When Myths Meet Magic || 2

8|| Annabeth

"Hey, look!" Hermione pointed to something on Annabeth's schedule as the chatter slowly swept the Great Hall once again. "We have double Herbology first, with the Hufflepuffs. We can see Frank and Hazel!"

"You're right" Annabeth squinted at the page a little longer before whipping out her wand and flicking it at the paper and muttering Xempléko under her breath. "We have Transfiguration after that, then lunch, then Defense Against the Dark Arts." she said happily as the words unfolded under her eyes.

Jason squinted at his own schedule over the top of his gold-rimmed glasses. "Don't you have dyslexia?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Magic. I'd do yours, but then only I can see the words. You'd keep getting mixed up. It's simple, really," she added as they walked out to the greenhouses, "all you need to do is say 'unscramble' in Latin. For us, it's Greek, but I'm assuming you don't want that."

Jason nodded and he, Percy, Thalia, and Nico all flicked their wands at the paper. "Dang." Nico shook his paper in front of Annabeth. "Why didn't you tell us this last year?"

Annabeth shrugged. "No reason."

Thalia nudged Annabeth with distaste. "Lockhart." Annabeth turned and saw Professor Sprout and Gilderoy Lockhart striding across the yard. Several cloth bandages were draped in her arms, and more covered the tree across the yard. In the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Harry wince.

"Oh, hello there!" The baboon in the turquoise and gold robes beamed at them all, his eyes pausing at the group of demigods before turning to the rest of the class. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running around with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happened to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels—"

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" Professor Sprout was definitely in a bad mood and swept past Lockhart without a word.

"Wow, I thought we could only work with Greenhouse One until third year!" Hermione said happily as they followed Professor Sprout into the third building. "I can't wait to see what we're doing!"

"Ego attack," Percy grumbled and jerked his thumb at the door, where Lockhart could be seen talking to Harry while flashing his bright white teeth.

"Isn't he wonderful?" Hermione sighed as she looked at Lockhart, oblivious to Percy's comment. "I mean, he's done such amazing things, and now he's giving Harry advice."

From the look on Harry's face, it was clearly not good advice. Or welcome advice. Or possibly not even advice, but a story on how he got perfect teeth.

"Thank goodness, he's gone," Nico breathed when Lockhart turned and strode away, his robes billowing behind him.

"We'll be repotting mandrakes today," Professor Sprout began, when Harry slid into the seat between Hermione and Ron. "Does anyone know the properties of a mandrake?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air even before Annabeth could fully process the question, which was impressive.

"Ms. Granger?"

"The Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," Hermione recited. "It's used to return people who have transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor." Professor Sprout nodded appreciatively. "The Mandrake forms an essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

Hermione's hand shot up again, along with Annabeth's and to everyone's surprise, Nico.

Professor Sprout raised an eyebrow. "Mr. diAngelo?"

"The Mandrake's scream is fatal to anyone who hears it," he said promptly. "It's hilarious, sometimes, talking to ghosts. 'Oh, how'd you die?' 'I heard a plant scream'."

Professor Sprout nodded, both eyebrows raised now. "Well, that is correct, Mr. diAngelo. Another ten points. However, I will assure you, it is not funny to the victim of the Mandrake."

Percy snorted.

"Right. So these Mandrakes are still very young," Professor Sprout gestured to a row of trays with tuffy plants growing from them. "So their cry will not kill yet. But it will knock you out for several hours. So everyone take a pair of earmuffs, while I demonstrate."

There was a mad scramble as everyone tried to get one that wasn't pink and fluffy. Thalia snatched it up and smacked it at Nico. It fell on the ground and by the time he reluctantly picked up with his thumb and forefinger, the rest of the muffs were gone. Nico shot Thalia a very nasty look as he hooked it around his wrist.

"Now, when you put them on, make sure they're completely covered. I'll give you a thumbs up when it is safe to remove. Now, earmuffs on."

All sound was instantly shut out of Annabeth's ears. Professor Sprout grasped one of the puffy purple plants and pulled. The plant gave way, not easily, and revealed a— muddy baby. He had sickly green skin and was clearly screaming at the top of his lungs.

Professor Sprout calmly took a large, clay pot from under the table and shoved the Mandrake in, burying him completely until all that could be seen were the purple leaves at the top. Then she smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"Now, four to a tray. Go on, shoo!"

Annabeth and Percy joined Frank and Hazel at a tray.

"How's Hufflepuff?" Percy asked, as they pulled clay pots up.

"It's great. Everyone's really nice. I wish you could see it," Hazel said happily before clasping a pair of earmuffs over her head.

After burying the rest of the babies, they exited the Greenhouse with dirt clinging to their robes and under their nails.

"Transfiguration next." Thalia read from her paper, clearly pleased the dyslexia wasn't affecting her. "We should wash off first."

They showered off quickly before sprinting to McGonagall's classroom, where there was a large box of beetles waiting for them.

After an hour of prodding a whole lot of beetles and transforming them into buttons, they went down to lunch.

"Stupid— useless— thing!" Ron furiously whacked his wand on the table as they sat down in the Great Hall. A strange gray smoke hissed from the tip.

"Well, you should've known—" Hermione started to say, but Annabeth clamped a hand over her mouth quickly at one glance at Ron's frustrated face.

"What's next?" Harry asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione said, pushing Annabeth's hand away.

"Why," Ron demanded. "did you outline all of Lockhart's lessons in tiny hearts?"

Hermione snatched back her paper, face burning red.

"I wanna go by the lake!" Percy tugged on Annabeth's arm childishly. "I promised Marvin I'd visit him."

Nico cocked his head. "You have a friend who lives in the lake?"

Percy grinned as they got up. "No, Marvin's the Giant Squid. I visited him sometimes, at lunch while you were in the library, looking for Nicky Flannel."

Thalia rolled her eyes as Percy ran ahead to the lake, dragging Annabeth with him. "Why does it not surprise me Percy would rather talk to marine animals instead of research?" Annabeth heard her say, before she was dragged around the corner.