Percy Jackson and the Triwizard Tournament (Goblet of Fire)

Chapter 38: Skeeter Strikes Again

Let's just say Percy was disappointed when he had to go back to his normal schedule after Winter Break.

But unlike the many times before, where they sulked by the pumpkin patch during Hagrid's lessons, he was nowhere in sight.

Annabeth was the first to speak as the swarm of Gryffindors walked into a clearing nearby Hagrid's Hut, only to be introduced to a plump, rather short, grey-haired witch, "Where's Hagrid?"

"Now now, settle down everyone. I am Professor Grubby-Plank - " there was a sharp pause as Percy and Thalia broke into stifled laughter, only to quickly be shut up by Annabeth's glare, " - and I will be teaching temporarily."

"Temporarily? Where's Hagrid?" Harry stepped forward into the crowd, he and Annabeth glaring at the substitute teacher questionably.

"He is indisposed," she said shortly, before changing the subject as the last of the Slytherins gathered around, "Come along now, this way!"

She began leading them past the Hagrid's small, cobblestone hut, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared longing looks to see their dear half-giant friend. Even Thalia seemed a bit gloomy about it, which was rather shocking with her history with cyclops and giants.

Percy snapped back to reality when he noticed the smug grin on Malfoy's face. Thalia had told him about the whole "alliance" thing he offered a couple days ago, completely forgetting to even mention it until that moment. But Draco's arrogant face seemed to be about something else, and Percy began to wonder if he knew why Hagrid was gone...

"Woah!" a wave of gasps filled the swarm of Hogwarts students as they crowded around the rickety fence of the paddock, only a few minutes away from the Forbidden Forest. At the sight of it, voices began flooding into Percy's head.

'My lord! My lord!' most of the Beauxbaton's winged horses looked rather cold and fragile in the harsh winter wind, but they still scurried towards the sides, much to the Hogwarts students' enjoyment whilst thinking the horses had come to greet them out of friendliness.

Professor Grubby-Plank didn't seem to notice the horses' immediate movements and continued to scurry down the dirt-trodden path. During which, Percy was trying his best to plug his ears until Hermione hissed quietly from walking beside him, so nobody could hear,

"You can understand all horses? Does it have something to do with-"

"Yes," Percy winced as one particularly excited horse whinnied and squealed in a high-pitched tone in his ear. He looked around, making sure nobody noticed as he whispered quietly, "My father created horses."

Hermione's eyes grew wide. Even though it had been a while since she had gotten over the initial shock, she still hadn't heard much of their secrets. And it may have seemed odd, but the three demigods never found the right moment later on to even tell her who their parents were. Just hints and clues bluntly spoken, which the clever Gryffindor had been picking up on.

"And the golden egg? I'm assuming those aren't horses inside, were they?"

He shook his head, now out of range of the excitable horses, slowly retracting his hands from over his ears, "Horses aren't the only species I can understand..."

"Sea creatures?"

Percy chuckled, "Gods, you picked up on that fast... Have you been doing some research, Hermione?"

Her cheeks grew a bright red, but it didn't wipe the grin off her face as she took a final glance back towards the paddock, "It isn't everyday that you find you're going to school with someone closely related to mythology, is it?" her head turned back towards him, Hermione's bushy brown hair bobbing lightly as they walked, "I did a little light reading."