Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own the Percy Jackson series or anything relating to it.

Chapter 2

Not long after the horrendous Capture the Flag game and our father claiming my brother, Grover escorted my brother and I to the Big House where Chiron told my brother he needed to go on a quest to retrieve the Master Bolt, Zeus' symbol of power, because Zeus thought my brother or possibly I had stolen it. If the Master Bolt was not returned then my brother and I would die and the gods would go to war.

My brother, in his eagerness to protect me and indignation at being accused of theft, accepted the quest, saw the oracle and then Chiron told him to pick two others to accompany him on his quest. Percy immediately requested Grover, who accepted and before I could volunteer or he could decide on someone else, Annabeth whips off her accursed invisibility baseball cap, showing that she's been spying on us, and tells my brother that she's his best bet of getting back from this quest alive.

I jumped to my feet and yelled, "No! Absolutely not!"

Chiron spoke up, "Child, you can't go with them. You're only eight years old."

I shook my head in frustration, as if that matters to me right now. So long as that manipulative, cowardly girl didn't go I could hardly care that I couldn't go to protect my brother. I was a healer not a fighter, and two twelve year olds traveling crosscountry was sketchy enough without an eight year old tagging along.

"Not her. Anybody but her. Or Clarisse." I demanded.

Chiron frowned at me, "Child, the gods are about to go to war if this quest is not completed. Now is not the time for pettiness and grudges."

I growled in anger. How dare he belittle my feelings to mere pettiness and grudges?!

"Not. Her. She has made it clear since we got here that she has something against us. I will not trust her with my brother's life. Especially not after she has already been entrusted with it before and she used that to get my brother jumped by nearly a dozen campers while she stood there and watched."

Chiron looked at me reproachfully, "Mr. Jackson-"

"Ms." I hissed. I had been grateful that most of the councilors of the cabins, Chiron and Mr. D (not that I saw him much) hadn't really had much trouble with keeping track of which gender I was that day ever since my brother let them know of my ability to switch back and forth. Chiron had been good about keeping track, but it was late and I wasn't wearing my bracelet because we'd been pulled out of bed and I was literally in my pajamas; black leggings and one of my brothers shirts that hung off me. So I really shouldn't blame Chiron for not realizing that I was a girl today. Really only my brother would have been able to tell and that's only because he knew that when I was a girl I was downright vicious and cutting in my remarks. I was far more of a peacekeeping coolheaded healer when I was a boy, as a girl though …

As a girl I turned my healing into a weapon. I went straight for the jugular when angry and was far more likely to hold a grudge in that form until the person who angered me apologized. You could liken it to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, though I was far less likely to murder someone just yet.

Chiron was chagrinned as he corrected himself, "Ms. Jackson, that was merely a game of Capture the Flag. This is a life or death quest-"

"Exactly." I hissed, glaring at the blonde puppeteer wannabe, "If she could do that in a simple Capture the Flag game, how can I possibly accept that she'll watch his back and protect him on a life or death quest. After all, it takes a special kind of sadistic evil to deliberately use someone as bait for a trap and then stand there and watch as nearly a dozen teenagers beat on someone and not lift a single finger to help. I won't let you get my brother killed just because you want to indulge your golden girl instead of making her face the consequences of her actions."

My brother wrapped his arms around me then and my breathe shook as I realized I had frustrated and angry tears streaming down my face.

Looking at the blonde girl now, I could see that she now looked horrified at me. I didn't know why she suddenly looked like that but I hoped she took my words to heart and changed her behaviour or thinks twice before doing something so cruel again. I'd heard that Annabeth had been here since she was eight years old herself and no doubt this camp had other demigods coming in over the years, she should know how to treat new campers. If she was going to treat all her mother's rivals or enemies like she hated them or that she was better than them, she was going to get herself and others killed. And worse she didn't really think that anybody would choose to let her come with them on a dangerous quest that required trust and respect between the members of the group, after the way she'd already treated them for the last month and a half, did she? If so, that was far more egotistical and narcissistic than I thought she could be. Somebody needed to deal with that.

It was quiet for a moment, before Chiron finally spoke up again, shame in his voice, "I apologize Ms. Jackson. It didn't occur to me that you might actually have something substantial against Annabeth. I admit that I've been treating your anger against Annabeth and Clarisse and their siblings as more of a tantrum in reaction to seeing your brother injured so soon after losing your mother than realizing you had seen their actions as a personal attack and my inaction as approval of their choices."

Chiron breathed deeply, frowning, "I also admit that I was far more concerned with the hellhound that attacked your brother and what that might have meant rather than looking into what Annabeth and Clarisse and her siblings actually did. I was actually not aware that an altercation had happened beyond what is appropriate in the game. Nor was I aware that Annabeth had used your brother as bait without his permission. I only saw that your brother had held off nearly a dozen Ares kids, was then attacked by a hellhound, and claimed by Lord Poseidon in quick concession."

He continued quietly, "In light of your point of view, I must agree with you, Ms. Jackson. Annabeth will not be allowed to go on this quest. It would seem I need to speak with her and a few others about their actions and decisions as of late. Percy, you will still need to choose another companion and I will tell you now that your sister is too young to be accompanying you on such a dangerous quest-"

I felt Percy shake his head, "Yeah, I agree with you on that front. If we can get Will Solace and Ethan Nakamura in here that will be great."

Ethan Nakamura was a thirteen year old boy with black hair, and gray eye's. He stayed in the Hermes cabin and had for years because he was an undetermined child, meaning that his godly parent hadn't claimed him yet. Ethan was my brothers usual sparring partner and somehow that had been enough to build a friendship off of. It made me envious of how easily my brother could make friends sometimes.

Will was the only one I had managed to get along with outside of my brother and ... in my entire life. Everyone else seemed to start off trying to be my friend but then less than five minutes later they'd be shifting where they stood or sat and then making excuses and running off. Afterwards they'd avoid me or casting me odd or shifty looks and I'd be reminded that my left hand gave off a cold aura that reminded people uncomfortably of death and those that they'd lost, even with the glove that I was nearly constantly wearing, even now.

"You can only take one, Percy" Chiron warns.

Annabeth had ran out the door with tears in her eyes and a horrorstruck look on her face sometime after hearing Chiron's declaration that she wouldn't be able to go on the quest. I'm not sure I wanted to care whether it was because she didn't get her way or because Chiron had sounded so disappointed with her and Clarisse or even if she had been horrified by my perspective of her actions. Either way it didn't matter right now.

Grover ran off to retrieve the two boys, as Percy explained, sternly, "I know but I'll leave the choice up to them. I could use a healer or a dual wielding swordsman, but what I need most is one of them to watch out for Cas for me and see to her best interests while I'm gone."

Chiron grimaced, "I see.. I apologize to you as well, Percy. I will endeavor to regain your trust and take her concerns and opinions, regarding the two of you, more seriously."

Percy sighed, "It's alright, Chiron. I understand that you can't do much if nobody tells you what the actual issue is. Just keep in mind that despite her age, Cas rarely ever has outbursts like that for no reason. If she gets overwhelmed or needs to release some pent up anger she won't take it out on anyone, she'll just walk into the lake and come back when she feels better. Also, just as a heads up, Cas is a lot more vicious and mean as a girl."

I elbowed him in the stomach and he grunted but laughed, "As a guy, Cas is more mellow and agreeable. If you're having issues figuring out their gender that day, just call them by their first name. They won't take issue with that. As a sidenote, my father wishes for me to leave Castor in Dionysus' personal care."

Chiron raised an eyebrow, but nodded at the instruction, his voice lightly admonishing, "Lord Dionysus, Percy."

My brother sighed but corrected himself, more because both of us actually did respect Lord Dionysus, he was after all the Patron God of the LGBTQ community, and my brother would never disrespect a god who I regularly sacrificed food to... I loved my brother for that.

My brother, Grover, and Ethan Nakamura left in the morning. It was odd waking up and not immediately seeing my brother and I was almost nervous being here without him, but I supposed that I would need to get used to it. My brother had been claimed as the son of one of the Big Three, apparently that was a very big deal.

He had also been chosen for the first quest in years and if he succeeded on this quest, it was possible that it would open up the camp for more quests and if that happened... it's possible that my brother would be needed or called upon to assist others with their quests or he might be called on to do more quests himself.

I'm getting ahead of myself I know but I've begun remembering more of my past life.

I use to be a witch named Esme Potter. After my parents died to the crazed madman wielding magic I was given to a mortal family, supposed relatives of my mother in that life, who absolutely abhorred any mention of the abnormal. As a witch, I was absolutely abnormal and everything they hated about the world and I was treated as such too. Abused by my Uncle, Aunt and Cousin, starved, overworked, punished if my grades were higher than my cousins.

I was horrified to be receiving these memories and worse the memories were really freaking random and no where near linear.

The night before my brother left for his quest, I had a nightmare of Esme's life. It wasn't anything concrete just flashes this time... of Esme going on adventure after adventure. Philosophers Stone. Chamber of Secrets. Rescuing an escaped convict from two corrupted government officials and a deranged professor with a petty grudge. Being trapped and forced to fight for my survival in a dangerous tournament with the entirety of the school wishing I would die.

It was ridiculous and terrifying and I was making comparisons between Esme Potter and my brother that was really scary.

My brother had accepted that we wouldn't be normal a long time ago, but I also knew that family was important to him, and me as well, and I knew he dreamed of being able to settle down and have kids someday. As a son of poseidon it was going to be too dangerous to do something like that without setting up protections first and probably having at least one demigod on guard duty while the children are young.

Hogmeade. Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley. St. Mungo's. Godric's Hollow. They all flash through my head and an inkling of an idea begins sprinkling in my head, slotting itself in like a jigsaw puzzle.

My brother didn't want a lot of things, he's always been more practical than me, always taking care of me, protecting me, making sure I have what I need or want even though I have a bank card and I can get it myself if I want to. All my brother wants in life is to be able to settle down in the future and have kids.

I was not going to let this monster infested world take that from either of us.

Read and Review Please. I need to know if I should continue with this or not.

Chiron - I know a lot of people might have issues with the way I portray him but I've always felt that he babied Annabeth and let her get away with too much, this most likely came from the fact that she's been at camp half- blood since she was eight years old and thus he's had to watch her grow up.

Annabeth - I know I might get a lot of hate for how mean my character is to her but let me remind you that Castor is eight years old, they've just lost their mother and Annabeth hasn't shown them the best of her personality. In fact all she's shown them is the absolute worst of herself. In the books, Annabeth's actions and attitude are just brushed off because she's known about their world longer than Percy and Percy doesn't really have the best self-esteem or confidence, but in this world Percy has an eight year old hurt, scared, and opinionated little sibling to look out for and Sally was forced to tell both of them about their status as half-bloods very young, so Percy isn't as dependent on information as he is in the books.

Percy - Castor is and always has been his whole world. He's also grieving his mother so he's clinging to Castor and Castor is clinging to him. Any offence to Castor is something Percy will take personally. As a reminder Percy's fatal flaw is Personal Loyalty. You can not tell me that his sibling's feelings and opinions won't affect his decisions.

Grover - I'm aware that grover might have issues with the way Percy and Castor are seeing Annabeth right now, but I also don't see him confronting Percy about it in front of Castor.