The Arrival feast didn't actually happen during the Hunter's arrival but beforehand. After the wizards we're done eating, the students lined up outside by the lake, organized by house and year, youngest in the front.

The students were all in uniform, the teachers wearing dress robes and Dumbledore in his most extravagant blue and silver robes that had a good quarter of the Guardians giving him second looks and wary side eyes.

All in all it reminded everyone of the arrival of Bauxbatons and Drumstrang for the tournament last year.

The guardians were there of course, dressed in an odd mixture of modern muggle clothes and ancient Greek armor, although all were armed in some way, scattered between the castle and lake.

They weren't organized in anyway Hermione could see but she knew how fast they could move and didn't doubt that could change as soon as Percy gave the order. Right now most were playing a rather extreme game of frisbee with a bronze shield a fae blacksmith had brought out.

When everyone complimented him and began to play, his hair had caught fire, although no one had said anything so Hermione just prayed it was his magic.

Percy had a helmet on, one of the visors from Hogwarts many suits of armor. Hermione couldn't hear what he was saying over the extreme frisbee but he closed the visor and struck a pose, only to have Clarrisse hit him over the head with her shield.

Just as the moon began to rise over the lake a hunting horn blew, a keening sound that made Hermione want nothing more then to strip off shoes, race into the forest, and never return, only to be snapped out of it by the loud clang of metal on metal as the distracted frisbee players let the shield collid with a chest plate.

Instantly the Guardians formed ranks, Percy, Annabeth and Clarrisse standing at the head, Thalia to their left, looking excited.

Percy tossed the helmet off to the side where a guardian grabbed it, vanishing into the ranks as Annabeth removed something long wrapped in furs from her bag.

The students and teachers alike fell silent as the sound of dogs barking echoed in the Forbidden Forest, a silver wolf emerging from the brush a moment later, quickly followed by a flood of silver archers.

There were over 100 of the Hunters, each a girl between the ages of nine and 19, although if Jazz was anything to judge by, they could be a couple thousand years old easy.

Each one seemed to be glowing in that way Percy, Clarrisse and some of the other Kidemonas sometimes did, like they had been taking baths in liquid moonlight. It created a rather otherworldly effect, like mortals had no right to even witness their passing, much less talk to them.

At the head of the procession was an auburn haired girl that Hermione recognized from Percy's memory.

Artemis wore the same silver parka and cargo pants as her hunters but she seemed far more powerful and otherworldly then they, like she wasn't even trying to hide that she wasn't human and never had been.

The two troupes halted about fifty yards apart from each other, the humans watching from afar holding their breath in anticipation as Percy and Annabeth stepped forward to meet Artemis and a girl with brown hair and blue eyes.

Thalia bowed to her troupe leader and took her place at the ancient fae's side, looking pleased but still formal.

For a long time Hermione strained to make out their words, the Guard and Hunt both tense, hands creeping towards weapons.

Suddenly Percy burst out laughing. "If you say so, dear sister."

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When Clarrisse saw Percy with the helmet she grinned, for today was now a good day. Percy had that look in his eyes that meant he needed some sense knocked into him.

"Hey, Annabeth?" Percy asked, hiding the helmet behind his back. "What time is it?"

"We have about five minutes before the Hunters will sound the horns." His lieutenant said without looking up from her phone.

"No!" The god declared, putting on the helmet and closing the visor. "Tis knight time!"

"Clarrisse."

Clang.

"Thank you, Clarrisse."

The daughter of Ares grinned. "No problem."

"Ow." Percy groaned, struggling to get the helmet off. "I deserved that."

The sound of a hunting horn blasted through the Castle Grounds, making the Guard race into formation, oldest in the front.

Annabeth and Percy, who had tossed the helmet to Travis, walked forward as the first hunters appeared, Artemis in the lead, a familiar face at her side.

Thalia bowed and smiled, Artemis nodding and the Lieutenant taking her place on the goddess's right.

"Hello, Perseus. What have you been up to the past few years? Not traumatizing the mortals too much, yes?"

"You got to break a few eggs to make omelets, cousin." Percy grinned. He gestured to Annabeth, who had pulled a two foot long parcel from her backpack. "A gift, as thanks for coming to our aide. Jazz, Leo and Kayla have worked quite hard on it."

Annabeth bowed her head and presented the silver quiver the three Guardians had so painstakingly crafted from manticore fur.

"Tis lovely." Artemis mused, picking it up by the harness and inspecting it. "I recognize young Jazz's rune work. Both Greek and roman enchantments. Impressive. Shame she has plans for a family." The maiden goddess sighed in mock disappointment. "Give her and her fellow crafters my thanks."

"I will."

"Since we are in the spirit of giving I suppose I shall give you your birthday present now instead of next year. I believe I missed it anyways." She snapped her fingers and a pair of crows flew down from the treetops, one pitch black, the other white as snow. "I heard a rather amusing story about your encounter with Hugin and Mugin in the Agora from one of my hunters. While we Greek Gods cannot own Ravens as the Norse apparently have a monopoly after Father lost a round of poker to Odin, these crows will have to do. I leave naming them to you. Happy Birthday, Cousin."

Percy extended his arm, mindful of the talons that latched on to his bracer. "My thanks." He mused on names for a moment, the Hunt and Guard all leaning forward in anticipation. "Abra and Kadabra."

"No." Bianca protested, stepping out from behind her patron. "If you call them that they will go missing in an hour."

Percy laughed as Artemis cracked a smile. "If you say so, dear sister."

Bianca smirked. "Honestly, one is black, the other white. If you don't name them Yin and Yang, I'll tell mom you were picking on me."

That brought a round of laughter from the demigods and Percy gestured towards the island, possibly to change the subject. "We set up half the island for the use of your Hunt. Jason will be using the other quarter when he and the Custos arrive. Leo already has water shoes ready for your hunters.

"Will you be making a show of that as well?" Artemis asked, glancing at the island.

"No. They can just slip in. With all the wards up it will be easy to just claim they were just shy and the mortals miscounted."

Artemis nodded, waving the Hunt forward, the water solidifying under their feet with a wave of Percy's hand so they could pass over unobstructed. Following them were two dozen white wolves and a dozen hunting falcons, some nestled onto a Hunter's shoulder and looking rather comfortable.

Percy had forgotten about the extra animals. While the Guard did have pets, they were mainly the indoor kind and were rarely outside the tents. Yato, Nico and Will's cat from hell (literally) was the only outdoorsy animal he could think of off the top of his head.

Dumbledore had started making his towards them, followed by a red faced Dumbridge and Percy sighed. "I will join you all at the campfire." He said, switching to Ancient Greek. "Right now I have to change the fate of a pincushion."

Percy sighed again and turned to see Annabeth and Clarrisse had both vanished. "προδότες." He muttered

He briefly wondered if misting the two mortals would bite him in the podex later, decided against it and turned to face the music.

He bit back a groan and Dumbridge began ranting in that sickly sweet little girls voice. Why him?

"Caw!" Yin cawed.

Percy turned in surprise. "Did you just say caw like a human pretending to be a bird?"

"Caw!"

"Stop it!"

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I thought it appropriate I release the Artemis chapter on the full moon so you get this a few days early. Happy holidays. Grandfather has promised to buy me a coconut.