Chapter-2
Percy
Percy had to be honest. When they were at camp, he was sort of expecting getting attacked by a monster straight away when they went to Britain, because that's just how their lives are.
But he didn't really know what to do when some dude in armor was standing right in front of them.
"He's dead." Nico whispered as Percy looked at him.
"Peace, peace. I'm an Einheri." The armored dude spoke.
"Are you?" Annabeth asked suspiciously.
Yes he is. Odin's voice suddenly rang out in their heads, scaring them again. He's one of the Einherjar.
Percy relaxed.
"In Here Yarr?" Leo spoke. "Are you a pirate?"
Percy could see an 'are you serious?' look from the dude's eyes. "I'm not a pirate, I am an Einheri."
"Leo, he means the Einherjar, the warriors of Valhalla, which is basically the Norse version of Elysium." Annabeth spoke as Leo nodded in understanding.
"Wait, they let you out of your Elysium?" Leo asked.
The Einherjar nodded. "Well, Odin is much less strict about our interaction with Midgard than Hades would be with the residents of the Elysian fields."
"Where's Magnus?" Annabeth asked.
"Magnus was supposed to welcome your group, but Hearthstone received an emergency call for help from Einherjar in Lambeth, so he had to go and send me."
"Speaking of which, who are you?"
"I am Godwin." The Einheri replied.
"Godwin…as in the drunk dude we heard from a couple of days back?" Percy asked as Godwin crossed his arms.
"What? Is there something wrong with my drinking habits?" Godwin spoke. "Perhaps you four are underage…speaking of which, why do you look younger than what Magnus has described you?"
"A spell was put on us by Hecate…" Annabeth began.
"Goddess of Magic?" Godwin spoke.
"Yeah, you're really familiar with the Greek gods." Nico spoke as Godwin shrugged. "I was a member of the Varangian Guard in my life. I am familiar with Greek culture and language." He spoke, turning around to show his shield.
"That's a Byzantine design…and is that a ῥομφαία?" Annabeth spoke as Godwin nodded.
"Uh…details?" Percy asked.
"The Varangian Guard were the bodyguards of Byzantine Emperors, set up by Basil II. It consisted of either Vikings or Anglo-Saxons…I'm guessing you're a Saxon?"
"Yes. Born and Raised in Winchester during the rule of King Edward of the House of Wessex." Godwin replied.
"Viking bodyguards for Greek emperors…cool." Leo spoke as Godwin chuckled. "I technically am an Anglo-Saxon as your friend pointed out, but yes. Greek Emperors with Germanic bodyguards, you could say. Now let's go to the hotel." Godwin spoke as Percy noticed their luggage was gone.
"Uh…"
"Lord Odin must have sent your luggage already. We're at the The Churchill hotel near Hyde Park." Godwin spoke. "Come on, let's go."
"We're going to be walking?" Annabeth asked.
"Well, since Magnus will take time to come back, I wanted to show you how things are going on here in Britain."
The demigods exchanged looks before walking after Godwin.
Everything was silent before Leo spoke up.
"So…you've come to London before?"
"I've come to London multiple times in my life, back when it was Londinium, or Lundenwic as we Saxons called it. After that, I have made several visits to London as an Einherjar. I've practically watched this city grow through my own eyes and I am familiar with its streets." He spoke wistfully.
"Though I still remember my wonder at the Old Roman walls and architecture when I came to London for the first time. King Ælfred had removed most of the Roman roads and walls in Winchester to better defend against the Danes so I couldn't see much of the Roman architecture in Winchester. But, that was later on eclipsed when I saw the Hagia Sophia in Miklagarðr - or Κωνσταντινούπολις as you would know it - when I came there." Godwin replied.
Annabeth immediately perked up. "Really, could you tell me how it looked like?" She asked with a sparkle in her eyes as Percy sighed.
Annabeth being Annabeth. He thought as Annabeth began peppering Godwin with questions about the Roman architecture in London in those times.
"I don't like the empty look of the streets." Nico spoke as Percy nodded. The empty streets were a usual occurrence ever since the fog came down. But that didn't mean it didn't get uncomfortable whenever they ventured through the streets.
Situations like this were a prelude to something bad, although they hadn't been attacked so far…
Godwin suddenly stopped, as Percy noticed silhouettes in the fog.
"They're here." He spoke as Percy looked at him. "Who?"
"Our problem."
A number of howls sounded from the fog as several werewolves leapt out with immense speed, running towards them with longswords and large shields.
Oh no… Percy thought in irritation as one of the werewolves swung at him with the longsword, Percy parrying the blow with riptide.
Maybe they're not like our werewolves… Riptide passed straight through the werewolf's neck as Percy cut at it before blocking the next blow with the shield.
Percy cursed as he sidestepped the werewolf's swing.
"Leo!" He called as Leo sent a fireball at the werewolf, setting it on fire as the wolf yelped and scrambled away with its body burning.
"Percy, protect Leo!" Annabeth yelled as Percy stepped closer to Leo and Nico, holding off werewolves that got close. However, Percy was sort of surprised at how long they were lasting. Their strikes were definitely strong and they were able to hold out before Leo burnt them.
"Since when did werewolves use swords and shields?!" Leo yelled as Percy ducked another werewolf's swing. The werewolf immediately brought up its shield but was surprised when Percy pushed it aside and drove his shoulder into the werewolf's gut, sending it staggering before Leo killed it with a fireball.
"They're descendants of the Werewolves of Ossary, who served the High kings of Ireland! Well known for their martial prowess and ferocity!" Godwin yelled as he and Annabeth fought together.
Percy spotted a fire hydrant and felt a tug on his gut, as water erupted and wrapped itself around the Werewolves who yelped in surprise as they were sitting ducks to Leo's fireballs.
Two of the werewolves barked somewhere behind them.
Percy then noticed a heavily tattooed werewolf come up with a wooden staff in one hand and a shorter sword in another.
The Werewolf raised its staff as Percy's water immediately turned to ice before shattering. The Werewolf also froze the water coming out of the fire hydrant.
The werewolf then slammed its staff against the ground as Percy reflexively rolled out of the way to dodge vines coming out of the ground.
"A werewolf druid! Focus on him!" Godwin yelled as the werewolves closed in on them, the druid having their staff raised as the werewolves suddenly became faster.
"Oh come on! What is this, Dungeons and Dragons?!" Percy yelled as he clashed with a werewolf before leaning away as the werewolf tried to sink its fangs into his throat.
Nico stumbled as one of the werewolves' shields slammed into him before Percy kicked at it, pushing away the werewolf before it could take advantage.
Percy hissed as one of the werewolves cut a gash on his thigh. Leo blasted the werewolf away as Percy drew water from the sewers to heal his wound.
Annabeth and Godwin charged towards the Werewolf druid, but were forced back as the druid chucked a car on the street at them.
"Get to Godwin. I have a plan to deal with that druid." Nico spoke as Percy nodded, gritting his teeth as he forced the ice to thaw back to water and sent whips to ward off the werewolves charging at them.
As soon as they joined up with Annabeth and Godwin, Nico put his hand on Godwin's shoulder and shadow-travelled to behind the druid.
The druid swept his staff to send a gust of wind that knocked Annabeth onto her back, but before the druid could cast another spell, Godwin kicked it in the back, sending it sprawling to the ground before stomping onto the druid's bac and swinging his axe down on it.
The druid howled in pain as it thrashed around, but Godwin did not let go and soon the druid stopped moving, dissolving into glowing purple particles.
Leo sent another blaze of flames to burn the rest of the werewolves, before one came out with a burning shield and raised its longsword at Annabeth.
"!" Percy quickly stepped in front of Annabeth and blocked the blow, before Godwin came up behind the werewolf and brought his axe onto its head, splitting its skull open and splattering blood onto Percy's face.
Percy jolted at the bitter taste in his mouth as the werewolf dissolved into those same purple particles.
Percy spat out the werewolf's blood as he looked at Godwin. "Did you have to split its head in front of my face?" He asked, wiping the blood off his face.
"That's some nice ketchup you got there, Aquaman. Wish I had some fries." Leo spoke.
"I do not recommend that. This blood is seriously bitter." Percy scrunching his face at the sheer bitterness of the blood.
"You had silver on your axe?" Annabeth asked Godwin.
"Yes, I had our local smith put it on the edge after the first time we encountered these werewolves."
Leo scratched his neck. "So, your problem is this?"
"The Werewolves were just a part of it. Magnus will explain once we get there."
Reaching the hotel, the demigods noticed a number of people talking to each other.
"Oi, Godwin's back!" One of them, who looked like your average viking, yelled.
"Is that blade from Grikkland?" Another spoke, looking at riptide.
"Yes. They are Grikkjar." Godwin replied.
"That one looks like Magnus." The viking spoke looking at Annabeth.
"I'm Magnus' cousin." Annabeth replied as they continued to walk.
"Wait, Magnus has a Grikkjar cousin?!" They heard the viking shout behind them.
"They're…lively."
"Hm, that particular group was a part of Guthrum's Heathen army which camped in London. They're a bit excited to see the city again." Godwin spoke.
"And…they're just…" Leo gestured to the Einherjar laughing.
"Lord Odin bought all the rooms in the hotel and the other branch of Hyatt." Godwin spoke.
"Wish our gods could do that." Leo spoke.
"Well, Lord Odin tends to do this when a issue involves a large number of Einherjar." Godwin spoke before leading the demigods to the banquet hall.
"Wait here, I'll bring Magnus when he comes." Godwin spoke taking them to a table before leaving.
"Well," Leo spoke leaning back onto his chair. "At least we have a nice hotel…"
"Which we won't hold for long." Nico spoke. "We're soon leaving for Hogwarts."
"Why Hogwarts?" Percy asked. "Like, I get Camp Half-Blood because it's for Half-bloods like us, or Camp Jupiter in the sense that it houses the 12th legion, but what's the story behind Hogwarts?"
Annabeth shrugged. "Besides, we still have to find our wands…and Hecate says Odin will cover up the rest."
This time, they spotted a raven fly down.
"I'm guessing this is…?" Percy spoke as the raven looked at him. "It is. Hecate contacted me and I have your letters prepared." Odin spoke as four letters suddenly appeared on the demigods' tables.
"You managed to get these this quick?!" Percy exclaimed. And Magnus was saying this guy was really bad at providing help?!
"Well, I was already getting your admission letters done once Percy and Annabeth told me who all were there. Here, I've translated the letters for your convenience." Odin replied as Percy went through the letter, which was written in Ancient greek.
Percy managed to get through most of the letter before stopping. "Hey, wait a minute." He spoke, showing his letter.
"We have to go shopping?" He asked incredulously.
"I agree with Percy here. Can't you just…you know, magic up our materials?"
"No. You four are entering a completely different civilization. If I did everything, you will have very little exposure to wizarding society. Besides, I'm a god." Odin spoke as Annabeth crossed her arms.
"Makes sense." She spoke. "We do need to observe how they live if we are to keep our identities secret…we do have to do that, right?"
"As of now, yes. You are divine beings, having abnormal abilities which do not require magic. You'll be swept up in Wizarding politics if you are found out. I would caution against revealing yourself to anyone but those who you trust will keep a secret."
"Politics…can't this quest be just a simple 'kill the monster'?" Leo spoke with a groan.
"Consider yourselves lucky your parents don't involve you in inter-pantheon politics. But anyways, I need to tell you one more thing besides your prophecy."
"Another job?" Annabeth asked.
"Protection. A day before Magnus sent his message, he, Hearthstone and Halfborn found a very, very important wizard dying on the street. The wizard had been attacked by monsters and would have died if Magnus hadn't healed him. It would have been disastrous for the wizarding world if he died."
Percy looked at Odin warily. "Who is this wizard?"
"He's actually a boy of your current age named Harry Potter. He's important in the same way you were during the Second Titanomachia."
Percy inhaled sharply.
"He is destined to face down the most powerful dark wizard in the wizarding world, Voldemort."
"Flight from Death?" Nico asked. "I already don't like him."
"Indeed. He is a subject of frustration for many underworld gods, because he has figured out a way to protect his life from death, using a method similar to Koschei the Immortal in storing his soul away in separate objects. Voldemort is in simple terms a power-hungry monster, who wants to keep moving up and up until there is no 'up'."
Percy frowned. "So he's like the Kronos of the Wizards?"
"At least Kronos would use you until you are truly of no use to him. Voldemort's patience is much less and despite some instances of manipulation, he likes to kill his enemies then and there."
"And Harry's apparently the one who's supposed to take him down." Annabeth spoke.
"Yes, which is why it is important you keep him safe. Monsters are getting involved in this matter, and it isn't far from the realm of possibility that Voldemort sent monsters to kill Harry. Despite having killed some monsters before, Harry Potter lacks the skill and experience to survive an encounter with the more dangerous creatures of myths. Find your prophecy, but make sure Harry is kept alive."
"And what does he look like?"
"Like Percy but thinner and with glasses."
"So, a scrawnier and nerdier version of Aquaman? No wonder he's got the pressure." Leo muttered as Nico elbowed him.
"Yes. Hogwarts' headmaster is aware of you, which is why these letters came quickly. Your alias is that you are students of a rather reclusive wizard in America who taught you magic, and you came as transfers to study under a more institutionalized environment."
"But going back to the whole point of shopping, where do we go?" Percy
"Hearth knows where. Tell them what you are going to do and Hearth will take you."
"Annabeth?" Magnus' voice came in as Percy noticed Magnus walk in with the same person and a tall man with wild brown hair.
"Magnus!" Annabeth spoke getting up.
"Uh, why do you look young?" Magnus spoke in confusion.
"Oh, we got de-aged to fit in. I'll explain." Annabeth spoke.
"And this is where I depart. Good luck on your quest." Odin spoke before flying off.
Percy smiled as Annabeth hugged Magnus and brought him over.
"So, you know Percy, but not the other two. This is Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus and Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades."
"Hi, I'm Leo! You look a lot less scarier than your cousin!" Leo spoke as Nico nodded in greeting. "Also, is that an elf?!" He spoke pointing at Hearth.
Magnus smiled. "Yes, Hearth's an elf."
"Cool! Have you read…"
Please do not make a Lord of the Rings joke. The Einherjar have driven me insane with them. Hearth signed frantically.
"White Leo, I guess?" Percy spoke as Leo chuckled.
"Oh my gods…he looks like a stereotyped elf." The man muttered looking at Leo.
"This is Hearthstone. And this is Halfborn." Magnus spoke pointing to the man, who looked like a child of Ares.
"I wish I could introduce you to the others, but Mallory's in Dublin and the rest in America. So," Magnus spoke sitting down. "What's with the look?"
Annabeth began explaining to him about their mission and wizards, Hearth pitching some information that showed he knew of them, although he did brag that the wizards' wands were nothing compared to his runic magic.
"So you're going to a magic school…" Magnus spoke, nodding. "Ok, have you been briefed about the Fairies?"
Percy shook his head. "Wait, what?"
"You know…the Fairy problem?"
"Fairies…as in the small little girls with butterfly wings?" Percy spoke in confusion as Halfborn put a hand to his chest.
"Fairies are perhaps the most evil spawn of creation to have ever lived." Halfborn spoke. "Whatever you think you know about fairies, just forget it because that's absolutely wrong. Fairies make regular monsters look merciful with just how brutal and merciless they are."
Fairies are Nature spirits, like Dryads. Many of them are manifestations of aspects of nature, which includes things like death. They can include anything from little Sprites to the monstrous Nuckelavee. Us elves are also a type of Fairy. Hearth signed.
Leo slammed his head on the table. "Is there anything out there that is actually cute and fluffy and not secretly vicious?"
"I guess not." Percy spoke. "So, we got attacked by werewolves earlier? Are they also…?"
"Yep, fairies. You could say that Fairies are akin to Monsters in your pantheon." Magnus spoke as Percy nodded. "It's going to be a pain to deal with them."
"It is. I'm pretty sure Godwin's explained what they are to you, and they're just a part of the many fairies haunting London right now." Magnus spoke.
"So, we clear them out?"
"It's fine. We can clear them out before the Jötnar come. You focus on Scotland."
Percy shuddered, remembering Magnus' talk about the Norse Giants.
Moving on, you say you are going to go to Hogwarts. Do your have your letters? Hearth signed.
Percy and the others nodded.
Do you know about the shopping part?
"Yeah, we do. But where do we buy it?"
I know the place. Tell me what time, and I'll take you there. Hearth signed.
"We'll just get settled. We can leave in the evening."
"Ok." Magnus spoke before handing them keycards. "Two rooms. One for Annabeth, one for the rest of you."
"Oh, is this the whole 'girl-boy' stuff?" Leo asked as Annabeth slapped his arm with a scowl.
"Well, there's a lot of Einherjar staying here. It was difficult to scrape by a room for you. So…sorry." Magnus spoke sheepishly as Percy waved him off.
"It's alright, right, guys?" He asked Nico and Leo.
"As long as Leo doesn't set us all on fire in the middle of the night." Nico spoke, crossing his arms.
"Hey! It's not my fault I get some really sick dreams!" Leo protested.
"I'll sleep in the middle. At least I can last long enough to wake up if Leo does set me on fire."
"Can your clothes, though?" Leo asked as Percy deadpanned. "You do that, and I'll soak your clothes so hard they'll shrink."
Everyone shared a laugh.
"I think Halfborn is the only one who won't get embarrassed by that." Magnus spoke with a chuckle as Halfborn looked at him.
"Hm, you're just jealous because you don't have the guts to do that. I'm a proud Berserker, I'll charge straight into the enemy whether I'm in full plated armor or just having my penis flop about."
"Boys…" Annabeth spoke exasperatedly.
"Anyways. You can stay as long as you want. Whenever you want to stop by London, this is the place." Magnus spoke. "Now go get freshened up."
"You're not our dad." Annabeth spoke with a snort.
"I'm older than you now." Magnus shot back before gulping as Annabeth glared at him with her stormy eyes.
"Just because my body aged backwards doesn't mean I'm suddenly your little sister. Don't you think you can play the 'big bullying brother' because of that."
"Yes, ma'am." Magnus replied nervously as Halfborn let out a low chuckle.
"Nice job, Maggie. But seriously, as someone who's spent 6 years with this girl: Just know Wise Girl is scary no matter how young she can look." Percy spoke chuckling before they got up.
After freshening up, Hearth got into a car with the four demigods in the evening.
"I know how to drive a car, though!" Leo spoke.
"You're underage, Leo." Annabeth spoke. "At the moment, at least."
"Underage?! Do you see any cops walking around?!" Leo squawked indignantly.
Calm down, children. Hearth signed. I can drive.
"Really? I thought Elves still used horses and boats?"
Midgard is located in the middle of Yggdrasil and is often regarded as the Nexus of creation. Henceforth, elements of Midgard's culture tend to bleed over into other realms, including my home Alfheim. We may not have adopted human culture as much as the Dwarfs in Nidavellir, but we have assimilated enough to know how to operate cars.
With that, Hearth drove away from The Churchill. After 20 minutes, he stopped.
"This is the place?" Annabeth asked as Percy looked at what looked like a worn out store with a faded sign saying 'The Leaky Cauldron'.
"Oh, yeah. This definitely looks like it." Percy spoke. He'd realized at this point that there was no middle ground when it came to hiding the supernatural. It was either extremely posh and majestic hotels or dark and dingy warehouses and shops.
This is the Leaky Cauldron, an inn for passing wizards. Someone did suggest using it, but it was too small to really support a large number of Einherjar. Also we couldn't afford too much interaction with the wizards.
"Doesn't this look small for our shopping, though?" Nico asked.
The Leaky Cauldron isn't the place. It's the entrance to Diagon Alley, which is where we have to go. Hearth spoke, opening the door.
Inside, Percy was really caught off guard by what was happening in front of him. As someone who was used to the supernatural hiding in places frequented by mortals, the blatant disregard for all logic in front of Percy was jarring.
It was like your typical tavern, except most of the people there were sitting with robes and wearing really fancy hats. They carried sticks and conversed with each other, with plates flying about as some waved their sticks around.
"Woah…" Annabeth spoke. "So these are the wizards."
Yes. But as impressive as their magic looks, they've unfortunately fallen prey to a key problem that comes with overdependence on magic.
"Lack of technological progress." Leo spoke as Percy realized that the dark tavern was being entirely lit up by candles. There was actually no electricity. He noticed several wizards were using quills instead of pens.
The wizards cast curious looks at Hearth's pointy ears as they walked by.
"He's got pointy ears like an elf." Percy heard one man tell a woman.
"But he looks nothing like those hideous house-elves. Look at his face…it's glowing."
House-elves are our earthly counterparts. They act as servants for wizards. Hearth explained.
"Are you related?" Leo asked.
We are, but they are more closely related to Svartálfar, as opposed to my kind, the Ljósálfr. Hearth signed.
Hearth brought them to the back of the inn and into a walled courtyard.
"50 bucks there's a secret place behind one of these walls." Leo whispered to Percy, who looked at him incredulously. "Dude, are you seriously thinking I'd go against you on this?"
Hearth walked up to a wall and pulled a piece of wood out of a pouch, which had a symbol of two triangles touching at the tip.
Hearth placed the rune against the wall as it glowed brighter, before the bricks shifted away to reveal a bustling street with colorful houses on each side, all with wizards and witches moving about with large bags in their hands.
Welcome to Diagon Alley. Hearth signed.
"How…do you know all this?" Annabeth asked.
I've studied the wizarding world back when I was trying to find a way to recover our lost magic Alf Seidr, and Mimir also answered my questions about it. Anyways, let's first collect the money we require for shopping.
"From a bank, I suppose?" Annabeth asked as Leo grinned. "Ooh, I wonder what a magical bank looks like. Maybe it's got like…riddle or something! Though I still prefer a really tricky lock mechanism, though."
The bank was called Gringotts, which sounded like some sort of skin disease. After hearing Annabeth's rants about how Gringotts made no sense architecturally, they entered.
The four demigods stared as not a single human was seen working amongst the staff. All but Goblins.
Don't worry. These goblins were integrated into Wizarding society through the business of Gringotts. They don't really treat humans any different. But I would suggest being wary of their more conservative kind. They hate humans, and they often cast lethal spells if they ever spot a human trespassing in their lands.
"So, why are they running the bank?" Leo asked.
Being fiercely protective of their gold, few can understand protecting valuables better than Goblins.
"Hey, Leo, it's your extended family." Percy spoke as Leo smiled. "Thanks for the really bad joke, Aquaman. Appreciate it."
Hearth took them to the desk of a really old goblin.
The goblin looked up. "Hm…an Elf, and four demigods." He noted as Hearth raised his hand and a purple symbol blazed on it which looked like a tilted square with two extended sides.
The goblin's beady eyes widened. "That is authentic. My, my, this is interesting…" He spoke as another goblin came up.
"Griphook, take them to Vault 009."
"His vault?" Griphook muttered looking at them, flinching as his eyes fell upon the demigods before Griphook blinked rapidly.
"Uh, what's going on?" Leo whispered to Hearth, before realizing he couldn't hear him and tapping his shoulder.
Odin gave me access to his vault. Hearth signed.
"You must be of high position if the All-Father trusts you with one of his personally crafted runes." Griphook spoke. "Especially with Olympian blood with you."
"How did you…?"
"We Goblins comprehend the plane of existence better than humans." Griphook spoke. "Your divine blood is like a blinding flash within the fabric of reality."
"Huh, so we're like really bright lights to your eyes?" Nico asked.
"You know what the full concentration of your parents' divine forms could do to mortal eyes. You can only imagine what a god's divine form does to reality." Griphook spoke before gesturing for them to follow him.
"A minecart?" Leo asked with a grin as they sat on a minecart and drove into a tunnel. On the way, they spotted large metal circular doors.
"Those are the vaults?" Annabeth asked.
"The low-security ones. Depends on how much you pay to open an account. The high-security ones have extra measures…"
Like dragons. Hearth signed as Percy blinked. Did he read that right?
"Wait…did you just say dragons?!"
"Yes, demigod. Dragons. They are deterrents for any pesky thieves." Griphook spoke with a chuckle.
Suddenly, they took a right turn as the minecart found itself floating, the wall in front of it rippling to reveal a narrow corridor.
"But…Lord Odin doesn't really use our security. He has his own security measures." Griphook spoke as they reached the end of the corridor to stop at the vault.
Griphook took a few steps before stopping. "Mr. Elf." He spoke as Hearth walked up and pushed his hand forward. It pressed against a purple barrier with threads of purple energy interwoven with each other.
"That's it?" Leo asked. "I don't sense any complicated locks."
"Yes, the All-father keeps his security purely based on magic. But I should tell you that's because the Elf has one of Lord Odin's hand-crafted runes with him. Anything else would activate the vault's security system."
"And that is?"
"1 million different curses from mixing runes and incantations."
The demigods' eyes bulged out. "1 million?!" Annabeth spluttered.
Nowhere near as bad as Odin's personal vault in Asgard. I haven't even looked at its second layer and I've already found 500 million curses. Hearth signed.
"That is…" Leo began.
"Such is the paranoia of the All-Father." Griphook spoke before Hearth put another rune and opened up the vault.
Inside, were unbelievable amounts of gold coins that seemed to stretch on into a dark abyss.
"This is Odin's vault?" Nico spoke in shock.
"One of Odin's vaults. There's 10 more scattered across the wizarding world. Even some staff members don't know these exist."
"Ok, Odin could give my dad a serious battle in terms of riches." Nico muttered.
Grab your money in accordance with your expenses. Hearth signed as the demigods set about picking up the gold coins and placing them in pouches that Hearth summoned.
Once that was done, they walked out of the vault. Griphook took them out of the tunnels and soon they were out of Gringotts.
Now that that's done. Let's get to shopping. I advise against buying Owls, though.
"Why not? Isn't it written that we must carry one?" Annabeth asked.
High risk of getting caught. Besides, you four have your Iris messages. Owls are merely messengers. But if you want one as a pet, then it's alright.
"I'm pretty sure only one of us would want an Owl as a pet." Percy spoke glancing at Annabeth, who scoffed.
"I'm good." She spoke.
Alright. Let's get your robes and books. After that, your wands.
Soon, Hearth and the demigods stood in front of the wand store, with bags filled with their items.
"Ollivander's - Making wands since 382 BC." Leo spoke as Annabeth shook her head. "382 BC? This shop's been here before Alexander?" She spoke in surprise.
Ollivander's was set up in Rome, coming over to Britain after Rome was sacked. It's been making wands here ever since.
Entering, it was a cramped space, with a little desk and a stair leading up stairs, while the walls were just shelves stuffed with little rectangular boxes.
"Oh, that signature…" A voice spoke as the demigods noticed what looked like einstein's magical brother pop up. He was a really old man with unkempt grey hair in a coat. He was apparently looking through some shelves when he entered. Percy noticed something rattling on the coat, some sort of jewel.
"My goodness…never did I think one of your kind would visit my family's business again." The man muttered in surprise as Percy looked at Hearth.
"First the goblins, now this dude. Are you sure not many know of us?" He asked tensely.
"Don't worry, I would not have deduced your heritage if not for this." The man spoke tapping the jewel. "It's an old gift from a demigod to my forefather, passed down through my family in generations. It's a little thing to detect whenever demigods are close by. My family has been close to the demigods ever since my forefather first encountered demigods." He spoke. "Now, apologies for not greeting, I am Garrick Ollivander, owner of this establishment. You are here for your wands?"
The demigods nodded. "Can we choose?" Leo asked as Ollivander shook his head.
"I'm afraid not. Usually its the wand that chooses its wielder. And those who do not match have…At best it malfunctions and at worst…it explodes in your face."
Percy shuddered.
"Even more so for demigods. Your ichor is very volatile and tends to violently react to most wands. From old notes of my forefathers, I learnt that your parentage usually decides the wand you use. Now, if you would please inform me of your parentage?"
"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."
"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."
"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus."
"Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades."
"Oh?" Ollivander spoke. "Quite an interesting bunch, with two major rivalries." He spoke before rushing off to get the wands.
"Ms. Chase should go first. She would be having the least volatile reaction due to her mother's absence in more destructive domains." Ollivander spoke. "...Apologies for the slight offense."
"It's ok." Annabeth spoke, stepping up before Ollivander opened the first box, pulling out Annabeth's wand.
"Walnut, 12 inches, Unicorn hair. Walnuts were often regarded as symbols of wisdom and knowledge, for their nuts were shaped like a human brain, fitting for the children of the wisdom goddess." Ollivander spoke, handing Annabeth the wand. The wand shook slightly.
"Hm, good match. But…it can be better." Ollivander spoke before pulling out another wand that was darker in colour.
"Black walnut, 12 inches, Unicorn hair. Athena, as the goddess of strategy, often had greater comprehension and insight of those around her, a trait inherited by her children." Ollivander spoke as Annabeth held the wand, breathing deeply.
"Perfect, this is the best for you. Now, Mr. Di Angelo." Ollivander spoke as Nico went up while Annabeth walked up beside Percy.
"Black walnut…" Annabeth muttered. "Wonder what your wand's going to be like, Percy."
"Hope its sea-related." Percy replied smiling.
"Yew, 12 inches, Dragon heartstring. The Yew was regarded as a symbol of Death and Rebirth by the old Celtic Druids, for every branch that fell off an old tree, a new sapling would emerge. It is temperamental, harmonizing with its user's emotion and passion."
Nico took the wand as Ollivander nodded. "That's another down. Mr. Valdez!" He spoke as Nico went back, staring at his wand.
"Watcha thinking about, Neeks?" Percy asked as Nico smiled.
"Nothing…just thinking of Hazel coming back from the dead and Bianca living in her new life."
Percy smiled and patted Nico on the shoulder.
"Alright, Olly! What's my fit!" Leo spoke as Ollivander winced. "My, you are lively." He spoke before setting another walnut wand.
"Walnut, 12 inches, Phoenix feather. Again, for the intelligent and wise, although the phoenix's independence matches with the desire of the fire god's children to be free with their own hopes and aspirations."
"Phoenix? Cool, I get a fire one!" Leo spoke.
"I've got a dragon core, Leo." Nico spoke up.
"There's ice dragon's too, death boy!" Leo shot back taking hold of the wand.
"Hm, it feels ting…"
"Again, can be better." Ollivander spoke, pulling out another wand.
"Beech, 12 inches, Phoenix feather. The Beech was considered as a pathway to the unknown, coaxing those who gaze upon it to innovate and explore the void in the sea of knowledge. As a child of the craftsman god, I think this should do it."
"Really? I thought…woah…" Leo spoke as he grabbed the wand. "Ok, I think I take my words back. This is the one!" He exclaimed.
"I'm going to name this Sticky." he declared as Annabeth crossed her arms.
"Sticky? Is that what the 'creative' Leo Valdez could come up with?"
"Hah, I think you not getting a Beech and ME getting one says something, Owlhead." Leo spoke as Annabeth grinned. "Oh? I'm sorry, could you explain what that 'something' means, Leo?" She asked, cracking her knuckles as Leo chuckled.
"Nothing, nothing. All good."
"Finally, Mr. Jackson." Ollivander spoke as Percy stepped up.
Please be sea-related, Please be sea-related… Percy thought. Ollivander brought up the wand and went to place it before retracting.
"No, no, this won't do." He spoke before pulling out another wand. However, he did the same thing, retracting it before he could give it to Percy.
After a few more tries, Ollivander finally handed a wand to Percy.
"Phew, being a child of Poseidon, you are the most difficult one. The sea's chaotic nature doesn't make it a good match with almost all of the wands I have."
Percy grinned. The sea doesn't like to be restrained. He thought.
"The solution to that problem is a wand which wants nothing to do with restraint. A wand, that like the sea, does not tolerate those who restrain it." Ollivander spoke. "Kelpie Hair. A core considered subpar by wizards for not performing as well as a phoenix feather or dragon heartstring. But the truth is that the Kelpie, specifically the Each Uisge, are creatures of the sea. Only the sea can truly harness its full power." Ollivander spoke as Percy smiled wistfully at the familiar feeling of the sea.
"And of course, its material is no less special. This is Oak. Oak…was considered to be the most sacred tree of the Celts. To them, it is the progenitor of life, the mark of the divine which the kings of old used to cement their authority. Its bark is sturdy, calling out to the strong and brave who are fiercely protective of what is dear to them, including their own lives."
"...And I think this is perfect for you, Mr. Jackson." Ollivander spoke as Percy looked back at the wand.
With the wands being selected, they paid Ollivander the money and came out.
So, how was your wand selection? Hearth signed as Leo groaned.
"I honestly did not know picking sticks were this complicated." He spoke as Hearth smiled.
Wands are sort of sentient and often picky with their owners. They're not inanimate objects that you can pick up and use straight away. Wand selection is very, very important in that regard. Hearth signed.
"Now, are we done?" Percy asked with a yawn.
We are. The train to Hogwarts comes in a few days. Until then, you four can accompany us on patrolling.
Percy grinned. "A few days of demigod stuff before we have to move into Gandalfing. I just hope it doesn't make us rusty."
"Hearing all the stuff about the Celtic pantheon, I highly doubt we'll not be able to do our things. As much as hogwarts claims to be safe, it's still run by mortal wizards. The Celtic gods could easily send some nasty monster to get us…or maybe one of them can come personally if our luck is that bad." Nico spoke, crossing his arms.
"Let's keep our fingers crossed." Leo spoke before posing melodramatically.
"Now that the dreaded shopping quest is complete, we can move on to the next mission…"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Hogwarts, watch out!" Leo spoke, unperturbed by the awkward silence. "Because we're coming to your doors!"
A/N: Yeah, this is going great! All that time of reading up on the process of wand selection paid off! You can see some of my nerdiness in history and mythology bleeding into this chapter, especially at the Ollivander part.
Also, yes, Hearth knows of the wizarding world. I also know Hearth's ASL isn't represented with perfect English, but I'm just being lazy and writing it like that.
Hope you guys enjoyed and Constructive criticism is appreciated!
Foot notes:
Κωνσταντινούπολις - Greek name of Constantinople, meaning 'City of Konstantinos' or 'City of Constantine'
Miklagarðr - Norse name of Constantinople, meaning 'The Great City'
Werewolves of Ossary: Said to be a mythical lineage of warriors serving the Old Irish kingdom of Ossory who were said to be half-wolf and half-human (basically werewolves). The Werewolves were considered to be the ancestors of Irish royalty.
Grikkland: Norse for 'Greece'
Grikkjar: Norse for 'Greek'
Response to Reviews:
Welp, after that one review I answered with a 'review' of my own, no other reviews. Then we keep on waiting.