Disclaimer: I do not own ant Percy Jackson storylines, nor any Harry Potter storylines and characters. The only thing I own is this story plot. Everything else belongs to Rick Riordan and J. K. Rowling.
Ron sighed loudly. "This story is making my head hurt and we're not even close to halfway done with it," he moaned, his fingers massaging his temples. "And you two," he added, pointing at Harry and Hermione. "Are you going to let us in on the big secret now? What was that thing?"
Everyone else looked at them as well, curious about what they had to say this time.
"Not it," Harry said immediately.
Hermione glared at him for putting her in the spotlight but answered nonetheless. "Percy described the monster as having its upper body covered in fur, with sharp horns and a brass ring in its nostrils right?"
Some of them nodded.
"Well, from what Percy described, I'm pretty sure it was the Minotaur," Hermione said. "The Greek monster that was half man and half bull."
"How is something half man and half bull?" Ron questioned thoughtfully.
Harry and Hermione turned a little green at that. "Trust me, mate," Harry said, his tone weak, "you're better off not knowing."
"Anyways," Ginny pushed on forcefully, "let's recap on what just happened; Mrs. Jackson was driving Percy and Grover to the safe place for Demigods."
"They were blasted off the road by lightning," Luna inputted. "Grover was knocked unconscious because of it."
"They learned that the 'Minotaur'," Ron said with air quotes, "was after them. And that Mrs. Jackson can't cross the property line."
"The Minotaur grabbed her," Neville added. "And she disappeared in golden light."
"About that," Molly interrupted. "When muggles are killed by greek monsters, do they normally die in a flash of light?"
"Hm," Remus said thoughtfully. "We do not have all the clues to the puzzle yet, so it won't be logical to speculate just yet."
Molly frowned. "I suppose," she said slowly.
"After Mrs. Jackson disappeared -"
"- Percy got his Gryffindor courage -"
"- jumped onto the Minotaur's back -"
"- snapped off one of its horns -"
"- and killed it," the twins said, their eyes widening in awe.
Snape had an eyebrow twitching at their antics.
"When the monster died," Hermione cut in, her brows furrowed, "Percy described its death as disintegration."
"Maybe that's how monsters from Greek Mythology die," Luna said thoughtfully. "They aren't human, even if the Minotaur was only half-human."
"After he killed it," Harry said, his eyes on the book sitting on the table, "he was able to drag Grover to the farmhouse before he collapsed. And before he blacked out, he saw two people leaning over him so I think it's safe to assume that he's going to be okay."
"Physically at least," Neville said quietly, remembering that Percy's mom died in front of his eyes.
"Well, if we want to know what happens next, we must continue reading," Dumbledore interjected gently. "Now, who's going to read next?"
"I'll go," Ron volunteered. "Might as well get it over with."
The twins gasped in exaggerated shock.
"Who are you -"
"- and what have you done with our brother?"
Ron scowled at them, the tip of his ears red while Harry, Hermione, and Neville laughed at him.
Ginny just smiled as she slid the book towards him. "It's all yours, brother dear," she said sweetly.
Ron scowled before snatching up the book and opening to the correct page. "I Play Pinochle With A Horse."
Neville frowned. "What is 'Pinochle'?" he asked, directing his question to Harry and Hermione since they grew up in the muggle world.
"It's a card game," Hermione answered. "But I don't know the rules."
"Neither do I," Harry commented. 'Like my relatives would even let me get a deck of cards,' he thought darkly to himself.
I had weird...barnyard animals.
"'Barnyard animals'?" Ginny repeated in confusion.
"He was probably thinking of Grover," Luna surmised.
Most of them...wanted food.
"That is a strange dream," Remus muttered.
I must've woken up...only it was pudding.
"What is buttered popcorn?" Ron paused in his reading to ask.
"Muggle food," came the unanimous answer from Harry and Hermione.
"There's a pudding in the muggle world that taste like this...popcorn?" Molly questioned.
Hermione shook her head. "No, there's not."
"So then, what is Percy eating?" Ron asked.
Nobody had an answer to that.
The girl with curly...with the spoon.
When she saw my...summer solstice?"
"The 'summer solstice'," Molly repeated, a frown appearing on her face. "What is the significance of that?"
"No idea yet," Neville said. "Percy had just woken up."
I managed…"What?"
She looked around...got a few weeks!"
Harry frowned at the book in Ron's hands. "Something is up."
"No kidding," Remus interjected. "It seems like there's something big happening and Percy's right in the middle of it all."
"But the question is," Neville added, "how is he involved when it's clear he doesn't know anything?"
"Let's us continue reading to find out Mister Longbottom," Dumbledore intoned.
"I'm...I don't…"
Somebody knocked on…my mouth with pudding.
"Note to self," Hermione said suddenly. "'Stuff pudding into Ron's mouth to shut him up'."
Ron glared around his blush. "Watch it, Granger."
The next time...the girl was gone.
A husky blonde dude...the backs of his hands.
"He has eyes all over his body?" Molly asked, her voice horrified.
"Is it possible that this...person, is someone else from Greek Mythology?" Remus questioned.
"No doubt," Hermione replied. "The muggle world doesn't have people with eyes all over their body (obviously) and I've never heard of a type of magic that gives someone multiple eyes."
"Still creepy either way," Ron muttered.
No one disagreed with him.
When I finally came around...every one of my teeth hurt.
"Cool about the view-"
"-but shame about the pain."
Molly didn't bother to scold them this time.
On the table next...through a maraschino cherry.
Ron paused in his reading. "That actually sounds good," he admitted.
"I am getting kind of thirsty," Hermione admitted.
Ginny looked towards the ceiling. "Hey, can we have some drinks please?"
A moment later, a jug of juice as well as a pitcher of coffee appeared in the middle of the table, along with multiple mugs and cups.
Molly, ever the gentle hostess, hurried to pour the juice, which turned out to be Pumpkin Juice, for all the teens and coffee for the adults.
As she sat down, Ron took a long drink from his cup. "Ah, just what I needed," he said with relish. He picked up the book and began reading again.
My hand was so...my fingers around it.
"Careful," a familiar voice...Not the goat boy.
Luna let out a sigh. "He's okay," she said with relief.
Hermione, Ginny, and Molly also let out relieved sighs.
Harry, Ron, Neville, and the twins were also relieved to know that Grover was okay.
Molly and Remus had small smiles upon their faces, relieved that the boy who tried to protect his friend was okay, while Dumbledore and Snape had neutral looks upon their faces.
While Dumbledore didn't show emotion because he already knew the story and its events, Snape was only interested to see how these people can help win the war.
"But why is he carrying a shoebox?" Harry questioned.
Hermione could only shrug.
So maybe I'd had...for some reason. And…
"Poor boy," Molly uttered softly.
Neville stared sadly at the book in Ron's hands.
"You saved my life...you might want this."
Reverently, he placed...in my lap.
Inside was a...with dried blood.
"That must be the horn Percy broke off of the Minotaur," Remus reasoned.
"Do you know anything else that's missing a horn?" Snape asked sarcastically.
Remus didn't respond.
It hadn't been...Half man, half bull."
The twins looked over to Harry and Hermione. "It looks like you were right," they said.
Harry and Hermione practically oozed smugness.
"I wonder what Grover was going to say," Ginny mused quietly.
Grover shifted uncomfortably...do you remember?"
"My mom...looked down.
Ron shifted uncomfortably. Having grown up in a big family, Ron has never really known loneliness. Seeing the understanding present in Harry's eyes, as well as Neville's, Luna's, and Hermione's (who never really had friends before coming to Hogwarts as well as having busy parents), made him a tad uncomfortable.
Looking around slightly, he saw that Fred, George, and Ginny were looking as awkward as he felt.
I stared across the...beautiful in the sunlight.
My mother was...should look beautiful.
The atmosphere took on a slightly depressing mood.
"I'm sorry," Grover...in the world."
"I'm sure you're not," Molly soothed. "You tried your best, that's all anyone could ask."
Fred looked at his twin. "She does know she's talking to a book, right?"
Molly, who overheard heard his comment, glowered over at him.
He moaned, stomping...a hoof-shaped hole.
"So that's how he was able to hide the fact that he has hooves," Remus said thoughtfully.
"Oh, Styx...clear sky.
"Oh, sticks?" Neville repeated confusedly with a frown. "That's a weird way to swear."
"Yeah," Harry added. "I've never heard anyone use sticks as a swear word.
"Hang on," Ron said. "In here it's spelled S-T-Y-X."
"Oh," Hermione said with understanding. Then she frowned. "Wait, that sounds familiar."
"Now that you mention it," Harry spoke with a furrowed brow, "that word is tickling something at the back of my brain."
"There was a mention of the weather again," Remus said before the two teens got frustrated with a lack of answers. "It said thunder boomed when there weren't even clouds in the sky."
Harry and Hermione frowned to themselves.
'Thunder?'
As he struggled...that settles it.
Ginny giggled. "I'm guessing that's when it finally settled in his head about Grover being a satyr."
The other girls giggled too.
Grover was a...horns on his head.
Fred and George gained mischievous grins that made their mother and every adult sitting at the table twitch nervously.
But I was...or even minotaurs.
The mood plummeted once again.
"He's so overwhelmed," Luna said sorrowfully.
I was alone...Smelly Gabe?
Everyone gained dark, ugly looks at the mention of Gabe. Harry and Snape especially had murder in their eyes.
No.
That would...I'd do something.
"Damn straight," Harry snarled.
Molly and Remus stared at Harry in shock, surprised by his vehemence. The others weren't, however, and Snape agreed with the boy.
(He wasn't going to tell him that though. Obviously)
Grover was still...to be hit.
"He must be feeling so guilty," Hermione included sadly.
I said, "It...my vision spinning.
"Don't strain...Here."
He helped...my lips.
I recoiled at...to be okay.
"Okay, wait," Hermione interrupted before anyone could sink into melancholy. "Does anybody know what kind of drink he just drank? Because I'm positive there isn't something like this in the muggle world."
Ron shook his head. "I've never heard of or drank something like that something."
Being the food enthusiast that he was, Hermione didn't question it.
"It might be something only specific to their world," Neville said thoughtfully.
"It could also have medicinal properties," Remus said. "Percy described his body filling up with energy when only a moment ago, he almost dropped the cup the...the drink was in."
"Hmm…" Hermione stared thoughtfully at the book in Ron's hands.
Snape was also staring at the book, the curiosity he was feeling not showing on his face.
Before I knew...hadn't even melted.
"Was it good...I felt guilty.
"Why wouldn't he know how it tastes?" Molly asked incredulously.
No one had an answer.
"Sorry," I...wondered.
Snaped frowned to himself. 'Why would he react like that just because he was offered a drink?'
"Chocolate-chip cookies...a hundred yards."
All the teens grinned at the thought of Percy tossing the girl who tormented him and Grover over a long distance.
"That's good...of that stuff."
"Huh?" Harry asked. "What did he mean?"
"What do you mean?"
Harry flushed as the others laughed before shooting Ron a glare.
Ron merely grinned at him.
He took the...Mr. D are waiting."
'And now he's handling the cup that previously held the drink as if it were dangerous,' Snape noted to himself.
"I wonder who this 'Mr. D' is," Remus said with Molly nodding next to him in agreement.
The porch wrapped...going to let it go.
'Makes sense,' Harry thought to himself. 'I would like to keep the thing that saved me from my first monster. It's kind of like our wands.'
As we came...caught my breath.
Everyone leaned forward to see what it was that caught Percy's attention.
We must've been...in the distance.
Between here and...I was seeing.
"What? What is it?" The twins leaned forward eagerly.
"If you'd stop interrupting me I'd get to the explanation faster!" Ron snapped at them.
The landscape was...satyrs played volleyball.
Canoes glided across...horses had wings.
"Whoa," Ron breathed out after he was finished reading the description. "That sounds brilliant."
Hermione nodded, looking a little starstruck herself. "Buildings that resemble those of ancient Greek but brand new, a bunch of cabins near the woods, and everything buts up against the water."
Neville added his two knuts. "Some kids were practicing archery, others were playing a game called volleyball," here he shot a look at Harry and Hermione to make sure he pronounced the name correctly. At their nod, he continued, "and it looked like some of them were riding Abraxans."
"No Neville," Hermine shook her head. "I believe in their world, a horse with wings is actually called a Pegasus."
"Weird," Ron commented.
"Still amazing though," Ginny said.
Luna 'hmmed' in agreement.
Down at the...next to them.
"The adults must be the ones in charge," Luna said thoughtfully.
"So maybe Percy might finally get some answers," Harry sighed.
"But what is that blonde girl doing there?" Hermione asked.
"Who knows?" the twins shrugged.
The man facing me...in a trailer park.
He wore a...even my stepfather.
"Hmm," Molly thoughtfully, her eyes narrowed. "I don't know if I like the sound of this man."
"Well," Hermione said hesitantly, "if he's in charge he can't be all that bad, can he?"
"Oh of course not Hermione," Harry said sarcastically. "It's not like people in charge have ever turned out to be jerks that abuse their power. Oh, wait…" his voice trailed off as he glanced at Snape.
"Watch it, Potter," Snaped glared, ignoring the Gryffindor girl's giggles.
"That's Mr. D...already know Chiron."
"So that blonde girl is just a camper?" Ron said in confusion. "But then, why is she there with the adults?"
"Especially since one of them is the camp director," Fred said.
"Grover said she's been there longer than almost everyone else right?" Neville said thoughtfully. "Maybe she has some time of Seniority? Like how students who are Prefects longer than the others are obeyed to the most?"
"An interesting idea Neville," Remus said with a smile.
"What I want to know is why Grover thinks Percy already knows this...Chiron character," Snape added grudgingly to the conversation.
Please keep reading Mister Weasley," Dumbledore interjected.
He pointed at...was to me.
First, I realized he...the scraggly beard.
'I knew it,' Hermione, Luna, Remus, and Snape thought victoriously.
"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.
"Mr. Brunner?!" cried out everyone who hasn't figured it out yet.
"I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner!" Ginny said pitifully.
Harry narrowed his eyes at a smug-looking Hermione. "You could've clued us in you know," he said,
Hermione grinned. "You're right, I could've," she agreed.
"Not cool 'Mione. Not cool."
The Latin teacher turned...multiple choice answers B.
"Ah, good Percy...four for pinochle."
"Really?" Molly said skeptically. "He's not going to explain to Percy what had just happened to him?"
"Um," Remus said hesitantly. "Maybe he's just trying to remain calm for him?"
"The boy just lost his mother! He deserves some bloody answers!"
He offered me a...heaved a great sigh.
"Oh, I suppose I...glad to see you."
"He sounds familiar," Harry murmured to Ron.
"No kidding," he murmured back, chancing a glance at Snape.
"Uh, thanks." I scooted...I was a satyr.
Molly, Snape, and Harry all narrowed their eyes when the part was read.
"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner...the blond girl.
"So her name is Annabeth," Hermione muttered to herself.
She came...introduced us.
"This young lady nursed...cabin eleven for now."
Snape filed away the info about the cabin for later.
Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."
She was probably my age...me down in a fight.
Ron shuddered dramatically. "Sounds like Hermione."
Hermione didn't look like the description bothered her in the least.
"Well, at least we got a better description than 'that blond girl'," Ginny said. She thought it was insulting to describe a girl simply by their hair color. If she had a knut for every time she heard someone describe her as 'that red-headed girl', she'd be a rich Weasley.
She glanced at the...or something like that.
The twins snorted. "If she's anything like Hermione-"
"-then that's probably not the answer."
Instead she...you sleep."
All the teens burst into laughter at Annabeth's blunt statement, with even Molly and Remus giggling and chuckling respectively.
Snape merely rolled his eyes.
Then she sprinted...flying behind her.
"So," I said...here, Mr. Brunner?"
"Not Mr. Brunner...call me Chiron."
Harry and Hermione narrowed their eyes thoughtfully. 'Where have I heard that name before?' they thought to themselves.
Snape was the only one who noticed.
"Okay." Totally confused...stand for something?"
Mr. D stopped shuffling...just belched loudly.
"Young man, names...for no reason."
"Didn't Percy's mom say the same thing when he was about to call the Minotaur by its name?" Remus asked.
"She did," Luna said, her brow furrowed thoughtfully. "I guess this confirms that calling a creature by their name really is dangerous."
"Oh. Right. Sorry."
"I must say...wasted my time."
"House call?"
"My year at...leave of absence."
"Okay," Hermione piped up. "So, what I've got from that is that there are satyrs stationed in schools to see if there are potential demigods to bring to the camp."
"But Grover was already where Percy was," Harry added with a furrowed brow. "So, why did Mr. Bru… uh, I mean, Chiron, why did Chiron have to go to the school?"
"As we thought earlier, Percy seems to be in the middle of something," Molly spoke up.
"But the question are these," Luna said suddenly. "What is the situation and why is Percy involved?"
Dumbledore spoke his mind. "Let us continuing reading to find out Miss Lovegood."
Everyone, including Snape, felt their eye twitch at the repeated phrase.
I tried to remember...had taken the class.
"You came...I asked.
Chiron nodded...the first test."
"Wait," Molly interjected, her eyes wide. "Does he mean to say that sometimes the kids don't make it there alive?"
"Well, the Minotaur can't be the only monster after demigods right?" Harry said thoughtfully, his brow furrowed. "There might be others that attack them."
Hermione nodded. "Harry has a point."
"The poor dears," Molly said mournfully.
"Grover," Mr. D...or not?"
"Yes, sir!"...Hawaiian shirt.
"Looks could be deceiving," Remus said darkly, his mind wandering over to Peter Pettigrew.
Snape, who was lied to and betrayed and used by many people, scowled at the words Remus used but couldn't refute them.
"You do know...eyed me suspiciously.
"I'm...said.
"I'm afraid...he said.
"Sir," I repeated...less and less.
"Us too mate," the twins said.
"Well," he told me...to know the rules.
"I'm sure...Chiron said.
"The camp director is quite rude," Ginny said. "And they still haven't explained exactly what that place is yet."
"Please," I said...to teach me?"
Mr. D snorted... the same question.
"Can one of them just answer the question?" Hermione asked in annoyance.
The camp director...in his pile.
'Seriously, why is the satyr so afraid of the man?' Snape thought irritably.
Chiron smiled at me...have the right answer.
"That's a lot of pressure," Neville muttered.
"Percy," he said...tell you nothing?"
"She said...over the sea.
Harry and Neville flinched, both of them thinking of their own mothers.
"She told me...close to her."
"Typical," Mr. D said...bidding or not?"
"I think I get it," Remus said. "If this camp is the safest place for people like Percy, then it would be safer for them to always be there. But then that would mean that their family won't be able to see them since the barrier keeps them out."
"So that's why Mrs. Jackson was hesitant about letting him go," Hermione realized. "Because it would possibly mean that she wouldn't see him again.
"That has to be a tough choice for a parent," Luna said quietly. "Choosing between always being with them but putting them in danger or sending them to safety but never seeing them again."
Silence followed Luna's statement as everyone digested what she said before Ron continued to read.
"What?" I asked.
He explained...so I did.
"I'm afraid there's...won't be sufficient."
"Orientation film?" I asked.
"They have an orientation film?" Harry said in confusion.
"What's a film?" Ron asked.
Hermione sighed. "I'll explain later."
"No," Chiron decided...very much alive."
"And he lays it out on the table," the twins say gleefully.
"I wonder how Percy will react," Remus said thoughtfully.
"Well, if he's going to react the way I did when I found out I was a wizard," Harry said. "He's going to be in denial."
"You didn't know you were a wizard?" Neville asked him. Snape looked disinterested although he was very interested in the answer.
Harry's face darkened. "My relatives don't like magic," was all he said.
Snape's own face darkened but no one noticed.
I stared...the table.
I waited for somebody...tallied up his points.
Molly huffed. "That man is being completely insensitive."
No one contradicted her.
"Mr. D," Grover...Cok can?"
"He's going to eat a can?" Ron asked in a disturbed manner.
"He's half goat."
"Oh, right."
"Eh? Oh, all right."
Grover bit a...chewed it mournfully.
"Wait," I told...thing as a God."
"Well, now," Chiron said...deal with the metaphysical."
"Metaphysical? But...talking about-"
"Ah, gods, plural...a smaller matter."
"Smaller?"
"Yes, quite...Latin class."
Ginny huffed. "Finally, he's getting around to explaining everything."
"Make sure to pronounce everything correctly Ronald," Fred said teasingly.
"Yes," George nodded. "No stuttering please."
"Shut it!" Ron hissed at them, his face red.
"Zeus," I said...You mean them."
And there it was...on a cloudless day.
Ron looked at Harry and Hermione. "Do you guys know any of those names?"
"Well, I remember Zeus is the King god," Harry said slowly as he thought back on the many books he read in the mythology section of the library he always hid in from Dudley and his gang. "He ruled the sky, I think. But I do remember he controls lightning though."
Snape thought back to the lightning that had blasted Percy, Grover, and Mrs. Jackson off the road.
Hermione nodded to what Harry was saying. "And Hera is Zeus' wife. I can't remember more about her, unfortunately."
"What about the other name Percy said?" Neville asked. "Appal or something."
"Apollo," Harry corrected. "All I can remember is that he's an archer. I don't know more than that."
"Me as well," Hermione added. "His name is familiar but I can't recall details about him."
"That's all right," Remus said, "We can just keep reading to find out."
"Young man...were you."
"But they're stories...there was science."
Harry and Hermione cringed. They learned early on to never ever mention science in front of wizards unless you want a full tirade on how it doesn't matter because magic is superior. They guessed it was probably the same for the people of that world too.
They weren't wrong.
"Science!"Mr. D scoffed.
Harry and Hermione sighed in resignation. 'Here it comes,' they thought.
"And tell me...and tell me."
"Wait wait wait, hold on a second," Ginny interrupted. "Did any of you catch on to what he said?"
Luna nodded, knowing what her best friend was talking about. "The part where he said he loves mortals, right?"
"Exactly," she said. "Does this mean he's a demigod too?"
Remus made a 'hm' sound in contemplation. "It's a possibility," he said.
I wasn't liking...his mouth shut.
"See?" Ginny said. "Percy noticed it too."
'The brat is right,' Snape thought to himself. 'It would explain why the satyr was nervous if this "Mr. D" isn't a regular human. But even if he was a demigod, why would he be so scared? Is it because he's an older one?'
"Percy," Chiron said...for all time?"
"Actually reminds me of the Hogwarts' ghost," Neville said thoughtfully. "They can never move on, they're just stuck here."
"Yeah, but they're ghosts," Hermione pointed out. "If you're a god you can still do things like eat and sleep and you can still touch people."
"But if you were immortal, how would you feel if you saw all your friends pass away from old age?" Harry said quietly.
No one knew how to answer that.
I was about...made me hesitate.
Harry nodded in approval.
"You mean...I said.
"Exactly," Chiron agreed...losing their mothers?"
Molly, Harry, and Neville saw red.
"That's low," Molly snarled. "You never make light about a child being separated from their mother."
Harry and Neville were glaring at the book so hard that Ron debated silently if he should put the bok on the table and back away slowly or not.
It looked like they were trying to use wandless magic to set the book aflame.
My heart pounded...to let him.
Harry and Neville both nodded firmly.
"I wouldn't...in gods."
"Oh, you'd better...them incinerates you."
Snape, Remus, Luna, and Hermione all narrowed their eyes at the wording Mr. D used.
Grover said,"...in shock."
"A lucky thing...don't even believe!"
"You know Professor Snape," Fred said thoughtfully, "I think that we've found a friend for you!"
George nodded seriously, even as the other teens stifled laughs and the adults hid their smiles. "Yes, we should set up a playdate immediately!"
Snape's glare could've substituted for a wand with how it almost conjured Fiendfyre. "Just because you're no longer students here doesn't mean you're safe from me," he hissed.
He waved his hand...itself with red wine.
Ron stopped reading. "Did that guy just do wandless magic?"
Molly was frowning. "But they're not wizards," she pointed out. "They don't have magic."
"Maybe they get abilities to do things because they're demigods?" Ginny suggested.
"I guess…"
My jaw...looked up.
"Mr. D...restrictions."
"Restrictions?" Harry questioned.
Mr. D looked...feigned surprise.
"Dear me….habits! Sorry!"
More thunder.
Neville frowned. "Why did he apologize to the sky?"
"And why did the sky respond?" Ginny added.
"Well," Harry said slowly. "Zeus is the one who rules the sky right? Maybe he was apologizing to him?"
"So," Luna said, "does that mean that Mr. D is the demigod son of Zeus?"
"I've never heard of Lord Zeus conjuring wine in any of the myths," Hermione said in thoughtfully.
Mr. D waved his...his card game.
Chiron winked at me...had been declared off-limits."
"A wood nymph?" Remus said disbelievingly.
"I guess it's another creature from mythology," Neville said indifferently. Hearing about a lot of different creatures was starting to become old to him.
"So, basically what Mr. D just said," George began.
"Is that his father called dibs and he ignored it," Fred finished with a grin.
"I still want to know what the wine is about," Ron muttered to himself before he began to read again.
"A wood nymph...from outer space.
'I feel you, mate,' Ron thought to himself. Although, he did wonder what this 'outer space' thing was.
"Yes," Mr. D confessed...Ha! Absolutely unfair."
"Guys," Hermione said in realization. "I don't think Mr. D is a demigod."
Mr. D sounded about...pouting little kid.
"And…" I...father is…"
"Di immortales, Chiron...Zeus, of course."
I ran through...were his master.
"You're Dionysus...of wine."
"Okay, wait, time out!" Ron cried out as he dropped the book on the table, his hands waving around in front of him. "Is this book trying to tell us that that guy is one of the greek gods?! The guy who seems to love drinking and could be best friends with Snape?!
"Be respectful Ronald," Molly snapped at her son while Snape merely rolled his eyes.
"Well, Ron, he is the god of wine," Hermione said patiently. "It would make sense that he likes to drink wine."
"Well," Remus started disapprovingly, "I think it's a terrible idea that he's there to help as a punishment."
"And all because he went after a...a nymph that his father wanted," Snape said with another roll of his eyes.
"I agree with Ron," Ginny said with a shake of her head. "This guy doesn't really give the feel of a higher being."
"Keep reading Ron," Neville said.
Ron picked the book up, all the while muttering to himself quietly, "Why does my chapter seem to have so many pages?"
Mr. D rolled his...say, 'Well, duh!'?"
"Not really, no," Hermione said with a sniff.
"Y-yes, Mr. D."
"Then, well, duh!...was Aphrodite, perhaps?"
"Uh, who's Appodiny?" the twins asked.
"It's pronounced Aphrodite," Hermione said slowly.
"And she's the goddess of love and beauty," Harry added.
Hermione looked over at him. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you know about her?"
Harry glared at her with pink cheeks but didn't say anything, to the amusement of his friends.
Unnoticed by anyone, Ginny had frowned slightly.
"You're a god."
"Yes, child."
"A god. You."
"See? Percy doesn't think he's a god either," Ron pointed out.
"Just keep reading," Hermione urged.
He turned to look... the rest of my life.
Snape was impressed, despite himself. "I wonder if he could teach me to do that," he said into the silence that appeared after the final word was read.
The sight of the horrified looks on all the teens' faces would be a memory he cherished for the rest of his life.
"Would you like...he said quietly.
"We wouldn't," the twins said, their faces slightly pale.
"No. No, sir."
"Smart boy."
The fire died...believe I win."
"He acts like he hasn't just scared a boy senseless a few seconds ago," Neville muttered.
"Not quite, Mr. D...goes to me."
I thought Mr. D...Grover rose too.
"I'm tired...this assignment."
Harry winced. "Ouch. Below the belt, Mr. D."
Everyone else nodded.
Grover's face...Y-yes, sir."
Mr. D turned to...mind your manners."
"You sure you don't want us to set up a playdate for you, Professor Snape?" the twins asked once again.
Snape's hand twitched towards his wand and they immediately backed off.
He swept...following miserably.
"Will Grover...asked Chiron.
Chiron nodded...to Olympus."
"Olympus?" Luna leaned forward to look at Hermione and Harry. "What's that?"
"Mount Olympus is where the gods supposedly lived," Hermione said.
"Yeah," Harry added. "There supposedly was a palace there."
"Ah." Luna leaned back into her seat.
"Mount Olympus...palace there?"
"Well now...gods do."
"Huh?" was the general consensus.
"Keep reading Mister Weasley," Dumbledore spoke up. Many jumped at the sound of his voice. "There is most likely an explanation above what he meant."
"You mean...in America?"
"Well, certainly..the west."
"The what?"
"Come now, Percy...the same gods."
"And...died."
"Died? No. Did...we are here."
Ron looked up. "Did anyone else get that?"
"I did," Remus, Hermione, Harry, and Luna all said.
Snape got it too, but he wasn't about to announce it to everyone.
"Mate," Neville turned to Harry, "you're saying you actually understood what was just said?"
"Well, maybe not the details," he said defensively, "but I got the gist of it. I've read about the myths before, so it's not that hard to understand."
"Huh," Neville said thoughtfully.
It was all...of some club.
"Perfectly understandable," Ginny soothed.
"Who are you...who am I?"
'That's what we liked to know,' everyone thought.
Chiron smiled...waist down.
"Who are you?...simply adore chocolate."
Harry glanced at Remus with a grin. "Sounds like you two would be good friends," he said cheekily.
Remus smiled in embarrassed amusement.
And then he did...fake human legs attached.
I stared at the...to the horses' trunk.
"Whoa," Neville said in awe. "He's a centaur!"
A proverbial lightbulb went off in both Hermione and Harry's mind. "Oh," they both said, realization crossing their faces.
"What 'oh'?" Ron said with a groan. "Do you two know something we don't again?"
They simply smiled.
"Sucks to be the dumb one in the group, doesn't it Ronnekins?" the twins asked in fake sympathy.
Ron gave no sign that he heard them as he turned back to the book, but the red hue his ears gave told a different story.
"What a relief...meet the other campers."
"Finally," Ron exclaimed as he closed the book and pushed it away from him. "That was tiring."
