Dreaming Alone (A Harry Potter and Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Chapter 1, A New Start

~Percy~

The ride on the train to Hogwarts was an eventful one, with all the students alike casting suspicious and curious glances in my way.

Shortly after I had disembarked, I found my way to the grand, magnificent doors, surrounded by first-years.

Curious peeks from the first-years were thrown in my direction. I almost groaned. What could be worse than being surrounded by a swarm of ignorant 11-year-olds? A professor stood by the grand door leading to the Great Hall, her grey hair tied up tightly in a bun, tucked under a wizard's hat.

She briskly strolled up to me. "Perseus Jackson?" She asked me. I tried to refrain from cringing at the sound of my real name, and for once, I succeeded. "You will go after all the first years have been sorted, and you'll be announced as a seventh year."

Then it struck me. "Professor, how did you know my name?" She gave me a wry smile. "Hecate is my grandmother. She informed me of your schooling here. Now, even though you're technically related to me somehow, I want you to be on your best behaviour no matter what. If you put one foot out of line..." She left her threat hanging in the air.

I nodded. Something told me it wasn't going to be good if I got on her bad side.

She walked away from me, and opened the doors that lead to the Great Hall a fraction for her to enter. After a few, tense minutes, the doors to the Great Hall opened wide, revealing its full magnificence. I gasped.

The ceiling, resembling a starry sky, seemed to stretch out across all the corners of the world and beyond. It was great in height, almost higher than the heavens above. Where the Gods of Olympus are probably living a great life there, I thought bitterly.

As the queue of first years waiting to put on the dirty frayed hat became shorter, I found that most of the girls around me were staring at me googly-eyed, giggling and winking in my direction. I swear I heard one swoon and faint. Weird.

I realised that after wearing the hat for a short period of time, the hat would shout out names of the Four Houses, Gryffindor-red, Slytherin-green, Ravenclaw-blue, and Hufflepuff as yellow. However, no student had yet to be sorted to Slytherin.

Finally, as the last first-year put on the hat [Anarchy, Jenna] was sorted into Hufflepuff, my name was called. Everybody's eyes zoomed in on me. I found myself walking up the aisle leading to the dirty, old frayed hat. Everyone's sharp gaze was on me, making me slightly uneasy. The walk seemed endless.

Eventually, after what felt like a millennia later, I reached the pedestal that the hat sat proudly on. Professor McGonagall, the name which she had introduced to everyone in her opening speech, gestured for me to sit on the stool.

Feeling slightly foolish and stupid, I sat on the short stool and put on the hat.

Well, well, well. Look what we have here. A voice in my head said.

I nearly shrieked like a girl. A demigod hearing voices was never a good sign. But then again, hearing voices altogether was never a good sign for anybody else.

Don't be an idiot, the hat snapped. It's just me in your mind.

Yeah sure, geez, because that's so comforting to think about, I retorted back to the voice in my head. Great, now I was talking to myself. What else?

Sarcastic, I see. The hat mused in my mind. Hmm, lets see where to sort you....Hang on, you're a demigod? It's been years since I'd last had one.

He dug through most of my memories, releasing some that I'd even forgotten about. Very loyal, I see...The hat said, seemingly almost pleased with himself. Or, itself.