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

06 • Leo Needs an Alias [Part 02]

"So, where is her office?" Leo asks.

"It's on the first floor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts tower. Don't worry. We're almost there," George reassures him.

When the twins stop by a door, Leo looks at them expectantly and nervously. They give him a comforting smile before knocking on the door at the same time in a rather odd pattern.

"Come in, Messrs. Weasleys," a firm voice calls out from the other side of the door, making Leo freeze to the spot.

Slowly, the twins open the door to show a woman standing by a bookshelf with her back turned towards them.

"Good day, Professor Minnie."

A sigh.

"Mr. Weasley, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me—" her words falter as she finally takes in the sight of them.

He watches as her eyes widen and her posture straightens before she gives a stern glare at the twins beside him.

"What in the world have you two done now? And who are you?" she asks sternly but politely.

"My name is Leo Valdez, ma'am. I'm from America and I accidentally crashed through your school," he summarizes.

"Poor kid's a muggle," Fred says.

McGonagall sighs exasperatedly. "A true muggle would have been repelled when passing by. So, if he is a muggle, the only way he could be here is that you two deliberately brought him here. So, let me ask again: what is going on here?"

The twins laugh.

"We didn't do anything, professor. Honest!" Fred exclaims. "Leo, here, is a demigod."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Half-god, half-muggle," George explains.

A beat or two.

Leo's leg twitches at the silence and the dark glare on McGonagall's face.

"It's true, ma'am. I'm from Camp Half-Blood where other demigods are joined together to live freely from the monsters we intend to slay at the right moment. My father is Hephaestus, and my mother, Esperanza, is mortal. I need to stay here for a while because my friend and ride home is currently compromised."

The professor purses her lips before sitting down on the chair by her desk, eyes locked on Leo.

"If you need proof—" George starts.

"—Leo can make fire out of nothing!" Fred finishes for him.

"Oh! Er, yeah... I guess, right," he says dumbly as he nods fervently.

With a nod from the professor, Leo opens his right palm and lights it on fire. He lets the open flame dance on his fingertips before letting it sizzle down.

"I'm not a wizard," Leo admits. "I'm a demigod who can control fire. Also, I've been learning how to manipulate what a person perceives. It's called the Mist. There are those who are gifted enough to fool everyone. I can only do so much but well, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do. So, I learned it. Maybe it can help fake my magical power or something?"

McGonagall hums. "I believe a meeting with the headmaster is in order."

Leo can sense that the professor still can't believe what she is hearing, but is trying her best to help however she can. Like Chiron. She has easily earned his respect.

"Now, follow me, Mr. Valdez. Messrs. Weasleys, you need not join us," she says firmly.

"But—"

A stern glare and they sag in defeat.

"Come along, then."

They leave the office in silence with the twins giving him comforting pats on the back.

As they leave the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower, they enter a quadrangle that is packed with students. They all stare at him and he instantly understands that they might not be used to seeing strangers in their school. Especially one who isn't wearing black robes and instead is wearing a ripped white shirt and cargo pants. He just thanks the gods his Camp Half-Blood shirt isn't ruined.

He looks around in awe instead of focusing on their whispers and glares. The castle is simply beautiful. The placing of the towers are as disorganized as he is and he knows Annabeth would have been irked by it.

The professor in front of him doesn't say a word to him—probably iffy with a stranger and a possible prank from the twins. She's probably thinking of what to make of me, Leo thinks.

They enter another tower with a great staircase and go to the second floor wherein he sees a corridor with a gargoyle at the far end.

Confusedly, they go towards the gargoyle and by this time, Leo had started to accept that looks can be misleading and that wizards do crazy things. This is proven when the professor utters, "Sherbet Lemon," and the gargoyle moves aside on its own to show a spiral staircase. [1]

McGonagall goes to the staircase and motions Leo to enter with her. As soon as he steps on the staircase, it slowly ascends on its own with the gargoyle going back to its place at the bottom of the staircase.

Once they reach the top, they are met with oaken double doors which Leo assumes would finally lead to the headmaster's office.

A jolly old voice calls out from inside after McGonagall knocked.

Leo marvels over the heavy amounts of knickknacks in the office before his eyes settle down to the old bearded wizard in purple robes—the one emitting a rather strong aura—whom he assumes is the headmaster.

"Professor, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Dumbledore asks after motioning them to sit on the seats in front of his desk.

McGonagall gives Leo a small look before turning back to the headmaster. "It seems we have a guest from America."

Dumbledore's eyes sparkle as he looks at Leo and he smiles. "You wouldn't be the demigod who was in the hospital wing earlier today, would you?"

Leo sees McGonagall's eyes widen at his words. "So, it's true?"

"I believe so," the headmaster replies. "Poppy came in rather rattled earlier. She casted a diagnostic charm on you," he says, looking over at Leo, "and to her surprise, you are a halfblood but of a different kind. It said your father is the god, Hephaestus, am I right?"

"Yes, sir. I'm a demigod from Camp Half-Blood which is at Long Island, New York."

McGonagall leans back on her seat as if she couldn't believe what was happening in front of her.

"Very well. I must inform the matron that our guest is here and well. She was surprised to find out that her patient is missing."

With that, the headmaster takes out his wand and flicks it. Out comes a white mist that takes the form of a bird that Leo suspects to be a phoenix. His mouth falls open to see the complex and beautiful magic for the first time since arriving in the school of magic.

Dumbledore tells the misty phoenix to tell the matron about her interesting patient. The phoenix gives a small nod before flying away and through the wall.

—oOo—
FOOTNOTES

[1] In the book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry goes to Dumbledore's Office and uses the password, "Sherbet Lemon."