Killerpizza504: If you look, green is actually one of the possible colors! :)

Chick_With_The_Purple_Guitar: Don't worry, I changed it, thanks for letting me know!

A Sky Full Of Lighters: Like many things in this story, Luna is not what she seems. It could just be Annabeth feeling lonely, or a more likely possibility is that Luna had SOME half-blood ancestors, but is not really one herself. Mind you, the gods haven't been in England for centuries!

Meagan Snow: You find out in this chapter.

AN: Sorry it took me so long to update. I have recently developed a random obsession with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. So I actually wrote a fanfiction about Mike Teavee (it's called Game Over for anybody who is interested). I've also been working on a series of Harry Potter one-shots. But don't worry, this story is not being abandoned, and is far from over! Now, here the part you have all been waiting for: chapter 34! Enjoy!

Annabeth did end up giving the paper bird to Vaisey. She charmed it to repeat short phrases like a tape recorder, so it was at least of some use. Still, it seemed stupid and insignificant compared to the chess set.b

The students fell back into the school routine after about three days, convinced that Bode's death was a one-time thing. But on January tenth, they received even more shocking news.

The only one who had shown any sign of expectance of the event was Theodore Nott. Still, even his fellow Slytherins seemed to pay no attention to him, dismissing his odd behavior as another one of his quirks. The only exception was Draco Malfoy, who observed his housemate's nervousness, but pretended not to acknowledge it.

And what was the news exactly, you may ask?

"Ten Death Eaters, all sentenced to life in Azkaban for assisting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named with his notorious crimes against humanity, have escaped. Among these individuals include Bellatrix Lestrange, one of the most feared witches in modern times. Ministry officials suspect that they had received help from the infamous Sirius Black, a fellow Azkaban inmate and follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named who had indeed escaped the prison over two years ago, in the summer of 1993. . ." Patil read aloud from the paper as all of the other Ravenclaws leaned in to hear more of what happened. There was not a single student at the Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff tables that did not appear utterly terrified. Even the majority of the Slytherins looked uncomfortable, no matter how much they tried to hide it.

Annabeth noticed that Seamus Finnigan seemed particularly troubled. He kept glancing over at Potter and his friends, quickly looking away whenever they turned to him.

At the Slytherin table, Aleron Vaisey looked white as a sheet. For a minute, Annabeth wondered if he was going to cry. And while he did not let out so much as a whimper, anyone who had paid the slightest bit of attention to him would have noticed that the young boy looked pale enough to faint.

"He was right," Goldstein breathed, seemingly talking to himself.

"What's going to happen now?" Annabeth whispered to Anthony. "And who was right?"

"Potter said something like this was going to happen . . . that it wouldn't be long now. That's why he. . ."

"That's why what?" she asked boucing up and down in her, unable to contain her excitement.

The Jewish wizard blushed. "Nothing. Never mind. Forget I said anything."

Annabeth frowned. "Come on, you can tell me. What is it?"

Anthony ran his hand through his hair and touched his ear. "That's not important," he assured her. The young girl opened her mouth to protest, but he interrupted. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you: things are about to go downhill real fast."

"But the Ministry. . .they have to acknowledge that You-Know-Who's back now, don't they?"

"I wish it were that simple. If anything, they're going to be covering it up even more. Like that bit about Black. Nobody's seen him in a year, and even if he DID help them escape, it would have been because You-Know-Who needed more followers."

"Who is Bellatrix Lestrange? What did she do that was so horrible?"

"Um. . . it's really not my place to say. . ."

"Tell me."

Goldstein looked around to make sure that nobody overheard what he said. "I don't know many details, but I'm pretty sure she was the one who tortured the Longbottoms."

Annabeth couldn't help it, she knew it was an inappropriate response, but she could not hold back her laughter. "Longbottom?" she repeated.

"It's not funny! Lestrange preformed the Cruciatus Curse on Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. The curse causes terrible pain that makes you feel like you're being ripped in half and skinned alive."

"Has it ever happened to you?"

"What? Oh, Merlin, no! That's just what I've heard. Anyway, the Longbottoms were part of this resistance group that fought You-Know-Who the first time he was at large. Bellatrix captured them and demanded information. The couple had been really young at the time, mind you, in their early twenties with a new baby, but they still resisted. So she tortured them."

"Did they die?"

"No. Someone was able to rescue them, but not before they were driven insane. I think they live in a mental hospital now or something." Anthony's face was somber.

"What. . . what happened to their baby?"

"Look over at the Gryffindor table," he instructed. "See that chubby boy sitting in between Potter and Thomas? That's him. His name is Neville and he's in my year. I think he lives with his grandmother."

Annabeth studied the boy. He had sandy brown hair and large ears. She wondered if he even remembered his family. The poor boy was probably petrified now that his parents' abuser was out of prison. She shuddered and then turned back to her House prefect. "And your parents told you all of this?"

"No," he admitted, "no, they have know idea I know. My uncle worked for that resistance, you see, and he tells me everything. I was informed of the story one night when my parents were out and he was watching me and my little brother. I don't think I slept for weeks."

Annabeth was so shocked that she didn't even bother mentioning that it was physically impossible for a human to survive for more than eleven days without sleep.

I know it seems a bit far-fetched for Anthony to know so much, but Annabeth needs to gather her information somehow.

And because I feel like it, I'm putting two- - eh, what the heck, THREE- - Harry Potter facts:

Random HP fact 1: Hermione was originally going to have a little sister, but Rowling couldn't find a good time to put her in.

Random HP fact 2: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's motto is "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus", Latin for "Never tickle a sleeping dragon". Hmm. . . good advice!

Random HP fact 3: At one time, Daniel Radcliffe actually convinced Rupert Grint that he was a werewolf

Random fact: Elephants are one of the only animals that have been known to burry their dead and have death rituals. When a group of elephants passes by a grave of one of their own, they will often stop and mourn. They have also been know to burry other animals, including human poachers who sleep out under the stars!

Okay, now I have to get off the computer because my dog is nudging me and wants to play.

Please review!