Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the American Incoming

Chapter Eight - To Punch Or Not To Punch

Ello! I hope three updates in a row is good enough! I'm thrilled myself to have gotten so much done. I really hope you people like this part! - Alex

Annabeth breathed easy for the first time in almost an hour after leaving the wand shop. She glanced fondly at her walnut wand, glad that this was the end of their chaotic shopping trip, and excited to try out her wand. Audrey, apparently, had different plans.
      "Now," she started, "I know the majority of you have pets and methods of communication of your own, but to fully experience the wizarding world, we are taking you to a pet shop to see if you would like other companions to take with you."
      Percy frowned in confusion. "Methods of communication?"
      Audrey smiled at him sweetly. "We use owls to carry our letters."
      She beckoned them along with one hand, practically prancing down the street. Annabeth followed her across the uneven cobblestones, sighing in defeat.
      Entering the store she stopped and looked around, it was dark, noisy, and smelly in here, and Annabeth wrinkled her nose in disgust. Beside her, Piper made a sound of excitement and dashed off deeper into the store.
      Grey eyed one?
     Annabeth jumped about a foot in the air. What the heck was that?!
      Oh. You are not the grey eyed one. The voice sounded disdainful.
       "Hello?" Annabeth called cautiously.
      Only you can hear me, fool, the voice sniffed.
      Annabeth whipped her head around, searching for the voice.
      No, a little to the left, higher, higher, stop.
      Annabeth found herself staring into the white face of a barn owl, and felt a strong urge to punch it in the face.
      Please don't, the voice requested dryly. I rather need my facial feathers for my navigational efforts. Are you the grey eyed one's daughter?
      Do you mean Athena? Annabeth thought tentatively.
      Of course.
      Yes. Is that why I can speak with you? She asked. 
      I assume so. Do you know any other reasons?
      Uhmm, no? she tried.
      Good, now kindly tell the shop owner that you wish to take me home, and find a nice cage to carry me out in.
      Okay, Annabeth started off, but hesitated and turned back. What is your name? she asked.
      The barn owl blinked. Atlanta.
      Annabeth smiled. I'll be right back, Atlanta. 
      She took five steps before tripping, almost falling flat on her face. She turned back, incredibly annoyed, only to become face to face with a smoky gray kitten, its amber eyes boring into hers. Annabeth couldn't help it, she broke into a smile. "Hello there." The cat let out a loud, insistent meow. "I guess I'm bringing you with me too, huh?"
      The cat fixed her with its insistent gaze, seeming to confirm her statement.
      "Annabeth, are you alright?" She turned to see Percy gazing down at her in concern, his sea green eyes wide. She smiled up at him, nodded, and scooped up the gray kitten in her arms. It was then she noticed the fluffy white owl perched in the cage he was holding.
      "Who's that?" she asked, gesturing towards the cage.
      "Oh," he said proudly, "this is Atlantic."
      Annabeth couldn't help it, she burst out laughing.
      "What?"
      She looked up at Percy's innocent face. She smiled slyly. "You'll find out."
      "Uhmm, okay..." suddenly his face brightened. "In the meantime, come check out Hazel's owl, its adorable."
      So after paying for Atlanta and the she-kitten, whom she had chosen to name Smoke, she followed Percy outside. She hadn't expected anything that exciting, but Marie, Hazel's chosen pet, was adorable. It was a little elf owl, the smallest species, and was blinking sweetly at the people gathered around it.
      On the other end of the scale, there was Frank with his great gray owl, who he named, creatively, Big Gray. Annabeth couldn't help but make a comical comparison between the sizes of the pets and the couple themselves, with Frank dwarfing his petite girlfriend. He was not alone in selecting a great gray, as Thalia had the largest of them all, a gray named Thunderstorm. Jason seemed to like this idea, and bought a gray he named Lightning, who was slightly less impressive, and currently snoozing.
      Just then, Piper exited the pet shop, with a female snowy she named Ahuli, and a brown tabby she cat with yellow eyes she called Pizi. Annabeth was a little relived she wasn't the only one with a cat.
      Some of the others had more unique choices, Leo had chosen a whiskered screech owl and named it Wheeto, Rachel had a female great horned with flame colored feathers she named, wait for it, Flame, as well as Gennie, a ginger she cat with green eyes who forcefully reminded Annabeth of Rachel herself. Then there was James, who had picked out a long eared owl he named Hermes, and Primrose, a delicate pale gray tabby with blue eyes.
      By far the most popular owl, however, was the same as Annabeth herself had chosen. The barn owl, or tyto alba. Nico had named his choice Styg, and he seemed solemn and dark. Erica called her pompous pet Nox Nuntia, night messenger. Calypso named hers Breeze, and was also accompanied by a ginger tom cat she called Oggyie, who's most striking features were his forest green eyes and one black ear.
      Reyna's choice was a proud tyto justly anointed Alpha, along with her red brown tabby she-cat Pepper.
      Alli's companion was by far the smallest, a young female who just grew in her first flight feathers. Alli called her Alba. They were joined by the smallest of kittens, one with jet black fur and innocent amber eyes, given the name Néa
      After observing everyone else's choice of pets and making their respective comments heard, the demigods collectively headed back the Leaky Cauldron, excited for the future to come.