Half-Blood 「 PJO & HP 」

CHAPTER 9

AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF HEARING ROSE'S RANT ABOUT MALFOYS, Erin went back to the compartment she had shared with Zac. But unlike last time, he wasn't alone.

Sitting across him was another boy their age with dirty blonde hair and pale skin. His posture gave off signs that he had come from a "prim and proper" family and Erin knew exactly how they behaved—and she had yet to meet one who is actually nice.

She opened the compartment door, letting the two turn their heads towards her and received a smile from Zac.

"Erin!" Zac greeted happily, "You're here! This is—"

The other boy stood up abruptly and held out his hand for her to shake, and suddenly Erin wasn't fond of hand shakes anymore.

"Damian. Damian Astaroth." he said monotonously.

Erin reluctantly shook his hand. "Erin."

"So I've heard." The boy's expression remained blank.

Zac groaned in annoyance in his seat. "Drop the act, will you? No one's gonna like you if you keep doing that."

Damian broke out into a sheepish grin and let go of Erin's hand. "Sorry. My parents do that a lot and I was jus trying it out for a change."

"Oh, well, I'm not a lab rat, thanks." Erin didn't know what else to say.

Looking at the two, a question entered her mind. "I take it that both of you already knew each other before today?"

Zac nodded. "My parents were in the same house as his dad. His mother went to Beauxbatons."

"Zac, you do know that I can explain for myself, do you?" Damian spoke.

"Beaux—what?" Erin didn't know what in utter hell that word was, and she was pretty sure that she can't spell it to save her life, either.

"Beauxbatons," Damian echoed, "It's a wizarding school in France. Are you muggleborn?"

"No," Zac piped in, "she's half, she never knew her father so she never was introduced to our world at all."

"So in which house do you think that you'd be in, Damian?" Erin tried to change the topic.

"Probably in Slytherin like my dad."

"Okay, what is it with Slytherin and why does everyone seem to be in it?"

"Because it's the best house." Damian huffed with pride.

"No, it's because you haven't met enough people yet." Zac countered. "We're the only ones you've spoken to sor far aside from that friend of yours you went to check on earlier."

"Yeah, I suppose that's it."

"Yeah, but can you imagine ending up in Hufflepuff?" Zac snorted. "I would be transferred to another school in a heartbeat."

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Erin asked.

"A lot, actually." Damian replied, plopping down on the space beside Zac. "No one really takes them seriously. Poor things."

"There is no need to shame on other houses just before we even step foot on the school grounds." Zac rolled his eyes and took out his book.

"Look at you, it's not even school yet and you're already studying." Damian scoffed.

"Our lessons are actually interesting." Zac defended. "Plus, I heard that a Granger is within our midst. I would very much like to beat her in every academic challenge."

Erin was about to open her moth when the compartment door opened and the trolley lady greeted them with a huge warm smile.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?"

The whole train ride was the first time Erin actually felt accepted. She also managed to make friends out of her own free will. She made actual friends where she wasn't forced to be in a room in and make conversation. But she doubt that it would last long, if they found out that she was a demigod freak who could control plants and the rest of agriculture. She had to get the best out of it while she still had time.

The three talked about almost everything, ranging from books to laughing about muggles and funny events that happened back at Camp Half-Blood. Of course, Erin hadn't told them that it was more than a summer camp, the Fates knew that it not gonna end well.

Erin seemed to find herself liking Damian a lot. She knew that they only had just met, but there was something about him that she couldn't quite place a finger on. But still, he couldn't win over Mallory in a heartbeat.

A while later, the train had finally stopped and everyone started filling out of the train in their school robes, ready for the feast to begin that night.

A small gush of wind almost led Erin's lucky feather (which she used as a necklace pendant, and at other times, she clipped it with her hair) flying away from her, but luckily, she caught it and shoved it inside her blouse.

The feather had came with her from the time Chiron had gotten her. It served as a reminder that she indeed had a father, and as hope that someday, he might go back and get her, despite the bitterness she had for her father abandoning her.

One of the main reasons on why she attended Hogwarts was the hopes of knowing her father better and fudning answers as to why he had left her.

She breathed heavily as her right hand clutched the feather.

"Hey," Damian gave her a worried glance, "are you alright?"

She gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, it's just a bit cold."

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Gather 'round!" A voice called out.

Erin turned to see a gigantic man with wild hair. At first, she had been scared, she wasn't quite over the two wars she had witnessed growing up before she found out all about the wizarding side of the family. She started to back away, when he turned around to show his face, her gaze went up to his eyes, and suddenly she felt bad for being scared in the first place. The man's eyes were cheerful and welcoming, it was like looking at a dark-haired version of Santa Claus. It was always the eyes Erin looked out for.

When they boarded the boats, Erin stared at the black water. It felt weird not seeing the familiar naiads like the ones back at camp, and it felt alien not dealing the usual stuff she always did.

And with that, she was ready to take on what Hogwarts has to offer.