The Adventure That Lies Ahead | PJO x HP

CHAPTER 60

Isa arrived at camp to see it bustling around with campers. She smiled... she was back home. But something felt wrong. There was tension in the air as if the hill itself were holding its breath, waiting for something bad to happen.

She walked down into the valley and found the summer session in full swing. Most of the campers had arrived last Friday and it was now Monday. The satyrs were playing their pipes in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow with woodland magic. Campers were having flying horseback lessons, swooping over the woods on their pegasi. Smoke rose from the forges and hammers rang as kids made their own weapons for arts & crafts. The Athena and Demeter teams were having a chariot race around the track, and over at the canoe lake, some kids in a Greek trireme were fighting a large orange sea serpent. A typical day at camp.

Isa decided to head to the Big House to make her return known.

Annabeth was there by the porch with Chiron and upon seeing her, Annabeth engulfed her into a hug.

"Hey." Isa chuckled. "How was San Francisco?"

"Infested." Annabeth shuddered. "Mount Tam is still overrun with monsters."

"Where's Grover?" Isa asked. "I didn't hear much from him. Did he find Pan?"

Annabeth turned to Chiron before saying, "Time for you to catch up."

They went to enter the Big House, but Isa's eye narrowed on a hellhound. "That's a hellhound!"

Chiron and Annabeth followed Isa's eyes.

"We'll explain," Chiron said. "Don't worry, Mrs. O'Leary is a good hellhound."

Isa caught up on a lot of things. She thought she knew things from the letters Annabeth was sending her but turns out it wasn't even half of the things happening. For one, Mr. D was gone. He went to help the gods. Isa was happy about that, but then that wasn't really a good thing.

"So Percy's coming tomorrow?" Isa asked, excited to see her big brother again.

"No," Annabeth said. "He's coming next week, but I'm meeting up with him tomorrow."

Isa raised her eyebrows at her causing Annabeth to blush. "Are you going on a date with my brother?"

"No!" Annabeth quickly said, shaking her head. "We're just catching up."

"So you don't mind if I tag along?" Isa teased.

"Of course not," Annabeth said though she said it with distaste, causing Isa to burst out laughing.

"I'm just playing with ya! I've been a third wheel for so long and I don't want to third wheel if I can help it."

"So," Annabeth said, changing the topic. "How was Hogwarts? Did you pass your exams?"

"We had no exams!" Isa said cheerfully while pure horror was on Annabeth's face.

"What? No exams? What kind of school is that?"

So Isa explained everything to her, just like how Harry explained to Dumbledore. It started out with Harry hearing the voices in the walls, to Halloween, to the petrifications, the Forbidden Forest trip (Annabeth shuddered and paled hearing about Aragog), to them suspecting Myrtle, and finally saving Ginny and killing the basilisk.

"Good job on that," Chiron congratulated. "I've heard from Albus right after it happened."

Isa smiled when she heard the pride in Chiron's voice.

That afternoon, Isa met up with the new sword-fighting teacher, Quintus. He was in his fifties, Isa guessed, with short grey hair and a clipped greybeard. He was in good shape for an older guy. Isa noticed that at the base of his neck was a strange mark, a purplish blotch like a birthmark or a tattoo, but before she could make out what it was, he shifted his armor straps and the mark disappeared under his collar. And apparently, Mrs. O'Leary was his. Isa got along quite well with his pet, in fact, she got quite jealous of Quintus. She now wanted a pet dog. Well, she's always wanted one, but now she really really wants one, and Mrs. O'Leary took a liking to the daughter of Poseidon.