When Myths meet Magic || 3

1|| Hazel

Hazel scowled as Nico re-appeared some distance away, smirking. "Simple as that" he said casually, as if they'd just picked a daisy chain or eaten one of those chicken nuggets Leo kept going on about.

"I'm trying, okay?" Hazel frowned as she stepped back into the shade of the tree on the other side of the Burrow. "Shadow-travel's not as natural for me as it is for you."

"It's cool if you can't do it" Jason said from in a nearby tree. "I can fly, and Thals can't."

"That's just because I don't feel like it" Thalia said sharply, as if they were pressing in on a personal matter. "I could very well fly if I felt like it, I just haven't tried."

"I just haven't tried," Nico mimicked in a high voice, shadow-travelling back over, just in time for Thalia to shoot an arrow at him. It grazed his jacket and left him gaping back at it. Jason gasped in mock hurt.

"Thalia, you almost killed Nico! How could you? Oh, is wittle Neeks hurt?" Jason feigned worry, bottle of nectar ready. Nico swatted him away.

"C'mon, Hazel, try it again" Piper encouraged. Hazel was glad that the Weasley boys had stopped being awkward around her, especially since they basically were neighbors.

Hazel closed her eyes and pictured a destination. She imagined her body dissolving into shadows, seeping into the ground like the pure essence of a Thestral, and reappearing in front of Percy and Annabeth, back at the Burrow.

Nothing happened, except for a sudden blood rush into her head. Hazel shook it away in frustration.

"I just can't get it" she groaned. "Maybe I'm like Thalia. I just can't do it."

"I can do it perfectly fine" Thalia called over.

"Remember what Dad said?" Nico said, his voice encouraging. "'The dead see what they want to see. So do the living. That is the secret.' Just... pretend it's an illusion, I guess? Manipulate the Mist to create a portal or something."

"I'll try" Hazel grumbled. "You don't have any other tips?"

Nico shrugged. "Not really. Just think back to at the House of Hades, when we all shadow-travelled to the surface. Try to remember that."

Hazel sighed and closed her eyes, reaching for the memory. All she got was a flashback of a whole bunch of rock crumbling on top of them, and then a feeling like she was dissolving into a shadow, which she'd been trying to recreate for the past twenty minutes. Hazel inhaled slowly and looked at the shadow, trying to imagine it as a puddle that would absorb her and spit her out somewhere else. She concentrated so hard a pile of Knuts, Sickles, and Galleons gathered around the forest.

"Nothing" she sighed in exasperation. Nico shrugged. "We can try again later, or maybe tomorrow."

Frank pecked her cheek before turning into a crow and flying back in the direction of the Burrow. Jason rose in the air and followed, and Piper, Thalia, Nico, and Hazel gripped hands as they dissolved (easily) into the shadows of the forest.

Suddenly, the bright sunlight greeted them as they exited from the shade of the tents. Hazel tried to recall the feeling of turning into a shadow, the speed of the cold air rushing around her face, but she knew it wasn't the same as being the one who controlled the destinations.

"So, non sequitur?" Annabeth asked as Hazel walked in grumpily.

"That's no result, right? I thought you were Greek" Piper said, following her.

"I've been studying Latin too" Annabeth said waving her wand at a broken pair of glasses. They mended and joined the other five or so glasses off to the side.

"Why do you have so many glasses?" Thalia asked, picking up a thin pair of perfectly round glasses not unlike Harry's.

"And shouldn't we not be able to do magic outside of school?" Piper added. Thalia shook her head.

"In our first year, Hecate told us that the Ministry couldn't track us, because technically we aren't real witches and have the blood of gods, so their automatic spell doesn't affect us."

"Still why so many glasses?" Hazel asked.

"I'm trying a charm, the same one we did last year to help with the dyslexia" Annabeth said, summoning and mending a black pair. "Because, if we can cast the spell on the paper, why not charm the glasses too? That way we don't have to wave our wand at everything with words on it, and it'll be a lot easier. Or..." she was suddenly thoughtful and frowned at the glasses off to the side. "We could also try contacts, if you want-"

"Yes" Hazel, Piper, and Thalia said immediately. Annabeth picked up the glasses and shoved them in a box. "We'll stick with these for now, until I know where to get contact lenses that don't need to be stolen."

"They've invented those back then?" Piper asked, lounging on a pillow. "Or- back now. I don't know, this time thing is confusing."

Annabeth put the box on top of the table. "Contacts were invented in 1887, some hundred years ago. I'm pretty sure we could just get some right now if muggle items were useful here."

"Muggle" Hazel commented. "Not mortal."

Annabeth seemed surprise at her choice of words. "Well, I guess so. We've been in the wizarding world for a total of two and a half years now, I'd be surprised if their choice of vocabulary hadn't influenced us at all."

"It's a weird word, though" Thalia said, stretching out the word. "Muh-goal. Who came up with it?"

"Does it matter?" Piper asked. "I still think mortal is easier. And it has meaning behind the definition."

"Like you said, does it matter?" Thalia asked, hopping up. "Does anyone want to come with me? I want to go back to that forest. I miss the wilderness, and we're probably a little rusty from not battling as many monsters as usual."

"I'll probably spar in the Forbidden Forest later this year," Annabeth said. "But I want to go to Diagon Alley, need a broom for the Quidditch Team. I got on, remember?"

Piper nodded. "That's right, you and Jason tried out for Chaser. I've got a broom, you can practice on it for now until we all go to pick up supplies."

The two walked out side, Piper holding her Nimbus 2001 tightly in her hand.

Thalia shrugged as she grabbed the extra knives on the table. "I don't see what all the fuss is about Quidditch" she commented. "I mean, it's just another sport. I'm pretty sure it's the only sport in the wizarding world. They need more options."

Soooooo book 3 is out! I'll try to consistently update on Saturdays and Wednesdays, but I'm not usually good with sticking to a schedule, so apologies for the future. Like and comment pls! And check the last chapter of book 2 if you want to share some ideas. thx! :3
Also have mercy on that horrible ending