CHAPTER SEVEN: Words can't even express my love.
Percy was to start his punishment straight away. After Dionysus told the camp the good news (and after yet another major celebration), Percy was sent straight back to Cabin Three with the alarmingly heavy stack of books. He picked first book off the top of the pile.
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," he read aloud. He opened the book and set to work.
CHAPTER ONE
The Boy Who Lived
Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.
Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings …
Percy was entranced. The more he read this book, the more he fell in love. He could relate so well to Harry. It was like they shared the same story. He even looked like Harry. He half wished Harry were real. He might have been Percy's long lost twin brother.
Percy read ten chapters before he went to bed. Ten entire chapters! Percy had never read that much in one sitting in his entire life. And how proud he felt of himself!
Percy fell asleep wondering what house the Sorting Hat would put him into.
"Good morning, brother!"
Percy opened his eyes enough to make out a large calf brown eye looking down at him. He half grunted, acknowledging the eye's presence.
"It is morning! Time to wake up."
Percy reached blindly for his bedside table. His right hand managed to find his panda pillow pet, and he stuffed it in his face. "Let me sleep," came the muffled reply.
"Percy!" This one was another voice, a female one. "Percy, it's eight o' clock already!"
Percy lifted the pillow pet off his face and got up slowly. He was vaguely conscious of his surroundings. A big humanoid lump was standing next to his bed, which must've been Tyson. Another shorter figure was standing closer to the door. Percy blinked. It was Katie Gardiner of the Demeter Cabin. "Eight o' clock already?" Percy mumbled, "Golly gee, I didn't know it was that late."
"Very funny." Katie didn't sound very amused. She came to Percy's bed and held something out to him. "I got you breakfast."
Percy rubbed his eyes until he could see clearly. He looked at what Katie was holding. It was a bowl of cereal. Percy flumped back on the bed and shut his eyes tight.
"Excuse me?" Katie set the bowl on his bedside table. "Are you declining my offer to feed you your morning meal?"
"What is it with you Demeter people and cereal?"
Katie gasped. From the corner of his eye, Percy could see Tyson back away into a corner of the room. Katie's 'angry face' must have been pretty scary.
"Oh, you," she pointed a finger accusingly at him, "You MUGGLE!" She stomped out of the cabin.
Percy sat up in his bed. Having spent most of the previous night reading Harry Potter, he was deeply insulted. He looked at his bedside table. The bowl of cereal still rested upon it. Percy felt even more abused.
"Cereal girl used a bad word," Tyson said quietly. Percy grinned and got off the bed.
"Want some breakfast, big guy?" he offered the bowl to Tyson. Tyson gladly accepted. He made loud slurping noises as he ate.
Percy got ready and went outside. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and everyone seemed to be going about their normal activities with a bit more gusto than the day before. Percy strutted all the way to the training area. What a fine day for strutting it was.
"Percy!" Thalia called. She was standing with Grover, Will Solace and Annabeth.
"Hey, guys," Percy walked over to them. Grover exchanged a fist bump with him, while Will nodded in acknowledgement. Annabeth still hadn't quite forgiven him, and she looked away, crossing her arms.
"How did it go?" Thalia asked.
"How did what go?"
"The book, Seaweed Brain. You were reading the book."
"Oh, yeah!" Percy's eyes lit up. He launched into a long, ecstatic rant about how amazing the book was, and how he can't believe he'd never heard about it before.
"It's so … GOOD!" Percy faltered through his words, unable to find the right thing to say. "Aw, man! Words can't even express my love."
Thalia rolled her eyes. "Finally, he comes to his senses!"
Will applauded Percy. "Well done, man," he nodded.
"Glad I saved your life now?" Grover piped up.
"Ah, Grover," Percy clapped his friend on the back, "Thanks, bro!"
"Don't mention it."
"So," Thalia said, "Are you going to go finish that book now?"
Percy stole a glance at Annabeth. She was still ignoring him. "I guess so," he ran his hands through his hair, "But just one more thing."
"What?"
"Harry has black hair and green eyes."
"Yeah. So?"
"So," Percy tugged at his collar, "If they ever made a movie out of this book, I reckon I'd make a great Harry Potter."
The trio stayed silent for a whole minute. Then they burst into fits of laughter. Will even went on to, quite literally, 'ROFL-ing'. He banged his fist on the ground screaming, "I'm dead! I'm dead! I can't take it any more!". Even Annabeth cracked a small smile.
"What?" Percy asked. He was about as confused as he was the day before.
"Percy," Grover said, "Harry Potter has already been made into a movie."
"What?"
"The entire series has been made into movies."
"Were they good?"
"Were they good?" Thalia repeated, "Were they good!" She stepped over Will, still on the ground, giggling uncontrollably. "Percy, it's the most famous movie franchise of the century!"
"WHAT?"
"The last one just came out a few weeks ago," Grover explained.
"They … th-they …"
"Yep."
Percy plonked down. When his rear found Will's head instead of the ground, he shuffled a little to the right. "Th-they … a f-few w-w-weeks …"
Percy went into a state of shock. He didn't notice Annabeth shuffling away, or Grover and Thalia dragging Will to the cabins. All he cared about at that time was where the Hades he had been when the entire world was celebrating a such an epic phenomenon.
