The Hogwart's Problem

Chapter One

The darkness of the night bore down on Percy and Nico, swallowing them whole. Their only guide was the full moon that shone down on them, faintly lighting their path. The forest was quiet, quieter than it should be. A shiver ran down Percy's spine, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Even without seeing them, he knew that glowing eyes were burning into his back, watching his every move.

"Nico?" Percy whispered out of the side of his mouth. "We aren't the only ones in this forest. There's someone, or something watching us."

Nico had his hand on his Stygian Iron sword, prepared for an attack. He radiated death, and the grass died under his feet with every step he took. "I know," he murmured discreetly. "Ever since we've shadow travelled here. It's almost like it's hunting us."

A harsh growl interrupted their conversation, scaring the Hades out of both of them, though neither would admit it. Percy and Nico immediately got back to back, and pulled their weapons out in a flash. They looked around, straining their eyes in the dark to search for their enemy, but all they could see were putrid yellow and crimson eyes.

"Can you shadow travel yet?" Percy quietly questioned Nico as they stared into the eyes of their hunters.

Nico shook his head in response. "In a few minutes, maybe, but we don't have that time. Whatever these things are, we'll have to fight them."

The monsters stalked closer, and could finally be seen under the light of the moon.

"Oh," Percy sighed with relief, and relaxed his stance. "They're just hellhounds. And a lot fewer than I thought." It was true. When they were in the darkness, the eyes seemed multiplied.

Nico frantically looked around in response, noticing something Percy didn't. "Perce, um, these aren't just normal hellhounds. Look closer."

Skeptically, Percy glanced around him, and horror rose up in him. "Death Breath, is that just me, or...?" He trailed off, the question obvious to any who looked close enough at their stalkers.

The visible hounds growled, their eyes gleaming with hunger. Their were obvious holes in their circle, so Percy looked there. If he was hallucinating or dreaming, someone had better pinch him now.

Where he thought nothing stood, red eyes glowed back at him. There was a slight shimmer in the air, and a familiarly-shaped shadow on the ground.

The majority of the hellhounds were freaking invisible.

Nico teased, and broke Percy's train of thought. The hellhounds, both viable and invisible, lunged for them.

Slash, hack, duck, stab, block. There was a rhythm to his sword work. Whenever a hound got past his line of defense, Nico would be there, saving his hide, and vice versa.

Percy stabbed a hellhound where it's heart would be, dissolving it. Another immediately took its place, and was soon sent back to the underworld.

After killing yet another hellhound, Percy heard Nico's cry of pain and rushed to his aid. He was facing an invisible hellhound and had lost track of where it was, until it clawed at his stomach. It hadn't gotten two deep, thank Zeus, but his shirt was in tatters and scarlet blood was seeping through.

"I'm good, I'm good. Stomach wounds bleed a lot," Nico croaked as Percy finally figured out where the stupid invisible hellhound was(after standing there like an idiot trying to find something invisible for a minute or so) and killed it as it lept onto of him, knocking him down beside Nico. "I can shadow travel now, Percy! Grab my hand!" He lost track of his sword. The monster dust blinded him, and he felt around blindly for both the weapon and Nico.

A particularly smart beast, one of the visible ones, lept on top of him and took advantage of his blindness. The hellhound bit into his arm, just as he reached Nico. He kicked the monster away, black spots dancing across his vision, and they shadow travelled the last stretch to Camp Half-Blood.

Chiron was there, calling Will to help them as soon as he saw them.

Percy lost consciousness at the steps of the big house, exactly like the first time he had come to Camp Halfblood.

Except his one true love was nowhere to be seen, nor ever would be.