107Merry (late) Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy Kwanza! Happy Diwali! Happy... Um... Sorry, I don't know anymore winter holidays...
Ay dios mio, has it really been that long? *ignores glares, eyes the tomato bouncing up and down in someone's hand* Heh. Sorry? Yeah, I didn't think you would forgive me that easily.
So um, I haven't updated because of the homework I had (STILL have is more like it), but it was Winter Break, so I thought, "What the hell?" and started to write.
Please don't kill me.
Even as they confessed their deepest, darkest secrets-well, deepest, darkest secrets in the mind of most mortals-Nico had this unsettling feeling someone was listening in on their conversation, watching even.
When he brought it up, however, Professor McGonagall waved it off.
"There are charms, spells, enchantments-everything-protecting this room," she said. "There's nothing to worry about."
Though, the worry never left Nico's mind.
Earlier that hour...
Percy felt stupid when he talked to the stone gargoyle, and he felt really stupid when it was silent for about a minute. But he regained his dignity when the statue finally talked back to him.
"Password?" it asked. Percy looked back at his friends, whose looks of surprise matched his own, and glanced back at the gargoyle.
"Um... I didn't know there was a password." The carved stone was quiet for a moment or two.
"Password?" It asked again, and Percy resisted the urge to slap his hand to his forehead.
"What are you doing out here? You should be in second period!" a voice called out into the long, empty corridor. Percy was hoping his luck had changed, and they wouldn't be caught, but, that was a stupid hope. No matter how depressing it sounded, he knew it would never in his life (and probably afterlife, too) come true.
He looked to his right and saw an older woman, obviously one of the professors, coming to a stop in front of his little group. What was her name, Prof. McDonald?
"Professor McGonagall!" Annabeth said. So her name wasn't McDonald after all. Who knew? "We need to talk to Professor Dumbledore. It's very important."
"Don't you think this can wait until-" Prof. McGonagall began.
"No," Thalia said, her voice cold and steely. Percy had only heard her talk like that a couple of times, and they were not, by any means, happy memories. "We need to talk to him now. It could end up as a life-or-death situation. Trust me when I say, he needs to know what we're willing to tell him." There was thunder rumbling in the distance.
McGonagall took a minute to make up her mind, but she eventually told the gargoyle the password, and guided the teenagers into the Headmaster's office.
Percy was the last one to start the climb up the stairs. When he was a couple steps up, he heard what sounded like someone kicking a pebble. He looked back, but there was no one in sight. He shook his head and turned around to continue his trek up the stairway. Maybe he'd inhaled too much dragon dung fumes.
Annabeth thought the office was breathtaking. The circular room was filled with moving paintings, books, and beautifully made furniture.
Professor Dumbledore looked up from a book he was reading on his desk.
"Hello, Minerva, children," Annabeth almost looked around for the Roman form of her mother, but then she remembered Minerva was McGonagall's first name. "What can I help you with?"
"These second years have something to tell you. I haven't a clue about what it could be, but they say it's important." McGonagall said, and Annabeth took that as her cue.
"Have you ever heard of the Greek gods?" The teachers gave her weird looks, but Dumbledore nodded anyway.
"Yes, I've heard of them. What does this have to do with what you want to tell me?"
"I'm getting to that," Annabeth continued. "Do you remember how, in most of those myths, the gods would come down and have... affairs with mortals?" Dumbledore nodded again.
"The result was a demigod," he said, and Annabeth was taken slightly aback. "Do tell me, where are you going with this?"
"Right, well... The gods are still around, still having half-blood children." Annabeth continued before they could interrupt with their protest. "We're some of those children."
Dumbledore nodded slowly, his eyes looking thoughtful.
"Yes," said quietly, then began again in a louder voice. "Yes, that makes a lot of sense."
"Albus!" McGonagall all but screamed. "How can you possibly believe-"
Oh no, Annabeth thought.
"Have you ever wondered where our magic came from? How our magical world came to be without the whole Muggle world finding out about it? It was the gods!"
"Actually," Rachel began. "It was one goddess in particular: Hecate, goddess of magic. She sent us on a quest to protect a student from a murderer. Although, I still don't know why she would send me. I'm just a mortal." Both professors looked at her with wide eyes.
"Rachel, you're the oracle," Percy said. "Plus, you can kick butt."
"You're an oracle?" McGonagall asked, and Annabeth almost laughed. She doesn't believe in the gods, and yet she more or less believes in the oracle for said gods.
"If you lot really are demigods, who are your parents?" Dumbledore asked while completely ignoring his colleague's question.
"Poseidon, god of the seas, earthquakes, storms, and, uh, horses, I guess."
"Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy,"
"Zeus, god of lightning and king of the gods,"
"Hades, ruler of the Underworld,"
"I'm not a demigod," Rachel said. "I'm the Oracle of Delphi, and I live in a cave."
"An awesome cave!" Percy said. "Do you realize how many channels your TV gets?" Annabeth kicked his shin.
"Who's the student you have to protect?" McGonagall asked before anything violent could happen. Nico answered her.
"We were told to protect Harry Potter."
And with that simple phrase, Rachel's eyes began to glow green, and she opened her mouth.
So, there it is. A cliffhanger. You are SO gonna kill me, I know it.
Anyway, I'm going to answer some reviews! So look through the names incase you're somewhere down the list.
Guest: I'm in seventh grade, but I'm also in AVID. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and it's a college prep. class for 7-12 grades. Right now, we basically learn how to take the best notes, and we have tutors a couple days a week to help us with whatever's confusing.
Silver Simmons: Your character will show up soon. I just have to tie up some loose ends, and maybe find out where this story is going...
And to everyone else:
I'm thinking about rewriting the first couple of chapters. What do you think?
Oh, and those ANs (that are the same, yes I know. I had problems with the chapters before) are going to be taken down, so don't be surprised if the chapter name matches the actual amount of chapters next time.