Percy stared at his mother incredulously, mouth agape in a small 'o' and eyes glazed in a thin coat of shell-shock.
"I know," Sally said kind and soft with a smile to match. "It doesn't seem true. Or possible"
Well of course it doesn't seem true. Here was his rather sensible mother, telling him that he was a creature of magical being. A wizard. An apprentice of magic. Good for nothing Percy Jackson with his ADHD and dyslexia something that was so wonderfully impossible.
He could almost snort in response. Almost. The way his mother looked at him with a ferocious sincerity. Her gentle voice that showed no trace of malice. Unwavering words that couldn't possibly hold one wrong word much less a whole lie.
"Mom," He started slowly, unsure. "Mom, there's no such thing as wizards. Magic can't exist. It's not possible." But even as he said the words, he couldn't fully believe them. His voice faulted noticeably.
"Percy your father..." Sally said in a strangely strangled voice. Her eyes started to pool a little in the glistening preparation of tears. She was going to cry.
Percy had always felt uncomfortable when his mother cried. Wanting to step away from the sensitive topic Percy took his mother's hand as he did when he was a small child.
"We don't have to talk about him Mom."
In response she smiled to him. A warm, sad smile that contradicted itself.
"I wish we didn't, but we do."
"Why?" He could feel in his own voice the pleading for answers.
As Sally opened her mouth to respond to her son's question a hideous shout came from inside the house.
"Sally! Get back inside! I need some more beer." Gabe yelled.
She wore a defeated, tired look on her face. The lines the etched her forehead became deeper. Grays in her long brown hair became more populous.
"Just a minute, honey." Sally replied placidly back, even though her face was contorted in a way as if she'd been asked to eat something disgusting.
"Why do you put up with him?" Percy asked, suddenly growing angry. Squeezing his fists into tight balls, knuckles turning white, Percy was about ready to teach Gabe a lesson.
A small hand was placed on his tensed shoulder. "Now's not the time." Sally looked at Percy hoping he'd see the understanding in her eyes.
By the way his body relaxed, he did. He stood there expectant, waiting for more of their previous conversation.
"Percy," Sally faulted, not sure how to word her next statement. "Was... Is a wizard like you."
Taken slightly aback he did not speak for sometime.
"He was a wizard like me?"
Sally nodded.
"Wait..." Percy said baffled. "You said is. He is a wizard. I thought my father was lost at sea."
Sally looked down at the ground, but then back in her son's green eyes. The same eyes as his father. "Percy your father is not lost at sea. He never was. He's alive, but in a different type of world."
"He was alive this whole time!" Percy shouted unable to keep the growing rage inside of him.
"Percy you have to understand. He loved, loves, you and I both very much, but he's in a compromising position. Your father, Poseidon, is a very powerful wizard. If he were to ever see you it'd endanger you gravely."
"Endanger me!" Percy said, furious beyond belief. "I'm already endangered living with that sleaze ball Gabe! And now you're telling me that my father has been alive and could have helped us." He simmered, his skin felt hot and his adrenaline pumped. Anger was encompassing him.
"Percy, please try to understand. It's not his fault. He's only did what he thought was best for the family."
Percy snorted on the word family, but kept any other comments to himself for his mother's sake.
"I still don't believe in this whole 'magic' thing." Percy muttered stubbornly.
Sally gave her son a look. "Do you really not?"
Percy averted looking her in the eye and tugged at the sleeve of his shirt.
"No." He said. It was a simple word, but even the one syllable held a slight quaver.
"Then explain all those weird things that have always happened to you."
Percy thought back to the aquarium. The way the floor had disappeared... He knew he hadn't hit into a lever. Looking up into his mom's blue eyes, she was able to see the belief in his green ones.
"I know it's hard to accept, but I'll call up an old friend to take you into Diagon Alley to get your supplies." Sally said. "I'll also have you stay somewhere until the school year starts up again in September."
Percy, with a confused look evidently displayed on his face, was going to say something, but was interrupted by another shriek.
"SALLY!" The pair heard coming yet again from the inside of the house.
Sally heaved a small sigh.
"We'll talk more tonight. I promise." She said, then placed a mother's kiss on top of her son's head before returning inside.
Ψ
It wasn't until late into the night when the rain had stopped and the clouds broke to make way for the twinkle of the stars thousands and thousands of miles away. At this time Gabe had gone to bed and Sally rested gratefully on the smoke scented brown couch in the living room. Today had been more tiring than usual despite not having work.
Percy crept out from his room when he was sure he was in the clear. Gabe's obnoxious snoring could be heard echoing from all the walls in the house.
"Mom?" He called out when he saw his mother's figure sitting on the couch.
Sally opened her eyes to see her son standing only a little behind her. She patted the seat next to her.
"Come, sit." She said with exhaustion laced in every word, every breath.
When Percy did sit he tried not to gag on the overwhelming scent of cigarettes. There was a faint trace of a stain where he sat, probably from spilled beer. Gabe had really left his mark on everything.
"You said that we would talk."
With a small nod she began, "Yes I did."
The way she trailed slightly at the end indicated there was more to say. Percy knew his mother too well not to catch this. Sally knew her son too well to know he didn't miss it.
"What is it?" Percy asked carefully.
"I only know so much, which is not a lot." It sounded a little like a surrender, but what she was surrendering too, Percy did not know.
"You said something about Diagon Alley? And spending the rest of the summer somewhere else?"
Sally gave her son a shake of her head.
"Let's not start there. I need to explain some things first."
"Okay." He said looking down. Still he tugged at his sleeve in a nervous manner.
"In this world there's another world, the wizarding world."
"With witches and stuff, right?"
"Yes, with witches and stuff." Sally laughed lightly. "There's also schools to teach young wizards, like yourself, and witches the different aspects of being a wizard. I don't know much about these schools, though Hogwarts is one and that you are not allowed to magic outside of school until you are of age."
Percy gulped. Would he get in trouble for the aquarium? The candles? He hadn't even started school and already he did something to screw up.
"Percy, there's something else..." Sally looked terribly nervous. Percy saw the way she was biting her lip and picking at the skin around her thumb.
A fragile silence fell between the two. One wrong word and everything would shatter into sharp shards of broken glass.
"It has to do a little bit with your father again."
Percy's insides grew hot as a raging forest fire. His lips drew themselves into a thin white line. His jaw clenched tighter than he knew possible, tight enough to cause an almost overwhelming sense of pain. He did nothing to loosen this. Still he did not cry out in rage as he did previously. The sight of him was almost frightening, an eleven year should not be capable of such a controlled form of anger.
"He's not my father, he abandoned us." He said eerily calm with only a trace of bitterness.
"Percy, please. I'm trying to explain to you." Sally tried to catch her son's gaze, but he wouldn't allow himself to look at her.
"I don't need explaining to know he's not here."
"You have to understand, Percy. Not all wizards are good." Sally's voice was growing weary, she only wanted to help her son understand.
When silence responded to her, she just continued. "Poseidon, your father, he's a very powerful wizard. He works in the Ministry of Magic, a very high place to work indeed."
Percy finally snapped, if just a little. Hotly he said, "I don't need to know of his success!"
His breaths started to come a little too fast, a little too ragged. Sally placed a calming hand on her son's shaking, tense shoulder.
"Him and other wizards have helped to bring down some of the darkest wizards, but there are still others. They hate your father. If they were to ever know of you or your parentage..." Her voice broke. She couldn't imagine her son anyway but living.
Percy's breath started to even out a little more. In a quiet voice, almost as small as a whisper, he said, "So he really was just protecting us?"
"Yes."
"But what is 'Diagon Alley'? And you were talking about sending me away before school." Percy's eyebrows knitted in perplex.
"Diagon Alley is in the wizard world, it's where you'll get all your supplies. As for sending you away... Well you have to understand it's not going to be safe for you to be here with your powers developing. Especially with Gabe around."
Percy was about to point out that it wasn't safe with Gabe around period, but thought better of it. Instead he asked, "Where would I go?"
"I'm going to call up a friend. Chiron."
ψ
An hour later Percy had his bag packed and was waiting by the front door to be picked up and leave his mom until the next summer.
"Are you sure I can't come home for Christmas?" Percy looked at his mom pleadingly.
Sally just sadly shook her head, "No, Percy. I'll have everything sorted out by summer, but if Gabe's still here you know you can't."
Percy glumly nodded his head. He understood. He really did, but that didn't make it any less disheartening.
The minutes ticked by filled with only mundane idle talk. It was nearly one in the morning when a hesitant knock came from the door.
Before he opened the door, Percy looked back at his mother.
"Do I really have to go right now? Why can't I just wait till the end of summer?" Percy asked desperately, after all he was just a kid.
Sally gave him a look filled with love only a mother could give.
"You know it would end bad if you did."
Another knock came and this time Percy did open the door. In front of them stood a boy about a year older than Percy himself. He had a hint of a scraggly beard on his chin. He wore green robes and a... Rasta hat? Brown, wild curls poked out from underneath the cap.
"Hi," The boy said nervously.
Sally gave him a confused look.
"I'm sorry," She said. "But we were expecting someone else."
"Oh!" The boy exclaimed as if he just remembered something. "I'm Grover. Grover Underwood. I'll be in my second year at Hogwarts this year."
Sally didn't look any less confused.
"That's nice..." She said unsure.
"Oh!" Grover exclaimed again. "I came in place of Chiron. Since it was such a short notice call he wasn't available." He then looked right at Percy. "I'm guessing you're who I came for?"
Percy replied with a nod.
"Well we better get going then! We're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow and we'll need all the rest we can get." Grover exclaimed enthusiastically.
Percy turned to his mom to give her a hug.
"I guess I'll see you at the end of the year." Percy croaked.
"It'll be different next year. I promise." Sally replied, hugging him even tighter.
"I'm ready." Percy said, turning to Grover.
With that the two young wizard began their walk down Percy's street and to the train station. It was a short walk, but felt like an eternity. In just one night Percy's life had been flipped inside out. He hardly noticed Grover's babble about enchiladas.