Chaos Rising |BOOK 2| Harry Potter x PJO |Alexandra Marine|

PIPER McLEAN

I squinted at the sun and held the crinkled paper up high. 

The yellowing parchment faded a shade more and through the parchment, translucent words formed, as it would on an old currency note. 

30th June. 

I turned my wrist and looked at my watch. 

The numbers 1 and 3 shone brightly, fading into the sunlight. 1.15. 

I sighed and looked into the paper again. 

Meet them at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

I frowned. 

I'd read through the paper at least a hundred times in the past three years. And yet I couldn't figure out who 'them' was.

I continued to read more.

A few numbers had been scribbled down hastily.... telephone numbers. But who they belonged to, I couldn't tell.

Do not dial unless you're in a life or death situation, Annabeth had written. Find yourself across Manhattan.

God knows where they were at that time.

Well, I was in a pretty good position, so I decided not to linger on the phone numbers.

I continued to read. 

AA. She'll find you. Follow her.

AA? I thought. Who's that?

I shrugged to myself and read on. 

The Greek Azkaban's prisoners need to be released. Those who know, need not ask.

I squinted at those lines harder to make sure I'd read it right. 

Azkaban?

Maybe it was my dyslexia working it's way to my head.

I folded the piece of paper and shoved into my jeans pocket, looking around for whoever 'them' was.

Annabeth and Percy had been incredibly vague, I thought, looking down as a great shadow passed overhead, probably a bird. As vague as vague can get. I bit my lip angrily and tapped my foot against the ground, crossing my arms over.

"Just because you've lived through time doesn't mean you get to be so vague," I muttered to myself, feeling the three year old parchment in my pocket.

"McLean? Piper?"

I turned around, frowning. No one calls me McLean.

The scrawny man had black hair, pointy ears and elf-like face with a cheerful smile. His black hair had grown out up to his neck. But the most singular thing about Leo Valdez had always been those dark brown eyes that were always full of mischief and trouble, like he's just drunk twenty gallons of caffeine in one gulp.

Leo laughed so loudly I thought his ADHD had peaked. "Hey, wow, I was right!"

"Hey, Leo," I said, grinning. 

"Wow!" Leo said. "I see you're still Beauty Queen."

"Wait until Calypso hears that," I smirked. 

"You wouldn't," Leo said, putting a hand to his chest, offended. "That was a compliment."

I grinned. "It's great to see you," I hugged him. 

Leo threw his arms around me in a big bear hug. "I really missed you guys."

"You guys?" I asked, pulling away. "Plural sense."

"Well, I still miss him," Leo said sadly. "Hopefully all will be well in another year."