Percy's POV

Okay. I guess these people never forget. I get that people would want to stare at me. I mean, I'm amazing, but this is a little too much.

All of breakfast, and now it's dinner and they just look at me. I mean, I skipped lunch, but I was sleeping. Don't judge me. I've had a long day.

But I had this weird dream that these witches were watching me. It was creepy. Then I woke up and I heard giggling, like the time the Aphrodite girls scribbled Percabeth in lipstick all over my walls while I was sleeping. That was kinda hard to explain to the Cabin Inspector.

Maybe all of this British air is making me hallucinate.

The wizards started whispering in their tables like I couldn't hear them or something.

I caught a couple of words here and there, like, "He jumped off a pegasus" and "He turned into a pegasus" and "He saved a pegasus's life". Word travels fast in Hogwarts. Also, I think they have a slight obsession with pegasi.

I walked up behind Hermione, who was talking to Ginny. Guess who they were talking about? Me. Of course. Why don't they talk about Potter? Argh.

Anyway, Hermione was telling Ginny, "Harry gave me this gash on my arm and Percy fixed it in less than a minute. You can barely even see it anymore. He did it the old-fashioned way, too. No magic or anything. Like he's done this before. Same with the pegasus and how he just jumped off of his like it was an everyday thing. Something about that camp."

I sat down silently behind her, "Oh, you know, 'Mione," I said, startling them, "I'm just awesome that way."

Ginny grinned, "Perseus Jackson! Why are you late to dinner, young man?"

I winked, "I got held up helping Professor Sprout, mom." I bowed my head, "I'm sorry." Ginny laughed and gave me a light shove.

I dug into my food, downing steaks and potatoes like there was no tomorrow. Who knows? I'm a demigod. For all I know, there won't be a tomorrow.

Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, my mouth still full of stuffing.

"Ysh?" I managed, swallowing my food, "What is it?"

I saw the face of a girl in my year, smiling and blinking at me. What was it? Daisy Parks? Panties Barfinson? Yeah, that sounds about right.

"Hey, aren't you Panties Barfinson from Slytherin?" Hermione and Ginny smothered their laughter. Okay, so I got it wrong.

"Oh, wait. I'm sorry, is it Daisy Parks?" More laughter. I'm really bad at this. She just kept blinking at me, unfazed by my mispronouncing her name.

I shook my head, "What's your name again?"

She took my hand. This is strange. "I'm Pansy, Percy darling. Would you like to go out with me?"

I'm being hit on. What do I do? I have Annabeth and she's the best girl in the world. What do I say? Argh!

I removed my hands from hers, "I'm sorry, Pansy. I can't."

Hermione breathed out, making just enough noise for me to hear it.

Pansy pouted, "Is it because you're dating Granger? You can do better than that."

I felt my face flush, and Hermione's was even redder than mine.

"N-No! We're just friends. I just..." I stumbled over my words like the Seaweed Brain I was. I couldn't find a way to break it to her gently, so I looked down, embarrassed, "I just don't want to."

She huffed, the whole Great Room turning silent.

Everyone started whispering, especially the girls. Hermione was staring down at her hands.

I whispered to her, "Why does everyone think we're dating?"

She shrugged but I knew that she knew. I also knew that she didn't spread that rumor herself, because she wouldn't do that.

Ginny leaned over, "It's because you spend so much time with her."

I nudged her, "You're not gonna let that come between us are you?"

She fiddled her thumbs, shaking her head. She was obviously really embarrassed about everyone thinking we were dating. I can be a great guy! Not that I want to be her boyfriend. I am all Annabeth's.

The rest of dinner passed without anything interesting happening, but they did keep whispering. I heard more than one conversation with the words "Granger" and "Love potion". I didn't know what to make of that. Did they want to use a love potion on Hermione? I don't think she'd appreciate that.

Did I say nothing interesting? Oh, well, what I meant to say was I saw a ghost float by. I saw a lot of ghosts float by.

Ginny smiled, "Nick! How are you doing? Still have your head?"

Nick drew his sword, "I do prefer Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Miss Weasley. And yes, sadly, I still do have my head."

What's so bad about having a head? Personally, I prefer my head to be safely on my shoulders. Otherwise, I'd lose it on a daily basis.

I leaned forward, "Why are you sad about having a head?"

He sighed dramatically, "Oh! Because, young mister, I am nearly headless! Pity me! I cannot join the headless hunt for my head!"

He pulled on his left ear, his neck snapping apart and about a centimeter of skin remained, holding his head to his neck. That was so cool! He put his head back right side up.

"Hey," I said, "Can I try?"

Without waiting for a response, I tugged on his ear, making his head snap back out of place. Hermione, Ginny, Nick, and even Harry and Ron across the table were gaping at me. What's so... Oh. I see. I forgot that he was a ghost. Whoopsy. My bad.

They started stuttering but I didn't wait around to hear it. With one final bite of chicken, I sped out of the Great Room like I had a bunch of angry hellhounds on my tail.

I got lost walking down one hallway. People were coming down that way so I turned around and ran the other way. I heard the Hermione and Ginny coming down the other end and strolled back the way I came from.

Stupid Percy! Styx! I forgot. There are people that way. I spun in circles, stuck, when suddenly a door appeared in a previously blank wall. All I wanted was a place to hide and talk to Annabeth about my new powers.

I opened the door, not sure what I was expecting. It turned out to be a supply closet, big enough for me and an Iris Message, with a bottle of water and a prism. What was this place?

The Room of Requirement, a voice whispered in my head, It burned in the Wizarding War but now has regenerated. Do not tell anyone of this room. Now, only demigods may use it, for the wizards have misused it. It is invisible to my pet race. To get in, you must pass this place three times, thinking of what you want.

The voice was Hecate. Of course. I was running around so much in that hallway, of course I would've found it.

I used the bottle and prism to make a rainbow and tossed a drachma in, whispering, "Oh Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood."

She complied, the rainbow showing me Annabeth in the Athena Cabin. She rubbed her groggy eyes, waking up because of the light, "Perseus Jackson!" she whispered, "Do you even know what time it is?"

I nodded, "Yeah, six thirty. Why?"

She shook her head exasperatedly, "In Scotland, yeah. It's eleven thirty in New York, Seaweed Brain."

Of course. What's the point of stupid time differences? All it does is confuse stupid Seaweed Brains and give you jet lag. The horror.

I twitched, shaking my leg as I sat on the floor. "So," I said awkwardly, "Is this a bad time? Should I call again later?"

She rolled her eyes, sitting up, her hair a tangled blonde mess. She was beautiful. "No, Perce. You might not get another chance to talk to me. Now that we have some time, tell me about Hogwarts."

As I opened my mouth, she interrupted, "You aren't skipping class for this, are you?"

I did my best to look offended, "I would never!" She raised her eyebrows. I grinned, "You know me too well. But no, I'm not."

She waved impatiently, "Are you going to tell me anything? Or are you just disturbing my sleep?"

That's the Annabeth I know and love.

"Fine, fine," I said holding my hands up innocently, "So basically, Hogwarts is a giant castle! You'd love the architecture. The classes are basically everything a demigod can do without wands. Like Frank would be great in Transfiguration, turning into animals. Leo would set Charms on fire, literally. Me and Jason, too. You'd be good in Astrology, Muggle Studies, History of Magic, Arithmetic, I think? Pretty much everything." She flipped her hair, "Of course." I chuckled. "Katie would destroy Herbology. Anyone at Camp can do Defense Against the Dark Arts. The Hecate kids would rule Potions. I think that's all of my classes. Oh. They've got this partially phony 'oracle'. Rachel could teach that class."

Annabeth yawned, "So basically they're more pathetic versions of us." I nodded. Actually, that's a pretty good description.

"Have you made any friends?" She asked, "Besides Hermione and Skittles and the boys that hate you, I mean."

I shrugged, "Yeah. There are two girls that keep hitting on me, Romilda Vane and Panties Barfinson. Wait, it's Pansy Parkinson. The rest of them keep blinking and stuff, but know I'm all yours. Hm, friends. Ginny Weasley. Ron's sister. She's really nice. Who else? Neville Longbottom, I guess. I helped him. You'll never guess what the Gryffindor password is."

Annabeth opened her mouth to guess, but I cut her off. "Oh, no you don't. I'll just tell you. It's Athena's blue cookies."

Annabeth stuffed her blanket in her mouth to stop from laughing. I'd think that's kind of gross, but I also know that laundry day was today.

I smiled, "Yeah, yeah. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. I think the wizards are getting suspicious."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean by that, Seaweed Brain?"

I pressed my lips together. "Well, it's just that I've never picked up a wand before in my life. I'm amazingly good at this stuff."

Annabeth snorted. Okay, that came out a little conceited.

I felt myself turn red, "No! Not like that. But I've kinda been cheating. I grew some plants, I flew some pegasi, I turned into some pegasi, I taught some sword fighting, brewed some potions and wrecked some of Death Breath's Greek Mythology tests. They think it's great. Camp would be like you can do better! Pick up your gluteus and move!" Annabeth quietly giggled again.

I whispered, even though no one could hear me but her, "I've got to go. Plus, Malcolm's waking up. Love you."

I grinned as she plopped back down into her pillow, whispering, "It's about time. Love you, too."

I cut the connection, grinning to myself. Annabeth's so great, it's a wonder how she ever fell for me.

I walked out of the Room of Requirement, dazed from my conversation with Annabeth. Or from me being able to touch ghosts. Or both.

Yeah, well, as I walked back to the Common Room, trying to avoid Ginny and the trio, I ran into Hermione. Literally ran into her. She fell to the ground, spilling her books.

"Woah!" I said, "Sorry 'bout that, 'Mione. Let me get those for you." Before she could react I had all of her books under one arm and I held my hand out to her. She smiled and grabbed it, and I pulled her up. She tripped into me and turned red, but I thought nothing of it. I still need to avoid her.

Stuttering, I muttered, "Here's your stuff." I gave her the books and ran into the Common Room.

Hermione's POV

I was just walking out of the Common Room to go to the library and investigate. A person being able to touch a ghost is unheard of! No one can do it. You can't solidify a ghost and you certainly can't touch something that has no mass. Otherwise, Peeves would've been handled a long time ago. Even Dumbledore can't do anything about it!

Suddenly I ran into a stone wall. I dropped my books and shook my head, dazed.

Strangely, the wall spoke, "Woah! Sorry 'bout that, 'Mione. Let me get those for you." The wall sounded like Percy. I probably have a concussion. Maybe I'm daydreaming. I hope I'm not. I refuse to think that we could be a thing. He probably has a secret girlfriend back home.

I looked up and Percy was holding my books in one arm and his free hand out to me. I smiled and grabbed it, his solid arm pulling me up.

I guess he must have overcompensated for my weight because I literally flew into him. It felt so good-. No!

Hermione, pull yourself together! My face flushed and he stuttered, giving me my books and darting into the Common Room. That was suspicious.

For someone who only learned of wizards last week, he sure was powerful. Maybe he had some hidden potential. It was probably just his super-powerful wand. Threstral tail and pegasus feather? Stronger than the Elder Wand.

I shook it off and ran to the library. I spent every minute scanning the books, even going into the Restricted Section to scan the spines for anything that could help me. I couldn't find anything.

Only a random paragraph about Death being able to touch ghosts, but Percy wasn't Death. He was Percy. He was living. He had a normal life before he learned he was a wizard. He was such a great... Friend. Yeah. Friend.

I walked back to the Common Room, defeated. I muttered, "Athena's Blue Cookies," and walked up the stairs to the Girl's Dorm. Before I knew it I was cornered by a bunch of girls.

I spread my arms out, "What is going on?" Lavender, Parvati, and a bunch of other girls were scrutinizing my hair, clothes, and face.

Lavender stepped back, "What does he see in you?"

I knew I was smart. I wasn't going to pretend otherwise. But I was book smart. Not street smart. I had no clue what they were talking abou-. Oh. Percy.

Everyone thought we were secretly together or something. They want to know why he's turning everyone down, and they obviously think it's because of me.

Just wonderful. Just. Bloody. Wonderful.

Great. Now I'm turning into Ronald.

For reasons such as how I don't want to die, I played dumb, which was kind of hard. "How does who see in what now?" I asked, plastering a fake look of bewilderment on my face, "What are you guys talking about?"

I shook them off, "Why are you pinning me to the wall?"

Parvati laughed, "Don't pretend like you don't know. I think we all know why we're here."

I tried to back up, but found that the wall was still pressed against my back, so I mocked her instead. "I think we all know that I have no idea what you're talking about."

I pushed past her, putting all of my books neatly into my trunk.

I turned around and smiled sweetly at them, "If this is done, I think I'll just go read Hogwarts: A History. In the Common Room. Away from weirdos."

Lavender blocked my way, hands on her hips. "Oh, please. Percy. How are you getting him to like you? I mean, just look at you. Why would a hunky guy like him ever want date a nerd like you?"

I sighed, "News flash, we're not dating. We're just friends."

I moved to shove past her, but she stood in the way again. "Come on! He turned down Romilda and Pansy," she turned away dreamily, "Maybe it's because he wants me to ask him instead! I might just go do that."

I felt the pink tinge in my face, which is totally irrational because I don't like him and I don't care.

"Fine!" I yelled, "Just let me read!" She moved to sit on her bed and I walked past her, plopping myself in a chair. "Finally," I groaned, "Some peace and quiet."

A scream rang out through the Gryffindor Common room and I sighed, putting my head in my hands.

"Just my luck," I muttered softly.