James Potter and the Half Blood Hallway

Twenty - Five

James, Scorpius, and Albus sat in Jackson's office, relaying to him and Professor Longbottom Faith's message.

"Makes sense," agreed Jackson. "Grover and Tyson are looking in the forest for clues."

"The cyclops and satyr?" asked James.

"Yeah," said Jackson.

"What d'we do?" asked Al. James realised something then. He realised that he was the oldest of the three or them, which meant he would have to be the leader. He looked at Jackson and he knew the young professor was thinking the same thing.

"We saw something," said James finally. "In the forest. It was like a blue giant or something. Hagrid called him Gus. Does that have anything to do with this?" Jackson smiled a bit.

"Probably not, but the hyperboreans are ussually friendly."

"You say that like you've seen one - er - not so friendly," interjected Neville.

"A few times," admitted Jackson. "In the second Titian War and once when my friends Hazel, Frank and I were on this quest we saw one freeze a couple gryphons that were attacking us..." He cut himself off with the wave of his hand.

"Never mind. Long story. We'll just have to wait until we hear back from - " Jackson never finished the thought. Grover and Tyson were suddenly in the doorway.
"We found something," Grover told him.
"Big rock!" said Tyson happily. "And pretty pony with horn on head!"
"Wait, what?" said Jackson.
"You found a unicorn?" asked Neville.
"Well, Tyson did," explained Grover.
"Grover find rock!" grinned the cyclops. "Rock important!"
"Oh well, I, uh, you helped," said Grover sheepishly.
"Grover find rock," insisted Tyson, turning to the others. "We show you!"
"Now?" asked Scorpius.
"I think that would be the best," said Grover.
"Okay," agreed Percy.
"But we can't just go in there!" Albus argued. Percy stared at him.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Well, because it's forbidden!" said Albus.
"So? We just can't go in alone. So, Grover will protect me, Tyson will protect Grover, and I'll protect you!"
"What about Professor Longbottom?" asked Scorpius.
"Um." Percy thought for a moment. "Sorry, Neville. It looks like you're on your own," he joked.
"Of coarse I am," grumbled Neville. "Let's go, then."

Outside, by the edge of the forest, the group stood, looking in.
"Lead the way," Jackson told Grover and Tyson. They started forward. They walked for awhile, Grover and Tyson in the lead. It all looked the same to James, but Scorpius was looking around as if this was the most amazing place he'd ever seen. Albus walked close to the professors. It was until a year later that James found him smirking to himself, realising he had been scared, or at least a bit nervous.

Grover stopped to sniff the air. Jackson looked worried.
"Snake lady!" yelled Tyson. In the next instant, Jackson had his sword out, bringing it down on a lady. She looked pretty normal, so at first James had a mini heart attack, but when he did a double take he saw that her legs were snake trunks and she was carring a net for a weapon. A second later and she would have killed Professor Longbottom, who now had his wand out as well.
"Boys," he said. "Stay close to Professor Jackson and I." They didn't protest.
"What was that?" asked James. His voice sounded shaky, even to himself.
"A drakaina," said Grover. "But don't worry. There's worse monsters in here."
"That's suppose to make me not worry?"
"No," he admitted.

They walked for what felt like hours. Finally, when James was just about to complain, they stopped.
"There it is," said Grover, pointing to a clearing that spread out for maybe a hundred or so feet, Scorpius thought. In the middle of the clearing was a giant rock the size of Hagrid, possibly even bigger. It pointed upward, like a massive finger pointing up at the sky. It felt powerful. And dangerous.
"Bad place," said Tyson, speaking Percy's mind. He nodded.
"What are you doing?" Grover nearly shouted when he started forward.
"Well, I have to see if it has the painting," said Percy, as if that were obvious.
"Don't fall in," mumbled Grover. Percy called something over his shoulder. It sounded like. "I won't."

Percy crept foward. He was about half way across when he saw the hellhound. It attacked, but before it could even scratch him, Percy had turned it into golden dust. He looked around.
"Tyson, didn't you say you saw a unicorn?" Grover and Tyson both sniffed the air.
"Gone!" said Tyson.
"Gone?" asked Percy.
"Ran away." Tyson looked dispointed, as if he might cry.
"It's okay," Percy asured him.
"Something's not right," mumbled Grover.
"Should I take the boys back?" asked Neville, worriedly. He never got an answer. At that very moment, the rock began to shutter. Everyone froze as the rock rose up out of the ground. As it did so, it transformed into something strange. A giant rock man. He turned and looked straight at Percy.
"Son of Poseidon," it growled.
"Uh, I don't think he likes you..." muttered James.
"I get that a lot," agreed Percy. He charged.

The giant swung his arm down, nearly crushing Percy, but the demigod managed to jump on his hand. It was big, big and slow. Percy raised his sword and ran up Rock Man's arm. With his other hand, Rock Man swatted at him, trying to nock him off. Percy was dodging and stabbing, but his sword didn't seem to be causing any damage. If anything, it annyoed the giant rock man. Then, he, Percy, saw something, on the back of his, Rock Man's, neck. It was the only real skin on the thing, hidden beneath the rest of its rock body. If he, Percy, could just get to it....

Rock Man roared irreated. Percy stumbled, almost falling off.
"Distract it!" he called to the others.
" Stupefy! " yelled Neville, pointing his wand at Rock Man. A red light shot out at the monster, causing it to stumble and loose balance, but otherwise had no effect. Grover began playing a tune on his reed pipes, which had been around his neck. Vines wrapped themselves around Rock Man. He growled in protest. Neville kept firing off stunning spells. Tyson charged the giant, yelling
"BAD ROCKY!!!" Pounding his fists into the stone, Tyson left huge cannon ball sized dents in Rock Man's legs. Meanwhile, he was still stumbling from the constent stunning spells and vines wrapping themselves around his arms. The three boys hide behind Professor Longbottom. They were watching tensely, hoping Professor Jackson didn't die.
Thankfully, however, Neville, Grover, and Tyson were causing a big enough distraction. It seemed to have forgotten all about the young demigod on the back of its neck. Percy, struggling to stay up right, managed to stab Riptide into the skin.

Rock Man howlered and roared, growling in pain. He sawttted at Percy, unable to reach. Instead of hitting anything he stummbled backward, falling fast. With a yelp, Percy jumped, rolling until he finally hit something. He felt dizzy.
"Are you okay?" came Grover's voice. When his vision cleared, Percy saw his best friend looking down at him, dust mights were floating around in the air. Percy had slammed right into the tree.
"Fine," he managed. "What happened to the monster?" Grover helped him to his feet.
"We kill!" said a gleeful voice. Tyson. Percy looked over to his left and saw his half brother, clapping and laughing.
"Yay!" exclaimed Tyson. "We kill!" Percy gave him a half smile. Neville and the boys came into view after that. The three boys looked terrifed. Percy gave them a grin, remembering his first two monsters. He probably hadn't looked any better than they did right then.
"That was..." Neville trailed off, looking for the right word.
"Scary?" Albus supplied.
"Daunting?" suggested Scorpius.
"Petrifying?" James advocated.
"Yes," agreed Neville. Percy shrugged.
"I've seen worse," he told them. His eyes settled on the middle of the clearing. Where the rock once stood was now a colossus size hole in the ground. It took up most of the clearing and any spare ground that was left was either covered in golden dust or dead grass.

The dust started to move. Percy's eyes widened.
"What..." he muttered. "How..." Then, suddenly, it froze. The group spun around.
"Gus!" James cried out. The hyboaren stood, grinning at them from behind a tree.
"Friend!" clapped Tyson.
"Friends!" agreed Gus.
"Wha's goin' on?" Hagrid called, coming out from behind another tree. "Bli'mi! Wha' hap'end here?"