When Myths meet Magic || 3

8|| Piper

Everyone was leaning over Harry nervously as the train rattled back on track. Harry let out a great, shuddering breath and opened his eyes. A breath of relief escaped Piper-- she'd been worried he'd died.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously, hovering over him.

"Who screamed?" Harry asked.

"No one screamed," Frank said.

"But I heard screaming--"

A loud snap made them jump, which ended in more than one person falling over each other. Harry was dogpiled, which couldn't have been good for the state he was in.

"Gerroff me" Harry groaned.

"Here, eat this." Professor Lupin handed Harry a large slab of chocolate. "It will help."

Harry took the chocolate without looking at it. "What was that thing?"

"A dementor," Professor Lupin said, breaking smaller slabs of chocolate and handing them to everyone else. "One of the guards of Azkaban."

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin looked at them all with amusement in his eyes. "It will help," He promised again. "I haven't poisoned it, you know."

Frank looked down at his. "Uhm, I'm lactose intolerant."

The professor shrugged. "It won't affect you. Magic ingredients and whatnot."

"Did you feel how cold it got?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I felt weird, like I'd never be happy again," Hermione said.

"Well, you know what does make you happy? Eating this stuff." Piper turned and saw Percy's chocolate was gone, and he had a massive goofy grin on his face. "Try it, it really does help."

Piper nibbled at hers and shivered, but not from cold-- from the rush of warmth that so suddenly spread through her.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," Professor Lupin said. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"I'm fine," Harry muttered, clearly embarrassed. "None of you fell out of your seats though?"

"No. Ginny was shaking like mad though," Ron said, giving a side glance to Ginny. Ginny glared at him. "Oh, like you didn't go white as a sheet either, Ron."

The rest of the ride went by quickly, and when they got out, it was pouring rain. Piper shivered again, this time from cold. Jason put an arm around her, though she noticed her thirteen year old self was taller than Jason's thirteen year old self. The thought cheered her up somewhat.

"What?" Jason asked, noticing Piper's grin. Piper shook her head. "Nothing."

"Seaweed Brain, someone will notice," Piper heard Annabeth mutter. She glanced over and saw that Percy and Annabeth were completely dry, though it was hard to see through the thickly pouring rain.

"Fine, then." They were instantly soaked. "Is that better?"

"Smart aleck," Annabeth muttered, and Percy's face split into an enormous grin.

"Did Wise Girl just call me smart?" He danced around in the rain like a little kid.

"Oh, hush and get to the carriages," Annabeth said, though her lips pursed to hide her own smile. "And don't talk to the horses for too long."

"Horses?" Ron stopped to peer curiously at them. "The carriages are pulled on their own."

The demigods looked at him like he was crazy. "Don't tell me you don't see them. black, skeletal, bat-winged horses? Two per carriage?"