I'm so sorry for not updating in about… ten years, but, long story short, school started last week. And I'm also terribly sorry for such a short chapter, but short chapter is better than no chapter, right?

Chapter 9

Annabeth's POV:

These guys don't have encounters with monsters very much, do they? By next morning, everyone knew about the werewolves. And now Thalia was one too, obviously, since she turned into a wolf. And they were supposed to be the ones raised with the thought of an animagus.

Thalia enjoyed it, though, and made a big deal out of scowling, growling, and snapping at people. By the end of the month, there were not a single soul not afraid of her.

Soon, snow started falling, and Christmas came closer and closer. Once again we went to Hogsmeade.

"Hey, Annabeth, what will you buy Percy?" Katie were looking at the window of "Dogweed and Deathcap", searching for some money in her pocket. I sighed. "I'm not sure. Something useful, that he doesn't have." "A brain?" Reyna suggested. Piper giggled.

"You know, maybe go shopping just us girls weren't a bad idea." "At the very least, we get to buy presents to those stupid boys without having them running around screaming," Thalia snorted. "Maybe something from "Zonko's Joke Shop" will fit the idiots," Clarisse suggested. We all nodded slowly. "Fair point," I said. "But, first of all, we are here shopping! I won't let the thoughts of the boys interrupt our girl-time!"

Next we went to "Tomes and Scrolls", were we actually managed to pick up some presents. They had so many books! It was close to paradise, I tell you. We ate lunch at "the Three Broomsticks", and continued shopping afterwards.

"Class! Now listen, would you? I mean- oh, come on!" Professor Flitwick was trying to give a message through the noise of a class cheering for Christmas-holiday. That couldn't be too easy, so I hushed them. Sometimes fright can be pretty helpful. "Thank you, Ms. Chase." Flitwick gave me a thankful nod. "Now, as I've seen, you are all looking forward to Christmas, with everything it brings. Merry Christmas to you all, and have a happy holiday!"

"Annabeth! Annabeth!" I heard Percy coming running towards me from behind. "Oh, for the sake of gods, stop ignoring me!" I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned around to be met by my boyfriend's lips. I raised an eyebrow, and he grinned. "Merry Christmas, Wise Girl!"

"And that was urgent?" "No, but Professor McGonagall told us to come to the Great Hall." I rolled my eyes. "And why didn't you say so at first?" "Because… Because… Because?" I gripped his hand, and we made our way towards the Great Hall. He told me that it was obviously very important, but she didn't want to tell him.

"What about the rest?" I asked him, curious. "They're there already, you were the last one. Walking for the library first thing in the holiday, what was she thinking?" He muttered the last sentence, but I heard him. I punched his breast, and he faked fainting. "Oh, come on, I were just curious about Christmas Culture in the Wizarding World!" "You are curious at school, in holidays you are lazy! Now come on, I'm curious for what McGonagall wants." "Joke intended?" "What?" "Never mind. It was funny."

When we came closer to our destination, more and more people were gathered in groups, glaring at us and turning their backs. And then again, some were staring at us with awe, and two or three kids were following us. When we finally came to the stairs we could see the rest of the demigods standing just outside the doors with McGonagall, waiting for us.

"So, what are we gathered here for?" Percy asked as soon as we came close enough. "She won't say a thing," Clarisse murmured, clearly not satisfied. "Well, for you demigods," she said the last word in Latin, "there's a little surprise. There was… someone… who wanted to give you a surprising, early, Christmas present, so here you are!" I heard her voice shake a little, as if she was… scared. Not very scared, but enough for her to feel a little unsafe. She turned, and slowly, very slowly, the doors opened.

"Oh, come on!" A man's voice sounded. "She liked me the best!" Inside was absolute chaos. The man who had shouted was standing in a group with two others, and he had dark hair and eyes. The two others had both dark hair, one with green eyes and one with blue. "No, stupid! She liked me the most!" The blue eyed one yelled back.

Right inside the doors stood three women, two blondes and one with a dark hair. "Mens are such idiots," the dark haired one said. "I agree, sister. Especially him." One of the blondes pointed at the green eyed man. "Every mortal man is an idiot," the other blonde agreed.

A blonde man were discussing with a brown haired woman. "I won't eat cereals!" he cried. "They are good for you!" The woman insisted. "Good for your health! Maybe your smile will be less sickening!" The man stiffened. "What's wrong with my smile? It's brilliant like the sun, and me!" "No it's not!" "Well then, here's a poem for your groceries-" "I don't want your poem!"

"No worries, no worries!" A beautiful woman were standing between two men, one with sunglasses and a leather jacket, the other with beard and a rather… unattractive face. "I have time for you both!" "But you're married! To me! How can you spend your time with this violent idiot?" The bearded man yelled. "I'm not an idiot! And not violent! It's exercise and taming my rage!" The man with sunglasses screamed.

In the back stood a woman with dark curls and a Greek-style dress. She was rubbing her hands, and had paled a little. By seeing at her mouth, I could tell that she was muttering things to herself.

"Give back my sword!" One of the blonde women shouted, all of a sudden. Another blonde man appeared, giving back a sword, scowling. "I didn't take it…" "Of course not." "I just found it, right outside your temple this morning!" "Of course, of course. Because I go dropping my sword whenever I feel like it," she replied.

Not only the discussions were chaos. Around the room, storms, plants, and fire were erupting. Winds blew our hair backwards, lightings struck the ground and weapons were flying around in the room. Some mist was floating around, trying to repair the destructions and hide the weapons bouncing around. In vain, of course. In one corner, some ghosts were staring at them with awe.

"Oh my." Reyna paled. "Oh my." "I'm sure they're not here to kill us," I assured them. "That would be the crappiest surprise ever," Percy agreed. Somehow they all heard us, and turned. The storms calmed, the weapons disappeared, fire stopped coming and the plants dissolved. The mist finally got a chance to repair, and hurried off. "Oh, dear gods," Piper whispered.

"That would be us," Apollo grinned.

Harry's POV:

Rumors spread fast. But not as fast as Percy ran out from the Great Hall, only to be dragged back inside by an invisible force.

"Bloody hell, what do you think these guys are?" Ron was staring at Percy guiding a man around. "I don't know, students don't get visitors!" Hermione exclaimed. Meanwhile, Percy showed the dark haired, green eyed man the lake through a window. He said something in that strange language Hermione couldn't identify, and then they both laughed.

I couldn't keep my curiosity any longer. "Percy!" They both turned towards me, piercing green eyes. "Can you please come over here?" Percy said something to the man, and they walked over. "Mind to introduce us?" Hermione and Ron were looking between me and Percy, visibly tense. He smiled to us. "Yeah, sure." He said something to the man, and they had a little argue ended by a staring-contest, which the man won. Percy sighed.

"Well, Harry, say hi to dad." "What? He's your father?" Ron asked. "Ron! That's rude!" Hermione stomped his feet. While Ron stroke his feet and glaring at Hermione, Percy continued.

"Yeah. Honestly, most people can tell just by seeing us both." The mysterious father tapped his shoulder and told him something. They laughed. "And, yeah, well, they sometimes," Percy tried to not laugh, failed, and were gasping for air between each word. Ron raised an eyebrow. "And they sometimes…?" "And… and… they sometimes… say that… that… oh dear gods, this is hard… and they sometimes say that we sm-smell alike!" They both clutched their stomachs as they laughed.

I shared a look with Hermione. Now that were suspicious. "Wait, you kind of use the same shampoo or perfume or something?" Ron asked. "Oh, yes." The man spoke for the first time. He sounded a little like Percy, only elder, more mature, and if possible, more… powerful. "It's the perfume. It's called…" He looked over at his son. "Eau de Dieau de la Mer!" Percy fell to the floor, laughing. "Um, what does that mean?" I asked. "Haven't heard about it."

"You have now," Percy told me from the floor. His father reached him a hand for help, and he took it. He brushed some dust of his clothes. "It means him." He used his thumb to point at his father, and they started laughing again. These guys have very strange humor. How the hell are something supposed to mean his father? I shared a look with my friends once again, and we had a silent discussion ending with ignoring their joke.

"So what is your name, Mr. Jackson?" Hermione asked politely. "Ah, Jackson is his mother's name," he told us. "My name is…" Percy poked his shoulder, and said something to him again. He raised an eyebrow and continued the sentence. "Philip Psitheos"

"Psitheos? That's a rather… unique name," Hermione said. I could tell she was itching to run for a book about surnames. "Oh, yes, my family is Greek. We can track it all the way back to Ancient Greece." Percy sniggered. "That won't be hard." And then they laughed again.

"Hey, Harry!" Hermione was whisper-shouting to me from across the table. "What is it? I'm enjoying dinner here!" I complained. "I discovered something about Percy's father name!" Curiosity got the upper hand. "What?" " 'Philip' means "horse lover"." I nodded. "But isn't he a horse tamer?" "Well, yeah, but I doubt he'd change his name to suit his job. I know it isn't much, but that was something. And more:"

She took a deep breath, and Ron and Ginny leaned closer to hear. "I couldn't find something about this "Psitheos" family. But I've deciphered it. "Psi", written like this, is a Greek letter." She waved her wand, and a symbol appeared on top of the table. I frowned. The symbol looked like a fork with three points, "Ψ".

""Theos" written like this, is also Greek." She waved her wand again, and now a word appeared. I managed to read "Θεός" before the word disappeared. Hermione leaned even closer, her eyes glimmering with excitement

"It means… god"