Saving Wisdom and Wizards *REWRITE* || PJO x HP

Chapter 7: Dead Horses and Talking Hats? No Thanks

Percy was stunned. The castle was amazing.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Percy."

"Thanks, Neville." Percy couldn't stop staring at the towers. And the entrance. And the carriages. All of it. Annabeth would have loved it. Percy stiffened, and his eye started to tear up.

"Are you alright Percy?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Percy coughed. "I'm fine, Just, uh, got something in my eye." Hermione wasn't convinced but she dropped the subject.

"First years o'er here!" A gruff man yelled. Percy looked towards the voice to see a large man with a beard carrying a lantern by a lake.

Percy looked towards Ron and Hermione silently asking if he counted as a first year.

"That's Hagrid. Best teacher in Hogwarts." Ron said.

"He's the Gatekeeper and teaches Care of Magical Creatures." Hermione added.

Percy looked back at the man. He trusted his friends, but Hagrid didn't seem entirely... human.

"He's half- giant." Harry said. Percy forgot he was even there.

The word giant caused Percy's heartbeat to speed up. Not once in his entire life had he encountered a giant who wasn't hellbent on killing him.

"C'mon, we'll introduce you." The trio started walking towards Hagrid, with Percy slowly following behind them. They almost made it (to Percy's chagrin), until Percy started hearing voices.

Lord, we are honored to have you here. Percy looked around. All he saw were students milling about in between carriages. Have you talked with our King? Percy stopped walking, confusing his fellow wizards and witch.

Who are you? Percy mentally asked back.

By the carriages. The voices answered.

Percy started walking towards the carriages, but stopped when he saw what the voices belonged to. Percy stared at the creatures. They were horses, of course, but they were translucent. Dead, almost.

"What are you?" He asked, unaware that he spoke aloud.

"What are what?" Hermione asked. "Percy, what are you talking about?"

Percy startled. "The horses. Hermione, I'm seeing dead horses." Hermione looked worriedly over to Harry who was glaring at Percy.

"They're Thestrals," she replied. Percy nodded, still confused on why Ron and Hermione were confused. Before Percy could ask, Harry cut him off.

"Only people who have seen death can see them." Percy's lip twitched. Of course he could see them. He's seen death annually since he was twelve.

The fact that Percy could see dead horses wasn't going to help him convince Harry he was a good guy. And Percy did not want to tell them about the people that died because of him. How it was his fault his friends were dead. How Annabeth was dead- missing. Annabeth was missing.

Deciding it was either talk to them about his failures or talk to a partial giant, Percy opted for the latter. "Let's go find Hagrid." Percy left no room for conversation as he walked towards the half- giant.

After Hermione and Ron introduced Percy to Hagrid, they watched as Percy got into the boats with the other first years and headed towards the castle.

Hagrid told them to go back to the carriages that would take the three to the main entrance of Hogwarts.

Once Harry, Ron, and Hermione found a vacant carriage, Harry spoke, "He's a death eater."

Hermione sighed. "Harry. Just because he can see Thestrals, doesn't make him a death eater." Before Harry could respond, Hermione added, "You can see them too."