Percy Jackson and The Wizarding World

The climb back to the castle from the Chamber of Secrets felt like it took forever. Percy carried Ginny on his back, with Ron stumbling along beside him, still looking shell-shocked. Harry was quiet, his fingers clutching the sword of Gryffindor tightly, while Hermione kept throwing worried glances his way.

"Seriously," Percy panted as they emerged from the damp tunnel into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, "if I have to fight one more ancient monster in a damp, smelly cave, I'm going to demand hazard pay."

Ron let out a weak chuckle. "Mate, that's Hogwarts for you."

Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, flew ahead of them, his golden feathers lighting the way as they hurried through the empty halls of the castle. As they rounded the last corner before reaching the hospital wing, Percy's instincts flared, making him stop dead in his tracks.

"Wait," he hissed, throwing out an arm to stop Harry and Hermione. "We're not alone."

A shadow detached itself from the corner, and Percy's grip on Riptide tightened—but it was only Professor McGonagall, her face etched with worry.

"Potter! Mr. Jackson!" she gasped. "Miss Weasley—oh, heavens, what happened?"

"Long story," Percy said quickly, helping Ginny down gently onto a nearby bench. "Let's just say you've got a big snake problem, but it's been taken care of."

Harry, still pale from his injury, nodded. "The Chamber of Secrets was real. And it was Tom Riddle… Voldemort. He used the diary to control Ginny."

McGonagall paled, her hands trembling slightly before she quickly composed herself. "We must get her to Madam Pomfrey at once."

As McGonagall swept Ginny away, Hermione turned to Harry, her voice firm. "We need to tell Professor Dumbledore everything."

"Agreed," Percy said. "I want some answers too. Like why there's a secret monster lair under the school and why it took three kids to stop it."

Dumbledore's Office – Later That Night

Dumbledore sat behind his grand desk, his twinkling blue eyes surveying Percy and the others with a mixture of concern and amusement. Fawkes perched behind him, preening his feathers as if the whole life-threatening ordeal was nothing unusual.

"So," Dumbledore said, steepling his fingers. "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened once more, and young Mr. Riddle's memory attempted to return."

Harry nodded. "It was the diary. He left a piece of himself in it."

Dumbledore's gaze turned to Percy. "And you, Mr. Jackson. You've proven to be quite… resourceful in this matter."

Percy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yeah, well, monster-fighting is kinda my thing. But I think it's time you answer some questions, Professor."

Dumbledore's smile didn't waver. "I imagine you have many questions, Percy. About the magic here, your place in it, and perhaps… why you have found yourself here at all."

Percy nodded. "You know who I really am, don't you?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "A son of Poseidon… yes, I do."

Harry and Ron exchanged shocked looks, while Hermione gasped. "You knew?"

"I make it my business to know many things," Dumbledore said gently. "Your arrival here was… unexpected, but not unwelcome."

Percy groaned. "Great. Another old wise guy who talks in riddles."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I assure you, Mr. Jackson, your presence here serves a purpose. The Fates do not move lightly."

Percy frowned. "But why here? Why now? What's going on with the magic in this place?"

Dumbledore's expression turned more serious. "Magic, Percy, much like the divine power you are familiar with, has ancient roots. Hogwarts itself sits upon a convergence of ley lines—sources of immense magical energy. Your presence has disturbed the balance… but not in an unwelcome way."

"Balance?" Percy echoed. "You mean… my demigod powers are interfering with Hogwarts' magic?"

"Not interfering," Dumbledore corrected, "but rather… intertwining. The Mist that shrouds your world and ours is delicate, and your presence acts as a catalyst. There are forces in motion that even I cannot yet fully comprehend."

Percy exhaled. "Awesome. More mysterious cosmic forces."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled again. "You will find that Hogwarts is not unlike your own world, Mr. Jackson. There are friends to be made, dangers to face, and lessons to learn."

Percy smirked. "Yeah, but does your magic come with a summer camp?"

Harry laughed. "No, but we do have Hogsmeade weekends."

Dumbledore's smile widened. "Speaking of which, I believe a well-earned rest is in order. The immediate danger has passed, but the future is always uncertain."

Percy stood, stretching. "Yeah, well, future threats or not, I'm starving. Saving the world works up an appetite."

Ron grinned. "Now that's something I can get behind."

As they left the office, Hermione walked beside Percy, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Percy, how exactly did you get the basilisk to stop attacking? You didn't look at it, but it… hesitated."

Percy grinned. "Turns out I can kinda talk to snakes too. Perks of being a sea god's kid, I guess."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "That's… incredible. Parseltongue is supposed to be a rare gift."

"Yeah, well, I don't think it's real Parseltongue," Percy admitted. "More like… communicating with sea creatures. A giant snake's close enough, I guess."

Harry shook his head in amazement. "You're full of surprises, Percy."

Percy shrugged. "Stick around, Potter. You haven't seen half of it yet."

The Next Day – The Great Hall

News of their adventure had spread quickly, and Percy couldn't walk through the halls without whispers following him.

"That's the American kid who fought the basilisk!"

"I heard he took it down with a sword!"

"He's so cool! Do you think he'll join the Quidditch team?"

Percy groaned as he dropped into his seat at the Gryffindor table. "I really didn't sign up for the celebrity treatment."

Ron grinned, stuffing his face. "Welcome to our world, mate."

Percy sighed and looked around at his new friends. As much as he missed Camp Half-Blood, he couldn't deny that Hogwarts had its charms. Monsters, magic, and a whole new world to explore.

Maybe being stuck in the past wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.

As long as nothing else tried to kill him, that is.

End of Chapter 11

Chapter 12: Shadows of the Past

Percy thought he'd finally catch a break after dealing with a giant death serpent and Tom Riddle's creepy diary, but Hogwarts had other plans.

Sitting at breakfast, he was just about to take a bite of his pumpkin pasty when Hermione dropped a thick book in front of him with a resounding thud.

"We have a problem," she said, her eyes serious.

Percy groaned. "Hermione, I just fought a basilisk. Can we take a break from world-ending problems for, like, five minutes?"

Hermione crossed her arms. "I don't think we can afford to. I did some research last night, and I found something… unsettling."

Ron, chewing on a mouthful of toast, mumbled, "What now?"

Hermione flipped open the book, revealing a page covered in strange runes and faded illustrations of old wizards. "I checked the school archives, and there are mentions of students disappearing in the past… and reappearing years later. Sound familiar?"

Percy frowned, setting down his pasty. "You're saying I'm not the first person to randomly show up here out of time?"

Hermione nodded. "Exactly. Hogwarts has a history of… anomalies. Temporal disturbances, they call them."

"Great," Percy muttered. "So I'm part of a Hogwarts tradition now?"

Harry leaned in. "But why would that happen? I mean, time travel isn't exactly easy."

Hermione bit her lip. "I don't know. But what I do know is that whatever brought Percy here might not have been an accident."

Percy rubbed his temples. "Awesome. So, not only do I have to lay low, but I might also have some time-traveling stalker?"

Ron blinked. "Maybe it's the Fates messing with you again?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Percy muttered. "Alright, fine. Let's assume I was sent here for a reason. What do we do next?"

Hermione sighed, clearly relieved he was taking this seriously. "I think we need to dig deeper. There's something about Hogwarts' history they're not telling us. We should start in the Restricted Section of the library."

Ron groaned. "Of course we should. Why is it always the Restricted Section?"

"Because that's where they hide the good stuff," Percy said, standing up. "Alright, library it is."

Later – The Restricted Section

With Harry's invisibility cloak wrapped tightly around them, Percy, Harry, and Hermione crept through the darkened library corridors. The air smelled like old parchment and dust, and the looming bookshelves cast eerie shadows in the flickering torchlight.

Ron had opted to stay behind, claiming he had "important sleep-related matters" to attend to.

Percy whispered, "Okay, Hermione, what exactly are we looking for?"

Hermione pulled out a list she had scribbled on a parchment. "Anything mentioning anomalies, distortions in time, or records of unsolved mysteries at Hogwarts."

Percy rolled his eyes. "So, just everything in the Restricted Section?"

Hermione huffed. "Just start looking."

They spread out, searching the towering shelves for anything unusual. Percy pulled down a heavy, leather-bound tome titled Myths and Legends of Hogwarts, flipping through pages filled with obscure stories.

Halfway through, something caught his eye. A passage about a "Lost Guardian."

"Hey, check this out," Percy whispered, waving them over.

Hermione and Harry crowded around as Percy read aloud: "There is an old legend of a Guardian of the Mist, a protector of ancient secrets said to reside within the castle. It is said that this being comes from a place beyond time, hidden from both the wizarding world and the gods themselves."

Hermione's eyes widened. "That sounds… eerily close to your situation, Percy."

Percy frowned. "Yeah, except I'm no guardian. More like the guy who shows up and breaks things."

Harry pointed at the faded text. "Look here—'the Guardian is said to awaken in times of great peril, when the past and the future collide.'"

Percy sat back, rubbing his chin. "So, what? I'm here because some ancient prophecy decided I needed to be?"

Hermione chewed on her lip. "Maybe… but what if it's something deeper? What if your being here is tied to the future of both our worlds?"

Percy sighed. "Sounds like classic Oracle nonsense."

Before they could ponder further, the sound of approaching footsteps made them freeze. A shadow stretched along the wall.

"Filch!" Harry whispered urgently.

Percy slammed the book shut, and the three of them dove beneath the invisibility cloak just as the caretaker's wheezing voice echoed through the library.

"I know you're here… no one sneaks past me, no sir!" Filch muttered, shuffling past with Mrs. Norris at his heels.

They held their breath until the footsteps faded, then quickly made their escape back to the common room.

Gryffindor Common Room – Later That Night

"So," Ron yawned as they relayed their findings, "what you're saying is, Percy might be some kind of ancient Hogwarts bodyguard?"

Percy groaned. "Not exactly the job I signed up for, but yeah, seems that way."

Harry looked thoughtful. "You think Dumbledore knows?"

Hermione nodded. "He must. He always knows more than he lets on."

Percy stretched, exhaustion settling in. "Well, whether he knows or not, it looks like I'm stuck here for the foreseeable future. Might as well get used to it."

Ron smirked. "Better get used to homework too, mate."

Percy groaned again. "I fought monsters and titans, but somehow, essays scare me more."

Elsewhere in the Castle…

In the darkness of the dungeons, hidden from prying eyes, a hooded figure flipped through an ancient book. Their fingers traced a passage about the Guardian of the Mist, their lips curling into a sinister smile.

"So… the son of Poseidon walks our halls," the figure murmured.

Closing the book with a snap, they whispered, "Let's see how long he survives."

End of Chapter 12