Hunter at Hogwarts

Chapter 5: Annabeth

Sighing, I sat on my bed with my Hogwarts trunk completely packed. Looking around my cabin, I knew it was going to be hard to give it up for a year. Sure, I normally went home during the term anyway, but there was always intellectual equipment back at my Dad's. I didn't know what resources I would be given this year.

I was also going to miss my Dad. Sure we'd had our rough patches, but he was still my Dad. And I loved him. Giving him up for a year... , I didn't know how these Hogwarts students managed it. A part of me would also be concerned without my Stepmother's nagging and my Stepbrothers' fighting.

Another thing that weighed down my mind, was that I didn't know anything about Hogwarts. Of course I knew it existed! But apart from that...

So after Chiron had announced it at the campfire, I had spent the last week scanning through books in a conquest for knowledge.

I am an advanced dyslexic, but that still means I'm dyslexic. Due to the fact that wizards didn't usually speak Latin or Ancient Greek, most of the textbooks that included anything of the school were in English, therefore, hard to read. During one difficult passage wrote over five hundred years ago, I got as frustrated as Ami did when I attempted to teach her the difference between the three there their and they'res.

Which reminds me, I owe Chiron a new textbook...

Wound tightly within my mind, I nearly jumped at the sudden knock at the door which suddenly snapped me straight into reality. The person didn't even wait for an answer. They just strode into the cabin, where everyone but me had gone.

"You ready?" Asked Percy, with a mischievous grin splashed onto his face. My eyes drifted to the SPQR tattoo on his wrist. Suddenly, I wished I hadn't. Because he might not have realised it, but to me, that was the mark of him being owned by another camp. Another person. Even if I was a Roman, I don't think I could ever tag myself like that. But he had. And he was proud of it...

Noticing my stare, Percy frowned. "I didn't know it bothered you so much..."

"Well it does." I snapped back in a tone that even surprised me. However, Percy didn't appear taken back. Instead, he took my hand gently and gestured towards the door. "Come on, let's get to the lake before I through you in!"

"Seaweed brain."

We marched down to the docks, carrying our cases. Out by the lake was a large ship that had obviously been under large repairs recently. It had been patched up neatly, but clearly. The last time I had seen this ship, it had had a dragons head at the front.

The Argo II!

Both of us gasped at the sight of our old ship. We had traveled on it for most of the summer to stop Gaia from destroying the world. Then, it had mostly been blown apart in the final battle, along with their good friend Leo.

It was still uncertain if Leo had survived the explosion.

"How...?" I was lost for words, and couldn't even finish my sentence. Laughing, Percy pointed towards our friends who were huddled around the front of Argo II.

"Hey." Piper greeted us, before turning back to the ship. "Can you believe it!?" She asked. We shook our heads in disbelief. "It's like Leo's here." Piper sighed to herself. Jason placed his arm around her in comfort.

Ami peered up at the wooden boat, craning her neck to see it all. "So, what's special about this ship then?" It was hard to explain to her. I remembered all of the good times I'd had on that chunk of wood. How could I cram all that into one sentence?

Percy saved me from answering. "You know I told you about Gaia at the start of summer? Well, this was our mode of transport. It was out home for weeks." Ami nodded.

Together, we all reunited up on the Argo II (with the exception of Leo and the Romans ). It was just like before. Entering the living quarters, the rooms were crammed with campers. "This is crazy." Jason winced.

It was a little heart-breaking watching the campers carelessly clamber around my home. However, as we reached the doors for two familiar rooms, there was a sign on the door. "Reserved." It was my room and Percy's room. Chiron had saved them for our group.

Percy, Jason and Nico went into their room. Piper, Ami and I went into our room. It was weird being back. There were now three beds instead of one (as if Chiron knew all three of us would be going to the tournament). The desk was back, but empty, as was everything else.

Placing our trunks down, we scanned the room. "Wow. This was your room?" Ami asked, impressed.

Wordlessly, all I could was nod. I swallowed as a harsh lump appeared in the back of my throat. I wasn't the only person having trouble getting my words out.

"Well... Wow...!"