Demigod Days: Hogwarts is Real!

Chapter 2 - My friend beats up a big dog

I readjust my bag on my bag, I'm really feeling the added weight already. My mate Damian is waiting at my locker with a wide grin on his face. We have been best friends since we were both new to the school at the same time two years ago. He always says that we look after each other because that's what friends are but really I keep an eye out for him. It could be all too easy for bullies to target the kid with the strange walk but they just leave us alone, the weird girl and her vegetarian friend.

"Hey Nat, what are you up to after school?" I reach my locker and can't help but smile back. "I've got plans but I'll tell you later," I reply, "We've got gym first thing don't we?" I pass Damian my bag while I grab my sports kit from the locker. "Gods, your bag is so much heavier than usual today. Are  you sure nothing's different today?" I sigh, "I told you I'll tell you later." He gives me a funny look but gives my bag back without question and heads off to the changing rooms.

I love running track, it makes me feels so free. Coach says I could get on the team next year if I wanted. My eyes wander to the forest just outside the perimeter fence. I stop dead. Amongst the trees I see a rustling and a strange silhouette. "Oi Locket, quit stalling." Coach's voice snaps my attention back to the track in front of me and I continue running.

Finishing the lap, I stroll over to where Damian is sitting under a tree watching a little bird peck at the ground. He always chooses to sit on the grass during gym even though there are loads of benches, he just says he prefers it. It's a shame he can't take part because of his legs, it's one of my favourite subjects. "Hey Damien," he looks up at me as the bird flies away. "Aw, you scared it." "It's only a bird," I roll my eyes, it's no big deal. "Coach doesn't usually shout at you, particularly not when your running?" That should only be a statement but he somehow manages to make it a question. "I thought I saw something in the woods, it was probably nothing," I reply flippantly. He looks way more worried about that than he should. Why does Damian always overthink everything? I run my fingers through my hair wincing slightly as they brush over the cut on my forehead. "Nat what's that on your head?" The shock on Damian's face is obvious. "Victor," I sigh, " he was drunk last night." "That can't have happened last night, the scab looks at least a few days old." I've never seen him act this way. It is normal for me to be slightly battered, I'm accident prone and he doesn't usually make this much of a fuss. "Does this have anything to do with your plans for later?" he asks defeatedly. "Yeah," I look him straight in the eye, "I'm running away, never going back there again. It is no longer my home." Strangely he seems to accept my words with no surprise. It is almost as if he has been expecting it for a long time. "Fine, but meet me after school I know somewhere we can go," he said as he gets to his feet and heads back towards the building.

Ten minutes until the end of the day. I drag my eyes away from the clock on the wall of my English classroom. You would think that I'd be in my favourite subject since I love books but it's not. I don't like analysing literature, it's like taking a great story and picking it apart bit by bit until it is only a group of words with no soul. I'm good at understanding languages, I seem to have a sort of natural ability. I learn French and German at school and I pick those up really quickly, I'm top of the year. Stifling a yawn I try to stay focused on the teacher but she is droning on about a poem. Why does she tell us what everything means? I liked the poem when I first read it but now it's analysed I hate it. This day feels like a week. I know that I cannot go back to face Victor again, but I can't help but be nervous about the future. Damian said he knows where we can go, but what if they send me back? A multitude of thoughts churn in my head as the bell rings, marking the end of both the school day and life as I know it.

The pair of us walk out through the main school gates and Damian pulls me to the side at the edge of the woods. "I go to this camp every Summer Nat," he started, "Please will you come there with me. It would be safe, the only safe place for you now. I know this sounds strange but your dad would want you to go to camp, only there will you discover who you really are." "You know my dad?" Why has he not told me this before? I thought we trusted each other with everything, well almost everything. "I don't know exactly who he is but you will find out at camp," Damian replies. "What kind of a camp is it?" I ask. "Well, it's..."

Damian is cut off as a dark creature bursts through the trees towards us. It looks like a massive dog but it's the blackest thing I've ever seen, as dark as the shadows. "Hellhound!" Damian cries as he shoves me to the side and pulls out a set of panpipes. Drool drips from its fangs as it snarls as us and prepares to pounce on me. An odd lively tune leaps through the air as Damian plays his pipes. Four thick green vines burst up from the ground and wrap around each of the beast's legs. The tune rises higher in pitch and the vines tighten, squeezing the creature as they get tighter and tighter, until it bursts apart into cloud of yellow sand.

"Don't worry that's it gone for now," Damian says in a relieved tone as he slips his pipes back in his pocket. "We really need to get you to camp now Nat. Are you with me?" He holds out his hand. "Yeah I'm with you." I reach out and grasp his hand firmly as he pulls me to my feet. Still holding my hand he pulls me back to the path and through the school gates heading towards the fountain by the entrance. "Damian aren't we going the wrong way?" "Sorry Nat your just going to have to trust me," he turns towards me looking more serious than I've ever seen him, "Your dad is a Greek God Nat, you're a demigod."

Okay my friend has gone officially nuts. The Greek Gods are not real, they're myths. Yet his honest voice rings true. He has no reason to lie to me and I believe him. I know it seems crazy but that, what did he call it, hellhound was also crazy and most definitely not a figment of my imagination. I nod to him and he noticeably calms. Turning away from me Damian mutters a few undefinable words, they didn't even sound like English, and tosses an odd coin into the fountain. "What are you doin.." He cuts me off mid question and an image appears in the water, it is like looking through a window. "Hey Nico," Damian calls and in the image a dark haired boy dressed all in black turns towards us. He doesn't look very well with pie skin and large bags under his eyes. "Damian," he nods towards us. "She's stronger than we expected and we need to get her to camp quickly. Can you shadow travel us?" What on earth is shadow travelling? Oh well I guess I just have to accept that things are changing. "Fine but I'm not a taxi service," Nico brushes his hand through the image and it breaks up until it is just a stream of water.

"Come on then." I turn to my left and see Nico stepping out of the shadows of the school building. That was quick. Damian steps toward him and I follow. We each take one of Nico's hands, Damian is on the left and I'm on the right. Together we all step back into the shadows and everything turns grey and icy cold. I shiver slightly. Shadow travelling is not pleasant, but neither is apparation I remind myself. If witches and wizards can cope then so can I. The greyness clears quickly and I find myself standing on a hill next to a tall pine tree. I look down at my safe haven and gasp. It is beautiful and their are kids everywhere. "Welcome Nat," Damian says with a smile, "To Camp Half-Blood."