Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. I've been a bit busy with school, family Christmas parties, watching my brothers, and watching seasons five and six of Doctor Who. Anyway, my apologies. Here's chapter 6 for you. Please R&R. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: Look at chapter one.
Chapter 6
Percy's P.o.V
When I was a child, and had my first day, I was always so nervous. I would get so nervous about something going wrong during the year, that I never really stopped to think about what the teachers would be thinking during this time.
Let me tell you, it's not fun. Now I'm nervous about not only being attacked in the middle of the class, as usual, but also screwing up in front of my students. I want to make a good impression on them, but what if I act like a complete idiot in front of everyone? I will more than likely lose my job because the students would stop listening to me. Oh! I'm really starting to think this was a bad idea.
If it hadn't been for Nico coming in and practically yelling at me to get out of bed, I more than likely would have laid there for the rest of the day, in fear. All the way to our classroom, Nico's hands were shaking uncontrollably. At least I know he feels just as scared, if not more so, than I am. That gives me some confidence. Does everyone feel like this on their first day of teaching? I hope it's just a one-time thing and that I won't be feeling this for days on end.
Just Before Class Starts
Nico's shaking wasn't getting any better. I would have felt sorry for the guy, and asked if he needed something to calm his nerves, but just before the first class started, he decided to go run into the office and hide. Normally, I wouldn't mind, but, today is the first day, and I'm not completely sure whether or not I will do a good job, and I could really use the help. The coward.
Students started to pile into the classroom. I noticed Harry, Hermione, and Ginger-I mean Ron, file into the room. Well at least I know three people in this class. Once everyone was seated and paying attention I began my introduction.
"Hello class. My name is Perseus Jackson. I will be one of your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. I hate formalities, so please call my Percy. I know I said some things yesterday that may or may not have triggered some questions. So today will be me answering any questions you may have and going over the requirements for the class. So first I'll start with the requirements. I have them summed up in a few points that you should all remember. First of all, arrive to class on time." The class erupted into a slightly annoyed laugh. I then continued my speech.
"I know that that's common sense, but once class starts in the morning, that door will be locked. So either show up on time, or don't show up at all. Second, you need to trust my partner and I. We know what's best for you to do, so don't cop an attitude with either of us. You are only causing trouble for yourselves. Third, trust your peers. You may not like them, but you need people you can count on to help you in a time of need. So if there is a problem between any of you, you will work it out yourselves. The only time my accomplice and I will get involved is if the problem turns to violence. We may be teaching you to fight, but that doesn't mean that we recommend using it for every fight. Sometimes it's okay to walk away from a battle, especially when you know you can't win. Fourth, use your weapons wisely. If my companion and I see you disrespecting, or improperly using a weapon, you will be punished and kicked out of the class. It's okay to fool around, but not with a deadly weapon in your hands. Lastly, try to improve your skills but have fun at the same time. This class isn't all serious, we can have some laughs as well. You would be surprised how much you remember when you're having fun or saw something funny while training, opposed to just being serious and practicing all the time. Some other things I'd like to go over are the books. All of you got books for this class this year, am I right?" The class nodded and spoke quietly in agreement to the statement.
"Well you won't be using them." I stated
About half of the class broke into cheers of hoorah! The other half was outraged and demanded to know how we'd be learning without them, especially Hermione. I quieted the class down and answered them to the best of my ability.
"I am disregarding the book because it is full of lies. It doesn't help the majority of you. I should know. I hated textbooks in school. I was better with a more hands on experience, which is what we will be doing. And with that brings my next topic. Since we won't be using the textbook, then there will also be no homework."
At this the whole class erupted into cheers. I wasn't all too shocked to find that someone would have questions about it though.
"If we have no homework, then how will we be graded in this class? The majority of our grade depends on our homework. So how will we be graded." Asked Hermione
"An excellent question which is quite easy to answer. At the end of each semester. So before Christmas Break, and before summer, you will have a semester exam. This exam is quite simple. You will spar with a person in the class-"
"What. I don't want to spar. That's disgusting." Said Ginger. Sorry Ron. I'm going to have a hard time with his name.
The class started to giggle and laugh while Ron sank in his seat, cheeks turning a bright red, from embarrassment. It was quite funny to look at.
"A spar is a competition between two people, where they fight each other until one has either been pinned, taps out, or says mercy. It's not disgusting." I explained
"OH! I thought you said something else." Said Ron.
"That's obvious. Otherwise you would have known what he was talking about." Said that kid from last night. I think his name was Seamus.
The class continued to laugh at the stupidity of the subject, and to be honest, I kind of was too. It was fun to watch all these kids getting along, for now.
"Alright! Alright! Settle down everyone. So that concludes the requirements of the class. Now onto the questions. Who's first? I asked.
The class was silent for a while. It was quite awkward compared to the laughable air the place had earlier. A girl in the back raised her hand shyly. From the red and gold on her robes I'm pretty sure she's a Gryffindor. I called on her and waited for the questions to start rolling.
"You talked about the gods yesterday. Like the Greek ones. You're a son of Poseidon and your companion is a son of Hades. So are there other demigod from other gods?" she asked
"Of course. Okay, were going to play a little game. You give me the name of a God or Goddess, and I'll tell you about one of their children. Raise your hand and I'll call on you to answer. And go."
So many hands shot up after I said go. I had a feeling that the majority of the Gods of Goddesses that they would refer to, would be the more famous ones like Zeus, Ares, and Aphrodite. I don't think that many of the students knew any others, but hey I could be wrong? Okay I'm almost always wrong.
Due to the fact that the girl in the back asked the question, I started with her.
"Aphrodite." She answered.
"Okay. Let's see. There's Drew, Piper, and there was Silena. Drew is…an awful person. Her view of beauty comes from the outside. She is so conceded and self-centered. Then there's Piper. She's really nice. She's the kind of person who thinks it's what's on the inside that counts. Then there was Silena. She died about a year ago. She was probably one of the bravest people that I've ever met. Okay so who's next?" I asked.
Harry raised his hand, with a confident look on his face. He must think he knows a God or Goddess that's out of the box or something. I called on him so I could figure out for myself if the God or Goddess he chose was in fact "out of the box" He actually surprised me with his answer.
"Do you know anyone born from Hephaestus?"
"Well, there's Jake Mason, Leo Valdez, and a guy named Charles Beckendorf. Charles was a friend of mine. He died when we tried to blow up a ship to defeat the titan lord of time Kronos. Jake is the guy that took over after Beckendorf. That's all I know about him. Then there's Leo. Dude is always doing something with his hands. He built a giant flying ship, and sailed it all the way to California from New York to try to make peace with the Romans." I answered
"Wait! So there are Roman Gods and Goddesses too?" asked Seamus
"Yes, and Roman demigods. Take Jason for example. He's a son of Jupiter, that's Roman for Zeus. You could also compare to Hazel, a daughter of Pluto, Roman form of Hades, and Frank, a son of Mars, Roman form of Ares."
"Are there any other types of demigods?" asked a boy I think was from Huffelpuff.
"The only other group I know of are the Egyptians. That's because I met a demigod named Carter Kane once. Although, I suspect that there are other types of Demigods out there. But who knows what else lies in the world?"
"So, aren't there monsters too? Almost all hero stories talk about some powerful monster that needs to be defeated, and if so, then how do you defend yourselves from them at such young ages?" asked a girl who I think was from Huffelpuff.
"Yes there are monsters. Some are the furies, the Minotaur, hellhounds, and many more. Though monsters are not the only thing that try to kill us. There are also Titans, Giants, Minor Gods or Goddesses, and other Demigods who have turned from the path they were set out to take. In regards to defense, we have three options. We could live in the mortal world, not knowing who we are and eventually be killed by something we don't know, and don't believe is real. If we do know what we are, and know what's coming for us, we can either grab a bunch of weapons attempting to defend ourselves from attack with no training what so ever, or we can go to the camp."
The class started whispering about the new information that was just given to them. I could tell that they were excited to learn this new info. It was something different from their normal class routine, and as long as they had no homework, they'd be fine with my teaching. Though I'm surprised no one has questioned me about the camps. Whoops! Spoke too soon.
"You mentioned a camp earlier. What happens at this camp? Where is it, and how do you get there if you're just a child?" asked Ron. Yay! I remembered.
"Yes, a camp. Actually there are two camps, and as to what happens in them, well, you train in them. You learn Latin, you learn about the Gods and Goddesses, and you try to figure out who your parent is , or try to make them as proud of you as possible. How we get there is thanks to something called a satyr. A satyr is, from the waist up, a man. But from the waist down, he's a goat. They are sent to schools to find potential Demigods, they befriend them, then take them to camp when the outside world gets too dangerous for the Demigod to be in. So the satyr will find a way to take the Demigod to the camp safely. Although, it doesn't always turn out that way. Any other questions?"
"Yeah. Why exactly are you here, helping us? I mean, you could be at one of those camps now, training, and fighting monsters, and earning a bunch of glory. Why stop to teach a bunch of teens how to fight in combat?" asked Harry
His words shook me. I would eventually tell them about what happened at camp, but now isn't the time. Not when it's still so fresh in my mind. Not when it's still affecting me. So I covered up with a, well, it's not a complete lie, but its close enough to one.
"I left the camp to help you, because it was the kind of thing I do. I know what it feels like to be helpless, to not think you're good enough. I hated it. I don't want anyone else to feel like that. That and I'm a good natured guy. I care about the world. I don't want to one day wake up and have it changed completely by some evil being that either highly dislikes one person in the world, or hates the gods for their arrogance. Just because one person hates the world, doesn't mean that everyone else in the world hates it too. I was in New York when Dumbledore found me. He told me of an impending war approaching and how the students were ill trained to fight it. I offered him help. Then my companion appeared and he agreed to help as well. Though I'm not sure how he's going to help if he's HIDING IN THE OFFICE!" I shouted towards the office door.
I didn't hear any movement, so I assumed he wasn't coming down. I walked up the stairs and over to the door and banged on it very loudly. Still no movement. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. Annoyed I walked back down to the class.
"My apologies. I don't understand why he won't come out of the room. Anyways, do you have any more questions for me?"
The room was filled with murmured agreements and head nods. I took that as a good sign to continue on to my next topic.
"Okay, so, I'm not quite sure who all of you are, so I'm going to go around the room asking your names. I'll start in the back and work my way forward."
I went around the room, asking everyone what their names were. When I got to Harry I skipped over him. I already knew who he was. I didn't need to ask him again. The class gave no protest to the incident, surprisingly.
I continued down the rows until I got to Ron. Some people seemed surprised that I skipped over him, others didn't notice or didn't care. That was fine by me, as long as the room didn't turn into chaos. Which happened when I skipped over Hermione.
The room erupted into loud cries of outrage of how I could possibly know her and yet not know anyone else in the room. The class turned into a shouting match. I couldn't even hear myself think. I tried to calm everyone down, but they were to wound up. They wouldn't listen to me.
"NICO! GET YOUR LAZY BUTT DOWN HERE AND HELP ME OR I SWEAR I"LL SKIN YOU WITH RIPTIDE!" I shouted at the door.
Not a few seconds later, giant cracks started forming in the ground. The room turned dark and the cracks gave off an eerie red glow. Dark substances that looked like shadows crept up out of the cracks. The shadows started lurking closer to the students, making them quiet down their screams a tiny bit. Though, fear and panic were new results of the shadows.
I knew that the shadows wouldn't hurt the students mainly because Nico and I would get fired if he does make them hurt the students.
Nico appeared at the top of the stairs, a serious look on his face. He looked across the room and a sick and twisted smile fell on his face, like he was enjoying what he was doing to everyone.
When he finally looked at me we had a silent conversation which mainly consisted of me scowling at him for going too far with this. He at least had the audacity to feel guilty.
He, rather shamefully, sent the shadows back to the Underworld where they belonged, and descended the stairs to the front of the class. The whole room fell into an awkward silence, in shock of what had just happened. No one could believe what Nico had just done. Nico cleared his throat and, quite nervously, spoke.
"Hello everyone. I'm Nico Di' Angelo. You can call me Nico for short. Sorry if I scared any of you. I was just trying to calm everyone down. It, um, appears now that, uh, I should have thought my method through a bit more before acting. I'm sorry if anything overly scared you or if you're scarred for life because of that. Yeah, definitely should have thought that one through." He said.
I smacked the back of his head with my hand, making him yelp in surprise as I retorted him with,
"You think?"
"Hey! That's the first time I've messed up in a long time, and besides. You're called Kelp Head for a reason." He retorted
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Very funny Nico." I said sarcastically.
"So, how have things gone with the class?" asked Nico
"If you had been here for it then you would have known how it was going." I said.
"Hey! I know I should have been down here, but I had an important call to make. Otherwise I would have been down here earlier. Okay?" he said
"Who were you calling?" I asked
"My dad."
"What for?"
"He wanted to check up on me and make sure I was okay because he hasn't seen me in a while and was getting worried thinking that something had happened to me. I was just reassuring him that I was fine and he didn't need to come looking for me."
"Oh."
"You're lucky I hung up just before you started yelling at me to come down and help. If you had been just a hair earlier, my dad would have demanded I come home and sent a message to Zeus as to your whereabouts." He said
"That… would be bad. Very, very, bad." I said
"Why would that be bad?" asked Harry
I turned to Nico, pleading with him to not say anything. I didn't want to talk about it now. I wasn't ready yet. I still feel like I could break if I do. He seemed to understand and said.
"It's complicated. Anyway, what'd you guys talk about?" asked Nico
"First was the classroom requirements, then the gods, goddesses, and demigods, then we did roll call." I said
"So, how did the outburst happen?" asked Nico
"I'm not entirely sure. I was doing roll call, and just skipped over Hermione, because I already know her, then the whole room broke out into chaos." I summed up.
"It started because you apparently know Hermione but you don't know some of the other, more respected people in this classroom." Said another boy from Huffelpuff.
"If it helps the only people I knew before going into this class were Ron, Harry, and Hermione." I said.
"How. How could you possibly know them? You know what? Scratch that. I know why you know Harry. I mean who doesn't. And Ron has a family that's known for trouble, so you probably were warned about him, but Hermione? She's just a mud blood. How could you even know who she is?" asked a girl from Huffelpuff.
"That… is a very good question. To which I will answer simply that she was my neighbor when we lived in America." I said
The room started murmuring again, about what else they may or may not know about Hermione. Even Ron and Harry looked a little uneasy, especially Ron, about the fact that I knew Hermione. The girl herself was hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment. It kind of hurt to know that she was so embarrassed to know me. It quickly faded though, when she looked up and had a large smile on her face and was laughing slightly.
We concluded the class with Nico and I learning about the students. We learned about all the different houses, mainly Gryffindor and Huffelpuff. We also learned about the Ministry Executive. Apparently, she was in Professor Trelawney's class and was demanding the Professor give her a prediction. Most of the students say that she's going to get sacked soon. Poor woman. Though I've never really met her, I still feel sorry for her.
Class ended not soon after and all the students left. Nico stayed downstairs waiting for the next class. I went up to the office and sat down in the office chair, kicking my feet up onto the desk, and putting my arms behind my head, just relaxing a bit, before we have to start the introductions all over again. I sat there for a while thinking to myself 'This is going to be the best year ever.'
Nico's P.o.V
Classes were finally over for the day. Though the classes following the first class weren't as fun as the first class. The look on everyone's face when I summoned all those shades to scare everyone. Oh! That was priceless.
Anyway, class was done, so I decided to go down and give Hagrid a visit. I hadn't seen him since dinner the night before. I missed the guy. He was a pretty cool guy to hang out with.
I had just reached his hut, when I noticed someone sitting in the garden. It was kind of odd, and scared me a little that someone would be sitting out here, of all places. I drew my sword, just in case and stepped closer to the person in the garden.
"Who's there? Come out and show yourself. Don't try running." I called to the person. I wasn't expecting what I saw.
A girl came up from the garden. She had platinum blond hair, a pink jacket, paint splattered skirt, blue leggings, an upside down copy of 'The Quibbler' and weird pink 3-D glasses on. What made her seem weird, was her lack of shoes.
"Hey! You're one of the new DADA teachers aren't you?" she asked
"Yeah!" I said nervously
"I'm Nico"
"I'm Luna. Luna Lovegood. So, what are you here for?" she asked kindly
"Oh! I just came out here to, um, see Hagrid. I, um, hadn't seen him in a while, and I, uh, wanted to see how he was doing. Um, what about you? What are you doing out here, with no shoes while I'm at it?" I asked
"Well, as to why I'm out here. I'm just trying to get some peace and quiet. It gets a bit noisy in the Ravenclaw common room. As to why I have no shoes. Well, something or someone stole them. I'm not quite sure what happened to them."
"So, you're from Ravenclaw?" I asked
"Yeah. Is that a problem?" She asked a little defensively
"No. No problem. I'm just wondering if you would help me with my magic since you're in my house and everything." I asked
"Now, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, honestly I'm flattered, but aren't Harry, Ron, and Hermione supposed to teach you?" she asked
"Well yes, but they're all from Gryffindor and I figured that if someone from my house would help me, then I may have an easier time learning than from people that aren't." I said.
Why did I just say that? Am I really that stupid? Jeez I need to work on not giving away my emotions. First the class, now this. She probably thinks I'm weak. But, there's just something about her that makes me feel like I can trust her. Maybe it's the weird way she dresses, or the fact that she's from my house, or maybe it's something completely different that I'm not seeing.
"Oh! Well why didn't you just tell me? I'd be happy to help you out." She said
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. So, how was the first day of teaching?" she asked
"I think it went pretty well. Except for the first class." I said
"Oh yeah. I heard about the shadow creatures that appeared in your classroom. I heard a lot of people were so scared they wet their pants." She said
"Well if anyone did pee their pants they didn't leave any traces of it in the room, and those creatures are called shades. They are the ghosts of people that were not able to make it to the underworld. They take the shape of shadows and try to reap havoc on the living. It's a good thing they were friendly, otherwise they could have killed everyone in the room. That would have been really bad." I said
"You talk about death so easily. I'm not sure if that's just because you're a son of Hades, or because of some other reason that's a bit more personal?" she questioned
"Your right. I'm not afraid of death. The reason being is because it doesn't matter if I die, because I go home either way. The difference between death and life, to me, is I can either never see one world, or freely pass between both. Life and death, have no value over me. My friends and family are all in the Underworld. The only thing keeping me from willingly dying, is Percy. If he gives up on his life, then I know I'll give up on mine." I said.
Again. What is it with me and speaking my mind without thinking lately? I swear I'm turning into Percy. Luna probably thinks that I'm some kind of sick and twisted person. I doubt that she'll ever talk to me again. Oh, why do I always have to run my mouth around her? I was just about to apologize to her for running my mouth so much before she spoke.
"You know? I kind of like dead things."
That right there, sent me over the edge. I felt like I was walking on cloud nine. She complemented me on what I like, on who I am. Most people would say I was weird and walk away, but no, she gives me a great compliment that makes me feel good. I almost feel like I did when Bianca was still around. I was overjoyed with emotion. And I'm not even completely sure why. The next thing I know I've got this huge childish grin on my face that I haven't worn since I was a kid. It felt good to be happy again. That was until Hagrid came out of his hut.
"Oi! Nico, Dumbledore's looking for you. Says its important business and you need to head to his office immediately. Oh! Hello there Luna." Said Hagrid
"Hello Hagrid." Said Luna.
"What exactly did Dumbledore want?" I asked Hagrid
"Not sure exactly. He just said to find you and tell you to meet him in his office immediately." He said
"Okay. I'll go in a minute." I replied
I then turned to Luna, not wanting to leave my new friend so soon. Wait! New friend? Where did that come from? We only just met today. Yet I felt like I could trust her with anything. Maybe we are friends. I feel like we are, and if we're not, I want us to be. OH MY GODS! What's happening to me?
"You should probably get going then. Don't want to leave Dumbledore waiting." She said.
"No, no I shouldn't. So, um, can we do this again sometime? Talking, I mean." I asked
"Sure, just tell me where and when and I'll see if it's possible for me to come." she said
"How about tomorrow. Same time, same place as today?" I offered.
"Perfect. I guess I'll see you around then Nico." She said.
"See you." I said. Waving at her retreating figure.
I turned to Hagrid, giving him a nod in goodbye, then left to Dumbledore's office to see what was so important.
At Dumbledore's Office
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Let me get this straight. You want me to go back to the camp? I'm not sure this is such a good idea." I told Dumbledore
"It is important for us to have an inside source on the camp Nico. I would send Percy, but with his reputation there, I would be sending him on a suicide mission. He has no chance of surviving if he goes there. You on the other hand, have a good reputation. You haven't crossed anyone and no one would ever suspect you. It's the perfect plan." Said Dumbledore
"So why do you need me to go to the camp anyway?" I asked
"For information. We need to know if the Gods are getting onto Percy's trail. If you're at the camp, you can fill Percy and I in on what's happening, and we can evacuate Percy from the school if need be. You could also help us get information on any upcoming wars or feuds from the camp." he said
"So you want me to be a spy?" I asked
"Precisely. That's exactly what we need is a spy. Think about it Nico. You'd be doing us all a favor. That way, we know of anything dangerous coming, and Percy can still keep in tuned with the camp and what's going on. Please Nico. You're the only one who could pull this off." Said Dumbledore
I contemplated what he was saying in my mind. If I go, I'll be a spy for the wizard population and Percy. I'd be helping the wizards learn of incoming dangers, and Percy would be in tune with that camp and would know a head of time whether the camp was looking for him. But if I was caught, then I'd be kicked out of the camp, I'd earn a bad reputation. No one would trust me. But I have to help Percy. This is his only chance.
"Okay. I've made up my mind." I said.
"Well, don't just leave me hanging. What have you decided?" he asked
"I'll help." I replied
Dumbledore's face relaxed and a smile spread across his face. He looked happy at my answer. I'd do anything to help Percy, as long as it was the right thing to do.
"Now we need to get going. If we wait any longer, the campers will see us enter, then your cover's blown." Said Dumbledore.
"Wait! We're going now?" I asked
"Yes now. The sooner the better as they always say." Said Dumbledore
He stuck his arm out for me and I grabbed on tightly. I felt that familiar feeling, like when I shadow traveled, then we landed on solid ground. I let go of his arm and turned to him. Waiting for what he was about to say.
"You won't be staying here very long. You can visit Hogwarts anytime you please, but you need to find useful information about the camp for us. Anything you think is important just Iris Message Percy or I. the other teachers will help you out if needed. All you have to do is ask. Well, this has been fun, but I should be heading back. Looks like this is good-bye, for now. I'll see you soon Nico." Said Dumbledore
"Good-bye Dumbledore. Make sure Percy's okay. Please. I'd hate for something bad to happen to him." I said.
"I will do my best. Good-bye Nico." He said
And with that he turned his back and apparated back to Hogwarts. I turned around and headed for the camp. Quiet so as to not wake the other campers, and avoid detection from the harpies.
Once I got to my cabin, I went straight to my dresser drawers and pack some necessities for when I decided to stay at Hogwarts again. Then got ready for bed.
Once dressed in some fitting clothes, I got into bed and covered up under the covers, resting my head on my pillows, thinking about all the things that had happened. I'm not sure why, but my mind kept going back to my talk with Luna. I don't know what it is about her, but I just can't stop thinking about her. I haven't really stopped thinking about her since I met her in Hagrid's garden after classes. I then remembered that I had promised to talk to her tomorrow after classes end at Hagrid's Hut. How am I going to see her if she's in London and I'm in Rhode Island? Oh right! Shadow Travel.
I felt the effects of sleep slowly zapping the fire to stay awake out of me. It wasn't long before I had fallen into a deep slumber. Though instead of dreaming about Percy, like I normally do, I found myself dreaming of Luna instead.
Author's Note 2: So I finally finished Chapter 6, can you believe it. This story has come a long way since chapter one when I started it. I can't wait to start typing chapter 7. It may or may not be posted sometime later tomorrow. Oh Whoops. It's already past one in the morning. Oh Well! Happy Holidays everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR. I just know realized its New Year's Day. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed. See ya!