When Worlds Collide~

Chapter 3

Percy

I shifted uncomfortably as I watched Dumbledore and an old lady witch have a deep discussion, which, judging by the discreet glances that were being thrown in his direction, was about me.

I needed to contact Chiron and tell him where I was. And Annabeth. And if my mom had heard what was going on, she'd probably be going out of her mind with worry. But again, I had no drachmas on me, so unless Dumbledore or the witch had any, I was going to have some trouble with contacting camp.

I sighed and wriggled again. The uniform that Dumbledore had given me were kinda old and scratchy, besides being long and hard to move in. He told me it was temporary, but didn't tell me how long I had to wear them until I got a decent set. Which was probably never.

And I still didn't really know what was going on. What was the plan? Who else was involved? How long would it take? Was there even a plan? Or did it not go any farther than after I got reasonably comfortable here?

Of course, the reasonably comfortable bit wouldn't happen until I got out of this uniform, but whatever.

Dumbledore coughed, and I realized that he and the lady witch were looking at me expectantly.

"Uh.. Did I miss something?" I twirled pen-Riptide through my fingers nervously.

The corner of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. "As I was saying, Perseus, to help us with our war, you will need to stay close to Harry Potter, while ah - undercover, which means wearing our uniform and taking part in our classes. And that also means no stunts." He looked at me with a glimmer in his eye. "I understand that most of the time it is not your fault, but do try."

I ran my fingers through my hair, thinking. "You want me to help prevent a war, and if that fails, to actually fight in said war. But to help, I need to pretend to be an ordinary wizard student, which would be a bit difficult with monsters attacking me left and right -"

"Do keep in mind," Said the lady, "That the protective spells around the grounds of Hogwarts are similar to your camp's borders. They will be more than sufficient to keep these Greek monsters from interfering."

I hesitated before continuing. "Still, I don't incorporate that well. In fact, I stick out like a sore thumb."

Dumbledore leaned forward and looked me in the eye. "You tell me you are not the one for the job, yet you haven't said you won't do it."

"But I haven't said yes either." I tapped Riptide against my thigh. "I want to know one thing. How often will I be able to contact my mom and my friends? And how long am I actually going to have to be here?"

"If I may, Albus," the witch cut in, "I know of a particular bathroom that no one visits, due to a particular ghost that resides there. If he used it -"

"Yes, yes. It would serve its purpose. Just ah, be careful." Dumbledore nodded and intertwined his fingers. "The Ministry and your camp has given permission. Now we only need yours. And as for how long, well, we don't know yet. For now, we'll see how it goes. If it turns out to be a train wreck, I can promise you that you will be sent back to your camp, and if any knowledge is leaked, they will either be asked to keep the information secret, or obliviated."

Maybe it wasn't the best choice. Maybe it would get me hurt. Maybe it might even hurt my friends back at CHB. But these guys needed help, and I couldn't leave them with no aid.

So I agreed.