Chapter Text
He didn't know why he was here. No, that was a lie. He knew the reason. Or whatever excuse that the magic goddess had spewed. He just wanted to know why he was always involved with everything. Did he offended the fates somehow?
(...)
Not that he could say he would never do that. But he didn't remember particularly cursing the Moirai. He wasn't that crazy by pissing those who weaved the destiny of everyone and everything. If even his proud and arrogant uncle respected, and worse, feared the three sisters (as even the gods couldn't scape fate) that was a sign that nobody should mess with them.
Percy always said that the family owed them a vacation after all the shit that they had been dealing with the last few years. But this isn't what he meant by that! He didn't mean going to a magical school from a world created by descendants from followers blessed by Hekate. A world that still somewhat maintained their gift even if they forgot where it came from. The gods weren't known for being forgiving if their pride was wounded. And he was pretty sure that forgetting who one should follow and be grateful, as if their magic was natural and a given, was enough slight to their eyes. It wasn't surprising that the magic that they could wield was weakening.
Speaking of their magic… Using it was weird. It kinda feel like what is like using the mist, guiding it to do what they wanted (Yeah, Hekate, he was listening when you explained that they were sibling forces. And all that that it helps the magic of the mist stay strong and influencing the mortals. He admits that it made sense that they feel similar). What was funny was that it seemed to jump to do what they wanted it to do, in a way that it didn't to the wizards. Like it knows what they were and where they came from. Like it misses it's origin, to be more connected with it (Can something like it miss something?). They had practiced with it after gaining the wands (that needed a strand of their hairs to bond exclusively with them as this type wasn't made to be wielded by their kind. If they tried to made a spell the mist would respond to them first) for a little while, almost everyone wanted to play with it too but the goddess didn't want to make one for everyone else. Cabin 20 saw this as a challenge and stole the wands (and books) for a while to better understand and connect with this type of magic, and that they would find a way to teach the others (when he asked why she didn't pick anyone connected to her, the goddess said that her children, or any favored by her, would be too powerful. That she didn't want to offend their parents after the second Titanomakhia. And that the three of them were 'perfect' for the role as they all already had some experience with other cultures and diplomacy. All excuses in his opinion).
The first class they had was about changing the form of things, summoning and banishing things. The teacher explained about a spell to vanish things and given them snails to practice. It remembered him about all the times that the gods threatened to smite him. So because of it (he commented it to Nico) they spend the rest of the class pretending that they were 'smiting' the poor things like they were people they didn't like or angered them for ridiculous and absurd reasons like they were their family. The teacher looked them weirdly because they started laughing madly at some point, but congratulated them for doing it properly, 'cause it was supposedly a hard spell, just asked them not to use all the snails.
After that they had classes with Jason for the rest of the day. What was fun. The 'prophecy' teacher was super obsessed with bad destinies from what he could tell, but really, when any prophecy was truly positive or happy? So if she had the gift or not was still up to debate. At least until they get to hear any of her prophecies. Then the 'thank you' gift that Apollo had given them (for pretty much saving him from being punished for the mess of their second great prophecy) specifically to check whether the prophecy that Hekate said the wizards got and believed was true or if there was something fishy about it. Because of course they wouldn't just know and just tell them. Nothing was that simple or ease for them, ever. But it seems that this time it was because they stopped caring about the wixen to keep an eye on them. So even the god of prophecy didn't know who, what or where it had been stored. Only that they had some place full of old, partial, fulfilled and unfulfilled ones. But at least for now it didn't seem to be at the school. Unless they had some secret room they still had to find. What was possible because none of them had the power of just knowing the floor plan of the whole building just by being here (He was sure that Annabeth would find it super quickly).
Potion was taught by a guy who clearly didn't wanted to be there or teach any of them (why that kind of people become teachers was beyond him). Who they later were told to be their 'head of house' whatever that meant. If they think it would stop him from answering back if the man was an ass they were clearly dreaming. Same for that lazy and complacent teacher who had the insane thought of even agreeing that a defense class could be taught with theory alone. This people had a terrorist not that long ago! And one never knows were the next danger can come from. Were this people setting their people, their children just up to luck? They wanted them to get hurt or die easily?
The next day just made he miss camp even more. It started with them having to care for plants. It wasn't strawberries or any other plant they had at camp but it wasn't that different. It had way less nature magic for sure, as they didn't had any kind of nature spirit or child of Demeter or Dionysos. And now he misses Grover. Great. It didn't help that they were seeing each other less because his best friend was busy dealing with all the business that came with being the Lord of the wild and trying to mitigate all the human damage he could in areas were the other nature spirits were calling for help, not that it was helping with his hatred about human-destruction and selfishness. Not that Percy couldn't understand, he could see the things that the mortals did to every body of water they could access and the complains of the creatures living there, or that where hurt by them. And on the times that he went to his father court… And the rants of every spirit at camp and any child related to aspect of nature at any camp… No one was happy. And it seemed that the wixen, like most mortals, were more focused on what they could gain with nature than truly care for it. At least their magic could be better in reducing their damage, when they cared.
It was like that every kind of human, in their quest of independence forgot or willfully ignored that they were part of nature. Of the world. That it didn't exist to serve them. That they were just one of the species living here.
Demigods couldn't forget. And they were capable of controlling the domains of their parents to their will, as they were their own. But they didn't ignore the fact that they were part of that domain somehow, that if they destroy it, they destroy part of their home, of themselves (even when they were meant for destruction).
And then they had a history class with the infamous ghost teacher. He didn't seem to what was wrong and different with his class until after it ended and Nico ambushed him. They had to evade the rest of the slytherins to stay behind, and even they ones in yellow, because they all wanted to keep watching them (This school must be really boring if just getting 3 new people let everybody crazy). But at least his little cousin pressured the poor soul to not submit them too useless classes again, and get in his place as the other ghosts did. Because all them were in probation as Nico wanted to speak with his father, Thanatos and Kharon about them, if they really had permission to stay behind or if they were outside their jurisdiction somehow.
Thankfully, they had a free period afterwards. So, after finding Jason, they continued to explore the castle, this time more carefully and looking for secrets they had missed when they were just scouting the territory. Noticing the paintings, literally observing their every movement (He waved at them for good measure).
"We'll have to be careful if we want to walk around without being noticed." He pointed out, speaking as if he was just showing something interesting for his cousins, even if nobody else there could understand the language.
"Yes, they could be reporting it to anyone, probably the professors." Both of them caught the implications and did the same.
"They probable are." Nico agreed. "At the very least, we would want to know what the sudden outsiders were doing on our territory."
"Maybe we should ask the ghost about blind spots? I mean, you already bond them to silent. They can't report on us, just what you gave permission on."
"It would be the safest option." The youngest considered. "Either way, it's better to keep exploring like this for a while. It would be suspicious if we stopped suddenly. For now, we're just exchange students who are curious about the new school."
He and Jason nodded as they all keep moving and looking around as if just observing the scenery.
"We decided that we're going to try the Creatures class today, so I decided to ask around about it."
"And?"
"Those in my house seem to like it pretty much, but it seems that the teacher just changed this year."
"It doesn't usually change much?"
"They said that it depends, because most of the creatures are dangerous, so some professors sometimes lose limbs."
"And then they kill them and have to get more to replace them?"
Jason frowned. "For some reason they don't? They said they just study the creatures, just for understanding them?"
"Uh? Understanding is important. But why anyone would subject themselves for unnecessary risk if they wouldn't do anything about it?"
"Yeah, just know what to avoid, how to deal and how to kill it."
"They seem to treat their creatures as engendered species. As theirs don't re-spawn like ours. Theirs seem to have a living cycle like mortal creatures, just with magic and longer lifespans."
"So is uncertain if our weapons would made their bodies disappear as normal monsters do."
"Yeah. We probably should avoid killing them if we don't have time to deal with a body. It would bring unnecessary attention, even if they don't know who killed it at first." The only blond between the big three children concluded.
"We haven't encountered any of their creatures yet. Do we have any idea if our scent will have any effect on them? Since they are technically derived from Greek magic, it might be possible." Nico brought up a very important issue. One they should have considered before. But they were all so used to being hunted that it was strange to think it was possible they might not be.
"It will be a problem if their monsters try to just eat us out of the blue."
"Not sure how they would react to us explaining Lamia's curse."
"It's better if they don't know what we are. Based on what we've seen so far, they seem to have some kind of segregation with other species. And we don't know how they deal with half-humans."
"So basically the same reason we don't let the rest of humanity know that myths are real. We don't know what they would do if they got their hands on a half-blood."
"The hat called us a 'magical species'. And considering that they use parts of magical creatures' bodies as ingredients for various things..." He paused "If they lay their hands on someone who has ichor in their veins..."
They all shivered.
"Only over my dead body." It almost got out as a growl from Percy's chest.
"And mine."
"None of us will never let it happen." Nico added in a serious tone. "And if they dare to try…"
"We will make they regret it." They all agreed to it. Not needing to make it a promise.
(The three of them firmly ignoring that this determination could easily make them repeat the incident that lead to a war)
"Ah! Speaking of smells… I remembered what I wanted to say when I started to speak about the next class!"
"What?"
"It seems that the previous professor is a half-giant."
"A giant?"
"You have to be fucking kidding me!"
"They should have to warned us that they had one of the Gigantes here."
"I don't think that is one of our kinds of giants. This one is said to be gentle and friendly and was a student here for a while when younger."
"Why?"
"Ours weren't exactly known for having children with mortals. And living peaceful between them."
"Still, we can't be sure until we know more."
"Please, tell me that you weren't implying what I think you are…"
"We will have to research."
"Argh!"
"Look at the bright side, Perce. With the translations spell it will be easier and quicker to read." Jason approached him and patted his shoulder. "And…! We don't need to hurry because he won't be back for a while."
"Back?"
"He is the Ground Keeper of Hogwarts. Didn't I tell you?"
"NO!"
"Sorry!"
"Next time start with the fact that we will probably encounter a half-giant of a uncertain kind sooner than later!"
"Ok, ok. I will." And he had the audacity to laugh at them.
"At least, we can gauge more from his reaction when we met him. Because there is a gigantic chance that the wixen info is incomplete as they don't even remember where their magic came from." Our little cousin observed (giving a little smirk with his little pun), at least he saw the flaw in his idea about just researching info from wizarding sources. They would need ask other species too.
"Yes. Anyone from our world is able of understanding and speaking the ancient languages."
"And not many giants would be friendly to half-bloods."
"Should it turn out to be the worst possible option... We can always use the mist to made them forget or change their memories however we need."
"And it should be easier than normal since they were constantly exposed to it's sister." He smiled back at them. "Their magic would made the effects stronger. Even if we aren't the best using it."
"We have a plan then."
They ended their wanderings and conversations of that kind (it wouldn't be good if they only spoke Greek and Latin all the time) for the time being, as they joined the flow of students heading toward the forest.
"Where were you?" The blond boy that they had to share a room fired as soon as he saw them. At least they stopped asking why they were with someone from other house. It seemed that they could learn. "Better question: why were you always disappearing?"
Oh, the famous boy was close with his red-headed friend too, paying close attention to them. Even if they both keep making faces looking at the blond and his friends. He would have to discover the lore there latter (Most of their family were gossipers, don't blame him. And they were into something with mortal intrigues: they could be pretty fun to watch).
"You all didn't explore this castle in your first year?" Percy questioned back.
They all blinked as if they didn't expect something like coming.
"He does have a fair point, Draco." the black boy with a Italian accent came forward and stopped next to the one that started the conversation, who blushed a little.
"Well, they shouldn't do it between classes. They could get lost and get late." Was he talking from experience?
"Draco is right. They don't seem to have a pocket watch." the girl with short black hair pointed. And really? A pocket watch? This people really still lived in the middle age?
"You don't need any kind of watch if they pay attention to the sun." Percy said, shrugging.
"To… the sun?" Once again all students next to them stopped to pay attention.
"Using the sun to track the passage of the hours is one of the oldest ways of telling time. It's an useful ability." The son of Hades wasn't impressed by the lack knowledge of these people.
"Yeah. A watch can be destroyed but it's way harder to break the sun." And he had lost a watch before. Not that they usually had to pay attention to the time. Normally it was just at a specific moment or day.
"Why don't just casting a spell?"
"Stopping to just that can be a waste of time." Always trying to be diplomatic, Jason.
"How could it be a waste when one needs to know the time for an appointment?"
"In these cases, obviously you need to have something to signal when it's getting close, when you should leave and when you should be there."
"But when you're running around and busy, stopping just to check the hours can be risky."
"Isn't losing sense of time even worse?"
"It is better losing time than-" Jason cut himself off mid-sentence, no doubt because he remembered that the constant worry of getting injured or killed was not something mortals normally had. "…than losing focus when you can't afford to take any chances." Nice save.
Or not… The wixen around them had lost faces. Not that it was surprising, they almost never understood. Mortals had calm and safer lives after all. The dangers they faced were mostly of their own making. Just seeing what they expected. Their eyes traveled across their scarred skin (They were totally obsessed with them, weren't they?). Not even the gods knew what absurd theories and conclusions were going through their minds. And most of their scars were hidden under layers of clothing (it was impossible to find a demigod without any scar. And it only get worse as - when - they age)!
They didn't look like they knew what to say after that.
"So, what we should hope of this class?" Percy decided to ask, just to end the weird silence and staring.
Luckily all the students jumped at the opportunity of explaining it to them. That made the rest of the track until to the front of a hut, where the teacher was waiting, was less boring. From there the old woman, after greeting them and reintroducing herself, lead them into the forest, but not too deep into it, to a decent sized clearing.
As all the classes until now, she told them what they could expect to learn that year. What he admittedly didn't pay attention, until she mentioned a familiar name. Why in Hades do they think that it's safe to use a fucking Khimaira in a class when they don't teach their children to defend themselves from one? Were their chimeras different? Less dangerous? Did they somehow tame one? And Unicorns? It depended a lot of with kind they had. But the roman Monocerotem was crazy fierce.
But, thank the gods, there weren't any of them in this first class (things would get shitty if they were). She came with a bunch of little thin green creatures with leaves in their heads, giving one for each group for them observe and care for them, after explaining what they were and what they had to do.
"This thing reminds me of a creature I've seen a few times when traveling around the world. It also looked like part of a plant, like a thin twig."
"Where?" Jason asked. Sometimes he also forgot that Nico had traveled a lot after running from camp and was still figuring out his powers. He had told them one day that sometimes he had no idea where he had gone or was too exhausted to try again right away.
"Some places in South America and Australia. It's not a magical creature." He paused, and then added, deadly serious. "Australia has a lot of bizarre non-magical animals. I don't recommend going there without being ready to fight for your life."
"Which part of there did you go to?" Hermione, who had arrived later because she apparently lost track of time while reading a book, questioned while looking confused and a little worried. Which, rude. Nico was perfectly capable of caring for himself. He was still obviously alive after all!
"No idea. I didn't have a map at the time and got out of there as soon as I could."
"You probably could still go back there if you wanted." He pointed out, just to mess with him.
"Don't want to. Even if it is out of reach of our world."
"That bad?"
"Yes."
They were being stared by those next to them, even those outside their group.
"What? Did you went somewhere full of dangerous animals?"
"Something like that. I ended up on the bank of a river, surrounded by huge crocodiles. I think they were those salty ones."
"Did you had to fight them?" Jason asked as Percy had a bursting fit of laughter, while sending him a glance asking what was his deal.
"Only until I managed to get away."
"Wait! Only you? You were alone?"
"Yes?"
"Underage wixen can't apparate alone. It's against the law!" The girl seemed outraged at the prospect. "And it's only taught to those who were already seventeen!"
"Different cultures." Nico remembered her.
"I'm almost certain that the same rule also applies in the US." The black boy from before (Zabini?) rebutted.
"We have our own rules. MACUSA has no reason to interfere when it's nothing that exposes the existence of the supernatural." Not that they could do anything to them. Hekate, her children and the mist would prevent it. The MACUSA most probably didn't even know of them. Not that any of them need to know that.
"Your family let you do whatever you want?" Oh, she remember when they admitted that their family controlled their community. They had no idea that their family was the community.
"Nah. But half-bloods from our family do have less restrictions on them." Percy spoke, still trying to stop laughing. "We are more useful like this."
That made them stop for a minute with eyes wide.
"You are half-bloods." The blond boy with grayish eyes was surprised for some reason (Draco? What was his last name again?).
"Yes?"
"All of you?"
"Yes…?"
"But! You all have this powerful aura!"
"Oh, so some of you can feel that!"
"You were aware of that?"
"Well, I had people saying something like that to me before." Percy conceded, remembering Hazel's comment about one of her first impressions of him.
"What aura?" The famous guy asked, his eyes going from (frowning at) the blond boy to him and his cousins, and them back and forth.
"Some wixen are able to project their presence and power with magic. One could feel it even without concentration of they know what to look for." The blond in green seemed super proud to be explaining something that the other boy didn't know (He puffed himself up like a boastful little bird when the other first asked, then schooled his expression to one of arrogance as if remembering that he shouldn't be happy with it as he was already speaking).
"We are not projecting anything."
"Wait, are you saying you're doing this unintentionally?" This was one of the girls in green that he still hadn't memorized the name. Not that he had paid much attention when they introduced themselves, to begin with.
"Theoretically it is possible do this even unconsciously, if one have practice." That was the blond girl, also from the house that they had ended in.
Multiple pairs of eyes turned toward them. Curiosity seemed to be the constant theme among them in the last few days.
"It is probably a genetic quirk of our family." Somehow Nico managed to say that with an unbelievable poker face. Knowing full well that that part of the family didn't even have DNA. And so that, based on humanity's biological knowledge, they should not exist, as they only had half what a human being should have to be alive. He and Jason had to grasp every ounce of self-control they could muster to keep from cracking up at the joke the youngest was making right to everyone's faces.
"That's impossi-" The boy who had asked about their blood status on the first day started only to suddenly stop when collectively they all (at least those who had been present) remembered the tidbit they had shared about their families the day before. "Three thousand years." He repeated as if the shock at it had fully returned as well.
"A family that old could have some interesting 'quirks'. Especially if they managed to keep their magical legacy alive all this time." Zabini (he will stick with that name until someone proves him wrong, but he was pretty sure that it started with 'za') had an contemplative expression, even if the term looked alien to him, but he still managed to understand the meaning.
"What is the name of your family again?"
"Theopoulos." Percy responded. "Our family really have a strange sense of humor for chosing this on the nose last name. Really? 'Descendent of god'? Could they be a bit more creative? Or the wizards were that slow?" Both of his cousins snorted and then faked a cough (like really subtle, guys).
He was pretty sure that they all just asked because they wanted to research it in the library or ask to their parents (would they even try the school staff) somehow. Good luck for them to try to find anything about a made-up name. But who knows how long they would take to understand that they wouldn't find anything.
Everything and everyone seemed to have calmed down. That's when of course the ADHD would attack.
"Why you're laughing so much after Neeks said that he encountered crocodiles?"
"Because I remembered the time I ended up fight one too. It was a magical crocodile tho." Those around turned to look at them, especially him, with bewilderment. One even mouthed 'fight?!'. "That's when I met Carter for the first time."
"Carter?"
"Carter Kane. They have headquarters in Brooklyn."
"Ah! The Egyptians." Nico nodded, quickly understanding.
But Jason was still a little loss.
"He is one of the magicians of the House of life. From the Egyptian Pantheon."
"Demigods?"
"No, but they can host and somewhat use the power of their gods." At least that's what he remembered of them at the moment.
"Are they allies?"
"Not exactly but we are in good terms from what I know." Of course Nico knew that. He wasn't even surprised anymore.
"Me and Annabeth helped them to deal with someone who was using both Greek and Egyptian magic."
"Ok. I will keep in mind that it is a possibility now."
While they talked people were still focused on them. They seemed to be under the impression that they stopped paying attention to others and their surroundings (not that it was a viable option for them. Unless they want to be ambushed by some monster who wanted to eat or at least kill them). The fact that they all had enhanced senses helped them still hear their whispered comments. It was funny that they were so indignated that they couldn't understand nothing what they were saying (maybe they could use it to mess with them intensionally later).
The rest of the class was neither relevant nor interesting enough to pay much attention, it mostly resumed in them learning the basics of how to care for their sticks for the next month or so. And then they had to split again for the last one of the day. He just hoped that Charms (a name that he just remembered because it reminded him of cabin 10) would be fun, even if only a little (At least it wasn't as boring as a regular mortal school).