"Harry Potter and the Prince of Olympus"

By Loki Palmer

Author's Note: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 26

"Can't sleep, Your Highness?"

Patrick was outside the night before they were to go back to Hogwarts, and shook his head. "No such luck, Uncle Hades."

"Are the nightmares still bothering you?"

"Yes, they are – how did you know?"

"Hermione told us about it – she's very worried about you, champ," said Dionysus.

Patrick sighed. "I know she's worried about me. I'm probably just as worried about her. Is there nothing that can be done?"

Hades looked at him. "Yes, there is plenty that you can do, Your Highness. Pay attention to these dreams – they may give you warnings about the future."

"That's what frightens me, Uncle – they seem to show me a future where she lies dead. Uncle, how do you process death?"

"Even living for as long as I have, Your Highness, it still is not easy for me to process death. Each recent death hurts as much as the first. I know, it sounds ironic, considering the Ancient Greeks thought of me as the god of death –"

"No kidding, Uncle."

"– Yeah, but it still hurts that we live and they are gone. It's okay to grieve, but don't be so consumed with it that you forget the living."

Patrick hugged him. "Thank you, Uncle."

"You're welcome."

Dionysus rubbed his hair. "Now, you get back to sleep, allright, Your Highness?"

"Yes, Uncle Dionysus."

When Patrick left for his chambers, Dionysus turned to Hades. "Will he do okay this year, Hades?"

"I'm not sure … but I hope for all of our sakes that he'll be fine."

~HP&PO~

Meeting up with the Weasleys at King's Cross station, Patrick and Harry were at the back of the line with Ron. Much to their shock, they crashed into the barrier that led to the platform.

Hedwig, for her part, was not happy. "OW! Son of a banshee – that hurt!"

"OY!" The Muggle station guard came over. "What do you think you're doing?"

"We lost control of our trolleys, Officer," said Patrick. The station guard shook his head and walked away.

Ron and Harry were examining the barrier. "We can't get through," Ron said. "The barrier's sealed itself."

Harry shook his head. "He's right, Pat. Would lightning transport work?"

"It takes more energy to travel a farther distance, Harry. I would say the same about flying –"

"Flying? That's it!" said Ron. "We can fly there!"

"Ron, you idiot, you can't fly!"

"No, Pat, that's not what I mean. Did I tell you my dad enchanted his car so he could fly it?"

Harry shrugged. "It's an idea, Pat."

"All the same, guys," said Patrick, "I have a bad feeling about this..."

~HP&PO~

As the Weasley car flew up, Harry said, "Ron, just a little reminder – what if any Muggles see us?"

"Oops, Harry, you're right." Ron pushed a button and the car became invisible.

Some distance into the journey northward, Patrick said, "Okay, we need to find the train – Ron, the car's visible again!"

"The Invisibility booster must be faulty or something," said Ron.

"Forget it, Ron. Go down so we can find the train," said Harry.

The car descended to the tracks. They heard a whistling.

"We can't be far behind the train, it should be right ahead,"

Hedwig cleared her throat. "Uh, guys … it's coming right for us!"

The four of them looked behind, and screamed. "Move it, bird-brain! Take us up – no, don't spin around, where's your squawking sense of direction? Zeus's thunder, Pat, next time, I'm taking a squawking plane with somebody that CAN fly, because this bird-brained Troll Brain can't fly even if his meal depended on it!"

~HP&PO~

It was evening when they saw Hogwarts coming up. "Ah, home, sweet home," said Harry.

The car started to lurch. It was out of gas.

"Well, guys," said Patrick, "it was fun flying with you, so here's where I'm getting off. Harry, it will be up to you to make sure Comedy Relief makes a good landing."

"Pat, I wouldn't count on it. One plate full of bacon says that Troll Brain screws up the landing."

Patrick nodded, and leaped out of the car …

~HP&PO~

"Lacey," said Hermione in the Great Hall, "where do you think Patrick could be? I'm worried ..."

"Cheer up, Hermione. I'm sure he'll be dropping in soon."

"YAAAA-HOO-HOO-HOOIE!" Patrick crashed through the roof of the Great Hall to land on top of Hermione!

"Wow, is it that time of the week already?" said Lacey. "I didn't mean that literally, you know!"

"Hi, Hermione – thanks for breaking my fall!"

Grabbing Patrick, she spun them around so she was on top. "Do you like this position better?"

"I do, I do – I can look up into your eyes and the stars, and your eyes are hogging all the attention they can get." He extended his hand towards the hole he created. "Reparo."

"While I must compliment your skill repairing the hole you created, Milord Palmer, I will still have to give you a detention for creating the hole in the first place," said Professor McGonagall. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Severus is looking a bit too happy ..."

"Professor Snape looking happy? This could be bad news ..." said Lacey.

~HP&PO~

The next morning at breakfast, Gryffindor was together at its table when Errol, the Weasley's ancient owl, crashed into the table, clutching a red envelope.

"Look, everyone! Ron's got himself a Howler!" said Seamus.

"Can anyone tell me what a Howler is?" said Patrick.

"You'll find out soon, Pat. It's terrible," said Neville. "Everyone should stand back and cover their ears. Ron, you'd better open it quickly or it will be worse."

Even with his ears covered, Patrick and everyone there could hear the deafening message that came out of the envelope:

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! YOUR FATHER AND I WERE SO WORRIED WHEN WE SAW THE CAR WAS GONE! HOW DARE YOU STEAL IT? YOU, HARRY, AND PATRICK COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED ON YOUR WAY IN - DID YOU GIVE ANY THOUGHT TO THAT? IF THAT ISN'T BAD ENOUGH, YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK! I'M JUST HOPING HE DOESN'T LOSE HIS JOB, THANKS TO YOU! IF YOU PUT ONE MORE TOE OUT OF LINE, RONALD, WE'RE COMING UP THERE PERSONALLY AND WE WILL DRAG YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME!"

"Uh, Pat?" said Harry. "It looks like there's another one coming for us!"

"Oh, merde!" said Patrick. Upon contact with the table, the Howler exploded with Michaela's voice, and, if anything, the decibel level had gone beyond that of Molly Weasley:

"PATRICK MICHAEL PALMER AND HARRY JAMES POTTER! WHAT WERE YOU TWO THINKING WHEN YOU WENT IN ARTHUR WEASLEY'S FLYING CAR TO GET TO HOGWARTS? YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST SENT AN OWL OR SOMETHING, BUT NO - YOU JUST HAD TO MAKE A BIG IMPRESSION, DIDN'T YOU? NEXT TIME, I WANT YOU TWO TO THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING THAT STUPID EVER AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Pat, I hate to say I told you so …" said Hermione.

"What?" said Patrick. His mother's Howler had deafened the Great Hall for the remainder of breakfast!