"Half Blood Harry Potter"
By Loki Palmer
Author's Note: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Percy Jackson and all related demigods (with the exception of Loki) belong to Rick Riordan.
Chapter 10
"Has everyone fastened their seat belts?"
"Yeah, Loki, we have," said Harry.
"Good … let's go!"
Fluffy started out at a moderately fast pace, just so Hermione and Annabeth wouldn't panic.
"Hey, Loki – I don't mean any offense, but can this mutt go any faster?" said Percy.
"Perseus Jackson," said Annabeth, "don't you dare –"
"For that matter," said Harry, "is it possible for us to fly?"
"Harry James Potter, if Loki ends up killing us all, I am going to hurt you when we arrive in the Underworld!"
Loki looked at her. "Milady, are you saying you don't trust me to keep us safe?"
"I know how you males tend to scoff in the face of danger."
"And yet, Rudyard Kipling said, 'The female of the species is more deadly than the male.' That was a powerful poem, if I do say so myself."
"Yeah, but I'm sure that we can go faster, Loki," said Harry.
"Does Milady trust me?"
"In spite of all my present misgivings," said Hermione, "I trust you, for the sake of the friendship you have made with us. That doesn't stop me from worrying."
"Fair enough. Dad wants me to make sure you arrive in one piece, so don't worry. Let's see what this mutt can do! HEIGH-HO, FLUFFY – LET'S RIDE!"
The acceleration was so intense that the Cerberus left a trail of fire behind it.
They did not run into any mortals along the way, except for a couple cops whose eyes widened upon seeing a fiery tornado.
"Cap, are you seeing this?"
"I'm seeing it, but I can't believe it!"
"What do we do, Cap? It's heading in our direction!"
"Well, don't try to outrun it!"
"What else are we supposed to do? We'll be like sitting ducks out here in the road!"
"Get outta the car and run off the road!"
The cops bolted for safety.
"Loki, look out! We're going to run into that cop car!"
"No, we're not, Hermione."
"How can you be so sure?"
Much to the relief of the cops, the fiery tornado leaped over their car, leaving it untouched.
Loki leaped out. "Go on; I'll catch up."
"At least the car's okay, Cap."
"Thank God it is."
"Are you guys okay?"
"We'll be okay, young man. What the Hell was that?"
"Ουδεν γνωναι χρειαν εχετε εστιν. Δαρθανεσθε και επιλανθανεσθε." (It is nothing you have need to know. Sleep and forget.)
The two cops drifted off to nap.
~HALF BLOOD HARRY POTTER~
Back in the canine saddle, Loki said, "Who's up for some road music?"
"Yeah, Loki, let's hear some," said Grover.
Loki cranked up a tune ["Ghost Riders in the Sky" as covered by Spiderbait] and he sang:
"Three brothers, they went walking out one dark and stormy night,
They came up to a river, and to cross it was too wide;
Those pow'rful mages made a bridge to carry them across,
Then they met Lord Hades, who was angry for His loss!
Lord Hades, being clever, said, 'What would you like from Me?'
The elder two were arrogant, as arrogant could be;
The first one, he asked for a wand, the second one, a stone,
The third, he asked to hide from Death – would He please leave him alone?
Yippee yi yay! Yippee yi yo!
大家见面死神! {Dàjiā jiànmiàn sǐshén!}
Yippee yi yay! Yippee yi yo!
大家见面死神! {Dàjiā jiànmiàn sǐshén!}"
They listened to a guitar interlude, then Loki sang on:
"The first one won a duel, and he died with his throat slit,
The second called his fiancée back, but hung himself, he quit;
Lord Hades could not find the third for many years on end,
Met him as an old man, and they left the world as friends!
The moral of this story, it is simple to explain,
Beware of Pride, it brings a downfall full of lots of pain!
Stay humble in the gods' eyes, and They will be your friends,
They will see you safe from harm, until your mortal end!
Yippee yi yay! Yippee yi yo!
大家见面死神! {Dàjiā jiànmiàn sǐshén!}
Yippee yi yay! Yippee yi yo!
大家见面死神! {Dàjiā jiànmiàn sǐshén!}"
A second guitar interlude sounded.
"Yippee yi yay! Yippee yi yo!
大家见面死神! {Dàjiā jiànmiàn sǐshén!}
Yippee yi yay! Yippee yi yo!
大家见面死神! {Dàjiā jiànmiàn sǐshén!}"
"What does that line mean?" said Harry. "It doesn't sound Greek."
"It's Chinese, Harry. It means, 'Everyone meets the god of death.' "
"You know Chinese?" said Hermione. "I'm impressed ..."
"It is a beautiful language, and my guess is that it is among the most ancient of languages that modern people speak today."
~HALF BLOOD HARRY POTTER~
They came up to the Hollywood sign. Behind it, they could see a cave with an inscription written above:
"Πασαις ελπιδας αφιεσθε, υμεις οις εισερχεσθε! "
The letters spun around to read:
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter!"
"Well, that's cheery," said Grover.
"Wasn't there a famous Italian author who put the same words on the gates of Hell?" said Hermione.
"Well, of course, Hermione, but in spite of their religious differences, mortals have had a common inspiration all through the ages," said Loki. "Would you prefer to see, 'The way is shut; it was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it'?"
"Let's get a move on," said Grover, "before I turn tail and run away as fast as my hooves can take me…"
~HALF BLOOD HARRY POTTER~
As they entered, they saw the ghost of Vernon Dursley. "BOY! I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU TO DEATH WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"
Harry smirked. "Can you, Uncle Vernon? I would like to see you try!"
Vernon took a swing at Harry, but his ghostly hand passed through him.
"Ouch … that hurt. Is that the best you can do?"
"You see, Vernon Dursley," said Loki, "you are a dead man. You cannot hurt Harry anymore. How can the dead hurt the living?"
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
"I'm the demigod son of the god who owns this place, Vernon … shall I pay you back in kind for what you've done to Harry?"
"Loki, please," said Harry, "there is no need to waste time with this corpulent walrus."
"Perhaps, Harry, but it is time that this bully learned that there are more terrible nightmares than he can suffer in his whole life."
"HE'S A FREAK – HE'S NOT WORTHY TO BE IN MY HOUSE!"
WHAM! Loki's warhammer set Vernon's head ringing like a church bell.
Loki glared at him, his aura of terror on full blast. "Don't you ever shut up? One more word, you fat son of a Gorgon, and I will hit you again."
"YOU HIT ME!"
WHAM! "Yes, I did, and I admit, I enjoyed it. Think yourself lucky that my Father has asked to see you, Vernon. If it was up to me, I would throw you into the Styx and let you drown in it, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
"YOU CAN'T –"
WHAM! "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
Vernon quailed under his glare. "I surrender! Please, milord, have mercy!"
"You don't deserve my mercy, nor my Father's. I will pay your passage across the Styx and bring you before Him; He will decide your fate."
A hooded man came up to the group. "How generous of you, my Prince – though it is not customary for the living to cross."
"Is the fee the same as ever, Lord Charon?"
"Two drachmas per head, my Prince – but you don't need to pay."
"I will pay my passage all the same and for Vernon." He gave the Ferryman four drachmas.
"We have enough drachmas and more," said Annabeth. "Keep the change."
"Thank you, Annabeth Chase," said Charon. "Climb aboard."
Author's Note: Another fun chapter done. Read and review!
Loki Palmer