The Hogwarts Apprenticeship Program

Calling Back Home

Hey, I keep forgetting to put this in so I guess I'll say it now. I only own the plot for this and Bella, everything else belongs to its original author.

Chapter 5

2 weeks later

Percy

Two weeks of magical training later, we were ready to go. I had Riptide, and Annabeth's new sword from Tartarus had turned up in her Hogwarts trunk one day. It was almost as if the gods knew we were going to be leaving for a while, not that we even knew how long. Professor McGonagall had said a year, but it could be longer than that.

When we had Iris-messaged Chiron to tell him we were going to be leaving for a while, he was understanding. He knew what we had been through, even if we didn't talk about it, and thought it would be best for us to take a break from the mythical world.

My mom and Paul were slightly less understanding. Actually, that may be a bit of an understatement. They had thought I was missing and/or dead for months, found out I was alive but had a high chance of death, like usual, and I hadn't talked to them since. I totally deserved what I got.

"PERSEUS ACHILLES* JACKSON! HOW COULD YOU LET US THINK YOU WERE DEAD FOR MONTHS AND THEN ONLY CALL ONCE! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, WE THOUGHT YOU WERE LOST SOMEWHERE, WE THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER COMING HOME - oh, hello there Annabeth. I didn't see you there." My mom's rant was ended pretty quickly. She never really could stay mad at me.

Paul was finally getting used to demigod weirdness and didn't even question the fact that I had been gone for months and was now in what looked like the bathroom of a medieval castle. He knew Sally would do the main yelling, just like she did every other time I got into some kind of insanely dangerous situation, which was basically about once a week.

"Look, Mom, the first few months I was asleep, then after that I was on two quests to save the world and then literally went through hell. This is the soonest I could contact you. It's also the last I can for a while."

My mom let out an exasperated sigh. "Percy, I know you have to do what you have to do. Just try not to get killed, and come home as soon as possible."

"Mom, I don't know how long I'll be gone. I could be back in a week or two years. But I'll be back as soon as possible, Annabeth wouldn't let me get hurt anyways."

Annabeth jokingly elbowed me in the ribs. "If I can keep him alive through the Underworld and worse, I think I can keep him alive through a bit more."

Paul looked curious. "By worse, do you mean..."

I cut him off there. "Paul, I know you, and I'm pretty sure what you're thinking is right. Neither of us is ready to think or talk about that place yet. Please, just leave it alone."

Paul looked a little awed and a lot afraid, but he let it drop. I kept forgetting he was a history teacher and knew this kind of stuff.

"I'll be sending you guys a journal soon. If you write in it, I'll be able to see it and respond. IMs won't work where I am. I can't give you any more information right now, since I barely know any more myself."

I heard the sound of voices in the hallway, coming our way.

"We need to go, but remember the journal!"

With that I waved my hand through the image and broke the connection, just as the Golden Trio opened the door.

"What were you two doing in here?" Ron asked us.

We couldn't exactly just answer him, so..."We've been through a lot together in the past year. Sometimes it's best to just take some time and think through it."

The trio accepted it, but Annabeth looked at me like I'd just grown a second head. "Since when did you get all philosophical, Seaweed Brain?"

"I must have been hanging out with you too much, Wise Girl."

Hermione interrupted our little moment. "Professor McGonagall sent us to find you guys. It's almost time to leave."

A/N Welp, another chapter written! I've been trying to get these up at 8 PM my time, and it's 7:53 so I guess I can type pretty fast because I only started 20 minutes ago. So, for anyone else living in the northeast US, enjoy the snow? Anyone make any blue cookies? I tried, but apparently my parents don't trust me with food dye. Oh well, I still have some pretty good cookies, but they're not blue.

*Yes I know Percy doesn't actually have a middle name. It just sounds better with it in there.