Chapter 12, Lunch with Estelle

For a bit the silence of the grand hall was only was only broken by the sniffles of Annabeth and Estelle. Finally, just as it was starting to get too awkward, Hagrid stood and approached Mrs. O'Leary.

"Hey there big girl, aren't you the pretty one?" He asked as he extended a hand for her to sniff.

"Be careful Rubeus!" one of the faculty members practically shouted, just as O'Leary sniffed, and then extended her tongue and licked Hagrid, leaving a trail of drool that coated him from his knees to his face.

"Awww yer a big sweetie ya are" Hagrid smiled at the dog while trying to straighten his beard and finding it full of dog slobber.

"I think she likes you Mr. Hagrid" Percy said with a smile. "I should take her and Blackjack outside though, looks like they could use some air. Anyone know where Hazel, er, Madame Levesque is?"

"Oh, she's probably in London, dealing with Gringotts I would imagine," Minerva replied coldly when Annabeth didn't answer immediately. She had not forgotten Jackson's treatment of the Headmistress days before. She had found friendship in her unlikely relationship with Annabeth and wasn't about to put up with any insolence, rudeness or profane insults from Professor Jackson.

Annabeth didn't answer as she was busy whispering, "I love you, I love you so much" over and over through tear filled eyes to Estelle, who was doing much the same.

"'Kay, after I get us settled in maybe Estelle and I can pop down there, if the Headmistress ever gives me my sister back" Percy said, almost sneering at the word 'Headmistress,' but outwardly grinning.

Before Annabeth could formulate a response, Estelle nearly shouted while looking at Chase.

"No! I wanna stay with Annabeth! You promised!" she cried.

"Well I didn't mean it like right now…" Percy started to say.

"I suppose in a way I did, promise I mean, but I also said that was up to Percy. Tell ya what, you and Percy need to go get your school supplies there anyway, and I need to take our library assistant to the same, uh, mall. Its not that big of a place so we'll probably run into each other, and then I have to go by the ministry building for an interview and photo shoot, and maybe you and Percy could come by and sit in with us. You could meet a couple of your fellow students and the building is amazing. You'll really like Hermione and Harry, they are going to be like the presidents of the student body this year and are just super nice. How does that sound? If its okay with Percy, I mean."

"You still like buildings?"

"Of course!"

"Okay, can we Percy? Puhleeezzzze?" Estelle cried out.

"Well" Percy replied, now cornered by his sister and Annabeth, who he figured to be a conniving cunt at this point, "I guess that would work. We do need to do our school shopping. Let me get Mrs. O'Leary and Blackjack settled in first though."

"Good idea Per… uh, Professor Jackson, hey, by the way, when its just staff and faculty we're going with first names if that's alright, let me know if that's okay… I put the door for them in your apartment and opened a wall to a sparing gym in your classroom. Would you check them out while you're down there and let me know if you need anything else done? Hagrid, think you could unlock the door for Professor Jackson, key it up for him, and show Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary around the school grounds today?" Annabeth asked.

"Why I'd be delighted ta' Headmistress." It was becoming clear to Annabeth that Hagrid was more comfortable with magical animals than magical people, or people in general.

"Sure, I'll let you know, but I'm certain you did your usual excellent job, and yeah, first name is fine, but Estelle should use, you know, titles, whatever the rest of the students use" Percy said, this time with no apparent bitterness or sarcasm, but feeling nothing but bile inside.

"Well then, lets eat! Estelle the food here is always great, elves make it and they always have whatever you want." Annabeth smiled.

"Be sure to want some vegetables," Percy added.

"So I shouldn't call you 'Annabeth'?"

"Ssshhh, you can always call me Annabeth if you want to, he just means in class or when other students are around," she whispered to Estelle.

With a wave of her wand McGonagall expanded the table and added two seats between the Minister and Annabeth, then invited both Estelle and

Professor Jackson to be seated. Annabeth grinned as she lifted Estelle up and put her in the chair to her right.

"Let me take these guys to the apartment, I think they would like to run out for a bit and see the country side."

"Ay, I'll go wid ya, I need to open the new door for ya anyway an' I wanna see the look on Fang's face when he meets Mrs. O'Leary," Hagrid said as they rose, then stroked the pegasus's mane saying, "Yer da pretty one aren't ya?"

"Why thank you Mr. Hagrid, but I prefer handsome over pretty," Blackjack said.

"Yuh… you kin' talk?"

"Of course I can talk, have you never talked to a pegusus before?" Blackjack asked.

"Well, uh, never met one befor' ta be truthful. A pleasure. I meet some Abraxan from Beauxbatons a few year 'go, but they didn' talk,"

"Abraxan? They can talk; they just think they are too good to. Bunch of snobs if you ask me. Although, they are all tramps too, so they got that going for them."

"Ya don' say…" The faculty heard Hagrid reply as the group left the room.

"Miss Estelle, are you looking forward to school?" McGonagall asked.

Estelle, who was quite shy around new people, especially adults, just stared and looked back and forth to Annabeth.

"Oh! I'm sorry; I haven't introduced you yet! Estelle, this is Professor McGonagall, she helps me run this place and teaches transfiguration; that's where you use magic to change one thing into another."

"Oh! Like this?" Estelle said as she grabbed her goblet and it slowly turned into a vase filled with roses.

Other than quite audible gasps, the room went silent.

"I'm sorry, sometimes things like that just happen, I didn't mean to ruin your cup and…" Estelle said, fear in her voice as her eyes began to tear again.

"Sorry? Sorry? Why on earth would you be sorry dear? That is amazing! I… I've never seen controlled, wandless, transfigurative magic from a child your age! I have seventh years that can't… Hermione Granger can't even do that! Don't be sorry, you… well; we are all just in awe of you! Welcome to Hogwarts my dear! You are going to be one powerful witch!" Minerva said, practically weeping with joy.

"So I'm not in trouble?"

"Trouble? No! Of course not!" Professor Flitwick replied gleefully, "10 points to… to whatever house you are placed in!"

Estelle had not even seen Flitwick as he was seated out of view beside Minerva and she was a bit surprised there was anyone there. She had no idea what this "points" business was about, but it seemed like a good thing. Mainly she just wanted Annabeth to be happy with her so she wouldn't leave again.

Estelle loved Annabeth and could never understand why Annabeth stopped loving her or why Annabeth had disappeared, but knew that Annabeth did something to hurt Percy really bad, and then the girl that had baby sat her and been her very best friend since she was born was just gone one day. A card and presents were always there every year on her birthday and at Christmas, and sometimes for no reason at all, but Annabeth was gone and it hurt so bad.

She just had to make Annabeth love Percy again, and love her like she used to. More than anything she wanted Annabeth to marry Percy and become her mommy. Maybe magic would help. That was the real reason she wanted to go to Pigwarts.

"Can you do it with a wand?" Annabeth asked as she gave hers to Estelle.

"I don't know, Percy doesn't let me use his, I can try though," she said as she accepted Annabeth's. As soon as she grasped it, the end started glowing, then glowed brighter and brighter until it was blinding, like looking into a welder's torch. Estelle had not wanted that result at all and became frightened, dropping the wand onto the table.

The wand did go out, but a glowing ball rose from it to the ceiling, expanding, growing, and becoming still brighter until it was as bright as the sun. Shielding her eyes Annabeth looked and could see a man standing in the ball of light, wearing Ray-Bans, which he lifted to wink at her. The globe of energy then went out suddenly and the room seemed very dark until everyone's eyes adjusted again.

"Is that bad?" Estelle asked, again with a fear filled voice.

"Oh no dear, it just means you are a powerful magician, and now need to learn to control that power. You're in the best place to learn that. Has anyone ever seen a lumos maximus of that strength?" The Minister asked.

"I didn't imagine it possible," Professor Slughorn replied, and then added, "It looks like the Slug Club has its first member this year."

"Ewwww, you have a club for slugs?" Estelle asked.

"Just a name my dear, no, I don't care for the company of slugs either, they are messy, slow witted and their conversations dull. I'm Horace Slughorn, potions master, I'm going to be teaching you how to make potions and elixirs, that is quite a bit different from using a wand, but many of the principles carry over. I have a club for the best and brightest students at Hogwarts; I like to think it is an honor to be invited, and as I said, I think I have found my newest member," the Professor explained with a grin.

"Will you be staying with us until school starts Estelle?" Madame Sprout asked.

"I guess so, Percy didn't say anything about going to New York again until Christmas time."

"Oh, well it's just that students usually arrive all together on the train from London. I can't recall a student moving in first, and of course we won't know which house for you to live in until then."

"She will stay in Professor Jackson' apartment until then; Percy is traveling in on the train with the ICW team and Estelle can ride with him, that way she can get the full experience," Annabeth said.

"There won't be much for you to do here dear, it might get boring," Sprout explained, meaning to be kind. Estelle liked her right off, even before she knew her name.

"Will you be here Annabeth?" Estelle asked.

"I think so, mostly, I may have to go to the ministry or something, but I don't have any travel plans right now," Annabeth smiled.

"I won't get bored then," she beamed.

"May I make a suggestion?" McGonagall asked.

"Certainly," Annabeth replied.

"Well, since Estelle is clearly quite powerful and will be with us for the next week, maybe some of us could work with her to learn some control, get a head start on her lessons. Estelle, your family must have a powerful magic line."

"You want me to start school early?" Estelle asked, screwing her face up as she did.

"No, just some lessons to get you a leg up, it will be fun, and no homework!" Minerva exclaimed.

"Will you help me?" the child asked Annabeth.

"Sure, if it's okay with Percy. You know he has final say on that sort of thing with me, but I'd love to. Minerva might be better though, she can teach you how to turn a vase of roses back into a goblet," Annabeth grinned.

Estelle stared at the roses, then at Annabeth.

"I don't want to change them back, I made it 'cause I wanted you to have them," Estelle said quietly as she handed it to Annabeth.

"Oh gods!" Annabeth choked out with a gasp, as she smelled the roses. "That's about the sweetest gift I've ever gotten," she managed to say as the emotion washed over her again.

"Since that one?" Estelle asked as she pointed at Annabeth's chest.

For the briefest of moments she thought Estelle might have been talking about puberty, which had indeed been kind to Annabeth in the area of her chest, but that just seemed weird, especially since in Estelle's lifetime Annabeth had always had boobs. She looked down and saw that the chain with her pendant and two rings was outside her shirt and knew exactly what Percy's sister was referring to.

"Yes, since that one." Annabeth smiled as she tucked the chain back under her tee.

"Why do you wear it there instead of…"

"Because I want it next to my heart until the man that gave it to me puts it back on my finger," she whispered.

"Oh. We'll have to work on that," Estelle smiled, only to get hugged again. "You really still love Percy?" she finally whispered as the conversations started up around her giving her a chance to ask so that no one would hear. This thought surprised Estelle as she, based on what she knew from Percy, was of the impression that Annabeth hated him. If she still loved Percy, then half of Estelle's goal was already achieved.

"Always, but you don't need to worry about all that. Percy will tell you what he wants you to know. Okay? I made him a promise about all that and you coming to school here. I don't want to break it, or even make it look like I did. Okay?"

"Okay," Estelle replied with the broadest of smiles, and then turned to Slughorn and asked, "Can you make love potions?"

"Estelle! No!" Annabeth laughed as her favorite student grinned from ear to ear.