PERCY
I had no reason nor immediate desire to stop in the name of the ministry. In fact, I wanted to stomp on the hag from the ministry, and since a little rephrasing hadn't hurt anyone before, until Professor Umbridge, I took her up on her unsaid offer.
The still-not-quite-stable toad woman burst through the doors of the Great Hall and clumsily dodged the masses of three radius protego spheres in which students were seated. I'd also advised the Professors to remove the nice-looking stained glass windows, because we were inside, and the lake was outside, and no doubt Mister Tall-Blond-and-Apprentice-Superman would be using his powers. Heck, Dumbledore even levitated the roof off – like we had done during our destruction week – specifically for Jason and his lightning bolts.
Umbridge had unwisely ventured into the middle of our faux arena, and I couldn't completely guarantee her safety. Jason had Ivlivs. I had Riptide. We both had personality-reflecting wands. And the woman had tried throwing Nico in jail, among other things. She was not very protected.
Her disgusting lips smacked as she spoke, spitting all over Jason and I as she ranted. Only when she got right up in my face, her gruesome appearance violating my personal bubble, did I start listening.
"… demand you both hand over your wands this second!" she was shouting. "It is a defilement of the Magical Decree that half-breeds are not permitted to handle a wizard's wand unless instructed too!"
My face heated up in anger, and Jason was crackling energy from wild lightning he was trying to keep tame. I felt water pounding in my ears as my rage increased.
I leaned over and put the tip of my nose millimetres from hers. She froze, glaring at me weakly, and I scowled frighteningly at her before slowly extending my wand arm and releasing the grip on the magic tool. It fell to the ground next to me and I leaned further, forcing her to take a step back. Jason discarded his own wand, as though disgusted he'd even thought of using it.
"This half-breed," I sneered the word in contempt, "has no desire to use his wand, because it's pathetic, disabling, and oh so cowardly."
I took another step, thoroughly enraged. Umbridge tried not to look like she was shrinking.
"Another thing this half-breed doesn't particularly feel like doing, is protecting your Ministry from a murderous freak because you're too dim-witted to accept he's back, and especially if it's filled with the likes of you."
Another step. Umbridge nervously pulled her wand out of her pocket.
"In-Incarcerous!" she said, trying to sound brave. I swooped back as ropes sprung out of the tip. They flew at me, but I hacked through them with Riptide, and they disappeared. The hall was silent, Professors, students and my fellow demigods watching Umbridge and I.
I snarled as I stalked forward.
"One more thing you seem to be forgetting," I growled, pointing Riptide at her. "This half-breed, is half god! What makes you think your rules even hold a candle to demi-deities? We do what our code says. And no one looks down upon the gods, especially not a MORTAL!"
I spun around and straightened up, addressing the hall as one. I held out my arms to the side, Riptide gleaming.
"My name is Percy Jackson. At twelve, I slayed the Minotaur, broke into Hades, and returned the Master Bolt to Zeus and the Helm of Darkness to the Underworld. I defeated the god of War, Ares, in a duel to the death. At thirteen, I sailed and navigated the Sea of Monsters, retrieving the Golden Fleece from Polyphemus to save my home. At fourteen I bore the weight of the sky and fought the Titan Atlas, I killed the Nemean Lion, navigated Daedalus' Labyrinth, witnessed the fading of Pan, god of the wild, and fought against Kronos's armies in the Battle of the Labyrinth. When I turned sixteen, I fulfilled the first Great Prophecy, defeated Kronos and his Titans in the Battle of Manhattan, and swam in the River Styx, taking on the Curse of Achilles to bring down the enemy and save the world. I was offered godhood, and I refused. I'm a Saviour of Olympus, Champion of Juno, Praetor of the Twelfth Legion and Ambassador of Neptune. I restored the Legion's Crown to Camp Jupiter, destroyed the giant Polybotes, and embarked on the quest for the Seven of the Prophecy to put Gaea, the Primordial of the Earth, back to sleep. I survived Tartarus, the place where nightmares are real."
I took a deep breath and ignored the eyes pinned on me. I continued in a quieter voice, though it carried and echoed throughout the room.
"I am the son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three, God of the Sea, the Earthshaker, Creator of Horses, the bringer of hurricanes and storms, and the King of Atlantis. I am the most powerful demigod of the century."
I looked up from the ground and stared straight at Umbridge. I cocked my head and gave a criminal smile.
"So, Professor," I said coolly. "Am I still unworthy to hold a wand?"
Umbridge gawked and spluttered and choked on her own spit before I sighed and waved my hand at Jason.
"Jason, be a dear and take the trash out."
Jason snickered and waved his hand. Thalia rolled her eyes. The air currents moved and Umbridge soared backwards toward the students all gaping at me in awe. I ignored them as the teachers set up a protego around the stupid Ministry woman, before facing Jason again. I smirked, and he laughed at me.
"I have never seen you look so serious," he giggled. Then he made a face.
"Most powerful of the century?"
It was a challenge, and I took it. Bracing Riptide, I grinned at him.
"Nico, sweetie," I cooed, and Nico made a choking sound from where he sat. "Come out here. Sons of the Big Three, battling it out, and I can show Air Head that I meant every word I said."
Nico stood and made his way into the temporary fighting field, twisting his skull ring. His Stygian Iron sword grew out in all its dark glory and we stood in a triangle, looking between each other.
"No wands," I confirmed, and Jason, Nico and I kicked our magic sticks away, then braced ourselves to fight. They both grinned, Nico looking eerie and ready, Jason smirking like he'd already won, and me smiling because neither of them had defeated me to this day.
"Powers included, and do try to avoid maiming each other."
Annabeth stood, holding out her hand.
"On my mark," she announced. We gripped our swords.
"Three… two… one, go!"
I was going to leave it here but…
Jason shot forward like a bullet, heading straight for me. Ivlivs, in sword form, gleamed in the unfiltered light of the dying sun coming through the windowless wall. I smirked as he came closer and closer, his sword aimed for my chest. I stayed where I was and a look of concentration spread across his face as he ran harder. Now it was only seconds before he skewered me on his sword.
Someone in the audience screamed as Ivlivs thundered into my chest.
Jason was thrown back from the force of the rebound, his sword skittering away. Everyone looked at me in shock, and I prodded my sternum where the sword was going to go.
"Curse of Achilles, Grace," I reminded him as he sat up. "Try and keep up."
Jason scowled and grabbed his sword again, and this time Nico joined him. They both ran at me and ganged up, hacking and slashing and trying to wear me out. I giggled, which made them more annoyed.
"Don't lose your heads, don't lose your heads," I chided them, then stuck my foot out to the side. Jason leapt over it, and while he was in the air I swung my other leg around and kicked him full force. He flew backwards, then flew backwards, using the air to control his movements. He smiled tauntingly at me and I was about to charge him when I remembered Nico.
I swung around so fast I would have gotten whiplash if I wasn't indestructible. The son of Hades was behind me, his Stygian Iron sword raised behind him to take out my legs. He started the blow, but I skipped over it like a rope and sent Riptide into his stomach. Nico dodged and spun his sword upwards along my arm, using it as a brace to get to my neck. I ducked around it and clashed it with Riptide.
Ivlivs suddenly appeared in my vision, aimed for my temple, and I shot to the ground, pressing myself low as Nico and Jason began fighting. Nico feinted, and Jason followed through, not catching the trick until he was flat on his back with a thin cut down his stomach and Nico's sword at his throat.
Hogwarts gasped as Nico pressed the blade to Jason's skin, but the son of Jupiter just chuckled and spread his arms out, discarding Ivlivs and praising his sort-of-cousin.
"I never could beat you, Neeks," Jason admitted, and Nico scowled.
"Don't call me Neeks," he ordered, and I rolled to my feet.
"Ah, hello?" I called, catching their attention. I struck a pose.
"Incredibly good looking and powerful demigod standing here with nothing to fight. Come and get it!"
Nico left Jason on the ground, only whipping his left hand backwards when Jason started getting up. The son of Jupiter was flattened against the floor by two shadows that spiralled up his arms. He groaned.
"Gods dammit, di Angelo!" he yelled as Nico and I started fighting. I snorted at him, then focused on the slippery boy in front of me.
Nico lunged forward, attempting a frontal attack. I redirected, but his blow was strong and it bounced off my lower shoulder. That would have been a nice wound if he could hurt me.
Nico suddenly backed off and held his sword out sideways, leaving his chest open. I started for a moment before charging, and only when I got within a meter of the boy did I notice the shadows swirling around him, or the Hellfire encircling his blade. He was starting to play the power cards. I smirked. Fine then, Nico, I thought, let's play.
I stopped in front of him and concentrated. The lake outside. The lake…
Water rushed in my ears and my stomach gave a jolt as the lake responded, flooding its banks and heading towards the castle in a huge wave. In seconds, it was crashing through the paneless windows in torrents, all spouts aimed at Nico. They converged on him and he yelped, sticking his sword hastily into the ground and summoning four dead veterans, each holding their own weapon. They defended him as I attacked while Nico held off the indoor tsunami with his Hellfire.
Jason was still sprawled on the floor, wet from the wave, and I made sure he could still breathe and all that stuff I could do no one else could underwater.
Finally, I felt the wave getting out of control, so sent it back outside quickly before my stomach started cramping. It went, leaving a covering of water on the hall floor. Everyone was safe behind their protego barriers, but their eyes were wide in shock.
I splashed through the water, completely dry, to where Nico and his skeletons were standing, soaked. The skeletons started towards me before Nico retrieved his sword from the ground and they crumpled to bones. Hellfire licked up his arms, his smile eerie, as if he knew something I didn't.
"Tired, Jackson?" he asked me, and I shook my head, smirking. Battle banter. Filling tradition, as we do.
I grabbed my shirt above my heart and feigned shock.
"Dear Poseidon, Nico, you care! I'm touched."
Nico rolled his eyes and swept forward.
"I'd prefer you to be hit, actually," he clarified. "By my fist."
I clapped.
"That's a good one, Nico," I congratulated him as he dashed at me. "File that away for future use."
He swung his sword at me and I retaliated, but Nico ducked behind me. The kid was fast.
Something glanced off the back of my legs and it tingled. I whipped around and sent my curled fist towards whatever it was there. Of course, it hit thin air as Nico ducked and rolled under my legs. He came up and I rocketed Riptide toward him at the same speed his sword flew at me.
A few hairs floated down in front of me, having been shaved off by the Stygian sword gliding above my head. Time seemed to slow down as I reached up with Riptide and –
Smack.
My sword tip hooked around the hilt, cutting Nico's palm as it skittered under the grip and forced the weapon out of his hands. It flew over my head and bounced off a protego shield ten meters away, the opposite end to where Jason still lay.
I thought I'd won, until I saw Nico a few feet away with his arms out. The skeletons from before were reanimating and knitting together to form one huge monster of a dead man. It had four arms, each wielding a weapon – a club, a sword, a scythe and a dagger – and was over seven foot. Nico dropped to his knees after it formed, whipped for the moment.
"Ah," was all I could say before it galloped at me.
I rolled between its bone legs and came up behind it. It didn't turn around immediately, and I swished Riptide up and managed to cut off the arm holding the club. I picked it up to stop it re-joining the body, and used the water still sloshing on the ground to reduce it to dust. I was now between Nico and the giant skeleton, and took my chances.
The huge thing spun around and saw me sprinting for its master, and it whisked after me. I was about to touch the panting son of Hades before a dagger looped around my neck and a bony arm dragged me backwards.
I gripped the arm with both hands, Riptide tangled in my fingers as I held onto it and the skeleton. It clacked with triumph, and I suddenly surged upwards, using the skinless arm as a bar to swing around. I did a 180-loop around the make-shift pole, my feet connecting with the monster-man's skull. He staggered and I jumped onto his shoulders, Riptide making its way to the exposed vertebra before I even landed.
The skeleton's quadruple skull crashed to the floor. Its big foot stepped on it as it reeled and I made short work of its armed appendages, turning them to ash with the water. The skeleton was left on the floor as I made my way over to Nico. He wobbled to his feet, one hand inside his jacket and assumingly clutching his shoulder. He looked me in the eye and I slowly dragged Riptide up to point at his throat.
Suddenly a black throwing knife flashed in the air and knocked my sword out of the way. Nico listed to the right and hit the ground rolling on his side, as if defending was too hard. But he got to his feet, dagger in hand, throwing me a taunting smile.
"May the best man win," he said, as though the real fight was only starting now.
"I'm trying," I replied flippantly, and he chuckled before letting shadows envelope him. I summoned the water on the ground to build up in a wave behind me. Electricity crackled in the air and the whole place smelled of ozone as a lightning bolt whizzed across the sky- wait. What?
I turned around. And quickly ducked. Ivlivs hit the ground where my head was seconds before and Jason followed quickly, grabbing his sword back up and leaping to a distance that created a triangle of the three of us again. Nico looked ticked.
"Maybe the skeleton shouldn't have been so big," Jason said helpfully. "Then you'd have been able to keep up the shadow's holding me."
Nico groaned.
"Well, there goes my plan," he muttered, and I cocked my head.
"You had a plan?" I asked. Nico grunted in confirmation.
"Yeah," he said, sounding annoyed. "Pretend to be weak until I find somewhere worth attacking on you. Guess I got distracted enough to let Grace out."
He swept his hair back and huffed, standing up straighter and looking like he did when we started fighting. I groaned.
"You were faking?" Jason asked in disbelief. Nico snorted.
"Please, like I would get tired summoning such a small skeleton."
I rolled my eyes and threw my hands forward. The building wave behind me obeyed and lunged, just as Nico and Jason let their attacks lose. The lightning mixed with the water first, before the shadows joined it and the hall shook with the amount of competing power. If it hadn't been magic, it would have collapsed already.
I started feeling tired, the Curse sapping my strength. This had to end quickly, preferably with me as the victor.
My biggest competition was Nico. So it was Nico I sent the wave to. The wave that had lightning bouncing around in it.
The water changed direction in a flash, and I only had time to see the son of Hades' eyes widen and his arms fly around to control the shadows in the water. They converged over the lightning to reduce its power and not electrocute him, but it still packed a punch.
The darkness in the wave retreated as Nico was submerged. The electricity zapped him and he shot out of the wave as it conducted the power. His clothes were steaming as he hit a protego barrier and slid down it, eyes closed, and breathing shallow and slow. Unconscious. I smiled, glad he wasn't maimed or anything.
Jason turned to me, his eyes wide. I waved my hand.
"He will be so mad at you when he wakes up," the son of Jupiter told me, and I froze. While Nico was holding back during this fight, he was scary when he was mad. One time I'd actually got on my knees and begged him to not kill me after a prank me and the Stoll's had pulled on him. I had no desire to see his eyes burning red again. I actually think he and I are almost tied for most powerful, Jason coming in close second. But I was just that little bit higher. Still…
Jason soared towards me and I barely had time to deflect before Ivlivs gave me a haircut. The wave of lake water and electricity fought against itself as Jason and I battled with our weapons and our powers, struggling for control.
I pulled the water away from the lightning, and instead made it swirl around me and pick me up in a growing water spout. I felt my eyes start glowing blue, which they've started doing since my second Achilles Curse taking when I use my command over water more than normal.
The liquid tornado picked me up and brought me to the same aerial level as Jason, who was supported by the air. His eyes were shining gold light, indicating he was using a lot of power. His hands crackled as lightning crawled over it, headed for my water spout. I leapt out of it and hit him in mid-air just as the electricity exploded into the wall of liquid, making it rain all over the unprotected part of the Great Hall. The walls shook with intensity as Jason tried to keep himself afloat while I dragged him down. He jerkily raised Ivlivs, but I used the same trick I did with the skeleton beast, and swung around his wind-supported arm, landing on his back heavily. He grunted and dropped in the air, and I pointed Riptide at the nape of his neck.
"Land," I told him, and he did, taking us both down gently. I discarded Ivlivs when he hit and made Jason get to his feet at sword-point, the tip under his chin. His eyes met mine, electricity crackled in the air and thunder boomed and the ground shook while water pounded against the earth as rain started falling-
Then we both fell over laughing.
The stunned silence of the hall was broken by our raucous giggles, but it built up again when the breath left our bodies and we just rolled around cackling soundlessly. Our friends got up and stepped out from behind their shields, Hazel and Leo running over to Nico while everyone else formed around Jason and I. Annabeth and Piper were shaking their heads.
"The both of you are horrible show-offs," Piper told us, and Annabeth nodded in agreement. Jason and I just laughed harder.
The group allowed room for Hazel and Leo, who were supporting Nico between them. His chin rested on his chest and his breathing was steadier, indicating he was waking up. They'd obviously fed him some nectar, since recovery from being electrified could take a while normally.
Nico's eyes fluttered open, revealing dark black depths, and I immediately stopped laughing as Hazel and Leo let him go to stand on his own feet. The group moved back a bit, away from Jason and I, as Nico found us with his gaze and locked on.
We scrambled to our knees and made praying motions to him.
"Gods Nico, please don't kill us!"
Nico pulled himself up to his full height and his eyes flashed crimson. Jason and I hugged each other in fear of the fourteen-year-olds wrath, when he suddenly doubled up and started laughing himself. He collapsed back onto his knees, palms smacking the ground as he giggled like a little boy. Jason and I sat still, forgetting the entire student body of Hogwarts was watching us. Nico stood up again shakily and bit his lip.
"You two look ridiculous," he finally said, and Jason and I basically threw the other away in haste of ending the hug. Nico snorted again and was about to continue when Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape parted the group and stepped up to the three of us. The others drifted away a bit to give the hall a view.
"I have never seem such raw power in all my years," Dumbledore said, barely containing his awe and fear. He looked at Jason, his eyes twinkling.
"You, my boy, have a great ability at your disposal. And your skill on the battle field is magnificent. You hold the lightning in your hand, so strong to fearlessly touch such a raw element. And you utilise it in such a way one would be dammed not to think of a well-planned fireworks show. The air currents follow you, Jason, they bow to you and worship you and you are grateful to them for that. They serve you well. Any army without you, Mister Grace, is at a disadvantage."
Jason puffed up a bit and stood, smiling humbly. Dumbledore gave him a small bow, and turned to Nico.
"And you…" he seemed at a loss for words. "The power you have is unrivalled in our world. In fact, it is so powerful that it is banned by the Ministry. But it is your nature to handle the Dark Arts, and you handle them with skill, and the knowledge of when it is right to use them. Though your powers are considered evil, Nico, your heart is not. It is golden as the sun, who bends the shadows in the day and yields to them at night, but keeps a firm hand over their leash." He put a gentle hand on the son of Hades shoulder. Nico looked mystified. "You're fighting is like a dance, and you know which beat to play. I am eternally grateful of your presence in this war."
Nico stared at the elder man, an expression of gratitude on his face, his shoulders straightening like a weight had just been lifted off them.
Dumbledore padded up to me, and I got off the floor to watch him. He shook his head.
"And you took them both on singlehandedly, and won," he breathed. By this time, the students were straining to listen.
"I only know of some things that you went though, Percy," he said, "but it seems as though there were many, many more. Your skills were gained from repeated learning experience, and they will not fail you, ever. Your instinct on the battle field, your ability to read the fight, and your fierce loyalty to those you fight with make you a god amongst soldiers." I blushed. "If Nico's fighting is a dance, and Jason's is a show of strength, then yours is both. You see where your opponents can be taken down, and you grasp that opportunity with both hands. You're willing to go to heights to face your enemies." Dumbledore drew breath. "I knew you were powerful, but not this powerful."
The Headmaster faced his students and staff, holding his arms out as if presenting Jason, Nico and I. The others grinned at us encouragingly, and Leo wolf-whistled.
"Tonight, my friends," Dumbledore announced, "we are in the presence of the most powerful beings of the century." He gently put a hand on Annabeth's back and coaxed her forward. She blushed as she realised he was talking about them as well. Dumbledore led my friends into the spotlight individually and announced them again. The students clapped after each name.
"Annabeth Chase, daughter of wisdom. Hazel Levesque, daughter of riches. Piper McLean, daughter of love. Thalia, daughter of lightning and Lieutenant of the Hunt. Frank Zhang, son of war. Leo Valdez, son of fire."
Then he turned to Jason, Nico and I.
"Jason Grace, son of the sky." Jason stepped forward, his cheeks dusted red as the kids clapped louder for him.
"Nico di Angelo, son of death and Prince of Shadows." There was some wolf-whistling this time, and Leo wasn't the culprit. The clapping grew louder.
"And Perseus Jackson, son of the sea, saviour of the world and most powerful demigod in the last hundred years."
If the roof was still there, the students would have brought it down.
The tables were back in place and dinner had appeared. We were flocked with people from every house except Slytherin, who remained stubbornly seated, glaring at us. Annabeth was swamped by crowds of Ravenclaws – figures – and Jason, Nico and I could barely speak for fear of accidentally swallowing a Gryffindor, they were so close. All the girls seemed particularly interested in Nico, who'd taken to hovering above the table on a shadow mat to avoid being smacked on the bum again. Leo joined him not long after, only to tell Nico that Leo had never had so many girls after him at once, if ever.
Frank and Hazel, bless them, were surrounded by crowds of Hufflepuffs, who seemed to be able to smell loyalty, because there was always a bunch near me, blending with the Gryffindors. One conversation had gone something like:
Hufflepuff: "You're fatal flaw is loyalty?"
Percy: "Um, yeah."
Hufflepuff: *swoons* "Wow."
It was creeping me out, honestly. I thought they'd shun us, be scared, or not speak to us ever again. That seemed to be the case for the Slytherins, but not for anyone else.
Harry and Ron had taken to guarding Piper from swarms of eager boys and Thalia was very sorry she didn't know how to control air currents. Hermione, I think, was somewhere in the Ravenclaw crowd, trying to save Annabeth from suffocation.
Dumbledore banged his goblet, and silence ruled. He smiled at everyone.
"Houses, please, back to your seats. Though these are battle-hardened demi-deities, I'm not sure how much more they can take."
Everyone sat down, The Gryffindor's plonking down around us. Suddenly we were the most popular people ever.
Dumbledore motioned to Nico on his shadow cloud. The son of Hades ducked under one more enchanted, pink paper plane with another note asking if he could send the girl an owl, before he jumped off the shadow and dissipated it, destroyed the notes in a ball of black flame. Someone giggled at how much of a bad-boy he was. I had to pick my jaw up from the floor.
Nico walked up to the lectern and stood next to Dumbledore, who bowed him in. The son of Hades stepped up and raked his eyes across the hall.
"All of you," he started, "ignore everything you think you've heard about the return of Voldemort and listen here." Nico pointed at Harry, who suddenly found his robes quite interesting.
"Potter is not wrong," he told the silent hall. "As a son of Hades, I live in the Underworld, and help my father with his duties. For years he has had paperwork on one Tom Mavolo Riddle, aka, Lord Voldemort." Nico narrowed his eyes. "Make no mistake, this man is not dead. He is not gone. Only a portion of his soul in waiting in Hades, but he is still very much alive. If you won't believe Potter, believe someone who lives with the dead.
"You need to be ready to fight in a war soon," he told them. "And as of tonight, Defence Against the Dark Arts-" he coughed to cover up a short cackle "- will not be handled by Professor Umbridge, but by us."
Nico leaned over the podium.
"He is alive. No one is safe. You must learn to defend yourselves and your friends, because no one else will defend you against this man. And when he is dead, I will personally throw him into Tartarus for eternity."
He left from behind the lectern and started walking down the aisle. Eyes followed him everywhere, and Nico ignored them.
Until a shrill voice cut through the silence and a pudgy hand slammed down on the son of Hades' shoulder.
*wipes forehead* 5141 words guys, 5141. I kinda figured I owe you for not updating in nearly a month, so, here.
But you're al just… so amazing! I never thought this story would get so much love! 685 reviews - *faints* - and 108 375 views - *dies* - ! I mean, wow! Thank you all so much, everyone who followed, favourite and reviewed!
And people, please give it up for TsunaFan247, who is drawing a cover for Brace Yourself, Hogwarts – The Demigods are Here. She is doing a fantastic job and I can't wait for you all to see it.
I'm really sorry for the fight scene, too. I don't know if it's any good.
See you all next time, which will be sooner, promise.
Jasmine Out!