The Hidden Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 24: Karpoi and Gold

Previously:
"Oh, Oracle of Delphi, where can we find Thanatos?" Nico spoke up since I was frozen, thrown off by the sudden change of topic.

"Demigods and Witch facing dangers untold,
Travel south to fields of gold.
North and South must they search,
Only to be found and sent with a voice.
For Death has made his choice."

"Di immortales," I muttered just as Rachel came out of the green mist trance. "Way to make it sound as morbid as possible."

Dinner that night was...strange. I know Harry was thrilled to be in a place where his celebrity status didn't matter that much. The miracle of not dying when everyone expects you to has grown old thanks to me. He seemed happier, was making more friends. Same with Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Penny.

Hermione and Ginny seemed to gravitate toward the children of Athena. For completely different reasons. I think that Ginny might have a field day when she meets any children of Ares. She has found kindred spirits in the fierce attitudes that they both seem to have. She was currently having an arm wrestle with a red headed son of Athena. Hermione was fascinated by everything that they knew about the mythical creatures. Not to mention the way the Hecate children do magic. I know for a fact that the book she is reading right now at the Hecate table is not found in the wizarding world at all.

Ron found a chess buddy in the Hermes cabin and has been playing for the entirety of the meal. Which was saying something because Ron rarely missed an opportunity to eat.

Of course because Harry's celebrity status didn't mean much in this part of the world, meant that all awed gazes were on me.

I sat with Penny, Grover, and Rachel at Poseidon's table with my head bowed over my pizza. Avoiding all eye contact and trying to not draw any attention to myself. So far, no one was doing anything.

We all know how long that lasts.

"WHAT?"

I winced at the sudden noise and instinctively looked up to see what was going on. My head popped over Grover's at the same time Conner stood up from his table. The last person I knew personally who was physically in camp...I think.

Silence.

"PERCY!"

"H-hey, Conner," I replied.

He was suddenly sitting on one side of Grover with his tray of food in front of him. "I didn't realize you were coming to visit! I didn't think you were ever going to come back!"

"Well, Harry, Hermione, and my siblings wanted to check out camp for themselves and I needed to do somethings for Hecate, Medusa, and myself." I now turned to Penny. "Which reminds me, I need to pick a few things up from the Athena cabin before we leave tomorrow."

"You're leaving already?" Conner said, sounding disappointed.

"A quest," I answered. "I was just filling Grover in. Not that he's coming."

"Why not, Percy?" Grover asked, poking at his food moodily.

"We might have to go back to the Underworld again." I said flatly. "You made me promise when we got back last time that I would never make you go there again."

Grover was still at that. "You have a point." He finally said.

"Anyways, since you're here too, do you mind helping Grover out with something while Penny, Nico, and I are gone?" I turned to Conner.

"Anything, Perce!" He said enthusiastically.

"Keep an eye on my siblings, Harry, and Hermione." I said. "They don't know how things work here and may not know that some things are too dangerous for them to handle. They'll test you on that."