What happens if Camp Half-Blood and Hogwarts collide?

Chapter 3

"Alice, do you have everything packed?"

I looked up from my steak and kidney pie to my dotty old grandmother. My father's family has always been a strange mix of propriety and eccentricity and coupled with the fact that we're distant relatives of Rowena Ravenclaw, and you've got yourself a fat lot of trouble.

"Yes, Grandmother. Have you heard anything from Father?"

"Atticus has not made contact with us. I will let you know as soon as we hear something, right Ambrose?" I looked over at Grandfather and saw that he had fallen asleep again. "Ambrose!"

Grandmother clapped her hands once and Grandfather's head snapped up.

"Snargle luff puff. Huh? What?"

"You fell asleep again, Ambrose. That's the third time this week that you've fallen asleep at a meal, and it's only Monday!"

"I wouldn't fall asleep at meals if you didn't keep me all night with your snoring! Woman sounds like the Hogwarts Express."

Grandmother rolled her eyes before turning back to me. "Do you want us to see you off tomorrow?"

"Of course! You always see me off and it'll be the last chance I get to see you until next summer."

I know that most of my classmates would be embarrassed to have their grandparents see them off, especially at fifteen years old, but I don't really are. I'm already outcasted by my peers, and my grandparents are actually really cool.

Grandmother smiled. "Ambrose, will you ask Jakobus to assist us with Alice's trunk?"

"I don't mind doing it, but what's so horrible about you doing it? Batty old woman."

I stifled a giggle while Grandmother just rolled her eyes. "Because I do everything around here and it would be nice if you did something once in while. We didn't hire Jakobus so that you could dally all day."

"Don't worry, Grandmother, I will ask Jakobus for help. If you will please excuse me, I'm going to make sure that I didn't miss anything." I placed my napkin down by my plate and stood to leave.

On my way out, I ran into my grandparents' butler, Jakobus.

"Excuse, my lady."

"No need, Jakobus. In fact, my grandparents were wondering if you would help us with my trunk tomorrow. I don't really need the help, but I told them I would ask for them anyways."

"I will do as you command, my lady."

"Well, don't worry about it, then. You can just drive us to the station. And, please, don't call me 'my lady.' It's not the nineteenth century anymore and my family is not nobility."

"Only because wizards do not follow such practices."

I nodded. "Thanks, Jakobus. I'll see you in the morning."

I quickly raced up the steps and double checked my room and trunk for anything I might have overlooked. After finding and packing a couple of missing books, I got ready for bed and fell asleep.

"Hurry up, Janie, we're going to make Alice miss the train if you don't pick up your sluggish feet!"

"Oh you hush, Ambrose. You know that my hip has not been the same since I took that tumble last fall! I would appreciate a little sympathy."

"Bah! The Healers at St. Mungo's fixed you up and said that your hip was better than new. What your problem is is that you're just old."

I turned my head and kept pushing the trolly. "You know, you can't walk as fast if you're talking! Besides, we're here." I turned my face back around to look at the magical pillar that hid Platform 9 3/4 from the muggles. A smile spread itself across my face as I casually leaned against the pillar and fell through to see that beautiful scarlet engine.

"The Hogwarts Express," I breathed out as I moved out of my grandparents' way. When they came up behind me, I forced a path through the crowd, looking for Albus. Finally, I came up on a dark haired boy talking with a man who looked very much like him.

"Well, neither of you is Albus, but perhaps one of you can tell me where he is?"

James Potter turned to face me while his father, Harry, leaned over slightly to see me.

"Ali Ann!" James moved to stand beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "My favorite Ravenclaw student. You know, Dad here is too ashamed to let Albus return to school, his being a Slytherin and all. The past four years have been hard on him and Mum, so they've decided to keep him home and school him there. You'll just have to settle for me and Lily."

I rolled my eyes. "When are you going to learn that I'm never going to fall those tricks? I grew up with professional pranksters."

James smirked. "I never expect you to fall for it."

"Where is Albus?"

"Right here, Al."

I turned around and found his green eyes a lot closer than I had expected. I leaned back, threw my hands in the air, cried, "Albus!" and wrapped my arms around his torso.

"How delightfully American of you, as always."

I raised my right eyebrow at him. "'How delightfully American'?"

Albus put his hand over my mouth while putting a finger to his own lips. "Shh. Don't hurt your head from thinking. Anyways, the train's about to leave."

I pushed his hand away from my mouth and rolled my eyes. Albus and James grabbed their trunks and followed me to the train.

"Your eyes are going to pop out of your skull if you keep doing that. I'm not sure Madam Pumphrey would enjoy cleaning that mess."

"You're such a loser."

"Says the only American at a British school."

"United Kingdom school. It caters to students in Scotland and Wales if I do recall correctly."

"Albion school."

I rolled my eyes again.

"Albus, we do not live in the days of Kind Arthur."

"But that would cool, James. Imagine learning magic from Merlin himself!"

"Or you could learn from Morgan le Fey or Morgause."

"Always the optimist, aren't you, James?"

"You're not any better, Yank."

"Hey, I am not a Yankee. I was born in Alabama."

"But didn't you grow up on Long Island?"

"Yes, but t was with kids from all over the US. It was very cultural."

"I bet it was," Albus muttered under his breath. Like a true loyal friend, Albus never told his family about me being a demigod. Luckily, this is James's last year, so I won't have to worry about him for too much longer.

We found seats in an empty compartment. It didn't take Lily, Rose, and Hugo long to find us. Soon after they arrived, Dominique and Lewis joined us as well.

"It's a little more crowded than I remember."

"Because you're not as small you remember, Dom."

Dominique did her best to hit Lewis, but the limited space saved her brother.

I stretch my legs across the small space and propped my feet up on James's knee. "I hope you don't mind. I really need a nap. I still have jet lag." I leaned my head on Albus's shoulder and slept most of the way to Hogwarts.