Chapter 78
Hermione
Don't get me wrong, I still use my wand mostly. I had not had the occasion to use my shotgun in combat in a long time actually but under the doctrine we operated under I would use muggle firearms when presented with muggles that were doing the same, while everyone else would generally use wands so as to present a unified yet asymmetrical attack. While our opponents saw me as the threat, it gave everyone else a free opportunity to attack. Most of my friends think of me as the best spell caster, and humbly, I probably am in a sense. Neville and Harry are probably better at specifically combat attack spells, but I'm stronger at everything else. Other than maybe Rachel, who still rarely went to combat situations with us, I was far and away the best shootist.
We stayed in Hawaii a few more days and everyone was relaxed and enjoyed themselves. The guys wanted to visit an active volcano and we had to fight a magma monster there but between freezing it and Jason and Percy working together to wrap it up in its' own mini hurricane, it was soon dispatched.
On our last day there Percy enlisted our help in a side project along with the kids. While keeping Annabeth busy, either by himself or with the girls dragging her off to one last shopping spree, for which Piper stayed behind, allegedly to care for JJ and help Percy with Caly and Tee. That gave her time to direct the aerial servants on the Argo III to do the decorations while Percy snuck off to pick up something he had dropped off at a local jeweler earlier in the week. Then the menu was handled by Leo, who anymore was our chief caterer. Of course the aerials did the cooking this time.
By the time Annabeth got to the Jacksons' suite on the ship and found the note left behind by Percy to meet him and the kids for dinner in the grand dining hall, we were all in position. She entered, saw the decor and had a confused look on her face for an instant, which let us all leap out and yell "Surprise!"
"Whu..."
"Happy birthday smart girl" Percy said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Happy birthday maaahhhhhmmmmeeeeee!" Caly and Tee shouted, then we all sang the happy birthday song to her as she blushed with a tear in her eye.
"Awwww thanks guys! You shouldn't have, its... just thanks." She smiled, then turned to kiss Percy.
"I haven't had a chance to throw you a surprise party since the one you threw for me, the night we got engaged."
"You didn't have to, I mean, I appreciate it but..."
"No, but I wanted to also tell you, that was the best night of my life and I would do it all over if you would have me."
"I would." She whispered.
"Come on! Dinner is ready, then you have to open presents and cut the cake!" Rachel commanded.
"Its bru! Da best!" Caly exclaimed.
"Blue Percy?"
"Caly and Tee insisted." He smiled.
"Cause its the best?"
"That's what they say, smart kids. Must take after their mom," He grinned.
We all gave gifts, trinkets really, to Annabeth. This was the norm amongst us. We were all had everything we needed and if anything ever wore out or broke we had magic to fix it. We spoiled kids rotten, but for each other it really was just the thought that counted. Of course, spouses were expected to step it up, and Percy had risen to the occasion.
Percy's gift was a ginormous black pearl donated by a particularly grateful oyster that was glad to be rid of it after it had festered inside for many years, at least that is what Percy said. He had taken it to a local jeweler to be made into a pendant for a necklace, then had it blessed by Athena and his father so that it acted as an amulet to give its wearer added protection against dark magic and evil. It also looked quite beautiful and brought a tear to its wearer's eye apparently. Evidence suggested it also had the power to cause kissing fits like a tweenage girl on her middle school crush. Truly a powerful magic item.
As Annabeth had, under the tutoring of Leo and Hazel, developed a taste for Mexican and New Orleans cuisine, the menu was both eclectic and delicious. The cake was indeed blue and was also the best, just as the kids had promised. The kids had red cool aid while the grown ups had sangria. It was the first time Percy had alcohol with us since the night of the bachelor and bachelorette parties and I don't think he knew it had alcohol until he was quite tipsy. Fortunately Annabeth kept him under control. Will was a different matter. After the kids were sent to bed with Piper and Jason supervising them Will decided that he needed to play piano and soon had us all dancing. Some of us really should not dance when we drink. I'll just leave it at that.
We reluctantly returned to New Ionia the next morning and sent the Argo III back to its home port near Camp Half Blood. On our first day back we held a strategy session on how to deal with Eris and decided she was still Ares' problem. She could not come to New Ionia, having never been approved, and so we were safe from her aggravations there. We did decide to take a more hands on interest in training up Ares and decided that he could use the Argo III if he asked humbly, but we were not going to advertise that. We also decided that on that trip we would heavily guard our ship via the doorway to New Ionia and by having a constant escort crew on the ship. Truthfully those that had traveled to the Med before were more worried about something called 'shrimpzilla' returning than any damage Ares might cause. As a result we all learned, or in the case of the Americans programmed, all the incendiary spells we could since that is what Leo used to defeat it before.
It was decided that couples would always travel together and that each couple had a duty to preserve itself in the sense that if one was about to die, which we didn't think likely, both would retreat, heal and return. All of us would come running if any combat began, and all would act as guardians of the quest as a result. We just were not taking any chances with that bitch.
Then Frank pointed out it was not the ship that attracted monsters, but the half bloods on it, so why not just pre position it in the Aegean Sea somewhere just south of Athens, or actually in it, then toss Ares and company into the ocean by walking through doors. Or we could give them a boat to get ashore with. If they were nice. Once this was decided we went back to our day to day routine for a couple more weeks.
"So, we're getting close. Is Loser anywhere near ready?" Annabeth by way of calling the company meeting to order on the third Sunday in July.
"No, he is mid level amateur at best" Chiron reported. "He should be further along but his coordination has not come up to the level he needs. His mind is fit, but as he says, his body does not respond as it should. He needs to focus on physical training but refuses to do anything other than sword and spear."
"That's not good. Some of us start back to college in a couple weeks" Annabeth said, reminding us that almost two months had passed since Percy returned and five weeks since Ares fell.
"It cannot be rushed. If you asked him, Ares would go now, but those of us that have sparred with him will tell you he isn't ready no matter what he thinks."
"Okay, well lets worry about who else is ready. Hogwarts. Go."
"Probably Bobby Hilliard, he's a seventh year. He was an archer at the battle against the death eaters and Voldemort, finished his initial training four years ago. He was in DA11 or 12 if I recall. Ravenclaw, smart, strong and fast with spells and solid with weapons. Probably the best we have other than folks in the company, Seamus or Colin. And I know you won't send trainers and graduates, plus Seamus is doing the LEP ambassador thing. They would both volunteer at the drop of a hat." Hermione replied, with Dumbledore nodding his assent to the evaluation.
"Okay, obviously Loser for Half Blood, Hazel, who do you have?"
"Julia. Of course. She has been volunteering for everything that has come up for a couple of years but she just made Centurian so she is eligible now. She is both Neville and Frank's star student and has hung on to her dream. She's ready, well, considering the task she is as ready as anyone is ever going to get."
"Her dream?" Percy asked, to everyone's snickers.
"Oh please don't let her know you don't remember her when you meet." Hazel said, aghast.
"Oh I... okay, help me out" Percy finally admitted.
"She was Terminous's helper. child of Mercury. Since the battle at New Rome her one goal in life has been, and I quote, 'to be Percy Jackson when she grows up.'"
"Oh! Yes! I remember her, she was like, six when I met her."
"More like eight, she is fourteen now, and really, really good. Like spars Frank to a draw good." Hazel replied, with Frank quickly agreeing.
"Okay. Percy, spar all of them. If you say they are good enough that's our team." Annabeth said.
"Uh.. okay. When did I become the exam proctor?" Percy smiled.
"When you got back after I had to for the previous four years." Annabeth grinned back.
