Collision (PJO/HP Crossover)

Chapter 12

Percy

The next morning I woke up to whispering. I kept my eyes closed and didn't move, recognizing Harry and Ron's voices. If I knew what they were worried about or suspicious of, maybe I could do something about it to change their minds.

"He didn't go to sleep when we were awake, he didn't even come into the dormitory. Who knows how long he stayed out, or what he was doing?" Harry said, and I felt his gaze land on me.

"We could leave without waking him, make him late," Ron said and I felt like rolling my eyes.

"No," Harry said reluctantly. "McGonagall would kill us. You know how much she expects of us. But who should wake him?"

"Bloody hell," Ron said and I could barely stop myself from laughing. "I don't want to, he's freaky."

I decided to take pity on them and "woke up."

"Hey, Percy, you're awake!" Harry said, looking flustered as I sat up. He straightened his robes and stood next to Ron, trying to look casual.

"Yes, I am. Good morning. What's for breakfast?" I yawned and my stomach growled at the same time.

"Huh?" Ron blinked.

"Food. Where is it and when can I eat it?" I got out of bed and pulled a new pair of robes out of my trunk since I'd slept in my previous ones.

"In the Great Hall. It starts in a few minutes," Harry said and I nodded.

I pulled off my shirt, stretching my arms. I heard gasps and then a spell shot past me. I jumped, yelling, "What?" I turned, holding my clean shirt in one hand, and faced Harry and Ron. They both had their wands pointed at me. I put up my hands, dropping my shirt. "Annabeth, I swear I didn't do anything!" They looked at me confused, but still kept their wands up, and I realized what I'd said. "Sorry, force of habit. But seriously, what's going on? I didn't do anything."

"You lied," Harry said coldly. "You have the Dark Mark. You're a Death Eater! You were on Voldemort's side!"

I looked at my left arm and cursed. They saw my tattoo. With the Mist it looked like a skull head with a snake curling around it. My mom had told me all about the War and Voldemort and his followers—including the Dark Mark.

"No! It's not what you think!" I shouted, pulling on my shirt. I yanked up the sleeve, showing them my arm. "Look, watch."

I concentrated, focusing on what Chiron and Thalia had told me about manipulating the Mist. I stripped away the layers of the Mist, revealing my real tattoo. The familiar trident followed by two thick lines of service—they had added one because I visited Camp Jupiter from time to time, and because of the Giant War—appeared. I showed it to Ron and Harry.

They studied the tattoo, slowly lowering their wands. Harry muttered a spell and when nothing happened, he looked at me curiously, suspiciously, and accusingly. "Why did you disguise your tattoo as the Dark Mark?"

For a moment I blanked. Normally Annabeth was the one who came up with good lies in situations like these. I didn't know what to do. But then I saw something blue on the wall, the same shade of blue that Silena Beauregard's eyes had been. It gave me an idea.

"That trouble during the war we keep talking about?" I said, finishing getting dressed. "It had to do with the Death Eaters." Their eyes widened as I talked. "I had to pose as one of them to keep Annabeth and me safe, as well as our families and most of the school. They chose several people from our school and told them that they either had to join the Death Eaters and be unwaveringly loyal, or they would kill us and everyone we loved. I was one of them. They found out I was a double agent which is why Annabeth and I had to leave, but the others were kept safe. I guess I forgot to remove the glamour."