Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The words pouring from that little girl’s mouth made Harry feel as if he’d fallen into an ice cave. It felt as though hundreds of voices were speaking at once. The wisp of green smoke made every cell in his body feel uneasy.

“Is that… a prophecy?”

“Is it? It rhymes.”

“Who cares about rhymes? Those predictions aren’t lucky at all.”

“Is that how they give prophecies? I thought what Professor Trelawney said was just nonsense.”

Everyone knew that every year, Professor Trelawney made a prophecy about Harry’s fate. Many people had laughed behind her back when they saw Harry was fine. Harry shouldn’t have been so angry about it, they had no idea what had happened to him.

“Guys, prophecies are real. It’s a very rare branch of magic. The Ministry of Magic even has a department dedicated to studying prophecies.” Susan finally silenced the arguments.
As far as he could recall, Susan often spoke up in defense of Professor Trelawney in the school hallways, but it hadn’t been very effective.

Harry himself had never really believed in Divination. But now he had no choice but to believe. And everything they’d learned so far about the prophecy filled him with dread.

The only thing was, it mentioned gods and Olympus.

The gods aren’t real, are they?

“I think they genuinely believe they’re gods. So the prophecy must mean that too.”

“Is that girl a prophet?

“Let’s see, green smoke and a snake?” Hermione flipped through the pages. Harry really didn’t know how she could find anything flipping through the book that fast. Did this book even have a table of contents?

“There are many prophets in history and mythology. But I think that girl is Delphi the Oracle, Apollo’s most famous prophet.”

This made Harry think of the words on those trucks. It’s just a coincidence, right?

“I wish Professor Trelawney were here,” Lavender said. He remembered she always got high marks in Divination. She seemed very happy to prove that the subject she loved wasn’t as useless as everyone thought. Harry felt a little ashamed, he was one of those people, too. If Professor Trelawney were here, maybe she’d know something.

“Does anyone remember the entire prophecy?” Harry cleared his throat, deliberately raising his voice to ask.

Many hands shot up.

“Good. I want us to try to interpret it.”

“It mentions ’the eldest gods’. It seems like there are a lot of gods?” Ron said hesitantly.

“It’s a neutral term. It could refer to a god or a goddess. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly which god is being referred to with just that phrase. It could be the goddess Hestia, the eldest daughter. Or Hades, the eldest son. Or it could be the goddess Aphrodite, according to some stories, she is the daughter of Uranus, born from the sea foam and older than the Olympian gods.” Daphne shook her head. Harry noticed that the eldest Greengrass seemed to be opening up. In just a few hours, she had spoken more words than he had heard from her in the past four years. Did she know something?

“Not exactly. According to some myths, Zeus became the oldest because he wasn’t devoured. Hestia became the youngest because she was the last to emerge from Kronos’s belly.
She was the eldest, the first to be devoured, and also the last to escape her father’s belly. That makes her both the oldest and the youngest at the same time.” Blaise interjected.

“But it relates to Percy and Nico. So that would be Hades. If that’s the case, it would be three brothers, three eldest Gods.” Harry frowned, stating his conclusion.

“That’s sexism. Why are the three brothers called the Eldest Gods? What about the three sisters?” Ginny said irritably.

“I don’t know. Greek mythology originated in ancient times. And it tends to be male dominated. Besides, they’re Kings.” Hermione pointed out, emphasizing the word ‘kings,’ though Harry knew she didn’t like it either.

But that didn’t seem to soothe Ginny, she grew more irritable: “If the Gods are real, then why didn’t they help us fight You-know-who?!! Are they too noble to lower themselves? So many people have died and…”

“Stop it! Divine intervention usually leads to destruction. You could learn a thing or two from the Trojan War. That is, if you know that story.” Malfoy sneered.

Now it was Harry and his friends’ turn to glare at Slytherin. They really had to hold Ron back. Ginny was acting strangely, but they couldn’t blame her. Everything were escalating too quickly. Ginny had been in a state ever since she saw Tom Riddle’s face appear right before their eyes. And there was no way they were going to let that Malfoy mock her. Glancing at the twins, Harry found himself waiting for the moment they could escape this room and get out of the professors’ sight.

“The gods represent human beliefs. They have both good and bad sides. The gods have had a profound impact on the development of civilization. You may not like what they’ve done, but I advise you not to blaspheme or look down on the gods. Blaise warned, his tone very serious.

Malfoy didn’t care, as usual, he sneered, “Or maybe you can’t afford books because you’ve spent all your money on clothes.”

“Draco! Enough.” Surprisingly, it was Snape who put an end to the argument. Perhaps he just wanted to protect his own student.

“I think we’ve got the number sixteen figured out. But the rest of the lines,... they don’t sound right at all.” Neville whispered.

Ron noticed he was silent, so he stepped closer and asked, “Harry?”

He had to admit, “I’m worried about that prophecy. It makes me feel uneasy.” No matter what they said about Perseus’s family, Harry couldn’t help but shudder when he recalled the green smoke pouring out of that girl. On the one hand, Harry didn’t want to accept the idea that the divine existed. On the other hand, he felt he should believe.

Hermione pulled them aside and whispered, “Have you noticed how the Headmaster has been staring at Harry ever since he heard Perseus’s prophecy?” Her voice was tinged with unease. “Ron, don’t stare!”

Harry nodded, he didn’t even need to turn around to feel the Headmaster’s gaze following him. Those aged eyes looked at Harry with such intense regret and sorrow that Professor McGonagall had to confront him. He was surprised no one else had noticed this.

“Maybe there’s a prophecy about you.” Ron suddenly turned around and nudged Harry’s arm.

“No way, Ron! Professor Trelawney does that every year. Harry doesn’t have any prophecy. If he did, the Headmaster and Professor Trelawney would’ve told us already.” Hermione laughed, though Harry could tell she wasn’t entirely sure from that anxious smile.

Luna suddenly took Harry’s hand: “Don’t be afraid, Harry,” and gave a sad smile. Although she didn’t say what he should be afraid of, he felt less worried.

“Children, let’s set this aside for now. We’ll discuss it later.” After giving them a moment to talk among themselves, Professor McGonagall announced, cutting off everyone’s thoughts. He was eager to know what their House Head thought about this, but her expression made it clear she wouldn’t reveal anything.

They had no choice but to head back into the fog.

The group of children filed through a large marble arch flanked by two statues, one male and one female.

The blonde grey eye girl from Perseus’s memory grimaced in disgust at the female statue.

“I hate her so much,” she muttered.

“Did she curse you or something, Annabeth?” her future boyfriend asked. Wait, are they dating yet? It doesn’t really look like it. Or is he her future ex-boyfriend?

“Finally, we have a name. I swear there are way too many blondes. I can’t even call them ‘blonde' or 'gray eye’ in my head because there are a few of them with the same hair and eye colors.” Ginny grumbled.

A curse? Harry hoped the curse wasn’t anything serious. Judging by the way Nico’s dad talked about what they’d done, he had a bad feeling about curses.

“Just trivial stuff,” Annabeth said. “Her animal is a cow, right?”

A cow?

“They’re talking about Hera. The cow and the peacock are her most famous divine animals.” Daphne explained, flipping through her fingernails while looking at them like a bunch of ignoramuses.

For some reason, the Slytherins seemed to know more about mythology than anyone else. Was it because the wizarding world had once worshipped these gods? Harry remembered back in elementary school, the teacher had mentioned Greek and Roman mythology a few times, but it was only touched on briefly, and no one expected primary school students to know the stories in detail. He remembered Dudley complaining about homework and mentioning lessons on mythology, so perhaps they were taught in higher grades? But he hadn’t seen any Muggleborn students who knew much about mythology, not even a passionate reader like Hermione. He knew the spells they were taught were variations of Latin.
It’s just that, honestly, he hadn’t seen anyone interested in mythological stories. Who would care about stories of gods when they had magic? But now, with Perseus’s arrival, the things everyone once looked down on were back in their lives once again.

“So, according to the family tree, was Annabeth cursed by Perseus’s aunt?” Ginny sighed and glared at Perseus. Harry wasn’t sure what to say. He had the feeling Ginny was still harboring a grudge against Perseus.

“I guess so,” Neville said.

“That’s right.”

“So she keeps sending cows after me.”

Perseus looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh. “Cows? Right in the middle of San Francisco?”

She complained, “Oh, yeah. I usually don’t see them, but those cows leave little ‘gifts’ everywhere - in my backyard, on the sidewalk, and even in the school hallway. I’m always looking over my shoulder to see what I’m stepping in.”

“Alright. That doesn’t sound too bad.” Harry hadn’t expected that, but it wasn’t a curse bad enough to hurt the girl.

“That’s disgusting.” Ron scowled.

“Annabeth lives and goes to school in San Francisco.” Hermione carefully noted this, perhaps they would need this information in the future.

“Look! What’s that?”

A chubby, blond boy with stunning purple eyes shouted, pointing toward the horizon.

“Pollux, what’s going on?”

“Pollux, another pureblood name.” Harry muttered, feeling that the name sounded very familiar.

“Not exactly, it’s like Greek mythology. Let’s see, the story of the twins Castor and Pollux. It says there are quite a few tales about their origins. But they usually end tragically. One is a god, while the other remains a mortal forever. ” Hermione flipped through the book. Now she was certain it had a table of contents.

“But honestly, who would name their child that?” A third year Ravenclaw student muttered.

Name has power.

Malfoy suddenly interjected with a sneer before falling silent: “There is, you idiots!”

Neville whispered an explanation to them: “Pollux Black, father of Walburga Black and grandfather of Sirius Black.”

Oh. No wonder that name sounded so familiar?

“Do you think he has a twin brother?” Ron asked, glancing at the twins whispering nearby. Noticing everyone looking their way, Freb gave them a wink. Harry felt a little sorry for Perseus, the red hair twins were clearly eager to meet him. Was Perseus waiting for them at Grimmauld Place?

Hermione shrugged and pointed at the fog: “I only see him. But I’m more interested in what’s got them so worried.”

They all turned their attention back to the screen.

They all ran over, forming orange blips.

Green streaks were splitting the night sky, streaking toward the palace’s peak like tiny comets. They seemed to appear from all over the city, heading straight for the mountain. As they got closer, they hissed and then vanished.

They stood watching for a few minutes. It seemed they weren’t causing any damage, but the sight was still eerie.

“Like infrared targeting lasers,” Michael muttered. “We’re being targeted.”

“Let’s hurry to the palace,” Perseus urged, scanning the area.

Everyone moved quickly, Perseus stared at the sky for a few seconds before running ahead of the group.

“What is that?”

“An infrared laser?”

“What is it?”

Seeing everyone looking at her, Hermione snapped, “I don’t know. I don’t even know how to describe it… WHAT? I don’t know everything!”

That was when Harry realized the whole thing about Perseus and these 'fake' gods had pushed Hermione to her limit. A Hermione who admitted she didn’t know something but wasn’t curious to find out was rarer than the number of times Ron was picky about food.

Harry ignored the whispering voice saying, “You’re in denial, Harry.”

Surprisingly, no one was guarding the main hall.

The gates, made of gold and silver, stood wide open.

“They’re really obsessed with gold, aren’t they?” Ron grumbled.

Harry couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He had never seen so much gold in his life, even the vault his parents had left him couldn’t hold a candle to the golden structures here.

Everything sparkled so brightly it was almost blinding.

The sound of their footsteps echoed as they entered the room.

Of course, the word “room” couldn’t possibly do this place justice. It was as vast as Madison Square Garden. High above, the blue dome shimmered with constellations. Twelve massive, empty golden thrones were arranged in a U-shape around a fireplace.

Harry squinted to look more closely.

That was the throne room from earlier. But now there were only 12 thrones. Where was Nico’s father’s throne?

“Those thrones are huge.” A second year student let out a “Wow.” Harry stifled a laugh. Alright, maybe it wasn’t just Nico’s father who was that arrogant.

“But aren’t they way too big???” Dean stared in disbelief at the size of the thrones.

He was right. They were several times taller than Perseus. Harry couldn’t imagine anyone sitting on them unless they were the size of a giant. But earlier, they hadn’t realized how massive those thrones were. Why did they enlarge them?

“Twelve thrones, twelve Olympian gods,” Malfoy muttered.

“Doesn’t Nico’s father have a throne?” Neville asked.

“His corresponding god is Hades. He rules his own kingdom in the underworld, but he’s not part of the Council,” Hermione shook her head.

“But didn’t we just see all three brothers with thrones?” Harry asked, confused. He still remembered the desperate look on Nico’s father’s face when that girl uttered the prophecy.
But clearly, he had counted thirteen thrones at the time.

Blaise smiled slyly and suddenly spoke up: “It’s the summer solstice. According to mythology, the King of the Underworld doesn’t like to ascend to Olympus except on special occasions.”

The summer solstice?

At the mention of the summer solstice, the expressions of most Slytherins darkened.

He’d heard rumors that the wizarding world used to celebrate the summer solstice, but he didn’t know when it had been banned at Hogwarts. Slytherin seemed to still quietly celebrate the old holidays.

He hated Slytherin and their blood purity ideology. Moreover, he would never forgive them for how they treated Hermione and the other students. But he felt he understood a little of their feelings when they were forbidden to follow tradition. But only a little. Just recalling Hermione’s tears and frightened face, Cedric’s death, and everything that’s happened over the years, that bit of empathy vanishes.

In one corner of the room, a sphere of water as big as a house was floating in midair, with a half cow, half snake creature swimming around inside. “Mooo!” it bellowed cheerfully, spinning in a circle.

Harry didn’t know what the creature was, but it was adorable. Even Perseus smiled when he saw it.

Sighs of admiration echoed throughout the room. Hagrid was surely very jealous of those teenagers.

Perseus smiled at it: “Hello, Bessie. Are they treating you well?”

“Moooo!” Bessie replied.

“Is its name Bessie?” Harry laughed.

“It seems Perseus’s sense of naming is a bit… peculiar,” George said, stifling a laugh.

Luna hummed softly: “The sun really likes Ophiotaurus!”

As they made their way toward the thrones, a woman’s voice rang out: “Welcome back, Percy Jackson. You and your friends are all welcome here.”

A woman stood by the fireplace, poking the fire with a log. Her figure flickered with the outline of an eight-year-old child (perhaps Harry was hallucinating due to his recent dreams) before fully materializing into the form of a grown woman. She wore a simple brown dress, yet exuded a warm beauty.

Surprisingly, they could see her face. The mist shrouding her face gradually faded, revealing a sharp, defined face. The aura surrounding this woman gave Harry a feeling similar to that of Nico’s father and stepmother, as well as Perseus’s aunt. Even so, the gentleness on her kind face still made him feel warm.

They could see some similarities in her face compared to Nico’s father and his sister. The most striking thing was her eyes. They were as red as the flames in a fireplace.

Who was she? That fiery red made Harry shiver.

She gave off the aura of a mother, but his intuition told him this woman could become dangerous if necessary.

In contrast to his rudeness toward his uncle, Perseus bowed his head. “Greetings, Lady Hestia.”

Is that Perseus’s aunt?

‘Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and family, was once a member of the Olympian council before ceding her throne to her nephew. She holds the special role of guardian of the sacred fire on Olympus and in the temples, and is a symbol of stability, calmness, and family values.’ Hermione read before commenting, “She is the kindest and most compassionate among her siblings and is always described as someone who loves her family.”

Harry blinked and said, “So she’s the one who holds the family together? Alright, it sounds like the goddess Hestia is a good person.”

No wonder Perseus respected her. But did he respect his aunt because she was Hestia’s counterpart, or was this woman truly a good person? But a part of Harry remained skeptical:

Did this woman know what her brothers had done? If she was a good person, why didn’t she stop her brothers from killing people? Did she know what Nico’s father had tried to do? Harry still refused to call Nico’s father by that god’s name.

Gods don’t exist.

Do gods really exist?

They had seen the evidence. The way they spoke of the deaths as if they didn’t matter, the Olympus and the prophecy, they were all real. But…

Others followed suit. Hestia looked at Perseus with eyes ablaze and said, “I see you have carried out your plan. You are bearing the curse of Achilles.”

The others began to whisper: “What did she just say?”, “What does Achilles relate to this?”

“You must be careful,” Hestia warned the boy with ocean green eyes: “You have achieved so much on your recent journey. But you haven’t yet seen the most important truth. Perhaps you need to witness a little more.”

Annabeth nudged Perseus: “What is she talking about?”

They wanted to know too. Perseus’s aunt was saying the exact same things as the ghost by the river and Chiron.

“Hermione, does this have anything to do with Achilles?” Harry asked. Achilles was one of the few names Harry remembered from his kindergarten class. Mainly, it was the first time he’d learned about a romantic relationship between two men. Ms. Kayce said that although there is still much debate, most historians agree that the two men had such a close relationship that the death of one turned Achilles into the monster he once was.

“Here it is, ‘Achilles was the greatest warrior of the Greek army in the Trojan War. He was son of the Greek king Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis. When he was born, his
mother dipped his heel into the waters of River Styx to make his entire body invulnerable. But she forgot his heel, creating his only weakness…’”

“Stop, right there! River Styx!” Ron interrupted Hermione’s reading.

That’s right. Perseus had dipped himself into that black river. And his skin remained unscathed - not even a scratch- during the battle. Could normal magic achieve that? Create a river with such powers?

By this point, it seemed everyone understood, but no one wanted to admit it. That answer went beyond what they had believed all this time.

“So is that River Styx? It’s believed that Styx is a river marking the boundary between the mortal world and the underworld. Furthermore, in Greek mythology, River Styx holds a sacred and special power, particularly regarding oaths.”

“An oath?” Harry immediately caught on. “They say that Perseus and that girl Thalia were the result of a broken oath.”

Blaise swallowed hard, a look of fear on his face: “An oath sworn by River Styx has long been considered one of the most binding and fearsome oaths in Greek mythology. The gods on Olympus often used River Styx as a witness for solemn oaths. An oath sworn by the River Styx holds absolute weight, unbreakable.” He emphasized words “unbreakable” as a warning to himself and those listening.

The Headmaster called out, “Mr. Zabini, you’re causing a panic…”

But the Italian Slytherin glared at him: “An oath on River Styx is the most solemn oath a human or a god can make. According to the records, its consequences are even more dreadful than the Unbreakable Vow and the Oath before Lady of Magic. Death would be a mild punishment compared to the goddess Styx’s punishment. Headmaster, you’ve realized it, haven’t you? They can deny it as much as they like, but you cannot.”

Everyone’s faces turned pale with fear. The Headmaster fell silent; his expression showed that Blaise was right.

“So Nico swore on the River Styx, didn’t he? That’s why Perseus trusted him immediately.” Neville remarked timidly, a bit frightened by the serious atmosphere.

Suddenly Blaise laughed, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes: “No wonder Perseus said that he and that girl were forbidden children. The ancient Greeks followed their own principles. If Styx cannot punish the father, since they are immortal gods, then the children born of that oath must suffer the punishment in their stead.”

Hermione suddenly paled and said, “The prophecy! If it says that a halfblood child of the eldest gods will either preserve or destroy Olympus, then the best course of action is to ensure that no such child is ever born. They swore an oath! That’s why Thalia was resurrected but will never turn sixteen. That’s why they voted to kill Perseus and her.”

Harry suddenly recalled the desperate look on Nico’s father’s face when he heard the prophecy. Nico’s terrified expression at the thought of his family voting on whether him should be allowed to live. Perseus’s weary eyes and calm demeanor as he casually spoke of his own existence as a crime.

It’s not fair.

Harry felt his hands trembling.

“Getting back to what we were talking about, the River Styx bestowed a gift upon Achilles, but it was also a curse. When Achilles offended Apollo, the god directed Prince Paris’s poisoned arrow at his heel, his only weakness, causing him to die instantly.” Hermione took a deep breath and continued reading.

“Is that why they keep reminding Perseus to be careful of his weakness? A weakness that could kill him instantly?” Ginny said, her tone carrying a hint of excitement he didn’t want to admit.

Suppressing his guilt, Harry felt reassured to know that Perseus wasn’t completely invincible. It made him seem more human.

The Headmaster’s expression softened. He seemed more relieved to know there was a way to defeat Perseus. Perhaps he was worried that Perseus might side with Voldemort. That must be it.

“Perseus did that to prepare for the prophecy. He lived to be 17. It’s just a matter of what he chose,” Hannah wondered.

“Or perhaps Mr. Riddle found a way to prevent or evade the prophecy. If we could…” Harry heard the Headmaster whisper to Snape.

Suddenly.

“No one can stop the prophecy.” Luna’s voice rang out, her gaze distant and unfocused. The voice suddenly turned cold, echoing through the silent Great Hall. A golden light flashed from the Ravenclaw’s eyes.

Harry turned pale.

This, this isn’t Luna!

Everyone fell silent, staring at the blonde girl. A sense of danger arose, something ancient was stirring. Someone was speaking through Luna’s voice.

“No one is allowed to manipulate the prophecy. You must CHOOSE it.” The golden eyes swept over the Headmaster, who was clutching his wand tightly.

Then Luna blinked, and the invisible pressure in the air vanished along with the golden light in her silver gray eyes. Luna returned to her usual expression. Ignoring everyone’s
strange stares, she gently picked up a teacup and hummed softly.

“Luna?”

“Hmm?

“You…” Harry couldn’t describe how he felt. It wasn’t like when they’d learned of the prophecy, but the feeling of hearing someone speak in Luna’s voice was… wrong.

Luna looked at him, no, looked him straight in his eyes, and touched her lips with a finger.

“Name holds power. They don’t always pay attention, but they’ll hear it. The Sun isn’t very happy, but he’ll make sure no one notices.”

Name?

They’d mentioned the name of…

Apollo.

But that’s… impossible?

“How interesting, Miss Lovegood.” Blaise leaned back, smiling, a mischievous glint in his eyes as if he’d just discovered something unexpected.

The others fell silent at the scene that had just unfolded. The whispers had stopped. Both the Headmaster and everyone else were still staring at Luna with strange looks. He had a feeling people wouldn’t dare call Luna crazy anymore. That feeling was like magic vibrating in his ears, he knew the others could feel it too.

Harry turned to look at his friends. He guessed they would soon have to admit what they were currently denying.

Perseus looked straight into Hestia’s eyes, and an image immediately appeared.

What’s going on?

The image shows a dark alley nestled between red brick warehouses.

A sign above one of the doors reads: RICHMOND IRON WORKS.

Two people are hiding in the shadows, a teenage boy of about fourteen and a girl of about twelve. The faint silhouette of Perseus seems startled upon seeing them. The boy has blond hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face that looks quite familiar. The girl has cold electric-blue eyes and short black hair.

“Another blond,” Seamus remarks.

“Perseus recognizes them,” Harry says. The dark hair boy looks very surprised. What does Hestia want to show him?

It seemed as though Perseus was in a dream and witnessing this scene.

“They’re all about Nico’s age or the same as the other kids. But why do they look… I don’t know… so fierce?

That’s right. Both of them were very young.

The boy carried a bronze dagger. The girl held a spear and a shield with terrifying carvings. Both looked gaunt and starving, with wild and predatory eyes, as if they were all
too accustomed to being attacked.

“They’re used to being attacked,” Ron remarked, looking at the pair with a complex expression.

“They live in the forbidden land. We already know that,” Hermione said sympathetically.

But who are they?

“Are you sure?” the girl asked.

Her companion nodded: “There’s something down here. I can feel it.”

A loud clanging sound echoed from the alley, as if someone had just slammed into a sheet of corrugated metal. The two of them crept forward. Old wooden crates were stacked on the loading dock. They approached, weapons at the ready. A corrugated metal curtain trembled slightly, as if something were hiding right behind it.

Harry’s heart pounded. Were they about to witness an attack by those monsters?

The girl glanced at her friend. He counted silently: One, two, three!

He yanked the sheet of metal aside, and a little girl immediately lunged at him, swinging a hammer.

“Ooh, that’s an effective attack.” Ginny looked way too eager, to be honest, this made Harry a little worried. An eager Ginny was a threat.

“Whoa!” the blond boy exclaimed.

The little girl had messy blond hair and was wearing a fleece pajama set. She couldn’t have been more than seven years old, but she’d nearly split the blond boy’s head in two if he hadn’t been so quick.

“Wait, is that Annabeth?”

“I think so.”

He grabbed her wrist tightly, and the hammer flew out, clanging on the concrete.

The girl struggled fiercely, kicking wildly. “No more monsters! Get out of here!”

“It’s okay!” The oldest one struggled to hold her down.

“Thalia, lower your shield. You’re scaring her.”

It’s her! Finally, they got to meet Thalia.

“Is that Thalia? I like her.” Hermione cheered.

“Is this how Annabeth and Thalia met? That’s interesting.”

Harry didn't understand why everyone had liked Thalia so quickly, while they were all wary of Nico. Both of them were close to Perseus.

Thalia tapped the shield lightly, and it immediately shrank into a silver bracelet.

“How did they get weapons that can transform like that?? Perseus’s sword, and this shield too.” Harry heard Justin Finch-Fletchley grumble.

“I want a weapon like that.” Dean sighed.

“Did you forget we can cast spells to change the shape of objects?” Ron looked at his housemate as if he were being silly.

“They’re cooler. And you don’t need a wand to cast the spell.” Dean shrugged in response.

“Besides, what kid hasn’t dreamed of becoming a knight with a sword and shield?” Seamus chimed in. Harry smiled in agreed, he’d also dreamed of being a knight back in kindergarten. Maybe this was pretty unusual in the wizarding world.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Thalia said. “We won’t hurt you. I’m Thalia. And this is Luke.”

“Wait a minute! Is this the Luke they were talking about? Their enemy? The one Perseus wants to defeat?” Ron gaped. To be honest, Harry felt the same way. After seeing how Perseus fought and how he spoke of Luke, he’d assumed Luke must be a formidable enemy. He hadn’t expected to see a skinny, starving fourteen-year-old boy. Luke seemed pretty kind, too.

“Maybe Luke is on his grandfather’s side.”

“He seems to be quite a bit older than Perseus.”

“Monsters!” Mini Annabeth screamed and continued to struggle.

“No, we’re not,” Luke assured her. “But we know all about those monsters. We’ve fought against them, too.”

Gradually, the girl stopped kicking. She stared intently at Luke and Thalia with her large, round, intelligent, and wary gray eyes. “Are you two like me?” she asked doubtfully.

What did Annabeth mean? Like her?

“Monsters only go after wizards and certain people. Maybe they’re all halfbloods like the others,” Hermione said.

Harry thought of the teenagers in the orange robes. He didn’t say anything about how they all avoided using the word ‘demigod.’

“That’s right,” Luke said. “We… um, this is a bit hard to explain, but we’re monster hunters. Where’s your family?”

“My family hates me,” the girl said. “They don’t need me anymore. So I ran away.”

Harry suddenly felt a deep connection with this girl. Although he knew nothing about Annabeth, the way she spoke of her family reminded him of how his uncle had treated him.

The young wizard Harry Potter no longer sought love from his aunt and uncle, but there had been a time when the skinny orphan living at 4 Privet Drive had always wondered why the people who were supposed to be his family hated him. Harry had accidentally called his aunt Petunia “Mom” just once, and that old frying pan had made the 'freak' little boy fully understand his place. Those looks of hatred and mockery had followed him throughout his childhood.

That feeling…

Harry understood it better than anyone.

It was heartbreaking to see Annabeth in the same situation.

He didn’t want to know just how terrible Annabeth’s family must be to drive such a young child from home. Harry himself had tried to run away a few times but was always quickly caught. Luke and Thalia seemed like good people, but they were just kids themselves. Harry couldn’t imagine living on the streets at that age while constantly having to run from monsters.

He hoped they would take care of Annabeth for a while or bring her to a safe place.

Thalia and Luke exchanged glances. Perseus’s expression showed he understood exactly what the two of them were thinking.

“What’s your name, kid?” Thalia asked.

“Annabeth.”

Luke smiled. “That’s a beautiful name. Listen, Annabeth, you’re quite the tough one. We really need a warrior like you.”

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Oh, really.” Luke spun his knife and handed the handle to her.

“Should we really be giving a knife to a child so young?” The Headmaster stroked his beard, seemingly having calmed down after recent events.

“With all respects, we live on the streets and are hunted by monsters. I might add, monsters that even your magic cannot kill. Better to take a weapon and fight for survival than to die.” Snape gave a scoff. Harry would never forgive Snape for turning Potions into a nightmare, but this time he had to agree with the Potions Master.

“I know. But that doesn’t make me feel any better.” He sighed, his eyes sad as he looked at the three children in the fog.

“Do you want a real monster slaying weapon? This is Celestia bronze. It’s much better than that hammer.”

Annabeth gripped the hilt of the dagger tightly.

“Celestia bronze? We’ve never heard of that material.” Ron squinted at the dagger emitting an odd glow and sighed.

“Maybe the goblins will know,” Neville suggested.

“It would be great if we could get our hands on a weapon like this. They say it can destroy monsters in the Forbidden Land,” Ginny whispered.

“Daggers are only for the bravest and most agile warriors,” Luke explained. “They don’t have the range or power of a sword, but they’re easy to hide and can find weak spots in an enemy’s armor. You have to be a smart warrior to use a dagger. And I get the feeling you’re extremely smart.”

Annabeth looked at him with admiration: “I am very smart!”

That was the dagger that the older Annabeth still carried with her.

“He’s really good with kids.” Harry heard the girls behind him gushing. To be honest, even though he looked filthy, Luke had a handsome face and the classic smirk of a bad boy.
That girl, Thalia, also had an attractive appearance and a strong presence. Perhaps that was because they were halfgods.

“The boy will make a great Prefect.” Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement.

So far, they still didn’t know what Luke had done. He was acting like a next door older brother, the kind of cool guy younger kids looked up to. He felt just like Cedric.

Thalia grinned widely. “We have to go, Annabeth. We have a safe house on the James River. We’ll find you some clothes and food.”

“You guys… you won’t make me go back to my family, will you?” the girl asked. “Promise?”

Luke placed his hand on her shoulder and said: “You’re part of our family now. And I promise nothing will ever hurt you. I won’t abandon you the way our families abandoned us. Deal?”

“Deal!” Annabeth said happily.

“They look so cute. I don’t think we should believe everything Riddle Jr. says.” Ginny smiled at the three of them. Perhaps she was projecting her hatred for Voldemort onto Perseus, but he didn’t know what to do to help her get past that feeling.

“It feels like I’m watching a movie about a family finding each other.” Hermione also gazed admiringly as Luke picked up Annabeth while Thalia led the way.

From the very beginning until now, this was the warmest scene they had ever witnessed. It felt as though the war was far, far away. Judging by the look on Perseus’s face, he probably felt the same way.

Harry had a feeling this was going to end badly. Perseus had said that Thalia was killed when she was 12. And Luke was their enemy. This warm family scene probably wouldn’t last.

“Let’s go now,” Thalia urged. “We can’t stay in one place for long!”

The scene shifts. The three children are running for their lives through the forest. Days, perhaps even weeks, must have passed. Everyone looks ragged, as if they’ve just been through several battles. Annabeth is wearing new clothes - a pair of jeans and an oversized military jacket.

“Something is chasing them.” Hermione nervously bit her fingers, staring at the three small figures facing the world.

He hoped his premonitions were wrong. He knew what it felt like to be abandoned by his own family and to find a new one. Especially since Annabeth was so young.

Harry didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to the close friends he considered family.

“Just a little further!” Luke promised. Annabeth stumbled, and he grabbed her hand.

Thalia brought up the back, swinging her shield as if to ward off whatever was chasing them. She was limping on her left leg. They climbed a ridge and looked down on the other side, where a white colonial-style house stood, its sign bearing the owner’s name: May Castellan.

“Why did they come here? Is this a safe house? ”

“Maybe they came looking for help.”

“Alright,” Luke said, panting. “I’ll sneak inside to get some food and medicine. Wait here.”

“Luke, are you sure?” Thalia asked hesitantly. “You swore you’d never come back here. If she catches you—”

“Come back?” Hermione jotted down the name May Castellan in her notebook.

“We have no other choice!” Luke growled. “They’ve burned down our nearest safe house. And you need to treat that leg wound, too.”

“Is this your house?” Annabeth asked in surprise.

“It used to be my house,” Luke muttered. “Trust me, if it weren’t an emergency—”

Is this Luke’s house? Did Luke run away just like Annabeth? It seems his family isn’t very good either. He had a feeling Thalia had a similar story.

“Thalia’s hurt,” Ginny said, looking worried.

“Is your mom really that scary? Can we meet her?” Annabeth asked.

“No!” Luke snapped.

Annabeth flinched, as if his anger had startled her.

“I... I’m sorry,” he said. “Just wait here. I promise everything will be okay. Nothing will hurt you. I’ll be right back—” a brilliant golden flash that lit up the entire forest suddenly cut him off.

All three of them squinted, and a warm, deep male voice rang out: “You shouldn’t go home.”

The memory ends here.

What’s going on?

“A golden light appeared and cut through. We heard a voice telling Luke not to go home?” Susan summarized.

“I don’t get it. What’s the point of these memories?” Hermione scratched her head, flipping through her notebook in confusion.

Perseus’s knees buckled, but Annabeth caught him in time: “Percy! What’s going on?”

It was strange to shift from seven-year-old Annabeth to a girl the same age as Harry and his friends.

“Did… did you see anything?” Perseus seemed to be trying to regain his composure as he asked.

“See what?”

He glanced at the woman by the fireplace, but her face showed no expression.

“How long was I out?” he muttered.

Annabeth frowned and said, “Percy, you didn’t faint at all. You just looked into Hestia’s eyes for about a second and then collapsed.”

“So only he witnessed what just happened.” Ron remarked.

“Not exactly, and also…”

“...us too.”

The twins patted their younger brother on the head, ignoring Ron’s annoyed expression.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Perseus. The look of weakness lasted only a few seconds before his face hardened into determination again.

It was as if he were wearing a mask.

Who was the real Perseus? For the first time, Harry felt a desire to get to know this boy as a real person, rather than as Voldemort’s grandson or the Order’s secret weapon. Even
Harry himself was surprised by this thought.

Perseus seemed determined to put those recent memories aside as he turned to the woman: “Um, Goddess Hestia. We’re here on urgent business. We need to see—”

“I know what you need,” a man’s voice said.

Harry shuddered, for it was the very voice they had just heard in the memory.

The voice that had told Luke not to go home.

A man appeared right beside Hestia in a shimmering halo. He looked to be about twenty-five years old, with salt and pepper curly hair and mischievous features like a goblin.

The newcomer wore a military pilot’s flight suit, with tiny bird wings flapping on his helmet and black leather boots. Resting on his elbow was a long scepter with two live snakes coiled around it. His face had many familiar features. And like the others, he carried a hint of the unreal.

“He looks a bit… like Luke?” Parvati observed. Yes, there were quite a few similarities. But that seemed to be all.

“I’ve seen that staff before.” Harry couldn’t remember where he’d seen it.

“The staff and the two snakes. That’s the Caduceus. It’s everywhere.” Nott remarked, answering Harry’s question.

“The Caduceus is often confused with the Rod of Asclepius, the true symbol of the medical profession, which features a single snake coiled around a staff. I think this is Hermes,” Neville said.

“All right, that makes sense.”

“I’ll be going ahead,” Hestia said. She bowed to the pilot before disappearing into a cloud of smoke.

Harry thought he understood why she was in such a hurry to leave.

The man who had just arrived didn’t look happy at all. He was angry, that was the look on Snape’s face whenever he saw Harry breathing within his line of sight.

“Hello, Percy.” He frowned as if annoyed with Perseus.

“Everyone calls him Percy.” Ginny grumbled, glancing at their Percy. He hesitated for a moment before awkwardly waving at his sister. Harry hoped this was a small step toward the Weasleys mending their relationship.

“But we can’t.” Facing everyone’s gaze, he explained: “We haven’t been given his permission. I doubt he’d be happy if we called him by his nickname.”

They couldn’t, but Sirius could.

Suddenly, Perseus’s voice rang out again.

I really want to ask why he were at May Castellan’s house that night, and what happened after he ran into Luke.

I recalled the first time I met Luke at Camp.

I asked him if he’d ever met his father, he looked at me bitterly and said, ‘Once.’

But judging by Hermes’s expression right now, I knew this wasn’t the time to ask.

It was Perseus’s narration again.

“Does anyone know how this thing works?” Ron said irritably.

“It seems this voice will tell us some things that only Perseus knows, but not everything,” the Headmaster explained.

Perseus bowed awkwardly. “Greetings, Lord Hermes.”

Hermes. So they’d guessed right.

And if all of this hadn’t left Harry speechless, what came next would surely give him a heart attack.

“Oh, of course.” a snake on the wand spoke up.
A snake?!??

“Can that snake talk? It’s alive!” Hannah exclaimed in fear.

Susan swallowed hard and said, “Okay, this isn’t new. He’s the grandson of You-know-who. Parseltongue is hereditary in that family.”

Hearing this, many eyes darted toward the Gryffindor table. Most were blocked by Harry’s friends, but he could still guess what they were thinking. Everyone at Hogwarts knew Harry Potter could speak Parseltongue. As if fate were playing a cruel joke, his second year began with a Parseltongue display right in front of the entire school, sparking a wave of baseless rumors. Although witnessing Malfoy, a bully, being humiliated was deeply satisfying, it wasn't worth the way Harry was treated afterward.

The fact that Perseus could speak to snakes was something they had anticipated. But something felt very off.

“Did you guys hear it speaking in English?” Harry asked hurriedly. He always automatically heard the snakes speaking to him in English, but clearly everyone else could only hear hissing sounds.

“Maybe it’s because we’re watching from Perseus’s point of view,” Hermione said hesitantly.

‘Don’t go saying hello to us. We’re just reptiles.’ Another voice rang out.

‘George,’ the other snake scolded, ‘Be polite.’

“Hello, George,” Perseus said. “Hello, Martha.”

The two snakes were named George and Martha. Clear.

Oliver whistled at them: “George, how does it feel to be named after a snake?”

The older of the twins corrected their Quidditch Captain: “We have the same name.”

“It’s a shame it wasn’t named Freb.” His twin brother clutched his chest as if wounded.

This bit of banter diverted the attention that had been focused on Harry because of the Parseltongue incident. He was very grateful for that.

“Did you bring us any mouse?” the snake named George asked.

“George, stop it,” Martha scolded.

‘He’s busy!’

‘Too busy to have no time for a mouse?’ George said: ‘How sad.’

It seemed Perseus had decided it was best not to argue with George.

“Um, Hermes, we need to speak with the king. This is very important.”

His gaze was as cold as steel, “I am my father’s messenger. May I relay the message?”

“He must be really upset.”

“Didn’t we just think Perseus was the son of the King of the Gods? They don’t look like brothers at all.”

Harry noticed that Blaise was careful not to mention the gods by name anymore. Glancing up at Luna, who was leaning on her hands and staring at the fog, he recalled the warning
from earlier. His stomach clenched, and Harry said awkwardly, “Maybe they aren’t close.” Especially if they’re gods.

“Quiet, I want to hear the king’s message.” Hermione waved her hand at them. Harry stared at his friend, he wasn’t sure if she’d noticed she was also unconsciously avoiding using their names.

Behind Perseus, the others shifted restlessly. Things weren’t going according to plan.

“Everyone,” he said. “Why don’t you all go check the city? Inspect the defense systems. See if anyone’s still on Olympus. Then meet me and Annabeth back here in thirty minutes.”

Either Perseus didn’t feel the need to hide anything from Annabeth, or she was one of the important characters.

A girl of about 17 or 18 with long silky hair and a face as beautiful as a Vela stood beside them, looking rather displeased. Her wide, round eyes narrowed. “But—”

“Finally, a girl with black hair. Ahhhh, I’m getting a little tired of all these blondes showing up all the time.”

“She’s so beautiful.” Hermione looked at her with admiration.

Her beauty could rival Fleur’s. But she looked sad and worried. She was worried about Perseus and Annabeth. Harry noticed she was a little wary of the god—that winged man.

“Little dove…” Luna tilted her head and blinked at the blue eye girl.

“That’s a good idea, Silena,” Annabeth said. “Connor and Travis, you two lead the way.”

It turned out Connor and Travis were two guys who looked like twins, but were probably biological brothers since they were slightly different heights. They seemed to really like that.

Oh Merlin, that smirk…

They reminded many people of the red hair twins. Those two were staring with wide eyes at the screen with expressions - well, what would you call it? excited? happy? surprised?

Anyway, Harry didn’t want to know what they were planning to do. Everyone was watching the red hair twins warily.

“Yes, sir!” the taller one said. They herded the others out of the throne room, leaving only Perseus, Annabeth, and the man with the winged shoes.

“Sir,” Annabeth said. “Kronos is about to attack New York. You must have suspected as much. My mother certainly foresaw this.”

“It’s officially confirmed: Perseus’s other grandfather is named Kronos,” Ron declared, but everyone’s faces went pale.

Suddenly, Harry felt a little sorry for the guy. Both of Perseus’s grandfathers were the worst of the worst. He really didn’t stand a chance.

“Your mom, ” the man grumbled. He scratched his back with his Caduceus staff, making George and Martha yelp: ‘Ow, ow, ow.’

“Don’t mention your mom to me again, young girl. She’s the reason I have to be here. My father didn’t want any of us to leave the front lines. But your mom kept nagging him nonstop, saying, ‘It’s a trap, it’s a feint,’ and so on and so forth. She wanted to go back herself, but there’s no way my father would let his top strategist leave while we’re fighting Typhon. And so, naturally, he sent me to talk to you all.”

“Typhon?” Harry looked around, hoping someone might know something about it.

But Blaise looked terrified. It took a moment before the Slytherin spoke: “He’s a terrible enemy, a very, very terrible one.” His housemates all grew restless. Clearly, they all knew about Typhon.

That reaction alone made Harry’s throat go dry.

“But that’s really a trap!” Annabeth insisted, “Is he blind?”

Thunder rumbled across the sky.

“Thunder again.” Someone muttered.

“Watch your tongue, girl. Your mom might protect you as long as you bring her glory.” Hermes warned. “But you’re nothing in our eyes, especially Father’s. Chiron and Percy won’t be able to protect you anymore if you keep being so arrogant and confident that you look down on us.” He sneered, looking at the trembling girl with a contemptuous gaze.
Even Perseus turned pale, frantically signaling to his friend.

Compared to Perseus, the god he had far less patience with Annabeth. It seemed these people could tolerate Perseus’s rudeness to a certain extent, but Annabeth didn’t have that privilege.

He still called Perseus “Percy” even when he was angry, but he wouldn’t even bother to call Annabeth by her name. The undisguised contempt was directed straight at the gray eye girl.

Harry felt a little sorry for Annabeth. Her mother also seemed more concerned with glory than with her own daughter.

He stopped looking at Annabeth, pretending she didn’t exist, and said, “He isn’t blind or deaf. Father didn’t leave Olympus completely defenseless.”

“But what about those blue sparks—”

“Yes, yes. I saw them. I bet they’re the mischief of that annoying witch, but you can see they’re causing no harm. Olympus has very powerful magical barriers. Moreover, Aeolus, the king of the wind gods, has sent his strongest minions to guard the citadel. No one, except us, can approach Olympus by air. They’d be blown out of the sky immediately.”

Harry didn’t know of any god named Aeolus, but he figured it didn’t matter much.

Hermione and the Ravenclaw students were intently jotting down every detail they could.

Perseus raised his hand as if he were in a classroom, “Um... what about that teleportation thing you guys always use?”

“That’s just another form of aerial travel, Jackson. It’s fast, but the wind gods are even faster. No! If Kronos wants Olympus, he’ll have to march his army right through the city and take the elevator! Can you imagine him doing that?”

That sounds funny. Judging by Perseus’s expression, he’s probably picturing the scene.

Freb stifled a laugh and said, “He’s funnier than I expected.”

But Perseus still frowned, seeming not to like that very much.

“Maybe just a few of you need to turn back,” Perseus suggested.

The man shook his head impatiently and said, “Percy Jackson, you don’t get it. Typhon is our greatest enemy.”

“I thought it was grandfather?”

It seemed Perseus was just as surprised as they were. His eyes widened, and his expression turned serious.

From the beginning until now, they had all thought that Perseus’s grandfather was the greatest enemy, and Luke as well. But that Typhon had them so worried…

“Perseus is still alive, so does that mean they’ve won?” Malfoy hesitantly asked his House Head. One of his hands was tightly clutching some kind of round object.

“He never mentioned anything. But I’m sure his mother is still in good health, and so are his cousins.” As always, Snape seemed more conciliatory toward his students. But at least he had eased Harry’s fears.

The messenger’s eyes shone brightly, his voice sounding as if many voices were overlapping: “No, Percy. Once, Olympus was nearly overthrown by Typhon. He was Echidna’s husband…”

“I met her at Gateway Arch,” Perseus muttered. “She wasn’t friendly at all.”

“Gateway Arch?” Justin Finch-Fletchley exclaimed in surprise, his mouth agape, “Was it him?”

What’s that?

Facing everyone’s gaze, Hufflepuff explained: “A few years ago, there was an explosion at Gateway Arch. People suspected it was a terrorist attack, and the suspect was a 12-year-old boy. It made international news back then, and there was a nationwide manhunt for him. Apparently, they later discovered that the boy and two other children had been kidnapped. The explosion was an escape attempt, and he exchanged gunfire with the kidnapper on the beach. I only heard about it in passing while looking for ideas for an essay, and then I received a letter from Hogwarts. I never expected it to be him.”

The Headmaster merely stroked his beard and shook his head: “We can’t know what really happened. After that incident, Riddle’s first stepfather disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Although we know that Sally was the one who turned him into a statue, we have no idea what role Riddle played in all of this.”

Harry hadn’t expected to uncover Perseus’s criminal history. But what did that have to do with anything? He began to realize that the Headmaster had a lot of prejudice against Perseus. But they’d known each other for a while, and Perseus lived at The Order fulltime. Could it be that he and the Headmaster just didn’t like each other?

“But he met Echidna. She’s the Mother of Monsters. Maybe that encounter didn’t end very well.” Daphne shrugged.

The man continued speaking, ignoring the black hair boy’s mutterings: “...and the Father of monsters. We can never forget how he nearly destroyed us all, how he humiliated
us! We used to be so much stronger. Now we can’t count on any help from your father because he’s fighting his own battle…”

“Perseus’s father? So he isn’t son of the God King.”

“Only the Ruler of the Seas, Poseidon.”

“The storm!” Hermione exclaimed, “He also has the power to control storms. Remember, those unusual storms that have been ravaging London lately. They coincide with the time
Perseus arrived in England.”

“So those storms were caused by Perseus?”

“It’s not just that. ‘Poseidon isn’t just the Sea God, he’s also known as the Earthshaker, the Stormbringer, and the Father of Horses.’ I think Perseus can do more than that.”

“We can do those things too, with magic.”

“But... if they’re gods, then what we can do is nothing.”

This time, Ron didn’t argue against the idea that they were gods. He bowed his head, lost in an unusual reverie.

“...Hades just sits idly in his kingdom doing nothing, while Demeter and Persephone follow his lead. We’ll have to use every last bit of our remaining strength to fight that storm giant. We can’t split our forces, nor can we wait until he reaches New York. We have to fight him right now. And we’re making progress.”

“Progress?” Perseus interrupted, saying, “He nearly flattened the city of St. Louis.”

St. Louis? There was a massive storm that year. It was the most devastating storm recorded in recent years. Even the wizarding world’s newspapers reported on it.

Harry’s heart skipped a beat. Was that how they’d been hiding that war?

“Yes,” the man facing Perseus admitted. “But he’s only destroyed half of Kentucky so far. He’s slowing down. Losing his strength.”

Perseus didn’t speak, but from his uncertain expression, it seemed he wasn’t very optimistic. It sounded more like Hermes was trying to reassure himself.

“Half of Kentucky?” He heard Snape mutter, but he didn’t want to pay any attention to that man.

All his attention was fixed on that familiar face. This was when Perseus looked most like a child. He showed fear and confusion at the current situation, not the terrifying machine that had defeated Nico's father's army.

“Please, Lord Hermes,” Annabeth said cautiously just then, “You said my mother wanted to come here. Did she leave a message for us?”

“A message!!” the man mutters: “They told me: ‘It’ll be a great job. There isn’t much to do. Plus, there are so many admirers.’

“That’s exactly what our parents always say after every exam.” Ron groans, clutching his head.

“It’s just you guys, losers.”

“Shut up, Malfoy.” Harry glared at the platinum hair boy.

He responded with a smug, mocking grin. Harry clenched his fists.

“...Hmph. No one cares what I have to say. It’s always just about passing on other people’s messages.”

‘Rodents,’ George suddenly spoke up, ‘I joined this because of the rodents.’

“Shh,” Martha scolded. “We care about what Hermes says. Right, George?”

“Oh, of course. Can we get back to the battle now? I really want to play the laser mode again. It’s so much fun.”

To be honest, Harry was grateful to these two snakes. Every now and then, they’d crack a lame joke that helped lighten the mood. He was pretty sure Perseus felt the same way.

“Both of you, be quiet,” Hermes grumbled, turning to look at Annabeth, who was staring at him pleadingly.

He continued, “Hmph, your mother told me to warn you that you’d have to fend for yourselves. You kids have to hold down Manhattan without our help. As if I didn’t already know that. I really don’t understand why they paid her to be the embodiment of wisdom when Pollo is right here, and whatever she comes up with is so obvious anyone could guess it.”

Pollo?

He was referring to Apollo, the Sun in Luna’s words.

“The embodiment of wisdom must be referring to Athena. But that can’t be. They can’t possibly be gods.” Professor McGonagall suddenly shook her head, dismissing all the beliefs they’d built up since earlier.

“Why?” Why was their House Head so certain after witnessing all this?

“Athena is the virgin goddess. I was named after her Roman counterpart, Minerva, so I’ve studied them. She never had children.”

The others all seemed hesitant, they appeared satisfied to have received confirmation from her. Harry understood, it was hard to accept that there were higher powers standing above all of them. Professor McGonagall’s words were like a soothing balm, calming them down.

But Harry’s intuition told him not to fool himself. If they were gods, they would have found a way to have children, wouldn’t they? And someone didn’t seem to like Annabeth’s mother very much.

“Is there anything else?” Annabeth asked.

“She said you should try plan twenty-three. She said you would know what that meant.”

Annabeth’s face paled. Obviously, she knew what it meant, and she didn’t like it. ‘Go on.’

Plan number twenty-three? That didn’t sound good at all. Only Hermione seemed eager to know.

“The last thing.” Hermes looked at Perseus, who was silent: “She told me to tell Percy: ‘Remember
the rivers.' And, um – something about staying away from her daughter.”

Harry wasn’t sure whose face was redder: Annabeth’s or Perseus’s.

The whole thing made everyone laugh.

“I wonder what caused them to break up. They seemed like such a perfect match.”

“They’re only fifteen, sixteen. It’s no surprise their feelings didn’t last long.” Hermione said, perhaps thinking about her own situation with Viktor last year. Ron suddenly seemed more excited. Oh Merlin!

Snape said with a blank expression: “Romance depends on many factors. Don’t forget they’re about to face a war. The only thing I know is that this girl will survive. I don’t know what caused them to break up, but Perc, Perseus doesn’t like to talk about her. I believe she was still alive until recently.”

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged horrified glances. They couldn’t believe they were actually listening to Snape lecture them on matters of the emotions. It was creepy.

He noticed that Snape had almost called Perseus “Percy.”

“Thank you, Lord Hermes,” Annabeth said, “And I... I want to say... I’m so sorry about Luke.”

Under normal circumstances, Harry would have assumed he was Luke’s older brother. Their ages seemed to match, but if he really was who they believed him to be, then age didn’t matter much.

It’s just, why did he let Luke live on the streets? Annabeth and Thalia, too.

Harry didn’t see anything wrong with Annabeth offering her condolences to Luke’s family, who were their enemies. But clearly, that man didn’t see it that way. His expression hardened instantly, as if he’d turned to marble. A furious glint flashed in his eyes as he turned to stare directly into the girl’s eyes: “You
should’ve left that subject alone..”

Now he looked even more terrifying. He didn’t know how Annabeth could stand that furious gaze.

Annabeth nervously took a step back. “I’m sorry?”

“SORRY doesn’t cut it!"

George and Martha curled around the caduceus, which shimmered and changed into something that looked suspiciously like a high-voltage cattle prod.

Whoa, whoa, what’s going on?

Heavy breathing echoed through the room.

Harry turned pale, was he really going to punish Annabeth? But she hadn’t done anything except offer her condolences. It wasn’t fair.

“You should’ve saved him when you had the chance,” Hermes growled at Annabeth. “You’re the only one who could have.”

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Perseus tried to step between the two of them: “What are you talking about? Annabeth didn’t—”

“Don’t defend her, Jackson!” Hermes pointed his lightning bolt at the other person: “She knows exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Maybe you should blame yourself instead!”

I should have kept my mouth shut, but all I could think of at that moment was to divert the god’s attention away from Annabeth. All this time—he wasn’t angry with me. He was angry with her.

“Is he trying to provoke the person pointing the electric whip at him?” Malfoy looked both annoyed and worried at the figure standing between them.

“So what! He has to protect her. It’s all his fault…”

“Ginny, stop it. You know he’s not at fault. He’s not the one who hurt you.” Hermione finally couldn’t take it anymore. Harry hoped she could do something to help Ginny.

“But he will. His grandfather…”

“Shut up, Weasley.” Malfoy snapped, gritting his teeth as he stared at the electric whip flashing with electricity. He was genuinely worried about Perseus.

“Ginny, don’t…” Luna grabbed her friend’s hand, gently shaking her head. Tears welled up in her eyes as she rested her head on the Ravenclaw’s shoulder. Harry sighed.

“Maybe if you hadn’t abandoned Luke and his mother!”

Hermes raised the electric whip. The god began to grow larger until he stood three meters tall.

Confirmed: Gods can change size. That’s why those thrones are so enormous.

They could hear Perseus’s inner thoughts: Well, that’s it.

Even though he knew Perseus would be fine, Harry couldn’t help but worry.

When did he start worrying about him?

But as he prepared to strike, George and Martha leaned in close and whispered something in his ear.

Hermes clenched his teeth. He lowered the cattle prod and it turned back to a staff.

“Percy Jackson,” he said, “because you have taken on the curse of Achilles, I must spare you. You are in the hands of the Fates now. But you will never speak to me like that again. You have no idea how much I have sacrificed, how much –’

Harry let out a sigh of relief. At least no one was hurt. He ignored the words about Perseus’s fate.

The man’s voice choked up, and his body shrank back to the size of an ordinary person. “My son, my greatest pride ... my poor May ..."

Son???

“Alright, it’s confirmed that Luke is his son.”

The man sounded so devastated that Perseus didn’t know what to say. A minute ago, he’d been ready to make them vanish. Now he looked as if he needed a hug.

“Listen, Lord Hermes,” Perseus said. “I’m sorry, but I need to know. What happened to May? She said something about Luke’s fate, and her eyes…”

Hermes glared at him, and Perseus’s voice caught in his throat. However, the look on the man’s face wasn’t exactly anger. It was pain. A deep, immeasurable pain.

“I must go,” Hermes said hoarsely. “I have a battle to fight.”

He looked as though he were experiencing profound pain, the pain of a father grieving over his son’s fate. But if he loved Luke, why let Luke wander the streets? If he was truly an immortal being, why didn’t anyone protect Luke from the monsters?

“What’s wrong with him?”

“May's Luke's mother, right?”

“What exactly happened to Luke? They all act strangely when it comes to him.”

Harry was genuinely curious about the relationship between Perseus and that man. To say Luke’s father despised Perseus wouldn’t be accurate, he seemed to respect the dark hair boy while looking down on Annabeth. Perseus didn’t seem to take offense at the older man either, except when he stepped in to protect his friend from the man’s rage, unlike how he behaved in front of Nico’s father or the guard. On the other hand, he also seemed to empathize with the father’s pain.

The man’s body began to glow brightly.

Perseus turned his face away and didn’t forget to pull Annabeth along with him, since she was still frozen in shock.

“Why are they doing that?” Harry asked, puzzled.

“We have to look away. They don’t like it when people look directly at them.” Luna shook her head, looking dazed.

“According to mythology, it’s believed that the gods have no fixed form. They are defined by human belief. They usually take on idealized forms, but when they fully manifest their power or divine nature, that light can blind or burn us. Mortals cannot look directly at the true form of the gods without suffering consequences.” Daphne spoke hesitantly.
Once again, Harry had to ask himself: did Slytherin House know about, um, this?

‘Good luck, Percy.’ Martha, the snake, whispered

Those two snakes had saved Perseus and Annabeth’s lives. It was lucky they loved Perseus.

Luke’s father blazed like a supernova, then vanished.

Just as Daphne had said, even through the mist, he could still feel that blinding light.

Annabeth sank to the floor and cried.

Perseus looked as if he wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how.

“Annabeth,” he said, “it’s not your fault. I’ve never seen him act like that before. I guess—I don’t know—maybe he feels guilty about what happened to Luke. He’s just looking for someone to blame. I don’t know why he’s taking it out on you, either. You didn’t do anything to deserve being treated like that.”

“Perseus seems like a good friend.”

“Luke’s father and Perseus seem pretty close. He’s still making excuses for him.”

“Poor Annabeth.”

Annabeth wiped away her tears. She stared at the fireplace as if it were her own funeral pyre.

Seeing this, Perseus narrowed his eyes, shifting restlessly. “Um, you didn’t do anything wrong, did you?”

She didn’t answer.

“What the hell was he asking?” Ginny clenched her teeth, glaring irritably at the mist.

“Calm down, Ginny. Annabeth is hiding something.” George tried to reassure his sister.

“How can you be so sure?!”

“Of course I know. We’re masters of deception, after all.” Freb flashed a mischievous smile.

“They were almost in danger. Perseus has a valid reason for wanting to know the reason behind this.” Harry couldn’t help but defend Perseus. He didn’t like it when people kept secrets behind his back. At least if they spoke up, Perseus and Annabeth could work it out together.

“Percy,” she said. “What do you mean about Luke’s mom? Did you meet her?”

He reluctantly nodded: “Nico and I went to visit her. She’s a little… different.”

He began describing May Castellan, and the strange moment when her eyes began to glow and she spoke of her son’s fate.

Annabeth frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. But why were you visiting...”

Her eyes widened. “‘He said you bear the curse of Achilles. Hestia said the same thing. Did you – did you bathe in the River Styx?”

“He finally told Annabeth. But why keep it a secret?” Neville let out a sigh of relief.

“Because now he has a fatal weak spot?” someone called out from the Hufflepuff table.

“I think they just didn’t have time to talk,” Susan retorted.

“Don’t change the subject! Percy! Is it true or not?”

“Um… I guess there’s a little bit of it.”

Next, he told her the story about Nico and his father, and how he’d defeated an army of the dead.

He didn’t mention seeing her while he was in the river.

She shook her head in awe, unable to believe it: “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”

“I had no other choice,” the dark-haired boy said through gritted teeth. “It was the only way I could face Luke.”

“You mean... di immortales, of course! That’s why Luke didn’t die. He went to the River Styx and—Oh no, Luke. What on earth are you thinking?”

Harry felt a little sorry for Perseus. He’d just saved Annabeth’s life, but all she cared about was Luke.

“She’s got her priorities, doesn’t she?”

“I mean, Luke seems to be really important to her. Perseus is just a friend. They aren’t even dating yet.”

“She still cares a lot about Luke. But now they’re enemies. I don’t know what happened.”

“I think it’s just a family thing. Luke seems to be quite a bit older than her.”

“I don’t care about this messy emotional stuff. They’ve broken up anyway.” Malfoy grumbled like a child. Nott raised an eyebrow at his friend, then muttered, “Unbelievable.”

Perseus gritted his teeth in annoyance, grumbling, “So now you’re worried about Luke, again. Of course, the fact that he’s tried to kill me multiple times since I was 12 doesn’t
matter. The fact that he poisoned Thalia doesn’t matter. The fact that he kidnapped and tortured you doesn’t matter. The fact that Bianca and Zoe are dead doesn’t matter. The fact that Chris was abandoned by him doesn’t matter. The fact that he forced me and the other kids to fight to the death in the arena doesn’t matter. Or that last year he led a raid that killed Castor, Lee, and dozens of other kids who grew up with us, that doesn’t matter either. And by the way, we have a spy. Everyone’s suspecting you! Because he’s your precious Luke!” By the end, he was practically shouting.

Harry blinked. Okay, that’s a lot to process. What did Luke do?

“I can’t blame him. Luke has done a lot of terrible things.”

“I feel bad for Annabeth. She’s really down, and now her crush is yelling at her.”

“If what he says is true, then he has a reason to be angry. Besides, it seems like someone’s jealous.”

“But Luke has been taking care of her since she was seven. How bad was her family that a child that young had to run away? That girl Thalia seems to have died around that time. I
think Luke means a lot to her.”

“Didn’t you hear that Luke once kidnapped and tortured Annabeth? And poisoned Thalia, too.”

“But Perseus’s family did things even worse than Voldemort. I don’t think he has any qualms about killing people or summoning the dead. Maybe she feels the same way about Luke.”

“That’s different. I think this is personal. Besides, it seems like a lot of children have died. Luke is two different people in their eyes.”

“Luke tried to kill Perseus. He and Annabeth are the same age, which means Luke was an adult by then.”

“But…”

Hermione spoke up to cut off the argument: “I don’t think we should comment. We don’t know the whole story.”

Many hesitated, eventually accepting the silence. Harry thought it was all too easy to judge others the moment the chance arose. He was certain that for more than half the time
he’d been at Hogwarts, people treated him like a scandalous rumor, the other half, he was the Harry Potter. Even those who had been so friendly to Luke just a moment ago were now unsure of him.

After a moment of silence, someone said, “So Lee is dead.”

Harry thought about little Will and his brothers. He recalled how the mood had shifted from joy to sorrow when the name of the lost older brother was mentioned. He felt he understood, at least in part, Perseus’s anger. They had already learned that Bianca, Nico’s sister, was dead. Now it turned out Luke was involved in the deaths of the girl named Zoe and others. It was hard to believe that the gentle blond boy who had protected Annabeth and smiled beside Thalia was the one who had done those things. This must be just as hard for Annabeth to accept. Besides, she had also been hurt by Luke.

But once again, as Hermione said, they don’t know the whole story yet. It’s unfair to judge Perseus or Annabeth for their emotions.

Freb fell silent, clutching George’s hand tightly: “And Castor too. I think he’s Pollux’s twin or his brother,” his voice trembling.

George pulled his younger brother closer, gently touching their foreheads together. He knew that was how they usually comforted each other. This time, the twins looked more serious than he’d ever seen them.

He imagined a scenario where he grew up with a twin brother and suddenly, one day, he was left alone to face the world. The pain of losing a brother is something Harry never wants himself or anyone else to have to endure. He was heartbroken when he grew apart from Ron during their fourth year. He doesn’t want to know what it feels like to lose Ron, Hermione, or any of his friends in such a painful way. Sirius had been gnawing on that pain for twelve years in Azkaban.

Professor McGonagall took off her glasses and wiped them wearily with a handkerchief. She looked pained, as though she had witnessed far too much. For the first time, he looked closely at the aged wrinkles on that kind face. Harry looked at his House Head, wondering if she would stay at Hogwarts and wait for news of the deaths of students far too young.

She stared at her friend as if he’d just fallen from the sky: “What?”

“Forget it,” Perseus took a deep breath and muttered.

I wonder what Hermes meant when he said Annabeth didn’t save Luke when she had the chance. Clearly, she’s hiding something from me. But right now, I’m in no mood to ask. The last thing I want to hear right now is anything else about her past with Luke.

Even though I don’t know what happened between them, it’s not fair to blame Annabeth for Luke. She’s clearly in a lot of pain.

“The problem is he didn’t die in the River Styx,” Perseus said, seeming to have calmed down. “And neither did I. Now I have to face him. We have to protect Olympus.”
Annabeth was still studying her friend’s face before deciding to let it go: “I guess you’re right. My mom did mention—”

“Plan twenty-three.”

She rummaged through her backpack and pulled out her laptop. The Delta symbol glowed on the lid as she booted it up.

No one was in the mood to ask what the tablet was. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, wanting to know what was about to happen. They wanted to know how the past was connected to the war.

Hermione muttered as she jotted down in her notebook: “The Delta symbol…”

Annabeth opened a few files and began reading.

“Here it is,” she said. “oh gods, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

“One of Daedalus’s inventions?”

Daedalus? The name sounded familiar.

“There are many stories about Daedalus. But he’s best known as a master craftsman, architect, and brilliant inventor in ancient Greek mythology, famous for his lifelike sculptures and revolutionary creations,” Blaise explained. He doesn’t know when this Slytherin became their walking encyclopedia. How ironic.

“So many inventions... and all of them dangerous. If my mom wanted me to use this plan, she must have thought the situation was already dire.”

She looked at Perseus: “What about her message to you: ‘Remember the rivers’? What does that mean?”

He shook his head.

Just then, the Stolls burst into the room.

“You guys need to see this,” said the person who was probably Connor. “Right now.”

What’s going on?

The fog suddenly shifted.

An image of a smouldering volcano appeared – Mount St Helens. One side of the mountain exploded. Fire, ash, and lava poured out. The mountain tore itself apart, collapsing inward, and a colossal figure rose from the smoke and lava as if crawling out of a manhole. The giant was larger than anything they had ever faced. They couldn’t make out its exact form through the ash and fire, but it was vaguely human-shaped and so enormous it could have used the Chrysler Building as a baseball bat. The mountain shook with a terrible rumble, as if the monster were laughing.

They saw a bank of storm clouds rolling across the Midwest plains. Lightning flickered. Tornadoes destroyed everything in their path – ripping apart houses, tossing cars like toys.

Inside the storm, they saw the giant – only glimpses of its true form: a smoky arm, a dark hand with claws the size of a city block. Its furious roar echoed across the plains like a nuclear blast.

Smaller shapes darted through the clouds, circling the monster. Flashes of light erupted, and they realized the giant was trying to swat them away. A golden chariot plunged into the darkness. Then a massive bird – a monstrous owl – dove down to attack him.

“That is…”

“Typhon, the enemy of the gods.” Luna declared slowly. No one interrupted her.

“So that’s clear. The gods are real. You can’t deny it anymore.” Blaise shook his head, his weary gaze sweeping across the Great Hall.

The Headmaster’s silence was the final straw that silenced even the most stubborn among them. Deep down, Harry knew many had realized it, but no one wanted to be the one to
say it. Now, none of them could deny it anymore.

The gods aren’t are real.

Everyone watched in silence as the massive creature—no, Typhon—wreaked havoc. This battle was beyond their wildest imaginations.

Just as they were struggling to accept that the gods they had once worshipped truly existed, the fog brought them back to Perseus and the demigods. Harry still couldn’t believe it.
Those of divine blood were walking among mortals, and Voldemort’s grandson was one of them. That realization rang like a warning bell in his head.

Perseus and Annabeth followed Connor out of the palace.

The blue lights in the sky had faded.

The other children in orange robes had gathered at a small park on the edge of the mountain. They were huddled by the guardrail, looking down at the ground. Along the railing were telescopes, apparently for tourists, with a rectangular slot large enough to fit an object shaped like a coin, though it seemed larger than a normal coin.

Ron spoke up first: “What’s that?” He looked calmer than Harry had expected. They would have to talk about all this soon.

Hermione shook her head: “I think it’s probably for the gold coins Perseus left in the hall.” She had given up on taking notes. What was the point of preparing when faced with powerful beings who could kill them all with a single thought? And Perseus, he…

Susan replied, her trembling voice making it clear she wasn’t calm about this: “Those are drachmas, they were the currency used in ancient Greece. It’s just, why were those
telescopes there in the first place?”

“Perhaps so they could observe people. Those born to think they’re superior and look down on others. Just what you’d expect from Voldemort’s line.” Someone sneered maliciously from the back of the Gryffindor table. Harry looked up immediately, unable to believe someone would say that right after they’d just accepted the existence of the gods.

“Be careful what you say.” Luna’s lifeless voice rang out. This time, no one dared ignore the Ravenclaw’s warning. Now they knew whose words she was speaking. Fearful glances turned toward the person who had gone pale. Were they watching?

“They won’t be so forgiving. Don’t do anything foolish.” This time it was Luna, real Luna. She glanced anxiously at all of them.

“Children, let’s be cautious… and respectful.” The Headmaster hurriedly stood up to declare, though everyone could see he was extremely tense.

Everyone held their breath.

A moment later, the heat returned to normal. After making sure nothing had happened, a Slytherin timidly whispered, “Could this be a sign that You-Know-Who is favored by the gods?”

No one dared to answer. It was something they were all avoiding. The existence of Voldemort was enough to terrorize the entire wizarding world. And those children - no, those demigods -were all following Perseus. If he had his family’s favor, what could they possibly do to oppose Perseus? Now they believed Perseus had no reason to lie to them. Could they convince Perseus to stand with them?

The Headmaster’s eyes flashed. Wait, why did Perseus come to England in the first place?

There wasn’t a single empty spot left. Perseus approached, looking down at the city below.

From above, they could see almost everything. The East River and the Hudson River outlined the shape of Manhattan Island, the network of streets, the lights from the skyscrapers, and the long, dark stretch of Central Park to the north. Everything looked so small beneath the clouds.

Harry shuddered.

Looking down from Olympus (now that he knew this was the real Olympus), everything seemed so small. It was as if humans were nothing in the face of immortal beings.

“I don’t... hear any sounds.” Annabeth said.

That’s exactly the problem.

Even from this height, I should be hearing the city’s clamor. Millions of people rushing back and forth, thousands of cars and machines—the hum of a massive metropolis. When you live in New York, you never even think about it, but it’s always there. Even at midnight, New York is never silent.

But now it is. I feel like my best friend has just suddenly dropped dead.

Even though things are tense, hearing Perseus describe the city gives Harry new hope. Maybe they can become friends.

“What did they do?” Perseus’s voice choked with anger, “What did they do to my city?”

He shoved Michael away from the telescope and peered through it himself.

That was a bit rude.

But finally, they saw what was happening below.

On the streets below, traffic had come to a complete standstill. Pedestrians lay scattered across the sidewalks or huddled in doorways. There was no sign of violence, no car accidents, nothing of the sort. It was as if everyone in New York had simply decided to stop whatever they were doing and fall asleep.

“Are they dead?” Silena asked in astonishment.

“And witness the world sink into an eternal slumber.”

For some reason, hearing that made every hair on Harry’s body stand on end. He shuddered.

“They’re not dead,” Staring down at the city with a look of rage in his eyes, Perseus said. “Morpheus has put the entire island of Manhattan to sleep.”

“Morpheus?”

“The god of dreams.”

“Are they all sleeping? The whole city!”

“Just like the prophecy.” Harry realized this was the moment the prophecy was coming true.

The palace that had just appeared would likely be the most magnificent place they had ever seen, if it weren’t in the process of being destroyed. It was as vast as a city atop Olympus, with wide courtyards, gardens, and columned halls. The gardens were shaped from coral and glowing sea plants. Twenty or thirty buildings were made of abalone shells, white yet shimmering with rainbow hues.

“That’s… an underwater kingdom.” Harry stood up unconsciously, gaping at the sight unfolding before him.

“Atlantis.” The Headmaster’s voice grew urgent: “The city was thought to be lost.”

“This is… the kingdom of the Sea God. It’s real.” Hermione said in disbelief.

“But… it’s being destroyed.” Susan whispered.

Fish and octopuses swam in and out of the windows. The passageways were lit by glowing pearls that shone like Christmas lights. Outside the main courtyard were defensive structures—towers, walls, and siege weapons—but most had been destroyed. Others were burning with a strange blue light. Further out, the ocean floor was pitch black.

Battles are raging - beams of light, explosions, and flashes as armies clash. At the edge of the palace, a temple with a red coral roof explodes, sending fire and debris drifting slowly across the farthest garden. From the darkness above, a colossal figure emerges- a giant squid larger than any skyscraper. It is surrounded by a shimmering cloud of dust—he thought it was dust until he realized it was an army of merfolk attacking. The squid plunges toward the palace, lashing out with its tentacles, crushing an entire row of warriors. Then a brilliant green beam shoots out from the roof of the tallest building. The light strikes the squid, and it dissolves like food coloring in water.

They were fighting their own war, just as Luke’s father had said.

Is this what war is?

Standing out among the ruins were three figures. One was a merman with two tails instead of one. His skin was green, and his armor was studded with pearls. With his black hair tied in a ponytail, the young man stood before his army. At the head is an old man with a thick white beard and gray hair. His heavy armor weighs him down. He has green eyes and laugh lines around them, but he isn’t smiling now. This man looks like an aged version of Perseus. To his right is a beautiful woman in green armor, with long black hair and small horns like crab claws.

That was Perseus’s father, Harry realized with a harsh truth. Perseus was truly the son of the sea.

A dolphin blew a signal horn, and a motley army of one eye cyclops and sea creatures clutched their weapons.

Something was approaching.

Perseus’s father raised his massive trident, and the sound of war drums echoed.

They had just witnessed the battle unfolding in Atlantis. And this is not all.

The mist shifts to a vast room with about twenty teenagers wearing purple shirts. They stand surrounding a round table with chess pieces and a map whose text is impossible to make out. Two people in robes - one male, one female, around 18 or 19 years old - stand at the center.

But the one who catches Harry’s eye is a girl of about 15 with sharp black eyes and black hair braided into a plait. She is listening intently to whatever the two cloaked people are saying. Her eyes betray a mix of determination and anxiety.

Beside the girl stood a blond boy, about 14 years old, with a tall, lanky build and a cold, stern face. There was a small scar on his lip. On his exposed bicep was a black tattoo, partially covered. Although he wasn’t the oldest person in the room, it was clear that everyone’s attention was unconsciously drawn to him.

As they discussed, a beam of light fell upon the blond boy. His chiseled face broke into a cold smile. For some reason, Harry was reminded of the piercing gaze of a wolf. He reached up to grasp a peacock feather that had fallen onto his shoulder, placed it on the table, and said: “If the Senate wants to oppose the attack, tell them to find my patron.”

The two men in robes exchanged glances, smiling as if they’d just achieved their goal before moving their pieces.

Those electric-blue eyes seemed to pierce through the mist and stare straight at them.

!!!!

“Who are they? Are they demigods too?”

“Are there really that many of them?”

For some reason, the blond boy’s eyes reminded him of Thalia. They had the same eyes.

The scene shifted to an open field surrounded by trees. The leaves rustled slightly, and a girl in strange attire appeared before them. She is built like a wrestler, with ginger hair shaved on the sides. A bow rests on her shoulder, and daggers are strapped tightly to her body. Her skin seems to emit a silvery glow.

Her eyes appear far too old for her youthful face. She calls out, “Lieutenant, everyone is assembled.”

Before her stood a rather familiar figure. The person addressed as Lieutenant tilted her head slightly, all they could see was a short black hairstyle and a crown. She said, “Phoebe,
get ready to depart.”

“Understood.

Behind the girl with ginger hair, a group of young girls appeared one after another, all wearing the same outfit and with skin that glowed with a silvery light. Their eyes all bore a resolute expression. A deer looked up at them.

Who were they?

Next came sparkling green dots enveloping the kingdom in the clouds and the entire New York sky. It seemed as though a faint yellow invisible barrier was covering Olympus.

It took Harry a moment to realize these were the wind gods protecting the airspace.

A battle on multiple fronts.

Finally, Perseus’s face appeared on the screen again.

His cold voice rang out like a declaration:

“The war has begun.”