The halls of the New York Public Library echoed with the sound of a young blonde's shushes and swift whisper-yells of "Percy!" as she tried to focus on the books in front of her. The librarian looked up from the latest edition of Cosmo to find the blonde smacking the Architectural Principles in the Age of Humanism on a cackling young boy yelling obscenities. "Bloody hormone addled teenagers", she muttered to herself as she rose from her dusty too-sorry-a-thing-to-be-referred-to-as-a-chair seating instrument, ready to shoo the culprits of the disturbance. "Alright, that's it. Out! Both of you!"

The girl stopped the assault and turned around abruptly, looking shocked and, if her aging eyes didn't deceive her, heartbroken. The boy only laughed harder, so much so, that he fell off of his chair. His sheepish grin proved to be the last straw and the librarian threw them out along with damage charges for the book.

Boy started saying something but girl had had enough. With a sharp exhale she turned on her heel and stormed along the busy streets of New York City, making sure to step a little too hard on boy's foot.

"Oof! Anna!" He yelled as he tried to catch up to her while holding onto his surely broken foot, much to every other occupant of the street's annoyance. This dance went on for a little more than three blocks until he finally caught up to her in a deserted alley and grabbed her arm. "Oi, woman! You need to calm down", he said. Much to his horror, the realization of the non-jokiness of the situation and the havoc-wreaking potential of those seven words came a little too late. Brace for impact.

"What did you just say to me, Percy Jackson?! I need to calm down? Calm down?! CALM DOW-"

Crash!

Percy instinctively ducked, taking Annabeth down with him and shielding her with his arms as he reached for Riptide. "That didn't too sound good to me", he said as he and Annabeth shared a look they knew too well. Fatal-child-eating-and-way-too-dangerous-for-teenagers monster(s).

"Merlin's beard, there are so many laws being broken right now", came a very British voice from near the source of the crash. Before either of them had the chance to digest the presence of the person in front of them a black furry limb swung at the Brit, throwing her into the dumpster.

"What in the name of Zeus's butt is that?!"
Percy stood up, ready to strike, to get a better look at the monster in the latest episode of Monsters v/s Demigods. After glancing at the set of eight eyes, Percy shifted his gaze to his girlfriend (wow, it feels weird to say that). "Anna, you may wanna sit this one out maybe."

Annabeth gulped audibly and the fear in her usually stormy grey eyes was very prominent as she took the sight of a ten-feet-tall gigantic killer spider in. She took a shaky breath and steadied the dagger in her hands. "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this", she muttered to herself before turning to Percy and repeating it. "I can do this."

A shot of green light missed the spider by an inch and headed straight towards Percy, which he dodged expertly. The next beam of brilliant green hit the spider on one of its hind legs and it froze for a second before collapsing. All of its eight eyes closed lazily as it fell lump on the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Percy swung Riptide into its stomach and it dissolved into a dust of monster vapor.

"Wow, you've got some skills, London! What was that thing you did with the stick? Impressive." Then turning to Annabeth, Percy said to her, "Well, I guess we have another one in our midst. Total population: 147."

"I don't know, Percy. Something seems fishy here. She doesn't seem like a demigod to me", Annabeth said with a hint of suspicion, gripping his arm and keeping her dagger steady.

"Oh Merlin, are you guys okay? Oh no, the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy has just gone to hell, now. My, think about all the laws we've broken! What will Professor Dumbledore think? Oh my god, we could've died. Or worse- expelled! I can't even imagine what my life would be like without Hogw-", the girl seemed to have gone on a never ending rant.

"Hey, hey, hey, London", Percy said, in the most comforting voice he could manage, placing his hands on either of her arms- a move which sparked an uncomfortable feeling in Annabeth's gut, but she pushed it aside. "You're gonna be fine. We're here to help you. And trust us when we say, we've seen stuff weirder than ten-foot-long killer spiders that can probably eat you in one bite."

Annabeth went against her better judgement and decided to give the stranger standing in front of her, covered in grease and mud, wearing a school uniform with a stick in her hand, the benefit of the doubt. "Yes, we're here for you. What's your name?"

"I am Hermione Granger. I am a witch and I came here from 1995."

"Alright. So let me just get this straight again. You're telling us is that you came from the 90s? And wizardry exists and there are schools for witchcraft and wizardry all around the world, even in the US? And there are giant spiders on the loose that are working for the greatest wizard of all time who wants to take over the world and you expect me to believe that?"

Annabeth Chase was a very thorough person, Hermione noticed, leaving nothing to assumption or imagination. She seemed to be the kind of person Hermione would hit it off with immediately, she noted dryly, but all those hours of travelling almost 15 years into the future, fighting off acromantulas (acromantulae?), and not-sleeping had finally caught up to her as the adrenaline in her body began to subside. She had no energy to do anything whatsoever but she also knew that she had to save the world and save her friends and go back to Hogwarts in 1995 and sleep and eat and cry.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes.. and I don't expect anything of you. Both of you have helped me enough as it is. My goal for now is to find my friends and go back to 1995 to Hogwarts so that the space-time continuum isn't disturbed any further." But what if the damage you caused is irreversible, 'Mione? What then? You don't even know if they're alive. "No!"

"What's happened?" Percy asked, jumping from his seat- cheeseburger in one hand, and the pen that could turn into a sword in the other- looking alarmed. "What, were there anymore lethal spiders around?"

"Oh, no. I just got lost in thought. I'm sorry." She looked sheepish.

"You said something about your friends? So, there are more people with you?" Annabeth inquired.

"Yeah. There were three of us- me, Ron and Harry. The whole thing just happened so quickly, even I don't think I remember it correctly. All I remember is that we were trying to get back to before the gates to Hogsmeade opened, and the next thing I know, a cluster of acromantulas surrounds us, and they're everywhere. I reckon we made a turn too many or too fast but all I could hear then was Ron's screaming and Harry's spells before being here, now with one of the acromantulas on my tail."

"Wait, hold on. What was so important about the gates opening to Hodmeags?" Percy interjected.

"Well, that's a long and complicated story."

"And we've got nothing but time."

~December 23rd, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place~

"'Miome, culdja paf fum pufinh?" came the voice of one Ronald Weasley as he tried to swallow three treacle tarts simultaneously.

"Oh my god, Ronald! Chew and talk!"

Christmas with the Weasley family was anything but boring. The entire house seemed to be bustling with activity. Even Walburga Black seemed to have taken a sabbatical from yelling at everybody in general for befouling the house of her fathers, and succumbed to the peaceful noises of Christmas.

The two youngest of the Weasley clan sat with Hermione Granger as they listened to their mum's old Celestina Warbeck records.

"Oh, come and stir my cauldron
And if you do it right
I'll boil you up some hot, strong love
To keep you warm tonight!"

"Hey, have you talked to Harry?" Ginny Weasley asked her brother as he attempted to engulf everything edible. Or non-edible. "He barely comes out of the room, doesn't eat, and I don't think he's been sleeping either. Mum's worried 'bout him. What do you reckon?"

An enormous gulp later, Ron replied, "He seemed fine, but there's something going on. I reckon what we overheard back in Mungo's really bothered him. You know, the possibility of him being possessed by You-Know-Who?"

"I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love
And it's bubbling for you!
Say Incendio, but that spell's not hot
As my special witch's brew!"

"Do you really think that?" Ginny asked.

"Think what?"

"That he's possessed?"

"Wow, is he?", Hermione joined the discussion.

"Don't you be afraid, come and take a sip
Of this steamy, tasty treat!
What's in my cauldron full of hot, strong love
Will make your life complete!"

"Do you think he's possessed, Gin?" Ron asked back.

"I asked first", came the reply of an annoyed Ginny.

"And I asked second", replied Ron, finding making her sister get worked up extremely enjoyable.

Hermione, on the other hand, didn't. "Stop it! Both of you! What are you, five? Be serious, for Merlin's sake"

Both of them opened their mouths to defend themselves but quickly shut up from the look on Hermione's face.

"I don't know what to tell you, Gin." Ron broke the silence with a shrug. "I- Well, it's just that he did save dad's life. And saving people's lives doesn't really seem like a You-Know-Who thing to do."

"I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love
That's about to be unfurled
Got a flavour that beats anything
You'll find in the Muggle world!"

Ginny nodded in agreement from her brother. A rare occurrence. "Hm, that's true. Plus, take it from someone who has been possessed, he doesn't really fit the criteria for me."

"But you also can't say that becoming a snake out of nowhere and witnessing- no, attacking someone is normal", Ron added.

"Hey, remember when Dumbledore said that the night You-Know-Who attacked the Potters and tried to kill Harry, he accidentally gave Harry some of his powers? Some of himself?" Hermione suddenly spoke up and all three of them leaned closer across the table conspiratorially. "What if somehow this is related to that?"

"How exactly?" Ginny questioned.

"Well, maybe that night when Voldemort unintentionally gave Harry some of his abilities, for example, being able to speak Parseltongue, he also got himself linked with Harry? Like, they have a special connection?" Hermione added her theory to the table of discussions and observed their reactions.

"Wow, special connection makes it sound like they fancy each other or something." Ron snickered at the thought.

"That's right!
I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love
It's a recipe so rare
There's no potion or elixir that
Could ever quite compare!
Oh, such thrills await
'Cause, together, we are ready to proceed
Drink from my cauldron full of hot, strong love
It's all the magic you'll ever need!"

Ginny giggled from across Hermione. "Oh, the irony."

"We can never have a serious conversation, can we?" Hermione tried to sound stern and angry but couldn't stop her lips from turning upward, negating any effect her words may have had. Oh that Ron Weasley. He really is something else. Hermione found herself fully smiling as Sirius Black walked into the room.

"Did I hear something about a Sirius conversation?" He said in the most Sirius-way possible. Hermione was now positively giggling when Fred and George Weasley entered the room.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls." Fred paused. "And Ickle Ronnikins."

Any sign of merriment from Ron's face disappeared as George continued for his other half. "My, my, little Granger. I don't think I've ever seen you without a book for this long a period of time."

"Oh, shut it", Hermione rolled her eyes, the smile on her face never faltering.

"Hey, hey Forge. Now that that unbelievable feat has happened, it is now certain that anything is possible."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Gred?"

"I believe so, Forge!"

They put their arms around each other's shoulders.

"We propose", they began together.

"The fun-"

"The exciting-"

"The jolly-"

"Will you get to the point?" Ron interjected, but was ignored. Surprise, surprise.

"The vivacious-"

"ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PRANK WARS!", they announced together, their voices booming, as confetti began exploding seemingly out of nowhere.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MINDS?!", came the shrill and loud voice of Molly Weasley. "The two of you! Unbelievable! Always causing ruckus around the house. You two will never learn will you?! Clean up this mess", she gestured to the confetti fallen all over the room, "and without any magic, do you understand me? And- George! Stop trying to put a toy spider on your brother's head!"

Ron shrieked as swatted the air above his head. Ginny and Hermione suppressed giggles.

"But mom! I'm Fred!"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I BLOODY CARE?! You know what? I have had it with the two of you. No, I have had it, with all of you. This is the last straw. Clean up this mess and then go to the library and stack all the books in order. And Ron, stop eating those deserts! They are for everyone in this house, not just you! And Ginevra Weasley, how on God's green earth have you managed to turn your room into a jungle when we haven't even been here a day?! Go and clean up your room. And listen here. All of you. If any of you try to pull any pranks, or do any funny business, believe you me, you will regret it. If even a single one of you as much as breathes anything about chaos or pranks, no supper. For anyone," she declared with a sense of finality, giving pointed looks to those most likely to do exactly what she had just warned them against.

"Woah, there, Molly. Why am I getting a pointed look?" Sirius asked, feigning hurt.

"Sirius Black. Let's not pretend I don't know what you have been up to, padfoot."

The twins slumped their shoulders and started to clear out the confetti. George, (or was it Fred?) sighed audibly.

"Don't worry, Forge. Someday, we'll go somewhere far far away, where there won't be anyone to stop us from spreading our wings. Someday, Forge, someday." Fred said with sympathy as he patted his twin's shoulder.

"You're right, Gred", George put his arms around Fred. "Anyway, what was the point of a prank war? It's obvious that we were gonna win, anyway."

"Ahem, excuse me. I think we are forgetting the presence of a Marauder in our midst", Sirius said.

"Oh yeah, I suppose that's right, Padfoot-", George began

"And you are a living legend-", Fred continued.

"But you seem to be getting a little bit old!" They exclaimed together before falling into a fit of laughter.

"Oh no, you didn't", Sirius was becoming very serious. He rolled up his sleeves, preparing for the battle ahead.

"Oh, no work ever gonna get done here, is it?" Molly Weasley finally gave up.