The Golden Wand [Harry Potter/Percy Jackson]

Chapter 52: The Prophecy

Annabeth POV: 

7:00pm - The Day After The Trial

A hospital bed, chains tying me down, a sleep draught that she wouldn't stop feeding me for reasons I didn't know. Piper told me later that in my states of consciousness all I would do was scream, yet I only heard silence in these moments. The bedsheets around my face were damp - no matter how many times the Nurse changed them they would not stay dry. I saw faces sometimes, staring down at me, but there were too many faces; they all molded into one... his face. Sometimes, when I knew I was really alone, I heard screaming in the distance. Many screams. They also molded into one... his scream.

Madame Pompfrey was reaching towards me with a vial in her hand. The sleep draught - she wanted me to shut up. I shook my head furiously. 

"Is he dead? Did I kill him?" I screamed, scaring the Nurse. Her hands shook. 

"My Dear, you need rest-"

"DID I KILL HIM? WHERE IS HE?" I shouted louder, pulling against my restraints. "Tell me if he's dead! I watched him die! I killed him! Tell me he's dead!"

The Nurse turned away from me and muttered to the figure standing behind her. I didn't see their face because my eyes were clouded with tears. 

"She needs reassuring - get one of her friends, quickly!" She commanded. The figure disappeared. 

"I don't need a friend, I need Percy! Tell me where Percy is!" I screamed again. 

"Percy... Percy is not here."

01:13am - The Night of The Trial

"Just kill me instead," I looked at Fontaine, having to shout over the sound of Percy's screaming. "That's what you want, right? I ruined your life and you want me dead. Well I'm giving myself to you - so you can kill me, please."

Fontaine sneered. "You give yourself - as if I don't already have you trapped?" The old man grunted and paced across the room, drawing out his wand. He held it up to my Father and I watched as Fred Chase began to silently choke; hands scratching at his throat, face turning red, eyes watering. He was staring at me in desperation and defeat. "No, no. Your death is already inevitable, Annabeth. I don't even want you dead, I want you to suffer. And killing you now would only be a mercy I just can't grant you. You have one minute to decide."

I sunk down to my knees, utterly destroyed. Percy was still screaming, begging for the blonde witch to stop her curse. Each time he pleaded she would smile more and more. And my Father, silently dying, stared at me as he had in the past - I was a failure, his cause for grief, I was everything he thought was wrong in this world. This was all my fault.

I pushed harder against my invisible constraints but they would not budge.

"I can't kill Percy..."

"Then you choose your Father?"

"... And I won't kill my Dad, I just can't."

"Then their fates have been sealed. You condemn them both to death... ironic, isn't it?"

I looked up at him, trying to rub away my constant stream of tears. "What?"

"Ironic... that the one you love the most will die at the hands of the person you hate the most."

"I don't hate you the most," I spat at him. "I hate myself."

He laughed pitifully. "Not me, you stupid girl. Your Mother."