A couple of days passed and the four remaining demigods idly talked. Clarisse confirmed that not all of the teeth were out, he would need one of the Apollo kids or a wizarding healer to extract the rest, safely. Fortunately, he wasn't in any danger of bleeding out, but was also advise to not aggravate it. Soon, Harry went back to finishing up his potion, fending off curious questions from Annabeth.

One evening, the group were surprised when a seagull swooped down out of nowhere and dropped a cluster of leaves on the deck. Annabeth looked excited, "I think there's land nearby!"

Sure enough, they spotted a hint of black in the horizon, and it was slowly getting larger. Minutes later, they could make out an island dotted with a white collection of buildings and several bright lights. In addition to that, there was a beach and a harbour filled with several yachts and other boats, with a few airplanes and ships thrown in the mix.

Harry mumbled, "How the bloody hell did we get all the way to Monte Carlo?"

An awestruck Annabeth murmured, "I think we're still in the Sea of Monsters… Wow! What is this place?"

As the current pulled their boat towards the dock, the four demigods saw a woman with a clipboard spotting them and briskly walking up. Her attire was similar to that of a flight attendant, a blue business suit, hair pulled back in a ponytail and high heels. She shot them a polite smile and said, "Welcome! Is this your first time with us?"

They all looked bemused, but that didn't faze her. The woman uttered as she wrote on the board, "First-Time-At-Spa."

Percy looked around him and saw some strange sights. Aside from several stunning yachts, there was a U.S. Navy submarine, several dugout canoes and an old-fashioned three-masted sailing ship. There was also a helipad with a 'Channel Five Fort Lauderdale' helicopter on it, and a short runway with a Learjet and a propeller plane that looked like a World War II fighter."

The woman then eyed them carefully, "Hmm… I'm thinking of herbal wraps for the two ladies and complete makeovers for the young gentlemen. Right! Well, I'm sure C.C. will want to speak with you personally before the luau. Follow me, please."

Annabeth muttered, "I guess it couldn't hurt."

Clarisse grunted in agreement, "Got that right. I think we've earned it."

Percy shot Clarisse an odd look, "Didn't peg you for a spa kind of girl."

She snarled, "In case you hadn't noticed, Prissy. I'm a girl. I may be a daughter of Ares, but even I like to be pampered from time to time."

Harry innocently asked, "So does that mean that you're finally going to accept Silena's repeated pleas to attend a slumber party?"

She cuffed him on the back of the head, "Watch it Potter. Or I'll bring back your lightning bolt scar."

As they walked, Harry and Percy kept their hands close to their weapons. However, the further they ventured into the resort, Percy's hands soon slipped away from his pockets. Harry still kept his hands close to his waist, though he had to fight the urge to relax.

At one point, they passed some fountains that formed impossible shapes, like flying eagles and galloping horses. Percy remembered Tyson's love for horses, and nearly turned to see his reaction. However, he remembered at the last moment about the events that transpired earlier.

Then came some even stranger sights, a sea turtle napped in a stack of beach towels. A leopard stretched out asleep on the diving board. Several female resort guest lounged in deckchairs, drinking fruit smoothies or reading magazines while herbal masks dried on their faces and manicurists in white uniforms did their nails.

Heading up a staircase, into what they assumed was the main building, they all heard a woman singing. Harry thought it was so beautiful that it could give Celestina Warbeck a run for her money.

Before long, the four of them entered a big room, where the front wall was replaced by large windows. Meanwhile, the wall opposite that was replaced by a floor-to-ceiling mirror. This gave off the impression that the room was larger than it actually was. There was also a lot of expensive-looking white furniture, a few potted plants and on a table in one corner was a large wire pet cage. The cage seemed out of place, but they didn't think about it too much.

At last, they found the owner of the voice, a lady sitting at a large loom, weaving coloured thread back and forth with amazing skill. The tapestry that she was weaving was a scene of a waterfall that looked so realistic that they could see water moving and clouds drifting across a fabric sky.

Annabeth was spellbound, "It's beautiful!"

The lady turned, revealing her face for the first time. Her long dark hair was braided with gold threads. She had piercing green eyes and wore a silky black dress with shapes that seemed to move in the fabric. Harry recognised her immediately and his hackles rose slightly.

She glanced at Annabeth, "You appreciate weaving, my dear? You have good taste. "I'm so glad you've come. My name is C.C."

In the background Harry heard some squealing, "Run away! Run away! The witch will get you!"

Annabeth led the introductions, "I'm Annabeth"

"Clarisse"

"Percy"

"Harry"

C.C., or as Harry knew her, Circe glanced at them. She lingered on himself and Percy for a bit longer before her face registered a disapproving look. Circe sighed, "Oh dear, you two do need my help. Hylla, take Annabeth and Clarisse on a tour, will you? Show them what all services we have available. The clothing is dreadful and will need to change. The hair, my goodness. We will do a full image consultation after I've spoken with these two young gentlemen."

Annabeth sounded genuinely hurt, 'But… What's wrong with my hair?'

C.C. smiled benevolently. "My dear, you are lovely. Really! But you're not showing off yourself or your talents at all. So much wasted potential!"

Annabeth tilted her head curiously, "Wasted?"

"Well, surely you're not happy the way you are! My goodness, there's not a single person who is. But don't worry. We can improve anyone here at the spa. Hylla will show you what I mean. You, my dear, need to unlock your true self! Clarisse, you as well. Not to worry about Harry and Percy, I shall personally take care of them."

As Annabeth and Clarisse were led away, Circe took the two boys by the arm and guided them to the mirror. She spoke, "Percy, Harry, it pains me to say this, but to unlock your potential, you'll need serious help. The first step is admitting that you're not happy the way you are."

The boys just stared at their bedraggled selves. Then Circe snapped her fingers, allowing a sky blue curtain to roll down the mirror. They were confused until it shimmered and they saw themselves completely transformed. Percy had some great clothes on, a confident smile, straight teeth, flawless skin, a perfect tan and a toned athletic body.

The son of Poseidon gasped, "Whoa!"

Harry also looked at his own reflection. He was taller, more athletic, tanned, the faint trace of his lightning bolt scar was gone, as were his other scars from the Basilisk and Scylla.

Circe smiled, "I can give you a full makeover."

Percy paused, "What's the catch? I have to like … eat a special diet?"

She waved him off, "Oh, it's quite easy. Plenty of fresh fruit, a mild exercise programme, and of course … this."

She stepped over to her wet bar and filled a glass with water. Then she ripped open a drink-mix packet and poured in some red powder. The mixture began to glow. When it faded, the drink looked just like a strawberry milkshake.

Circe said, "One of these, substituted for a regular meal. I guarantee you'll see results immediately."

He was still lost, "How is that possible?"

She laughed. "Why question it? I mean, don't you want the perfect you right away? Harry, you first."

Harry suddenly spoke up, "Why aren't there any males over here? Is there a separate building for your male clients?"

Circe replied, "Oh, but there are. You'll meet them quite soon. Just try the mixture. You'll see. Percy, I'll be with you in just a second."

As she went back to the wet bar to prepare the drink of Percy, Harry slowly inched to one of the potted plants. Percy wasn't paying attention, and Circe had her back to him. He dumped the contents of the drink into the plant, fished out his vial. He reached into his mouth and stuck something in the side of the glass. Then he transferred the vial's contents into the glass and plucked a hair from his head, dropping it in. He was so glad that the potion was the same colour, so that Circe would not suspect a thing.

Finally, both boys had a glass of a red drink in their hands. Harry noticed that the night sky was clear and had a full moon, which was a stroke of luck for him. He proclaimed, "Well… Down the hatch!"

As soon as he drank, he felt a fiery pain in his entire body. At the same time, he felt two hearts beating in unison. He closed his eyes and concentrated, finally spotting a large quadrupedal shape in his mind.

As for Percy, he gasped, "What's happening to me!"

Circe cooed, "Don't worry, boys. The pain will pass. Look! As I promised. Immediate results."

The curtain dropped away, Percy saw his hands shrivelling, curling, growing long delicate claws. Fur sprouted on his face, under his shirt and. His teeth began to feel heavy and he began to shrink. Unfortunately for him, his clothes were not part of the transformation.

Meanwhile, Harry also shrank, but not as dramatically as Percy did. He went down on all fours, his mouth elongated and he grew a lot of fur all around his body. Circe glanced at him, "Hmm… I wasn't expecting a different animal, but then again, I can't complain about the results."

Percy was officially freaking out now and he desperately tried to burrow himself out from under his clothes. He tried to make a break for it, but a pair of hands grabbed him. He tried to scream for help, but could only squeak, 'Reeet, reeet, reeet!"

Circe picked him up and carried his wriggling body to the cage. As she put him in the cage, she spoke, "You're a guinea pig. Lovely, aren't you? Men are pigs, Percy Jackson. I used to turn them into real pigs, but they were so smelly and large and difficult to keep. Not much different than they were before, really. Guinea pigs are much more convenient! Now come, and meet the other men. These young fellows have been here for nearly 300 years. If you're good, maybe we can find a nice classroom who need a guinea pig pet."

Finally, she turned to the transformed Harry, who had quietly padded after her. She placed her hands on her hips, "Now what to do about you, my dear. I was expecting you to have the same form as your friend here, I must be losing my touch. So where-"

Suddenly, Annabeth's voice rang out, "Miss C.C.?"

Circe cursed and hurriedly kicked Percy's clothes out of sight. Harry stood guard next to the cage. When the girls came in, Harry's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Both of them were in sleeveless white silk dresses. Annabeth's blond hair was washed, combed and braided with gold. Additionally, she was also wearing makeup, which was rather unusual. Clarisse's own brown hair was also washed and combed, but no braids. Harry inwardly smirked, knowing that she would not be caught dead in that kind of hairstyle.

Annabeth glanced around the room, "Where are Harry and Percy?"

Circle waved a dismissive hand, "They're currently undergoing one of our treatments. Don't fret. You two look wonderful! How was the tour?"

Annabeth gushed, "I loved it! The library was amazing!"

Clarisse smirked, "Pity there wasn't a sparring arena."

Circe tittered, "Oh my dears, over here, you can be anything you want to be."

Annabeth exclaimed, "An architect!"

The witch scoffed, "Pah! You, my dear, have the makings of a sorceress. Like me."

Annabeth froze, and on the side lines, Harry smirked, knowing that the Drachma had finally dropped. She hesitantly said, "A sorceress?"

Circe held up her hand and a ball of flame danced on her palm. She said, "Yes, my dear. My mother is Hecate, the goddess of magic. I know a daughter of Athena when I see one. We are not so different, you and I. We both seek knowledge. We both admire greatness. Neither of us needs to stand in the shadow of men."

Percy squealed, trying to get her attention, but Annabeth ignored him. Circe continued, "Stay with me. Study with me. You can join our staff, become a sorceress. Learn to bend others to your will. You will become immortal! You are too intelligent, my dear. You know better than to trust that silly camp for heroes. How many great female half-blood heroes can you name? Men get all the glory. The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now they were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all."

Annabeth gasped, "Circe!"

The sorceress grinned, as Annabeth backed up. Clarisse also pulled out a sword from somewhere on her person. The daughter of Athena snapped, "What have you done to Percy and Harry!"

She shrugged, "Only helped them realise their true form."

Annabeth scanned the room before finally spotting the caged rodents and Harry sitting next to it. Their eyes widened, but Circe continued speaking, "Don't worry, your friends will be well cared for. Percy will be shipped to the mainland. The children will love him. As for your friend Harry, I think the zoo is more appropriate."

"Let us think about it,' Annabeth murmured. 'Just … give me a minute alone. To say goodbye.'

'Of course, my dear,' Circe cooed. 'One minute. Oh … and so you have absolute privacy…' She waved her hand and iron bars slammed down over the windows. She swept out of the room and locked the door.

In an instant, Annabeth and Clarisse snapped into action, and so did Harry. He transformed back into his human form, causing everyone in the room to gape at him, animals included. He sighed in relief, "Bloody hell! I thought she'd never leave!"

Annabeth was nearly catatonic, "H-how!? I thought the transformation was permanent unless we stopped it!"

Harry shot them a cheeky grin, "Switched her potion for mine while her back was turned. Witch made the mistake of serving me first. Confession time, the potion I made is called the Animagus Potion. Granted, Sirius and Remus did most of the work, because it takes a month to prepare. They only handed it to me for the finishing touches. With this potion, I could transform into an animal at any time I want. Of course, I can't really keep up this form for long though, I'll need to practice."

Clarisse high-fived him, "Got to admit, Potter. That was pretty clever."

Then, Annabeth spotted Percy's clothes, made a bee-line for them and dug up the bottle of vitamins from a pocket. She popped a chewable in her mouth and tossed another one to Clarisse, who caught it in her mouth.

Harry froze, "Shite! She's coming back! She can't know of the ruse!"

He quickly transformed back into his form and the two girls turned back towards the door. Circe smiled at the girls, "So, what is your answer?"

Annabeth drew her knife with a feral smile, "This…"

At the same time, Clarisse also hefted her sword and pointed it at her.

The sorceress stepped back, but her surprise quickly passed. She sneered. 'Really, ladies, a knife and a sword against my magic? Is that wise?"

That was when Harry decided that the jig was up. He transformed back into a human, got his wand out and called, "How about MY magic instead, Circe?"

She spun around in shock, "H-how!? Wait… Oh… Oh I see… You're a wizard. One of my mother's pet projects. You're the only wizard here. Too bad that your friends aren't."

She sent a wisp of blue fire at Annabeth, "Let's see how Miss Annabeth does, as a shrew!"

However, nothing happened, except that Clarisse pounced and stuck the tip of her sword against Circe's neck. The sorceress was aghast, "How did you avoid it! You're not wizards or witches!"

Annabeth grinned and held up the vitamin bottle. Circe howled in frustration. "Curse Hermes and his multivitamins! Those are such a fad! They do nothing for you."

Harry raised his wand, "Beth, Clarisse, leave her to me. Get Jackson and the other guinea pigs out of the cage."

Harry and Circe circle each other, waiting for the other to strike first. She smiled, "Are you sure you wish to go up against me? The greatest sorceress in the world? I'm curious though, how did you know it was me?"

He replied nonchalantly, "I recognised you from your Chocolate Frog card."

Finally, she got tired of waiting and fired a spell. He dodged it and fired a Stupefy spell. Circe batted it away and sent another spell at him. The two duelled fiercely for what seemed like ages. It soon became clear that she was superior, but he was somehow able to hold his own.

Then they heard a commotion, and they paused their duel to see Percy Jackson in human form once again. However, he was not the only one in the room. Along with them were half a dozen men who all looked disoriented, blinking and shaking wood shavings out of their hair.

One of them was a tall barrel-chested man with a long tangled pitch-black beard and bad teeth.

He bellowed, "Argggh! What's the witch done to me!"

Clarisse gasped. "Holy shit! Edward Teach, son of Ares!"

He growled, "Aye, sister. Though most call me Blackbeard! And there's the sorceress what captured us, lads. Run her through, and then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Arggggh!"

Circe took that opportunity to flee, along with her attendants. The pirates all gave chase, leaving the demigods behind in the room. Annabeth wrapped Percy in a hug and mumbled, "I'm glad you're not a guinea pig."

Then she turned to Harry, "Do you have some spell for cleaning. This makeup is so not me. Also, you are telling us how the heck you managed to do all of that! Let's get out of here, while Circe is distracted."

He cast a Scourgify spell at her face, wiping off all the makeup. Then they all booked it out of there and headed for the docks. Harry mused as he ran, "It's a pity though… I was honestly having fun duelling her. Of course, she was pretty much kicking my arse, but in my defence, I've only been learning about magic for two school years. Bloody hell! Ron and Hermione are not going to believe it when I tell them that I duelled against THE Circe!"

As they reached the docks, a plethora of boats, yachts, plans and ships awaited them. Along the way, they happened to run into Blackbeard. From there, Clarisse had a brainwave and asked if they could borrow his ship, The Queen Anne's Revenge.

After much deliberation and a promise to bring it back intact, he allowed them to borrow it. As soon as they boarded the ship, something changed for Percy. He looked like he was absolutely in his element. The boy closed his eyes, took a deep breath and concentrated. Then he yelled, "Mizzenmast!", and on cue, there was a flurry of activity. Ropes snapped taut and secured themselves, canvases unfurled and pulleys creaked to life. Before long, the majestic ship was sailing once again into the Sea of Monsters.

Percy Jackson was truly in his element. The Queen Anne's Revenge felt like an extension of himself, as it responded to his every command. Now that there was relatively little danger, Annabeth and Clarisse cornered Harry. The daughter of Athena demanded, "Harry, how did you manage it? Very few people have managed to resist Circe's charms!"

He replied, "It all started about a month ago, when I wrote to Uncle Sirius and Remus. I asked them to teach me how to be an Animagus. That's basically an ability where you can turn into an animal. The only caveat is that you are restricted to one animal. I think it's mostly based on your personality. I figured that this ability could be an asset to my skills. One of the more common ways is to brew a potion. It's a pretty long process and it takes a full month, because you need perfect conditions."

Clarisse tilted her head curiously, "But it's been barely a week, Potter. Unless you took shortcuts."

He shook his head, "That's why Sirius and Remus did most of the work. Later on, they sent the incomplete potion and the instructions. So I had to complete the last part myself. It was pretty much ready, before we hit Circe's island. She made the mistake of giving me her concoction first, before preparing Jackson's. So while her back was turned, I dumped the contents into a potted plant and then transferred my potion into the glass."

Then Annabeth had a though, "By the way, did you have to keep something in your mouth? I thought it was just my imagination, but whenever you spoke, I sometimes caught a glimpse of something green on your tongue."

He nodded, "Yeah, one of the instructions is to keep a leaf from the Mandrake plant in your mouth continuously for a full month. Honestly, this was the most annoying part of the entire process, but it was worth it."

Percy, who was also listening in, said, "So what form have you taken? Can you show us?"

Harry stepped back and made sure that the trio were at a reasonable distance. Then he transformed into his Animagus form. He looked up to see Annabeth's wide eyes, and he transformed back. She murmured, "Di Immortales! Your Animagus form is a dire wolf! Harry! That is so cool! Again, I wish I had magic!"

After that bit of excitement, silence reined over the quartet. Later on, Annabeth went below deck, as she was starting to feel sea-sick. Clarisse was also taking a nap, while Harry had gone below to continue working on his Animagus form.

A little after midnight, Harry and Annabeth arrived as he piloted the ship. In the horizon, somewhere to their left, was an island with a smoking volcano. Annabeth pointed to it, "That's one of Hephaestus' forges. Where he makes his metal monsters. I think it's best we avoid it."

Seeing the ocean bubbling and steaming around the island, Percy gulped and gave the island a wide berth. As they sailed, Percy glanced at the girl, "The reason you hate Cyclopes so much. The story of how Thalia really died. What happened."

Harry also leaned forward, "I'm curious about that too. Of course, if you're still uncomfortable, we're not going to push you, mate."

She sighed, "No, you're right. You both deserve the truth. The Grover escorted us to camp. He got a little turned around and we took some wrong turns. The worst one was when we stumbled upon a Cyclops's lair in Brooklyn. He managed to trick us, splitting us up "inside this maze of corridors in an old house in Flatbush. And he could sound like anyone, Percy. Cyclopes have excellent mimicry skills. He lured us, one at time. Thalia thought she was running to save Luke. Luke thought he heard me scream for help. And me … I was alone in the dark. I was seven years old. I couldn't even find the exit."

She exhaled and continued, "I remember finding the main room. There were bones all over the floor. And there were Thalia and Luke and Grover, tied up and gagged, hanging from the ceiling like smoked hams. The Cyclops was starting a fire in the middle of the floor. I drew my knife, but he heard me. He turned and smiled. He spoke, and somehow he knew my dad's voice. I guess he just plucked it out of my mind. He said, "Now, Annabeth, don't you worry. I love you. You can stay here with me. You can stay forever.'"

Harry shuddered, "Back in my First Year, we were protecting this artefact called the Philosopher's Stone. The way to get to it was through different rooms with different obstacles. Each one was tougher than the last one. In one of the rooms, there was supposed to be a mountain troll. However, as my friends and I neared it, a voice sounding exactly like Dumbledore spoke to us. Hermione, Ron and Neville nearly fell for it. I had fought Cyclopes while with the Hunters, so I knew their tricks. Still, the voice resemblance was uncanny."

Percy asked Annabeth, "So, what did you do?"

She replied, "I stabbed him in the foot."

They gaped at her and Percy said incredulously, "Are you kidding? You were seven years old and you stabbed a grown Cyclops in the foot?"

"Oh, he would've killed me. But I surprised him. It gave me just enough time to run to Thalia and cut the ropes on her hands. She took it from there."

Harry emitted a low whistle, "Still, that was pretty brave, Beth."

She shook her head. "We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Percy. The way that Cyclops talked in my father's voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Thalia died. If it hadn't been for that Cyclops, she'd still be alive today."

Nothing else was said between them and Harry gave her a comforting hug. Percy also hesitantly reached over and hugged the girl. After a while, Harry said, "Hey Jackson, why don't you get some rest, we'll call if there's anything important."

The boy didn't argue, as frankly, he looked ready to drop. A few minutes later, Harry heard the sound of wings flapping. He looked up and saw Hedwig flying towards him. However, she wasn't alone, as he saw a smaller owl flying next to her. She alighted next to him and cuffed him on the back of his head with her wing. The owl began angrily barking, "Next time you decide to send a letter, don't do it when you're in the middle of monster-infested waters! Pigwidgeon and I barely missed getting eaten by a damn megalodon on the way back from England! I thought those things went extinct! Bloody thing just leaped out of the water, right in front of me. A couple of seagulls weren't so lucky. Just be glad that the Weasleys didn't send Errol! The old codger would have been fish food as soon as we entered this accursed place!"

He stroked her feathered chest softly, "Sorry love, I had no idea I was putting you in danger. It's okay, you can rest here. What did Sirius and Remus say?"

She stuck out her claw, where Sirius and Remus' letter was. Pigwidgeon also had a couple of letters tied to his leg. Harry took them, recognising Ron's handwriting, as well as Hermione's. Apparently, Ron was in Egypt with his family, Hermione was in France. However, Sirius and Remus' letter was more worrying.

It read, "Dear Harry, I must say, thanks for the warning. We just recently heard rumours about Greyback entering British soil. Safe to say, Remus and I are not going to take any chances. We've just Flooed Dumbledore and told him about the warning. We were thinking that Remus will take over the DADA position, just in case. After all, who better to face one werewolf than another one. Also, on the days when there is a full moon, I will be taking over the classes to help Moony recover. I have some bad news though, the American Ministry was monitoring Greyback's movements and informed our own. Minister Fudge (You remember him, right?) had the 'brilliant' idea to post the Dementors of Azkaban around Hogwarts, to try and catch him. Amelia and I were furious, but the git issued an Executive Order, so our hands are tied. My only warning is, just be careful around these dementors. I don't know what kind of monsters you've faced as a demigod, but these things are a lot worse.

Bye for now, Your Uncle Sirius (Padfoot)"

After he finished reading, he grabbed a nearby spyglass and looked on the horizon. He could just about make out a small blotch of land in the distance. Then he focused and saw some figures wandering about, and his eyes widened, "Oh bollocks!"

Wasting no time, he went to wake up the other three. He found Jackson just waking up from a nightmare. He also nearly got a knife to the throat from Annabeth, and got judo-flipped by Clarisse. When they joined him on the deck, Clarisse demanded, "What the hell was that, Potter?!"

He breathed fearfully, "Land a few miles ahead. We're approaching the island of the Sirens."