Falling - Percy Jackson At Hogwarts Two

The Grey Lady

Percy

My finger tapped impatiently against the desk until something put a hold to the movement of my hand. Suddenly my vision fades and Annabeth is holding on to my hand, her soft fingers threaded through mine. She smiles at me and in that moment nothing else mattered. My body jolted forward suddenly as her hand is ripped away as she falls away from me. I reached out to try and grab her, but her body faded into darkness.

"No," I croaked. Not again.

Before I knew it, I was in Tartarus again. I immediately span around to try and find a pair of grey eyes, but they were nowhere. I was alone, the air choking me on every breath. My stomach screaming for food. I need to find the doors.

"I have to get out," I mumbled to myself.

"Percy?" A gentle voice called to me from behind. Familiar, as if it were my home. I turn and spot my mum, with an Empousa behind her, claws raking against her neck.

On instinct I went to grab riptide, but it wasn't there. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save her. "This is your fault," she reminded me. Of course it is, I did this to her. I am the reason she is going to die.

"Percy!" Someone whispered, but it was surprisingly loud as the voice was flooding into my mind. I started to feel something shake my body, but I couldn't see anything around me. Everything had turned black.

"Percy!" echoed a male voice. Where is that coming from? Is it someone else that I failed to protect?

"Snap out of it!" Snap out of what? I close my eyes to try and focus on the voice. When I opened them, a light burned into my vision.

"Dude," said the voice, so much clearer now. I turned my head to see Jacob looking at me with scrunched eyebrows. "What's going on with you?"

Hazel

"She's shy, so be gentle with her," Luna advised us, "perhaps only one of you should go."

"No, we are both going," Harry said immediately. Luna looked grim about the decision, though she did not speak a word against it.

"I will leave now, good luck," Luna told before turning away.

They turned a corner to reach the top of the Ravenclaw tower, the nights sky reflecting off the women's ghostly skin. She floated there, peacefully, staring out to the stars through the pillars surrounding the room.

"You're the ghost of Ravenclaw tower? The grey lady?" Harry asked in confirmation.

She looked at Harry in dismissal, "I do not answer to that name." Her majestic form spun around in order to vanish away.

"I'm sorry, Helena isn't it? Helena Ravenclaw, daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw," he quickly corrected. Helena stopped her movements to glance back at the teenage boy. I looked closely at her face and body, her long hair falling against the back of her dress. Her body shifts so that it is half behind a stone pillar, as if in protection.

"Are you friends of Luna?" she asked, her voice so soft and gentle.

"Yes, and she thought that you may be able to help us," I replied, trying to mirror her tone.

"You seek my mother's diadem," she said with slight aggression.

"Yes," harry confirmed, "that's right."

"Luna is kind, unlike so many others, but she was wrong. I cannot help you!" her voice echoing through the walls. She quickly disappeared into a grey smoke, swirling through the air

"Wait please," I called to her.

"We want to destroy it," Harry explained. His words caused Helena to freeze.

"That's what you want isn't it?" Harry continued, "You wanted to destroy it."

Helena slowly backed away from Harry. "Another sought to destroy many years ago, a strange boy with a strange name-"

"Tom Riddle," Harry interrupted.

"But he lied-"

"He's lied to many people," Harry said interrupting her again.

Helena raced forward to be right in front of his face, "I know what he's done! I know who he is! He defiled it with dark magic!" She screamed. The sound following through the air then doubling back on itself to create a mirror echo.

She floated away calmly, turning her back to us. Harry and I cautiously walked towards her.

"I can destroy it, once and for all, but only if you tell me where he hid it," Harry said truthfully. "You do know where he hid it? Don't you Helena?"

"All you need to do is tell us, please," I begged her.

"You're one of his daughters, aren't you?" She said, directing her attention towards me, "I can sense it."

"Yes," I replied.

Helena looked down towards the floor in thought.

"If he does what he must then all will be saved. If not, a world of destruction will rage..." she mumbles, her voice barely audible. She looked back up to meet my eyes. "Your kind has a great burden to bear."

Why would she bring up the Prophecy? I thought it was finished and over with. What does she mean by my kind having a burden? Demigods?

"Helena, please. All we ask is for the location of the Diadem, to see it finally destroyed."

Helena moved closer to Harry, circling around him as if examining him. "Strange, you remind me of him," Helena retreated backwards, "It's here, in the castle. In the place where everything is hidden. If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask."

"Thank you," Harry replied and we parted ways with Helena.

Harry began racing down the stairs of Ravenclaw tower in such a hurry that I nearly tripped and fell over.

"What does she mean?" I asked, unable to decode the riddle. "Where are we going?

"The room of requirement."