Quests of Valdez: The School of Magic (Harry Potter x Percy Jackson fic)

05 • Centaurs Know Leo's Secret [Part 03]

Silence fills their surroundings and Leo could feel the eyes of everyone around him settle on him, burning him in ways fire can never do. Though nothing could compete with the heavy weight which seems to have settle itself on his shoulders, causing him to hunch in on himself as if for protection from his own dejection.

He was hoping that he must have interpreted it wrong. That he was not the destroyer of Earth the centaurs were indicating... but now, he has to admit the truth. The seventh wheel? The destroyer of Earth? The child of fire? A child born on the seventh of the seventh?

Oh, who was that boy born on the seventh of July, who has fire powers because his father was the god of fire, and was told by the goddess of revenge that he is an outsider and a seventh wheel? Who was that boy who ran away from his foster home six times, and now running away from Camp Half-Blood? His new foster home? Oh, that's right. Leo freaking Valdez, because it has always been Leo Valdez.

Another prophecy... and just when he was in need to get away from it all.

The leading centaur asks him in a firm but cautious tone, "Are you truly the son of Hephaestus? The son of fire?"

Leo desperately wants to say no, to keep his identity hidden. He wants to have his own life for now—away from the title of being a half-blood, away from his father's name, his own fame.

But if he says yes, he knows they wouldn't harm them—evident from how the possibility that he is who they think he is made them momentarily drop their weapons away from them.

He glances at the questioning and still fear-ridden eyes of his two companions and he knows that this may be the only way for them to survive—giving his secret away. How these centaurs knew of him, he will never know...

With a sigh, he nods, raising his hands and letting the ever-familiar feeling of pins and needles on his palm continue before the flames emerge from his hands—like a gentle heartbeat growing and enlarging as it dances across his palm, full of life and light.

How it mocks him.

"Leo..." one of the twins whisper but he doesn't look at either of them.

Because much to Leo's horror and the twins' shock, the centaurs all drop their bows and arrows before bowing their heads at Leo as a sign of respect.

"Leo, what's happening?" George asks beside him.

"I... I don't know," he admits, still staring at the bowing group in front of him.

What in the gods' stupid names is happening here?!

"Leo Valdez," the leading centaur says in acknowledgement. "I am Magorian, leader of the Forbidden Forest Centaur Colony. The centaurs had heard of your heroic deeds, and to that, we owe you our respect." [1]

"Umm, it was no big deal," Leo replies, shifting from one foot to the other.

A white-blond centaur with astonishingly blue eyes walks towards the three teenagers. "Your sacrifice was no easy feat, child of fire. We were aware of Gaea's plans to destroy humanity, nature along with it. I, Firenze, feel safe to say that to save it and to defeat the primal Greek goddess of Earth by giving your life will never be forgotten amongst the centaurs," he continues. [1]

"Right..." Leo mutters, pointedly not looking at Fred's and George's face, his eyes staring down at his feet instead.

"There is a prophecy known to the centaurs about a child of fire," Firenze starts.

"Great. Another one," Leo whispers to himself, not knowing that the twins had heard him. "Was it the one you said earlier?" Leo asks loudly.

"Indeed," Firenze replies, "and is it safe to assume that this is your steed?" he asks, gesturing at the severed head of Festus.