Not Everything You Would Expect

OMG the Last Olympian is awesome! I got it on the day it came out and began to read it as soon as I got home! I finished in 7hrs and 30min! Yay! It's too late to change the story to fit, so that sucks. I'm not going to spoil! Although, my profile does have a minor spoiler on it… (Does that sound like a sentence fragment to you? Microsoft Word thinks so)

It's a dance at Camp Half-Blood, so of course everything isn't normal.

I am aware that Juniper cannot leave the forest (no one pointed this out…yet), but I like it better when she goes shopping.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

Harry's POV

Ron, Seamus, and I stood outside the Gryffindor Cabin, waiting for our dates to come out. Seamus was going to the dance with Lavender; she was always drawn to interesting things, and a wizard-demigod was certainly interesting. I was extremely nervous; I had never been on a date with Ginny before, let alone a dance with her. The other two looked just as nervous as me.

Finally our dates exited the cabin together. My jaw dropped stupidly as I saw Ginny; she was…she was stunning! She had curled her strait hair, so she now had soft curls falling down her back. Her lips were a shiny pink, her eyelids the same light-pink as her dress. She had dangly diamond earrings hanging from her earlobes, and a heart-shaped necklace around her neck. She wore strappy high heels on her feet. I was sure Ron would get mad at me for ogling at his sister like I was, but when I glanced at him for a mere second, not wanting to tear my gaze from Ginny, I saw he wore the same expression as he watched Hermione approach.

Ginny reached me and took my hand, smiling up at me. I just stared at her with the same expression. She snapped her newly manicured fingers in my face and I blinked, smiling back at her. Ginny laughed, "You look handsome."

"No one is going to look at me. You are absolutely beautiful," I complimented. Ginny blushed. I am so cliché. That's what makes me so awesome *silent crowd*. That was a joke people; laugh! *still silent* Sigh. I tried.

We met up with Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Juniper in front of the Mess Hall, where the dance was being held. We walked through the doors as a group and were taken aback by the difference. The Aphrodite Cabin really worked hard on the decorations! It was…it was too much to describe, really. The whole Aphrodite Cabin was already here with their dates, of course, since this was their idea.

I really did have a good time. The whole camp and all of the Hogwarts students had come to party. I saw Luna at one point dancing with an Apollo kid, and she looked like she was having the time of her life. Cho had a Stoll brother on each side of her, apparently attending the dance with two dates. Dean was laughing with a Demeter girl. Neville was dancing with an unclaimed girl from the Hermes Cabin who looked just as nervous as he did. Hannah Abbott and Justin Flinch-Fletchley were talking together while they ate some of the food provided. Malfoy had Pansy on his arm, and was looking around himself nervously. I thought that he was afraid an Ares kid was going to prank him by the look on his face. He did jump every time an Ares kid walked past him, and to my pleasure, Pansy was starting to get annoyed.

Of course, I wasn't allowed to enjoy myself. No, the Fates (I learned a thing or two from Hermione) must really hate me, because my bad luck turned worse. A few minutes ago, Malfoy had gone off in the direction of the bathrooms, and hasn't returned. One minute later, Thalia screamed in pain, and many ran to her side. Now, there was a crash in the corner of the room closest to Ginny and me. People screamed at the sudden disruption. I heard a too familiar cackle of a witch as said witch walked through the new hole in the wall.

She had black, curly hair and insane eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange. A wave of anger washed over me as I glared at the woman who had killed Sirius, "Did wittle baby Potter think he could hide in a Muggle camp?" she asked in the mock-baby voice she often used when talking to me. The Hogwarts students drew their wands, and some campers drew swords and knives. Bellatrix was momentarily shocked at the swords and knives. No one told her the kind of camp we were staying at.

All of the Hogwarts students, except for Malfoy and Pansy, came to my side. I had taught them all last year in the D.A., so they were good fighters. Where was Dumbledore? Where was Chiron? Or even Mr. D? Bellatrix cackled again, "Look, how sweet; Wittle Bitty Baby Potter is getting help from his friends! Crucio!" she aimed her wand at me as the curse shot from her wand.

From beside me, Ginny yelled, "Protego Horribilis!" pointing her wand at me. (A/N Cast by Flitwick in an attempt to strengthen the castle's defenses in Deathly Hallows)

The spell came within a foot of me and disappeared (A/N this is probably not the real affects of the curse, but it works here). Bellatrix was angry. She no longer used her mock-baby voice, and instead chose to growl, "Got your girlfriend protecting you, Potter? Maybe she'd like a present from me!"

I shouted, "Stupefy!" at the same time Neville shouted, "Expelliarmus!" just as Bellatrix opened her mouth to shout another curse. Her wand flew from her hand and she fell to the ground, petrified. Dumbledore finally showed up, his wand pointed at Bellatrix. As Dumbledore approached her, someone Apparated to her side, causing everyone in the room to gasp. The barriers were supposed to block anything like that! I recognized the snarling face as Voldemort's. He hissed at Dumbledore, grabbed Bellatrix's stunned arm, and Disapparated.

A shocked silence followed, and then Percy ran out the door. I followed him, as did Annabeth. Ginny followed me, and soon everyone was following. He ran up Half-Blood Hill, where Peleus the dragon was tied up in ropes, which was generous considering who did it. Extremely generous. I used the spell Dumbledore taught us to cut the ropes.

Percy was staring at the tree, along with everyone else. I turned my gaze toward the tree and saw that its leaves were browning and the Golden Fleece lay torn at its base. I pointed my wand at the Fleece and muttered, "Reparo." Nothing happened.

Dumbledore came forward with Chiron and pointed his wand at the Fleece. I heard him whisper, "Reparo," as well, but it actually worked! (A/N remember, Dumbledore's wand is the Elder Wand) Now Thalia's tree needed to be dealt with. I looked through the crowd and saw Annabeth and a Hunter supporting Thalia herself. She was affected by the damage, obviously. They led her to the base of her tree, where she sat on her knees, head hanging from exhaustion.

Dumbledore frowned at the dying tree, unsure what to do. With an apprehensive look on his face, he cast, "Aguamenti." A jet of water shot from the end of his wand, watering the tree. He stood there, watering the tree as if he were a Muggle watering his lawn with a hose. There wasn't a huge difference, but the leaves began to perk up.

"Did they use the Killing Curse?" asked Ron.

"No. Miss Grace would be dead if that was true," Dumbledore answered, looking at Thalia. Thalia weakly turned her head to face him, frowning.

"How do you know my last name?" she asked.

"I know a lot about people," he answered vaguely. I knew that he had used Legilimency on her to find out her last name.

"If the tree isn't dead, why don't you just get some Demeter kids to help it?" suggested a Hephaestus kid.

A few Demeter kids came forward and touched Thalia's tree gently. They closed their eyes and had a look of concentration on their faces. The leaves began to green, and Thalia became noticeably stronger. Finally, the Demeter kids opened their eyes and removed their hands from the tree. Their eyes looked exhausted as they sighed, showing that exhaustion.

"Can we get back to the dance?" Silena whined.

"After I fix the Mess Hall," Dumbledore answered. With that, Dumbledore strode towards the Mess Hall, leaving me with two questions: 1) Why was Bellatrix here? 2) Where was Malfoy through all of this?

Sorry it took me so long; I have been busy with schoolwork and family stuff.

Happy Mother's Day!