Piper's eyes snapped open and she stared at the silver cover of the tent. So it wasn't a dream. We're really in a world of magic. She sat up and stretched, looking around. The fire was burning warmly, but not overly hot. Annabeth and Hazel were still asleep, but Thalia was in the tent entrance, her knees tucked up to her chin, a mug of hot chocolate in her hand.

"Good morning Piper," she said without turning around.

Piper jumped in surprise. "How'd you know it was me?"

Thalia turned around, grinning. "Lucky guess?"

Piper snorted, then her eyes drifted to the mug of hot chocolate. "Where'd you get that?"

Thalia pointed to a water dispenser. "Hot water's there, packets on top." While the powder dissolved into the water, Thalia peeked outside again.

"It's strange staying in one place for so long," she said absentmindedly. "Normally the hunters and I would've packed up by now, been on the move." she cast her eyes around warily. "It's awfully quiet without my sisters and Lady Artemis."

Piper joined her outside just as the sun rose. That was surprising, she usually wasn't up this early. There was a low hiss, but before Piper could even reach for her dagger, Thalia had notched an arrow and fired it without so much as a glance in the monster's direction. A dracaena hissed as it dissolved into monster dust.

"We'd better get them." Thalia nodded casually to the rest of the dracaena that were slithering up the hill, as if they were a flock of birds that landed peacefully. A dracaena snarled and brandished her spear.

Piper unsheathed the boread's jagged sword. "Right."

She and Thalia hacked away at the monsters until there was nothing left but a pile of sickly yellow dust. Then, with perfect timing, Jason ran out with his gladius Hera gave him and looked around. When he saw nothing, his shoulders slumped.

"Girls always have all the fun," he complained. Thalia and Piper rolled their eyes simultaneously.

Annabeth climbed from the girls tent and took note of the sun. "It's almost 6," she said. "Fred and George should be waking up right around... now."

As if on cue, a large crash was heard, followed by a sound like an octopus on bubble wrap, except really loud.

"Their alarm clock," Annabeth explained tiredly like it was a normal occurrence, which it probably was.

>>>•O•<<<

The demigods followed Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny up to Ron's room.

"So, I'm assuming you guys want to know about these four," Thalia said, jabbing a finger at Jason, Piper, Frank, and Hazel as soon as they closed the door behind them.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded vigorously. Ginny frowned. "Why? What's special about them? Besides that they're from America like you."

Annabeth faced Ginny and sat down. "Okay, Ginny. Do you know about the Greek gods?"

>>>•O•<<<

"So, you're demigods," Ginny said finally, no sign of confusion on her face.

Ron stared at her. "How are you taking it so calmly? Nico had to summon a skeleton for me to believe it. And Hermione—"

He was cut off by Hermione slapping his arm. "Shush!"

Annabeth shrugged. "Some people react differently. Like, I believed it right away. Percy doubted a little, and, well, you should've seen Nico. I didn't see him, but Percy and Thalia, er, described it."

Nico covered his face with his hands. "We don't talk about that," he said, grimacing.

"So, who're your godly parents?" Ginny asked curiously.

Ron snapped to attention again. "Oh yeah. Pepper made Malfoy and his dad leave at Flourish and Blotts. Is your mom or dad like a hypnotizing god? Mind control?"

Piper frowned. "My name's Piper. And I think I'll let Jason go first. Then me, then Frank, then Hazel."

Jason sat up straighter. "Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter, god of the skies and air. I guess you could also call me the pontifex maximus of New Rome." He unsheathed his gladius and held it out for them to touch. "This is my weapon."

"Grace? As in Thalia Grace? As in related? As in you two?" Ginny pointed from Thalia to Jason, who nodded.

Piper nudged him. "Powers?"

Jason grinned. "Okay, fine. I can fly and summon lightning."

"Hey" Percy looked from Jason to Harry. "I just realized, you guys are glasses buddies!"

Jason pulled out his imperial gold glasses from his pocket. "I almost forgot about these."

Harry grinned. "Great. Now I'm not alone" he said, pointing to his glasses. He and Jason fist bumped. Then Harry looked at Piper. "But what about you?"

Piper smiled charmingly. "Piper McLean. Daughter of—"

"McLean?" Hermione asked timidly, like she was afraid to be wrong. "Like Tristan McLean? The kid who plays Price in Summer Prowess?"

Piper smiled tightly. "Yep. Spoiler, by the way, they cancel that show after the second season. My dad's still an actor, though. Fame and glory ain't that great, trust me."

Harry sighed. "Tell me about it."

"I know, right? So anyways, I'm a daughter of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty."

"Goddess of love and beauty?" Ron looked at Piper incredulously. "Um, no offense, but she's not that powerful, right? All ditzy and shallow."

Ginny slapped Ron up the head. "How can you not take offense to that?" she asked him.

Jason scowled. "Dude, Piper's the number one fighter. She's not all makeup-y and stuff. She was essential to defeating Gaea."

Ron shrank down. "Right. Brave. Warrior. Of course"

Piper gave an appreciative glance to Jason. "So, my powers. I only have one. Charmspeak."

"Chaaarmspeeeeak" Harry said slowly. "What's that?"

"I'll show you on Ron." Ron gulped and shrank back again.

"It won't hurt," she promised. Then she changed her demeanor. Ron." She said, smiling sweetly. "Stand up." he stood. "Turn around three times while clapping your hands. Now stick your tongue out. Scratch your nose. Sit back down." Ron complied with all while Harry, Hermione, and Ginny watched in awe.

"So basically, I can kind of control people," Piper explained as Ron returned to normal.

"What was that like?" Hermione asked Ron. Ron frowned.

"I just really wanted to do it. Like, really wanted to. I would've done anything she said, it was my only thought." he shuddered and looked at Piper differently. "It was terrifying when it was over. What if she made me jump off a cliff, or eat one of Fred and George's Filibuster Fireworks?"

Piper smiled. "Don't worry. I don't usually use it on mortals, mostly to save me or my friend's lives. Oh, also, I use Katropis, my knife, and this sword I got when I killed a boread."

Everyone leaned away from the jagged sword radiating coldness.

"Okay, so what about you, Frank?" Ginny turned curiously to Frank.

"Frank Zhang, son of Mars. I'm also a hero of Olympus, defeater of Gaea, member of the Argo II, and descendant of Periclymenus."

Hermione gasped. "Periclymenus... the Argonaut shapeshifter?"

Frank nodded, smiling. "Yep. I inherited that trait. I can turn into any animal."

Ginny shook her head. "You're an animagus? But animagi can only turn into one animal."

Ron patted his sister on her back sympathetically. "Get used to being wrong when it comes to these eight"

Harry eyed Frank warily. "So, right now, you could turn into a zebra." Frank turned into a zebra. Harry shook his head. "That's crazy. So, you're basically invincible?"

Frank shrugged uncomfortably. "My power is balanced out," he said, not bothering to elaborate. No one pushed.

Hermione turned to Hazel. "So, what are you? Like, who's child?"

Hazel smiled. "Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. I was also blessed by Hecate but cursed by my mother. And I'm resurrected from the dead."

Ron turned pale and timidly poked her arm, as if his hand would go right through her. "You seem pretty alive," he concluded after a moment.

Hazel nodded. "Nico brought me back. I escaped the fields of Asphodel, and managed to stay above.

"I also have... well technically he isn't mine, but he follows me around, answers when I call him. I'm the only one who's allowed to ride him. My horse, Arion, I mean."

Hermione gasped again. "Arion, the fastest horse in the world? You tamed him? God, the myths I'd heard about him..." she trailed off, deep in thought.

Harry frowned. "But Hazel, you said you were cursed by your mother. Did she have a wand? Was she a witch?"

Hazel shook her head. "See, my dad's Pluto, god of the riches of the world. When my mother bore me, he was so happy, he promised her any wish she wanted. And she wished for all the riches in the world. Then I came, with the curse." Hazel dragged her hand over the floorboards of Ron's room, and a silver coin flew to her hand from between the cracks. Ron reached out to get it, but withdrew his hand.

"It's cursed?"

Hazel shook her head again. "No, I kind of defeated the curse. But before, whenever I summoned a jewel, whoever touched it would become instantly unlucky. Several people died because of me. But the curse is over now. It's safe." she smiled and handed Ron the coin. Ron touched it gingerly.

"I can also control the Mist. Like wandless magic. I can make you see things." Her gaze turned focused. Hermione gasped as an owl flew in through the window and landed on her arm. As she reached out to pet it, the image dissolved.

"The Mist. That magic barrier keeping muggles from seeing what's really there, right?" Harry remembered.

"Yep" Hazel stretched back on her arms. "That's it, really. Oh, by the way, I'm a roman demigod. Me, Frank, and Jason. Though Jason's kind of Greek now, I guess..."

Jason shook his head. "I'm both, kind of. It's weird." He shrugged. "You can choose your legacy, and I chose Greek."

Ginny rubbed her eyes. "It's a lot to take in." she said.

"You can't tell anyone" Thalia warned. The others nodded seriously. Ginny glanced at their expressions before nodding.

"Don't worry" she assured them. "I won't tell a soul."