The Hogwarts Apprenticeship Program

Meeting the Others

Chapter 4

Annabeth

The hallway seemed endless. We walked for what felt like hours, nothing changing on the walls except the paintings. Finally we ended up at a dark wooden door, one that looked really thick and secure.

McGonagall stopped in front of the door. "This door leads to the only known stationary portal between the worlds of fiction. We have to keep it secret because on a normal day we don't know where it leads - if, say, it led to Middle-Earth, anyone who passes through it could end up anywhere from the depths of the mines of Moria to the streets of Hobbiton."

Only Ron looked confused at that analogy, maybe because I'd forced Percy to read an anti-dyslexia charmed version of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. I guess even around people like Hermione, some people don't appreciate muggle fantasy. I saw Bella lean over to him and say something in his ear. The look on his face changed to one of realization.

McGonagall continued. "This portal is the only reason that Hogwarts was built on this spot. This castle wasn't always a school. It's something that isn't taught in History of Magic to preserve the secret of the portal, a secret in the secret world of magic."

If only magic was the only secret world out there. When Percy and I finally had to tell them who we really are, we'd have to see the shocked look on Hermione's face over again. She really wasn't used to having someone tell her something she didn't know.

"We've dawdled here long enough. Students, it's time to meet the people you'll be working with for the next year."

She pushed open the door.

Of course, I'd read every book I could get my hands on once I found out that the Wizarding World had a charm to make a book dyslexic-readable. I'd spend my breaks, when I wasn't on some kind of quest to save the world, buying books and bringing them to school, where I could use magic. But nothing could prepare me for what I saw when McGonagall opened the door.

Two men sat next to each other, talking. The first man looked almost half-elf, half-human. He had pointed ears and a strange silver marking on his palm, along with a strange accent, like he had been speaking another language for his whole life, or at least a very long time.

But the other man...

I could only see his profile, but he looked incredibly familiar. He had sandy blond hair, and from what I could see, blue eyes as well...

Luke.

I let out a gasp and stopped dead in my tracks. Next to me, Percy did the same.

Both men turned and looked at us, and I got a good look at the second man's face. There was no scar, his eyes were more blue-green than blue, and he was a few years older, around twenty-five.

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

There was no way that he was alive.

It was silly, but after all this time I still secretly hoped that Luke had slipped through the Doors of Death. He had taken care of me for so long...he was my first crush...

But my life had changed. Luke had changed. Serving Kronos...without him, so many people would still be alive.

Including him.

The two of them were talking to McGonagall now. He spoke with a faint trace of a British accent, but another one overshadowed it, one I didn't recognize. The six of us stood in the doorway awkwardly.

The group of adults turned to us after a short conversation.

"I am Eragon," the elvish-looking man said. "I am of the land of Alagaёsia."

"I'm Alexander Taylor, but my friends call me Alex," the man who looked like Luke said. "I'm originally from here in England, but now I live in the land of Alusia."

Of course we all had questions, but they had to wait for a bit.

We introduced ourselves.

"I'm Harry."

"Ron."

"Hermione."

"Bella."

"Percy."

"A-annabeth," I said with a slight stammer in my voice. Seriously, I could go through Tartarus but a man who looked like my first crush had me nervous? Alex seemed to notice the stammer and gave me a quick smile, probably misinterpreting it as nerves. McGonagall went back to talking.

"As I told you before, I'm splitting you up into two groups. Harry, Ron and Hermione, you'll be going with Eragon. Bella, Percy, and Annabeth, you'll be going with Alex."

My heart, against my will, gave a little flutter as I heard I was going with him. I reminded myself that I had Percy, who would do anything for me. I wasn't going to leave him for some man I'd only just met.

"I'm going to give you students two extra weeks of training before I send you off. Just helpful little things, nothing major. I'll leave most of what you'll need to Eragon and Alex. Oh yes, and you'll also be the only students at Hogwarts for these two weeks. The castle is badly damaged and we don't have enough livable and safe rooms to house the full school. We'll need help to fix it, although I suppose you'll be able to help with that while you're here," she finished, looking to Alex and Eragon."

"If there aren't any questions, I suppose we'll just get on with your training..."

A/N Hello again my amazing readers! (Or should I say Amazhang...) Like I said last chapter, I will not be breaking up Percabeth. I know at least one person out there is screaming at me. I'll see you guys next week!