prepare its students for life in the non-magical world, they are forced to remain in the wizarding one as adults whether they like it or not." She bit her bottom lip pensively, as Percy knew she did every time she thought of something she had not taken into consideration previously. "Course, that's not a problem if you want to remain in the wizarding world. Those who come from magical families won't know any other way of living and I don't think many of those born of normal families would turn their back on something as wondrous as magic. I guess life would be easier for someone like us too there."

Percy didn't even need to think about it. Just as Poseidon had said, he wouldn't have to constantly hide his powers in the wizarding world, even if no one could know the truth about them, but he would still be lying and he didn't want to do that for the rest of his life.

He shook his head, uncrossing his arms. "No, my place is somewhere else. With you and the rest of the demigods. I just...I feel like I belong to Camp Half-Blood, you know? I'm not explaining this well, but –"

"No, I get it." Annabeth's lips had quirked up. Percy got the feeling he had said exactly what she had been hoping to hear. "It's like your very blood is calling out to you, telling you to fight and survive. To become part of the myths."

"I guess that makes us sort of suicidal, right?" he smiled lopsidedly. Annabeth chuckled. "And I guess you're right about Hogwarts. I'll need to get my GED on my own if I want to live outside the wizarding world." He realized what that meant and he moaned. "More studying. I can't believe it." He ran a hand through his already dishevelled hair.

"Don't worry, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth winked at him. "I'll help you."

Percy felt like crying of gratitude. "Thank you. You're a saving grace. A goddess." He enthused.

Annabeth grinned. "Try to remember that next time you say you don't have to listen to me."

"Let's not exaggerate, Wise Girl." He said. "You can't always be right."

"We'll see about that."

Percy ignored her.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Annabeth played with the frayed edge of her shorts, her blonde curls hiding half her face from view. Percy leaned back on his arms, mentally listing all the things he'd have to buy the next day. Dumbledore had given him the standard letter usually sent to Hogwarts students, but the only thing he was really looking forward to getting was a wand. While it would never be as cool as his trusty sword Riptide, it would still be a magical wand, which was nothing to scoff at.

He felt the weight of Annabeth's gaze on him and he brought his eyes back on the Iris Message, curious. Her grey eyes darted away as soon as she realized he had noticed her scrutiny. Were girls always this damn weird?

"Is something wr–?"

"You'll IM when you're in England, right?"

Percy snapped his mouth shut. Okay, then. "Course I will. I'll need someone to help me with my homework."

"Stupid." She said, at last looking back at him. He grinned unrepentantly. "Try not to forget about us, Kelp Head."

Kelp Head? That was a new one.

Her tone was light, almost uncaring, but Percy heard real worry underneath the disinterest. He didn't know why he was surprised: Annabeth had been neglected by her father all her childhood; she had found a new family while on the run, but the daughter of Zeus had sacrificed herself to save her and Luke and the latter had ultimately betrayed the both of them by joining Kronos and letting Annabeth go on a potentially deathly quest when he had been the one to steal the Master Bolt. It was to be expected she'd have abandonment issues.

He resolved not to make her feel self-conscious about it.

"For someone so intelligent you can be pretty dense, you know that, right?" he never said he was going to be nice about it. "You're my best friend, Wise Girl. I couldn't forget you if I tried. And I have, you know? You're annoying."

"Seaweed Brain. I'm gonna beat you up so bad next time we meet I'll make Clarisse look like a kindergarten bully." She promised with a glare.

Percy didn't believe a word of it. It was obvious she was relieved and even a bit amused. He considered it a win.

"Whatever you say, Beth."

She glowered. "Don't call me 'Beth'. Or 'Annie'!" she added hastily. Percy raised his hands, grinning innocently, as if he hadn't been about to use the second of Annabeth's hated nicknames. "Now, before you start annoying me again," she gave him the stink eye, "we need to find a way around the time difference."

Percy paled. "Time difference?" he spluttered, "There is a time difference?"

Annabeth slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh, Seaweed Brain!"

/

/

Next chapter: A bit of shopping!