Demigods at Hogwarts

Chapter Nine: We Set Out For Hogwarts

Nico's POV
I wake up, stretched out in the double bed in the hotel room and take a deep breath, sighing happily. I had, for once, slept without nightmares. Nothing to make me wake up in the middle of the night, screaming or crying, terrified, covered in cold sweat, like I have done so many times before. Instead, I had I peaceful, dreamless sleep. I stretch again, before jumping out of bed, remembering that we were off to Hogwarts today! Quickly, I get dressed and ready, and do one last check of the room. I check everywhere, and I am pleased to say, that everything is packed. However, I was confused when I looked under the bed to find lots of pieces of torn up paper, as if someone had got really angry with a book and ripped it into tiny shreds of paper. I decided to ignore it, and brought my trunk downstairs, locking the door behind me for the final time.

When I got downstairs, everybody was already there, sitting around a table, sipping hot drinks. I put my trunk in with everyone else, before taking a seat between Hazel and Thalia.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," Percy said with a smirk on his face, causing my face to redden with embarrassment. I gave him a death glare as I picked up the menu. I decided on a coffee and a bacon sandwich for breakfast. I put the menu down and started a conversation with my sister.
"Hey, Hazel. Did you sleep well?" I ask.
"Yes, I did, actually. I wasn't woken up once by the trains," she replies with a smile. "How about you?"
"Oh, I slept well, too." I answer.
"No nightmares?" She asks, and I shake my head in reply.
"So, are you looking forward to going to Hogwarts?" I question her.
"Kinda, yeah. It sounds fun. I'm also a bit nervous, though," she answers, with a little smile.
"Yeah. Me too. But it should be great," I say in agreement.
"Yeah... It should be. Besides, it isn't like any other quest. We're just going to a school, to learn about them. There isn't too much to worry about, even if it is a wizarding school. It's not like we're trying to stop Gaia from rising, or fighting giants," she says, but I can see the nervousness in her eyes still.
"Yeah..." I say. "You know, I found the most random thing, under my bed this morning," I say, changing the topic.
"Oh yeah?" She asks.
"I was just doing a final check of my room, and I found lots of pieces of ripped up paper under the bed," I say. "It looked like someone had got really angry with a book," I add.
"Maybe it's from one of those books we bought? You know, the monster book of monsters. I'm pretty sure that if you take the belt off of them, they rip up some of the pages," she suggests.
"That's probably it. Although, I haven't taken the belt off," I say.
"Well, it's probably from a previous guest then," she said.
"When you say 'I'm pretty sure that if you take the belt off of them, they rip up some of the pages,' you speak from experience, don't you?" I guess.
"Maybe..." She says, a bit embarrassed. I raise my eyebrows at her, knowing that she did.
"Maybe?" I question.
"Fine! I was looking at the books we had bought, and I took the belt off of it. Let's just say, it was a mistake," she confides.
"Ohh," I say. At that, the waitress comes over to take our orders.

Later, we stand on Kings Cross Station, confused, with all of our luggage on individual trolleys. The mortals walking past were giving us odd looks. I suspected it was because we had owls with us.
"Platform 9 3/4? There is no platform 9 3/4!" Percy exclaims.
"Guys, we need to calm down, OK?" Maybe we should ask someone..." Reyna suggests.
"OK, what about that conductor?" I suggest.
"I'll try putting some charmspeak into it," Piper says and walks over to him.
"Hi, would you mind showing my friends and I to platform 9 3/4? It's just, we don't know where it is and we have a train to catch," she said. I could feel her charmspeak working on me and I wanted to show the way, however I didn't know the way.
"Every year! Look, I would, but, there is no platform 9 3/4! I get asked this every year," he replied grumpily. "It's like some out-going joke..." He added, in a grumble as he walked off. Piper walked back over to us.
"He was rude," she said.
"Well, come on, we need to work something out!" Annabeth said. I watch as Jason hosed to lean up against one of the brick columns and falls straight through it, pulling his trolley with him.
"Oh, gods, Jason!" Piper exclaimed, running over. She put her hand on the wall and it went through it. Her eyes widened. Jason walked back through the wall and said,
"I found it! It's through the wall!"  I couldn't quite believe it. How, in the name of Hera, were people meant to find it?
"Well, c'mon then! Let's go!" Percy said, as Jason went back through the wall. One by one, we all ran through the wall, onto 9 3/4.

When I got through, I looked around to see what it was like. We were standing on a platform, and sure enough, a sign read 'platform 9 3/4. There was a large, black and read steam engine, waiting to leave, called 'The Hogwarts Express.' People rushed around the platform, gathering up kids and saying goodbye to them as they go on the train. Others lifted trunks and other luggage onto the train. Smaller children excitedly ran around.
"Come on, let's get a compartment on the train," Hazel said, so we set off towards the train.

Annabeth's POV
Once we were on the train, we managed to find an empty compartment, which was roughly in the middle of the train. We piled in an put our luggage in the overhead storage area. I took the window seat and Percy sat down next to me and took my hand.
"Well, this it it! Today's the day," Calypso said excitedly.
"Yeah, I can't wait!" Piper says happily. I leant against Percy and rested my head on his shoulder.
"It'll be great! We're gonna learn how to use magic!" Frank says.
"Yeah, although, I am a bit nervous," I admitted.
"Me too. But it'll be fine, Wise Girl," Percy told me.
"I know it will, Seaweed Brain," I smiled at him.
"What do you think it'll be like?" Thalia said thoughtfully. This conversation went on for a while, before the train slowly started moving, and we were off, on our way to Hogwarts.