(Last Episode on Dragon Ball Z Kai! J.K...Rowling! See what I did there? (^_^) Anyways, the story continues...)
"How long will it take you two to recover?" Harry ran his hands through his hair, an action he was guilty of doing whenever he was annoyed.
Percy and Thalia were hunched over, coughing their lungs out and trying to get a grip on the situation. Thalia managed to muster up some strength, which she used to answer him.
"You're a wizard." She coughed horribly, "You're used to this kind of thing."
"Not true!" Harry denied her statement, "This is the first time I've ever apparated in my life!"
"Well," Percy wiped away the specs of dried saliva outlining his bottom lip, "You've at least seen other people do it. I still don't understand how you're not affected." He was talking to Annabeth now.
"I guess you don't have to be a child of the Big Three to endure." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"That's not fair." Thalia managed to lift her head up, "Flying's not my strong suit. Apparating is the same thing except it's instant."
"Give me a break," Percy scoffed, "You're a child of Zeus!"
"Don't remind me." Thalia muttered.
"Hey!" Annabeth stomped her foot, "That is enough out of the both of you! Harry just got here and both of you are showing your true colors. What kind of story do you think he'll tell his friends when he gets back to his home?"
"If there's a home to go back to." Harry uttered the comment out of the corner of his mouth.
"Don't say that." Thalia used his shoulder to keep herself standing, "From what I've heard, you're friends are strong. I'm sure they're alive and well."
Harry grunted and crossed his arms.
Annabeth shook her head, "As I was saying, Grover is in there. What's our plan of action?"
"Why don't we just pose as students?" Percy suggested, "We ditched school the day before and we're just coming back now. I've ditched school a bunch of times so I think I can convince them."
"Don't worry Sea Boy," Thalia chipped in, "I'll get us in by manipulating the mist."
"Actually," Harry interrupted the both of them, smirking, "I have something much better in mind."
"You have a cloak that let's you become invisible?!" Percy's eyes were popping out of his head.
"My headmaster, Dumbledore, gave it to me." Harry told him.
"I wish Mr. D would give me something like that. All I've received from him are threats to turn me into a dolphin." Percy muttered bitterly.
"Shhh!" Thalia shushed him, "We're getting close to the entrance!"
Annabeth had gone ahead of the trio, using her Cap Of Invisibility. Harry noted that they seemed to carry many similar items, physically and mentally. The two wooden doors cracked open, meaning Annabeth had already gotten inside.
"The school's having a dance." Annabeth whispered to the invisible trio.
"Perfect. We can sneak them out under the ruse of needing fresh air." Thalia whispered back.
"It's not going to be that easy." Harry told her, "Chiron said the Vice Principal was giving problems."
"He's a monster, I'm sure of it." Thalia stated firmly, "We have to deal with him first."
"But how do we do that without attracting attention from the students?" Annabeth wanted to know.
"I can manipulate the mist." Thalia offered.
Annabeth took on a tone of surprise, "You can?"
"I can try." Thalia went out from under Harry's Cloak of Invisibility.
"Thalia don't~" But Annabeth was too late. Thalia was already approaching the first adult in their view.
Walking over in a normal fashion, she seemed to be whispering things to herself because Harry noticed her bottom lip slightly moving.
Thalia tapped the teacher on the shoulder and he turned around. They exchanged words and he flashed a smile before turning back to a group of students around him.
Thalia casually walked back over to where the group had been huddled and climbed into Harry's cloak, "We're good to go."
"How?" Percy asked.
"I told him that I had caught three students sneaking out of the building and asked if she wanted to see them." Thalia recounted her story, "She said that as long as I was watching them, they wouldn't need to see her."
"Pretty dumb for a teacher." Harry mused.
"You have no idea." Percy rolled his eyes, "In one of my schools, the teacher literally~"
"Percy!" Annabeth cut him off.
"What?" He asked, annoyed.
"We don't have the time for this!" She hissed, "Let's find Grover, get the demigods and get the tartarus out of here!"
"Fine. Don't have to be such a hellhound about it." Percy muttered.
Annabeth took off her Cap Of Invisibility and Harry folded up his Cloak of Invisibility, putting it in the denim backpack he had gotten from Isaac. The four teens tried to act natural as they glided across the dance floor.
"Here's the plan." Thalia kept her voice low, "Percy, you and I will take the South and West wing and search for Grover. Use that empathy link the two of you have. Harry and Annabeth will search for the demigods in the North and East Wing. Hopefully~"
"Why do Harry and Annabeth get to go together?" Percy butted in.
"Because Harry and Annabeth are responsible and less likely to botch the plan!" Thalia snapped, "And if I keep you close, I can monitor what you say and do."
"Okay Mom." Percy grumbled, "Harry take care of Annabeth. She means the world to me."
"She means more to me than him so if anything happens to her, I'll maim you." Thalia tried to one up him.
"Maim?" Percy sneered, "Let a hair on her precious head get touched and I'll kill you."
"I'll~"
"Enough of this, get going!" Annabeth shooed them off, waving her hat around like bug repellent, "When we get back we are going to have a long talk."
"I love you!" Thalia waved as she dragged Percy off in their assigned direction.
"I love you too!" Percy said immediately after, not wanting Thalia to beat him.
After Percy and Thalia were a safe distance away, Harry commented.
"It looks like you have a lot of loving people around you." He looked at her.
Annabeth socked him in the arm, "Please, don't make this any more embarrassing than it already is."
Harry laughed, "I don't know. It would be fun to pit both of them against me."
"And how would you do that?" Annabeth rolled her eyes.
Harry leaned in close, "By making them jealous."
"OH NO!" Annabeth raised her hands, stepping back, "Trust me Harry, you do not want to have Percy feeling jealous. He'll...He'll do something stupid."
"It wouldn't be anything serious." Harry tried to persuade her, "A hug now and then?"
Annabeth shook her head, "Sorry, the only guys I've felt comfortable hugging are Percy, Grover, Chiron and…" She couldn't bring herself to name him but Harry knew.
'Luke.' He thought to himself.
"We'd better start searching for them then." Harry stretched his arms, deliberately speak to Annabeth, "I have a feeling Thalia would maim me if she came back and found us in the same spot."
"Right." Annabeth chuckled, "Stick close to me Harry. We didn't get you a weapon back at the Camp so if there is a monster here, I'll be the one fighting it."
Harry took his wand out of his pocket, "I don't need a sword. Any fighting I need to do will come directly from this fellow."
"A stick?" Annabeth shook her head, "Well, if it can help us teleport, I guess it can pack a punch."
Harry nodded his head, "Don't judge a wand by its cover."
Annabeth and Harry left the dance room and walked through the hallways.
Percy had filled him in completely when they were outside of the building, waiting for Annabeth to open the doors. They were looking for fraternal twin demigods, one girl and one boy.
It felt like they had spent hours combing through each floor.
"I'm going to take a gulp of water from that fountain over there." Harry pointed.
"Okay." Annabeth acknowledged, "I'm going to use the bathroom. Wait for me."
"Sure thing." Harry promised her.
Bending over the fountain, he held down the handle at the side and drank till he was fully hydrated. He heard chatter and laughter which prompted him to search for the source of the sound.
Walking away from the water fountain, he crept up to a room where the door was slightly cracked open. Light from inside could be seen on the hallway floor. Harry took a deep breath, clearing any forms of awkwardness and pushed the door open.
As he expected, the laughter cut short. Inside the room, a boy about 10 years old was standing next to a girl roughly his age. Both of them turning their eyes on Harry made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Can we help you?" The girl asked him, breaking the tension in the air. She had black eyes and silky dark hair. She looked lean and about Harry's height, if not a few inches shorter. Her olive skin seemed to glow, almost like she was a spirit.
"Forget him sis." The boy said angrily, "He's probably a transfer that wants to get a look at the two ghosts."
The boy had the same eyes as her accompanied by black shaggy hair that looked like he had just gotten out of bed. His olive skin glowed like hers.
"Nico!" She gave him a flabbergasted look.
"You know it too." He crossed his arms, making it clear he wasn't going to apologize.
He didn't have to though. Harry didn't understand a thing he had said.
"Wait a second." Harry said aloud, "Nico Di Angelo?"
Nico turned to the girl, "See?"
The girl walked towards Harry and pushed him back, "You need to leave."
"Hold on a second." Harry grabbed her hands instinctively.
"Don't touch my sister." Nico snarled, jumping up.
Harry dropped the girls hands, "Sorry, I didn't mean to~"
"Why are you still here?" Nico wedged himself between Bianca and Harry, "My sister asked you to leave. I don't want to make you."
Though his tone sounded serious, Harry noticed his knees trembling.
'Acting tough to protect his sister.' Harry thought to himself, 'Now where have I seen that before?'
"I know you're scared. You've been through some rough experiences and I can explain everything. But you both have to come with me." Harry pleaded.
Nico's shoulders relaxed, "How do you~"
"Let's go with him Nico." Bianca interrupted, her eyes shining at Harry.
"What? Why?" Nico was completely confused.
"It's like the dream I told you about. Someone would come for us and we would go on an adventure." Bianca smiled brightly.
"But~"
"Come on Nico." Bianca squeezed his hands, "Don't tell me you actually like this place."
Nico pursed his lips and looked to Harry, "Okay. But any shady movements…" Nico took a taser out of his back pocket.
'It's a good thing he warned me.' Harry laughed nervously, 'Now I know not to make any sudden motions!'
"Harry?!" Annabeth was calling him.
"Is that you?" Bianca questioned.
"Yeah, she's my partner. We're supposed to be together but I wandered off when I heard your voices. She's probably worried sick and~"
Bianca latched onto his arm, "She sounds very distraught. We shouldn't keep her waiting right?"
"Right…" Harry shot Nico a questioning glance and Nico shrugged his shoulders in response, "Let's go."
Was in Starbucks and started brain storming. Before I knew it, I had a whole chapter. Enjoy! ^_^