When Myths Meet Magic || 1 || a Harry Potter-Percy Jackson crossover

4|| Percy

"I want more candy," Percy said as he added a chocolate frog box to the growing pile of trash on the seats.

"When you die, your body is going to decompose into sugar," Nico muttered.

"Excellent," Percy said as he stood up. "Where's the Great Sugar Cart?"

"At the front," said Annabeth. "We still need to change, anyway."

"You're right. See you later," Thalia called back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Annabeth has headed down the train, looking for an empty compartment, when she suddenly let out an ear piercing scream.

"KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT KILLIT!" she shrieked, stumbling away. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"It's just a huge hairy tarantula," she muttered, but chased after Annabeth anyways.

Percy and Nico peered into the room and spotted Fred, George, and another kid wrestling with a massive spider. They walked away quickly.

After snagging as much candy as Percy could hold, they walked back to the compartment (Annabeth running quickly past the tarantula room). Hermione was still there, waving her wand at Harry's face. Ron grumpily held his own wand and a gray rag. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a beaten down rat.

"Did you kill it?" Percy asked, staring at the gray lump in Ron's hand. Harry grinned.

"Nah. It's just sleeping."

"Unfortunately," Ron muttered.

>>>•O•<<<

By the time the rolling hillsides had turned into a forest and back to farmland, Percy had gone to get even more candy.

"You're never going to sleep tonight." Thalia reached over and plucked a chocolate frog from his pile. The frog hopped around in her hand before she bit the head off.

Nico grimaced. "You neanderthal," he said. "I'm pretty sure that's animal cruelty."

"Not if it's not an animal in the first place," Thalia said, her mouth full of chocolate frog legs.

It was dinnertime when the train reached its destination. The train doors opened and students poured from it, desperate to get into fresh air. A towering man stood in the midst of it all.

"Firs' years over 'ere! Alright, Harry?" The man waved at Harry and smiled. Harry waved back.

"Hagrid's the gamekeeper," Harry explained in a low, respectful voice. "He was the one who told me I was a wizard."

The demigods glanced anxiously at each other. "A giant... d'you think he'd try to kill us?" Thalia muttered aggressively.

"We're back in time. They all un-died."

"And besides, maybe he's a wizard giant. He might be friendly," Nico concluded. They still decided to watch Hagrid carefully, to make sure he didn't do any funny business.

"Four to a boat!" Hagrid gestured a giant hand to a large group of small sailboats on the edge of a lake. Percy relaxed. "This is my home turf," He whispered to the others, grinning. Thalia and Nico looked at the boats, then back at Percy.

"You'll make sure we don't drown, right?" Nico whispered.

Percy grinned. "Guess we'll find out." He jumped in a boat and helped Annabeth in, thinking privately of taking off before Thalia and Nico could follow.

Hagrid, in a boat all to himself, waved his hands and, all at once, the boats left the shore. Thalia muttered under her breath while Nico stared ahead at the land as if paralyzed. Percy leaned forward and their boat picked up speed.

Beyond the splish-splish-splish of the water lapping against the boatMurmuring came from below them. A school of fish took one look at Percy and started screaming praises telepathically. He could sense mermen and other creatures in the depths of the lake too, as well as a Giant Squid.

"Percy, go slower." Percy looked behind them and saw Hermione looking at their fast boat suspiciously. He willed the water to push everyone else's boats to where they were.

A few people fell in the lake. Hagrid gripped something big and pink in his hand. Before Percy got a good look at it, the boats floated through a curtain of leaves and ivy. Everyone gasped.

The castle was like Hades' palace. Enormous and black. Welcoming lights shone through the glowing golden windows. "This is my home turf," Nico whispered to Percy, grinning.

The boats bumped gently against a dock. In a flash, Thalia was on dry ground. Literally in a flash. A few sparks shot out of her body as she jumped off the boat. Nico was off just as fast. Then Annabeth. Percy swirled his finger in the lake for a moment before reluctantly following them.

Hagrid led them up to the enormous front doors, which were very intimidatingly tall.

BOOM.

Hagrid's knocks echoed all around them like cannon blasts. Immediately, they opened, and a tall woman stood before them. She was clad in emerald green. Her serious, wise face reminded Percy of a much older Athena. For all Percy knew, she was Athena.

"Thank you Hagrid. I will take them from here." The woman turned and walked into the hall. The first years followed. Inside was a hall so big it could have fit the Big House. They were led through another set of doors, even though light and noise came through a much bigger set. Percy assumed the rest of the school was there.

The lady gave a set of instructions and left them to themselves.

"This is so much better than our last quest," whispered Percy to Annabeth.

"Don't jinx it," she warned.