Chapter 14
Percy
The plan started out well. After we talked to Hagrid, explained that we were building a guard station or redoubt in case of attack from through the woods as part of our duties to Dumbledore, then showed him where we wanted to build it on the map, he agreed with our location. I don't think he expected us to magically build it in a couple of days, and I suspect he intended us to get Dumbledore's approval as well, but that would have taken more time and sometimes forgiveness is easier than permission. Plus, we didn't really want to explain the entire plan to either of them for fear that the downside might terrify them.
All five of us apparated to the site, Nico and I so we could find it later, then we split into our two teams. Frank and Jason stood guard, well, flew guard in Frank's case as a giant eagle, while Leo set the aerial servants to work. Nico and I apparated to Knock Turn Ally, where it was still dark, and waited for the shops to open. Finally, at 9:00 am Borgin and Burkes opened, and its proprietor was happy to sell us as many of the blue pearls as we wanted. It seems that although they were occasionally found, and reeked of dark magic, no one had yet found a use for them. Still given the rarity he held out for a high price, which I would have paid had Nico not talked him down. We purchased three, which was one more than we figured on needing, and then only so Nico wouldn't have to shadow travel with company on the second trip.
Afterwards we shared a butter beer at an establishment where the service was by ghosts. Nico liked this place, mainly because no one would dare ask him why he was not in school.
"So you and Will seem to be getting along." I asked, trying to start some sort of conversation.
"Yeah, I just wish he would stop trying to mother me all the time. He's good for me though. I'm finally at peace, ya know, with who I am. I'm just worried that when classes start and the other kids figure it out they might give he or I or both of us a ration of shit."
"After the display of firepower at the train yesterday I don't see that happening. Do you?"
"No, no I guess not." Nico smiled. "Hey, about that. Those death eaters were mortals weren't they? I mean, magicians?"
"Yeah, I suppose so, why?"
"Well your sword shouldn't work on them, or Jason or Annabeth's."
"Oh yeah, Hephaestus took them in the middle of the night a week or so ago and doctored them up with steel, silver, stygian iron and gods knows what else. They will kill anything now."
"That's nice, He added silver to mine. I'm werewolf ready apparently." Nico laughed.
"Apparently one of our allies in the Order is a werewolf, and one of the main death eaters is as well."
"Lets hope we can keep them separate. Will freaks out whenever he thinks I'm going to be doing sword play."
"I think thats an Apollo thing, you know, archery? They like to stand off and shoot at enemies from afar, it makes them nervous to get up close. Don't get me wrong, Will is as brave as I've seen in a fight, he was all over the place fighting the Romans, and after that the monsters at Half Blood hill."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. They want to kill as soon as they can see the whites of their enemies eyes, we want to wait until we can see whether they brushed their back teeth after breakfast. Well, we better get going. Hell's waiting." He laughed.
We threw some magician money on the table and left, probably paying the wait staff salary for the year for all we knew. Their monetary system made no sense at all.
Nico stepped into a shadow and was gone.
By a check of the clock on the tower overlooking Diagon Alley I figured it was time for Magical Creatures, so I decided to apparate to a point halfway between the castle and Hagrid's hut, then walk down and blend in as if I had been there all along.
It was a rookie mistake that anyone could make.
First I traveled faster than most apparating wizards given the source of my magic, so when I hit the protective barrier over Hogwarts, I was like a bug hitting a windshield of a car on the interstate. Then I fell screaming in agony thirty or forty feet, until someone with a wand arrested my fall.
My skin and flesh were peeled apart to the bone all over my body from the impact, my insides were goo, blood poured out everywhere and despite the overwhelming agony I couldn't feel anything below my chest. Literally most every bone in my body was broken, including those in my face and skull as I had hit the barrier almost face first.
I blacked out as I hit the ground and the last thing I saw was Annabeth hovering over me, screaming and crying her eyes out.
