The Daughter of Hecate (Percy Jackson/Harry Potter)

Tantalus

Looking at Camp, things didn't look different. The Big House was still there with its blue gabled roof and its wrap-around porch. The strawberry fields still baked in the sun. The same white-columned Greek buildings were scattered around the valley-the amphitheatre, the combat arena, the dining pavilion overlooking Long Island Sound. And nestled between the woods and the creek were the same cabins-a crazy assortment of thirteen buildings, each representing a different Olympian god.

But there was an air of danger now. Like something was wrong. Instead of playing volleyball in the sand-pit, counsellors and satyrs were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed. Dryads armed with bows and arrows talked nervously at the edge of the woods. The forest looked sickly, the grass in the meadow was pale yellow, and the fire marks on Half-Blood Hill stood out like ugly scars.

As Percy, Vitani, Luke, Annabeth, and Tyson made their way to the Big House; they recognized a lot of kids from last summer. Nobody stopped to talk. Nobody said, "Welcome back." Some did double takes when they saw Tyson, but most just walked grimly past and carried on with their duties-running messages, toting swords to sharpen on the grinding wheels. The camp felt like a military school.

None of that mattered to Tyson. He was absolutely fascinated by everything he saw.

"What's that!" He gasped.

"The stables for Pegasi." Percy said. "The winged horses."

"What's that?"

"Um... Those are the toilets."

"What's that?"

"The cabins for the campers. If they don't know who your Olympian parent is, they put you in the Hermes cabin-that brown one over there-until you're determined. Then, once they know, they put you in your dad or mom's group."

He looked at Percy in awe. "You ... have a cabin?"

"Number three." Percy pointed to a low grey building made of sea stone.

"You live with friends in the cabin?"

"No. No, just me." Percy said. He didn't know how he was going to explain him. Thalia and him were the big Three's children, whom wasn't supposed to be born.

Thalia had gotten herself turned into a pine tree when she was twelve.

When they got to the Big House, they found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favourite 

1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags. He was a centaur after all. From the waist up he looks like a regular middle-aged guy with curly brown hair and a scraggly beard. From the waist down, he's a white stallion.

As soon as they saw him, Tyson froze. "Pony!" He cried in total rapture.

Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"

Luke stifled his laughter.

Annabeth ran up and hugged him. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not ... leaving?" Her voice was shaky. Chiron was like a second father to her.

Chiron ruffled her hair and gave her a kind smile. "Hello, child. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year! Vitani, you look as beautiful as ever, and Luke it's good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Chiron." Luke smiled.

"Thank you, Chiron, it's been a while." Vitani said, smiling slightly.

"Vitani, do you think there's anything you can do for Thalia's tree?" Chiron asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure if I can cure it, I'm not a potions master, nor do I work with poisons often." Vitani replied sadly.