Chapter 69
Percy
Annabeth and my mother returned with what appeared to be a pallet of groceries and house wares just before the meeting. Athena had left them some time in middle of the afternoon to advise Syrian rebels on strategy. It was weird that while Poseidon and Athena barely got along, and when they did I think it was for our benefit, Athena and my mother were like equals. I suspect because mom still had a twinge of bitterness for my father abandoning her; well who wouldn't, and Athena thus felt a kinship in that they both despised dad in their own way.
We were still adding personal touches to our home in New Ionia, and Annabeth was concerned for some reason that my entire wardrobe consisted of cargo shorts, Camp Half Blood tees, a few school uniforms and oddly enough, two tuxedos, one for the ball and the other for our wedding. She claimed to be getting me ready for college but honestly I think she saw our marriage as an opportunity to rebuild my image and attire into something she didn't have to explain to her mortal friends, or at least the ones she hoped to meet once college started for us.
Meetings with our crew had become awkward. Since our "promotions" as we called it, Hazel didn't feel like she was in charge anymore, and I guess when it came to godly matters, she was not. That said, there was a lot of work going on in so far as our original quest went and though I was still teaching some classes, that was Hazel's balliwick. Tonight was to be discussing a new quest so either Annabeth or myself would chair it, but as Hermes visited Rachel after he left our place, she first announced the quest. Will and Nico were noticeably absent.
"So no poem or prophecy guys, but I don't throw up either so we have that going for us. Percy probably has more details that I, but basically we need a crew to go to the land of the dead to find out who put Harry's new sword back together." She then turned to me so I could explain more.
"Okay, so basically here is the back story. A few years ago, what we call the Titan war, Jason, Reyna and the Romans fought in the west, while Annabeth, I and the Greeks fought in the east in New York and all the way into the throne room of Olympus. Leading the opposition was the chief Titan, Kronos, who is actually a primordial god, not a Titan. Doesn't matter. Anyway, Kronos had possessed the physical form of our friend, Luke, who was a half blood Greek until he went rogue. He carried a cursed sword, Backbiter, which was called cursed as it could kill creatures and persons from the magical world, as well as the mortal. So it could kill for instance, both myself and my mother. Until this most recent quest, most of our weapons wouldn't do that."
"Backbiter" Annabeth continued for me "was made from the sickle of Kronos and after the battle and Luke's heroic death, it was taken by Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and destroyed in the hearth of Olympus."
"And then, during the period I was between life and death a few weeks ago at the battle with Voldemort's forces, the spirit of Luke came and gave it to me so I could kill the dark lord with it." Harry concluded as he drew forth the sword and laid it on the table.
"So the nature of this quest, which we hope to have Nico and Harry escort the quest, and Harry has suggested Seamus as the Hogwarts representative. is to find out who reformed it and why. Now we just need a Roman and a Greek to go and wanted to get the camp leaders input on who to get." I concluded.
"No one." Nico said as he literally stepped out of a shadow. "I just returned from my fathers' home and have some information on this."
We were all startled both by Nico's sudden appearance and his words.
"Uh, what did you learn?" Annabeth asked.
"Well, Backbiter, like your sword Riptide Percy, or Neville's wand Nightshade, contains an individual spirit, like it has soul, or part of one anyway. And like your weapons, and mine for that matter, are basically immortal. So when Hestia melted it, well, it went to my father's realm and reformed. There the fates judged it and found it to be innocent. Oh, it had been used for evil and wrongdoing, but it did none of that on its own. Nor was it heroic. So it was judged that my father's realm was not the right place for it, and given to Luke, its last owner, to return to this world when he met with Harry. That's the solution. Also, Hades has enough problems without godlings and such mucking about in his space looking for sword smiths."
"Well that's great then, I notify Hermes and he can tell anyone else that is interested. Harry, looks like you get to keep a really bad ass sword."
"Not sure I want to." He smiled.
"Hazel, that is all I had, I think we are back to you and the quest training."
"About that. Look, I appreciate you asking me to keep running things here, but after our... coronations?" Hazel said.
"Beautifications" Piper giggled.
"Diefications" Nico quipped to everyone's laughter.
"Defications"? Frank said, and now we were practically rolling.
"Made into godlings" Hazel said to bring us back in, "after that I'm not so sure I'm in charge anymore. Really Percy, you or Annabeth should..."
"No, we have enough on our plate, no thanks. Besides you were picked for this job, and basically all we have left to do here are run the Slytherins through, and there aren't that many of them." Annabeth said to everyone's agreement.
"Okay well, I just.." Hazel said as Harry interrupted her.
"And there is the matter of the Gryffindor/America House Quidditch match." Harry said.
"Dude" Nico said.
"Dude" Frank and Reyna joined.
"Dude!" Annabeth near shouted.
"What?" Ron asked on Harry's behalf.
"You just interrupted a centurion. Never interrupt a centurion." I admonished. "They will cut you. Unless it is for a wedding announcement."
"Thank you." Hazel giggled. I think she knew then that we wanted her to finish the mission. It was really outside of our assignments anyway, but we needed to finish up the later students as well as train Slytherin, so we really did have enough work for the rest of the school year. We were all spread thin given our new obligations, but fortunately but no longer bothered with going to classes at Hogwarts, except Hermione, and Ron when she could drag him along.
"As I was saying..." Hazel talked for several minutes about our training roles, but I zoned out. I no longer had one and usually baby sat while Annabeth taught the sword classes with Neville and Jason. I was just used to measure the new breakthroughs when they happened, and was still amazingly undefeated. I noticed Nico trying to get my attention and looked at him.
"We need to talk" he mouthed silently and I nodded.
