Chapter 9
Percy
At Chiron's insistence, several times over the summer Reyna and Annabeth had met to working on a project whereby the Greek individual style of fighting could be integrated with the Roman organized group style. This has led to a study of military tactics though out the centuries since and led to the proposed adaptation of current military squad and regimental tactics by the combined Greco-Roman force should it ever be necessary. Neither camp had began training as yet as it was still all very theoretical but lunch devolved into a discussion of how it would apply to our group.
We could assume attacks by air, as had happened to Nico, or ground. We would be inland so water attacks were not a primary threat, and of course I could generally handle stuff from the water. Establishing air superiority was paramount. We could also assume that attacks would be difficult at Hogwarts and while traveling there due to the protections that were on the school and the train it uses, but at the small town near by of Hogsmead Potter would be susceptible. From the plans we learned that an area of forest beginning at the grounds edge and continuing north and north east for several miles was also open to attack. Hazel, working with Annabeth, Frank and Reyna, our best tacticians, began applying the combined force squat tactics to the team we had available.
Jason, Frank, Reyna and Leo would clear the airspace, with Reyna being second in command as she could direct fire from an aerial view better. She would get aloft either with Jason or Leo, but was accustomed to airborne fighting on her late pegasus, "Skippy." Hazel, Will, Rachel and Piper would deflect spells and fire spells and projectiles back, while securing Potter and his friends. Annabeth, Nico and I would kill anything on the ground in close while protecting the folks moving Potter to safety. Will would provide healing as necessary as well as shoot arrows into any available targets and Piper would charm speak as possible and stab as necessary. All in all it wasn't a bad strategy and I expected it to last a good 10 seconds into a fight before it fell apart. We spent two afternoons on the deck playing against imaginary enemies, but it wasn't the same as having actual combat.
Despite Dumbdore's concerns, Poseidon's protection kept us safe from attack all the way to London. We arrived at a pier mid morning the day before we were to catch the train, which gave us all day to find a place called "Diagon Ally" and a men's clothing shop to, hopefully, find ties in the color and pattern the girls had designed into our fake school uniforms for the school we attended that didn't really exist. At Jennifer's insistence we all wore the new uniforms, as "we are representing our alma mater." She had gotten into the design of the uniforms so much that I was starting to think she had forgotten that the school didn't really exist. On the breast of each blazer was a crest with pine tree, the golden fleece, a black Pegasus and a river, symbolizing the Little Tiber. A scroll around it read "Non Quan Non Fidalious, Non Quan Non Paratus" which was claimed to be latin for "Never unfaithful, never unprepared" but my latin isn't that good. Anyway, the sentiment was nice.
The first problem was solved by Nico and Will, who met us at the pier and knew how to get to Diagon Ally. Just as I carried the brief case down the gangway (it didn't seem fair to have Leo carry everything and he had Festus) the ship turned into a dilapidated waterfront building. Hugs were distributed all around. Nico seemed healthy for once, and on being asked by Annabeth explained that Dumbledore's apparation instruction had saved him from shadow travel for some time. In addition, Nico confided to me as we walked that he and Will were quite happy and having a good time on vacation. As we walked to a river front bistro he explained how to get to Diagon Ally and that Potter and friends would be there today. Will thought he knew where place where we could get the ties as well, a men's shop that was along the way. Apparently regimental ties are a big deal here so there was a good chance he would have something close to what we were looking for.
We caught Nico and Will up with our travels and plans, and brought them in on the Leodis and Hazel's election, as well as the tactical plans that Annabeth and Reyna had developed. He liked part of it but was worried that it wouldn't work in the real world, as there were too many variables, including that the folks we're guarding would be attempting to defend themselves. We all agreed that theory was one thing and practicality another, but it felt good to have made some preparation rather than our usual plan of "enter, make chaos, figure it out on the fly, kill, kill, kill."
After coffee and catching up we headed to the men's store. Fortunately they did have a tie from a regiment that had been deactivated 70 years before that was close enough to what we needed and the store manager was happy to let them go. We were also able to get the sport jackets there but didn't as Jennifer and her helpers had worked overtime to tailor ours, including Nico and Will's.
As we approached Diagon Alley, entering through a bar called "The Leaky Caldron" but then had to wait for Will and Nico to remember what bricks to push to enter the alleyway. In the mean time the girls had to put up with creepy old witch people giving them the eye, but they had insisted on the uniforms. A quick stare from myself, Jason, Leo and Frank solved the problem anyway.
Diagon Alley was a truly weird place, to the point that weird became the normal. Our first stop was at Gringotts, a bank ran by what appeared to be gremlins, but I was later told in this realm they were known as goblins. True to what we had been told, accounts had been started for each of us and, once we thought we understood the monetary system we withdrew what we thought was a sufficient amount. Turned out we withdrew tons more than we would needed and had tons left.
We had to pick up some things on the list Dumbledore gave us, cauldrons, potion materials, quidditch gear, books and the ilk, and it was during this shopping spree that we saw Harry in the robe shop, looking out at us. We had talked about strategies for first contact and none of the preferred methods were randomly running into him in what passed for an English witches shopping mall. Hazel misted us over quickly so that at second glance we weren't there, but it was a close call. This was a decision that had to be made.
While under the cover of the mist we moved away and turned down another alley way, this one seemingly one of lesser repute. Knock Turn Alley was the location of what appeared to be the witch's equivalent of a red light district with pawn and junk shops. We looked around for a few moments but the only thing of interest was that one of the shops had a bowl with several blue pearls glowing in it.
We lingered around long enough to make sure that Harry was in good hands. Dumbledore said that until the moment he gets on the train he would be under the protection of something called "The Order of the Phoenix", which was composed of some of the best fighting witches and wizards available. We would need to to start protection on the train although it was under magical protection, so it seemed like this would be the best place for a first encounter. As we sat in a small cafe in the alley drinking something called "butter beer", that tasted vaguely like cream soda, we developed a plan, that took into account not startling Harry to death and not insulting him by making him feel like Dumbledore had hired baby sitters. Since he was on the approved list of people who would know the truth about us it was decided that he would be told we were sent to assist him with Voldemort, not to protect him. He and his friends could learn the rest of the details later when it wouldn't seem so patriarchal. This was true in so far as it went, and generally felt right.
At this decision we returned to the ship, this time apparated by Will and Nico. Only Hazel and Piper vomited, although Frank and Annabeth looked pretty green.
We spent one final night on board, although the Argo III looked to the world like a dilapidated old building now it was still luxurious if one had the Leodis. What started out as a formal banquet for good fortune decayed into yet another strategy and tactics session. We would be up late, working until the final minute and would need to apparate again to Kings Cross Station in order to arrive before the other students did. It was important we find a room on a car to ourselves.
