"I will have to drop you once we're out," Hemera warned, her voice getting loud as they neared the ceiling.
Leo squeaked, shaken from his stupor. He wiped his eyes, "Wh-what?"
"Once my journey starts, I cannot stop it. You have power over wind on your side, you'll make it."
"Right," Jason mumbled. He'd been on Piper's side, but she didn't make it.
"She was a hero. Do not be so miserable," Day said, voice soft and comforting like the rays of sunrise, but burning him all the same.
Jason didn't respond.
She continued, "I sense that no matter what you said or what you did, Piper McLean would still have sacrificed herself. The prideful and the inferior, brave. That was you two, you needed to be brave for her. She is...a true example of love. I wish she could bring some to my own mansion."
"There's a Mansion of Day?" Leo asked, in the tone that he didn't really care. He just wanted to distract himself and think about her words about Piper.
"Yes," Hemera said, "and it is just as terrible as Night's. Now get ready."
They burned through the ground and up to the surface.
The two demigods landed in a crouch, helping each other up. In the distant sky, they heard Nyx scream in rage and terror. When they looked up, Day was chasing Night through the heavens once more, and dawn appeared in all its brilliant light.
• • •
The loss was felt by everyone.
Everyone had fought bravely. Katrina (Kathern7777) and Airial (Yumi75), a daughter of Athena and a daughter of Zeus, had battled in the forest against a horde of hellhounds, effectively preventing a lot of monsters from entering the school.
Then Nyx had appeared and terrorized the school for a good while before Jason, Leo, and Piper had managed to free Hemera.
Conrad Malowski had died. The goddess of night had grabbed him and tossed him into the sky, and no magic could save him when he fell down again.
It was Dawn who had screamed the loudest. Then she'd screamed at the goddess, and Nyx simply slapped her, and she was dead before she hit the ground.
The prophecy of the Getaway sisters rang in Isabell's head.
It'd been twelve hours since Hemera rose, but she didn't have to leave just yet, thanks to Dumbledore's kindness. Isabell recited the prophecy out loud, over the sound of the rustling trees of the Forbidden Forest near her. "In an attempt to hide both futures were shattered
One shall perish in an effort to be flattered." She brushed her hair self-consciously. "That was the complete line that the demigods didn't know about. It was...about Dawn obviously."
"What's the rest of it?"
"and lose a beloved to a midnight strife
Turning down reason, the other ends a life"
Drew sighed in understanding, "The other was me. I didn't listen to Dawnie's warning and Logan winded up dead. And she...she lost Conrad to Nyx. I didn't even know she loved him."
"I had a sibling too," Isabell told her.
She looked up, "What?"
"Duncan. He was my cousin, really. But we grew up together. I never treated him well enough. And when that dratted Ethan Nakamura was forced to kill him...I was never so regretful in my life. Your sister too; she meant a lot to me, no matter how twisted she was."
Drew studied her fingers in the grass, "I'm so glad that I didn't lose Wilby too."
Isabell found the will to laugh, "That boy survives anything. Especially if you're the reason to live."
Drew punched her, then changed the subject. "You don't deserve Azkaban."
Isabell shook her head, "I do, but it doesn't matter. It's only for five years, since I'm young and naïve and never actually used an Unforgivable Curse. Do you...forgive me?" She fingered the remains of her snapped wand. She didn't why she kept it, "I was the one who slipped him Love Potion in the first place."
"Well," Drew said thoughtfully, "I hardly ever forgive anyone. So no, I don't. But it doesn't really matter, does it? You're not going to do it again, because you're a different person now, and I don't resent that new person."
Isabell drew her knees up to her chest. "Yeah."
"Oh," Drew remarked, looking off towards the castle, which the teachers and Ministry Officials were rebuilding, "Wilby's coming."
"I'm leaving now."
"Why?"
"To give you two space."
Drew looked confused, "Why?"
"Because."
"Why?"
"Goodbye, Drew. I really wish we hadn't started out so awfully."
"Well okay, I feel the same, but why are you smirking at me?"
"Visit me in Azkaban," Isabell said, then ran off.
Wilby plopped down next to her, and she scowled at him.
• • •
"So what now?"
Harry and Hermione stared at him. They were in the Hogwarts Library, repairing books and putting them back.
"What?" Ron asked. "Look, we tried to get our seventh year of education. Tried, and failed. How about we not try again?"
Harry agreed. "We survived two bloody wars. It shouldn't be a problem to become an Auror, even without our N.E.W.T.S."
Hermione twitched.
Ron rolled his eyes, "Don't tell me you're coming back, Hermione."
"I...I..." she huffed, then stared at him defiantly. "I'm coming back! I wouldn't be able to live if I didn't take my N.E.W.T.S.!"
"That's a bit of an exaggeration," Harry deadpanned.
"Besides..." she looked embarrassed, "I'm thinking of becoming the Minister of Magic."
Ron gaped at her, "Hey, that's great! You'd be a brilliant Minister." Harry nodded in agreement.
She blushed, "Thanks Ron."
The two began chatting about how they were going to keep in touch.
Harry scooped up a book with an arrow through the pages and tried to snap the point off.
"Need some help?"
Gratefully he handed the book to Ginny, who had appeared by his side. She pulled out her wand, "Incendio."
The metal shaft melted, and she pulled the point off and handed it back.
Harry grinned at her, "Thanks. I got so used to fighting without a wand I forgot I had one."
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
• • •
Calypso stroked Leo's hand, not saying anything, but just being there.
Percy was patting Jason on the back, and even Hazel and Frank were there. They all felt incomplete without Piper holding them together.
They were on Hogwarts grounds, but in one of those wizard tents. You know, the kind where it looks like a normal tent on the outside, but is actually a gigantic house on the inside?
Yeah.
"Draco's gone back to Malfoy Manor," Annabeth said. "His parents were really worried about him. And I talked with my mom last night," she added. "She told me Lord Zeus is assigning some gods to protect Hemera as she does her journey. This won't ever happen again."
Thalia was being tended to by Will Solace, and the two were having a hushed conversation that Nico was trying to hear.
"Does this mean we'll finally get some peace?" Hazel asked. "I expect we all deserve it."
"For now, no more fighting," Annabeth said. "We can finally live our normal lives."
"Has it really changed?" Ethan asked.
Everyone jumped. The son of Nemesis had been sitting on the floor silently with Araceli, the only other Night Servant who hadn't been killed by Nyx.
"Camp Half-Blood?" Percy asked. "Yes, it has. You have a cabin, now. I dunno what Nyx told you, but it's definitely getting better. And Jason here, he's the pontifex, and he's going to make sure all the gods are appreciated and not excluded."
"Yeah," Jason took off his glasses to wipe his eyes tiredly, "I know you don't really know me, but trust me, Ethan. You have a place at camp. At either of them."
He studied the empty sword sheath at his side with his brown eyes and didn't respond, but he was smiling, almost peacefully. Araceli was the same way.
Leo tapped something into the ground with his wand. Hecate had revoked their magic, of course, but she let them keep their wands as a souvenir.
"I have a confession to make," Thalia burst out.
Annabeth frowned, "What is it, Thal?"
"I want to break up with you, Nico."
Nico blinked, sitting up, "What? Why?"
She ran her hands across her bow, "To be honest, I don't think I like you that way. I don't know, it's complicated. I do know that I wanted to quit the Hunters though. The idea of staying immortal while my friends die around me...it's not something I want to do. Plus, I only joined to delay the prophecy. Maybe I used you as an excuse to leave, and I'm sorry for that."
Nico nodded slowly, "I see what you mean. I have to admit, I did have a sort of crush on you, but—" he shrugged, "—it's okay, you're not my type anymore."
Thalia gave him a small smile, "So we cool?"
"Totally."
They fist-bumped.
Percy waved his hands, "Not to intrude, but are we seriously ending this story with a breakup?"
Annabeth swatted him, "Seaweed Brain!"
Thalia rolled her eyes at the son of Poseidon, "Well, I should get going. The Amazons aren't patient people."
Annabeth got to her feet and hugged her, "Good luck Thals."
There was a chorus of good-lucks and I'm-proud-of-yous and have-fun-slaughtering-peoples.
"And wait a minute," Percy said to Nico, once Thalia left. He looked confused, "she's not your type either? Then who is?!"
Will raised his hand.
Percy stared at him, "Um, yes Will?"
"I would like to try a pick-up line."
Nico choked, "What? On me?"
"Nico di Angelo," Will began. He was enunciating his words really carefully. "I know my name is Solace...but..." he hesitated.
Jason made a sudden frantic gesture, "Go on go on!"
"...but I'd rather be your Sol-mate."
"Oh gods." The son of Hades buried his face in his hands, looking embarrassed, "How are you doing that."
Will looked worried, "Doing what?"
"MAKING ME FEEL THIS WAY," he ran out of the tent.
"Wait! Nico! Nico!" Will staggered to his feet, then ripped the tent flaps open and staggered after him.
The rest of the demigods stared after the two, then looked at each other and grinned.
"Bro, you're smiling!" Percy laughed, nudging Jason.
Jason was indeed smiling, "Solangelo is finally real."
Perplexed, Percy squinted, "Is that a spell?"
Hazel, even though she'd always been very out of the loop in the 21st Century, seemed to get what Jason meant. "It's my new uh..." she searched for the acronym. "OTP?"
Leo snickered. "Yeah right, Levesque. Calypso and I are your OTP."
"I hope this 'OTP' is a good thing," said Calypso.
"It is!" Leo nodded.
Hazel frowned, "Can I have more than one?"
"What about us?" Frank asked, looking troubled. "Are we an OTP?"
As a response, she wrapped her arms around him.
"Hey Jason," Leo said, "we're my BROTP."
They did a complicated fist bump.
"I'm confused!" Percy wailed.
Shaking her head, Annabeth leaned over and kissed him.
"Group hug!" Leo hooted.
Everyone gathered and launched themselves at each other, laughing and giggling.
Then Frank morphed into a gigantic panda and bear hugged them all.
Annabeth pulled Ethan in, "Come on, Nakamura."
Sighing, Ethan and Araceli joined the hug.
"This is how we shall travel from now on," Leo declared.
"Gross," Ethan muttered, his face pressed into Frank's fur.
"Shut up, man," Percy laughed. "I can hear you smiling."
"Mmph."
• • •
Dumbledore chuckled, "Look at the children."
He gestured at two teenagers hugging near the Forbidden Forest and sighed happily.
"Oh Albus," Professor McGonagall rubbed her temples with her forefingers. "Do stop spying on your students."
"We are on a balcony, Minerva," he defended himself.
"One we are supposed to be fixing," she murmured.
"And we will spy on someone whether we wish to or not. Look, there is Rubeus scouting in the Dark Forest! Perhaps if I look hard enough, I shall see Severus taking his walk—"
"Albus—"
"Ah, look there, Minerva." He indicated with his eyes.
The female professor adjusted her glasses and peered at the ground. "Are you referring to the two laughing demigod boys chasing each other across the field and screaming both insults and pick-up lines and something about a doctor?"
Dumbledore smiled, "Ah, to be young again!"
She scoffed, "I'm sure you have not lost your childish ways, Albus."
He Conjured a yellow sweet into existance with his wand, "Lemon drop?"
She laughed, "I will miss you when you retire."
"You will make a great Headmistress," he said seriously, chewing on his candy. "I am sure."
"Thank you. I will be very happy to head here."
Together they looked up at the sky, which seemed a little more peaceful than usual.
"Of course you will be." Dumbledore eyes were twinkling with pride, "After all, Hogwarts is our home."
*cue dramatic music as the book comes to a close*
Thank you guys SO MUCH for reading this whole book I know dragged it out a lot haha 💘
You guys are amazhang, seriously
Please please check out my other books:
• Rick Riordan's Hunger Games — the demigods are mortals in the Hunger Games, and there's plenty of twists and turns :)
• Slytherin Army — the Harry Potter series from the Slytherins' point of view. It follows canon but I add plenty of interesting revelations!
AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH MY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL READERS!!
YOU GUYS MAKE ME SO HAPPY 😊