Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the American Incoming

Chapter Nine - Rise With the Dawn

Hi guys! This is the third update I told you about. Really hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think about Alli! - Alex

Alli awoke with the dawn on the fateful day which the demigods would board the Hogwarts Express and join the wizarding world. She sat up silently, the bed hardly creaking beneath her. Slipping over the edge of the bunk she dropped onto the floor soundlessly, careful not to disturb Rachel, who slept in the bunk below her. The sunlight from the window beckoned her, and she answered it, creeping up and perching on the windowsill. Her hand slid backward as if it had a life all its own, clamping around the smooth stick of wood and drew it out of her pocket. Her fingers ran along its length, admiring the smooth suppleness of its red surface, the color seeming to glow in the growing light from the sun. This was only the third thing she owned that had once belonged to her mother. Again, moving as quickly and easily as a wisp of light, her hand slipped beneath her white tee shirt and pulled out her locket, a small golden heart on a chain, something she kept hidden from everyone. Breathing in deeply, she raised it up in front of her eyes, cracking it open. A soft glow trickled out, and Alli stayed still as castle of stone, silhouetted against the glow of down, marvelling as always at the warm light her mother had sealed away for her, so she would always have a light, even in the darkest of times. Whispering a few words, she added a wisp of this new dawn, storing with it the hope she felt at this new beginning. Her silence was abruptly shattered by a faint creak behind her, and, quick as a shadow, she stuck the locket back inside her shirt, feeling the warmth of the metal against her chest.   
      Turning around to face the room spider webbed by shadows, she saw nothing for a moment, then, as her eyes adjusted, one of the shadows came alive. It was Hazel, her best friend.
      Almost as silently as she had, Hazel crept over to the windowsill to join her, her white nightshirt glowed softly against her skin.
      "Up so early?" Hazel whispered.
      "I always wake with the dawn," Alli answered, gesturing our the window.
      Hazel nodded. "I couldn't sleep. I was too worried about today." She let out a long sigh.
      Alli reached out and touched her shoulder gently. "You'll be fine. We're both witches, aren't we? We belong here."
      Hazel nodded, confidence and hope entering her gaze.
      "I'm a witch too."
      Both girls jumped in alarm. Rachel had spoken in her sleep, and sounded quite satisfied.
      Alli and Hazel looked at each other, then released light giggles.
      Hazel glanced out at the rising sun. "What time is it?"
      "Around five thirty."
      Both light and darkness sighed, resigned to waiting just a little longer to start their destiny.
      "Audrey said she'd be here at eight," Hazel added.
      Both girls sat in compatible silence for awhile, content to breath in the morning air. After watching the horizon for a while, they spotted two black dots flying towards them, it was Alba and Atlanta. Alli greeted them with a smile.
      "Spiders!" Annabeth shrieked. She leapt out of bed in a flurry of blankets.
      Alli almost fell out the window. Everyone else woke up. Alli noticed Atlanta staring at Annabeth with an expression of disdain on her noble white face. For some reason Alli found this incredibly amusing, and she laughed quietly. The other girls all stopped and looked at her. Alli simply stared back. Most of them eventually chose to ignore it, but Hazel caught her eye and winked, Alli smiled back, and joined the others in getting dressed.
      A little while later, all the girls were crowded outside the boy's room, and Annabeth was cautiously turning the doorknob. Alli walked in with the rest, padding silently as a cat. Though she had originally resisted the plan, now that she had committed, she would do her best to see it through. She slid across to the bed James slept in and waited until everyone was in position. She stretched out her hands above his body, and Annabeth gave the signal.
      They popped their water balloons.
      Alli jumped out if the way as the boys erupted out of their beds, shouting discordantly. The girls all burst into laughter, even Alli, pressed against the wall, let out a few giggles.
      "Calypso!" came a shriek from across the room. "I set up those barriers so I wouldn't get pranked!"
      "I know," Calypso replied smugly. "But they were easy to break." She laughed at the expression on Leo's face.
      Suddenly he broke into a grin. "You, my dear, are learning."
      "I know," she responded proudly. "Now hurry up and get dressed. It is almost seven o'clock, and Audrey said she would come to pick us up at eight."
      So the girls headed downstairs with their belongings and chatted for awhile. Joined ten minutes later by the grumbling damp boys. Together they ordered breakfast and messed around until Audrey came. Alli had more fruit.
      It ended up turning out that Audrey was not coming to pick them up at eight. Oh, she came on time, but then she spent two hours explaining what would happen on the train to Hogwarts, between the train and Hogwarts, once they got to Hogwarts, and while they would be at Hogwarts. She was finally interrupted by Reyna, and agreed it was time to go.
      "We're off to see the wizard!" Leo cried.
      "Um, you don't actually meet the train driver, if that's what you mean," Audrey corrected.
      Leo just looked at her. "You miss a lot in this world."
      Audrey blinked. Then smiled. "Well, let's be off! To see the witch!" she added. The demigods tried not to laugh.
      They went outside to summon the knight bus, but Alli stumbled forward when someone fell into her from behind.
      She jerked her head around to see who it was. Nico was blinking sheepishly at her. "Sorry," he muttered. "The light hurt my eyes, I couldn't see where I was going."
       Alli simply nodded in response.
      She moved forward with the rest and boarded the knight bus, which Leo had eagerly summoned. Fortunately, this time he didn't film them. Alli checked.
      One harrowing bus ride later, they arrived at King's Cross station. Annabeth was speaking to Audrey. "So, where do we go from here?"
      Audrey smiled. "Just head to platform nine and three quarters!"
      The demigods just stared.