Winter Break
Winter wasn't something Percy enjoyed. He preferred the hot over the cold any day. He was back at New York for the winter break, and his professor, Kristiann, was driving him back to the apartment his mother had just finished organizing.
"So what do you plan on doing for Christmas?" Kristiann asked with a bright grin.
"My mom wrote on her recent letter that she was planning to invite my two best friends, Annabeth and Grover."
"Are they also demigods?"
"Just Annabeth, her mom is Athena...Grover, on the other hand, is a satyr." Percy looked at the twenty-one year old driving the sports car that people seemed to lose their minds for, "Are you doing anything with your family during the break?"
His smile faded away and Percy knew he had said something wrong, "No, I don't plan on doing anything because I...well, I...don't..." He gulped and tried to keep his eyesight on the road, "I don't have a...a family."
"Oh," Percy's mouth was dry, "I'm sorry...If you don't mind me asking...how'd they die?"
Kristiann chuckled, "Percy, they didn't die." He laughed this time, "I just don't talk to them. Most of it dealt with personal reasons that you wouldn't understand and that I would not have enough nerve to tell you. Because of those reasons, they treat me like an outcast."
"That sucks," And at that moment an idea had popped into Percy's mind, "How about you spend Christmas and New Year's with me and my mom? You'd like it, I can guarantee it."
His eyes widened, "Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah, I mean, you and I have become really close lately...you're practically one of my best friends!"
"Would your mom approve of me staying?" The car stopped infront of a small beige house with a maroon roof.
"I'm sure she will...If I trust you, I'm sure she'll trust you too."
"It's just that...I don't know...maybe-"
"If not than atleast stay for dinner." Percy got out of the car and walked to the back seats to grab his luggage.
"Fine." He said loudly and opened his door to help Percy with his stuff. They both walked to the front entrance of the apartment and rung the bell.
As soon as the door opened Percy was surprised when a pair of arms that had wrapped around him. "Percy!" The blond girl said happily.
"Annabeth?" After she was done another set of arms came to him all of the sudden almost making him drop Shannon. "Grover!"
"It's been so long since we last saw you!" The satyr said.
"I know, I know...I've missed you guys."
"And you have a pet owl now? That is so cool!" Annabeth looked at Shannon carefully.
"Would you guys allow me to come in?...Thank you." He placed his suitcases next to the red couch in their living room.
"Percy?" He heard his mother's voice calling out?"
"Mom!" And he ran towards his mother to give her a long and warm hug.
"Oh, honey, I've missed you so much." She said, fixing her boy's messy black hair. Sally looked up and noticed Kristiann, who was staring at the floor, and she whispered, "Why is your guide here?"
"Yes, about that... "He backed away, "Mom, Kristiann isn't just my guide anymore, he...is also one of my professors and a close friend."
The smiles on Annabeth and Grover's faces faded away and they turned to see the handsome young man, who they hadn't noticed, that only gave them one small wave when all eyes were on him. "Percy?" Annabeth began, "Who is he?"
"Where are my manners, my name is Kristiann Hawthorne and it is a pleasure to finally meet some of Percy's friends." He stretched out his hand but neither of them responded to his greeting.
"Not only that, mom, but I was wondering if he could spend the break with us..." Percy shyly looked down, started to play with fingers and waited for his mother's answer.
"Percy, dear, you have friends who came over-"
"He's my friend, mom, I'm sure he'll get along with Grover and Annabeth."
"Are you sure, I mean we only have the guest room and that one was going to be for Annabeth and Grover."
"I'll share my room with them, Kristiann can take the available room for himself...Mom, he'll be spending the Holidays alone...his family wants nothing to do with him..."
Uncertain, Sally finally said, "If that's the case, then I guess he can stay..." Percy's mom backed away from her boy and walked to the kitchen.
Percy, who was more than satisfied with his mom's answer, turned to Kristiann and mouthed, "She said yes!"
Kristiann grinned and then made his way to the kitchen where Percy heard him ask, "Mind if I help you with dinner, Ms. Jackson?"
Annabeth walked closer, "Who is that?"
"He's my professor and the coolest guy I know."
"Your professor with what? Modeling?" Grover said, chuckling.
"No, with Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Both of them looked confused, "What school are you going to?"
"Hogwarts."
The color drained out of both of their faces. "Percy, please tell me you didn't do that?"
"Do what?"
"Go to Hogwarts!"
"Yeah, I did and I actually like the school."
"Percy, you don't know what wizards do to demigods."
"You're just saying that..."
"Oh my gods, no I'm not!" Annabeth almost yelled.
"Annabeth," Grover said, recovering from the shock wave that he had gotten when Percy said he was attending Hogwarts, "We didn't come here to fight with Percy, okay? If he decided to go to Hogwarts, that was his choice. Besides, his professor seems like a great guy so the school cannot be as bad as everyone makes it seem."
All three of them heard the laughter coming from the kitchen and Percy knew that his mom had begun with the baby stories.
After several minutes of dead silence between the friends, Percy's mother called them out for dinner. Kristiann sat next to Percy and they both began to eat from the plate of beef stew.
"So, Percy," Grover said as he put a can of metal Kristiann had kindly given him in his mouth, "Is there anyone at your new school that you like?"
Annabeth looked up when Percy responded, "No, not really."
"That is a lie." Kristiann said and Percy nudged his arm.
"No, it's not."
Sally giggled and encouraged, "Come on, Percy, who is she?"
"She is nobody, she doesn't exist."
"That's not what you say when it comes to the topic."
"Cecily barely knows me and I barely know her." Percy face palmed and Grover laughed loudly while Annabeth giggled. "Is that her name, Perce, Cecily?" Grover teased.
"That is a pretty name." Annabeth admitted with a smile. "Rare, but pretty."
"Fine I'll tell you the truth, I consider her extremely pretty and every now and then she crosses my mind but that is it...nothing goes past that." But the four people in the table ignored him and they all gave him a long, "Awwww." And Grover had added kissing noises to make it worst.
"Whatever, you're just saying that to avoid everything else you've told me."
"I've never told you anything that involves her."
"Oh my gosh, shut up, what about those two times she kissed your cheek."
"Oooooh." Sally said as she took another spoonful of the meal.
"That was because I helped her in two occasions and that was her way of saying thank you."
"I'll tell you something...sometimes I hear her talking about you to her friends."
"Really?" His eyes were focusing on his professor and everybody laughed at his action. Rolling his eyes, he decided to change the topic, "So what's up with you guys?"
Annabeth spoke, "My new school is amazing, and I love it because it has all of these architectural courses that I can take."
"Cool, how about you Grover?"
"Well, Chiron has been making me help out with getting the camp ready for the upcoming summer which you'll show up for."
Percy laughed, "Of course, I'll be there."
"Don't leave us hanging like you did this summer."
"I won't, don't worry about that."
After several more minutes of laughing at the stories that were being exchanged, dinner was over. Percy helped with the cleaning while the three guests made themselves comfortable in the three bedroom apartment.
The days of the winter break were better than Percy might've expected and shorter than he would've noticed. For Christmas, he was the one that received the most presents: A watch from Grover, a black leather jacket from his mother, an advanced magic book of spells from Kristiann and Annabeth a black shirt of the Beatles. The days of the Winter Break had been peaceful until the night of New Year's.
Snow had filled the streets of New York; it had been colder than any other night since the vacations began.
Everybody, except for Percy, had been sleeping. He couldn't sleep, something wouldn't allow him to close his eyes and get lost in the world of dreaming. He had felt this feeling before and he knew something was wrong.
He sat up, looked outside his window and there it was. Leaning against a tree, was a man. The hood of his jacket was up and all that he could see was a long blond braid that stopped below his chest. The man looked up from the silver blade he was holding and turned to Percy's window where he revealed a crooked grin. His eyes were the same color as the man he had seen on his nightmare: An ice blue.
Percy looked down to his blanket and he rubbed his eyes. This couldn't be true; the man could not be the one he saw in the newspaper clipping. Damien Lestrange, the prisoner that had escaped Azkaban, was right outside his window, waiting for the right time to kill him.
With a long sigh of disbelief, Percy looked to his window once more and the man was gone. He knew it was just his imagination. He decided to go back to sleep where he knew he'd forget about everything.
He had been asleep for about five minutes when a scream woke him up in surprise. It came from the living room, where Annabeth ad Grover decided to stay after watching a movie.
He quickly stood up and grabbed Riptide which he uncapped it on his way to where his two friends were located. There, he saw something that horrified him in every extreme. Their bodies were seemed as if they were frozen. Holding on to Annabeth's arm, was the same man he had seen a few minutes ago. The knife he had been holding was blood stained, and his lips were on the wound he had made on her arm.
"Expelliarmus!" Percy heard Kristiann's voice yell from behind him.
"Finite Incantatem!" And the spell that had been casted on him had no effect. The man backed away from Annabeth's immobile body and he began to laugh like had on that nightmare. Like those two criminals on that newspaper. Between crazy laughter he said, "This is just the beginning, Percy Jackson!" With his wand, he muttered some words and from the floor, flames began to wrap around him, making him disappear.
"This is bad." Kristiann said, moving towards Annabeth's body. "This cannot be happening."
"How in hell did that guy get in here?!"
"Same way he got out, Percy, using an Apparition spell." He pointed his wand to the cut on Annabeth's arm and bandages appeared to wrap around her wound.
"Was that Damien Lestrange?! Was that the criminal?!"
Kristiann walked up to him and grabbed Percy by the shoulders, "How did you know about him? Who told you who he was?"
"Nobody did, I found out by myself but that's not the point, I want to know why that monster was in here and why he injured Annabeth."
"He wanted her blood!"
Cold sweat dripped down his face, "What?"
"Demigod blood is considered sacred in the wizard world, it gives any spell caster a lot of power depending on which of Twelve Wizards it comes from. But your little friend's blood is nothing compared to yours, Percy. Athenian blood may give you enough power to cast extremely dangerous spells without a problem but blood from one of the kids from the Main Three, can give you the capability to use magic without a wand."
"Then why didn't he attack me instead of attacking one of my best friends?!"
"That...I cannot answer but I'm sure you'll find out." He walked over to Annabeth and carried her in his arms, "I'll take her to a nearby hospital, you stay with your mom, I think she'll need your comfort after all of this."
After Kristiann had left he went over to his mother's room and the entire time he was with her, he knew that he had to be ready for the next time that the criminal of Damien Lestrange attacked again...He was sure, that next time he saw him, he'd be ready...