Disclaimer – It has come to my attention recently that I unfortunately do not own any part of the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson Cinematic or Literary Universes or the characters that belong to those entities. One can dream I suppose. Although I did visit the Empire State Building once … but I solemnly swear I did not steal any lightning bolts.
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Chapter 6: Life Around Camp
Chiron nodded, "Mr. D is right, Harry. There isn't really a precedent for you at this exact moment. On the crevasse board of life … you are an unknown. However, … practically speaking … and Mr. D and I do disagree on this, but while we both agree that while you might start to develop abilities just as Percy will … I also believe that you will garner the same type of interest from the monsters that any child of the 'Big Three' would attract.
Chiron paused to look at Mr. D as the man snorted, before the centaur continued. "While perhaps Thanatos doesn't have the same acclaim or theoretical power that the 'Big Three' wield … he is the child of Nyx and Erebus … Night and Darkness. He is the child of primordial deities rather than descended of the Titans and therefore he likely among the earliest and likely more powerful deities in Greek mythology."
Even Mr. D lost his disinterested and scornful look as Chiron finished his statement.
Standing on the porch of the Big House, he felt his heart was still in turmoil from his discussion with Mr. D, who Harry still had a little trouble believing was a god. And on top of that, it was partially still racing from learning that he had been claimed by a god … Thanatos … who was apparently the god of death. Shaking his head to try and shrug off the inner turmoil, Harry looked over towards Chiron, who was watching as Percy headed down the path towards the Hermes cabin.
"So if Percy is going to spend the night in the Hermes cabin why aren't I? When I did the tour with Zeph, I'm pretty sure he didn't mention any cabins belonging to Thanatos and I thought he said all claimed campers who don't have a cabin stay in the Hermes cabin …" he trailed off as he looked down the path seeing Percy arrive at the cabin he had been heading towards before entering, "… although that seems kind of a dumb idea if you ask me … should just build more cabins" he whispered to himself.
Chiron nodded at Harry before looking away, his gaze wandering off into the distance, "That is … indeed the usual case. If it wasn't for the fact that Percy had already settled into that cabin we would have moved him to Poseidon's cabin and you would have been moved into the Hermes cabin … but moving him will wait until morning, which will prevent him from having to move now and allow him to have the full day to explore and get accustomed to his new cabin, as he is the only one in it."
Harry nodded slowly understanding the idea behind the plan, although it still made sense to just move him to the new cabin, Percy didn't strike him as a guy who seemed to have a lot of stuff with him. He was about to ask Chiron how that had anything to do with him as the centaur continued.
"As for you however … well before I just assume to drop you into the Hermes cabin … well … I had a … thought."
Harry looked over to Chiron inquisitively, his curiosity piqued, but rather than receive any clarification, he watched as the centaur gracefully descended off the edge of the porch, heading towards the cabins. Realization slowly dawned on Harry, prompting him to jump off the porch and hasten his steps to catch up with the four-legged activity director of the camp
"You think the new cabin belongs to Thanatos?" Harry ventured, closing the gap between the two of them.
Chiron paused in his stride, casting a glance over his shoulder at Harry with a glint of amusement in his eyes, a familiar twinkle reminiscent of Dumbledore that didn't escape Harry's notice. "Well it would make sense with all that has happened …" Chiron remarked thoughtfully. " … A new camper appearing under strange circumstances from another world, who once entering camp causes a new cabin to suddenly appear out of nowhere. He is then then claimed by a god who has not yet claimed anyone else … at least not in any of the records we could find …" his words trailed off momentarily as he turned his attention back to Harry, his expression uncertain yet tinged with a hint of hope. " … it makes more sense than one of the other gods or goddesses who had not previously had a cabin suddenly manifesting a cabin for one of their offspring who have all been settled into the Hermes cabin for some time … besides … it can't hurt to try. As my uncle used to say, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.'"
With that, Chiron resumed his stride, making his way down the trail, leaving Harry to mull over his words, a perplexed frown creasing his brow.
Harry's gaze lingered on the row of cabins, his mind replaying the stories of what Zeph had happened to the campers once they tried to enter the new cabin, shaking his head and muttering outloud. "Can't hurt to try? I'm pretty sure Zeph said the last camper to try and enter was thrown violently backwards."
Looking towards the centaur, Harry realized that Chiron had already distanced himself beyond earshot, so he shrugged off his lingering doubts and hastened down the path, determined to catch up. His strides quickened, and soon he was at Chiron's side, reaching the centaur's side as he passed the first cabin. Peering towards it he noticed that it was already full of campers, several of whom seemed to be staring out of the windows at Harry and Chiron as they passed, their gazes fixed intently upon the duo as they walked by, while others leaned back into their cabins sounding like they were calling others.
By the time they reached the end of the row of cabins, approaching the new cabin, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that every eye in camp was upon them. Some campers pressed their faces against windows, while others craned their necks from open doorways, all seemingly eager to watch Harry try to enter the new cabin —or perhaps more likely they were excited to watch another camper get flung backwards.
As Harry and Chiron got closer than Zeph had allowed him, he noticed that the cabin seemed to be built out of black stone and obsidian, and the building itself seemed to exude a coolness that stood out noticeably against the still warm air of the evening.
Several paces in front of the stairs up to the cabin's entrance, Chiron came to a halt as he looked back expectantly towards Harry, motioning him towards the front entrance without saying anything.
Harry couldn't help but release a hollow laugh as he walked past Chiron, a mixture of nerves and determination evident in his expression, squaring his shoulders as he approached the entrance to the foreboding cabin. The hushed silence that enveloped the clearing did nothing to ease his growing sense of unease or anticipation.
Despite the weight of the onlookers' gazes, Harry forged ahead, ascending the stone steps leading to the cabin's entrance. As his hand closed around the massive door handle, he felt a rush of static energy course through him, as if he had taken multiple Baubillious Charms directly to his chest. Pausing momentarily to allow the sensation to pass, he eventually summoned the motivation to pull the door open, a smile of relief gracing his lips as it cracked open slightly.
Realizing that unlike those who had previously tried to enter, he had been relatively unaffected, Harry turned to find Chiron, his expression shifting from astonishment to satisfaction. "Well, Harry …" Chiron remarked, his voice tinged with genuine pleasure, " … it's always nice to be proven correct. I must admit, I was only about fifty percent certain that this cabin belonged to Thanatos."
Harry shook his head in disbelief as he looked down at Chiron who was now smiling, "However, I'd like to officially welcome you to the cabin of Thanatos. I imagine you aren't ready for bed just yet … likely still have a lot to process from our day … you did have quite the day … so I'll head out and leave you to yourself and the opportunity to explore the cabin this evening. Feel free to explore the camp at your leisure tomorrow, you don't have to join in on activities … unless of course you want to … I think most of the demigods usually prefer a day of adjustment on the first day after getting claimed and assigned to a new cabin. It gives them a chance to settle in and get some familiarity with their new settings. However, of course you are more than welcome to join in any of the lessons should you feel up to it. Good night, Harry, I will try to check in with you tomorrow and start arranging some activities for you."
With those words, he turned and galloped off, heading towards the strawberry fields before Harry could respond. As he glanced around the square, he noticed most of the campers retreating from their vantage points in their windows or doorways, their curiosity seemingly satisfied. However, a few unfamiliar faces remained, their expressions still fixed in shock as they watched Harry.
With a shrug and a mischievous grin, having no better idea, Harry offered a playful wave to the lingering onlookers before pivoting on his heel and stepping into the cabin. Despite its ominous appearance from the exterior and the chill that seemed to come from the very walls outside, Harry was surprised to feel a strange sense of belonging and warmth wash over him the moment he crossed the threshold into the cabin… a feeling that reminded him of evenings with Neville, Dean, and Seamus playing Exploding Snaps in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room or the lively meal time with the Weasleys at the Burrow.
The interior of the cabin was unexpectedly warm and cozy, with everything illuminated by soft, blue-tinged lighting that seemed to cast a relaxed ambiance across the space. Harry's eyes swept over the inviting furnishings that adorned the main room he had just entered, each piece inviting him to relax and unwind.
Looking around the room he saw that each of the four walls (including the one behind him) had a door in the center of it. Directly in front of him, in the center of the room, sat a small alter, one that Harry assumed was dedicated to Thanatos, and beyond that, directly across from the door he had entered, he saw that the door on the far wall led off to a room that appeared to be full of beds, each one draped with red and black curtains for privacy.
Turning to his left, Harry's curiosity was piqued by a partially open door, noticing shelves filled with books, deciding it must be a private library or study of some sort. However, while he was fairly certain that Hermione might not have been able to resist the draw of a room filled with books and the wealth of new knowledge they contained, Harry's attention was captured by the last remaining wall, noticing the wall was half covered in scratches with a prominent golden door in the center of the wall.
As he made his way to the door, he absently noticed that the scratches weren't mere markings but rather they appeared to be names, each written in a unique handwriting. Intrigued, Harry paused for a couple of seconds to study them. However, since none of the names seemed to stand out to him he refocused his attention on the golden door which seemed to be calling out to him.
Reaching the door, Harry tentatively reached out to the handle, only to be met with an unexpected surge of intense heat, which seemed to radiate from the entire door and especially the handle.
Undeterred, he wrapped his fingers around the handle which was certainly warmer than the one that had sat on the front door, and pulled …
… only to have his expression fall as nothing happened. Harry's initial excitement quickly turned to disappointment as the doorway and handle remained unmoving. Harry startled before pulling more forcefully attempting to dislodge the door which had not budged remotely. However, nothing he tried had any effect and the door stubbornly remained shut, refusing to even budge slightly.
Taking a step back and not seeing a keyhole, shrugged his shoulders realizing there was probably a mechanism somewhere else responsible for opening the door … but there was nothing he could do at the moment and that was a mystery to be solved another day.
Stepping back from the door, his eyes caught on one of the names right above the door, which unlike all of the other names on the wall was written in silver rather than the black. However, exhaustion began to weigh heavily on his as he stifled a yawn, realizing this name was no more familiar than the others he decided to look into it later and see if anyone knew who this girl was.
Realized how exhausted he was after the day and made his way to the room with the beds, vowing to spend the next day unraveling some of the mysteries of his new cabin and visiting Hermione.
Entering the room with the beds, Harry couldn't help but notice the striking similarity between these sleeping quarters and the ones in the Gryffindor common room, albeit with different colors. It was a small comfort amidst the whirlwind of everything that had happened since he had woken up here. With a faint smile, he settled into one of the beds, surrendering to exhaustion as sleep swiftly claimed him.
-HP - PJ - HP - PJ - HP - PJ - HP - PJ - HP -
The following morning, the crowing of a rooster and the gentle touch of sunlight filtering through the windows woke Harry from his sleep. Startled by the unfamiliar surroundings, he jolted upright, momentarily disoriented until the memories of the events of the previous day flooded back into his consciousness.
Shaking off the remnants of sleep, Harry rose from the bed and, after a quick visit to one of the attached washrooms to freshen up, he dressed and walked into the central room of the cabin. Despite his exhaustion, curiosity pulled him towards the golden door once more, but as with the previous night his attempts to open it proved futile once again.
Deciding to set aside the seemingly un-openable door for the moment, Harry turned his attention to the study adjacent to the main room. Stepping inside, he was met with even he had to admit was an impressive sight … thousands upon thousands of books crammed from floor to ceiling, creating an awe-inspiring collection of knowledge. Though lacking Hermione's enthusiastic appreciation for literature, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the vast collection before him. It was an impressive sight to behold.
After spending a few minutes perusing the books, scanning the titles, he noticed that while most of the books were in a foreign language, which based on recent experiences he assumed was Greek, a large portion of the books were in English, covering a variety topics, ranging from mythology and ancient Greek history to gothic literature to even necromancy. Eventually Harry felt that his attention was drawn to a particular book, so he picked it from its pile before heading over to settle into one of the plush armchairs, where he began to delve into the pages, immersing himself in the tales of Harmonia, the goddess of harmony and concord. Lost in the world of mythology, he whiled away the time, content to remain seated in the comfort of the study until the gnawing sensation of hunger finally roused him from his reading.
As he stood up, Harry stretched, realizing he had likely spent several hours engrossed in his reading. As he stood up, he realized that where it had been quiet outdoors when he had begun reading, he was greeted by the sounds of laughter and chatter drifting from the demigods, along with the unmistakable clang of swords clashing into each other from the training yard.
With a pang of hunger gnawing at him, Harry made his way outdoors, his steps guided by the desire to make sure he wasn't too late for breakfast. Though Zeph hadn't provided explicit instructions regarding breakfast arrangements, Harry followed his instincts and headed towards the dining pavilion, trusting that it was the gathering place for all meals not just evening meals.
He found his guess was proven correct as when he approached the dining pavilion, he spotted a couple of campers - none that he recognized - still sitting down, enjoying a breakfast of what appeared to be French toast and bacon. While the selection of options on the long buffet style tables paled in comparison to the variety of food provided at Hogwarts, he couldn't help but smile as he heard the sound of his stomach rumble as he caught a whiff of the rashers and eggs.
Eagerly making his way over to the tables, he piled his plate in a manner that he was sure that even Ron would have been impressed, and after choosing to forgo coffee in favor of tea, which at least smelled enticing, he turned and made his way to the tables. Not recognizing any of the individuals, Harry chose to sit by himself as he dug into his plate.
About halfway through his meal, he was surprised when someone sat down into the seat opposite of him with a heavy thud. Looking up, Harry immediately recognized the boy from the infirmary … Luke. Although his scowl from the previous day was absent and instead his face wore a large smile.
"Hey there, good morning!" Luke greeted cheerfully. "Nice to see you up and about. Hope your first night in the new cabin treated you well!"
Harry nodded slowly, his expression guarded as he responded, "Hey ... um, yeah, I wasn't entirely sure about the morning routine or when breakfast was, so I just got here ..." His voice trailed off as he regarded Luke with a questioning look. "How did you know I ended up in the new cabin?" he inquired, before remembering the eyes of seemingly all of the demigods looking out of their cabin's windows as Chiron had led him to the cabin they had eventually confirmed belonged to Thanatos.
Luke chuckled, his amusement evident. "Oh, believe me, everyone was watching when you entered the new cabin," he explained, his tone lighthearted. "You instantly became the talk of the camp, even more so than you had been before. And as the head of the Hermes cabin, it's sort of my job to keep track of these things. If you weren't placed elsewhere, you would've ended up in my cabin with all the other misfits," he added with a wry smile, though it quickly faded into a more somber expression.
Harry sensed a hint of guilt in Luke's demeanor, likely a reaction to his own reserved tone. Meeting Luke's gaze, he could see that the happiness had given way to embarrassment which was reflected in Luke's expression as he reached back to massage his neck. "But I guess I deserve that tone ..." Luke admitted sheepishly. "Truth is, I've been waiting to find you all morning …"
Harry's surprise was evident as he met Luke's gaze once more. "Oh?" he prompted, his curiosity piqued.
Luke nodded earnestly, his expression sincere. "Yeah, I wanted to apologize for the way I acted the other day," he admitted, his tone contrite.
Harry arched an eyebrow, not anticipating such a conversation this morning. He remained silent, waiting for Luke to elaborate.
Noticing Harry's silence, Luke offered a sheepish smile, a hint of embarrassment coloring his features. "I mean it," he continued, his gaze sincere. "I'm sorry about that. You didn't deserve to be met with suspicion, especially right after arriving at camp. It was a weird situation, and I guess I tend to be overly cautious, especially since most of us here are ... neglected by our parents." A flicker of concern flashed across his face, followed by a bitter edge to his tone. "I try to make sure all the other demigods are safe, especially since I had failed the first time ..."
His voice trailed off, and Harry could sense the weight of regret in Luke's words. The bitterness in his expression softened, replaced by determination as he focused his attention back on Harry. "But enough about that," Luke interjected, his tone shifting. "I mainly wanted to apologize and offer to make it up to you by helping with your sword fighting. I've been helping the other new guy, Percy, already," he added, a calculated gleam flickering in his eyes at the mention of Percy's name. However, it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, and Luke seemed unaware of Harry's observation.
Luke paused, his gaze shifting to the still considerable mound of food in front of Harry before looking back up to Harry. "So, how does that sound?" he asked, his tone hopeful. "Once you finish demolishing what appears to be a feast fit for several Titans, how about meeting me in the fighting yard?"
Harry regarded Luke for a moment before a chuckle escaped his lips. "Hold on ... your idea of an apology is to offer to beat me up using a sword?" he quipped, ending his statement with a laugh.
The tension seemed to dissipate from Luke's expression at Harry's laughter, replaced by a genuine smile. "Well, it's one of the few things I'm good at …" Luke admitted with a grin. "Although, I did run into Zeph earlier, and if that hoofed warrior's opinion counts for anything, I might just need to come to you for some pointers soon … He basically said something along the lines of, 'That boy might be the most gifted natural swordsman I've seen in all my years. Compared to him, you looked like a blind cyclops trying to bludgeon opponents with brute force and speed but absolutely no finesse.'" Luke finished with a laugh, noting the skepticism in Harry's expression. "Well … okay … maybe not word for word, but you get the idea."
Harry's laughter echoed through the pavilion as he nodded in agreement with Luke, now finding the atmosphere between them considerably lighter. "I'll definitely think about it. I wanted to explore the camp a bit more anyway. But I'll likely take you up on your offer either today or tomorrow," he replied amicably.
Luke's smile widened as he rose from his seat. "I'm looking forward to it. Remember, you can't become the best without challenging yourself against the best," he remarked encouragingly. "Enjoy your walk around the camp, and don't hesitate to come to me if you have any questions." With a playful glance at the remaining pile of food on Harry's plate, Luke chuckled before turning and making his way out of the now-empty pavilion.
True to his word, when Harry finally finished his meal, his stomach feeling uncomfortably full, certainly much to full to consider fighting with swords, he set out to explore the camp, attempting to retrace the path of the tour he had been given the day before. His aim was to familiarize himself with the layout of the camp and its various facilities.
In the end, it took Harry longer than he anticipated to complete his tour, and while he did pass the fighting yard, he did not enter the perimeter, even after he noticed Luke gesturing for him to join, content to simply observe from a distance, watching as Luke effortlessly bested challenger after challenger. Eventually, Percy stepped forward to face Luke in combat.
The duel was certainly more interesting that the previous ones, with the son of Poseidon managing to land a few hits of his own before Luke's superior skill and experience took over. In the end, as with every challenger before him, Percy found himself on the ground, defeated, staring up at Luke as the tip of his sword rested on his breastplate.
Deciding to make himself scarce, before Luke came over and pressured him into joining the training, Harry opted to head out and continue his exploration of the camp. As he explored the grounds he noticed that, while not outwardly rude or hostile, most of the campers seemed at least cautious when Harry neared them and introduced himself, the only exception being when he met a brash, no-nonsense girl, who was almost as tall as he was and likely more muscular, who seemed actually delighted to meet someone claimed by the god of death. She even included an offer to teach him some fighting as well.
However, before he could learn more about her, accept the offer, or even get her name, they were interrupted by Annabeth who had come to grab Harry, before leading him towards the amphitheater.
Once they were out of earshot, she wasted no time in commenting. "I'm glad I was able to rescue you from Clarisse." She remarked, in an amused tone.
Harry looked at her in surprise, "Rescue me? What do you mean?" he inquired, puzzled.
"The girl back there, the one you were talking to … she's a daughter of Ares … pretty much has a way to make enemies with everyone … she's a big fan of the act now and think never train of thought."
Shrugging his shoulders, Harry looked back in the direction they had come from before shaking his head slightly, "Really? She might have seemed a little competitive but she's actually been one of the few demigods who have been genuinely nice to me," he admitted.
This time, it was Annabeth's turn to wear an expression of surprise. "Clarisse? Really? Are you sure we're talking about the same girl?" she asked rhetorically, a hint of disbelief coloring her tone. After a moment's pause, she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I suppose you're one of the lucky few," she remarked, before turning to lead Harry into the basement of the amphitheater. They entered a row of classrooms, and Annabeth selected one before guiding Harry into the room and settling across from him at a small table.
Fixing him with a direct gaze, Annabeth wasted no time in getting to the point. "So, Chiron briefed me on your situation," she began bluntly. "It sounds farfetched, but as one of my half-brothers once said, 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' Now, I haven't ruled out all other possibilities, but for now, I'll take you at your word."
Harry blinked in astonishment at her casual reveal. "Wait … you were half-siblings with Sir Arthur … something something ... the guy who wrote the Sherlock Holmes books?" he blurted out, his surprise evident in his tone.
Harry's response resulted in a brief smile from Annabeth, "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but congrats most of the demigods, with the exception of my half-siblings, don't recognize literary references. But you'll find that history is filled with famous demigods … I must say though I'm at least a little impressed. Maybe you aren't just a lug in a pretty package." She froze, looking down slightly embarrassed, before looking up at him with a serious expression on her face as she cleared her throat.
"But if what you told Chiron is the honest truth, you are significantly behind where most of the other campers are when they arrive, let alone where everyone is at now. And knowledge is everything. Knowing how to wave a sword around is nice and obviously a necessity, but if you know what you are fighting and how to fight it … and more importantly how to think, you will always be at an advantage, no matter your situation. And of course, that's where I come in. With being a daughter of Athena, Chiron asked me to tutor you to bring you up to speed with everything in our world. Does that work for you?"
Harry couldn't help but stifle a laugh, unable to ignore the fact that she sounded very Hermione like as she finished her speil, even going as far as putting her hand on her hip in a very Hermione-esque fashion while she waited for his answer, as if daring him to deny the benefits of learning.
Stirred by the comparison to Hermione, Harry made a promise to visit her as soon as his day allowed. Despite his desire to be there for her, he couldn't shake the feeling that there might be little he could do for her at the moment and she seemed to be in good hands at the moment … although if she saw the books she was missing out on he couldn't imagine she would be overly happy.
Returning his attention to Annabeth, Harry flashed her a determined smile. "You have my attention. Do your worst," he quipped.
Annabeth paused for a moment, her eyes sparkling at his comment, before bursting into laughter. "Oh, I promise you'll regret those words," she replied, her grin widening.
With that, Annabeth rose from her seat and strode over to the wall, retrieving a stack of thick books, each nearly as hefty as Harry's forearm. Carrying them back to the table, she deposited them with a resounding thud before pulling her chair closer to his.
"Come on, Little Reaper," Annabeth declared, flipping open the first book. "Let's start with the history of the gods, beginning before even the Big Twelve."
Harry arched an eyebrow at the nickname. "Little Reaper?" he echoed, amusement coloring his tone.
Annabeth shrugged casually. "Well, you are the child of Thanatos," she pointed out matter-of-factly.
Harry shook his head, a grin tugging at his lips. "Just claimed, not his child. And I'm at least a couple of years older than you. Not that little," he countered.
She paused, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Yeah … okay … that's fair. I'm not entirely sold on the nickname myself, although I must admit, it has a certain ring to it ... I worry I might have used up all my creativity when I came up with 'Seaweed Brain.'"
This time, Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Seaweed Brain? That's not exactly the most flattering nickname," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone.
Annabeth leaned back in her chair, a brief expression of mock indignation crossing her features. "Hey, I think it's a perfect fit for Percy. He's certainly done plenty to earn it," she retorted, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.
Harry returned her smile. "Well … I'll have to take your word for it, I suppose. But I think you might need to put in a little more effort before my nickname sticks. For now, Harry is just fine," he replied.
Annabeth shook her head, her expression turning thoughtful as she mulled over Harry's response. "Okay, so 'Little Reaper' goes to the maybe column," she conceded, her tone contemplative. "But let's face it, the other options I came up with weren't exactly winners either ... 'Gloomy Gus,' 'The Grinning Grim,' 'Bone Bro,' 'Dark Heart' ..." she trailed off, recounting the other nicknames she had brainstormed.
Harry couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, unable to supress his laughter. "Bone Bro?" he repeated, his incredulity evident.
Annabeth nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, well ... Considering Thanatos is the god of death and all, and you being... well claimed by him, I thought …," she trailed off, realizing the unintended implications of the nickname, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment. "Oh gods, not like that! I meant because of the whole skeletons and death thing ... I wasn't implying anything else," she clarified hurriedly, her words tumbling out in a rush as she tried to explain, before her embarrassment finally got the best of her and she averted her gaze to the floor.
Uncertain how to respond without further exacerbating her embarrassment, Harry looked at Annabeth for several moments. Eventually, she lifted her gaze from the floor, her eyes quickly flicking over Harry before settling on the book she had brought over, a clear attempt to steer the conversation away from the awkward moment. "So, before the gods, there were the Titans ..." she began, shifting the focus back to their tutoring session.
Harry smiled, glancing down at the book Annabeth had propped open, revealing an illustration of a towering figure adorned with leaves, vines, and rocks. With a sense of curiosity, he listened to her as she began to delve into the material.
For the next two hours, Harry was immersed in an interesting lecture on the history of the gods. Annabeth's story took him on a journey from the dawn of creation to the era of the Titans, through the birth of the gods, and onward to the adventures of various demigods. The session finished with the formation of the first Camp Half-Blood.
Just as Annabeth had begun to discuss the demigod responsible for establishing the initial camp for demigods, their lesson was abruptly interrupted by the rumbling sound emanating from Harry's stomach.
She paused, glancing up from the book with a chuckle.
"Sorry about that," Harry offered sheepishly, glancing down at his protesting stomach.
Annabeth waved off his apology with a smile. "It happens. Sometimes I get so caught up in the the reading that I forget about time … and sometimes even food. This seems like as good a spot as any to take a break. We can resume from here tomorrow."
Harry nodded in agreement as he rose from his seat. "That sounds great. You make a pretty good tutor."
Annabeth returned his gaze with a playful smirk. "And you're an okay student," she teased, her tone light-hearted.
Harry chuckled softly and turned to Annabeth. "You remind me of my friend ... Hermione, the one I arrived with. She loved to read and teach others as well …" he said wistfully, his thoughts drifting momentarily to his absent friend.
Annabeth's smile softened into a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry about her ... I know it might not mean much at the moment but I'm sure that eventually the kids from the Apollo cabin will find some way to help her," she offered, her voice carrying a note of reassurance.
Harry nodded in hopeful acknowledgment, grateful for her words but unsure what to say. Following Annabeth, they made their way to the dining pavilion. Upon entering, he noticed that unlike his previous visits it was already bustling with demigods and satyrs, the tables filled with chatter and laughter, as everyone had already begun to eat.
As Harry approached the buffet table, scanning the area for an empty spot to sit, he felt a hand grasp his forearm, causing him to startle and glance over. Annabeth stood beside him, offering a sympathetic look. "Why don't you come eat with us? You can tell us about your friend." she proposed, releasing his forearm as she gestured towards a table off to the side. One that Harry noticed was covered with almost as many books as plates of food.
With nowhere else to go, Harry nodded in agreement, eliciting a smile from Annabeth. She then led him over to the table and introduced him to the other children of Athena.
To Harry's pleasant surprise, he found himself enjoying the meal with them, their company proving to be rather enjoyable overall. Engaged in lively conversation, he was just finishing his meal when he looked up to respond to a question from the boy seated across from him. However, his words caught in his throat when he noticed a fleeting expression of … pain flit across Annabeth's face, accompanied by a low muttering under her breath.
"Dirty rotten ... can't believe ... what if he gets to go on a ... of" she mumbled, her words barely audible.
Curious, Harry raised an eyebrow, about to inquire about her sudden change in demeanor, when he felt two hands grasp his shoulders and spin him around abruptly.
Kind Regards,
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Up Next: A Legacy at Camp Half-Blood
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Story Note 1 – While there are certain parts of the story that are underway and I try not to give too many spoilers away. As of now the plan is to not have Harry and Annabeth together as Percabeth is a delight and there is certainly some character overlap between Harry and Hermione. So I am trying to write Annabeth with more of a school yard crush on Harry, which will cause her to say cute but embarrassing things once in a while. However, this is still something people are providing feedback about so if you feel strongly one way or another, do comment or message me.
I hope you all liked the start to the story, and I look forward to hearing your feedback. This is a story I have been looking forward to writing for a very long time.
Thanks to those of you out to those of you who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you enjoy them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or reach out to me directly. All feedback is welcome (hopefully constructive!) Looking forward to hearing what you think!
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Guest - That seems like pretty reasonable guesses. Hmmm ... I ... probably wouldn't throw out a surprise option ...
George Christian 810 - The sword would surely fit ... as for magic. It's official introduction is coming up!
cameron1812 - Thanks so much!
Pinkypi - Good guess. That's fair, there were several to chose from. I thought Thanatos fit best with what I had planned so hope you enjoy it!
Lazymanjones96 - Thanks for the review! Hope this was enjoyable!
A10riddick - Thanks so much for the review! Hope this went well! Also really enjoyed writing the inclusion of Harry/Hermione into this world/camp/...other camps ...
IamHaein - I thought so! For sure, I thought there was a significant connection that made sense. And even Harry can realize why. Definitely Harry is looking forward to Hermione waking up! Thanks for the review!
J Theios - Thats fair, appreciate the feedback
Mitkon2001 - That seems ... definitely possible ...
Mando-Vet - And your reviews just keep getting better and better!
Dauntes - Hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much!
thunderofdeath97 - I'm glad you approve and my reasoning overlaps with that.