Chapter 13 is up! Hope you enjoy. Disclaimer: I struggled writing this chapter so I relied on the books more than I normally would. If any sentences feel familiar, it's probably because I was following JK Rowling's work particularly closely at that point but I try not to copy anything.

Annabeth

Annabeth cleared her throat, drawing the class' attention away from the enchanted paper planes battling overhead.

"Today we're going to be trying something new," she said. The class stirred eagerly – "new," and History of Magic didn't often go together, "We're going to be teaching you how to fight monsters, like this one."

She nodded at Percy who whistled loudly. The shadows in the room darkened and out bounded his hellhound, Mrs O'Leary.

"Merlin's underpants!" someone yelled. The class scrambled backward, tripping over each other in their haste to get away from the beast who was currently slobbering all over her owner.

"Down, Mrs O'Leary!" Percy struggled to escape the hellhound's grasp.

"As you can see, Mrs O'Leary is a friend," the class stared at her incredulously, "so we won't be fighting her, but Percy wanted you all to see the kind of monster you might end up facing. Since some spells don't work on demigods, I think we can assume they don't work on our enemies, so we'll be teaching you to fight with weapons."

Hermione raised her hand tentatively, "Like Percy's sword?"

"Exactly! Any volunteers?"

Nobody moved.

"Ron?"

Ron shook his head vigorously.

"Lavender?"

The witch in question squealed and ducked behind Parvati.

"I'll do it," Harry stepped forward. Nico took Mrs O'Leary for a walk while Percy showed him how to hold Riptide.

"Ready?" Annabeth asked, drawing her drakon bone sword.

"But-" Before he could finish, Annabeth struck the weapon from his hand and sent it spinning across the stone floor.

"Rule one; always be ready."

By the end of the lesson, they could all hold their weapons correctly. They still had a long way to go but it was a start, at least.

Snow was still thick upon the grounds which was exciting for the demigods who'd lived their entire lives in New York, where snow melted into slush within mere hours of falling. The Southern demigods found the prolonged cold disconcerting though and Paolo especially had taken to walking everywhere in a thick, fur-lined cloak.

"At least the Skrewts will warm us up a bit," Ron muttered as they trudged to Hagrid's cabin for Care of Magical Creatures.

But when they arrived at Hagrid's cabin, they found an elderly witch with closely-cropped grey hair and a very prominent chin in place of their giant (or half-giant, as they'd recently discovered) friend.

"Hurry, now!" she barked, "The bell rang five minutes ago!"

Harry stopped abruptly. "Who are you?"

"I'm Professor Grubbly-Plank, your temporary Care of Magical Creatures professor."

"Where's Hagrid?"

"He is indisposed," she said shortly.

Annabeth felt a twinge of worry as the Slytherins at the back snickered softly. Hagrid wasn't exactly fond of the demigods with their habit of killing monsters he believed were "misunderstood," but he was a good guy and she didn't want anything to happen to him.

"This way please!" the professor called, striding across the paddock. Percy dodged the Beauxbatons horses as they began crowding around him, their enormous hooves threatening to crush him.

"They want doughnuts," he sighed, "Always doughnuts… and single malt whiskey?"

"That can't be good for their health," Will pointed out.

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry was asking Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Never you mind."

"But I do mind!"

The professor ignored him, leading them around the paddock towards a tree on the edge of the Forest where a large, gleaming unicorn was tethered.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Parvati whispered, "How did she catch it? They're supposed to be really hard to find!"

The unicorn pawed the ground anxiously. "It's scared," Percy muttered.

"Boys keep back!" Grubbly-Plank cried, "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front and approach slowly. Come on now, easy does it…"

Annabeth tiptoed forward with the rest of the girls, but the unicorn pushed past them, straining to reach the fence where the boys stood watching.

"I thought unicorns didn't like boys," Lavender said, disappointed.

Grubbly-Plank frowned, "They don't."

"It's Percy!" Annabeth resisted the urge to laugh, "Unicorns must be related to horses."

Percy shuffled forward, embarrassed. The unicorn nuzzled it's head into his hand and many of the girls "oooohed!" at the sight. Annabeth rolled her eyes, used to Percy's VIP status in the equestrian world.

As Annabeth explained to Professor Grubbly-Plank Percy's relation to horses, the other girls fawned over the unicorn, petting it and begging Percy to translate it's snorts and snuffles.

Voices carried across the paddock from the boys…

"None of the mummies and daddies are going to like this at all… they'll be worried he'll eat their kids, ha, ha…"

"You-"

Harry was clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet, hands shaking. His face was flushed with anger.

"What's going on?" Percy asked.

"He… Hagrid… Malfoy…" Harry shoved the Daily Prophet into his hands, apparently unable to find the words.

"D-Dumbledore?" He squinted at the paper, struggling to read the headline and Annabeth wasn't doing much better over his shoulder. Malfoy and his friends sniggered.

Hermione took the paper gently from his hands, "It says Dumbledore's Giant Mistake. It's about Hagrid… How could that Skeeter woman know?"

"Are you paying attention over there?" Grubbly-Plank asked sharply. She continued describing the many magical properties of unicorns, occasionally glaring at the group at the back to make sure they were still listening.

"We've got to go and see him," Harry said, when the lesson was over, and they were heading back to the castle for lunch, "This evening, after Divination. Tell him we want him back. We can't let that Skeeter cow do this to him, we just can't!"

Harry

He, Ron and Hermione left the castle together on Saturday for the first Hogsmeade visit of the term. The wind slapped them in the face as they struggled across the grounds, their boots sinking into the damp grass.

There had been no sign of Hagrid all week. The curtains in his cabin were drawn and no smoke rose from chimney. After checking the shops along the slushy High Street, Harry finally suggested a trip to the Three Broomsticks, thinking maybe their friend had decided to cheer himself up with a pint of Butterbeer, but when they arrived the only half-humans they saw were the demigods.

"Still haven't heard from him?" Will asked as they joined the table where he was sitting with Percy, Annabeth and Nico.

Harry shook his head dejectedly and Annabeth pursed her lips, "He shouldn't let that woman get to him."

"Look!" Nico hissed, "Isn't that Bagman? What's he doing here?"

Indeed, Bagman could be seen lurking in the darkest corner of the pub with a bunch of goblins, all looking menacing with their arms crossed tightly. Bagman looked strained, pale even in the yellowy light of the fire, but his face brightened considerably as he caught sight of Harry and hurried over to their table.

"Harry, my boy!" he beamed, "A quick word with you alone?"

"Er, okay," he felt his friends' eyes boring curiously into his back as he followed Bagman over to the bar.

"I just wanted to congratulate you once again on your magnificent defeat of the Horntail, Harry!" he said once they were a safe distance away from any other pubgoers, "And to let you know that if you need any help, any at all, with your clue, just let me know."

"I'm okay, Mr Bagman. I think I've got it figured out," Accepting help from Bagman felt somehow different from taking advice from his friends - he was almost a complete stranger and a judge – it felt more like cheating.

"Are you sure? We all want a Hogwarts victory, Harry-" one of the goblins cleared their throat impatiently and Bagman shuddered, "Oh, alright then, I've got to go. Do let me know if you need any help, Harry! Goblins – a complete nightmare, the lot of them."

"What do they want?" he asked, eying the goblins cautiously.

"Well… they're – er - they're looking for Barty Crouch," said Bagman, looking suddenly nervous.

"Isn't he at the Ministry in London?"

"Actually, he hasn't turned up to work in a while. His assistant, young Percy, says he's sick and he's been sending in instructions by owl. You don't mind keeping this quiet, do you Harry? Only Rita Skeeter's still sniffing around, and she'd probably turn this into something sinister." He opened his mouth to say more but the goblin who had cleared his throat slammed his fist down on the table, "Well, I must dash! Let me know if you need anything, Harry! Anything at all!"

He hurried out of the pub, followed by the goblins. Harry rejoined his friends.

"What did he want?" Ron asked, as soon as he'd sat down.

"To help me with the golden egg."

Hermione's brow furrowed, "He's not supposed to do that!"

"Oh no," Percy groaned, fists clenching on the table, "Look…"

Rita Skeeter had just entered, followed by her paunchy photographer. Tapping her shocking pink nails against the bar, she surveyed the crowds as a critic might examine a dish before eating.

"I can see it now," she was saying, her banana yellow robes swishing around her as she and the photographer bought drinks and settled down at a nearby table, "Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Sports, Ludo Bagman… snappy, isn't it?"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry said loudly.

"Let's go, Harry," Hermione tugged at his sleeve.

"No, stay!" Rita Skeeter fluttered her lashes behind her jewelled glasses, "Two Triwizard champions, how lovely! Why don't you come and join-?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick!" he said hotly, "Not after what you did to Hagrid!"

"Now, Harry, our readers have the right to know the truth."

"The truth? There's nothing wrong with Hagrid, just because he's half-giant!"

The pub had gone suddenly silent. Many Butterbeers had stopped halfway to their owners' gaping mouths. Madame Rosmerta was watching him intently in the mirror above the bar, a forgotten tankard dangling from her fingertips.

"Perhaps you'd like to give us an interview about the Hagrid you know?" Skeeter said, smiling forcedly, and her Quick Quotes Quill perked up instantly, "Would you call him a father substitute?"

Harry saw red. "You-" Before he knew what he was doing, he'd snatched a butter knife from the table and slashed it through the quill, spraying ink all over Skeeter's horrid yellow robes.

Rita Skeeter gaped, reaching for her wand but before she could do anything Percy had grabbed Harry by the robes and was hauling him outside, their friends hurrying after them.

"That was brilliant, Harry!" Annabeth panted, "I mean, it was horrible – you should never use weapons on mortals – but good move!"

Harry broke into a run, "We need to speak to Hagrid. Now!"

They raced up the road, through the gates flanked by winged boars and across the grounds to Hagrid's cabin.

"Hagrid!" Harry yelled, hammering on the cabin's door, "We know you're in there!"

"Come on, Hagrid!" Hermione called, "Nobody cares if your mother was a giantess! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, you're just being-"

The door opened, and Hermione stopped shouting suddenly as she found herself face-to-face with, not Hagrid, but Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly.

"Er - hi," she squeaked, "We wanted to see Hagrid."

"Yes, I gathered as much."

He beckoned them inside; there wasn't much room with four demigods, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore, not to mention the enormous Hagrid staring red-eyed into the fire. His face was blotchy, his beetle-black eyes glistening with unshed tears and any attempt he had made to comb his hair in the presence of Madame Maxine had clearly been abandoned.

"Hi, Hagrid," said Harry.

"'Lo," he croaked.

"Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that Skeeter cow – er, sorry, Professor – said about you?"

"Indeed," said Dumbledore, "Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid. I have shown you the letters from countless parents who remember you from their own time here telling me, in no uncertain terms that, if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it-"

"Not all of 'em," said Hagrid hoarsely, "Not all of 'em want me to stay."

"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time" said Dumbledore, peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles, "Not a week has passed, since I became Headmaster of this school, when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anyone?"

"Yeh-yeh not half-giant!" he said croakily.

"No, but I am," Percy said abruptly, "Or at least, I'm related to some. And my grandfather's an evil titan who I killed. One of my brothers is a golden fleece which I stole from my other brother, who is a cyclops. You're not the only one with a complicated family, Hagrid. They don't define you."

"An excellent point from Mr Jackson," Dumbledore smiled, "I always thought the Greek myths took family drama to a whole other level."

"Gee, thanks."

"Please come back to class Hagrid," Hermione whispered, "We all really miss you."

Hagrid gulped, more tears leaking down his face and into his tangled beard. Dumbledore stood.

"I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday," he said, "You will join me for breakfast at eight thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all."

He left, pausing only to scratch Fang behind the ears, and Hagrid buried his head in his dustbin lid-sized hands and sobbed.

"Hagrid, don't cry," Annabeth said awkwardly, patting his arm.

"Yeh-yeh right," he swallowed back more tears, "I shouldn' let that woman get ter me. I bin stupid… my ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behaving… "Never be ashamed," he used ter say, "there's some who'll hold it against you but they're not worth botherin' with," an' he was right. I'm not botherin' with her no more, I promise yeh that!"

Percy raised a curious eyebrow at Harry, but he shrugged noncommittally. He and Ron hadn't told anyone except Hermione about the first part of the conversation they'd overheard between Hagrid and Madame Maxine and he wasn't about to reveal anymore of Hagrid's private business.

"You remind me o' me a bit, Harry," Hagrid said suddenly, "Mum an' dad gone an' when I firs' met you, you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts."

He met Harry's gaze, his eyes very bright, and, lowering his voice, said seriously, "Yeh know what I'd love, Harry? I'd love ter see yeh win – no offence, Percy – but it'd show 'em… yeh don' have to be pureblood to do it, it'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it right, not the Lucius Malfoys of the world. How're you doin' with that egg, Harry?"

"Great," he said, a great weight settling on his chest, "Really great."

Hagrid's tear-creased face broke into a watery smile, "Tha's my boy… You show 'em, Harry, you show 'em all!"

Lying to Hagrid wasn't quite like lying to anyone else and Harry left the cabin that evening feeling sick to the stomach. As he followed his friends up to the castle, he couldn't banish the thought of winning the Tournament – and the expression on Hagrid's face if he did.

"Harry!" Percy caught up with him and he looked around, dazed – he'd overtaken his friends in his hurry to escape his own guilt – "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Harry nodded and followed Percy toward the Forbidden Forest. The older boy stopped in the shadows of the first trees and turned to face him, his face dark in the evening gloom.

"You haven't figured out the egg, have you?"

Harry briefly considered lying but decided against it, "No," he admitted.

Percy nodded, "I thought so. Listen, you need to listen to it underwater to understand."

"Underwater?" he blinked, uncomprehending.

"Yes, it's a riddle but it's in Mer. I only figured it out because I'm a son of Poseidon and Annabeth helped me."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because…" his gaze became unfocused and Harry's scar twinged, "Because you warned me about the dragons but also because I want you to win. I don't care about the Tournament but from what I've seen, you winning would mean a lot to a lot of people." He shook his head and the pain in Harry's head went away, replaced by a leaden sense of dread.

"Percy…" he trailed off, not sure what he wanted to ask. Are you secretly Lord Voldemort in disguise? He didn't really think so but there was only one person Harry's scar hurt around, and his scar had been hurting around Percy a lot recently, "You haven't been having… dreams, have you?"

He paled, "N-no, why do you ask?"

"It's just…" I think you're being possessed, "Never mind, it's probably nothing."

They walked back to the castle side by side and Harry silently berated himself for being so paranoid. Of course, Percy wasn't connected to Voldemort – he hadn't even known about the wizards' existence until a few months ago. He opened his mouth to apologise for being so weird when Percy stopped, turning to face him.

"Harry, you know you can trust me, right?" he said, his sea green eyes pleading, "I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know," Harry tried to believe in what he was saying, "I do trust you, Percy."

But as they crossed the lawn in peaceful silence, Harry's scar burnt – and, however hard he tried, he couldn't think of another explanation except the son of Poseidon walking beside him…

Please let me know what you think by reviewing and remember to favourite/follow the story if you haven't already! I enjoy reading all your reviews. Not much Nico in this chapter so the next one will probably be written in his POV.

QUESTION: Have you read TOA and if so did you enjoy it? Everyone I know either loved it or hated it so I'm really interested in seeing if there are any "meh" people. Personally, I'm a lover. After two series written by teenagers (albeit sassy and amazing teenagers), I think Apollo's POV is really interesting and I think there's more of a personal journey than in any other PJO series. Percy goes through a journey in terms of becoming more powerful and confident but, all in all, he starts as a good person and ends as a good person whereas Apollo starts as self-centred and dismissive of others and appears to be learning more about what it means to be human as the series goes on. Let me know what you think!

GracedApple - Thanks for the advice! This chapter was pre-written but I'll try and fix the spacing next chapter.

Have a great week!

Lileaf, xoxo