Disclaimer : I don't owe Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
Chapter 22: We run into some old friends.
Piper's P.O.V.
We walked for what seemed like forever, I was walking next to Harry, who had Marauder on his other side, who had Hermione next to him, who had Leo next to her, (I think he has a crush on her) on my other side was Jason, than Ginny, then Ron. who hadn't complained since Harry had told him off. At one time Hermione had suggested that we should clean the mud off so we wouldn't look suspicious, so the wizards used a spell to clean us off. Then I got to thinking, that maybe it wasn't such a good thing being back in California, I might get recognized, so I turned my hair black, and made my bangs grow out, and had them covering one side of my face, hopefully no one will guess who I am. Harry had said he would just cover his head with his hood when we get to town, so no one would know him.
I sighed and walked on, my feet were starting to hurt and I was getting tierd, but I wasn't going to start complaining, Harry had enough of that from Ron. Though he had shut up, I still saw him shooting Jason evil looks and glares, I know Jason saw him, but ignored it, I think for Ginny's shake, I could it was getting to her that her brother didn't trust her boyfriend, the not liking thing, I believe she could live with, I'm sure there wasn't too many brothers who did like their sister's boyfriends, but it was the not trusting she couldn't handle, and him acuesen Jason of being on Voldemort's side, and brining up the dairy. I've tried to like Ron., because he's one of Harry's friends, and it means a lot to Harry for me to be friends with his friends, I liked Hermione, she was cool, and Ginny was begiing to become like my best friend, besides Annabeth, but no matter how hard I tired, I just couldn't bring myself to like Ron, his attduted sucks.
I was brought out of my thoughts when somebody stepped between me and Jason, I looked to see Hermione, she had a fushtrated look on her face and mumbling things I couldn't understand, I looked toward Leo to see him walking with his hands in his pockets, with his head hanging down, I smiled a little, he most of tried to hit on Hermione or something. Poor guy, he picked a hard girl to win over. I looked back to Hermione, she had quite mumbling and now had her arms crossed. I deicded then I would help Leo out a bit. I'll give him some pointers.
"I thought you said it wouldn't be much farther?" Leo said, breaking the silence, he had got out a little piece of wire and was making something again, I didn't know what, it could be anything, he just did that to have something to do with his hands. I wasn't like most demigods, I didn't have ADHD, or deslexia, I couldn't a magined what it would be like to be ADHD, always having to do something and couldn't set still, Harry may not of had ADHD, but he was very colspubic and would get that why if he was stuck too long in a inclosed space.
"I said shouldn't be that much farther." Harry said. "I guess I was wrong, and don't call me Uncle."
"I didn't" Leo said. And Harry looked and him and they started laughing.
"You didn't did you?" Harry said, "I'm too use to saying that to you, I blout it out from habit." Leo mockingly shook his head.
"Like I would call someone like you Uncle."Leo said. Harry said nothing and we walked a little ways, into suddenly he walked around Marauder and grabbed Leo and got him in a headlock.
"Hey, let go." Leo cried, trying to wiggle out of Harry's hold, but I knew Harry was using just the slightest bit of magic to keep him from getting loose, and I laughed at Leo, then suddenly Harry yelped and jumped back, his slevee on fire, Leo started at it with his eyes wide, and Hermione went running over and put it out with a spell from her wand.
"Holy crap," Leo cried. "Harry, I am so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to." Harry looked up from cheeking the burnt hole in his slevee and gave Leo a smile.
"Don't worry about, Leo." Harry said. "I know you didn't."
"Don't worry about it." Hermione repeted. "Harry, he could of really hurt you." Harry frowned at her as Leo hung his head, Harry patted Leo on the back. He opened his mouth to say something when a long white limo pulled up infront of us.
"Bloody hell." Ron cursed. "Thats the biggest car I've ever seen.
"Umm...why would a limo be here out in the middle of nowhere?" Jason asked, and as if to answer his question, the door suddenly flew open, and out stepped a guy, with leather boots, jeans, a leather jacket and a buzz cut.
"Ares." Harry growled. "What the hell do you want?"
"Nothing from you, Punk." Ares said. He then turned and looked at me. "Get in, Doll face, someones in there wanting to talk to you."
"Don't call me that." Was my only response. In truth I was too shocked to think of anything else, here the god of war was, pulling up in a limo and demanded me to get in it. Who could be in there wanting to talk to me. Then it came to me, there would only be one god or goddess who would be with Ares that would want to talk to me, but about what I didn't know, but it most be imoprtain if she would risk making Zeus mad to come see me.
"I don't think so." Harry said, steping infront of me. "She is not getting in there with you." Ares pulled a sword from out of nowhere and pointed it at Harry's throat.
"Hey," Jason and Leo cried. Both jumping to Harry's defence. Jason flipped his coin into a sword and held it out to Ares.
"Put that down and step back away from him." Jason demanded. "Right now."
"You think you can fight me, Punk." Ares asked, I reached and grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him back away from Ares.
"Don't you threaten him." I glared. Harry gently grabbed my shoulder and went to pull me back, but I turned around. "It's okay, babe, I know whose in there, and I better go see what she wants."
"But..." I cut Harry's portest off with a kiss.
"I'll be fine." I told, "You just wait right here." I walked over to get in the back, but before I did I turned to Ares. "You keep away from him." Ares just grunted as I claimbed in the back.
I was right, there across from my set sat Aphordite, flipping through a cosmo magazine and shaken her head about something. She was wearing a red silk sleeveless dress, with matching high heels, and a pink silk swarl was wrapped around her shoulders, she had her hair curly and the front pulled back in a bun, with the rest of the curls hanging down. She didn't say anything at first, I don't even know if she knew I had got in.
"Umm...Mother..mom." I said. "You wanting to talk to me?"
"The moldes in this magazine wear too much make up." She said, shaken her head. "And that girl there...so is wearing contacts, no normal mortal has eyes that color, and that one on the other page, is not a natarl blonde."
"Umm...okay," I said. I didn't know what to say, I wanted to know what she wanted, and I doubted it was to risked Zeus's raft to come tell me that some moldes in a magzine wore contack and bleeched their hair.
"My girls are so much prettier then any of these girls." Aphordite went on. "Why none of them ever tried molding I don't know...oh,wait, it might be because the last one that did got attacked my a Hydra during a photo shot, burn the whole studio down." She suddeny made a face and her nasle flared."That girl there is diffanly a veela." She closed the magizin and tossed it a side.
"I take it, you don't like Veela." I said, thinking about how Harry told me Flure Declour had Veela blood in her.
"No, Veela is one of my known enemies." Aphordite said. "Why do you think you don't get along with Harry's friend Fleur, my childern and anyone with Veela blood in them are natrual born comptteres, it's in your blood to dislike each other."
"Umm..I don't mean to be rude or anything, but was there something you wanted?" I asked. Aphordite smiled as me, and picked up a hand bag that matched the dress she had on.
"Yes," She said, "First I wanted to give you something." She unzipped the hand bag, and pulled out a small dark purple vielvet bag, with drew strings, and had dark purple beads dangling from the stings on the bottom, she stuck her hand in it and pulled out a round pedant, that fit in the palm of her hand, it was made of gold, and had another round pedant in the middle of it, holding it there by two thin gold straings. She reached it out to me and I took it. The pendent in the middle had a picture of a green dragon on one side and a picture of an egg on the other, most likely a dragon egg. The out side of it had disigns all around it that almost looked like somekind of runes.
"I know, it's ugly and dosen't go with anything, but it was a gift." Aphordite pulled out a string leaned forward and tied it throw the tiny hold on the top. "But it dose come in handy, hold it up by the string." I did as I was told and the pendant on the inside begin to spin around, it went slow then got faster and faster into it, suddenly stopped and the dragon egg was facing me, and for some reason made Aphordite grin. "It's showed you the dragon egg that's good. Means there is no monsters around right now."
"You mean this thing can show me..."
"If there is any monsters around you." Aphordite said, she crossed her leg and leanded forward. "I told you it would come in handy." She took it out of my hand. "It'll show you if any monsters are learking around, all you have to do is hold it up on this string and if it shows you the egg, it means no monsters, and if it shows you the dragon it means there is a monster close by." She handed it back to me and I looked at it.
"That's cool." I said.
"You'll have to be carefull using it around Harry's pet kitty." Aphrodite said. "I don't know if he would count or not."
"You mean Marauder?" I asked. "But he's only a lion, why would this show him?"
"Didn't Hera tell Harry, who Marauder's daddy was?" Aphrodite asked. I frowned, confused.
"Honey, Harry's little kitty's mother was just a normal lioness, will as normal as one from Hera's sacred pride, but his father was the Neiman lion. Why do you think he got so big so fast and why do you think, he's so strong and a lot of things just bounce right off him, he's not an invincible as his father, but it would take a lot to kill or even hurt him, that's why Hera gave him to him in the first place, Hera had other than to give Harry a nice little pet, hes to keep Harry safe."
"When you say Neiman lion." I said. "You mean like that gold lion Hercules killed?"
"Don't forget Percy Jackson killed him once too." My mom said, that didn't suprise me at all, Percy seem to do a lot of things most others couldn't.
"You said this was once a gift?" I asked, holding up the pendant. "You mean someone gave it to you?"
"An old lover of mine." Aphrodite said. "Merlin, he made it himself. Why do you think he lived to be so old, he had made two, but his was destroyed, that's the only one left." I looked up at her surprise. "Oh don't give me that look, it was before the whole grey hair and beard thing, he was only twenty-five at the time. And believe me he wasn't only good in magic.. he was also a very good lov..."
"Mother!" I interrupted, "Gross, I don't want to know about you and.." I shuddered. "And an old lov...boyfriend." Aphrodite gave me a little smirk.
"My sweet, I'm glad you have found someone you love so much." Aphrodite said. "But apart of me wishes Harry was around twenty-five or a little older, and not your boyfriend, if I go by the moans you make when you two..."
"MOTHER!" I cried, my face trying red. "I don't want to...you don't..oh my gods." I leaned forward and hide my face in my hands. "You know when we...oh my gods." I could hear Aphrodite snickering as she reached out and pulled my hands away from my face.
"I'm sorry, my sweet, I didn't mean to embarrass you."My mom said. "But Harry was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about." My face got red again. "No it's not that, though please don't let what I said, stop you two from being together..I can block it out, but I like knowing someone loves my daughter so much, and not just because you're so beautiful, he likes you for you, it's not easy for my daughters to find someone who isn't just after their looks, one of the reasons they liked to break hearts, it's that old; break their heart before they break mine, thing, but sometimes they can find someone who truly loves them." Aphrodite paused and to my shock reached over and gripped my hand that was holding the pendant with hers.
"I gave you that pendant, because it will come in handy on your next quest." Aphrodite said. "It'll help you stay safe, because Harry will not be with you."
"What, why won't Harry be with me?" I demanded. Aphrodite shook my head.
"I can not say." She said, I opened my mouth to argue. "Don't worry he won't be killed or anything, infact he'll be the reason for the next quest."
"But...but..." I didn't know what to say or think, something bad most happen, if Harry isn't going to be with me, he would never willing leave me.
"No..no..don't cry, honey," Aphrodite said. "You have to be strong." I hadn't even realized I was crying, I took a deep breath and nodded. "Good you have to stay strong if you want to get Harry back."
"Back?" I asked. "Back from what?"
"I can't say I'm sorry." Aphrodite said. "I talked to Apollo recently and found out a few things, but Zeus made me swear on the river Styx, I wouldn't say anything, if he allowed me to come give you that. Now I know this will be your first quest without your little wizard, but just be strong and you'll do just fine, after all you are a women, you do not need a man to win, ." I nodded, I couldn't imagine having to do a quest without Harry, he told me before we started this one, that, he didn't know how he got through the last quest without me with him, it must have been the thought of getting me back, that kept him from totally falling apart.
I opened my mouth to say something when I suddenly heard shouting coming from out side the car. Aphordite rolled her eyes.
"Can't take him anywhere." She said, and I snickered. "Go on back to your Harry, and good luck, my sweet. Oh I believe Percy Jackson forgot to mention one little detail about the Hesperides garden."
I frowned, "What?"
"You have to wait till sunset to get in." Aphrodite said. I nodded and gave her a little smile and opened the door, but before I stepped out I swear I heard my mother say. "Tell Hermione I said hi."
When I climbed out and stood up, Harry said something to Ares I didn't hear what, but he suddenly had his sword right at Harry's heart, and Marauder growled and jumped up and knocked Ares into the car. Then gave a big roar right in his face. I guess my mom had been right about Marauder. Ares just knocked him a side.
"Get off me flea bag." he said, then took a step toward Harry, I got mad, here I was just told I would have just a little more time with him, before we were going to be separated for a long time, and Ares was trying to take that away from me, by trying to kill him, no way, I wasn't going to stand for that. And before Marauder, Harry, or anyone else could do anything, I stepped forward, grabbed the arm holding the sword twisted it, then did a turn and sent Ares flying over my shoulder and on to his back.
"I told you to stay away from him." I said, holding my dagger to his thoart.
"Piper." Harry said, looking at me wide-eyed, along with everyone else.
Ares looked up at me shocked, then it turned to anger and he reached up and knocked me aside, and stood up.
"Girl, you better be glad you're a daughter of Aphrodite or else..." He let the threat hang.
"Don't you threaten her." Harry demanded. He bent down and helped me to my feet and picked up the monster pendant Aphrodite had given me,( I had dropped it when attacking Ares.) He handed it to me while giving Ares a glare. "God or no god, you ever lay a hand on her, I'll kill you."
"Listen here, punk." Ares said, taken a step toward Harry, "You don't threaten me."
"Come on you want to fight, let's go." Harry said, stepping toward Ares.
"Harry, that's not a very good idea." Hermione said. "He's the god of war."
"I'm not scared of him." Harry said.
"You better be, punk." Ares said. "Because, mommy isn't here to save your skin this time, boy." I noticed Harry flinched slightly at boy and then his eye turned black.
"No body, interfere no matter what." Harry said. "This is between me, and big brother here."
"Harry," I said, he didn't listen and threw his hands out and blasted Ares with raw magic, he went flying backwards and landed hard on the ground, he jumped back up, his sword appearing in his hand, and he came running at Harry, sametime Harry went running toward him.
"HARRY!" Hermione yelled, and Jason once again had his sword out, but just stood watching, getting ready to step in if Harry needed help, but I grabbed his arm and shook my head, Jason frowned at me, but this was something that had brewed ever since Harry found out he was a demigod. And after thinking about for a while, I doubted Ares would kill Harry, after all my mom told me he wasn't going to die, besides Zeus would be pissed if he killed Harry right in the middle of a quest he gave Harry, and they believe he's the only one that can get ride of Voldemort.
Ares swung his sword and Harry ducked and kicked Ares' leg out from under him, as he pulled out his wand and twisted it into a sword, Ares got back up before Harry did, and swung his sword toward Harry's head, he brought up his sword and blocked the blow, Harry then got to his feet, took a swing at Ares, who dodge to the right and came at him with his sword, Harry did a flip to miss it, then turned around and went left, and when Ares went to stop the sword, Harry switched sides real fast and got Ares in the right side, Ares grabbed hold of his side and then looked at his hand in shock, he was bleeding, golden blood.
Ares' face filled with rage, he then without blinking an eye turned his sword around, knocked Harry down, by hitting him with the end of it, then raised the sword above his head and was going to bring it down, but Harry brought up his hand and blasted magic at Ares, he went flying back and Harry then jumped up and held up his sword, and ran at Ares, he blocked a blow with his sword, and they begin hit swords back and forth, it was like watching a sword fight on a movie.
"Yoohoo," Leo yelled. "Get him, Uncle Harry."
"Leo," Hermione cried. "Don't encourage him, he needs to stop."
Harry's sword blade hit Ares' with a clang and Ares picked up his pace and started pushing Harry backwards, off toward the side of the road. I put the pendant my mom gave me around my neck and took off running toward them.
"Harry watch it!" I yelled. "You're going to get in the dirt." Harry heard and he hopped up on a large rock that was on the side of the road and did a flip over Ares ' head and landed on the other side of him, where he turned around and kept on fighting.
"Shouldn't we stop them." Hermione asked. No one answered as Ares ducked a swing by Harry and then knocked his feet out from under him, he then held his sword to Harry's throat. I guess I was wrong about Ares. I should of known he was the god of war, Enyo's twin brother.
"Any last words, punk?" Ares asked, but before Harry could say anything or before any of us could move to help, the shadows begin to move behind him at first I thought Harry was doing it, but then to my shock, Nico appeared, with Luna Lovegood and some curly brown hair girl. Nico at once pulled out his sword and stepped up to Ares and stood on tip toes so he could put it to Ares' throat.
"How about get the hell away from him." Nico said. Ares swung around, and came at Nico with his sword, but the curly hair girl blocked the blow with the spear she was holding. Ares looked at her in surprise. Nico held his sword out, and nodded for Harry to get up, and he was so surprise he did as Nico said and stood up. He picked up his sword and held it out to Ares too, and the brown hair girl held out her spear, I ran over pulling out my dagger and held it out toward him Jason followed with his sword, and Leo with an axe he pulled out of his tool belt.
Seeing he was out numbered, Ares put his sword away and straighten up, he glared at Harry, and said.
"This isn't over," Before pushing past him, and marching toward the limo, when he opened the door to get i,n I swear I heard my mom laughing, before the door slammed closed and the limo drove away.
Harry turned to Nico and grinned. "Hey, Nico." He said, twisting his sword back into a wand. Nico frowned and hooked his sword back on his side, then smacked Harry upside the head.
"Hey, what was that for?" Harry demanded, holding his head.
"I saw your camp set, and all this time I've thought you had been kidnapped by Voldemort, and you where at Hogwarts." Nico said. "I tore apart England looking for you."
"Calm down, Nico." Harry said. "We were kidnapped at first, but we got away." Harry explained, about Antaeus and his arena, and then getting away, but was hurt so we went to Hogwarts to get help. "How do you know about that anyway?" He ended with. Nico reached in his pocket and pulled out Harry's watch.
"It was on school yesterday, and Luna got to thinking maybe it met you where at Hogwarts." Nico explained. "We went there last night, after I got through with some business, we couldn't get in, but we heard whispers about you guys attacking some ministry workers, so I figured if you were still in England, then when your hand was on home, it must mean Grimmauld place, we got there, and I noticed what you did to Sirius' mum, and knew you had been there, so, I pulled into my powers intill I sensed through the shadows where you were and he I am." Nico shrugged and put Harry's watch back in his pocket.
"Nico, are you wearing my clothes?" Harry asked.
"I lost my bag." Nico said. "I had your bag with me, so." He shrugged. And Harry's eyes went to Nico's feet and he begin laughing.
"You had to roll my jeans up." He asked, and Nico glared.
"Shut up." He mumbled. Harry then looked over at the brown hair girl, and his eyes fall on the necklesss she was wearing, he reached out and took hold of it and looked at the skull ring on the chain. His face split in a grin. "Hey, you're a kid of Hades." He dropped her neckless and held out his hand. "Harry Potter, nice to meet you." The girl looked taken back as she reached out and shook Harry's hand.
"Hazel." She said, giving Harry a slight smile, she looked to Nico, who gave her a look like to say. I-told-you-so. Harry then tuned to Luna.
"Hey, Luna, nice to see you." Harry said, Luna smiled at him.
"Hello," She said, then turned to Ginny "Hello, Ginny."
"Hi, Luna, nice to see you." Ginny said. After everyone said hellos, and interdiction we started walking on, heading toward town, Harry put his arm around me, and I explain my neckless to him, thankfully Marauder didn't make it show monster, I told Harry what my mom said about Marauder, but left out what Aphrodite said about him going away.
"Hey, Harry, I got something to show you." Nico said, he pulled a bronze ring out of his pocket, and held it up for Harry to see.
"What's that?" Harry asked, Nico rolled his eyes and gave a look that suggest he was an idiot, then Harry's eyes got big. "Is that..." Nico nodded.
"One more down." Nico said, grinning and stuck the ring back in his pocket.
"What is it?" I asked.
"One of Voldemort's Horcrux." Harry said. He turned back to Nico. "How did you kill it?"
Nico taped his sword handle. "Stygian iron works on them."
"That's good to know." Harry said, he seemed happy that Nico was with us again.
"So, what was all that with Ares?" Nico asked, they begin to talk and I didn't really pay any attention to what they were saying.
We had walked for about ten minutes, we had just reached the edge of town, when a shadow fall above us, and we looked up fearing some monster, my pendant had shown the dragon side, but it was only a solid black pegasus, which landed in front of us, and on it's back was Percy and Annabeth. Percy grinned and jumped off, then helped Annabeth down.
"Hey, Shorty," Percy grinned." Annabeth and I thought we would come help you out." Harry crossed his arms.
"And I suppose you want to tell me you forgot to mention you can't get in the garden into sunset?" Percy's grin faded.
"Ops," He said. Then grinned even wider then before.
A.N. Sorry if the fight between Ares and Harry wasn't very good, but it's best I could do, and I know there is a lot of people now, but I decided not all of them will go into the garden, I wanted Harry's first demigod friends, and the ones he likes the most to be there for what will happens at the end of the story, next chapter they will finally go into the garden, then the chapter after that will most likely be the last of this story. the next story will pick up where this leaves off.