Chapter 39

Harry

The pain had been worse this time, perhaps because I had not even been asleep when the attack came. I knew it was real, everything about it seemed so and it was again in the Hall of Prophecy, a place I had never been. Why Voldemort would wish to warn me of his attack on Mr Weasley I could not fathom, except to draw me there. I should have gone. We know I am the only one that can kill him and attacking him without me is just risking other's lives for no reason.

Enough people had died for me already.

That said, I couldn't even stand, much less walk and hold a wand or sword. Jennifer did some things to ease my pain magically, but this was more Will's area and he was with the rescue team. Still as I rested the pain subsided. I couldn't be attacked in the Leodis, but now apparently I could be attacked anytime I was outside it, asleep or awake. Great.

I got up with Jennifer's assistance and we wandered around in hopes that I could just walk it off. In the grand ball room Professor Dumbledore and McGonnagal were reading the notes of Rita Skeeter who was bound and gagged, laying on a couch still unconscious.

"What does it say?" I asked.

"Miss Skeeter apparently was listening to a conversation between yourself and Mr Jackson regarding the visit by Miss Annabeth's mother and his father." Professor Dumbledore said.

"May I see that?" Jennifer asked, as Dumbledore handed it to her. McGonnagal looked worried, but frankly, she always did.

"I see." Jennifer said as the note pad and quill exploded into flames. She then aimed her wand at Skeeter just as McGonnagal shouted.

"Wait! What are you going to do?"

"Kill her before she can spread this information." Jennifer said casually.

"Oh no, no, no, we can't allow that. We won't be killing people for what they overheard." McGonagall said firmly as she stepped between Jennifer and Skeeter.

"Professor," Jennifer said as she slipped her wand into her pocket, "of all I have met, you are among the most admirable people. You are good and kind, and your love for the children here is obvious to all. You've given up so many of the joys of living in exchange for the joy of teaching, but I missed most of my life being... away, and if word of the gods' visit became public amongst the magicians of your realm, I might have to go away again. I will not let that happen. She spied. She had no business in our affairs. The only certain way to protect us, and me, is her death before she wakes. Now please, step aside."

Of all the Americans, Jennifer seemed the kindest, well maybe Rachel too. They seemed to not have a bone of anger in them. Until now. I would have never dreamed Jennifer could be so cavalier about killing someone, well except maybe killing Percy and we never did find out for sure what that was about. She showed as much emotion as she might if she were stepping on a roach. Fortunately Dumbledore stepped in.

"Obliviate her. Take her memories, like we have with the captured Death Eaters. Then cast her out at her offices in London. She will live without her memories forever and your identities and those of your parents will be safe."

"That... would be acceptable. However, I will leave a trace on her. Should her memories be returned, either by magic, or time, she will die." Jennifer said as she held her hand over Skeeter and her head glowed for a second, then she vanished.

"Don't you wish to know where her office is?" Dumbledore asked.

"Don't you wish to use a wand?" McGonnagal asked with incredulity.

"Neither is necessary. Come, the rescue party returns."

Sure enough as soon as we were seated in the study room with about a hundred questions ready to ask Jennifer about wands and maps, the rescue party came in the opposite door from Bob's. First was Will and Ron, carrying Mr Weasley, followed by Mrs Weasley, her other children and Hermione.

"Will, how is he?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh a little roughed up, but he'll be fine. He's in a lot better shape than his attackers are." Will smiled.

"Harry is in need of your unicorn draught, I had none to give him"

"Oh, here." Will said as he reached into his bag producing a bottle with a shot glass cap.

"You are nearly out. I'm going to be traveling for a bit, I will bring you more." She smiled as she poured a capful and gave it to me. I was almost instantly better. I don't know what is in it, but it seems to cure everything.

"Great, I didn't think we would go through it so fast, thank Chiron for me." Will said as he took the bottle and followed the crew with Mr Weasley.

"I shall." Jennifer smiled.

"Wait, you taking off?" Leo asked.

"Just for a moment my love, I must see an old friend about Harry's problem and then see about more medical supplies. I'll be back before you know it." Jennifer smiled.

"You want me to go with you?" Leo asked.

"No honey, I don't think you would enjoy how I will be traveling." With that she kissed Leo good bye, then stepped through the door and there was a bright flash from the other side.

Dumbledore looked around. "Well, we have much to discuss, please everyone have a seat."

"I am reluctant to bring this up, but Rita Skeeter, who for those who don't know is a reporter and gossip columnist for the Daily Prophet, was the woman who attempted entry into the Leodis unauthorized. She overheard Harry and Percy discussing the parental visits of Poseidon and Athena earlier today and was probably trying to get more details. Miss Jennifer destroyed her notes and was going to destroy her, but was convinced to eliminate her memories and leave her at her employer's office instead. At least, we hope that is what happened. I know the Americans need their privacy in these matters, but I suggest in the future that the death penalty be removed from possible recourses."

"I wish you had let her kill her." Percy said. "See, you must understand, if proof of the gods gets out, then faith is lost. Our civilization depends upon that. In a few years everything you know or think you know would be gone. Her life isn't worth it. No one's is. I understand your reluctance to kill, but I must insist that in the future if it relates to the discovery by the public of the existence of our parents, then the perpetrator be destroyed. Obviously if someone innocent stumbles upon it we should just remove that memory, we're not sociopaths, but this was a person who actively sought it. You should have let her die. That said, it appears that situation is over. We have four vials of memories for analysis. Three Deatheaters, or more likely thugs hired by them, are in the custody of the Ministry. One, Mr Malfoy, has been banished. I would suggest for harmony's sake between the houses that be kept quiet as well."

Generally the Americans agreed with Percy, and the English with Dumbledore. It was apparent that whoever caught the next interloper, if there were one, would be the one deciding their fate.

"Wait. Back up. My mother was here?" Annabeth asked.

"Her mother Athena? Her actual mother was here?" Professor McGonagall asked, her voice filled with excitement at the prospect that gods had visited Hogwarts.

"Yes, her and dad came to the match. Didn't you hear her yelling for you?" Percy replied.

"Was that who that was? Wait, why was she really here?" Annabeth asked.

"Lets talk about that later."

"Why not now?"

"Because its probably going to piss you off really bad and, well, just trust me, its more of a private thing between you and I." Percy said.

"Oh gods. She didn't..."

"Yes, she was about to kill me but dad and Hermione kept her under control. Its not all that bad. I'll tell you when we're alone. Okay?"

"Oh gods..." Annabeth said, a look of anguish on her face.

Thankfully the subject changed abruptly as the Weasleys joined us, except Mr Weasley.

"How is Arthur?" McGonnagal asked, thrilled to not be talking about Poseidon, Athena, and their feelings regarding Percy and Annabeth's love life.

"He's resting. Will says he should be right as rain by the morning." George said on behalf of his family.

Everyone smiled at this news, and talked about what joyous news this was until Lupin changed the topic, "There is something I don't understand about this attack. They must have known that by threatening a family member, and I dare say the closest person to a father they know Harry to have, that we would send nothing less than an overwhelming response. Yet there were only four there, led by Lucious Malfoy who whas never been thought to be a strong duelist. What is more, Voldemort must have known that his attack on Harry's mind was crippling, so he would not be there to actually retrieve the prophecy, and as he must have launched the attack on Harry to bring him there, why did he leave before we arrived?"

"I was thinking it was a diversion too." Frank said to general agreement around the table.

"But a diversion from what? I mean, Malfoy was more than ready to apparate out at the first sign of trouble and would have if Percy had not taken his wand. I don't think he imagined that anyone would have the power to seize all of their wands, or that anyone would coordinate an effort to do so. You may not be aware, but the reason we have 'expellioumous', a spell that can be easily deflected, is that it is basically impossible to 'accio' a wand from an opponent. The basic nature of the spell is to stop at any resistance. So as Miss Annabeth might say, Percy hit them with an asymmetrical attack." Lupin said.

"Whoa! Credit where credit is due. The use of that tactic was the idea of one Neville Longbottom, who continues to amaze us all with his spell and martial craft." Percy said as he began leading a standing ovation for Neville. "Damn good thinking on your feet Neville. If it were up to me you would get a hundred points for the House Cup. And we wouldn't have been there at all if Harry had not warned us, thats gotta be worth another hundred. They are the real reason this mission succeeded. They are your heros."

Once the applause died down everyone was beginning to sit down again when Professor Weasley came over to Percy's chair, a stern look on her face, took his head in her hands so that he could not sit, and stammered "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I ever doubted you or your friends. If it weren't for you Arthur..." She broke down in tears and just hugged Percy. For the next minute the room was silent except for her sobs, then she added "And Harry, Harry, if you had not warned us" and she hugged me too, still sobbing, until Ron, the twins and Ginny came and in turn hugged Percy, myself and their mother, then guided their mother to her seat. There wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Once Percy sat down he looked around his fellow Americans, himself weepy, and said "Lets don't forget that it takes team work. If Harry had not told us, we wouldn't have known..." he gasped, "there is a lot of credit to go around, everyone tonight performed amazingly well, each of you was perfect in your role, but... if anyone ever asks why we do this..." He never finished as the mighty Percy Jackson became too choked up for words.

"Indeed. You lead a powerful force Miss Hazel." Sirius said. "I would not be afraid to take on anyone with you all at my side."

"You never met Gaea" She smiled. "That one scared us all half to death!"

"Some of us all the way!" Leo laughed, and his humor broke the tension, at least among the Americans and those of us who had heard the story of how he, Piper and Jason killed Gaea, causing his death and rebirth.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss tonight?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, I think so. The prophecy. We couldn't kill the snake. We hit it with everything we had, hot, cold, freezing, electrical, we slapped it against walls, hit with swords, stabbed it, sliced it, hacked it... everything hurt it, nothing killed it. Ron cut huge chunks from it, Neville was hitting it hard enough to cut anything else in two, but nothing killed it, it kept regenerating as fast as we hurt it. So, I think we have 'fought the snake and failed' now." Hermione said.

"I saw some of that going on, what became of the snake?" Nico asked.

"It apparated. From inside a block of ice Ginny froze it into." George said. "It just got tired of being beat on, and left, just as Percy, our brother Percy, arrived."

"Do you suppose it had some sort of magical protection on it?" I asked.

"I suspect it had more of a curse." Dumbledore answered. "Miss Annabeth, Miss Hermione, may I ask how your research into the Resurrection Stone is going?"

"Slowly. We went to the library earlier this week and all we found were references to the Deathly Hallows story, books that contained various versions of it. Nothing on the actual stone. We were thinking tomorrow we might check the restricted section if we could have a professor's permission"

"Granted" Professors McGonnagal, Weasley and Dumbledore all said at the same time to our laughter.

"Wonderful, we shall start in the morning then." Hermione said. "But what does that have to do with the snake?"

"Nothing, and perhaps everything." Dumbledore said. "What I'm about to tell you is some conjecture, and some fact. I have long suspected that when he was a student Tom Riddle learned of a particularly dark magic called a 'Horcrux.' By use of a horcrux, a dark wizard can impart a bit of his soul into an object, or, perhaps, a living being. To do so, one must split the soul by performing a particularly evil act. Normally, the willful killing of an innocent. Once made, a horcrux can only be destroyed by a few means. One of those as it happens, is basilisk venom."

"The diary." I said.

"Indeed. I believe Tom Riddle's diary, which Miss Ginny found in her first year, was a horcrux, one that you destroyed in the chamber of secrets." Dumbledore replied.

"And you think the snake is one of these? Great, next time we'll carry basilisk venom. Anyone know how to milk a basilisk?" Jason said.

"Is there a limit as to how many he could make?" Rachel asked.

"I believe that touches on another section of the prophecy."

"I thought it might" Rachel smiled.

"When he was here, Riddle was close to one Professor, Professor Slughorn. I think he must have discussed this with Slughorn and Horace knows the answer."

"Well lets get this Slughorn and beat it out of him." Frank said.

"No. Lets don't. Horace Slughorn is as kind hearted a gentleman as you would ever meet and a dear, dear friend of mine. He is truly a wonderful soul, and would never aid Voldemort or the Death Eaters. However, he is proud and is unlikely to give up what he might see as a personal shortcoming or failure easily. No, I believe the way to gain that information is through Harry. You see, he was also close to your mother Harry, and Horace tends to collect the best and brightest to his circle of friends. You have two things that will appeal to him greatly, you are talented, and you are famous. You are the key to gaining the information that we seek. But alas! Horace has told me that he will only consider my offer of employment for the spring semester at the earliest as at this time as he wishes to be safe from the Death Eaters, who are apparently also seeking to recruit him, until after the Christmas season. At that time whatever personal business he is attending to will be over and he is willing to return to teaching."

"Well, I think I know a place he would be safe from them. How does he feel about week long ship voyages?" Percy asked.

Dumbledore smiled, like the rest of us, as another piece of the prophecy fell into place.

While we again discussed the logistics of traveling to America with Leo and Percy explaining that the ship, and Leodis, had plenty of room for all, Of the English, Ginny and Hermione were most excited.

"So what would we do when we're there?" Ron asked to no one in particular.

"Well there are Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter, or New Rome as I call it. Both have plenty of things, archery, sword arenas, a climbing wall with lava.. lots of stuff. Oh, and on Friday we play 'Capture the Flag'."

"Like the children's game?"

"Well, yes, except with real weapons. Its really a lot of fun."

"Oh! Jason and I are to have Christmas dinner with my father in Colorado, its beautiful there in the winter, everyone could join us!" Piper said.

"New Rome has a university you should visit, it would be a great place for all of us continue our educations. Its the only university that caters to, well, people like us." Reyna said.

"Disney World." Hermione said with a child like gleam in her eye. "Can we go to Disney World?"

"Hells Yes! Now we're talking!" Rachel said "I love that place... okay, that doesn't really fit with my 'save the world plant a tree do street art' persona, I realize that, but... I don't care! Its the most magical place on earth! We're going! Annabeth, I need to use your cell tomorrow to call dad. He'll take care of the tickets and hotels... oh, he'll expect me and my friends to hang out with him and mom for a bit, but we can do that, can't we guys?"

"I've never been to Disney." Percy said.

"What is Disney?" Ron asked.

"Its this, well, Disney was a guy, and he wrote Mickey Mouse and a bunch of other children's cartoons and movies. Then he opened an amusement park in California and a few years later he opened what must be the most gigantic amusement park in the world in Florida. It would take weeks to see it all! We used to go a lot when I was little. My favorite part is EPCOT, but all of it is neat. You'll love it, just dress for warm weather." Rachel said.

"But it will be winter." Professor Weasley said.

"Yes but in Florida it is 70 to 80 degrees in the winter." Rachel replied.

"Because of magic?"

"No, because, well, its closer to the equator, so, you know, warmer."

"It all sounds expensive" Mrs Weasley said.

"You'll be my guest! Your money will not be any good there at all." Rachel smiled.

"Uh, just for the record, we're not all as rich as Rachel." Leo joked.

"Well, I'm not either, but... well, actually have you checked your account at Gringotts? You might be richer than dad!" Rachel laughed.

"I think that belongs to Hades." Leo grinned.

"He's got more, and the account has your name on it." Nico laughed. "Think of it as the expense account we never got for all the stuff we did in the past."

Just then our conversation was interrupted by a lynx patronus coming into the room from Mr Oceans doorway. Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice spoke saying "Earlier tonight there was an attack by a dozen or more Death Eaters on Azkaban. Hundreds of prisoners believed to escape. Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew seen in surveillance recording of Azkaban during event and confirmed by the Ministry. More as I learn it."

Silence fell across the room.

Finally Frank said "I guess we know what the diversion was for."

"I believe it is time for Harry, Percy and I to go gather up Professor Slughorn." Dumbledore said.

"How? If I leave the Leodis my mind gets attacked?" I said as a bright flash of light came through the door to Mr Oceans.

"Has Occlumency training not assisted you?"

"No. I mean, I can keep Professor Snape out, some, and I know when he will attack, but whatever Voldemort is doing is different, its like dreams or visions."

"And have you learned to tell which is real and which isn't?" Dumbledore asked as we all thought again of the prophecy.

"Well the ones that aren't dreams hurt really bad." I replied, realizing I sounded snarky but not intending to.

"I can help with that." Jennifer said as she carried a box through the door. "Some of you guys want to help me carry a few things?" She set her box on the table and we saw it was filled with the flasks like carried the draught Will provided me with, was well as a number of vials of concoctions and what appeared to be medical gear. Outside the door were a few crates of bows and quivers of arrows. Frank, Jason and Ron carried these in, while Leo and Percy got several lighter boxes filled with American snack foods. Of all the things that happened this was the one that got the greatest celebration from the Americans.

"The bows come from... well, lets call him our quiet benefactor and like the quivers have been blessed by his sister to fade into the mist until needed. The quivers hold a quarrel of arrows, that's twenty, but reach into negative space to refill three times. It is rare for our friend's sister or her followers to run out of arrows."

"I've seen it happen twice, but both times were against Titans." Annabeth said.

"Anyway, our friend, when I told him you had began bow work sent these saying that you needed proper bows. Now, as to your problem Harry, slip this on." She said, handing me a ring.

I did, but the world felt no different.

"I told my friend Morpheous about your problem and he took great offense that someone other than him was using dreams to invade minds. The ring will not only stop the invasions but cause a great deal of pain to the person that attempted it. You can wear it on your finger or around your neck, doesn't matter. Anyway, I hope that helps. Percy, he asked that you remember his help in this matter should his name come up around your father."

Percy nodded.

"That's... wonderful! Thank you!" I said.

"Chiron must have been feeling generous." Will said.

"Oh, I didn't bother with him, I went straight to the source." She smiled.

"He had Doritos?" Percy asked.

"Oh, no, I mean, probably not. I swung by Save Mart on the way back. They were very helpful there, oh, and the lobsters say 'Hi' Percy."