Heroes with Wands

Chapter 18

Piper

"Romilda Vane keeps staring at us," Percy mumbled to Harry. "She and her possy are stalking us, bro. It's freaking me out more than my buddy Grover's old enchilada eating contests."

Harry looked up. Hermione replied, "That's because she thinks Harry's the Chosen One. And you-I don't know. Maybe because you're doom and gloom with a sword." Percy snorted.

"Wow, I feel loved," he said, taking Annabeth's hand under the table. She blushed and Hermione shrugged.

Harry said without a smile, "That's because I am the Chosen One." Hermione slapped the back of his head and he started laughing. "All right, okay. I get it."

Percy looked over at Romilda Vane and her friends and called, "Hey! We know we're like, insanely hot and like, insanely awesome, and like, totally the Chosen ones, but go find other people who just might be as sexy as us to stalk!"

"Perseus!" Annabeth yelled. Jason and I laughed. Hazel and Frank looked at them and rolled their eyes, smirking. Leo, of course, was sticking aluminum foil and tooth pick pinwheels into the ghosts, not paying any attention.

Percy gave us a look of amusement. Romilda Vane and her friends got up and left the library, tossing us a look of annoyance. Harry and Percy snickered.

Ginny came in holding hands with Dean. "Hey," she said. "Dumbledore said to come and get you. Everyone's already in his office. He wants to talk about....stuff."

Jason and I exchanged looks and stood. Ginny kissed Dean goodbye (much to Harry's dismay), and led us up to Dumbledore's office. The staircase was hidden behind an eagle statue, which I know Annabeth was thinking about for Olympus.

Right when we pushed through the doors, I heard it. Annabeth froze, and all turning to her.

"Wisdom's daughter walks alone,

The Mark of Athena burns through her home.

A recovery depends on a hero's last breath,

Who shall suffer in vain an endless death.

The enemy's bane stands gold and pale,

Won through pain from a woven jail."

Dumbledore closed a book. "Interesting prophecy there," he said, eyeing us. "I'm sure you all know why you're here. The incident in the Great Hall...we'll be at war soon."

I clenched my fists as Harry came to his senses. "Wisdom's daughter? Isn't that Annabeth?"

"I guess we'll have to tell them," Annabeth said, looking at us. I touched her arm and smiled. Hazel nodded and gave a small smile, urging her on.

Annabeth had that glint to her eyes. I saw her thoughts swarming in her gray eyes. As a daughter of Aphrodite, I could sense her longing to crawl onto Percy's lap and disappear.

Dumbledore smiled at me through his half-moon spectacles, like he knew what I was thinking. "Your mother came to me in my thoughts, Annabeth. She said she believes wizardry might help you on your mission."

"What exactly is the Mark of Athena?" asked Hermione. I sighed. Taking her coin from her pocket, Annabeth explained everything. Her voice cracked once. I took her free hand, and she smiled at me gratefully.

After she was done, Frank said, "The only time the coin revealed the map was when Annabeth was completely alone in her cabin. We've all been around her lately, so it hasn't shown itself."

"Then you must try and recover the next steps," Dumbledore said. "The Mark of Athena will help you on this quest. And I understand Athena also spoke the last Great Prophecy....Parts of that will also be revealed as you carry on."