Collision (PJO/HP Crossover)

Chapter 14

Percy

"No!" Annabeth shrieked and jumped at me but the green light had already made contact with my chest.

I fell back in immense pain. It felt like dozens of super-heated knives were slicing me open. There was no relief from the pain and I spasmed on the floor, my mouth open in a silent scream. Annabeth's blurry face hovered above me.

Slowly, it faded and I lay panting on the floor. "Percy, are you all right?" Annabeth asked, looking at me with worry written all over her face.

I was still hurting too much to move, so I settled for: "Ouch."

Annabeth lifted me to my feet and I leaned on her as the pain went away. "What did you do that for?" I complained, holding my stomach.

"Harry Potter is the only person to survive the Killing Curse—however, no demigod can be killed with it. No one can know what it does to you. That spell to you is the equivalent of the Cruciatus Curse, which is the torture curse and would be half as painful as the Killing Curse to you. Most spells wouldn't be as effective as that was, but it is an Unforgivable Curse. Those are as unpredictable as they are unforgivable."

"So basically what you're saying is, don't let anyone use harmful magic on us?" Annabeth said.

"Any magic. That Transfiguration spell should not have worked on you this morning, Percy, but I made it so in order to keep from drawing suspicion. Minerva knows not to use either of you as an example now, but the other professors do not. You will have to do all that you can to keep them from using magic on you."

"Of course, Lady Hecate. Come on, Percy." Annabeth took my arm and started to drag me out of the room.

"Don't forget these." We turned, seeing Hecate holding our weapons. I lifted my wand and attempted a nonverbal Accio spell. My sword flew from Hecate's hand and clattered to the floor five feet away from me. I sighed and picked it up by hand. Annabeth didn't bother using magic.

"You need to work on that." Hecate looked at me with distaste. "Now, go on, Harry will be waiting for you. And don't forget to meet Professor McGonagall later!" Hecate called after us as we left.

"Oh, hey guys!" Ron said as we exited the room. He threw his arm across Hermione's shoulders casually and struck up a hasty conversation with Harry. Annabeth and I exchanged a look, knowing that they had been trying to listen.

"Hey," I said, letting it go for a moment. "What's up?"

"When did you guys learn to fight like that? Where? How?" Hermione blurted out as we began walking outside.

I laughed. "Like Professor Jameson said," I narrowly caught myself before I could say Hecate, "she taught us. She was at the American school with us, teaching a version of Defense Against the Dark Arts. But we trained like that twice a week instead of once every week."

"That was amazing!" Ron exclaimed.

Annabeth grinned. "Thanks."

"And that was with a sword, you should see her with a knife. I'd never be able to beat her then," I added.

"Hey, you're pretty skilled with a sword, Percy," Annabeth said, holding my hand. "But you're probably right."

"Wow, you're very sure of yourself, aren't you?" I teased.

"You know it." She chuckled.

"Why do you guys keep calling your school, 'the American school?' Doesn't it have a name?" Harry wondered.

Annabeth and I stopped short, that being the one thing we hadn't thought of and didn't know. We were outside now and the sun shining off the lake making me sweat wasn't helping with my nervousness.