[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

9: an unexpected guest

Percy grumbled to himself. In no way whatsoever was he looking forward to rowing across rough waters to a small hut that was probably drafty, damp, moldy, and cold. At this point, he just wanted to crawl back into his bed at the Dursleys', where it was warm and safe.

Harry leaned over to speak to Percy. "I wonder if he'll make us do all the rowing."

Percy sighed. "Knowing Uncle Vernon, he probably will."

Surprisingly, Vernon didn't make them do any rowing. Instead, he rowed himself. By the time they made it to the little island, the man was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf. It had started to rain; all five of the people that were in the boat were drenched. Percy was shivering as he climbed out of the canoe and onto the island, carrying his bag with him. He was followed by Harry and together they made their way up to the shack, the Dursleys straggling behind with their luggage.

They reached the shack and opened the giant oak door. It was taller than the average man. They stood inside waiting for the Dursleys, and when they had shut the door behind them, Vernon started to assign sleeping arrangements. "Mr. Higgins - the man who rented the boat and shack to us - told me there was a room upstairs, that will be ours." He gestured to himself and his wife. "You, Dudley, will get the couch down here. You two," He looked disdainfully at Percy and Harry. "You can sleep on the floor." He then tromped upstairs with his wife trailing behind him. Dudley moved over to the couch and put his stuff down. He went to a box in the corner and got out some blankets, throwing two of the thinnest he could find at Percy. He walked back over to the couch and fell down on it, got comfy, and promptly fell asleep, leaving the two raven-haired boys to their own devices.

Percy saw that there was a fireplace in front of the couch so he went over to it. There wasn't much room in front of the piece of furniture, so he set about moving it. He put his stuff down and gestured for Harry to come over. "Help me move this," he said. Harry put his stuff next to Percy's and helped move the couch. They were able to move it five feet without waking the sleeping boy on top of it before falling to the floor, exhausted. Percy laid the two blankets in front of the fireplace and collapsed down onto them. Harry did the same.

Harry looked over at Dudley's watch and suddenly started. "It'll be my birthday in fifteen minutes," he said.

Percy looked over at him and raised his eyebrows teasingly. "Well. We better get started on the cake then, shouldn't we?"

Harry laughed and moved over to a particularly dusty patch of floor. "While I make my dust cake, you try and get a fire going."

Percy mock saluted the other boy. "Yes, sir!"

Five minutes later there was a nice-sized fire in the fireplace, though it kept sputtering and threatening to go out, and half of a cake drawn in the dust on the wooden floors. Once he was satisfied with his fire, Percy moved over to sit next to Harry. "Here, I'll help." Together, they finished the dust cake with only two minutes to spare. Once the candles were drawn, Percy started to sing. He wasn't particularly good at it, but he made do. "Happy birthday to you-"

Harry interrupted. "Cha, cha, cha!"

Laughing, Percy continued. "Happy birthday to you-"

"Cha, cha, cha!"

"Happy birthday dear Idiot-"

"Oi!"

"Happy birthday to you!"

"Cha, cha, cha!" They waited two seconds for the clock on Dudley's watch to turn to 12:00 AM, the thirty-first of July.

Once it had, Percy lightly punched Harry on the arm. "Blow them out!" Harry did so, spraying dust everywhere and making Percy sneeze.

Catching them completely unaware, there was a loud thumping noise coming from the door. The two boys stared with wide eyes as whoever, or whatever, was on the other side continued to...knock? Percy could faintly hear the two Dursleys on the floor above wake up and come stomping down the stairs, Vernon making most of the racket; Aunt Petunia was cowering behind her husband. Dudley woke with a start just as his parents reached the bottom of the stairs. Percy and Harry scrambled to their feet and rushed to hide behind the couch, Percy being closer to the door so he could see. Harry poked his head out over Percy's so he could see too.

With a great BANG the door fell off its hinges and onto the dusty ground. Everyone flinched. Behind the door, there was a man that could not be compared to any other man. For he was twice the height of a normal man and at least three times the width. He had a great tangly black mane of hair, with a beard to match. His eyes were small and beady, but there was no hostility in them. No, there was only kindness and warmth as he looked around the room, though when his gaze fell upon the Dursleys, his eyes hardened. The strange man turned around after staring with narrowed eyes at the Dursleys and picked the door up, lifting it as though it weighed nothing, and placed it back onto its hinges. Once the door was in place, he turned back around. "Sorry 'bout that. Didn't mean ter break the door down..."

Uncle Vernon decided to speak up, his words loud and blustery. Percy noticed for the first time a rifle in the man's hands, pointed right at the stranger's face. That must have been what was in the long package he picked up. "You, sir, are breaking and entering! I demand that you leave this place at once, or suffer the consequences!" Throughout his speech, Mr. Dursley's mustache was trembling and his hands were shaking. Out of rage or out of fear, Percy didn't know.

"Oh put that down, Dursley, yeh great old prune." The stranger walked right up to  Vernon and took hold of the rifle and twisted the end of it so it was pointing toward the ceiling. The much smaller man gaped, flabbergasted. Percy and Harry were both peeking their heads above the couch in order to see now, and both of the boys' eyes were wide with awe. The stranger turned back around, facing Dudley and the two boys behind the couch. He looked at Dudley and said, "And you must be Harry Potter. Bit round at the middle, bit more than I expected," the stranger laughed heartily.

With a shaking hand and voice, Dudley pointed over to the couch where Percy and Harry were hiding. "I-I'm not Harry, h-he is." Percy took that as his cue to stand up. He did so, dragging an unwilling Harry up with him.

The stranger turned to look at them with a confused expression and furrowed brows. He turned to Percy first. "Er...are you Harry? Or is he?"

Percy shook his head, still wary of the massive stranger. "Er, no, I'm not Harry, he is." He gestured with his head at Harry. Harry had an annoyed expression on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, apparently ticked off.

"Did you think he was me because he's taller? Everyone always thinks he's me! I don't get it!" Percy snickered quietly, trying to hold in his laugh. Harry rounded on his almost-look-alike. "Don't laugh! It's true!"

The stranger, still confused, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, er, Harry. This letter is fer you." He handed Harry a letter, then turned to Percy. "And you must be..." He shuffled around in his pockets a bit, then brought out a letter almost identical to Harry's. Harry had already ripped his open and was reading what was inside. "Perseus Jackson."

"Call me Percy. And, er, yes, that would be me." Percy nodded in confirmation. The stranger handed Percy the letter with a little "Here yeh go, then." The stranger went over to sit on the couch, which creaked at his weight, and stoked the fire some, pulling out some sausages and bacon to cook over it. What was funny, though, was that the giant of a man stoked the fire with an old pink umbrella.

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This is longer than I expected it to be. Nice.

Hope you liked it, comment any mistakes you find, please.

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