Chapter 25: Karaoke Battle

Words: 4,867

Recap: If I had a nickel for every time I have fought with a Centaur I would have 2 nickels. It isn't much but it's weird that it happened twice right? Now onward to find a tree that may or may not exist to call for a creature that may or may not exist…

"Fifty-one butterbeer up on the wall. Fifty-one bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around. Fifty butterbeer up on the wall~"

"For the love of— I swear Sirius if you don't shut up right now, I'll turn your tongue into slugs!"

"I can't help it, James— it's a catchy song!"

"You've been singing that the whole day—"

"Guys..." Peter broke up their petty argument for the nth time. He wished Remus was here to do the job because it's exhausting being the level-headed one. "I'd appreciate it if you guys stop trying to wake up the whole bloody forest!"

"Don't get you knicker in a twist, Peter." James barely turned as he waved his concern off while soaking in the heat of the campfire they huddled around. "We've tested this place for months, there's not a single beast around for miles."

And it's true. The 'Safe Zone' as they called it was devoid of any magical creature or animals alike. The reason for it was at the early semester of the year, the quartet group started to plant seeds of Wolfsbane around a certain area in the forest. Its highly poisonous properties became a natural deterrent for most creatures in the forest. It was planted not too deep but not too far from the castle so they could reach on foot. But obscure enough that no one would have an easy time finding them.

The boys figured they needed a secret base for the four of them. Especially when they needed outdoor space to grow their own ingredients and potion-making with a good unobstructed view of the moon shining down on them. It sounded fun on paper, but they quickly realized that there is a lot of nothing in the forest once you take beats out of the equations. Now, the only thing they're fighting off is their boredom.

"Merlin, help me, are we really going to be up all night?" Peter blew out tiredly, "I wish Remus was here. He seemed to know the spell best."

"Well too bad because A, we need to collect dew drops before dawn breaks for our animagus potion so yes we'll be up all night. And two… wait… I mean B, we're doing this for Remus. It's a moot point if we ask help from him for every little thing."

"And besides… how hard is dew collecting going to be. We've already collected…" James took out the crystal vial and examined the barely-there amount of water inside, "...about ten drops, I think."

"Really?! Ten drops already?! Amazingly done James, and we only need three teaspoons of it!" Peter snarked before sighing again, a lot louder this time. "This is going to take years, I can feel it."

"Oh, lighten up, Peter. Just think of this as a muggle camping that Remus explained before. It can be fun!"

"Do you even know how to camp muggle-style?" The short boy asked.

"Sure we do. Sleep in a small cooped-up tent, tell some ghost tales around a campfire, and burn some muggle sweets." Sirius lifted his stick containing the charred black marshmallow and skeptically touched it, "Although I don't see what's so good about it."

"Unfortunately the boy who actually knows about muggles is cooped up right about now so I don't even know what's the point in all this."

"The point, Peter—" Sirius pointed his stick with the burn good at the mousey boy's face, "—is to have an adventure. And nothing says adventure more than having a night out with friends in the most mysterious forest in Britain."

"No, it says that we're asking to be wolf-meat, and if I die, I'll kill you in the afterlife."

"Such crude words, Peter. Honestly, I don't see why you're only violent with us. We are a delightful company."

"I asked myself that a lot." Peter rolled his eyes while grumbling. But to the eyes of those who've known him for years, they knew it was just a bluster to hide his concern.

"Peter, relax," James patted his back, "We've got this."

"Easy for you to say! You both are naturally born wizards and I'm, I'm just me!" Peter's tone turned high before getting himself under control, "I want to help Remus as much as you, but you're asking me to risk being an animal hybrid without screwing things up."

"You won't, Peter. Or at least not alone. Trust me, as long as we're in this together, there's nothing that the Alpha Squad can't do."

Peter was silenced like he was soaking in the encouraging words until he opened his mouth, "I'm voting to change our group name. All in favor, say aye."

"Oyeee!" Sirius raised his hand with a mouthful of burned marshmallow.

"Hey! We can't vote out names without the full group. Dems the rule!"

"Remus was the first to object, dumbass!"

They bickered and argued as good-natured friends often do until the trio quieted down, basking in the subtle silence of the forest. The crackling firewood, the leaves chiming through the breeze, the deep growl of a predator…

The last sound registered to the boys, and they were up with their wands, their backs facing each other.

"Jameeeesss," Peter squawked, "I thought you said there were no beasts around this area."

"I swear there aren't! I've quadruple checked the place, there shouldn't—"

The deep reverberating growl came out stronger, making the children tensed. From the depth of the shadows, Sirius caught the yellow eyes that seemed to dimly glow in the dark. A very familiar set of eyes that still crept into his nightmares from the very first night he saw the creature. "No…" he whispered in terror.

"Sirius, what's wrong?"

"There! James, it's…" But where Sirius was pointing there was nothing.

Peter glanced toward the same way and saw no sign of life. "Sirius, are you sure you're not seeing things."

"I swear I saw something there!"

James slowly walked to where Sirius had pointed out. Ever so cautious, the boy examined the spot with his wand lighting out his surroundings. Immediately, he caught something out of place. Crouching down, he closed in his wand at what would be a hole like something had been forcibly dugout. James' eyes went round as he recognized it as one of the spots he planted the Wolfsbane seed. Feeling something amiss, he made the light spell brighter and witnessed the numerous holes of every plant in the clearing.

"Oh no…"

"JAMES, ABOVE!" He heard Sirius cry.

James can't tell if his best friend was trying to warn or to look up, but he did the latter. Then facing up to the scowling of a feisty werewolf bearing down from the trees before jumping off with a wide jaw opened and fangs bearing down on him.

. . .

"We are now approaching deeper into the Forest of Sobortus. The army of centaurs moving as one body. Already we've seen bodies of magical creatures fallen to the Rotten Spirits, their dark influence spread thick, but there's no stopping their momentum. We see the one-of-a-kind demigod, Perseus Jackson, currently on top of the leader's back after much arguing, cursing, and one-sided raspberries. What may have taken days on foot took only minutes on hoof. Their coordinated attacks managed to ward off any stray dementors but would this be enough until they reach the heart of the forest or will all else fail to the nature of the cursed wraiths?"

"Ivan…"

"Yes, Boss?"

"If you got nothing — Bombarda! — useful to say other than doing an Attenborough impression, kindly shut up."

"Would it help if I put on some epic dramatic music instead?"

"...that would be nice actually."

"Will you take this seriously?!" Bane, the spoilsport, yelled in outrage, "We are at war with the most wretched form of nature and you are making light of lives being at stake!"

"Hey, lay off— crap, Protego! Do you think it's easy being the Chosen One?"

"Better than being your mule I bet." He emphasized that point with a harsh gallop that gave a rough post. I didn't feel guilty pulling on his ear as a means to hold on.

"Err, guys…" the automaton fairy came between us.

"What?!" The both of us yelled.

"I don't know how to say this… but there's a line of angry dementors in front of us."

We looked forward and indeed Ivan wasn't exaggerating. Instead of the usual gliding Dementors, we were swatting like flies, we're now facing an army of them blocking our way in a thick line. It was such an ominous sight. Trees that looked like two fat legs began uprooting themselves and ran away.

I gulped, "Oh boy… any chance you know any way around them?"

"Nay, young Half-blood. They're being more protective of this area, which means we're close. Men, CHARGE!"

Their war cry filled the forest as two opposite sides crashed with each other. I had a moment to sigh before bracing myself with a tight grip of my wand. Two sides came clashing. Arrows flying and swords swinging. Dark shadows reeling. And the sound of a vacuum before bodies dropping amid a run for their lives. The centaurs fought with desperate fire that lit their desire to win.

I did my best to push them away either by exploding and protecting charms. The wraiths breeze through me, followed with a depressing aura they carried. This would have been a lot easier for me if I had Gryffindor's Sword on hand but of course I barely had a handle of it before losing the sword already. Urgh, this is why Riptide is so much easier to use. She always comes back.

"Boss, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but there's TOO MANY OF THEM!" shrieked the mechanical mouth.

"We can't retreat after coming this far — It's do or die, Ivan."

"Indeed," Bane agreed before bucking his rear back and threw me over. My fast reflex was the only reason I hadn't hit head first to the ground.

"Oi! What gives—"

"Go, Perseus Jackson! The fate of the forest lies with you. We shall hold back the wraiths for as long as we can."

My eyes widened at the implication of his action. But more so for the absurd request he's making. I don't even know what the tree looks like! "How will I find it?" I shouted through the chaos.

"Trust your instinct! It will guide you to the guardian, GO!"

Resolutely, I nodded before getting up on my feet and ran as fast as I could, deeper into the forest. Not wanting to waste a millisecond before they may get overwhelmed in time.

The path to the Primal Tree became a bit of a blur. Trees that had jewels shone colors in them, from time to time a familiar tree made a distinct arrow to point out the way and avoid the dementors, trees with flowers that glowed like lanterns to light up my path. I tried not to look too hard at the forest creatures standing with lifeless eyes that make them no different from dolls.

I stopped and rested, leaning back as I tried to regain my breath. The smell of pine put me at ease. "Hey, Ivan. You think you could point out how far the Primal Tree is?" Seconds tick by and there was no reply. "Ivan?"

The sign of the bronze mechanical fairy was nowhere to be seen. My heart skipped a beat. But I knew finding him was no use in the dark, dark forest. But no darker than the shadows—huh?

I closed in the ground and the shadows specifically. There were two things I found weird.

One, the shadows are way darker than they should. Like someone made a mold of my shadow using Vanta Black that you can't even spot the grass and dirt.

Two, the trees' shadows shaped nothing like the trees in front of me.

"Great, where am I this time?"

I looked up instinctively but the stars were obscured for reasons, so the only way to go is to move forward. I lit up my wand and moved it around but suddenly felt like being in another forest entirely.

The trees around me don't seem to stand still. They wavered left and right like they were shifting through the absent breeze. But when I focus really hard at one point, there's nothing weird happening. The ground felt unsteady under my feet since I kept smushing fruits and nuts I swear wasn't there at first glance. The pomegranates, especially, make no sense since it's out of season.

Changing tactics, instead of focusing on the forest as a whole I eyed the shadows since they seemed to stand still. Maybe it could help me find my way. Curious, I stepped onto the shadow and my whole leg almost got swallowed up like quicksand.

"Ohcrapohcrapohcrapcrapohcrap!"

I managed to pull myself out at the last second, but that didn't stop its attack. The shadows began to stretch and merge before wrapping themselves with my own shadow. The branches turned to vines with sharp spikes as if Maleficent came to display her brand of magic.

I yelled out explosions spells one after another but it didn't seem to affect them since, you know they're shadows—oh, oh, right!

"Lumos Maxima!"

The light seemed to burn the shadows away. And the tight wrapping around my neck was loose and I fell on my knees before I hacked in some air. I hissed since the burn of wrapping vines felt real. Especially around my throat so it took a moment for me to calm down.

I looked up and the change of scenery shook me that my throat clogged up. A very familiar scenery.

"This is…" camp. My camp... with the strawberry field over the hills, the lake sparkling like a well-placed jewel, the familiar pine trees where we hid during a good game of Flags. I spotted the rows of cabins, each with its own distinctive feature that you spot from even afar. There was a sense of peace I can't replicate anywhere else.

The sound of far away whistling alerted me before witnessing the fiery ball of flame raining down on top of the cabins.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

I ran down the hill like a madman, but no matter how fast I ran, they were all out of reach. I kept trying to reach out even as the camp was on fire, the campers screaming, the faceless roman demigods marching at us like uniformed soldiers. From afar, I could hear the shrieking laughter of Octavius, ordering like a chant. 'Kill, kill, kill, kill them all!'

I aimed my wand at them, a spell at the tip of my tongue before switching to aim at my face. "Expeliarmus!"

It felt like a punch on the face while someone photographed with the flash on, my whole body reeled back and came skipping on the ground. I coughed harshly after having the wind knocked out of me, but it was worth it when I opened my eyes and the forest was back.

Pooo~ and we're just getting to the good stuff.

The voice gave shivers ran down my spine. Wand ready, I turned to face… Circe?!

You've come far this time, Half-Blood said she, but the voice sounded like it came from an old speaker. Half her body was misty and she glided like a ghost would have. But soon this will be your grave.

"Oh, please~ do I look like the kind of man who dies? I've crawled up from hell so hard that Lucifer wishes he was me."

Indeed, a once in a lifetime accomplishment that even I had to applaud. But tell me this, Percy Jackson, did you truly escape Tartarus?

My surroundings shifted like a mirage that took shape. The same charred trees. The same sharp blades of grass. The same pungent air. The not-same minotaur is currently bulldozing right at me. My hand reached out for my non-existent sword so I was left dodging out of the way.

Circe giggled like I was the first entertainment in decades. When the minotaur made a sharp turnaround without pause, I yelled out frustratingly and without care as I ran up right at the bull-man. Fighting off the urge to run before passing through it like a mist.

"Nice try, Circe. But the hallucinations are getting old school. You should try a new trick."

She chuckled while floating comfortably as if the air was her personal cushion. That's the funny thing, Circe glided in a circle before stopping next to me and breezily whispered, I'm not doing any of this.

I swatted her away but felt nothing as I disarrayed her face. Her amused look came back with a laugh, having fun poking my nerves no doubt.

"What do you mean by that?"

What I'm saying is that I have no control over what the forest shows you, Jackson.

"Percy!"

I felt my heart stopped from the nostalgic voice. Seemingly close but far away. Praying it's fake but longing for real. "Annabeth?"

"Percy, where are you?." Shaking my head, I wanted to deny what I'm hearing. Why is… what is she doing here?! She can't be here!

"I'm coming!" And yet I ran blindly anyway. The chittering laughter of the monsters made my heart drop and ran desperately to reach her in time. The shadows grew and lunged. I blasted them all with barely a word or glance. Frustration leaked out as they kept hindering me, reveling in the destruction I have power over. As if having a target for something pent up inside me

"Percy, I can't see."

"Wait for me!" Nothing matters to me more than keeping her safe. The world can burn for all I care. I can't lose her. I can't.

"Percy, don't leave me alone!"

"I'm not, I won't, I'm…" not real. I halted mid-stepped and rammed my head to the nearest tree. She's not here, Percy. She's back home. Back in time. My time. Get it together, seriously, I'm gonna get a concussion just to snap out of these illusions.

"Cut it out, Circe! Why don't you come out and fight me instead of using trickery? Aren't you a goddess… or are you too scared?"

Hardly, Percy Jackson. Why sully my hand when I can let your own mind destroy you?

"What do you…"

I know a mind-blocking spell when I see one. You must have been struggling to be desperate enough to use it. But you should have been warned that all magic comes with a price. By keeping all those nasty feelings away in lock and keys, once someone breaks it down, everything that's tearing you apart will come bursting out like a broken dam in the most fun of ways.

The image of the purple-blue fire came at the forefront of my brain and it clicked. "The Will 'o Wisp… the nightmares… it wasn't just to curse Lily… it was to break that door open."

Have you been sleeping well, dear? Your bags under your eyes are becoming permanent… did you push your little friends away… isolating yourself… see things that aren't there… crying for poor mommy and daddy when they're not around?

"Shut up!" I forego my wand and just punched her but Circe burst like a cloud while her taunting laugh persisted around me.

And here you are Percy Jackson, without a weapon and third-rate magic skills while the young wizard is facing his doom.

Her words registered and felt my face paled at. The only wizard that would be a talk of concern would be "James…" my eyes widened as everything fell in place, "All of… all of this is just an elaborate distraction to keep me away while you send the rest of the dementors on him."

Hmm, it occurred to me. But being the full moon, I thought it would be more ironic to have his little furry friend do the job while the cursed nymphs drive you to insanity.

As if called by her cue, the dementors came swooping down like it's raining men.

I gulped and tried to keep my bravado, "Well keep hiding in your little hidey-hole, Circe. Once I get to the Primal Tree, all of your hard work will be for naught."

An annoyed frown crossed her face before Circe went smug again. Oh, really? she made a gesture with her hand and made a circle of illusion that acts as a projector. In it, I saw James, Sirius, and Peter running like their life depended on it. Behind them was a monster, unlike anything I've ever seen. Like a hybrid between a rabid dog and a man with its fur recently grown out after being shaved.

What will your choice be, hero? Saving your future or this present? With that last sentiment, she cackled like the evil villainess she is before leaving alone with her dreary minions.

"Ah, crap."

They came at me in groups that left no room for me to slip through the gaps.

I held my wand up high and cried, "Protego Maxima!"

A dome made of a magical shield kept them at bay. They bounced off the shield but they weren't going away. They just kept banging and banging like obnoxious salesmen who wouldn't take no for an answer. Sweats dripping down my forehead as I held on to my focus. But just when having robed hideous skeleton-like figures all badgering up for the first Kiss wasn't scary enough, the wraiths changed into all kinds of monsters; arae, medusa, furies, even Nyx and all her monstrous children.

Seriously, can my head give me a break? It's as if the Fates are trying every way possible to traumatize me.

One normal-size version of the Giant made a loud banging on the shield. The shield trembled and their ugly faces were uncomfortably getting closer. My arms began to tremble. "Come on, Percy, get it together."

The shield broke and the medusa figure was the first to snatch me up by the throat and pushed me back. I had my back harshly hit the tree before I found reality back in sight, though it wasn't much of an upgrade.

"Expecto Patronum!" my last-ditch of effort fell unto the spell. Bright mist rose from my wand and the dementor hissed back, letting up my throat. But the illuminating mist wasn't enough to block off all the Rotten spirits. It was already hard to focus on one Dementor, much less tens of them. "Expecto Patronum!" I shot at one coming from the side before it got close. "Expecto Patronum." Another one came from above. "Expecto- Expecto patronum." The mist grew bright, but just as quickly, the light fell.

"Expecto- Expecto- patronum-" Again and again I threw out the same spell. But the more light dims the more I felt myself losing control. I knew how bad it was to doubt at that moment. But trapped all alone in the depth of the forest with no backup. There was little hope going around to keep me thinking straight. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the light died, my knees buckled, my wand rolling out of my grasp.

Teketeketeketek…

"No… no, this can't be the end." The dementors looked ready to feast on my soul, their thin hands caressed my face.

Teketeketeketek…

Dad. Hecate. Rhea. Anyone…

Help me.

Please.

Teketeketeketek…

Okay, I know this is a horrifying moment but it's hard enough keeping focus, much less with that annoying sound that's… that's… wait, is that a bass guitar?

As soon as I thought that, a loud string guitar riff started playing a very, very familiar melody. The sudden noise hit the air like a gunshot that even took the dark creatures off guard.

"Rising up, back on the street~ did my time, took my chances~"

I searched for the source and my eyes glued to the walkman that must have fallen off my pocket. The headphones unplug. The music was probably loud enough for all of the forest to hear.

"Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet~"

Hearing something from the days my mom and I would sing whenever it came up in the car radio, the snort slipped out unwillingly from how bizarre it was. The Dementor leaned back, as if the sound of amusement scared them and that only made me laugh out for real.

One of them still had a tight grip on my throat, and the oppressive aura was still there. But for an ADHD like me, nothing can keep us more distracted than my favorite jam blaring at top volume.

"Just a man and his will to survive~"

I sunk my breath that helped keep my breathing steady and sung as loud and hard as I could. Not caring if the whole forest heard my off-key singing. I sang and sang with wild abandonment, the same way I did during the feast after the war was over and the whole camp sang it like it was an anthem.

The Dementors stayed floating but not attacking, either they don't know how or they're not capable of it. Not while I still had my wits with me.

"Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past~"

There was a warm glow came from the side. A bonfire that wasn't there before appeared like the ones Hestia tended back at camp. I blinked. And suddenly, it all became clear. Like the cloud shrouding my mind has been wiped off. My change of composure confused the wraiths and unnerved them. Well, they should be.

"You must fight just to keep them alive~"

There was a glint with the shadow of the forest. Seeing it, the last shred of fear shed away. I held out my arm and Gryffindor's Sword flew right into place. And because it felt right, I opened my mouth and sang along the lyrics just as I swung to vanquish the wraith in front of me.

"It's the eye of the tiger~ It's the thrill of the fight~"

The dementors backed away and tried crowding me with their oppressing desolate aura. But I only hummed and stood still, while tapping my foot to the beat of the music. It became so obvious seeing them like this, especially when I did the same thing during my first encounter with them. I slid to the nearest one and slashed them sideways while keeping my head clear.

"Rising up to the challenge of our rival~ And the last known survivor~"

My steps became in sync with the rhythm, and it felt like being in Evans' Home. Lily and I twisting and turning with our laughable impromptu dance and dragging Severus along for the ride.

Then the weirdest thing happened next. A megaphone appeared when it shouldn't have any business to be in the middle of the forest. But here it was, exactly like the ones in the Evans' living room. The prickly grass feels like soft carpet. And the trees began to glow a soft white-blue hue. A distinct color like a certain spell I knew.

"Stalks his prey in the night~ And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger~"

The dots started connecting further even as I kept my onslaught of attacks. There was a never-ending amount of Dementors as they kept trying to sap the life of me. But I cling to my will to live as I look forward to the three of us sharing hot cocoa, I breathed in the whiff of chocolate before climbing up the tree and leaping to stab the nearest wraith.

The quiet time we shared with only a book, sword, and wand on hand and I spotted the swings and monkey bars from the park we often hang out in.

The cold chill was less and less present and replaced by the gentle warmth of the sun in the night.

Then I remembered the night on the roof of Hogwarts as we watched the New Years Fireworks and all I can think about while sitting between my two best friends, was looking forward to another year knowing I have them by my side. Knowing I'm not alone.

I'm not alone.

I'm not alone.

The tree began to shine brighter and brighter to the point of blinding. Had the Dementors have voices, they might be hissing from the way they seemed to scurry away from the trees.

But that wasn't the only thing that was lighting up. In my hand, the sword began to resonate with the trees, glowing with the same hue color. Bane's words echoed at the back of my head. So following my gut, I raised the sword that would probably make a good pose for a poster of a King Arthur movie.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Then everything went white.

AN: Hey ya'll.

The good news is I finally gotten around to post this.

The bad news is I have two bad news.

One, it's possible I'll upload the next chapter just as long because I'm in the middle of my dissertation so I'm squeezing time even to write this. Two, there'll be no QRA for this chap even though responding to you is one my favorite activities. I hope you guys keep your reviews coming.

Thank you so much for the kind words you've given me and hopefully I'll get time to answer to you all in the next chapter!

Sincerely, the Author :)))