When Myths Meet Magic || 1 || a Harry Potter-Percy Jackson crossover

20|| Nico

Thalia drew in a sharp breath. "You're right!" They burst into the hut, where Hagrid was shucking some peas.

"Hullo—" he began, but Annabeth cut him off. "Not now, Hagrid. This is urgent."

Hagrid frowned and continued to shuck his peas.

"Hagrid, what did the stranger who gave you Norbert look like?" Harry asked, his forehead glistening with sweat, though it was impossible to tell if it was from the sprint or from anxiety. Maybe both. Sweat-xiety.

"Dunno." Hagrid kept shelling peas. "He wouldn' take his hood off. It's not uncommon, yeh know. Loads o' funny people up in the Hog's Head."

"Right," Harry said weakly. "Did you mention Hogwarts?"

Hagrid frowned and tried to recall what happened. They got more and more anxious the more he spoke, and Harry looked like he was going to pass out when he mentioned Fluffy.

"So yeh just need to play a bit of music and he'll go righ' back ter sleep, and—" Hagrid cut off, horrified. "Forget I said anythin'! Hey, where yeh goin'?"

Harry jumped up and sprinted back to the castle. "I really wish he'd stop doing that," Ron grumbled, then chased after him. Hermione shot Hagrid a frightened look, then the five ran after Ron.

"Which way was Dumbledore's office again?" Harry was asking Hermione. Annabeth led the way and they turned the corner, only to run into Professor McGonagall.

"Potter, Jackson, why are you running in the halls?" She asked crisply.

"Professer, we need to get to Dumbledore, it's urgent," Harry pleaded.

McGonagall glared down at him. "Professor Dumbledore is not here. He's on his way to London, for the Minister of Magic. I assure you, whatever you need, it can wait for after the Minister."

Thalia stepped forward. "Minerva McGonagall, you should know when something dangerous is going to happen. I was under the impression you inherited some of your mother's traits, no?"

Hermione gasped at Thalia's wording to a teacher, but Professor McGonagall suddenly looked worried.

"If it's about the Stone, I assure you it's well protected. I'm sorry, Thalia Grace, but it's too late to contact Albus now. We can't Iris-message, but as soon as he gets back, I'll have him check on it." McGonagall walked away, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione gaping after her.

"Who was her mother?" Ron asked nervously.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Her first name is Athena's Roman part, it was pretty obvious. Let's not focus on that now," she said as Harry opened his mouth.

"You're right. We need to get to the Stone now, before anyone can steal it." Nico assumed that was what they were talking about before.

"Obviously if my sister wouldn't listen, no other staff will listen either," Annabeth said. "We need to hurry."

"The cloak's in our dormitory," said Harry. "But it's not large enough for all of us. And by the time we get there, I bet Snape'll have the stone."

Nico sighed. "I can shadowtravel us all to the corridor," he said. Percy looked relieved.

"Great. We can't waste any more time. They might have the Stone already!"

Ron gulped as they searched for a safe, dark location to shadowtravel. "Are you sure it's safe? What if it doesn't work, and we get splinched?"

"It's perfectly safe. You can't splinch while shadowtravelling, and since it's not the same as Apparation, it should work. Now everyone hold hands." Annabeth assured him. They got in a hasty circle.