Hecate's Kin

Chapter 7 - Boats and Sorting

Frank's POV

Saying that Hogwarts was amazing would be the biggest understatement of the century. The castle was ancient and absolutely beautiful, It didn't take a daughter of Athena to appreciate the architecture but I could see the a certain daughter of Athena already seemed to be working out how she could incorporate some of the designs into Olympus. There was a long line of carriages lined up to take people to the castle. The carriages were pulled by some kind of weird skeletal winged horse. The horses, of course, liked Percy whose expression seemed to signal that he was having some kind of argument with them in his head, probably to stop them from trying to crowd around him. For some strange reason though, thy also seemed to like Nico who was stroking one of them which was strange because Mrs 'O' Leary was the only animal I ever met that didn't hate the son of Hades and she, in turn, was the only one that he liked (except, if what Annabeth had said was true about cerberus). Anyway, we were about to get onto the carriages with everyone else when Thalia froze.

"What is it?" I asked

"I think I can smell a monster, but its weak, a bit like the way Tyson smells." she said.

I was about to ask where the smell was coming from when I heard a voice behind me shouting "First years with me!" I turned around to see a half giant standing behind me holding a lantern. I instinctively reached for my bow (which was currently in rucksack form) but Annabeth stopped me, drawing her wand instead, I keep forgetting that we're under cover.

"We need to check who's side he's on," she whispered to Percy and me. "He could be good like Tyson and we don't want to compromise the mission and reveal ourselves over something that isn't even a threat."

"Ok," said Percy. "Frank and I will see if he wants to kill us or not. If he attacks then you get him from behind, if not, then we just carry on like normal." Annabeth nodded and put on her Yankees Cap, disappearing from view, as she started walking around to the back of the Giant.

"Hey," Percy shouted so the giant could here. "Not meaning to be rude, but who are you?"

"Hagrid," he replied. "Keep of games and keys and care of magical creatures teacher at Hogwarts. Is there somethin' wrong 'cause you look confused?"

"Umm well," I wasn't sure how to phrase it without offending him. "Well, you see, in America, there is a bit of negative prejudice towards giants and there kind of portrayed as a bit ... well ..."

Hagrid started laughing. "Oh, don't ye' going worryin' about me. I'm totally safe. Jus' ask 'arry, Ron and 'ermione. I've been 'ere years. Anyway, my mam, the giant, left when I was a kid so I was raised by me Dad. Except for me hight, there ain't no giant in me."

"Double negative," Annabeth muttered as she appeared again between Percy and me. I wan't quite sure if Hagrid was trustworthy but I felt that he was probably safe for now.

"Anyway," Hagrid continued. "You lot had better follow me. McGonagall says that the exchange students, which I'm assuming is you, are to be sorted with the first years so if you'd jus' follow me to the boats."

Hazel didn't look happy at the prospect of getting in a boat. Thalia, Jason and Nico still weren't totally comfortable travelling in Poseidon's realm either. Percy, however looked ecstatic. "Great," he grinned. "I'll be glad to get away from those carriages, the horses won't stop calling me 'My Lord'". And with that, we headed towards the boats.

Each boat seated 3 or 4 people, I was sharing a boat with Hazel, Annabeth and Percy who, thankfully for Hazel, kept our boat perfectly steady all the way across the lake. Jason, Thalia and Nico, however, were not so lucky.

Nico's POV

I swear that Percy was making our boats hit rough water on purpose. Not in a mean or dangerous way, but enough to make two children of Zeus and a child of Hades feel even more insecure then they already would in Poseidon's territory. It wasn't really the rough water I minded though, it was that, every now and then (when there were no first years looking of cause), a watery hand would rise out of the water and hit Thalia, Jason or me in the face.