Hermione

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Great Hall

October 30th

6:34 pm

Hermione shoved her way through the crowd of students that were pushing to get out the door. Someone had stepped on a Beauxbaton student's foot, so french curses were flying through the air in addition to general grumblings and worried whispers.

All Hermione could think about was the three strange people running through Hogwarts at the moment. 

Hermione squeezed between two first-year Ravenclaw's and ducked behind a corner. 

"Come on Hermione! Where are you?" Ron's annoying voice floated through the stone corridor. He and Harry seemed to be looking around for her. 

"Hey!" She hissed, her head looking back at the hallway that the Great Hall stood, where students were still pouring out of. Harry's and Ron's Gryffindor robes stood out among the Ravenclaw's that were being escorted to their common room. 

The boys spotted her waving hand, rushing towards her. They all ducked into an empty classroom, not wanting to be caught.

"Hermione," Harry started. "Are you crazy?" He pushed up his glasses and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. 

She huffed. The boys didn't see the swords that all three people were holding, and she had no idea why, but no matter. 

"Those people aren't wizards, and they aren't muggles," Hermione told them. She searched her pockets for something that she saw that the girl dropped when running out of the Great Hall.

She placed the copper penny on the table that they were standing in front of, Hermione on one side, the boys on the other. 

"What's that?" Ron asked, grabbing the penny and examining it.

"It's an American coin," Hermione said. She had seen one that summer when an American tried to buy a book with American currency. Ron set the penny back on the table. 

"So they're American?" Harry asked. "How does that help us find them?"

Hermione huffed, boys. "Have you both learned nothing?" She took out her wand and pointed it at the penny. "Avenseguim!" 

The penny shook before settling back down. Golden dust seemed to rise out of it, swirling around them and out the door.

"Follow it!" Hermione called out, running out the door. She didn't look back, only assuming that the boys would follow. She was correct, hearing their gasping breath and lumbering footsteps behind her.

The hallways were quiet and empty, the students had already cleared out and went back to the common rooms. Soon it would be noticed that three students were gone, but they still had some time. Hermione couldn't give up when they were so close to an answer. 

The golden dust weaved around corners and up staircases. Obviously the teenagers didn't know where they were going, as they were traveling only deeper into the castle. They also let a track of golden dust in their wake, the dust so few that it only glimmered when the firelight hit it just right.

Finally, it curled around one last corner and settled in front of a closed door. Hermione didn't recognize the classroom they were in front of, but that didn't mean anything. There were hundreds of rooms in the palace. 

Hermione pushed open the door, it slamming against the stone wall. The three teenagers were all there. One, a dark-haired boy who seemed to be another their age, was sitting. His sword was unnerving, a dark metal that didn't shine at all in the light. Strange. The one closest to her, a tanned raven-headed boy held a pen. But the blonde girl held another sword, this one stark white and had a leather grip.

She pointed her wand at the teenager closest to her. "Drop your weapons."

Annabeth

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 4th Floor Corridor

October 30th

6:45 pm

Annabeth had no plan. She just hoped that the place that the Dumbledore person could give her some clues to what was happening and how they could use it to get some leverage or help them on their quest. 

Dumbledore was leading her, Nico, and Percy through many hallways and up (maybe 3?) staircases. The three kids that they held captive have disappeared, the older woman with sharp eyes pulling them out of sight.

Two adults, both in strange robes, followed the demigods as Dumbledore led them private. One of the adult's cheeks were covered in scars and one of his eyes were obviously fake. The other adult had a large nose and greasy dark hair. They both were intimidating and showed obvious distrust. 

Percy slid up next to her, clasping her hand in his. She didn't need to look at him to sense his worry, she would only see his knitted eyebrows and gnawed at lips. 

"Is your ankle alright?" Percy leaned down and whispered to her. Annabeth hadn't even noticed that she had been limping. The old break from under the streets of Rome bothered her when she was stressed, and she was especially stressed at that moment. 

Annabeth nodded, not looking at him. She just squeezed his hand tighter in hers and focused on making the limp as noticeable as possible, no reason for the wizards to see a weakness. 

Nico walked behind them, tapping his Stygian iron sword against the stone ground with every other step. Annabeth didn't know if he did to remind the wizards that he was armed or to help him walk.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a gargoyle statue inscribed in the wall. For some reason, Dumbledore had stopped in front of her, despite there being two corridors branching off of the corridor they were standing in.

"Sherbert lemon," the old man said. Annabeth was beginning to think that the man might have been insane. However, the gargoyle statue twisted into the wall, revealing a staircase that led up into the darkness.

Dumbledore started up the staircase and they had no choice but to follow. Annabeth went up first, Percy next, and Nico last. The two other wizard adults pushed them forward, not caring of the way that the demigods froze when the darkness did not allow sight or when Ananbeth's grip on Percy's hand slipped. 

They stopped in front of a wooden door with a griffin knocker. Dumbledore opened the door and entered, the demigods followed. 

The room they entered was large and had rounded walls. Portraits, just like the ones that decorated the walls Annabeth and the others have just previously run through, hung on the walls there as well. However, the subjects in these were..moving. They were milling around and speaking with the other subjects of the paintings. 

Dumbledore sat at a desk in the middle of the room, the wood surface covered in various objects that Annabeth had no recognition of. Annabeth, Percy, and Nico stood in front of the desk, Annabeth's and Percy's hands still clasped. 

"Severus and Alastor, you may go," Dumbledore, presumably addressing the two wizards who followed them. 

"Sir," the one with greasy hair drawled. "Are you sure that is," his lip curled back into a sneer, "the best idea?" Annabeth hated the man immediately. He held himself as many immortals did, self-righteous and a shine in his eyes that showed that he thought him better than them.  

The other wizard's strange eye focused on hers and Annabeth turned back around to face Dumbledore. It unnerved her. 

"I am quite sure Severus," Dumbledore insisted. The two men left, closing the door behind them. 

"So," Dumbledore leaned forward and placed his chin on his fists. "You are not muggles, I assume."

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows, she had never heard that word before. Dumbledore seemed to have sensed her confusion as he frowned and leaned back in his chair. "I suggest you start from the beginning." 

Annabeth looked aside to Percy and then to Nico. They both nodded at her and Annabeth nodded back.

"We were given a quest and sent here," Annabeth started. She did not want to reveal all that they are. If Dumbledore was in fact a demigod or a legacy, he would be able to draw from context what they were. If he was simply a clear-sighted mortal, he would remain ignorant as they completed their quest. "There is something in this area, in this castle that is not right. We were sent to fix it." 

Dumbledore peered at her with his century-old eyes, they reminded her of Chirons, just a bit. Though Chiron did not have a twinkle, he has seen too much for that. 

"And this problem, do you have any idea what it is?" he asked. 

"Unfortunately, we don't. We weren't given any guidance at all, really," Annabeth tightened her grip on Percy's hand. "Do you have any idea what is wrong in your-" she cocked her head, "is it a school we are in?" 

Dumbledore nodded, confirming her suspicions. 

"Do you have any idea about what problem we could be searching for?" Annabeth asked. If Dumbledore knew what was going on, he could help them. The sooner the quest was over, the better for everyone involved.

Dumbledore stared at her for a moment more. "I have my suspicions, and if they are correct, we have a very large problem on our hands." He stood and flipped through some parchment that laid on his desk. He looked up at her.

"Miss Jackson," he said - ignoring the way that Annabeth's cheeks colored and Percy choked on a breath. "In order to find what is wrong with Hogwarts, you three will need to go undercover." 

"Undercover how?" Nico asked, speaking for the first time since they've arrived at the office. Annabeth saw the way that his grip tightened on the handle of his sword.

"You three will be joining the Triwizard's Tournament." 

I am so sorry for the wait! Something personal came up and I wasn't able to get this chapter as long as I wanted. 

If you like the chapter please vote! If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Thanks! 

- Hoarder