American Royalty III

Part 3: The time will come

Hermione sat at the edge of the Burrow's kitchen table, her teacup forgotten as the argument in front of her escalated. The Order was trying to finalize the plan to move Harry from the Dursleys to the Burrow, but the meeting had hit a wall the moment the newcomers—Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Piper, Connor, and Valerie—had suggested joining the mission.

"We've got our people, and we've got a plan that works," Moody growled, his magical eye fixing on the royals, "We don't need a bunch of kids mucking it up."

"We're not kids," Jason said firmly, his blue eyes flashing. He glanced around the room, his tone growing more insistent. "We've led operations like this before. We've fought in wars."

"Wars?" Mrs. Weasley's voice was sharp as she looked over at the demigods, her concern for their safety clear. "You're children. Whatever you've been through, this isn't the same."

Piper crossed her arms, leaning against the kitchen wall. "We're not trying to throw your plan off," she said, frustration creeping into her voice. "But you don't understand what we can do. You don't know what we've faced."

"And what exactly have you faced?" Moody barked, his grizzled face set in a scowl. "Because this is You-Know-Who. This isn't some schoolyard scuffle or play-acting. This is the real thing."

"We've handled real things," Valerie shot back, her electric-blue eyes narrowing. "Maybe it wasn't Voldemort, but if it weren't for us I can guarantee none of us would be standing here. We know how to handle this."

"You've fought beings?" Kingsley's deep voice rumbled from across the room. His brows furrowed, clearly not buying into their vague claims. "Who exactly have you fought? And more importantly, why haven't you told us?"

The tension in the room spiked. Annabeth's jaw tightened, but she kept her voice measured. "Look, you don't need to know the details of what we've fought. Just know that we've seen more than enough to understand the risks of this mission. We're here to help."

Tonks, who had been silent until now, crossed her arms. "You lot haven't exactly been forthcoming about your past. All we know is you're Royalty from America and have led... armies? Wars? It doesn't exactly scream 'trustworthy' when you leave out the details."

Percy bristled at that, but before he could say anything, Annabeth placed a hand on his arm, silencing him with a glance. She turned back to the room. "We're not here to stir up trouble. We want the same thing you do—to keep Harry safe. That's why we're offering our help."

Moody barked out a laugh, the sound sharp and cold. "Offering your help? You're still kids, no matter how many battles you've seen. You're not trained for this. You don't know the kind of magic we're dealing with."

"And you don't know what we've trained for," Jason interjected, his voice cool but firm. "We've faced worse than you think."

"You keep saying that," Moody growled, stepping closer, "but all I see are six teenagers who think they can waltz into a battlefield. This isn't about heroics. This is about precision, planning, and minimizing risk."

Annabeth stood up straighter, her grey eyes flashing with restrained anger. "We're not reckless. We've fought wars—led armies against enemies that could have destroyed the world. We've had to make plans when everything was falling apart. We're not suggesting we take over your mission, just that you let us be part of it. We could help if things go wrong."

Mrs Weasley stepped forward, her protective instincts kicking in. "You're children! You shouldn't be involved in something like this in the first place. Let us handle it. You've already been through enough."

Percy's face hardened, and for a moment, Hermione thought he might snap back. But instead, he glanced at Annabeth, deferring to her, as if waiting for her to decide how far they should push this.

Hermione could see both sides, but the tension was only growing. She couldn't sit by any longer. "Wait," she said, standing from her seat. All eyes turned to her, the weight of the room suddenly heavy on her shoulders. "I think we're missing the point here. It's not about whether or not they've faced battles or led armies. What matters is that they've got experience. And in a situation like this, where anything could go wrong, wouldn't we want every capable hand we can get?"

Moody's magical eye whirled in her direction, but Hermione pressed on. "I've seen what they can do—even if they haven't told us everything. They're good in a crisis. If something goes wrong when we're moving Harry, having more people who can think on their feet could be the difference between success and failure."

Kingsley nodded thoughtfully, but his expression remained cautious. "That may be true, Hermione, but their... capabilities remain unknown to us. Bringing in unknown variables could just as easily lead to failure."

"And we can't afford that," Moody added, his tone flat. "We've planned for this for months. Adding wild cards at the last second—especially ones we don't fully understand—doesn't make sense."

Jason looked like he was about to argue again, but Annabeth shook her head, stepping back. "We're not wild cards," she said, her voice calm but firm. "But fine. If you think it's too risky to bring us, we'll step back this time. Just know if things go sideways—and I suspect they will—we'll be sitting here twiddling our thumbs."

Her words hung in the air as the tension began to dissipate, but the room remained charged with unease.

Percy, Jason, and Connor exchanged glances, and without another word, they moved toward the door. The weight of the meeting and the unresolved tension settled on their shoulders as they stepped outside. The fresh air of the Burrow's garden offered a brief reprieve from the stifling atmosphere inside.

Meanwhile, Annabeth, Piper, and Valerie made their way upstairs, each lost in their own thoughts. The quiet of the upper floors contrasted sharply with the charged atmosphere of the kitchen. As they reached their rooms, the distant murmur of the Order's continued discussion floated up to them, a reminder that the danger was very real and very close.

Once upstairs, the girls gathered in Ginny's room that was now temporarily housing the five girls. The room was dim, with the soft light of the morning filtering through the curtains. Piper flopped onto the bed, and Valerie leaned against the door, her expression unreadable.

"Think we did the right thing?" Piper asked, her voice low.

Annabeth sighed, sitting down at her desk. "It's not about being right. It's about doing what we can with the situation we're given."

Valerie nodded, crossing her arms. "We've faced worse, and they know that. They're just scared of the unknown."

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed. "But we've made our point. We'll be here if they need us. Right now, we have to focus on what we can control."

Back downstairs, Percy and Jason paced the garden, their conversation a mix of frustration and determination. Connor stood quietly by, his eyes scanning the horizon as if searching for any sign of what might come next.

"Why do they have to be so damn stubborn?" Percy muttered, kicking a small stone across the lawn.

Jason shrugged. "It's not about us, really. It's about keeping Harry safe. But I know they'll need us sooner or later."

Connor's gaze remained distant, his mind clearly preoccupied. "Funny, isn't it? They've spent the last two years practically begging us to join them and now here we are, ready to help and they don't want it."

"Funny indeed," Percy agreed, his tone firmer now. "And when they realize they need our help, we'll be there. Until then, we'll take the back seat."

As the three of them stood there, the weight of the waiting game hung heavily in the air. The sun climbed higher, casting long shadows over the garden, a silent reminder of the uncertainty that lay ahead.