A/N Hey look! It's Clara! Back in her POV at last!


Clara POV:

I was so happy to be back in action. I sat at the Hufflepuff table with Kat and Rebecca, and also with Renee, Gill, Sandra, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the last of whom had been released just in time for the feast. Just a little bit away from us were the second year Hufflepuffs. Justin had come embarrassedly to apologize to us a few minutes before, and Dumbledore had announced a tie for the house cup between Gryffindor and Slytherin, something completely unheard of in history. Hufflepuff had taken second place, with Ravenclaw last. My parents had declined the feast, and Dumbledore had helped them get back to America with Floo powder. David had apologized for their rude behavior and promised he'd do everything he could to convince them I had to stay. He also had made Renee and me promise to come home before going to camp, so that we could really have a chance to talk.

Dumbledore announced that exams would be cancelled as a school treat, except for NEWTs and OWLs, and everyone except for fifth years, seventh years, and Hermione cheered. Ron elbowed her. "You haven't even studied, Hermione!"

Hagrid burst in at around two in the morning, and the cheers from all but the Slytherin table nearly destroyed the cafeteria, we were so happy.


All too soon, our bags were packed and we were piling onto the train. I scored a compartment with Renee, Ginny, Hermione, Fred, George, Harry, and Ron. We sat and laughed, playing the Bertie Botts game and trading chocolate frog cards. When we were full, Harry finally said something that had been on everyone's mind, although mostly subconsciously.

"So, Ginny, what was it that Percy didn't want us to tell you?"

"I….I saw him with….well….I shouldn't say, really…."

"Oh, go on, Ginny," Renee urged her. I couldn't tell if she was using charmspeak or not, but we all joined in on urging and eventually Ginny gave in.

"Percy has a girlfriend! I walked in on them kissing in a classroom!" We burst out laughing.

"Who is it, Ginny?" George asked, laughing hard.

"Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect. That's why he was so upset when she was petrified." Ginny looked at us, then directly at Fred and George. "You won't tell him, will you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," they said in unison, looking like Christmas had come early.

After that, Renee went to say goodbye to some of her Slytherin friends, as well as Luna. Ginny went over to Rachel's compartment, and the rest of us fell asleep.


I smelled the warm air and wondered where I was. A minute later, it hit me: Florida. I heard the clip-clop of hooves on pavement. It must have been Grover the satyr. He was being chased by something big, and I saw a shadow round the corner after him. Grover was muttering, have to get away, have to warn them, and the thing was chasing him. He ducked into a bridal shop, but the monster followed him.


I sat bolt upright as we went over the hill that I knew as the midway point. Harry was explaining telephones to Ron, and he gave Ron and Hermione his number. "Oh, Clara, you're awake. Do you want one?"

"Renee and I don't have phones, but thanks."

Renee looked up. I hadn't noticed her, but she was sitting on the bench next to Hermione. "Harry, that reminds me, send Clara or me a letter for general communication, but if you must communicate with us urgently, use these next to water to create an iris message. Just say our names, because I have no idea where we'll be. We should be at camp, but with Kronos, you never know." Renee had accidentally said all that out loud for everyone, but the others were distracted by a tapping at the window.

"Dusk!" I exclaimed. I opened the letter. "We have cleared the fireplace for Floo powder at home," I read. "You and Renee can come straight home, no worries. Love, David." I grinned. "Renee, that's okay with you, right?"

"Perfect." I heard the train pull into the station and knew that I only had a few minutes with my friends before we left across the ocean for the summer. There was a knock at the door, and my Hufflepuff friends came bursting in.

"Didn't think you could escape us, did you, Clara?" Kat teased.

Ernie picked me up out of my chair and hugged me. "Write to us from New York, okay Clara?"

I nodded.

"Renee," Susan Bones said, "sorry for the way we treated you. Next year will be different, I promise. We're Hufflepuffs, after all. We shouldn't treat anyone this way."

Renee grinned. "Thanks. It's Susan, right?" Susan Bones nodded. "Pleased to meet you, Susan. I'm glad you're friends with Clara."

Susan smiled. "See you next year!"

The Hufflepuffs filed out, and we left after them. Harry hugged Renee tightly. I couldn't tell what their relationship was or was turning into, but a small jealous feeling nagged at me about them. I decided to ignore it, they weren't falling in love, that I was sure of. Renee was too into Gill to fall for Harry, especially since she knew Ginny was enamored with him. Renee wasn't the type to ruin someone else's relationship. Unless it was Drew. Or Kaylee. Or….I was getting ahead of myself again.

Ginny threw herself at me. "To many more adventures together, hopefully not like this year though." I grinned and we walked onto the platform and out into the Muggle world.


"We really need to talk about this, Clara, Renee."

"David! Can we at least put our stuff down first?"

"Yes, but just so you know, our brothers are out but probably won't be for much longer. I made some cookies, those sandwich ones you love, and they're waiting in the kitchen. Your parents and I have agreed on some ground rules. We've read Hogwarts: A History and learned what you can and can't have and do. I'm on your side for this one, although I do believe that as a family-and that includes you, Renee-we need to set some things up."

I hugged my brother. "You're the best, David."


Mom ran to me. "Clara! We were so scared. We didn't feel it was right to stay for the feast, we wanted you to spend the time with your friends. But….your dad and I have talked, and you can go back. I don't want to give you two cell phones, but a better contact would be nice. I don't trust those drachmas, and Dusk is too slow."

My dad sat in the armchair nodding. "We were wondering if you could ask Chiron and Dumbledore if there was any way you could have phones. I mean I know it's a hazard, but-"

Renee cut him off. "No, Mr. Bradley, I'm really sorry. There's no way. Monsters trace cell signals, and they don't work at Hogwarts anyway."

"That's what I thought. In that case, we have some ground rules. I know we can't say not to do anything dangerous, because that's just the life of a demigod, but here are the ground rules: Don't go chasing after serial killers when you can't help it, don't voluntarily sign yourself up at Hogwarts to fight a dragon, don't go on any rescue missions that don't involve your closest friends, don't try to save any special wizarding artifacts from dark caves, and don't tour the country looking for more magical objects. Got it?"

"Wow, Mr. Bradley, you've got it covered!"

Mom laughed. "Also, we've arranged to have monthly correspondence with Professor Sprout. If anything goes wrong, we'll hear it from her or you, got it? Not from Dumbledore, not from Chiron, not from Snape. From you or Sprout."

We nodded and I was about to say something when there was a frantic knock at the door. It didn't sound like my brothers, they would just burst in with their key. So it would have had to be someone from camp. Renee jumped up to go get it, and David followed her, alarmed.

"Annabeth," she gasped. I ran to the door to look.

"Annabeth?"

"Get in the car, you two. I'm glad you're both here, I had to pick you up immediately, Percy and his cyclops friend Tyson were in trouble. Are your things packed?"

I had never seen Annabeth rushed like this before. "Annabeth, we just got in. I haven't even seen most of my brothers yet."

Annabeth gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Clara, but this can't wait. I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I should get you now. You have your trunks?"

I looked between David and Renee. "David, I'm really sorry. Can you go get our trunks? Even though we just put them away? It looks like we might need to be off."

David groaned. "But what about Ross and Dallas? They've been waiting for you."

"I'll call tonight, I promise." I shrugged. What could I say? Life of a demigod, that was just how it was. "I'm so sorry."

"Do you two have your wands?" Annabeth asked nervously.

"We're not allowed to use magic outside of school."

"Chiron and I found a loophole there." Annabeth smiled for the first time since she had arrived. "That law only exists when the Ministry of Magic of your country know you exist. Because you were born in England, some European countries have you down, but we made sure our ministry didn't.

"Wait…." Renee asked, "I was born in England? I mean, I know Clara must have been, but me?"

"Yes. I've done some research. We still don't know who your parents are, but we are pretty sure you were born outside of America. As for Clara, she was actually born here, but conceived in the UK, so it still counts. We got the Empire State Building to give us some records just for sure."

"Wait….the American ministry is in the Empire State Building too?"

"We don't know, the doorman wouldn't tell us. But he has connections all over the city. Renee, you're strangely quiet."

"If you'd been through what we have this past year, you'd understand why I'm not exactly happy about you showing up and dragging us away."

The edge in Renee's voice was one I hadn't heard in more than a year. Were England Renee and New York Renee even the same person? I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Renee," I whispered, "calm down." At this time, David had brought our stuff down, and he hugged each of us tightly.

"Call me as soon as you're safe….ish."

I nodded. "Come on," Annabeth pleaded. "Please? Can we go? I'll tell you everything in the car."

"Okay." I'd forgotten how much Annabeth could calm Renee down if she really tried. I guess we all could occasionally.


"What's going on at camp?" I asked as we piled into the taxi….not a taxi….thing. There were three women in the front squabbling about something.

"The eye! Give me the eye!"

"Not until I get the tooth!"

"I don't have the tooth, she does!"

Renee and I looked at each other. The car expanded to fit us all.

"Drive!" Annabeth yelled.

I nodded hello to Percy, the last time I had seen him was when I saved his life. Neither of us expected anything of it, of course, but it was awkward all the same. Then we noticed the thing sitting next to him.

"What's that?" Renee asked rudely, forgetting herself. I kicked her in the shin as Percy glared at her.

"Don't cry, big guy. Renee didn't mean that as an insult. That is Tyson, and he's my friend," Percy said strongly.

I looked at the women in the front seat, then back at Annabeth. "Why is Annabeth doing this?" Renee whispered.

"Trust me, they're wise."

The ladies nodded. "Wise, yes."

"We know things. We've had celebrities in this car."

"Like Jason, remember him?"

"No, you old bat, that was a chariot! Three thousand years ago we didn't have a taxi!"

I exchanged a glance with Percy and Renee. Percy looked somewhere between laughter and terror. Renee was just infuriated.

"But we know things," the ladies said. "Every street in Manhattan."

"The capital of Nepal."

"The location you seek, Jackson."

"Don't tell him, he hasn't asked yet! Stop!"

Percy was startled. "What location? I'm not seeking-"

"You're right. It's nothing. Nothing at all."

Renee had remembered herself. "Tell him!"

"No!" One of the ladies yelled. "Last time we told it was awful."

"Eye tossed in the lake. Speaking of which, give it back!"

"No!"

The three then tackled each other in something that my young friends and I used to call a catfight. Only much, much worse. There was a terrible popping sound and all three women screeched.

"My eye! I can't see!" All three wailed.

The eye had rolled by Percy's foot, and he and Renee flinched. I quickly pulled out my wand to give it back, but realized that was a bad idea, and I could hurt the eye. I also couldn't remember a single spell that would do it. Renee, however, had other ideas.

"We won't give it back until you tell us the location." Percy nodded vigorously.

Annabeth and I looked at each other. If this was the game Renee and Percy were going to play, we were in big trouble.

"NO!" The ladies yelled.

"Yes! You will tell us, or you won't get the eye back."

"Accelerating!" One of the ladies exclaimed.

"Percy, Renee, if you don't give the eye back, we're going to crash miles from our destination," Annabeth tried to reason.

"Not until they tell us the location!"

"Okay, fine! And then you'll give us the eye! 30, 31, 75, 12!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Renee asked indignantly.

"30, 31, 75, 12!" They screamed again. "That's all we can say! Now give me the eye!"

Suddenly I remembered one spell that could work. "Wingardium Leviosa," I whispered. The eye flew up to the roof of the car and to the ladies. Surprisingly, it hit one of them squarely in their eye socket.

They got us to camp and the door swung open. "Now tell me!"

"Percy, no! There's no time!" We all followed Annabeth's gaze across the window and saw what she meant. The camp was under attack.

The five of us rushed out of the car and the ladies sped off.

"Clarisse!" I yelled. "We have to help her!"


A/N: So yeah this was a bit of a filler but I need to read the book more at a time when I can really think about it.

Unrelated but I am probably going to activate my FictionPress account soon, and I hope you all can follow whatever I publish there. I've recently found I absolutely love online writing because you can publish as much or little as you want, and over as much time as you need. And all my readers are so supportive.

I'll probably also start my Ron*Harry ship story soon. I've been thinking about it for a while and I'm really excited to start it. I hope I can get as much support on it as I have for this.

Anyway thanks for reading and please review.

~Hufflepufferfish