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Chapter 2 – Unexpected Visitors

Percy jumped at the flash of lightning followed by the loud clap of thunder. The promising start of a sunny day was dashed when storm clouds suddenly formed over the city, and New York had the worst storm in months. That was the problem about knowing that the Greek gods existed. What most would assume was a freak weather accident, Percy now knew was probably an argument on Olympus. He could not shake the feeling that this one was about him, but how could it be? He had returned Zeus' master bolt on the summer solstice, prevented a war between the gods, and even got an official pardon from the king of the gods for his existence. This had to be about something else, so he tried to ignore it and returned to painting his new room.

It was his 13th birthday, and for the first time in his life, he was getting to paint his own room. Gabe had never let him in the past saying it was a waste of money since he spent most of the year at a dorm room in a boarding school. Now, it was just him and his mom in the new apartment for the whole school year. Earlier that day, his mom had taken him to the hardware store to buy the paint as part of his birthday present. He picked out a shade of blue that his mom said would go nice with the dark wooden desk and dresser she had already bought for him. No more broken and stinky, Smelly Gabe furniture for him.

He dipped his roller in some more paint and started on the last wall. One of his favorite Led Zeppelin songs was playing on the radio, and the whole apartment smelled like a bakery despite the paint fumes because of the birthday cake and cookies his mom was making. She had been helping him but had to run into the kitchen when one of the timers went off. All in all, it was one of the best birthday's Percy could remember despite the strange weather.

"Percy can you get the door," his mom called over his music from the kitchen.

"Sure," he yelled back as he put down his roller and turned down the music. It was strange though because as far as he knew they weren't expecting anyone. Part of him foolishly hoped that it was his father, but he knew better than that. Gods were far too busy to remember their kids' birthdays.

Percy stood on his tip toes and peered through the peephole to find a very strange man in front of their door. The first thing Percy noticed was that the man was ancient judging by the silver hair and beard that hung past his waist. The second thing he noticed was the old-fashioned, purple suit. But, this was New York, so he figured it wasn't too alarming. Percy didn't see any weapons, and the man didn't seem threatening. He tried to peer through the Mist as Chiron had been teaching him, but he still just saw a super old guy in a funny looking suit. Just in case though, he gripped his lethal ballpoint pen in his pocket. With just a flip of the cap, it would turn into his Celestial Bronze sword, Riptide. He had been fooled by monsters before and wanted to be ready if this old man was actually some ancient Greek menace that wanted to kill him.

He opened the door a little but blocked the way into the apartment. If this was a Greek monster, he would not be getting anywhere near his mom. "Uhh. . ." Percy stuttered as he took in the full undistorted sight of the old man. Besides the purple suit, the man also wore high-heeled, buckled boots, and glasses that looked like half-circles on a crooked nose. But, it was his eyes that startled Percy the most. Even though they were bright blue, they reminded him of the wise old eyes of his trainer Chiron. The kind of eyes that had seen everything and could see right to your very core with just one look. "Can I help you with something?" He managed to say. He tried not to squirm under those x-ray eyes because the man seemed to be studying him very closely.

"Yes, I believe you can," the man said in an English accent with a smile that made his eyes twinkle. "I am Professor Dumbledore –"

"Percy's who's there?" his mom said as she rushed from the kitchen to stand beside him.

He opened the door more, so that his mom could see the strange man too, "A professor." His mom carefully looked at the man, but when she didn't shout or anything, he assumed that she hadn't seen anything strange either, well, stranger than the man's clothing choice.

"Ms. Jackson, I presume?" the old man said. His mom nodded as she stepped toward Percy. "As I was telling your son, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, a headmaster at a prestigious school in Great Britain. I was hoping I could discuss some rather important matters with you and young Perseus."

Percy's mom gave him a concerned look, but he just shrugged. He had no idea what this was about either. "Of course, Professor Dumbledore, please come in," she said as she stepped aside to let him enter the living room leaving Percy to close the door. "May I get you something to drink? I just put the cookies in the oven, so they will be done soon."

"Why thank you, my dear. Do you by chance have a coca-cola?" The strange man sounded out the soda, like it was foreign to him. "I have been told it is what to drink in the States."

His mom smiled, "Yes we do. I'll be right back. Please make yourself comfortable." Percy was about to follow his mom into the kitchen, but she gave him a look that clearly meant stay with the guest. Percy thought Dumbledore would take a seat, but instead he was examining the pictures on the walls. Most of them were of Percy and his mom over the years on the few occasions when they had managed to escape Gabe and do something fun. The last one though was of Annabeth, Grover, and him right before the end of the camp session, before Luke had tried to kill him. Percy reflexively rubbed the scar on his hand from the pit-scorpion.

"You have a very nice apartment, Perseus" Dumbledore commented his attention no longer on the pictures, and Percy once again felt like he was being x-rayed, "Very homey."

"It's a lot better than the last one," Percy agreed, "and I prefer Percy."

His mom came back then carrying a tray with three glasses filled with ice, a pitcher of water, and a can of coke that she set on the coffee table. Dumbledore settled in the armchair, so Percy sat next to his mom on the couch. Percy looked longingly at the can of delicious, surgery, caffeinated beverage until his mom quietly muttered, "You can have one after."

"Hmm, this is most peculiar. The feeling of the bubbles on your tongue. . ." Dumbledore mused after taking a sip of his coke.

"Have you never had a soda before?" Percy asked shocked. His mom gave him a slight elbow letting him know that his question was rude.

"No, my dear boy, I have not had the pleasure until now," Dumbledore responded with another one of those smiles that made his eyes sparkle behind the glasses. "Unfortunately, I did not cross an ocean to discuss what beverages I drink. I am afraid I have some very serious matters to discuss regarding your family Ms. Jackson."

"Oh, please just call me Sally," she automatically responded though she looked confused at the mention of her family since as far as Percy knew his mom's family had died before he was born.

Dumbledore nodded, "Very well. Were you aware, Sally, that you were born in Worcester in the United Kingdom?"

His mom nodded, "Yes, my father was a history professor, and he took a sabbatical there the year I was born."

Percy looked at his mom in surprise, "I never knew that."

His mom gently ran her fingers through his hair, "Sorry, honey I guess I never thought to mention it before since my parents moved back to the US before I was even a month old." Satisfied by the explanation at least for the moment, Percy and his mom looked at Dumbledore expectantly.

"I apologize because there is no easy way to say this, but on the night you were born, Estelle Jackson gave birth to a stillborn son. In the bed next to your parents, a woman named Elizabeth Smith passed away after a very challenging pregnancy. Elizabeth's dying wish was for the Jackson's to take her newborn daughter and raise her as their own child."

Percy's mom stared at Dumbledore in shock. "That's not. . . I mean I can't be adopted?" Percy found his mom's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze trying to comfort her in any way he could. After all he knew firsthand how it felt to have someone drop a sudden revelation about your parents.

"Yes," Dumbledore said in a gentle tone, "But, based on what the hospital staff said, I believe instead of dealing with the adoption paperwork they just put the Jacksons' names on your birth certificate."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Percy asked for his mom because she still seemed speechless.

Dumbledore nodded, "To be certain, I spoke with a few of the surviving nurses, just a few weeks ago. They still remember it because the Jacksons were so grateful, and the hospital staff were happy that Elizabeth left this world knowing that her daughter would be looked after."

"Are you a relative of this Elizabeth?" his mom finally managed to ask.

"No," Dumbledore said with a sad smile, "I was her teacher."

"Who . . . who was my father then?"

"I am afraid I can only guess," Dumbledore replied. "Unfortunately, Elizabeth vanished about a year before you were born and was not found until she had gone into labor on a neighborhood street in Worcester."

Just then the oven timer went off, and his mom jumped off the couch, "The cookies!"

As she ran into the kitchen, Percy called out, "Mom, are you okay?"

She managed a weak smile, "I'll be fine Percy. I just need a moment."

Just then there was a particularly bright flash of lightning right outside the window, startling Percy. "Rather, terrible weather today," Dumbledore stated calmly as if he hadn't just changed his mom's world.

Percy glanced up at the ceiling as if he could see the stormy sky above, hoping his uncle wasn't trying to kill him for some reason. "Yeah, hopefully it stops soon."

"I know we just met, but I was hoping you would indulge an old man's curiosity?" Dumbledore asked tentatively. Percy looked at him suspiciously but nodded anyways figuring he could at least hear the question first. "Why do you prefer to be addressed as Percy? After all Perseus was a great hero in the ancient myths, surely he is a worthy namesake."

Percy stiffened and narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore once again wondering if the old man was connected to the Greek world and was teasing him. But Dumbledore just smiled politely at him waiting for an answer. Percy forced himself to relax and shrugged, "It's not that I don't like my name because Perseus seems like he was a pretty cool guy, and his story has a happy ending."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement, "One of the few in Greek mythology I believe."

"But, it is a bit of a mouthful to use all the time, and it sounds, I don't know . . ." Percy tried to find the right words, "I guess kind of stuck-up." For some reason, Dumbledore smiled at his answer.

Dumbledore scanned the apartment once more, like he was looking for something. "Forgive me, but I was under the impression that you lived with a step-father, a Mr. Ugliano. Is he here?"

"He's gone," Percy responded trying to sound casual.

"Gone?"

Percy shrugged, "Mom, wrote a letter to me when I was at camp saying he was gone. She told the police and everything, but they haven't been able to find him."

"I see." Percy had a feeling that Dumbledore did see more than the mortal police ever would. "You don't seem very concerned," Dumbledore observed. To Percy's surprise the old man didn't seem like he was judging, just curious.

But that still didn't help his temper, "Why should I be? He wasn't a nice man. He was a terrible step-father and a big, stinking bully. The only time he was ever concerned about me was if he could get money off of me. Plus, he. . . . he used to hurt my mom. I'm not sure what he did to her when she came back this summer, and I don't want to imagine what he might have done if he wasn't gone." Anger pulsed through Percy at the danger his mom might have been in while he was at camp.

Thankfully, before Dumbledore could pry anymore, his mom returned with a plate laden with blue chocolate chip cookies. She gave him a concerned look clearly sensing that he was angry at something, but he managed to shake off the anger and smiled as he snagged a cookie.

Dumbledore picked up a cookie as well and carefully examined it, "Blue?" he asked, amused.

"It's an inside joke for Percy and me," his mom explained.

"Ah, very well then." Dumbledore took a cautious bite, before declaring, "Truly delicious! Thank you my dear."

"I'm glad you like them," his mom replied with a smile, but it still looked a little forced. "Let's say I do believe your story Professor Dumbledore. Why are you here telling me this? Why now, and why you?"

"Ah very excellent questions. I shall do my best to answer them. Firstly, you should know that Elizabeth Smith was a witch."

"Excuse me?" his mom exclaimed.

"As in a woman born with the ability to perform magic," Dumbledore clarified. "And, I am a wizard. Magical society has remained hidden from the non-magical world for the past three centuries." Percy looked at his mom hoping she would laugh and shout, "Happy Birthday, Pranked You!" But, she looked just as stunned as he did, and she had known about the Greek world long before he had.

"Perhaps a demonstration is needed," Dumbledore suggested. He pulled out a stick a bit over a foot long from his suit jacket, and scanned the room looking for something. Was that an actual magic wand? "Well, I guess this will have to do." With a flourish, he pointed the stick at a tan couch pillow next to Percy.

Suddenly, instead of the pillow there was a fluffy something rubbing against Percy's arm. He reflexively jumped off the couch whirled around and pulled out his pen. "Percy," his mom laughed though he wasn't sure if it was from his reaction or her shock, "it's just a cat." She picked up the fluffy tan cat and placed it in her lap where the cat purred loudly as his mom pet it.

"Oh," Percy mumbled feeling embarrassed, "I totally knew that.

"Truly, incredible," his mom murmured as she inspected the cat more closely. Percy returned Riptide to his pocket and sat back down. He extended his hand to the cat who sniffed it before rubbing his head on it.

"Yes, magic is," Dumbledore agreed. "Though I am afraid as wizards, we sometimes forget that and take magic for granted. It is also often inherited from parent to child though a child with magic can be born from parents without magic."

His mom looked up from the cat and asked, "Does that mean. . . ?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "No, unfortunately, I do not think you have the ability to use magic anymore. You would have shown signs when you were younger. This can happen occasionally where magical parents have a non-magical child, or squib is the official term."

Percy wrinkled his nose in disgust, "That doesn't sound like a very nice name."

"No, I suppose it is not," Dumbledore agreed. "Many wizards narrow-mindedly consider squibs to be an embarrassment." His mom looked back down and started petting the cat again, but Percy sensed her disappointment and tried to give her a one-armed side hug. "Although it is possible that your case may be a little different Sally. Due to the complications during the pregnancy, I believe Elizabeth had to use every ounce of magic in her body including yours to stay alive long enough to give birth to you. Most likely this permanently damaged your magical core so to speak. However, I do believe that Percy did inherit the magical ability."

"Me?" Percy asked shocked, "I don't have magic."

"Yes, you do," Dumbledore stated with a smile. "How else can you explain all the odd things you have done?" Percy had an answer, but he couldn't give it to Dumbledore. The old-man took his silence as acceptance and continued. "I am not sure how you escaped the notice of the Magical Congress, but you are a wizard. Perhaps, you slipped through the cracks in the system. Or, the Congress might have assumed that we knew about you because the Smiths are a very old British wizarding family, and because of that, I am here to consider you for a position in my school."

"You want me to go to your school?" Percy asked. That was probably the first time a teacher had ever said that. He wondered if Dumbledore knew his track record with schools.

"Yes, I think I do," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "And yes, I have received your past records from your previous schools."

"You have! Wait, can you read my mind?"

"I do not have to my dear boy. If I had such an impressive record, I would be thinking the same thing. However, I do have a few questions that need to be clarified first if you would be so kind. What happened between June 9th and 21st?"

"You heard about that all the way in the UK?" Percy asked feeling a little mortified.

"Yes, that is actually how I found you. After Sally was born, I told a friend to keep an eye out for magical activity from a muggle, that is what we call non-magical people, family named Jackson. Although, I will admit that I did not expect it to be so public."

"That wasn't. . ." Percy trailed off, not sure how to explain what happened in June to a wizard. He looked desperately at his mother hoping she could explain it. He had a feeling that this Dumbledore guy could tell if they lied. Or, maybe they could just tell Dumbledore no and forget all about magic and go back to their lives. The hard glint in his mom's eyes suggested that she would do just that, but then lightning struck extremely close, and the lights actually flickered. Both he and his mom jumped. Maybe, Zeus didn't like that idea.

His mom took a second to think before cautiously saying, "What happened during those weeks had to do with Percy's father." She glanced at the ceiling as if to make sure it hadn't cracked open yet.

"Who is his father, if you do not mind me asking?"

His mom shook her head, "I don't think I can say. You see he's a very important man from a powerful family. If word got out, well it wouldn't be good for anyone. For that reason, he tried to hide Percy from his family. Unfortunately, Percy's uncles found out about him, and they weren't too happy. They sent their people after him in June. We got separated and Percy did everything he could to stay away from the people after him while he tried to find me." It might have been Percy's imagination, but he swore the storm outside had died down. He looked towards the window and even saw a little bit of sun peaking through the clouds. His mom noticed it too, and she relaxed next to him. "I'm sorry, but I think that's all I can tell you without making anything worse."

Dumbledore nodded, "Well that makes a bit more sense than what was printed in the newspapers. Are you absolutely sure it was the family of Percy's father and not someone else?"

"Yes," Percy figured he shouldn't make his mom do all the talking. "Even though I didn't know about them until they were trying to get me, they definitely share a family resemblance. Besides, who else could it have been?"

"I just wanted to be sure because I take the safety of my students very seriously, and as far as I know, it is unusual for muggle family members to attack each other on such a scale in this day and age," Dumbledore responded. "But perhaps it is not a muggle family. Could Percy's father be a wizard like me? Is his family from the States?"

His mom shrugged, "I believe his family immigrated here. As for wizards, we didn't know that they existed exactly until today, but now, I'm beginning to think that Percy's father and his family must be connected to magic somehow. It definitely explains a few things. I've always known that Percy's father was special and could do things that most people considered impossible." She glanced to the window, and the sun shined even brighter.

"That does explain your rather calm reactions to finding out about wizards and magic. I take it that this is not the first time either of you have seen magic." Neither he or his mom denied it though Percy wondered if there was a difference between godly powers and magic. "I must admit that I am rather curious about who Percy's father is, but based on everything you have told me, it sounds like pure-blood wizard politics. That will have to be enough to satisfy my curiosity for now because I have no desire to involve myself in foreign pure-blood family struggles. The ones in Britain are exhausting enough. Unless the safety of a child is in question?" he glanced at Percy then. Percy just shook his head to let Dumbledore know that he wasn't in danger at least at the moment, so Dumbledore continued. "I hope you both forgive me for prying but given the circumstances I wanted to know your character and situation before offering Percy a place at my school, Hogwarts."

"Your school is named Hogwarts?" Percy asked with a laugh. He probably would have laughed a lot more if his mom hadn't elbowed him again.

"Yes," Dumbledore said with pride though the twinkle in his eyes suggested that he was not offended by Percy's laughter. "Hogwarts is one of the finest and oldest institutions for magical education in the world. I might even say the finest, but I may be a little biased." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a thick envelope. "This is yours, Percy."

Percy accepted the letter. The address was written in green ink, and the scrawling handwriting did not help his dyslexia any. Did that address really say 'bedroom on the left?' He opened the letter that had been sealed with old fashioned wax instead of the sticky edge everyone used. He didn't read the whole thing because it was giving him a headache, but he did make out that this Dumbledore guy, must be a very important person to have all those titles after his name. He also got a thrill when he managed to make out the words, you have been accepted. After getting kicked out of six schools in six years, if felt good to be accepted and wanted somewhere. Yes, he had that to some extent at Camp Half-Blood, but Camp wasn't a school.

He handed the rest of the letter to his mom and looked at her excitedly. "Can I go, Mom?"

As his mom looked over the letter and the page after it, Dumbledore explained, "Usually, children begin their first year of magical education at eleven, given the circumstances though and that you are 13 today – and may I wish you a very happy birthday."

"Thanks," Percy said wondering how Dumbledore knew it was his birthday.

"I think it would be best if you join the class of second years," Dumbledore continued. "You would only be a few weeks older than our oldest second year student, and with private tutoring and lots of hard work, I believe we can get you caught up some before term starts in a few weeks."

His mom finally looked up with a frown on her face, "Excuse me Professor Dumbledore, but you said that your school is in Great Britain?"

As soon as she said those words, all the excitement left Percy. Of course, the school was in Great Britain. Dumbledore had an English accent after all. He could never go that far from his mom for school, especially not when he finally got to stay in the city with her. Plus, he doubted that his uncle would let him fly across the ocean even if it was for school.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied hesitantly. "It's in Scotland."

"I'm sorry Mr. Dumbledore. I'm really honored that you want me to come to your school and all, but I don't think I can go. I don't want to be that far away from my mom," Percy said and gave his mom's hand a squeeze.

His mom let out a relieved sigh and smiled, "I'm glad, honey. Scotland would be quite far." She looked at Dumbledore. "We are grateful that you accepted Percy in your school, but surely there is a closer option. Is there a magic school in the US?"

"Yes, there is," Dumbledore said though he sounded resigned. "Ilvermorny is in Massachusetts. I can inquire about Percy's admittance on your behalf if you would like? I do believe they will accept him and no doubt investigate how he was overlooked to begin with. Now, I suspect that it might have something to do with his father trying to hide him from his uncles."

"Yes," his mom said immediately, "that would be wonderful."

"I will respect your decision of course, and I do understand your preference for a closer school" Dumbledore said, "But, I must ask you to please at least consider Hogwarts as an option. Both are boarding schools, so I am afraid that Percy will only get to see you on holiday even if he stays in the States. I also believe Hogwarts would be better for Percy. Besides being a better educational institution based on all the international review boards mainly due to our smaller student to faculty ratio and providing real-world application of lessons, it might be best for Percy's safety if he was farther away from his father's family. It seems they threatened Percy during this summer, but I assure you that he would be safe from them at Hogwarts no matter how influential they are in the United States' wizarding community."

If Percy could, he would have bet Dumbledore that he was wrong right there. He had a feeling if the gods wanted to kill him, not even Dumbledore or his fancy school could stop them. "Just know, Percy," Dumbledore continued looking at him once more with those all-knowing eyes, "You will always have a place at Hogwarts. It would also be rather sad to see a Smith go to a school that is not Hogwarts. The family has a very long and important history at that school and is likely a descendant of one of the four founders, Helga Hufflepuff."

A sharp elbow from his mom made him bite back the laughter at that name. Once he thought he could control his voice again, he said, "Thanks, but hopefully, I won't have to worry too much about my uncles anymore." He was slightly uncertain because the sky had darkened once again with storm clouds. Then a thought struck him, "Wait, does this mean that mom still has family in England?"

Percy couldn't quite read the look Dumbledore gave his mom and him. Sad? Regretful? "I believe Sally may have a few first cousins and first cousins once removed," Dumbledore stated, "but I must warn you that I am not sure what kind of reception you will receive. The old pure-blood families especially in Europe greatly resemble the old muggle nobility with their rather conservative traditions and view of the world."

"So, you're saying they may not accept me or Percy because Elizabeth had a baby out of marriage?" Sally asked. "Plus, I was born without magic."

"Yes, those are some reasons why you may not receive a warm welcome among the Smiths," Dumbledore admitted. "I just thought it best to warn you now."

Sally nodded, "I appreciate it. And if they really are like that then I don't think I would like them either."

"I am truly, sorry" Dumbledore said, "please do not judge all wizards on that behavior. Like any society, we have our conservatives, fanatics, liberals, and progressives. Most of the wizarding population in the United Kingdom would not care about parents' marital status, and more wizards are becoming acceptant of squibs and muggle-born wizards by the decade."

Suddenly, everything hit Percy. He was a wizard. Apparently, he was part of another hidden world and could learn magic. Surely this had to be some mistake or joke or prank. He's a demigod. He couldn't be a wizard. "But, Mr. Dumbledore, sir, are you sure this isn't some big mistake? I just don't think I'm a wizard."

"I assure you, Percy. This is not a mistake. You are a wizard. Just look at your more creative causes for expulsion. My personal favorite is the firing of a Revolutionary War canon. That must have been some rather impressive magic." Dumbledore smiled and his eyes seemed to sparkle as he winked at Percy.

"I really wasn't aiming for the school bus, and no one got hurt," Percy muttered as his face turned red.

Dumbledore nodded, "It is quite alright dear boy. Accidental magic is very common in untrained wizards, even expected. Unfortunately, it has often made life difficult for those young wizards in muggle society. Without proper training, I fear these incidents will only continue, and next time you may not be fortunate enough to avoid injuring others." Although Percy didn't feel like Dumbledore was blaming him, his tone had changed from playful to serious.

"I believe I have given you both much to think about," Dumbledore continued, his voice once more friendly. "I shall inquire into the possibility of Percy's enrollment at Ilvermorny and return in two days." He rose from his chair then padded his pockets before finally slipping his hand into one. "I nearly forgot to give you this, Sally." He pulled out an old photograph with faded color. It showed a young woman about 18, who moved! She would smile and wave at the camera. "Wizarding photos and portraits move," Dumbledore explained at the shocked gasps from both Percy and his mom. "This is Elizabeth Smith two years before she disappeared."

Dumbledore handed the picture to his mom, and Percy looked at it from around her elbow. "You do resemble her a great deal," Dumbledore said softly. Percy had to agree. The woman in the photo looked like she had the same brown hair as his mom, the same chin, and the same kind smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Percy, Sally," Dumbledore said breaking their trance. His mom walked their strange guest to the door and thanked him.

As soon as the door closed, Percy asked, "This has got to be some joke, right? I'm a demigod, not a wizard."

His mom sighed, "I don't know, Percy. You have done some things that can't exactly be explained just by who your father is." Dumbledore did have a point with the canon on the field trip. Percy still had no idea how he had managed that even if he was a demigod. Not to mention how he somehow slammed the door on Smelly Gabe without touching it before he and his mom left for Montauk. It wasn't like he could control the wind or air. That was Zeus' domain. And, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he had actually pulled a lever on that catwalk at Marine World or if it had just vanished beneath his class's feet because he had wanted the class bully, Greg Mendus, to take a swim after making fun of a kid with glasses.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Had Dumbledore come back for something? His mother glanced at him before peering through the peephole. She gasped and quickly opened the door revealing a middle-aged man with curly black hair. Percy studied the man. He wore a postal carrier outfit with a mailbag on his shoulders which didn't really go with the pith helmet but looked relatively normal after Mr. Dumbledore's purple outfit. For some reason this man looked familiar.

"I miss one letter, one letter, and now, Olympus is in chaos," the man grumbled as he walked into their apartment, and his mother closed the door. "I mean it's not enough that I monitored all the phone calls, emails, AOL instant messaging, and news outlets doing damage control for the quest, plus all of the American wizards' correspondence. How was I supposed to know someone sent a trans-Atlantic owl when those wizards usually keep such matters within the nation? Honestly, Athena's just as much to blame for making those creatures to begin with."

"Lord Hermes," his mom interrupted the man's rant and bowed her head in respect. "To what do we owe this honor?" Suddenly, Percy realized why the man looked familiar. The elvish features and blue eyes reminded him of Luke and all the other determined campers in Cabin Eleven. This was their dad. His hand went to his pocket and gripped Riptide, wondering if Hermes would try to kill him too.

Finally, Hermes seemed to realize where he was. He glanced at Percy's mom. "Sally Jackson, I can see why Uncle Poseidon likes you so much." That made his mom blush. Then he looked at Percy. The god must have sensed his uncertainty because he sighed, "I'm sorry for what my son did to you. I'm not here to harm you, just deliver a message." He looked around and spotted the cat that had once been a pillow, lounging on top of the chair looking at them. "I see Dumbledore is up to his old tricks again," with a wave of the god's hand the cat became a pillow that quickly fell to the floor.

"Is it about all this wizard stuff?" Percy asked, releasing his dangerous pen.

"Yes, it is about this wizard stuff," Hermes huffed. "You see Percy, the gods used to occasionally mingle with Hecate's magical people, but after a particularly powerful wizard son of Apollo caused a lot of trouble in the 40s and almost exposed us to the whole world, any physical interactions with the wizarding world was banned. Hecate wasn't too happy with this since she lost all her primetime spots on Hephaestus TV, and the gods just stopped caring about the magical community in general. I still ran interference to make sure none of the magical users mistook a demigod for one of theirs with all the accidents you half-bloods have in schools. Of course, slip-ups still happened over the years, and a god may produce an offspring with magic. It doesn't help that the so-called magic gene can lie dormant for generations in non-magical mortals. Fortunately, the children born weren't particularly powerful demigods, so they were able to live in the wizarding world and remain ignorant of their divine heritage."

Percy let out a sigh of relief. Even though part of him had been looking forward to learning magic, it was enough to be a demigod without any other complications. "So, I'm really not a wizard then. This Dumbledore guy just thinks that I am because he heard about the news from this summer."

Hermes shook his head, "I'm afraid that's not the case. None of us realized that Sally was a descendant of old wizarding families, and now as you can imagine, Zeus is furious. Thankfully, it seems like you were able to hold off some of Dumbledore's suspicion. That guy has been sniffing around us for years. That was smooth talking Sally because he can smell a lie a mile away."

His mom shrugged, "Well, the changes in the weather helped."

Hermes nodded, "That was Athena's idea. Now, I'm sure your father would have liked to explain all of this to you himself," he told Percy. "But he wants to make sure that father doesn't change his mind and blast you with a lightning bolt."

His mom instinctively wrapped her arms around him as if that could stop the Lord of the Skies. Percy appreciated the comfort, but at the same time, he would rather be far away if it meant keeping her safe from Zeus's anger. "The rest of the gods are pretty divided. Frankly, if you hadn't just saved the world after being wrongly accused, I think you'd already be zapped. It also helps that Hecate stormed in during the debate and threatened to dissolve the Mist if any of us hurt you."

"Hecate?" Percy asked.

"Goddess of magic and the Mist. She's the one who created the magical community eons ago, even before I was born, when she blessed a few of her most devoted followers with magic. They are sort of her domain so to speak, so it is forbidden for other gods to harm them without cause. Therefore, if Hecate is able to protect you under the ancient law, then you are indeed a wizard."

This couldn't be happening. It seemed like his existence was a double mistake. Not only had Poseidon broken the oath of the Big Three to not sire anymore demigod children, but he had a son with the daughter of a witch which also was forbidden. It really was a wonder that he was still alive. "So, what happens now? I'm allowed to live?"

Hermes reached into his mail bag and handed him a sea-blue envelope. "I think this letter should explain everything else. Good luck, cousin." Wings appeared from his pith helmet, and he started to glow. Both Percy and his mom closed their eyes tightly and looked away as the messenger god revealed his true form and vanished in a brilliant flash.

Percy looked at the envelope in his hand and knew that it was from his father. The handwriting was the same one that had addressed his returned Medusa's head package a little over a month ago.

Percy Jackson

1556 Second Ave

Unit 5B

New York, NY 10028

Percy carefully opened the envelope with hands that shook only slightly and unfolded the paper.

Dear Perseus,

I am truly sorry this has happened to you. I have managed to convince Zeus to not kill you due to your return of his symbol of power. However, he insists that you leave the country as soon as possible. I believe it is meant as a punishment for me, but I know this will be difficult for both you and your mother. Go to Hogwarts. Study hard and learn to control your magic. However, it is imperative that no one in the magical community discovers the existence of the gods. Be careful, especially around Dumbledore. I believe he will try to find out whatever he can about my side of the family. Chiron does know about wizards, so you should talk to him for further advice. Although the gods wish to keep demigods away from wizards, I suppose you can tell two friends from Camp if you must. Just make sure you and they are discrete.

After your uncle's temper has cooled, I am certain that I will be able to convince him to let you return to Camp in the summer. Maybe if the Eagles are having a good season, he may even calm down enough to let you come back during your winter break. Just remember, Percy, you will always be my son, and a true child of the Sea God.

Your Father,

Poseidon

P.S. Happy Birthday

"What does it say?" his mom asked. Percy looked at her, surprised that she hadn't read it, but then he glanced back at the letter and realized that the whole thing was written in ancient Greek.

"It says that Zeus is letting me live, but I have to leave the country. I have to go to Hogwarts." He tried to sound brave, but Hogwarts came out more of a sob.

"Oh, sweetie," his mom said and hugged him tight.

Percy didn't need to look up at his mom to know that she was crying which made him feel even worse. "It's not fair," he muttered. His anger quickly replacing his sadness. "I just got you back."

His mom slowly ran her fingers through his hair, which always made him feel better. "It will be okay. Will you . . ." she paused as if bracing herself for the worst. "Will you be able to come back?"

Percy shrugged though it was hard because his mother was still squeezing him, "Poseidon thinks he will be able to convince Zeus to let me come back for camp in the summer. And, it might be a good time to start rooting for the Eagles," Percy tried for some humor since he hated to see his mom crying, "Since if they do well, Zeus might be in a good enough mood to let me come back over winter break."

His mom finally let go of him and tried for a smile as she wiped the tears off her face, "Well then, I guess I'll be their biggest fan for the season. And I bet that there are less monsters in Scotland. You might finally get a chance at a safe, monster free, normal school year."

That was his mom, always finding the bright side of things. "Normal at a magic school?"

"Well, just think of it this way. If you blow up a toilet, no one will think it's too weird."