A Tale of Gods and Magic

Percy: The Suspicious Sleeping Baby

A/N Deamus is possible a new ship. Not sure?? Should I write it into the story? Comment your ideas. Here's my chapter!

Among the lies and traitors, Percy knew one thing for sure.

He had to rescue Nico... and Hecate.

Night hung over the grounds like a thick, black blanket. The corridors were all deserted at this late hour, but Percy still stuck to the shadows as he climbed out of bed. He knew she should've woken Annabeth, told her the plan, enlisted her to find some way to leave Hogwarts, whether it be on the Argo II, or broomsticks, or flying unicorns for all he cared. He knew it would take forever for Blackjack to fly across the gods-darned ocean, so that was out of the question. And what had Seamus said about enchantments to keep people out of Hogwarts... and the students in? He was sure Annabeth could find some way around them, but he needed to operate alone. He had no idea what he'd be facing and couldn't risk losing Annabeth in any way, shape, or form.

So that was why Percy was making sure to be particularly quiet as he changed into a pair of jeans and a Camp Half-Blood tee shirt, his uniform. As Percy pulled Riptide from its customary spot on his bedside table he heard a creak and whirled around. He cursed under his breath at the squeak his sneakers made on the floor.

Percy scanned the room. He could see Jason's sleeping shadow through the curtains of his four-poster bed. The next bed over, he could hear Ron snoring. Percy took a deep breath. It had probably just been a, um, mouse? Were there mice at Hogwarts? Or did they have some sort of vermin-warding spell? Percy shook the thoughts from his head. He should be focusing on Nico's rescue, not mouse magic.

He slipped into a superbaggy Harvard sweatshirt he may or may not have pilfered from Rachel. His heart suddenly felt as if it was being jammed into a blender. He missed Camp Half-Blood so much, from the days spent with Rachel climbing trees and arguing about pointless things to the lava climbing wall and even Chiron. The sweatshirt still smelled of paint and strawberries. He bit his lip to let the pain distract him. Any more time remembering camp and he'd be running to Annabeth.

Reluctantly he pulled his wand from the coffee mug he had been keeping it in among the quills he used for classes. Why quills? It was the twenty-first century, wasn't it? As Percy snuck out of the common room and ignored the Fat Lady's frenzied whispers, he went over all the clues.

Hecate had been captured.

Someone had found some way to steal their memories of Hecate's kidnapping.

Arnold had captured them.

Hogwarts had been attacked.

Nico had been captured.

And Hogwarts didn't seem to be doing anything about it, besides pointing blame at the demigods and failing his well thought-out essays. Everything seemed to be pointing towards one conclusion, one all the demigods had scorned earlier.

Hogwarts was plotting against them. Percy gripped Riptide tight. All the ways he could be caught suddenly flooded his head. Peeves or another ghost could seem him and make so much noise McGonagall would come down. Mrs. Norris could spot him and warn Filch. For all he knew, one of the people in the paintings slumbering on the walls could send out an alarm!

He shot a reproachful look at the portrait of a sleeping baby.

Every few seconds, Percy would swivel around, sure he had heard a stumbling pair of feet behind him or the click of Mrs. Norris's claws on the floor. And every time there would be nothing behind him but a stretch of empty corridor. So he kept walking, snapping his head around every few seconds, and fervently wishing he had thought this out more.... and taken Annabeth with him.

Percy took a sharp left and went over the directions Seamus had given him yesterday for the secret passage out of the castle. Apparently "George" (whoever that was) had reopened some of the passages out of the castle that had been sealed during the battle. And he had started a black market for magical joke products on the edge of the forest. Seamus sure liked a good bit of gossip. And Dean. It always seemed that Seamus and Dean were hanging out together, laughing over some inside joke. They had authority over the best chairs in the common room, and Percy had spent many nights watching the two boys argue with Harry over who would get the chair closest to the crackling fire.

Harry. His name was met with whispers, but also shouts. Sometimes a pack of girls followed him around the hallways, much to his girlfriend's dismay. Hermione had told Percy about Harry, everything from his scar to his skipped seventh year with her, to his ultimate killing of Voldemort.

He had exchanged a few hurried conversations with Percy between classes, but he wasn't exactly an open book despite his famous status.

Percy's thoughts were cut off by a resounding crash, which made him jump back and crash into... oh, no. Mrs. Norris. The cat hissed at him, fur standing up on end, and went running away. Percy's first action was to lunge for the cat and grab its tail, which resulted in him lying face-first on the floor with a bruise soon to manifest on his chin.

He swore, picked himself up, and started to sprint down a cramped passageway that Seamus said would lead to a suit of armor which he should go behind to get out of the building.

Percy's feet echoed on the stone floor but he didn't care any more. Filch would be here any moment and it mattered more that he got outside in time than he stayed quiet.

There was another crash and a squeal and a meow but Percy could see the gleam of metal at the end of the hallway. He wasn't thinking of the fact that someone had reached into his mind or the plan for how he'd find Nico. All he was thinking about was getting behind the suit or armor ahead.

Percy could hear Filch behind him, cursing, and a loud, rumbling purr. Percy dived behind the armor, fell into a passageway, and... Slammed into a body.

"Mercury's Flying Sandals! What are you doing here, Percy?" Percy looked up to find Jason, glasses askew, standing in front of him.