Chapter 1: Mom's Side of the Family is Star-ting to Scare Me
The morning started like any other for Percy Jackson. The only difference being that he was turning 8 today, and his gross Step-father would never set foot in their little apartment again. This was a relief, even though it came about unexpectedly.
The nosy neighbor, Miss. Em – "Call me Aunty Em!" – had been watching them for years and when more bruises had appeared on the mother and son she eventually got solid picture evidence of Gabe's abuse and helped Sally find a good divorce lawyer and make a case. Percy still thought she was creepy, but since she helped them, she couldn't be that bad.
Gabe would stop by to pick up the last of his junk later that day. But for now, Percy and his Mom would hopefully get to celebrate his birthday for once. They hadn't been able to really celebrate his 7th birthday until several days after because of his Mom having to work and Gabe generally being a douche.
Percy slowly slid out of bed and got dressed for the day in his favorite shirt. It had little fish on the front, and he got it at the local aquarium one of the few times they could splurge and have a bit of fun. With only one sock on Percy ran off to the kitchen where his mom greeted him with a bright smile and a pile of blue pancakes. With syrup of course.
"So, we'll just stay in for your birthday?" Sally teased.
Percy gaped at her.
"You said we'd go–"
"Of course, we're going to Montauk!" Sally laughed as Percy pouted realizing that she had been messing with him.
"That was mean." Percy muttered.
They continued to talk about what they hoped to do at the beach and for the rest of the weekend.
Then there was a knock on the door.
Sally looked at the door in concern. Gabe wasn't supposed to come until sometime after lunch.
"Just a second!"
She hurried over to the door and looked through the peep-hole. An old man with silver-white hair that fell around his shoulders and piercing steel gray eyes was standing outside the door. Sally spared a brief moment to wonder whether he was a relative of the three elderly sisters, the Dodds, who lived on the floor beneath them.
"Hello, what can I do for you?"
Sally smiled politely at the man as she opened the door.
His face showed a very brief flash of surprise before his features returned to their unassuming calm façade.
"This is the Jackson apartment?"
"Yes."
"Good. We have much to discuss, Granddaughter."
Sally stepped back from the door in shock.
"What!?"
"I'll explain. May I come in?" He offered a smile, but it wasn't kind or grandfatherly. Though, it gave the impression of being vaguely reassuring.
"Of c-course," Sally stammered.
Once the elderly man entered and they moved to the small sitting area by the door, Sally called her son over.
Her – Grandfather apparently – was wearing dark green velvet attire, a full suit of sorts (Sally had never been interested in fancy clothes, preferring comfy working clothes, and couldn't identify the apparel) and carried a very elaborately decorated cane.
What followed was a very in-depth explanation of who he was exactly, how they were related, a completely other world that Sally had only had the barest inkling of from Percy's father, and why he was there. Throughout the explanation the old man – Arcturus Black – glanced every so often at Percy whose eyes were getting progressively wider with each word in disbelief and amazement.
"It is a pleasure to know there is a direct heir to carry on the family name and traditions." He finished staring at his great-grandson with the same intensity the eight-year-old had looked at the elder during the explanation.
"So, I have magic, and we'll get to move to another country, and you'll teach me stuff." Percy summed up the last hour or so of Arcturus' explanation.
"That is the gist of the matter, yes." There was very faint humor in his eyes at his descendant's calm, slightly amazed understanding.
"But we can still go to the beach first, right?"
"Yes. In fact, I can take you both to any beach you want. There are several beach houses in the possession of our family."
There was undisguised awe in Percy's face, and Sally had also brightened at this knowledge though she was still trying to wrap her head around all the information.
Sally had been born the eldest child of Orion and Walburga Black and Arcturus' first grandchild, but when her magic had not manifested by the time she turned 11, evident by the lack of a Hogwarts letter her name was never added to the family tree as all squibs in the family. She had been named Cassiopeia after her mother's favorite aunt, but that had been taken away to. She was obliviated and sent to live with muggles, the Jacksons, and her brothers' memories of her erased as well. The two brothers being two and three years younger than her respectively both got their letters and never remembered that they had once had an older sister watching over them and keeping them out of trouble with their parents. After the perceived failure of their daughter in being magical, her parents became increasingly harsh toward their remaining children which eventually lead the two boys to their fates. One dead far too early at only 18 after being coerced by his parents and cousins to pledge himself to a deranged mad man set on taking over the magical world. No one knew how he died, but there was speculation that he had tried to part with the group, leading to his demise. The other brother, the older of the two, met what may be considered an even worse fate as he languishes in an awful wizarding prison after he had already been disinherited for running away and joining the forces fighting against said mad man. He supposedly betrayed his best friend to the mad man his younger brother once followed. But her Grandfather seemed doubtful of the truth of this. Unfortunately, he admitted that he no longer had the energy and influence to force a trial without new evidence.
Apparently, the Blacks had long kept a tradition of naming their children after celestial bodies: stars, constellations, galaxies. Arcturus seemed proud that even without her memories Sally had kept this tradition, naming Percy after the constellation, Perseus.
Extra:
"Perseus Jack-Black! Get back here and apologize for burring you Grandpa in sand!"
"Never!"
"Now! Or there will be no blue ice-cream!"
Percy hung his head and trudged back to where his mom was standing next to the pile of sand that was holding his great-grand father. When he got close enough Arcturus jumped to his feet with the aid of a non-verbal spell and sent all the sand that had been weighing him down flying onto his granddaughter. Percy stared in awe as his mom slowly wiped the sand from her face and tuned on the two with a glare.
Arcturus shared a glance with his youngest descendant before the two booked it in opposite directions so the enraged Sally would have to choose which one she was really mad at to track down first.
"You two better hope I don't catch you," she shouted after them, "because if I do, not even magic will save you!"
