Perissa Trotter and the Game of Truths

Chapter 6: A Hat Gives Me Life Advice

I was in Hogwarts School of Half-Bloods and Mythology.

I never thought I'd even get to see the place, let alone get washed up next to it. Judging by the view I wasn't in Britain anymore, too much sun for that. How far had I been carried? Western Civilisation... that meant I was probably in the United States.

I had crossed the Atlantic Ocean and survived.

I was about the ask Chiron about this when he revealed that we had reached our destination. We had stopped in front of a painting of a man in shiny green uniform with a long white beard. He was rather jolly looking and seemed to have snow falling in the background of his painting.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't Santa Clause.

"Well, don't just stand there groping at me," grumbled Santa. "Say the password."

"Ursa Major" replied Chiron. The painting held up one hand the say "One moment" and I heard the sound of gears clanking before Santa swung open.

We were immediately greeted by a tall boy in the same orange T-shirt the other had been in. He was quite robust and good looking with chestnut hair held back by some sort of gel. He had a scar on his face which seemed really out of place, but there again so did I. Though when he saw mine he seemed to freeze in his tracks for a split second the push whatever thought he'd just had aside and resumed his welcoming smile.

"Hello, I'm Demetrius, head-boy and Senior Prefect of Nicholas House."

"Perissa Trotter," I mumbled shyly. At least he was going to bite my head off like Viognier.

"The pleasure is mine," replying Demetrius, shaking my hand. "Are you regular or undetermined?"

"Undetermined," answered Chiron seeing my confused face. "Perissa here has arrived in rather sudden and unpleasant conditions, so she will need time to get used to things. I'm sure you can show her the ropes much better than I can. I'll leave you to get acquainted.

"Wait, you're not going are you?" I protested. I now noticed plenty of other people staring at me. Some were even smirking.

"I've got important business to attend to most urgently," lamented Chiron. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, Perissa."

And with that he turned his hooves and left through the gap that Santa left before the painting closed behind him.

"Come on," beckoned Demetrius. "You won't be claimed by your godly parent until breakfast tomorrow morning, so you're stuck with us for the night. First thing's first, we need to get you a change of clothes."

That's when I noticed I was still in my nightclothes which had wrinkled for the sea water. That's why the others were smirking. I glanced down embarrassed and followed Demetrius to some sort of storage room, wondering if the stench of salt was really noticeable. It probably was.

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There wasn't much to tour around in the Nicholas Common Room, just the reception area, male and female dormitories, a storage room, an armoury and a bathroom. If was decorated with lots of statues of Hermes, who was now Nicholas and Santa Clause, as Demetrius explained.

"That legend came about because, when the gods were moving all over the place during the Industrial Revolution, Nicholas' job was the most difficult ever. He still possessed his flying abilities and the title of Winged Messenger, but he had to fly all over the world. On the 24th of December it was the worst yet. Practically everywhere there was a service he'd been demanded so he had to borrow Apollo's sun chariot (Apollo is still called the same but I'll come back to that). The mist disguised it as a sleigh which has been depicted by mortals ever since."