Order of the Olympians

Order of the Olympians Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Harry pushed his glasses up onto his head before rubbing his eyes thoroughly. It had been a long weekend and he wasn't looking forward to leaving the hospital wing to go to classes tomorrow. He looked down at the unconscious demigod before him and silently pleaded for Percy to wake up.

Since the attack, neither Harry nor Annabeth had left his side. He examined the Daughter of Athena with a heavy heart, trying to hold back the weight of his guilt. Percy had come to Hogwarts to protect Harry...and then this happened. Percy was attacked because he was trying to help him.

The hospital wing was an eerie place to be these days. With the number of students who had been attacked rising every week, the victim's whimpers and cries of pain were too much to bear. Madam Pomphrey and Will were doing everything they could to help, but Erebus' hold was too tight. The entire school seemed to be able to sense how much their classmates were suffering. Harry wondered how long the victims would be able to last until Erebus took them permanently.

Annabeth was holding Percy's right hand and staring thoughtfully at her boyfriend. She had dark circles underneath her eyes, and her curly blonde hair was stretched into a high, wild ponytail. She turned to Harry, catching him off guard. "I think we need to try the water again." Annabeth suggested, pushing up from her chair. Harry agreed.

Since Percy was the Son of Poseidon and drew strength from water, the demigods and the golden trio had tried placing him in the prefect's bathtub about three times a day, hoping that the water would rejuvenate him enough to wake up.

"I'll grab the others." Harry took off to the Great Hall where he knew he would find his friends.

Will and Nico perked up at his appearance. "How's he doing?" Nico asked.

Harry grimaced. "Still unconscious. Annabeth suggested we try the water again." His friends nodded, and Will and Ron followed him back to the hospital wing to haul Percy to the fifth floor while Nico and Hermione went to start filling the bathtub.

After about thirty minutes, Will and Annabeth had their arms wrapped around Percy and settled him into the water. The Son of Apollo encouraged his friends, letting them know that he could tell these "dunk sessions," as they liked to call it, were helping tremendously. Harry chewed on the inside of his cheek and didn't respond.

He turned when he felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder. Hermione gave him a wavering smile. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not your fault."

Harry's eyes darkened, and he turned back towards Percy. "How do you know that? He wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for me. None of this would have happened."

Nico moved from his position lurking in the corner. "I think you are overestimating yourself, Potter." Hermione glared at the Son of Hades incredulously. "What? Don't look at me like that. A prophecy sent us here, one that Percy was chosen specifically to lead. This isn't just about protecting you anymore, Harry. Another primordial deity is waking, and if we can't work together to stop it, then who knows what will happen? How many people will die?"

He moved to sit next to Harry, his eyes never leaving the Son of Poseidon. "You can't feel guilty for bringing us here. If we hadn't come, think of all of the students who would be left unprotected? At least now we have some knowledge of what's going on. Percy isn't going to let you put this on yourself, if anything, he's going to be pumped that Erebus attacked him and not anyone else, that's just the kind of guy he is."

Nico's face grew determined as he talked about his friend. "Percy is going to be fine, and then he is going to find a way to stop Erebus." He moved to meet Harry's eyes, "I promise."