Finally, an update! Thank you for your reviews, support, and patience for this story. They really mean a lot to me. Sorry for the delay, but my other story and real life job took up a lot of time this past year. I wasn't planning on posting today, but had a rough "Reviewer 2" rejection (shout out in the reviews if you know what that means), and this is sort of therapy for that. Since I rushed the posting, I apologize for any errors since I didn't do as much editing as normal. The next chapter is already half written, but it still might be awhile since I'll probably update my other story next. Thanks again for being such an amazing community, and Merry Christmas in March!
Chapter 13 – Home for the Holidays
Professor McGonagall left Percy and Harry alone in Dumbledore's office with a terse, "Wait here." By the way Harry was looking around Dumbledore's office, Percy assumed that Harry had never been here before.
After a moment though, Harry must have remembered exactly why they had been brought here and glanced nervously at Percy. "Jackson, no matter what you think I might have done or how suspicious I think you are, I think –"
But Percy cut in before he could say something that would make them look even more guilty: "That all these pictures of old headmasters are only pretending to sleep and are listening to every word? Yeah, I think that too." He pointed to a particular portrait he remembered during his lessons with Dumbledore of a clever looking wizard with black hair and a pointed beard. "This one does this weird snorting thing before he peaks open his eye."
The old headmaster's eyes snapped open in the portrait, "I'll have you know, young man, my pseudo sleep is very convincing."
Percy ignored the annoying portrait and went over to see Fawkes, who looked dreadful. His normally crimson and gold plumage was graying and seemed to be molting. "Hey, Fawkes, you're not looking so great right now. Are you feeling okay?" he asked as he extended his hand and stroked the few remaining feathers near the bird's neck. Instead of cooing though, Fawkes made an awful gagging noise.
Harry took a few steps closer to the bird as Percy stepped back. "What is that?" Harry asked. He extended his hand, but before Percy could answer, the bird burst into flames. Harry jumped back with a yelp and frantically looked around the office. "We got to do something!"
Percy couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing, "Gods, Harry, I think you might have even worse luck than me." The moment he said it, Percy realized his mistake. He just hopped that Harry was too distracted to notice his little slip up. After a final shriek, all that remained of Fawkes was a pile of ash.
"But I didn't do it," Harry protested and looked suspiciously at Percy. "Did you do something?"
Suddenly, Percy was reminded of all the accusations Harry had made. He was about to reply with some choice words about Harry's accusations, but then the door opened. Dumbledore walked in looking grave.
"Professor, I swear," Harry gasped. "We didn't do anything – Your bird – he just caught fire. We didn't know what to do." Percy's respect for Harry grew slightly. He easily could have said 'I' instead of 'We.' Regardless of his suspicions or accusations, it appeared that the other boy was not a tattletale, at least until he was more certain of his accusations.
Dumbledore looked amused. "Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry." Dumbledore's tone shifted to an exaggerated tone that Percy usually associated with teachers. "And what are some of the more unique characteristics of a phoenix?" He asked looking expectantly at Percy.
"Uh," Percy stuttered, his default response whenever a teacher put him on the spot, but then his brain kicked in since he had just witnessed it happening. "They burst into flames when they die but are reborn in the ashes. Also, something about tears with healing powers." Percy added.
"Very good, Mr. Jackson. Five points for Hufflepuff," Dumbledore said with a wink at Percy. Percy wasn't sure if Dumbledore was joking, or if he actually had just earned his house five points. "Take a look." Dumbledore pointed at the pile of ashes.
Percy and Harry crouched down to see a tiny baby bird head poke out of the ashes. It reminded Percy of a fieldtrip to a farm upstate where he had seen chickens hatch. "It's a shame you had to see him on a burning day," Dumbledore remarked. "Most of the time he is quite handsome. In addition to the information Mr. Jackson provided, phoenixes can also carry immensely heavy loads, and they make highly faithful pets."
As Dumbledore seated himself in the chair behind his desk, Percy was again reminded of why they were there. One of his best friends had been petrified, and he or Harry might be taking the blame for it. Dumbledore fixed both of them with that X-ray gaze of his causing Percy to shift on his feet nervously. He glanced at Harry and was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one affected by Dumbledore's look.
Percy was mentally bracing himself for the worst, but before Dumbledore could speak, Hagrid burst through the door shouting something about how it wasn't Harry since he had been talking to him right before Justin had been found. However, Percy had immediately been distracted by the dead rooster swinging from his large friend's hand. "Hagrid, why are you carrying a dead rooster?" Percy blurted out.
That seemed to snap Hagrid out of his singular focus. "Oh, Percy I didn' see yeh there." He frowned in confusion. "Not sayin I think Percy did it either, sir."
Dumbledore spoke quickly as if he wanted to say his piece before Hagrid started shouting again. "I do not think either Percy or Harry is responsible for attacking those people."
"Oh," said Hagrid sounding relieved if a little embarrassed. "Right, I'll wait outside then, Headmaster."
Once Hagrid was gone, Harry asked, "You really don't think it was either of us, Professor?" Not only was Percy relieved that Dumbledore didn't think he had attacked his friend, but between the headmaster's belief in Harry's innocence, and what Hagrid had said, Percy no longer thought Harry was responsible either. He felt bad for accusing his friend, but it had looked suspicious, and Harry had accused him too.
"No, I do not," Dumbledore stated though his face was serious once more. "But I still wish to talk to you both." Percy fidgeted as Dumbledore looked them over again. Finally, Dumbledore said, "I must ask whether there is anything either of you would like to tell me. Anything at all." He said it gently without that reproachful tone teachers or parents sometimes use when they know you have done something bad, and they want you to admit it.
Percy and Harry shared a look. Percy wondered if all the things they could tell Dumbledore were running through Harry's head too: Polyjuice potion, Dobby, Malfoy, the voice that only he and Harry could hear, and the connection between that voice and Parseltounge that Percy had just realized. Instead, Harry just said, "No. There isn't anything Professor."
A look flashed through Dumbledore's eyes, like he knew Harry was hiding something, before he turned his gaze to Percy. Percy could feel Harry's eyes on him willing him to not say anything. Maybe it was because he had just spoken to Annabeth, who had got him thinking about the similarities between he and Harry, but Percy found himself realizing that they did have a good bit in common. They were both Parselmouths and therefore both hearing the voice of the monster. Both wizarding half-bloods raised in ignorance of their wizarding heritage. Both likely had difficult lives at home at some point. They even looked similar, like they could be distantly related. Was it just a coincidence that Dumbledore had asked Harry and Percy this question together, or did he know something as well?
"Professor, if you don't think either Harry or I attacked these people, then what do you think we could tell you?" Percy asked. "I mean why us?"
Dumbledore's face revealed nothing as he leaned back into his chair and considered the tips of his fingers before returning his penetrating gaze to both boys. "Let's just say between the tendency of trouble finding you, Percy, and Harry's record of finding trouble, I deduced you two are the most likely students to know something about this."
Harry looked like he wanted to protest but must have thought better of it. Percy hesitated, but he had a feeling that Dumbledore was still keeping something from him. In his opinion it was a strange reason to ask him this weirdly vague question twice now. If Dumbledore did suspect something about him, it would probably be best to not confirm those suspicions, especially if the parseltounge was from his father or Hecate. Annabeth was right. The demigods could not afford for Dumbledore to suddenly be motivated to figure out who exactly his dad was. At last Percy said, "No, Professor, I don't have anything to tell you."
Dumbledore sighed. "Very well. But if that ever changes, please let me know. Lives may depend on it." Both he and Harry nodded their heads. "Harry, you may go. Percy, please stay. I need to discuss your travel back to the States for the holidays."
After everything that had happened that day, Percy still had his detention with Snape. As he headed to the dungeons after a quick dinner, he tried to focus on the positive. In less than a week, he would get to see his mom. The travel back home seemed simple enough, so hopefully that meant Percy would be able to reach home without his usual tendency for complications. According to Dumbledore, he would ride the Hogwarts Express back to London with the rest of the students returning home for the holidays, and then Mr. MacMillan, Ernie's father, would escort him from the train station to the Ministry where he would travel back to New York City using a portkey. Dumbledore had also warned him that he would have to hand the American official his wand since underaged wizards in the U.S. were not allowed to carry one. When Percy had made a face in protest, Dumbledore assured him that his wand would be returned to him in the same condition when he left to return to London again.
Percy was surprised to find Neville waiting for him at Snape's door. "Hey, Percy," the other boy mumbled. He glanced fearfully at the door like it might bite him before he continued in a stronger voice. "With everything that happened after, I never got a chance to thank you, so thank you for standing up for me. And I'm sorry you got detention for it."
"It's okay Neville," Percy tried to reassure the boy. "I was overdue for a detention anyways, and besides at least I got this one for standing up to a bully."
The door to the potion's room opened, and Snape said, "Jackson, if you spend any more time talking to Longbottom, I will give you another detention for being late." Percy gave Neville a final wave before following his current least favorite professor into the room. At dinner, Percy had asked the other students what to expect from a detention with Snape. Cedric had told him that although he had never received a detention himself, Snape's detentions usually involved preparation of gross potion ingredients. Percy figured that couldn't be too bad. At least he would actually be doing something more active than erasing math workbooks.
Unfortunately, Snape switched up his usual detention. He directed Percy to a desk with only a quill, ink, and parchment, and Percy had a sinking feeling as he sat in the chair. "As you may have surmised, Mr. Jackson, you will be writing lines. To complete this detention, you will need to hand write, 'I will obey my professors and show them respect,' 200 times," Snape said with an evil smirk that suggested he knew he had selected the worst possible detention for Percy. "You may begin."
Percy gritted his teeth as he wrote the first one. As he started the second one, he asked in his most polite voice, "Sir, why do you bully Neville?"
Snape's nostrils flared, and Percy realized he had struck a nerve, which for once had not been his intention. "I do not bully, Jackson. Bullying is what ignorant fools do when faced with someone of true intelligence. As you should know, I simply punish incompetence. Add an extra 50 sentences for talking, and it will be 50 more if you talk again." Percy bit his lip to stop his anger from lashing out and breaking all the jars with water in them. Instead, he tried to focus on what Snape had said. There was something there with his response to bullying. It was almost as if he had been bullied himself. That thought made Percy so mad, he accidentally snapped his quill and had to grab another from his bag. Sure, maybe part of him might have felt bad for little Snape, who must have been one of those awkward, nerdy kids that the cool kids picked on, but that wasn't an excuse for him to be so mean now. Those who had been bullied should be preventing bullying, not doing it themselves. It would be a long night.
The last few days of the term passed in a dreary fog for Percy and the other Hufflepuffs. Justin's absence was more haunting than any of the Hogwarts ghosts. It was something the whole house felt, but their little group in particular. Every day when Percy got up and Justin wasn't there with a cheery good morning, the whole thing felt fresh again. Zacharias had tried to apologize in his own way making an excuse that he needed to see his other friends and Justin had seemed fine with it, but neither Ernie nor Percy was too keen to forgive the other boy just yet. Susan tried to be stoic, but Hannah would cry at meals, and when they tried to comfort her, she would just cry more.
All in all, Percy couldn't think of a time when he was more eager to return home after a term, and it seemed like the rest of the school agreed with him. Plus, he was happy to wear regular clothes again. He would enjoy the two weeks of no annoying wizard robes. As he joined the mass exodus of students streaming out of the entrance hall, he caught Harry's eyes as he, Ron, and Hermione walked down the stairs, probably for a late breakfast. Percy hadn't seen much of the other boy since Dumbledore's office. He had thought about approaching the Gryffindors at a meal but figured it might look suspicious if Dumbledore already thought they were up to something. Plus, he was still a little mad at the other boy for being suspicious of him. Percy raised an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders hoping Harry would understand that he was asking if they were still going through with the Polyjuice scheme. Harry pointed towards the dungeons and nodded. Percy nodded back and gave the Gryffindors a thumbs up.
"What was that about?" Ernie asked as they followed the crowd of students out of Hogwarts' large front doors.
"Harry was letting me know that they still are going to use the Polyjuice potion to investigate Malfoy," Percy replied. The Hogwarts grounds looked like a Christmas card with all the snow-covered trees, and Hagrid's hut looked particularly inviting with smoke coming out of the chimney. It would have been perfect for an epic snowball fight, but neither Percy nor his friends had been in the mood for winter fun.
Ernie frowned as they waited for their carriage, "But . . ."
With a sigh, Percy finished his friends thought, "It doesn't make sense with your suspicion that Potter is the Heir going around petrifying people. I know. Despite everything, I still don't think Harry did it. I just hope they do get a confession out of Malfoy, otherwise I don't know who else it could be." What he didn't tell Ernie was that the Gryffindors would probably get suspicious of him soon enough. At the very least, they'd want a good answer to why he was alone in Myrtle's bathroom so much.
"I think we should make an agreement," Susan interrupted. "No more talk about anything Chamber of Secrets related until the end of the trip." She glanced at Hannah in concern. The other girl had been unusually quiet that morning.
Once they had all agreed, Hannah forced a smile and said, "Besides, it's Percy's first-time riding in the carriages and the Hogwarts express." With that they boarded the next available carriage, and his friends spent most of the carriage ride telling him all about the great things on the Hogwarts Express.
"You finally can try all our candy," Ernie offered. "Chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Pumpkin Pasties."
Hannah pointed to another branch in the road as she said, "And that's the way to Hogsmeade."
At Percy's confused look, Susan explained, "Hogsmeade is the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain. Once we're third years, we can go visit the village on certain weekends." It would be something to look forward to assuming Percy was back next year. Between his track record with expulsion and a monstrous snake, he didn't want to think about his odds of returning to Hogwarts as a third year. Not to mention the rumors that Hogwarts would have to close if the attacks did not stop soon.
An awkward lull filled the carriage as his friends likely were wondering the same thing. Percy tried to think of another topic to distract everyone and asked, "So what pulls these carriages?"
"Magic, of course," Hannah replied, and her smile seemed a little less forced.
"Or invisible horses," Susan suggested. Hannah rolled her eyes and responded, "Which is magic."
The mention of invisible horses reminded Percy of all the research he had done on monstrous horses. As he exited the carriage at the station, he decided to see if they really might be those strange, skeletal horses he had read about. He figured at the very least it would make his friends laugh, so he went over to where a horse would be if it was pulling the carriage and said, "Hello Mr. Invisible Horse, thank you for pulling our carriage."
Even though he had been half expecting it, Percy still did a little jump as the invisible horse responded. "You are welcome, lord."
Percy silently asked, "Are you a thestral?" He sensed the amused confirmation from the horse, which obviously meant that Hogwarts did in fact have the rare horse species on the grounds. They just weren't responsible for petrifying everyone. He was about to join his friends to board the train, but a thought occurred to him. Thestrals were supposed to be intelligent, so maybe, this one would know something. Percy once again projected the question to the horse in his mind, "Do you know what creature has been attacking the students at the school?"
Though he couldn't see the horse, he knew it was shaking its head, "No, lord. We only stay in the forest and do not concern ourselves with human matters at the school. But whatever it is, the spiders fear it."
"The spiders?" Percy was so surprised he spoke out loud.
"Come on Jackson, stop pretending to talk to the invisible horse," Ernie shouted. "It was funny at first, but we got to go."
"Yes, the spiders are fleeing from the school and into the forest," the thestral explained. Percy wasn't sure what to make of that. He thanked the thestral again and quickly caught up to his friends to board the train.
The train ride passed more quickly than Percy would have thought. They all seemed to shed the sadness and worry of the past few weeks the farther they got from the castle as they played exploding snap and ate lots of candy. The chocolate frogs were tasty though not as good as some of the chocolate at his mom's store, but Percy soon found out from his friends that the best parts were the collectable cards of famous witches and wizards. However, once he got cards for Circe, Hecate, and Hades, he decided that some immortal must be having a laugh at his expense and stopped unwrapping any more frogs. He was more than happy to give the Hades card to Hannah since apparently that particular card, which described his uncle as the 'infamous, ancient Greek necromancer', was very rare. Besides he didn't think he would be able to sleep knowing that there was a picture of his uncle glowering at him somewhere in his room.
As for the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Percy initially thought he was pretty safe with only eating the blue ones. He enjoyed flavors like blueberry, blueberry pie, and raspberry, but when he popped a silvery blue bean into his mouth, he gagged at the salty fishy flavor of sardines. The best part though was laughing with his friends again as the monster-free, British countryside passed by.
At the station, everyone said their goodbyes, and the traditional, "See you next year." Percy followed Ernie to a witch and wizard that could only be his parents. They were dressed in matching navy-blue robes, by far the most sensible ones he'd seen even though he could tell they were probably expensive. Mrs. Macmillan had a kind face and greeted her son with a tight hug. To Percy's surprise, she turned to him and gave him one too. "You must be Percy. Ernie has told us so much about you," she exclaimed. "It couldn't have been easy traveling to a different continent for school. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask us."
Percy muttered a quick, "Thank you very much," that was partially muffled.
Mr. Macmillan looked like a typical businessman, stern but fair with faint laugh lines that suggested he did not always take himself too seriously. Ernie had mentioned that his father was a member of some Wizened game thing that apparently was very important in the government. He gave Percy a firm handshake and said, "It is nice to meet you, Percy. We'll make sure you get your portkey back to the States. Now, as I understand, you have done side-along apparition before?" At Percy's grimace, Mr. Macmillan smiled knowingly "It will be over quickly," he reassured him and offered Percy his arm to grip, while Mrs. Macmillan did the same for Ernie. A few uncomfortable seconds later, Percy stood in the Atrium at the Ministry of Magic.
Since they were visitors to the Ministry, Percy and Ernie had to go through security where their wands were weighed, and they were scanned with a golden antennae thing. Percy tensed as the detector got close to his pocket, but clearly whatever enchantments the instrument used did not sense Riptide. The Macmillans provided polite conversations through the elevator ride until they reached the door that read, Itnenartoianl Proktey Tarvel, at least to Percy, who hadn't bothered to put on his Greek translation glasses. "Well, here we go," Mr. Macmillan announced.
The witch on the other side looked bored as she asked Percy standard travel questions about not transporting illegal substances or magical animals and weighed his wand for identification purposes before directing him to the old boot sitting in the middle of the floor. "You have 90 seconds," she told him.
Ernie clapped him on the back and said "Well, we'll be here to pick you up on the seventh. And try to stay out of trouble over there, Jackson."
Percy scoffed, "Me – in trouble? Never!"
"I mean it, Jackson." His tone was serious now. "I know your family has issues – just try to make sure you come back. I can't lose another one of my friends."
Something tightened in Percy's chest at Ernie's concern. Besides, Grover none of his previous classmates would have cared if he'd come back. "I will," he reassured his friend.
"Thirty seconds," the witch called out.
Percy grabbed the boot in one hand and his duffle bag in the other making sure to grip them both tightly. "Have a Happy Christmas, Jackson" Ernie called out.
Percy grinned as he retorted, "Only if you have a Merry Christmas, Macmillan!"
With a tug, Percy felt his feet leave the ground as he spun in a whirl of color and a roar of wind. It was as much fun as the last time though this time he was able to brace himself for when his feet slammed back to the ground and managed to keep his balance even with his bag swinging around him. The same strange man that he had met with Dumbledore last time greeted him with a smile. Percy knew it was the same man because this time he was dressed in a suit jacket over a t-shirt with pajama pants and the same rain boots.
The man, who worked for the Magical Congress for international travel, was brusque and efficient though not unkind as he sealed Percy's wand in a protective box that only Percy could open, scanned Percy again with a golden antenna thing, and confirmed his departure time for his return back to London. With a loud crack, the man apparated leaving Percy alone under the sketchy scaffolding on 72nd Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenue. Percy was surprised that none of the bustling New York crowd on the other side of the street had noticed the loud noise. Their eyes just sort of passed over the spot. Not that he could blame them. Most people did not want to look under sketchy scaffolding, and he expected that the wizards might have put their own charms around the area, sort of like the Mist, to help the non-magic mortals not notice the strange noises or people that magically appeared or disappeared there.
Before Percy could join the throng of New York Christmas shoppers and head back to his apartment, he heard a boy shout, "Look, it's the freak and his cardboard box!"
He turned and saw four boys about his age standing around the old refrigerator box that Percy had seen months ago. "Let's kick it!" the leader said. He wore expensive but sloppy clothes and reminded Percy of some of the rich kids at his previous schools. He thought they were just a bunch of rich kids out of school with nothing to do and was going to just ignore them, but then a whimper came from the box and a faint, "Please . . . stop."
Percy's anger swelled. He hated bullies. Before he knew what he was doing, he shouted at the other boys, "Hey, leave whoever is in there alone!"
"Or what?" the lead bully turned his attention on Percy.
Percy wanted to pulverize them, but he could tell that these guys were 100% non-magical mortals, which meant Chiron's strict orders to never take his anger out on regular mortals, no matter how obnoxious they were, definitely applied here. If he couldn't fight them, he could always use his second favorite strategy, annoy them to death. "I mean if you want to keep looking like stupid cowards then go ahead. But you must be really scared of whoever is in there to kick them while they are stuck in a box four on one."
"Should we give you a wedgie instead?" the boy asked.
Percy had one last trick up his sleeve. He just hoped he could pull it off better than the LA incident. At least he would remember not to swing this time. "Why don't you come try?" he taunted and smirked as he uncapped Riptide. He knew mortals would not actually see the sword, but they still saw something dangerous, like a baseball bat or lacrosse stick.
Either this kid was smarter than the one in LA or didn't have a switchblade because he backed off. He glanced behind him, and Percy followed his gaze. No wonder they hadn't wanted to give the boy who lived in the box a chance to get out. He was over six-feet tall with broad, hulking shoulders. He looked like he could easily swat the bullies across the alley. The boys took one look at him and then back at Percy and his 'bat' and decided to run out back into the New York crowd.
Before anyone else could notice him even with the wizards' protective charms around the area, Percy quickly capped Riptide and returned it to his pocket. Percy heard a funny noise from the direction of the other boy and realized he was crying. "You helped . . . me," he said in between sobs. "You are nice."
He blinked in surprise at the tears that were rolling down the brutal-looking, misshapen face. Usually, you didn't see guys that big crying. Like most boys, tears made Percy uncomfortable, so he quickly looked away and instead glanced at the other boy's crooked teeth, XXL plaid flannel shirt with holes, tattered jeans, and large grimy shoes. No wonder the other boys had been picking on him. Percy knew from personal experience that bullies loved to target victims that stood out or seemed different.
"Hey, big guy," Percy said in his most friendly and comforting voice while he took a few cautious steps towards him. "It's going to be okay. They're gone now. Who were they anyways?"
"Mean kids from school," he sniffled. To Percy's relief, the tears seemed to be slowing down.
"Yeah, I've got some of those too," Percy admitted. "What school do you go to?" He hopped that could help give him more details about this guy.
"Meriwether College Prep," the other boy answered slowly as if he was sounding out the words. "In seventh grade."
The name of the school sounded familiar, and Percy realized that was the school he almost went to before he had found out that he was a wizard. Instead, he just said, "Cool, I'm sort of in seventh grade too, but my school is far away. My name is Percy by the way." He extended his hand to shake.
The other boy's hand completely engulfed Percy's as they shook hands, but thankfully he didn't squeeze too hard. "I am Tyson," he told Percy.
Tyson took one look at the box, which had more dents in it now and was leaning towards the side, and started trying to straighten it out. Percy helped where he could until they reached a rip at the front. Tyson frowned, "Uh-oh, it's ripped."
Even though he had a sinking suspicion, Percy asked the question anyways hoping he was wrong, "Tyson, do you sleep in the box?"
Tyson blushed looking embarrassed as he nodded. Percy felt terrible but had to ask anyways. "Parents?"
"Gone," he answered with a sniffle.
Before Tyson could start crying again, Percy said, "It's okay. I'll help you fix it." Last year, Percy had learned that there were certain supplies a demigod should always travel with: celestial bronze weapons, ambrosia and nectar, golden drachmas, and duct tape. He opened up his duffel bag and fished out his roll. He gave it to Tyson, who immediately beamed and started using it to repair his home. Afterwards, he tried to give it back to Percy, but Percy shook his head and told him, "No you keep it. I'll get some more later."
The big guy looked like Christmas had come early and gave him a hug so tight that he felt like he was apparating again. "You are a good friend," Tyson stated.
Percy wasn't sure when he went from complete stranger to friend, but he smiled anyways and gave Tyson a clap on the back. He figured the big guy must not have many friends, and Percy could always use another one. Maybe, it was the Christmas spirit or maybe it was just his impulsiveness, but Percy found himself asking, "Hey, I live a few blocks down, and my mom is backing some cookies. Would you want to come over for a bit?"
"Yes!" Tyson said and clapped his hands together in excitement. "Sounds fun!"
It wasn't until Percy was in front of his apartment door that he realized bringing someone, who was practically a stranger, to his home might not have been the best idea. He glanced at Tyson who seemed to be fidgeting and looking nervous. What if he was a monster who would try to eat him and his mom? But then again in Percy's experience, monsters didn't let teenagers beat up on them like that, or cry afterwards.
"Do you think your mommy will like me?" Tyson asked, and all of Percy's fear vanished. Tyson was not planning on attacking them. He was afraid he wouldn't be accepted, which was probably how it was for him with his classmates at school.
Percy gave him a pat on the arm as he reassured the big guy, "Don't worry, my mom is the nicest person in the whole world. She'll love you." With that, Percy rang the doorbell.
A moment later, the door opened and there was his mom hugging him. "Oh, Percy, I'm so glad you're here! I want to hear about everything you haven't been putting in your letters."
Percy hugged her back just as hard as he was enveloped in the familiar smells of chocolate, licorice, and peppermint. Finally, he pulled away and said, "Mom, I want you to meet my new friend Tyson. Some mean boys from his school were picking on him, and he looked like he could use some of your cookies."
His mother gasped and then shook her head like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Someone was picking on you?" she asked as if she couldn't believe it. Given his size, Percy understood why his mom was skeptical.
"Yes, bullies from Meriwether," Tyson said with a sniff.
"You go to Meriwether!" His mom sounded surprised and almost alarmed. "Percy almost went there. Did one of your parents sign you up?"
Percy was pretty sure since Tyson was living in a cardboard box that his parents were not exactly in the picture, but then who would have paid for the tuition or filled out the paperwork for a private school? To his surprise Tyson replied, "My Daddy helped. Got Meriwether to take me in as community service project." That surprised Percy. Whose dad let his kid sleep in a cardboard box, but still managed to get them in a fancy private school? It took absent parenting to a whole new level.
However, Sally seemed to relax when she heard that. "That's very nice of them," she said as she stepped aside so they could enter the apartment. "I just started making the cookies. Would you like to help?"
"Yes, super nice Percy's mom!" Tyson answered.
His mom laughed, "You can call me Sally."
Christmas break passed in a blur of Percy's favorite Christmas activities, and for most of them, Tyson was there too. It was like having the little brother he always wanted even if that little brother was actually bigger than him. They looked at all the lights and shop windows on Fifth Avenue and saw the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Tyson loved watching the ice skaters and clapped every time one of them did a spin or landed a jump. Percy's favorite part was the hot chocolate. They decorated the apartment and might have gone a bit crazy this year since there wasn't Smelly Gabe around to be a Grinch and crush the Christmas spirit. Tyson was a huge help when it came to putting the star on top of the tree. Of course, they also baked a lot. Percy and his friends had decided to exchange gifts when they returned since even his albatross Molly would have trouble flying all those presents across the Atlantic.
Tyson loved all of it. Percy and his mom tried to talk him into staying over more, but he always said he had to go back to his spot. Finally, after Percy brought his mom to see how bad Tyson's spot was, she asked, "Tyson, why won't you let us help you more? I could tell social services, and they could help you find a better home."
Tyson though just shook his head and said, "My Mommy said I needed to stay here to learn, and that my Daddy could deal with me now. My Daddy knows where I am. He sent the Meriwether people. If I move, he might not find me." He looked so wistful that it was hard to argue with him, so neither Percy nor his mom mentioned it again.
Even with Tyson hanging out a lot, Percy still had plenty of time to catch up with his mother. He told her everything that had happened over the term, well almost everything since he left out anything remotely related to the Chamber of Secrets. She had laughed when he told her the prank he had pulled on Lockhart, something he had left out of his letters just in case, and after everything, she told him how proud she was. "I'm so happy for you Percy. You've made friends and are doing so well in your classes. Plus, there aren't any monsters for you to worry about. Guess this really is for the best." Percy quickly changed the subject. He did not want his mom to have to worry even more about him, especially since there was nothing she could do about it.
Christmas day was the best one Percy could remember. Tyson came over, and they ate cookies and watched Christmas movies all day. They also opened presents, and to Percy's surprise, Tyson gave him and his mom tiny mechanical horse figurines that he had made. Tyson showed them how to use the crank on the side to wind them up and the horses or ponies as Tyson called them would gallop around a circle and rear up. The best part though was seeing Tyson's big, crooked-teeth smile when he opened his presents of new clothes, shoes, and more duct tape.
Percy wished it could last forever, but unfortunately, his mom had to return to work for a big after Christmas candy sale, which left him and Tyson on their own for the last few days of their break. After an incident with the stove and a grilled cheese sandwich that almost started a fire, Percy decided that it might be best if he and Tyson spent some time away from the apartment. Percy knew Tyson hadn't meant to knock the cooking oil over, but he didn't want to risk another accident. Instead, he and Tyson got on a bus and headed to the Bronx Zoo. Tyson had never been to a zoo before, and the Bronx was the best. Besides, Percy needed to test something. Part of him hoped that his friends were wrong, and he wasn't that Parselmouth thing – that maybe it was all just a strange coincidence.
Percy had thought that Tyson would like the zoo, but it turned out that Tyson loved the zoo. He dragged Percy from one exhibit to the next, pointing out all the animals. His favorite though were probably the zebras or striped ponies as he had initially called them. Luckily, they stayed far enough away that they didn't give Percy the special son of Poseidon treatment. The sea lions though were a different story. They went crazy as soon as Percy and Tyson reached their enclosure with lots of barking and leaping. All the zoo guests had their cameras out and were taking pictures. Nearby, an extremely confused zoo guide tried to explain the strange behavior to her tour. "As you can see, sea lions enjoy the cold weather by staying very active." When one of the sea lions almost cleared the railing trying to get to him, Percy figured they should move on even though Tyson loved all the jumps and flips the sea lions were doing. The zoo guide was definitely looking at him strangely as she reminded the guests to not feed the animals, and knowing his luck, he would get thrown out of the zoo for supposedly feeding the sea lions before he could accomplish what he came here to do.
Percy waited until it was close to closing time before he and Tyson went to the World of Reptiles since he figured there would be fewer people to watch him try to talk to snakes. They walked past alligators, turtles, and a few cool lizards before entering the python section. Percy had been wearing his glasses most of the day, so that he could finally read all the cool information about the animals without getting a headache. However, he did not need his glasses to see a picture of Apollo slaying the snake monster Python with his bow and arrows. Of course, they would bring up that myth in the python exhibit at the zoo although it did seem as if there weren't any pythons actually in Greece. That particular family of snakes had just been named after the mythical monster. Percy shuddered and hoped he would never have to fight that particular monster since it took a god to defeat him. He should probably ask Annabeth and make sure Python wasn't one of those monsters that reformed quickly like Mrs. Dodds.
Next to the python sign, Percy saw a large snake looking at him through its window as it lounged in its small pool. He glanced around, but no one was really around him. Tyson was still at the poisonous frog window admiring all of the bright colors. According to the sign, the snake was a reticulated python. Not sure how this communication ability was supposed to work, Percy concentrated like he had when he talked to horses and thought, "Hello, can you hear me?" at the snake.
Nothing happened. Percy glanced around again before focusing back on the snake. This time he actually said the words out loud, "Hello, can you hear me?"
The snake blinked as if it was surprised and raised its head up nodding it. "Yes, I can."
"Great," Percy muttered sarcastically. "And can many people talk with you?"
The snake shook its head, "No, but my brethren whisper of those few who can. I never imagined that I would meet one." The snake stretched up so that it could look Percy in the eye and stuck out its forked tongue. "You smell different too, like water and salt and strength, a top predator just like me."
"Um thanks," Percy replied not sure what else to say. "Do you like it here?"
The snake tilted its head as if to say maybe, "I miss the wild, but I'm comfortable, and there's plenty of food. Plus, it's better than the illegal leather traders that captured and tortured me before I was brought here."
Percy chest tightened in guilt and anger. This was what Grover was fighting against. He wished there was a way that he could do more. He hoped that since the snake was here it meant that those illegal traders had been shut down and brought to justice. All he could tell the snake though was, "Sorry, some humans can be so . . ." Percy tried to think of the word that described what his species did to the world, "monstrous."
"Mommy, look! That boy is talking to the snake! He's making funny noises."
Percy whirled around and saw a little girl pointing at him, but her mother just said, "That's nice dear, but we should really head out. Besides, you know how scary snakes are."
When they had gone, Percy looked back at the python who had curled up around himself and seemed to be regarding him thoughtfully if a snake could look thoughtful. "And yet your kind are the ones afraid of us."
Before Percy could respond, Tyson came over and said, "This snake is so pretty."
Percy wasn't sure how the snake knew what Tyson had said. Maybe the snake could understand some English or just picked up on Tyson's tone. Either way, the snake winked at Percy and said, "Though I guess not all monsters are bad. Tell him I said thanks though he smells funny too."
Before Percy could ask the snake what he meant about Tyson smelling funny and risk Tyson hearing him, a man's voice came over the zoo speakers, "Sorry folks it's that time of day. Please make your way to the zoo exits. Thank you for visiting the Bronx Zoo." Percy waved goodbye to the snake and headed out the zoo. He and Tyson made it back to help his mom with dinner without any trouble. Percy was surprised that he hadn't been attacked by any monsters while he and Tyson had been out. Usually, his luck wasn't that good. He wondered if even monsters took a break during the holidays.