The two boys tumbled to the ground and just lay there panting. Cedric looked around him, and noted that they were back on Hogwarts grounds. A moment later, Ludo Bagman's magically enhanced voice boomed, "Great Scott! This is unprecedented! Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory have grabbed the Tri-Wizard Cup at the same time!"

Cedric recovered quickly, but Harry was struggling, owing to his injuries. The Hyperborean Giant really did a number on him, and he came away with a broken leg. Bagman came bounding over with all the excitement of a puppy entering a new home. He reached over and seized Harry's right shoulder to pull him up. Harry yelled in pain, as the older wizard aggravated a wound from a hellhound in the maze.

The next thing anyone knew, Bagman was blasted away from Harry. The overpowered Knockback Jinx came from an enraged Madame Pomfrey. She yelled at him, "You utter buffoon! Can't you see that these two boys are injured! Whatever ceremony you've planned, can wait. I swear to Merlin! If you've dislocated his shoulder, I will give you a lobotomy, and it WILL be painful. Come Potter and Diggory, let's get your injuries looked at."

Harry was in no condition to walk, so she used a Levitation Charm to carry his bleeding body to the medical tent. Cedric followed behind, limping a little and shivering from the Cruciatus Curse exposure. Once inside the tent, she only allowed in Thalia and Phoebe.

After the diagnosis, she asked the two girls, "Do you know that blue substance on Potter?"

Phoebe took a close look, "Hyperborean giant?"

Harry nodded, "It's a long story."

A minute into the process, Dumbledore entered the tent, and Bagman could be heard protesting outside. The headmaster sat down in a chair by Harry's bedside and Cedric walked over, having received treatment for the Cruciatus exposure. Dumbledore asked, "Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry took a breath, "Cup took us to a graveyard. You-Know-Who was there. There was someone else, Yaxley was his name. He brewed a potion that restored You-Know-Who's body. Also, I need to tell you, Professor Moody isn't who you think he is. You-Know-Who was boasting about someone called Barty Crouch Jr masquerading as Moody."

Dumbledore stroked his beard, "Hmm… I thought that something was off about Alastor. He normally never drank that much. It also seems that the late Barty Crouch Sr had been holding out on us. Harry, how did you get away?"

Thalia interjected, "And how the Tartarus did you manage to get into a fight with a Hyperborean giant?"

Harry then launched into his tale, right from the first attack with the Thornback Shooter, to two Skrewts, a Hellhound, a Quintaped and a Scythian dracaena in the maze. Then the Portkey took them to a location where Tom Riddle Sr's house was located. He had his confrontation with You-Know-Who and managed to kill him and his final Horcrux.

Upon hearing that, Dumbledore appeared to slump in relief. Then Harry explained that before the Death-Eaters could avenge their fallen master, they were ambushed by the Hyperborean giant. By his estimate, all of them were either smashed to pieces or frozen solid.

Dumbledore stroked his beard again, "Hmm… I'll talk to Sirius to scope that location. If there are survivors, to take them in."

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the tent. The next thing that anyone knew, Lady Hecate entered the tent in her guise. She was levitating an unconscious Moody, with Katie following her. She smoothly said, "I think he's had a little too much to drink."

Madame Pomfrey relieved the man off his flask and took a sniff. She said, "I may not be as skilled as Severus, but I can definitely smell Polyjuice. This man is an imposter! Professor Daly, how long until his dose wears off?"

Hecate checked her watch, "Miss Bell, could you please find Auror Black?"

As she left, Hecate grinned, "He should change back… right… about… Now!"

Sure enough, the man formerly known as Alastor Moody transformed slowly into a pale young man with straw coloured hair and freckles. Before long, Sirius came rushing in, "Sorry! I came as soon as I could! It's a madhouse out there! Wait… Is that Barty Crouch Jr? He was supposed to be dead!"

He stopped, turned and poked his head out of the tent and whistled sharply. Sirius ordered, "Oi! Jonesy! Shack! Get your arses in here on the double! Proudfoot! Find the boss ASAP and tell her to come to the medical tent!"

While all this was going on, Madam Pomfrey cleaned up all the blood. She healed his wounds with magic and allowed the ambrosia to do the rest of the work. Then two more Aurors entered and were pretty shocked at the sight of a supposedly dead man.

In the end, they managed to sneak Crouch Jr away and allow the two Hogwarts champions to recover in peace. Now with relative privacy, Harry, Phoebe and Thalia told Cedric about the demigod world. Diggory was understandably incredulous and a little disbelieving. That lasted until Thalia held out her hand and lightning crackled around it. Harry also made him swear not to tell anyone until he gave the green light.

A while later, Sirius came back rubbing his forehead in frustration. He said, "Turns out, Jr's mother persuaded Crouch Sr to rescue him. She was dying and so she took her son's place in Azkaban. Pulled off the stunt with Polyjuice. She died shortly afterwards and was Polyjuiced until the very end. Daddy dearest then put his son under Imperius for a long time under an Invisibility Cloak."

He let out a bitter laugh, "And get this! One person found out. Bertha Jorkins… She confronted Sr and he Memory-Charmed her. Bloody spell was overpowered though and damaged her memory permanently. Jr eventually overpowered the Imperius during the events of the World Cup."

Dumbledore asked, "What will happen now? Harry's just told me that he's defeated Voldemort for good. He's dead, along with most of the Death-Eaters. Turns out, they were ambushed by a… What did you call it?"

Phoebe helpfully replied, "A Hyperborean giant. They're really nasty."

Sirius mused, "Well… this makes our jobs a lot easier. Though I have to admit, identifying the victims will open a massive can of worms."

Then Dumbledore straightened up, "What's happened to the real Alastor Moody? Is he still alive?"

"I believe so. Crouch Jr would have needed him to provide regular hair samples. I've sent Robards since he knew him better. Speaking of Crouch Jr, Bones is with him now and pumped his gills full of Veritaserum. Bloke's singing like a canary. Luckily, Fudge isn't interfering because he's busy hunting for his toady, Umbridge."

It was only an hour later that Harry was finally released. Cedric staunchly waited for him, so that they would accept the trophy together. Harry was still limping, so Cedric allowed him to lean on him. They slowly made their way to the podium as the Hogwarts students cheered and hooted. Bagman grinned and handed the trophy to both boys. Harry tuned out Bagman's babbling and muttered to the Hufflepuff, "You can keep the stuff if you want."

Cedric shook his head, "This was our victory, mate. We'll split it. You can take the money, my dad will only be interested in the trophy so that he can have bragging rights. By the way, is it okay if we tell Cho too, because I suck at lying to her."

Harry extended a hand and they shook on it. Afterwards, Cedric walked away with the trophy to join his beaming father. Harry went in the other direction, towards Thalia and Phoebe. The trio soon joined the Weasleys, Hermione, Mackenzie, Katie and Bianca.

Just then, Harry noticed Fred and George glaring in Ludo Bagman's direction. He asked, "Oi! You two alright?"

Fred replied heatedly, "You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup? About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch? Turns out, the git paid us on leprechaun gold. So by next morning, it had all disappeared. Thought it was an accident at first, so we wrote to him. Since then, the wanker's been avoiding us."

George picked up with his twin left off, "We cornered him yesterday, but he said some claptrap about us being too young to gamble, so he wouldn't give us anything. We asked for our money back, because those were all our savings. Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them."

Thalia simply said, "That's pretty messed up. Harry told me about goblins, and that you'd be foolish to cross them."

George snorted, "Bloke tried to pay them off with another bet, saying that you would win the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

Harry was startled, "Wait… Is that why he was constantly trying to offer his help? Git thought that he could manipulate the whole thing. I guess he did manage to win the bet."

Fred chipped in wryly, "Actually, the goblins were pretty cheeky. They said that since you and Diggory tied, it does not count. So Bagman's done a runner. Goodbye joke shop…"

The twins sighed heavily. Then a brainwave struck Harry, he quickly thrust the sack of gold, that was his winnings, into the surprised boys' hands. Harry quickly said, "Here… You two need it more than I do."

Fred shook his head, flabbergasted, "You mental?!"

Harry replied back, "I'm not. I don't need it. Consider this an investment. The gods know that we need it. Look mates, there's a war coming with Kronos rising in power. I think after everything's done, we're all going to need a few laughs."

Thalia also grinned, "I'll also send you instructions on how to create the fart arrows, for free."

George had a big smile on his face and shook her hand vigorously, "Deal!"

The next day, Thalia and Phoebe left, saying that they would meet him at the end of the term. That afternoon, Harry sat down with Cedric and Cho and told them about the demigod world. He also mentioned that the giant that attacked them was a Hyperborean giant. Cho then gave Harry a hug as thanks for saving Cedric. Harry simply smiled and said that Cedric saved him in return, so they were even.

Finally, it was time to go home, and Harry was looking forward to returning to Camp Half-Blood. He and his friends rode the Express home and their compartment had several visitors. This ranged from Susan and Hannah, to the Patil twins, to Lavender, Justin, Dean and Seamus. Even Pansy dropped by with Daphne, Cassandra, Blaise and Theodore Nott.

Upon reaching Kings Cross Station, Harry, Bianca, Mackenzie and Katie split off from the others. Then, he spotted a familiar face waiting for him and he rushed up with his trunk, the others following him, "Mother?! What are you doing here? I thought you would be busy at Olympus."

Artemis smiled, "I was able to get away just this once, but I cannot stay for long. Apollo is covering for me, and I'll be with you until we return to the Hunters. Come, my son, let's go home."

Suddenly, just as they were leaving, a male voice called out to them, "Mackenzie? Is that you?"

The girl spun around to see a teenage boy, who was about a year older than her. He had watery blue eyes and thick blond hair. The boy was also very stocky, though there was slight evidence that he had been obese, once upon a time.

Mackenzie's face morphed into a blank, neutral look, "Dudley…"

She then glanced behind him to see a scrawny boy standing with Dudley, "Piers…"

The girl said, "I just came back from school. Wait… What are YOU doing here? If I'm not mistaken, Smeltings let out last week."

Harry stepped forward, a little protectively, but she waved him off, insisting that she had it under control.

Dudley rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah… Uhh… About that… Mum and dad threw me out of the house."

That threw Mackenzie off, "Wait, what? That can't be right? Mum and dad adored you and catered to your every whim."

Dudley sighed, "It all started when someone on Privet Drive spread a rumour that I'm gay, and that I was in a relationship with Piers, here."

She tilted her head curiously, "Are you?"

He shook his head, "I'm not and neither is Piers, but you know how mum and dad are, with their obsession of being seen as a 'normal' family. They believed the gossip straight away. Mum pretty much blew a gasket when she heard it. Yelled something along the lines of 'I did not raise a fucking faggot! Get out of my house, you freak! First your freak of a sister and now you! Get out and never sully our doorstep ever again!'"

He sighed, "I've never seen them so pissed off in my life, and I just bolted. Piers got the same treatment from his folks. I stayed away the whole day and came back the next day because I assumed they had calmed down. Dad nearly shot me with his shotgun. We've been living on the streets till now. Also, I'm sorry for how I treated you before you were taken away. Hope you're with a better family now."

Harry stepped up, "She's been living with me. I'm Harry Potter, and I'm your cousin. Would you like a place to stay? I can ask Uncle Remus if he and Mrs Jackson can take you in. They live in the States with Mrs Jackson's son, Percy. Also, no offence Mackenzie, but the more I hear about your parents, the more I dislike them."

Just then, Artemis stepped up after sizing up the two boys, "Hold on, I have a better idea. Walk with us, you two."

The group walked away from the station and into a minivan that Artemis had rented. As she drove, she explained to Dudley and Piers about the Greek gods. Harry was pretty baffled at why his mother was being so open about it. After an hour's worth of driving, she pulled into a field, where there were several tents strewn about. Right at the far end, Harry spotted a familiar clump of silvery tents.

As they trekked, Artemis said, "Dudley? Piers? The reason why I'm telling you this, is to help you. I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. I lead a group of all-female followers called the Hunters. What most Greek legends will not tell you, is that some males have joined the Hunters, though I turned them into females. I would like to do the same for the two of you and give you a family. You don't have to accept immediately, just think on it."

Dudley and Piers looked at each other and moved closer to discuss among themselves. A minute later, Dudley turned to Artemis, "Lady Artemis? We accept your offer."

She smiled, "Very well. Now stay still."

The goddess waved her hand and in a flash of light, the two boys' bodies began to change. Dudley still retained her stocky figure, which she explained, had come from her passion for boxing. However, Piers was no longer scrawny, but had filled out a little.

Dudley sized up her new form, "Wow! This is different…"

She suddenly clutched her throat, "Crumbs! My voice sounds weird! This is going to take some getting used to."

Then, Harry had a thought, "Hey, I think it would be better if you two changed your names. It would be odd for two girls to be named Dudley and Piers."

After some thought, his former male cousin perked up, "How about Darla? I remember reading the Shazam comics and one of Billy Batson's sidekicks was named Darla Dudley."

The other newly transformed girl said, "I was thinking of Perrie. It sounds close enough to my original name and there are some girls with that name."

Harry accepted the explanations and the name stuck. Finally, Artemis faced Darla and Perrie. She said, "Girls, there is one more thing left. Will you two join me and find your place as a Hunter."

They glanced at each other and then nodded vigorously. Artemis smiled, "Very well… My son, will you do the honours?"

Harry nodded and approached the two girls, "Hey, are you sure that you two are serious about this?"

Darla and Perrie nodded, "Yes Harry, we have nowhere else to go."

Harry shrugged, "Okay then, repeat after me. 'I pledge myself to the Goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt'."

Darla and Perrie repeated the oath, and then Artemis accepted the oath. That day, they all flew to New York where the rest of the Hunters were. The next couple of weeks was spent training the two new recruits. They were welcomed warmly into the fold by their new sisters. Harry assumed his role as Lieutenant of the Hunters.

One fine day, he got a letter from Percy Jackson, asking him to head to camp. Intrigued, he and Bianca left Mackenzie back at camp and took a taxi to Camp Half-Blood. Upon reaching there, they scratched under the chin of the dragon guardian, Peleus. As Harry entered, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something felt off. There was tension in the air, as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen.

Just as they passed by the sword arena, a strange sight greeted their eyes. There was a massive hellhound casually gambolling about and using the dummies as a chew toy. Spotting Percy nearby, Harry jogged over to him. He called out, "Oi Jackson! Have I gone loopy? Crackers? Round the bend? Or is there a freaking hellhound within the camp, acting like it owns the place."

Percy laughed, "Dude! You took the news a lot better than I did. Like an ass, I attacked first, asked questions later. Come on, I'll take you to her owner."

Harry did a double-take, "That thing's a PET? Who's her owner? Hagrid? Oh gods! It had better not be Hagrid."

Percy led the two to the arena's changing room, where they saw a stranger. This man was fairly tall with gray hair and clad in full Greek armour. The man grinned, "Hey there! The name's Quintus. Mr. D is a bit pre-occupied so I've been recruited as the sword instructor."

"Hey, I'm Harry."

"I'm Bianca"

Quintus looked like he was in his 50s, with a grey beard. He was wearing black mountain-climbing trousers and a bronze breastplate strapped over an orange camp T-shirt. At the base of his neck was a strange mark, a purplish blotch like a birthmark or a tattoo.

Just then, an odd sound caught their attention. In one corner of the room were six large wooden crates, and they were shaking. Percy jerked his thumb towards the boxes, "Been meaning to ask, what's in the boxes?"

Quintus grinned, "Little surprise. Training activity for tomorrow night. You'll love it! You youngster need more challenges. They didn't have camps like these, when I was a boy."

Bianca cocked her head, "You're a demigod?"

"Aye… Some of us lucky bums do get to survive until adulthood."

Just then, there was a sound of hooves clopping on the ground. A moment later, Chiron trotted into the changing room, "I thought that I might find you all here. Come, we mustn't tarry. We must get to the woods, Grover will want you there."

Percy asked, "Where?"

Chiron grimly said, "At his formal hearing. The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting to decide his fate."

With that, Chiron walked away with the three in tow. Once out of the arena, he broke into a gallop and the demigods sprinted after him. As they ran, they seemingly entered an unfamiliar section of the woods. This area was located through a tunnel of old willow trees, past a little waterfall and into a glade blanketed with wildflowers.

Right in the middle of the clearing, a number of satyrs were clustered in a circle, with Grover in the middle. He was facing three stout older satyrs, perched on topiary thrones.

A little further away from them, Annabeth and Clarisse were watching the proceedings. They were with another girl, who was unfamiliar to the boys. The newcomer looked like she had been crying, and Annabeth was trying to comfort her. The girl was petite, with amber-coloured wispy hair and a pretty, elfish face. She wore a green chiton and laced sandals, and she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

The boys moved closer and Annabeth spotted them. She murmured. "This is Juniper, Grover's girlfriend."

Before they could ruminate on that piece of information, they were interrupted. Grover's explanation had been cut off by one of the seated satyrs. The one on the right exclaimed, "Master Underwood! Do you seriously expect us to believe this?"

Grover stammered, "B-but, Silenus. It's the truth!"

Meanwhile, Chiron clopped up and took his place next to the council members. Percy whispered to Harry, "Chiron's an honorary member."

The one named Silenus scoffed, "Master Underwood, for six months – six months – we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak."

Grover vehemently protested, "I did!"

The left-seated satyr yelled, "Impudence! I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to… to him."

Juniper had to be restrained by Annabeth, Clarisse and Harry. Clarisse muttered, "Wrong fight, girlie. Wait."

Silenus announced, "For six months, we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's licence. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?"

Finally, the middle satyr spoke up, "Nothing! You have found nothing! Not even one shred of evidence!"

Grover pleaded, "But Leneus!"

For his part, Chiron leaned in and spoke to the three satyrs. They debated for a minute before Leneus sighed reluctantly, "Fine… Master Underwood, we will give you one more chance, one more week."

Grover's outraged cry was cut off again. Leneus ordered "One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theatre, perhaps."

He suppressed a chortle, "Or tap dancing."

Grover pleaded, "But, sir, I – I can't lose my searcher's licence. My whole life!"

Silenus raised his hand, "This meeting of the council is adjourned. And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

As the council dispersed, Grover trudged back towards Percy and the gang. Percy pat his back and Harry ruffled his curly hair, being mindful of his growing horns. Juniper grit her teeth, "Those old goats!. Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

Clarisse muttered, 'There is another option."

However, Juniper snapped, "No. No! Grover, I won't let you."

Annabeth must have seen the confused looks on the boys' faces, because she mouthed, 'Tell you two, later.'

Aloud, she said "Let's get back to camp. Inspection is starting."

The four demigods headed back, while Juniper and Grover headed elsewhere. In the distance, they saw Silena Beauregard exit the Aphrodite cabin with a papyrus scroll.

Harry and Bianca reached Cabin Eight and began cleaning up. Though to be honest, there was not much to clean up. Nico was already there, folding some clothes. He was eleven years old, but looked a lot older. His hair had grown longer. It was shaggy and almost touched his shoulders. His eyes were dark. His olive skin had turned paler. He wore ripped black jeans and a battered and oversized aviator's jacket.

The only mess that Harry had to clear were the old newspapers lined up at the floor of Hedwig's cage, which he promptly replaced.

When Silena came over, she was reasonably satisfied. Afterwards, Harry re-joined Percy and Annabeth, and found out that Tyson was back. Bianca stayed back with her brother. The Cyclops told them about what had been happening while he was under the sea. Apparently, the old gods who ruled during the Titan era, had begun to wage war with Poseidon. By the time Tyson left, battles were raging all over the Atlantic.

Then Harry turned to Annabeth, "So what was this other way that Clarisse mentioned?"

She shrugged, "Something Clarisse scouted out. I helped her a little this spring. But it would be dangerous. Especially for Grover."

However, she did not elaborate on that, any further. Just then, Harry spotted Bianca coming towards him, "Harry? I need your help. You remember what Uncle Sirius said? I tried to talk to him, but he's being stubborn. Could you? He's back in the cabin."

He smiled, "Of course."

Harry returned to the Artemis cabin, and sure enough, Nico was there. The boy sat down on his bed looking fairly surly and there were bags under his eyes. Harry knocked on the door and sat down on the bed opposite him. He said, "Hey Nico, you alright, mate?"

The boy said nothing, so Harry tried again. He said, "Listen mate, Voldemort's gone for good. I have you, Sirius and Remus to thank for that. I couldn't have done it without you three helping."

Still there was silence. Harry sighed, "Come on bruv, throw me a bone here. I can't help you if you don't talk."

Finally, after an agonising five minutes, he spoke in a hollow voice. Nico spoke haltingly, "Do you know what its like to have your biggest fears play out in front of you?"

Harry shrugged, "Kind of... Thanks to the Dementors."

Nico continued, "When we went to find the locket of Salazar Slytherin, we had to go to a seaside cave. We had to drink a potion in order to get to the locket and we could not get rid of it, any other way. I volunteered because I figured that I was a Son of Hades, so nothing would happen."

He let out a bitter laugh, "Oh how wrong I was… First came the pain, and it was excruciating. Then came the nightmares, all my thoughts and fears taunting me that I was a fool to let Bianca go on the quest and that she would die, and it would be all my fault."

Harry gently rubbed his back, "But she's not dead, Nico. She's still alive, and she's worried about you."

He nearly exploded, "YOU THINK I CAN'T SEE THAT WITH MY OWN TWO EYES! SURE, SHE'S STILL ALIVE NOW, BUT WHAT ABOUT LATER ON IN LIFE? WHEN I'M STILL NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT HER! SHE IS MY ONLY FAMILY! HECK, SHE WAS LIKE A MOTHER TO ME! AND HERE I AM, BEING TOO YOUNG AND UNABLE TO PROTECT HER. SHE'S DONE IT FOR ME FOR SO LONG, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT HER TOO! THAT'S WHAT SIBLINGS DO! WOULDN'T YOU DO THE SAME FOR MACKENZIE? SHE WOULD WANT TO DO THE SAME FOR YOU!"

Harry was a bit taken aback at the outburst and then he sighed, "You're right. I'm sorry. Look, you shouldn't have had to go through all that. If you're that serious about wanting to protect her, I can help you."

Nico shook his head, "I appreciate the offer, Harry, but this is something that I have to do on my own. Just, tell Bianca that I'm heading back to the Underworld tonight to step up my training. I'll be fine and she needn't worry about me. Promise?"

Harry smiled, "I promise buddy. This stays between us until you're ready to talk to her about it. Now come on, we've got sword practice. I want to see the new instructor in action."

They walked out of the cabin, and Bianca was relieved to see her brother in better spirits. The trio went to the arena, just in time to see Percy Jackson face-off against Quintus. To say that the older demigod kicked Percy's ass, would be an understatement.

However, the Son of Poseidon got a lucky shot and knocked Quintus' blade out of his hand. From that point onwards, Quintus fought harder and thrashed Percy. Meanwhile, Tyson and the hellhound, named Mrs. O'Leary, were playfully wrestling.

With all activities of the day wrapped up, Harry went to crash on his bed. The next morning, there was an excited buzz in the air. Percy woke up to see Harry crouched next to him, shaking his body. He laughed, "You slept like a log, mate. You missed an Aethiopian drakon attack, about half an hour ago. Camp borders kept it out, but I think it was testing our defences. I had to assist Fletcher and the Apollo kids in driving it away."

Percy sat up hurriedly, "Everyone okay?"

Harry grinned, "We sent the wanker skulking away with 20 arrows in its hide. I have a feeling it'll be back though, and madder than ever."

At breakfast, Harry and Percy were eating at their respective tables, when a bleary-eyed Grover joined them. Chiron also clopped over, "Hello Harry and Percy. I think Grover has something to tell you two. I'll leave you lot to discuss matters."

After he trotted away, Percy asked Grover, "So what do you want to talk about, dude?"

Grover swallowed a bit of his eggs, "Chiron's hoping that you would convince me."

Harry tilted his head curiously, "Convince you?"

Just then, Annabeth walked over, "Meet me after breakfast in Harry's cabin, we should get some privacy there."

Several minutes later, Harry, Percy and Grover congregated at the meeting place. Annabeth was waiting for them and she stepped inside and sat on Harry's bed. Bianca and Nico were off doing their own thing, so there was no worry about being disturbed.

She said, "I'll tell you what it's about. The Labyrinth. Look… Grover is in trouble. There's only one way we can figure out to help him. It's the Labyrinth. That's what Clarisse and I have been investigating."

Percy's head whipped towards her, "You mean the maze where they kept the Minotaur, back in the old days?"

She smiled, glad that he was putting the pieces together, "Exactly!"

Percy guessed, "So … it's not under the king's palace in Crete any more. The Labyrinth is under some building in America."

Annabeth shook her head, "You're thinking too small, Seaweed Brain. The Labyrinth is huge. It wouldn't fit under a single city, much less a single building. The Labyrinth is right under the surface of the mortal world, kind of like a second skin. It's been growing for thousands of years, lacing its way under Western cities, connecting everything together underground. You can get anywhere through the Labyrinth."

Grover was a bit apprehensive though. He muttered, "If you don't get lost. And die a horrible death."

Annabeth argued back, "Grover, there has to be a way. Clarisse lived."

The satyr snapped, "Barely! The other guy wasn't so lucky."

Annabeth wasn't finished trying to prove her point, "He was driven insane. He didn't die."

Grover's lower lip quivered, "Oh, joy. That makes me feel much better."

Finally, Percy interjected, "Whoa! Back up. What's this about Clarisse and a guy who went insane?"

Annabeth stole a nervous look at Clarisse, who was trying her best to ignore them. Annabeth lowered her voice, "Around the time we went on that quest to rescue Harry, Clarisse was on another quest. It was a secret mission from Chiron. It was like that, because she ran into Chris Rodriguez."

Harry murmured, "Wait… wasn't he her former boyfriend?"

Annabeth nodded slowly, "Yeah. Last summer he just appeared in Phoenix, Arizona, near Clarisse's mom's house."

Percy cocked his head in confusion, "What do you mean, he just appeared?"

"Exactly what I mean. He was wandering around the desert, in fifty degrees, in full Greek armour, babbling about string."

Harry was the one confused now, "String?"

Annabeth replied, "He'd been driven completely insane. Clarisse brought him back to her mom's house so the mortals wouldn't institutionalize him. She tried to nurse him back to health. Chiron came out and interviewed him, but it wasn't much good. The only thing they got out of him: Luke's men have been exploring the Labyrinth."

Harry murmured, "Why?"

Annabeth shrugged, "We weren't sure. That's why Clarisse went on a scouting expedition. Chiron kept things quiet because he didn't want to start a panic. I got roped in because the Labyrinth has always been one of my favourite subjects."

Her expression turned a little dreamy, "The builder, Daedalus, was a genius. But the point is, the Labyrinth has entrances everywhere. If Luke could figure out how to navigate it, he could move his army around with incredible speed."

Percy leaned forward, "But then again, it's a maze. You can easily get lost in there."

Grover quipped, "Yep! And don't forget the horrible traps, dead ends, psychotic monsters…"

Harry dryly said, "Great… Its my Third Task, but on steroids. If there's a Portkey trophy at the end, that takes us to a graveyard with Luke lying in wait for us, I'm going to be pissed."

Annabeth looked at him in confusion, "Say what?"

He quickly waved his arms, "Nothing, nothing."

She continued, "The key to getting out of there is with the help of Ariadne's string. When Theseus navigated the original Labyrinth, with the help of her string. The string was a navigation instrument of some kind, invented by Daedalus. And Chris Rodriguez was mumbling about string."

Harry quipped, "That would have been bloody useful during the Third Task."

Annabeth elbowed Harry in annoyance. Meanwhile, the puzzle pieces put themselves together in Percy's brain, "So Luke is trying to find Ariadne's string. Why? What's he planning?"

Annabeth shook her head, "I don't know. I thought maybe he wanted to invade camp through the maze, but that doesn't make any sense. The closest entrances Clarisse found were in Manhattan, which wouldn't help Luke get past our borders. Clarisse explored a little way into the tunnels, but … it was very dangerous. She had some close calls. I researched everything I could find out about Daedalus. I'm afraid it didn't help much. I don't understand exactly what Luke's planning, but I do know this: the Labyrinth might be the key to Grover's problem."

Harry perked up, "Wait… Are you suggesting that Pan is underground in the Labyrinth"

Grover shuddered, "Satyrs hate going underground. No searcher would have the guts to try exploring it."

Annabeth raised a finger, "But, the Labyrinth can lead you almost anywhere. It reads your thoughts. It was designed to fool you, to trick you and kill you; but if you can make the Labyrinth work for you –'

Percy finished for her, "It could lead you to the wild god".

Grover looked sick, "I can't do it. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up my silverware."

Harry grabbed him and shook him, "Mate, it may be your last chance. You heard the Council! They are serious about their threat. One week or you learn to tap dance!"

Grover moaned, "You know what I was like in the Cyclops cave! I could barely keep it together in the Underworld."

He stood up abruptly, "I need to go. Juniper is waiting for me."