Harry

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 4th Floor Hallway

October 31st

9:30 am

"Are you bloody serious?" Ron whispered-yelled. Hermione stared at him with raised eyebrows. How she could keep that expression up while walking, Harry didn't know. He tried and almost tripped over his shoelaces. 

"Yes, Ronald," she hissed his full name. "We have to get the information somehow right? Just talk to him a little." 

Ron clenched his jaw and shook his head. His red locks smacked Harry in the face and almost hit his glasses off his face.  

"I'm not talking to the boy who held a wand up to my neck-"

"How about I talk to him, and you talk to the older guy?" Harry interjected. He really didn't want a full-fledged fight with three mysterious strangers right behind them. Ron looked at him for a moment before sighing and nodding. 

Harry smiled at him before falling back to where the kid with dark hair was walking. They walked side-by-side for a few moments before Harry spoke up.

"So," Harry looked over to the boy. "What's your name?"

"Nico di Angelo." Harry didn't recognize the name, and he now noticed his accent. It was strange and definitely American. He said nothing of it, not wanting to push any of the boy's buttons. 

"What's yours?" Nico asked. When he looked over, Harry got the first clear look at his face. It was very thin and very sharp. High cheekbones and a pointed jaw. His eyes were dark and his face weathered. Harry saw a lot of himself in Nico's expression.

With a start, he realized that Nico didn't know of him. He was confused, and rightfully so. It was the first time that since boarding the train to Hogwarts that he wasn't recognized on sight. 

"You don't know who I am?" he asked.

Nico furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. 

"Oh, I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He stuck out his hand for Nico to shake, and he did. Nico's hand was very cold and his fingers thin. When one of Harry's fingers brushed against a ring that Nico wore, it burned cold. Harry snatched his hand back, but Nico didn't seem to notice. Instead, he shoved both of his hands inside his aviator jacket. 

"Nice to meet you," Nico said. He seemed polite and nice. Maybe it was the way that his expression so similarly mirrored his own, or the way that his shoulders hunched and voice had an accent that was sort of soothing, but Harry liked him. 

Harry flashed him a grin, "You too."

Harry ignored the way that his finger still burned cold and his forehead itched. 

Ron

Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 4th Floor Hallway

October 31st

9:35 am

Ron wasn't happy about talking to any of the three blokes that were following them, but Harry volunteered to talk to the scary boy, so Ron couldn't complain. 

With one last look at Hermione, they both merged with the teenagers. Ron went to the left of the older guy while Hermione went to the right of the blonde girl. 

Before Ron could introduce himself, the guy stuck out his left hand for Ron's to shake. He did so with difficultly, as he was right-handed himself.

"I'm Percy," the guy introduced himself. His voice was loud but had a strange hilt to it. It made it seem like it wasn't as loud as it actually was. 

"Ron," he responded. Percy's gaze studied him for a moment and so Ron did the same to him. Percy had high cheekbones, straight nose, and thick eyebrows. He didn't know what type of nationality he was. 

"I've got a brother named Percy," Ron said, trying to make conversation. Percy grinned, showing off his dimples. Damn, this guy was like every girl's dream. Next to him, Ron held no chance. 

"Nah, don't get your hopes up. He doesn't go here and he's a bit of a prick." 

Percy seemed confused by the word "prick," but Ron wasn't going to explain himself. 

"Well," Percy said. "I hope you find that I'm a better person to talk to than your brother then." 

Ron didn't know why he was grinning, but he liked Percy. The guy was trustworthy. 

Ron didn't recognize that the way his fingers grasped his robes was from intimidation. 

Hermione

Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 4th Floor Hallway

October 31st

9:34 am

Hermione fell back so she was walking next to the girl. 

"So," said Hermione. "What's your name?" The girl looked over and the expression that consisted of hard glances and thin lips morphed into something more kind. Her eyes widened and her previously pressed-together lips spread into a smile. Hermione felt her shoulders relax and a sigh escaped her nose. The girl was much more approachable that way. She probably just had a resting bitch face. Hermione did. 

"Annabeth," she said with a large grin. Her gray eyes seemed to sparkle in the firelight. Hermione didn't notice the itch that grew under her skin, whispering for her to run. Whispering that the girl was dangerous and didn't belong. "What's yours?"

"Hermione Granger." 

Annabeth nodded, her grin not fading. Hermione watched as her gaze flickered around the hallway they were walking through. Hermione followed her gaze and noticed the way that the portraits stared at the group as they walked with sneers and furrowed brows. She has never seen the portraits so... agitated. 

"So, my memory's really fuzzy right now," said Annabeth. She twirled a curl around her finger as she spoke. Hermione remembered the girls at her old muggle school that used to do that. They would blow bright pink bubbles in Hermione's face as they played with their perfect blonde hair. Hermione envied their hair because her hair wasn't that pretty. Her hair was frizzy and kinky and not as pretty. Annabeth broke her from her thoughts. 

"We traveled such a long way and I can't even remember the date!" Annabeth facepalmed, her grin still on her face. 

"Oh." Hermione blinked. "It's Halloween." 

"And the year?" Annabeth asked. Hermione stared at her for a moment. What could have happened to have her not know the year? It's far enough in the actual year to have to know it. Perhaps their school was one where it was cut off completely from civilization, but they would still have to know the year. But Annabeth just grinned at her and Hermione didn't have enough reason to question her just yet. 

"1994." 

Hermione watched as Annabeth nodded and grinned at her again. Okay, something is off about her. 

They arrived at the Great Hall soon after that. Hermione sent Annabeth a tight-lipped smile that the girl returned in much gusto. 

Hermione grabbed Ron's and Harry's arms and pulled them back, stopping them from pushing open the doors. 

"We'd be in trouble if the teachers found out we led you here," she told them. "Good luck!" 

Hermione dragged the boys off behind her, stopping when they were out of sight from the teenagers.

She turned to Harry and Ron and tugged on a curl. "You're right Harry, something is definitely wrong with them." 

Harry looked at her like he was confused. "What do you mean? They seem fine to me!" 

Hermione wanted to strangle him. He told them just a few hours prior that something was wrong with them being there and now has totally flip-flopped.

"The girl, Annabeth? She's hiding something, she has to be." Hermione started pacing in front of them. "The paintings were sneering and glaring at us, well not us, the teenagers." 

Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "That Percy guy seemed alright to me." 

"Yeah, of course, he seemed alright. I think it's like how it was for the swords." 

Harry and Ron looked at each other before looking back at her. Hermione stopped pacing. 

"What' da mean?" Ron asked. Hermione huffed out a groan. Did she have to explain everything?

"Remember how you couldn't see the swords at first?" Hermione asked. Harry and Ron nodded. "It's the same thing with... them! When we walking with them, it just felt wrong."

Hermione grabbed her hair in her hands, pushing it away from her face. "It was like, it was like, it was pushing away at me, something telling me that there's something wrong here.

"Harry, you said that everything's felt wrong this year right?" Harry nodded. 

"What if it's them?" 

Hiya!

Sorry for the short chapter. It doesn't move forward the plot a lot, but I hope you can see how the characters interact and see each other. While writing this I realized that Harry and Nico share some similarities, feeling unwanted in the place you were supposed to call home. Also, there will be no cross-ships. Sorry if it seems romantically-coded, I'm aro so I honestly don't know how people view others in terms of attraction. It's, it's hard to explain. Anyway! You can see a bit of !Slytherin Percy and Annabeth in this chapter which I am always happy to write. 

Also, for this fanfiction, it won't be like a lot of other fanfics were the demigods are all-powerful in the magic realm. The reason they were chosen was because of Tartuaras, and how it relates will be touched upon later. But a little hint: they are protected from spells, but they can't exactly use them without some unintended... side effects. 

Hermione is clear-sighted in this, not a demigod. Just clarifying. That's why she's able to tell that somethings wrong with the demigods. 

Alright, that's a lot of notes. As always: if you liked the chapter, please vote or comment! If you have any suggestions for me, just lmk! 

Have a nice night! Next update will be on Friday!

- Hoarder