Is blood thicker than magic?

Chapter 1 - Beginnings

 Percy Jackson opened his eyes abruptly to a face full of carpet. A woven, threadbare carpet which was just clinging onto life, with a deep maroon colour. Why did this always have to happen to him?

 Groaning, he sat up onto a bench directly behind him. The bench, thankfully, was a little more comfortable than the floor, as it ought to be, and, a plush cushioned seat matching the carpet, was actually quite nice to look at. Percy reached up to rub his head, which was thumping rather unhelpfully, which took surprisingly much effort. His arm felt like it was made of lead, and drooped onto the seat beside him.

 He glanced around, seeing as he didn't have a clue as to where he was.

 A sliding door with a transparent window led to some kind of corridor, where some people about high school age were milling about randomly. Percy didn't recognize anyone. After several attempts, which was slightly alarming, he finally found the strength to push himself off the seat. Strangely, the door was locked. He tried several times, but the handle wouldn't budge.

 Sighing, he slumped back onto the seat. He was in a compartment of some sort, and by the feel of it, Percy guessed he was on a train.

 A train to where, though? Percy couldn't remember getting on a train. To be honest, he couldn't really remember much at all. He knew he was called Percy Jackson, of course, and he knew he had a girlfriend somewhere, called Annabeth, and that was about it, really.

 This day couldn't get any worse, he thought to himself.

 Then Percy noticed the boy apparently asleep on the floor and realized it could get a lot, lot worse.

 ***

 "So let me get this straight. You can't remember anything either?" Leo Valdez asked.

 "Yeah. Strange, huh." Percy mused.

 After Leo had woken up and pulled himself off the floor, they both realised that neither of them had a clue in holy Hades of how they got there. Percy had found Leo weirdly familiar, and Leo had also seemed to recognize Percy, so they gathered they'd come from the same place, or at least met before.

 "Well, I can remember my name, obviously, and the name Festus. Ring any bells?"

 "No. Sorry." Percy was wondering who on earth Festus was, or why on earth anyone would be called Happy.

 The train gave a jolt, and both boys, having felt a bit stronger, ran to the window like excitable puppies.

 "Whoa," Leo voiced what they both were thinking. "Where are we?"

 Through the window, a small village, covered in snow, was slowly coming into view, and the train seemed to slow.

 The door gave an audible click and swung open. Leo and Percy looked at each other and grinned.

 "I guess this is our stop, then." Percy felt relieved that they were finally getting out of the carriage, which was now hot and stuffy.

 "Shall we?" Leo grinned, an impish grin that would give any teacher warning klaxons.

 "Hell, yeah!" Percy punched the air with his fist.

***

 They were swamped as soon as they set foot into the corridor. A swarm of black robed teenagers flooded the tiny corridor, and it was impossible to do anything except follow the mass of people. Percy soon lost sight of Leo, the only friendly and familiar face in the crowd, and started to panic slightly, but was pushed through the train doors and onto the quaint little station they'd seen out of the window. Percy managed to find a spot next to a scarlet and gold notice board, which announced that this was the Hogsmede Station, the final stop of the Hogwarts Express. Sure enough, when Percy looked back at the train, he could make out a gold stencil forming the words 'Hogwarts Express', and some sort of coat of arms that he'd never seen before. It was gold, green, yellow, red and blue, and he thought that he recognized a snake, badger, lion and eagle. And somehow, from his past, he knew some Latin, because the motto at the bottom of the crest, Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus, Percy knew it meant Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon. What kind of a motto was that?

 Percy didn't get time to mull on it, as he suddenly caught a glimpse of orange in among the black. Leo came speeding into view, wearing the torn, luminous orange t-shirt with the words 'Camp Half-Blood' imprinted on it in black with the the silhouette of a flying horse.

 The flying horse was a bit of a mystery.

 Leo glanced around, noticing Percy, and came barrelling over, nearly knocking over a towering redhead with tattered belongings.

 "Oi! Watch it!" The boy with the flaming hair turned around before Leo could argue. "What do you think you're doing! I'm a prefect, you know! I can take points, even this early into term. What house you in, anyway?" He eyed Leo and his torn t-shirt.

 "Why aren't you changed?" 

 Percy began to make his way through the thickening crowd, but it was no use. A brown haired girl carrying a stack of books reached the scene.

 "There you are, Ron! Harry and I have been looking everywhere. We thought you might have left without us! Oh, am I interrupting something?!" She looked at Ron's furious face beearing down on Leo.

 "Hermione, the jerk nearly knocked me over!"

 Leo tried to argue but Hermione got in first.

 "Look, Ron, I'm sure he didn't mean it. Come on!" She began to Ron in the direction of the crowd, but turned around at the last minute, looking at Leo and Percy, who had just managed to fight his way through the mob.

 "You should really have changed on the train, you know. We're nearly at school!"

 And with that, the duo vanished.

 Leo raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Talk about touchy!"

 Percy found he had to agree.