Hariel Potter, Acheron mused, was a very strange girl. Young, about Nick's age, actually, she was quite clearly familiar with the supernatural world. If he didn't know any better, the Atlantean would think she saw men reduced to ash and gods walking among men every day. As it was, she seemed particularly unruffled by both, and such nonchalance alone had Ash's instincts on edge.
"So you're not from around here I take it?" The girl-and she really was a girl, he thought- glanced up from her cup with an expression of surprise. They were currently sitting in one of New York's many late-night coffee shops, sequestered in a back booth where they would be out of sight, and Harry had seemed distinctly interested in her drink.
"England." She stated as way of answer, before smirking as she seemed to notice his frustration at her vague answer. Normally, he could just pluck the information from the aether, one of the few benefits of his powers he was grateful for, but just as with Nick, his sight of this oddly fey girl was distinctly lacking. Whenever that happened, it meant trouble, and Ash didn't like trouble.
"What are you doing in the states?" He tried again, and this time Hariel drew back a bit, her playful smirk turning into a frown.
"It's complicated." She answered, looking back down to her coffee.
"As complicated as being an ancient god who hunts soul-sucking monsters for a living?" He asked sardonically, arning a slight giggle.
"Perhaps." Harry said vaguely, and Ash gave her a surprised look. Most people would have responded to that question with denial. After a few more moments of silence, Hariel sighed, before pushing her cup away and meeting his eyes seriously.
I recently learned my father's alive," She began, her voice quiet. "I used to think he was dead, and in a way, he was. But then it turns out I was thinking of the wrong man entirely, and a couple of days ago, I was in danger." She paused then, a strange light sparking in her eyes, and the raven-haired girl gave Ash a conspiratorial smile. "It would seem I'm quite the attraction for soul-sucking demons." Ash, to his credit, gave no visible signs to his sudden alertness beyond a slight tensing of his muscles, but it was enough for Hariel's lips to twitch.
"You have been targeted by daimons before?" It wasn't likely, but if such was the case then Ash would need to investigate. If the daimon's were consistently going after this girl, then there was a reason. Before his mind could get too far ahead, however, Harry shook her head, mouth quirking upwards into an amused smile.
"Not quite. They're called Dementor's and as far as I've seen, far worse than your daimons. They, at least, bother to wear a human skin." Ash tilted his head at that. The word Dementor sounded familiar, vaguely… Wizards, the universe whispered into his ear, and he smiled as it finally made sense.
"You're a witch." There wasn't any question in the words, but still Harry raised an eyebrow, before settling back into her seat with a contemplative expression.
"And you would know that how?" She asked, prompting a smirk of Ash's own.
"Jedi mind tricks." Harry's eyes narrowed, but then she let out a loud snort, shaking her head.
"Whatever, I suppose it's not technically against the Statute of Secrecy."
"Considering I've been around for much longer than even your kind? Pretty much, yeah." For a second, the two beings stared at each other, before both suddenly broke down laughing. It was a long moment until Ash finally calmed down enough to ask another question, though his face was still stretched in a wide grin.
"So, you were attacked by Dementors, and then your father saved you." The last bit had been an assumption, but by Hariel's slow nod, a correct one.
"It wasn't really safe where I was staying though, so he brought me here, to New York." Ash nodded, absorbing the information. It was still frustratingly vague, but he was the last person to complain about such. Still, it didn't stop his curiosity…
"And what does this have to do with you wandering around the streets late at night?"Harry shrugged, annoyance flickering back into view on her features.
"I was feeling itchy and felt like a walk. The Daimons were a surprise, but considering my luck, probably shouldn't have been." Her tone was bitter as she said the words, and Ash felt a wave of curiosity strike him.
"Why not?" Ash asked, brow furrowing. The witch snorted once again, taking a sip of her coffee before answering.
"Potter luck, as my best friend once put it. What can happen, will, and what can't, still finds a way."Ash laughed at that, amusement filling him. That pretty much summed up his own life.
"Sounds like it keeps life interesting," He commented, earning himself a scathing glare.
"You have no idea. And that's exactly the problem." Alright, Ash had been trying to hold back since he still wasn't entirely comfortable with the girl, but that one was just too good to pass up.
"Afraid of a little fun are we?" He drawled. Harry's eyes narrowed at the insult, and an instant later, the air temperature suddenly dropped. The atlantean froze, every sense on high alert as he glanced around for the threat. His jaw fell however, as his eyes settled on Hariel, who hadn't flinched from her position of glaring at Ash, coffee still gripped tightly in her hand.
"What was that?" She asked, her voice low and dangerous. Ash winced as the temperature dropped once again; There was a sharp crackle as ice appeared on her cup, creeping slowly to cover its surface. All around them, too, signs of the change were appearing, blue-white frost creeping along the faded white planes of her seat and down to the ground. It even spread across the wall, from her side of the booth to Ash's.
"Harry, what…" The atlantean stopped suddenly, eyes going wide as he felt the weight of power settle in the air. It had been a long time since Acheron Parthenopaeus feared for anything except the fates of those he cared about. He had long ruled as an alpha predator, one of the deadliest beings to walk in his corner of existence, and a few others too. Now, however, as the air snapped and crackled with the frigid strength of Hariel's wrath, he started to question that sentiment. It was like a winter storm, barely leashed and set to freeze everything in its path until nothing remained but the cold expanse of an arctic wasteland, pure and pristine. Then she moved.
Hot. It was the sudden thought passing through his mind that snapped Acheron from his admiration and back to the present. There was a warmth in his groin, different from the one he was familiar with, and it took a quick glance downwards to confirm that Harry had indeed thrown her coffee onto his lap. It was hot, enough to be uncomfortable but not quite so much to burn, and so he offered the girl a tight grimace. It was only his instincts honed from the long millennia of being a Dark-Hunter that allowed him to notice the disappearance of her wintry aura, and even the frost which had appeared, too distracted was he with annoyance at her mirthful grin.
"Never insult my sense of fun." She warned, with just the barest hint of teeth showing in her smile. Ash, realizing just what had happened, couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, you got me good there." He relented, vanishing the liquid with a thought. Hariel's face fell a bit at how easily he had dismissed her prank, and he had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from smiling. "I think we're going to have to leave though. I can't trust you with another cup of coffee." Harry pouted at this for a second, but when she saw the look on his face, relented.
"FIne. I had somewhere I wanted to go, anyways." She huffed at him, rising to leave. Ash tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table and followed, hiding his grin. Her annoyance, he could guess, was all an act, but that made it no less amusing.
I wonder what would happen if she met Artie… Acheron cut that thought off immediately, shaking his head. No, that would likely be a disaster, particularly considering what he had just witnessed. Hariel, whoever she was, had power; much more than she realized, he reckoned, and those few seconds in the coffee shop were just a taste of what she was capable of. More concerning, however, was her personality. Putting those two in a room would be suicide, not to mention possible geocide. Ash would rather take an army of Malachi over the potential havoc they might wreak, whether together or fighting. It could go either way, really.
"So, where to?" Ash asked as he and his companion exited the shop, pushing the thoughts of womanly annihilation aside. The blood drained from his face a second later, however, when Hariel threw him a crooked smile.
"Long island Sound."
XXX
Why are we here again?" Ash sighed for what must have been the hundredth time, glaring at the hill cresting in the moonlight and the great oak standing atop it.
"Because you promised to keep me company tonight." Was Hariel's caustic reply, her patience nearly at an end. He had done everything he could to slow down the trip, but she was more stubborn than most, and here they were..
"I can't go in there," Ash said, ignoring her venom and continuing to glare. "And you shouldn't either." This made Hariel pause, if only for a second, to raise her eyebrow at him.
"And why would you say that?" She asked, genuine curiosity slipping into her tone. He sounded quite serious, and a man this deadly did not just get that way without a reason.
"Do you even know what's beyond that hill?" Ash asked rhetorically, turning his sunglasses-shielded eyes to glare at her instead.
"It's my friend's summer camp." She answered, shrugging lightly. Honestly, it was like he was scared of the place. After a long moment of her meeting his eyes with her own, emerald green burning brightly as she practically dared him to contradict her, Acheron finally sighed, shaking his head in acceptance.
"Whatever. Fine, go ahead and try to get in. This should be amusing. But be warned, I'm not following you." Hariel's eyes narrowed at this, suspicion pooling in her stomach.
"You promised." Her voice was hard, and the young witch could only pray she didn't sound petulant as she stared at Ash. Again, he sighed, before running a hand through his long purple hair.
"Sorry kid, but this is a bit more important than that. I go in there, I die." Harry recoiled from the man as his words struck her. He would die?
"What do you mean by that?" She asked, voice quavering slightly. This man… well he was practically a stranger. She had barely known him for a night after all, but somehow, she didn't like the idea of him getting hurt. He had saved her life, and now they were almost friends. Hariel couldn't ask something of him like that.
"Exactly what I mean." Came his cold reply, and his eyes fixed on the hill once again. "I'm not allowed." Harry swallowed, turning back to the hill as well.
"Alright, you can stay here." She said finally, and before Acheron could get another word out, strode forward. There was a brief second of resistance to the air as she crested it, almost like the wards of Hogwarts, even, but then it was gone, And Harry shook off the thought. Probably just her imagination, really. Once she hit the other side, Hariel paused, reaching under her shirt, before, with a small flourish, she pulled out her invisibility cloak. The girl quickly threw it over her head, quietly thankful that the idea of hiding the cloak beneath her clothes had occurred years ago, and that she had happened to be wearing it when Loki whisked her away from Privet Drive. They still hadn't gone back to retrieve any of her things.
Invisible and quiet as a wraith, Hariel made her way through the camp, at once both glad and cursing the night darkness. The former, for she was sure it was only that which allowed her to move undetected, but also the latter for she would have liked to marvel at Hermione's home for this past summer. From the stories it was quite nice. Still, she supposed she would have to make do. And so she did, sneaking through the open areas towards the ring of cabins she could see even from a distance. Most were hard to make out, the night concealing them, but there were a few which lacked that advantage. One, silvery and fey, even seemed almost to glow in the moonlight. Hariel ignored it, however. Hermione's letters had warned that the campers were eccentric, and after the Wizarding World, she wouldn't put anything past anyone.
It wasn't long before she found Hermione's cabin twenty she remembered. It was simple enough, carved from plain stone but with dark markings etched into them that Harry couldn't quite make out. Carefully, she slid the door open, thankful when it didn't creak. Hariel knew that what she was doing was quite probably illegal, and as Hermione had been so kind as to remind her in the letter she had received earlier that day, the campers weren't allowed visitors. Hariel, however, was a Gryffindor with long experience in breaking the rules, and since she was here in New York anyways, felt it only right to surprise her best friend.
The interior of the cabin was dark, but two small torches crossed over each other on the back wall granted enough light to see by, and it took only a quick glance to realize that only one bed was occupied. A small grin slid over Hariel's face as she watched the peaceful rise and fall of its occupants chest, and the way her nose scrunched in her sleep. Harry would recognize that face anywhere, and the bushy mane of hair surrounding it even more so. Silently, she glided over the stone floor, before leaning down beside her friend and pulling off her cloak.
"Boo." The word, whispered softly in Hermione's ear, had the same effect as blowing an airhorn might have, namely sending the witch into a panic as she jumped up from where she lay with a loud shriek. Hariel, reeling back from the sudden noise to crash into the stone floor, cursed loudly.
"Goddammit Hermione, you scream like a banshee!" For a long second, her words hung heavily in the air as Hermione, who had been looking around frantically, froze and turned to stare at Hariel. The ravenette, for her part, was busy rubbing her ass where it had struck the hard ground wincing.
"Harry?" Hermione's whisper was almost silent, a breath of wind that just barely reached Hariel, but it was enough, for her to hear. "Is that you?"
"The one and only." Hariel cracked a grin, but paused when Hermione didn't smile with her. "Er, sorry about sneaking in here and all that. But, I was in the area, and thought I'd surprise you…"The ravenette trailed off when she realized her friend wasn't answering.
"But… you're in Britain." The bushy haired witch said finally, staring at Harry like she had seen a ghost. "And you're missing." Again, Hariel cracked a smile, amusement flooding her at her friend's expense. It wasn't often she saw Hermione so caught up like this.
"Yep. This is all your imaginat-"The ravenette was cut off as a pillow struck her full in the face, silencing any jokes she might have thought to make.
"Shut up, Harry. I know when you're joking." For a second, Hermione continued to stare at her friend, worrying at her lip. "Just... how are you here?"
"Caught a cab." Came Harry's nonchalant response, followed by a shrug. "Then I snuck in with the cloak." She held up said object as proof. Hermione, however, shook her head.
"No, I mean, how did you get past the wards? Only…" The brunette stopped suddenly, her eyes widening to an extraordinary size. "Oh Hecate."
"What? What is it Hermione?" Hariel jumped up from where she sat, grabbing Hermione's shoulders. She refrained from shaking her friend, however, when she noticed the wide smile spreading over the bushy-haired witch's face.
"Come on." Without warning, Hermione suddenly jumped out of bed, uncaring as the cold wind cut through her thin nightgown. She grabbed Harry, who squeaked in surprise, and started pulling the younger girl along, out the cabin and into the dark , too shocked by this sudden change in demeanor, could only watch and let herself be dragged through the camp, unsure of where they were going or why. Cabins and other structures passed them by at almost a run as Hermione made for the one recognizable building, a large multi-story house sitting like a crouching lion.
It wasn't until they had climbed all the way onto the porch and Hermione was knocking briskly on the door that Harry managed to gather her wits and tear her arm from her friend's grasp. "Hermione, what is going on? Didn't you say you're not allowed visitors? We're both going to get in trouble!" Hermione turned at Hariel's hissed protestations, but her eyes were not worried. Instead, they practically glowed with excitement a pure kind of happiness that the ravenette had rarely seen from her.
Any musings Harry had over Hermione's interactions were interrupted when the door finally opened, and a middle-aged man in a wheelchair peered out at them sleepily. "Miss Granger?" He asked, surprise coloring his tone. "What could you be doing here at this time of night?"
"Director Chiron." Hermione addressed the man with respect, and Hariel immediately decided he had to be some kind of teacher. They were the only people she had ever talked to that way, even Snape. "I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Hariel Potter." For a second, Harry felt a surge of panic as the man turned to look at her, all signs of drowsiness draining away in an instant.
Er… hello." She said, half-waving. His stare wasn't entirely like the ones she had long suffered at school but something sharper, and more consuming.
"Ms. Granger." Chiron spoke in an iron tone, not taking his eyes off Hariel. "You know the rules about outsiders…"
"She walked in herself." Hermione cut the crippled man off, earning a surprised glance from Harry. Perhaps her previous assessment of the man was wrong. Hermione didn't cut off teachers. "Right past the wards." The brunette paused for a second, turning back to Hariel. "You did, right?" The raven-haired witch, unsure of how to answer, shrugged noncommittally.
"I guess." She said, before a thought sparking in her mind twisted her mouth into a frown. "Is that what that resistance was? Must not be very good wards, I only felt them for half a second. Didn't even realize what it was." Somewhere in the back of Hariel's mind, she felt a prickling feeling. There was something off about this situation. Why would Hermione even be at a camp with wards, anyways? She hadn't heard of any magic camps…
"Ms. Potter." Harry met Chiron's eyes, Emerald to brown, and what she saw there sent a shiver down her spine. "It would seem we have much to talk about."
XXX
Chiron watched the strange girl carefully out of the corner of his eye as she and Ms. Granger entered the Big House. She certainly seemed like a plausible demigod, he mused. Beautiful in the way that marked those descended of divine blood and well-honed instincts- he did not miss the way her eyes shifted about the rooms, taking stock of their layout and contents- and it would not be the first time a student came to him under such circumstances. Indeed, demigods tended to stick out from the crowd like a sore thumb, and quite often unconsciously drifted together when in close proximity, so Hermione's claim that this Hariel was her friend would make sense. There was, however, a strange edge to the girl that he could not shake, a certain wildness in her features and movement that set him ill at ease. There were, of course, many wild heroes over the centuries, wildness itself was almost to be expected of those born for war, but… The ancient centaur shook his head. There was no point questioning it now. In just a few minutes, he would be able to get to the bottom of it.
They stopped in one of the Big House's several sitting room, a comfortable thing with a fireplace along one wall and several cushy chairs scattered about. Chiron, for his part, simply rolled himself the coffee table located in their center and the small plate of cookies sitting there. He had, in fact, been getting a midnight snack when Ms. Granger's knocking echoed through the house.
Biscuit, Ms. Potter?" He offered, using the British colloquialism with ease. It had not been so long ago by his memory that the camp had resided in England, and he found it somewhat refreshing to hear their polite speech once again. Hariel, for her part, gave the treats a wary look, before perching herself upon one of the chairs.
"No thank you sir." She answered, sharing a meaningful glance with her friend. "If you don't mind, I'm rather lost here. What exactly is going on here?" Hiding his disappointment, Chiron replaced the plate and turned fully to face both girls, Hermione quite noticeably taking the seat closest to Hariel's.
"I am sure you are, Ms. Potter," He said, smiling kindly at the young woman, "But before we begin, perhaps you could explain what, exactly, has you showing up on our doorstep in the middle of the night." Chiron, with his years of experience, had no trouble picking his words carefully as he spoke. It did not appear that the girl before him had seen danger recently, the only rufflement in her appearance that of her chaotic hair, which seemed more chronic than anything. Perhaps she was one of those rare children who had avoided danger over her short life, and if that was the case, it would be best not to startle her too much.
"Er…" Hariel hesitated, glancing back and forth between Chiron and Hermione, who the old instructor was proud to note nodding vigorously. Whatever her actions, she likely considered them something Chiron would be angry at. "Well, I was sort of… sneaking in to see 'Mione?" As the words came tumbling out, ending with a tilt that seemed more to denote a question than a statement, Chiron found himself struggling to withhold a smile. He did not doubt, of course, that the young woman had meant her words in a purely platonic way, as he could see nothing more than a strong friendship in the way both her and Ms. Granger held themselves, but it was obvious from the way Hariel flushed and stole glances at her friend that an alternative had at one time been considered. That did not, however, have any bearing upon the current conversation.
"Ah, I see now." He smiled again, the gentle, grandfatherly like one which had taken nigh on three centuries to perfect. "Well, as much as I do enjoy seeing some measure of youth remaining in my charges, it is perhaps not the best idea to be wandering about at night in strange places." Thankfully, the girl nodded, though there was a certain reluctance to it that reminded him of one of his other students, ironically also possessed of black hair and green eyes, though of far different shade and texture. They both carried that same weight on their shoulders, that of one destined for great things, but chained to those expectations, and thus bearing a certain mischievous will to challenge them.
"That still doesn't answer anything." Chiron turned to Hermione in surprise at her outburst. The girl had thus far been sitting quietly, and in the last few weeks he had known her, she was not one prone to impatience. Now, however, the young bookworm was practically bouncing in her seat, as if she were the one about to discover the truth.
"I shall put it plainly then." He stated, almost chuckling at the sight of his normally patient student. "You, Hariel Potter, are a demigod." For a long second, there was silence as the emerald-eyed child blinked at him, and then blinked again.
"Er, yeah." She said finally, glancing back and forth blankly between her friend and the centaur. "But how did you guys know?"Chiron, who had been expecting a far different reaction, was taken aback, but at the same time pleased.. So she did know the truth of her parentage. That would make things so much simpler.
"Only those of divine blood can cross the wards." Chiron explained gravely, and Hermione nodded in confirmation.
"But how did you learn, Hariel?" She asked suddenly, a hint of hurt in her voice. "You never said anything…"
"I only learned a couple days ago." Hariel quickly cut her friend off, and Chiron smiled as he watched her take the brunette's hand. "When the dementor's attacked. My father showed up to save me and then we came to New York." That seemed to calm the older girl, as she sat back in her chair and smiled at Ms. Potter. Chiron, however, frowned at her explanation. It was highly uncommon for divine parents to interfere so blatantly.
"And who, might I ask, is your godly parent? Did he say?" He asked, eyeing the air above her head. There was no sign of a claiming, but if the child was already aware perhaps they hadn't felt the need. At least, Chiron certainly hoped that was the case. It would be troublesome for them to break their oath to Mr. Jackson so soon. His attention drawn back down however, when Hariel started answering.
"Yeah, of course," She said, rolling her eyes as if the words should be obvious. "He's Loki Odinson." And thus, for perhaps the first time in millennia, a young hero was witness to the most gratifying sight; Chiron's jaw dropped.
XXX
"Loki Odinson? But-but-... He's Norse!" Hermione just couldn't help herself as she shouted out the confused and mangled words. Instead, she found herself staring at her friend, her best friend, as if she had just grown two heads. It wasn't of course, the first thing that came to mind; That would be that he was an avenger, followed shortly by the fact that he was actually asgardian, the Norse only worshipped him, but somehow it was the culture, rather than race or occupation that spilled from her tongue. It may have had something to do with the fact that the last few months, she had been drawn into the glory and glamour of Greek mythology, and thus, when faced with the prospect of Hariel being a demigod too, had imagined she would belong to them as well. After all, she was a daughter of Hecate; The most likely event was that Hermione shared that same distinction, and they would be sisters. Somehow, Hermione couldn't imagine anything better.
Now though… now Hermione had no idea what to think. She knew of Loki, of course; how could she not, with the Avengers appearing in every one of five international news articles this past year and the announcement of his manipulations at the hands of some intergalactic criminal mastermind. But they, perhaps even more than the gods and heroes of Olympus, had seemed a dream, and any thought of them was more like grasping at stardust than anything else. What little she knew of Loki and his brother Thor was that they were Asgardians, a race similar to the Olympians but having sealed themselves away from earth and all its environs centuries ago… at least until their reemergence a couple of years ago. And now, not only had Hermione's dreams of sisterhood with Hariel disappeared like smoke, but she learned that the girl in question was in fact belonging to said race. It was perhaps understandable that she be a little confused.
"Well, actually, he's asgardian. The Norse were just the people they tended to run into the most." For some reason, it was that, Hariel's rather matter-of-fact explanation, that shook her out of her confused daze. Perhaps it was what Harry said, or even the sheer fact that she had said it, but whatever the case, Hermione was snapped back to the present.
"Right, sorry. I just… how?" Harry opened her mouth to answer, but paused, tilting her head in that way she did when she found something curious and couldn't quite decide whether to be amused or unnerved. Hermione, curious, followed her gaze, only to burst out laughing herself when she saw what had captured her friends attention.
"Um, Mr. Chiron? Are you alright?" Hariel's innocent question, aimed at the near catatonic teacher of heroes, only sent Hermione into more hysterics. Alright, perhaps her head wasn't completely screwed back on, but come on. She had just learned that her friend-who was already quite famous and powerful merely for her destruction of Lord Voldemort at the age of one- was not only a demigod, but a completely different kind and the daughter of one of the Avenger's, literally decried as Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Add onto that the barely registered fact that she had been illegally attacked by Dementors-and really, one would think something like that might warrant a tad more concern- and she couldn't help it.
It took a long time for Hermione to pull herself out of hysterics, and by the time she stopped laughing completely, there were small shreds of light creeping into the window as outside, the sun started to rise. Evidently, Hariel's visit had come closer to dawn than midnight, and now they were paying for that. Chiron, thank the gods, had recovered as well, and was now glaring at Harry rather sternly. Well, perhaps that last part wasn't quite so thankful, but at least he was no longer muttering to himself about treaties and the apocalypse.
"You know, I sort of wish I could do that." Hermione blinked at Harry, who was staring at her with a wistful expression. For a second, the older Gryffindor wondered what on earth her friend was talking about, before the answer clicked into place. Yes, it would likely be quite difficult to suffer through all that and not be afforded the luxury to laugh at it. Not to mention, Chiron was actually starting to look kind of terrifying with how he glared at Hariel.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Harry." It was all the bookworm could offer her friend, beyond a small smile and squeeze to the hand she had somehow kept a hold of through her seemed to be enough, however, since the ravenette returned the smile, emerald eyes sparkling newly, and turned to Chiron.
"So…." She started, and Hermione almost burst out laughing again at how awkward she sounded. "It take it you did not expect me to be half-asgardian."Chiron, seeming to realize that Hariel still had no idea what was going on, relented from his glare, sighing heavily.
"No, I did not. In fact, we were expecting you to be the child of an Olympian god. This… will be difficult." For a short second, Hariel stared at the man, and Hermione couldn't blame her; she was staring too. Chiron, who in the short month the daughter of Hecate had known him always appeared to be strong and confident, now appeared as if the weight of the world were resting upon his shoulders. It was a pathetic sight, really.
"Alright, let me get this straight." Harry suddenly said, snapping Hermione's attention to her. She was not looking at Chiron with pity, rather, she was frowning thoughtfully, something which did not happen often, but the bushy-haired witch knew by dint of long experience to stay well out of the way of. Whatever came out of her mouth in the next few minutes would be either incredibly idiotic, or amazingly genius. Or, more like than not, some disastrous and yet effective mixture of the two that left everyone observing to wonder what the hell had just happened. Hariel was special like that. "You were expecting me to be the child of some Olympian-Which is Greek, right?" Harry threw a questioning glance to Hermione, who was already nodding. "Right. So, you thought I was a Greek demigod, but now I'm Asgardian, or Norse. So what's wrong?"
"The problem, Ms. Potter," Again, Chiron sighed, rubbing at his eyes. "Is that technically your presence here is a violation of ancient treaties signed between the Asgardians and the Olympians at the time of your father's people's withdrawal from this world. Such could mean war, if certain parties were so inclined." Hermione gasped as the centaur's meaning washed over her. A war between Asgard and Olympus… that would be bad. Very bad. Before she could think of something to say, however, some sort of complaint, she was cut off as Hariel spoke again.
"Then re-negotiate them." The silence in the wake of Harry's declaration was deafening. What.
"Re-negotiate them? Ms. Potter, I'm afraid it is not as simple as that…"
"And why not?" Harry cut Chiron off, serving up a glare of her own. "It has been nearly a millennia since Asgardians walked the earth, and now we have my father and uncle as part of the avengers, defending your planet from outside influences… and in your own backyard, too. It's a different political situation, different day. Somehow I get the feeling that neither side is really going to want war, so it's simple. Change the terms, and you don't have to. Besides, this is probably a long time coming anyway." Both Hermione and Chiron stared at the ravenette, who was smiling cheekily.
"Could it work?" Hermione asked after several seconds of silence. "Could we just re-negotiate?"Both the children turned to Chiron, watching with bated breath as he seemed to mull the thought over.
"...Perhaps." At the word, both girls let out a cheer. Perhaps was better than nothing, after all, and if there was one thing Hariel specialized in, it was taking small chances and making them work. "But," The old centaur said, cutting off their celebration. "There will need to be several things that happen first. For one, your presence here tonight must remain secret. Things like these take time, and if someone discovers you were here before the treaties are fixed, war will break out." The grave declaration quieted both girls instantly, and meeting Chiron's eyes, Harry nodded resolutely.
"Got it. I can get out of here without anyone seeing me, and unless someone noticed Hermione bringing me up here, we're good on that front."
"Excellent." For perhaps the first time since Hariel's declaration of her lineage, a slight smile slipped onto Chiron's face. "Now, I can start approaching those from Olympus who can begin the process. But you, Ms. Potter, will need to convince your side to agree." Harry's eyes widened, and she swallowed as she realized what he meant. Odin, her grandfather, would almost certainly be necessary. She could leave it to chance, and hope that he was sensible enough to accept on his own… but no. She was a Gryffindor, and though neither her father nor uncle were entirely certain what would happen when her grandfather learned of her existence, she would have to face that day eventually. She couldn't run away from this.
"I'll do it." She said, with a voice of steel. Chiron nodded.
"I have no doubt. But you shall not do so alone." Hariel, confused by this statement, raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask, Chiron turned to Hermione. "Ms. Granger. I am hereby issuing you a quest. Accompany Ms. Potter, and see to it that the Accords are successfully negotiated between our two factions." Hermione froze in her seat. A quest, her? But that was impossible. Still, when she saw Chiron's eyes, the hardened pools of bronze which had watched over millennias' worth of heroes, she swallowed back her protests. No, she was a child of Hecate, and hero of Olympus. She would do this. But there was something missing…
"What about my team?" She asked, nervously. Quests were always done in threes. Hariel, at a stretch, could count as one, but that left one other, and she didn't know many people at camp. Certainly not well enough to ask them to accompany her on a quest. Thankfully, Chiron seemed to realize that, and tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, this is a rather important quest. Treating with foreign royalty is a task not many are fit for. At the very least, someone of similar standing would be necessary, especially to balance Ms. Potter's position… And, as she has so kindly pointed out, Asgard has several warriors of great repute, both on Midgard and Asgard. Sending a lesser known hero would be a grave insult. There is perhaps one I can think of who is present at camp, and as I recall is in quite a slump since his recent break-up…" Hermione, her own mind following similar trails as Chiron's, reached the same conclusion only a second later. Still the thought set her stomach roiling with uneasiness. No, not him. That was almost worse than taking someone random. She wasn't worthy of going on a quest with him.
"But Chiron…" She started, desperate to ask for someone, anyone else.
"No, Hermione." Chiron cut her off, his tone hard. "If this is to work, and it must work, He is the only one capable." Under the stern eye and command of her teacher, Hermione quailed, nodding timidly. "Good. Now, I have much to do, and likely a short time to do it in. You know what must be done, Ms. Granger. Do not fail." And with that, The man, who until now had been resting rather comfortably within his enchanted wheelchair, pushed himself up, rising and rising until his hindquarters were completely free. With only a short glance backwards, the centaur trotted away, leaving Hermione and Hariel alone.
"So…." Harry said after a while. "...Who exactly were you two talking about? And why do we need another person?" Hermione, who had been lost in her own mind as she tried to avoid thinking about what she was about to do, looked up, snorting when she saw Hariel's expression.
"Quest's are always done in threes," She said by way of explanation, before sighing. "And Chiron just suggested I ask the one guy I am most afraid of approaching, let alone going on a quest with."
"Who?" Hariel asked, cocking her head. Hermione, for once, didn't find it endearing as she usually did. And instead groaned, before finally answering.
"Percy Jackson."
XXX
Sooo… that just happened. Welp, have a nice month, see ya!
….
Alright, fine. I'm not running away. Now, because I know these are going to come up; Yes, Percy is no longer with Annabeth(I have my reasons, both personal and plotwise) No, Hermione is not afraid of asking Percy because she likes him( He's literally the most famous hero alive right now, and Hermione has a bit of a 'I'm not worthy' complex, as far as I remember when it comes to heroes). No, I did not just leave Ash just sitting out there in the dark. I will get back to him probably in the next chapter(Or at least, have him contact Hariel) And no, We're not about to have a big quest arc and forget everything else. There will be some action the next few days-story wise- but most of it will be spread out over the next year or so. Don't ask me for specifics, because this sort of just started itself and I'm kinda flying blind right now. Seriously, there was no quest arc until about an hour ago when my fingers decided that Harry caused a war. I am not complaining, however. Oh, and no, Geocide is not a typo. I literally meant blowing up the earth there.
Now, before I let you go, I just want to say I am sorry if Harry's character seems a bit rickety. I'm still trying to establish it, but right now she's pretty much getting punch after punch and just trying to roll with it, not to mention most scenes are from other people's perspectives. So if she shoots from one end of the spectrum to the other, that's why. I also want to apologize for any other OOCness that may have occured. For the most part, it's been a while since I read these books, so their characters may be a bit off. Please forgive me and blame it on the AU. ;)
Now then, I will be letting you all go now. I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to Review! Seriously, I practically live off that stuff. Feed me so I can keep writing.;P