Harry and Percy went to Cabin 3 to grab their things. But honestly, that was just an excuse; their belongings never really left their side thanks to their magical pouches.
"So… why do you want Annabeth to come with us?" Percy asked the moment they stepped inside the cabin, turning around to look at Harry.
"First, because I think we need all the help we can get. She's pretty smart; she'll be a real asset," Harry said calmly.
"Yeah, sure. Like I'd believe that," Percy shot back with sarcasm.
Harry looked at him for a moment before a smile slowly formed on his lips. "I just think it'll be interesting to see how the two of you get along during the whole trip. But the part about needing help isn't a lie," he added with an amused smile.
Percy let out a small huff before answering, slightly annoyed, though he couldn't really argue with Harry about needing help. After all, they were two brats coming from one country into another they barely knew anything about. And well, Grover wasn't bad. It was just… yeah, they needed more help.
"Now you. What are you hiding about the prophecy?" Harry said, staring at him.
"What?" Percy replied. But judging by Harry's expression, he already knew he was hiding something. "Tsk. I can never hide anything from you, can I?" he muttered with mild irritation.
"Tell me what happened in there," Harry said, genuinely interested.
Percy looked at him for a second before starting to recount the moment Harry left and it was his turn to go in and receive his oracle.
Flashback.
Percy let out a light sigh before looking at the staircase that led to the attic, then turned to glance at Harry. But Four Eyes had already left, leaving him standing there alone. Percy muttered a few annoyed words about his brother before looking back at the stairs.
When he stepped into the attic, just like Harry had noticed earlier, the place really was a mess, objects piled up as if they had been tossed there without any order. For a brief moment he thought he saw a few jars with monster heads floating inside them, which immediately caught his attention. That distraction made him bump into a suit of armor at his side, causing a loud metallic crash. Especially when he tried to catch it out of reflex, only managing to knock it apart so the pieces hit the floor with even more noise.
"Uh… sorry. If I broke your armor, my brother will pay for it; he's got plenty of money," Percy said. If Harry had heard that, he probably would've given him a reproachful look for trying to use his money, even though that kind of thing happened all the time.
Still, Percy got no response. So he simply turned around… and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a mummy sitting on a seat right beside him.
By reflex, he grabbed the sword that had been resting near the armor and slashed straight toward the mummy's neck.
"I am the Oracle of Delphi," it suddenly said, just as Percy's blade stopped barely an inch from its throat. The boy's eyes widened in surprise. For a second, he could've sworn the voice had sounded slightly panicked. But maybe that was just his imagination.
"Oh. Sorry. You startled me for a second," Percy said, a little embarrassed as he pulled the sword back. For an instant he thought he heard a sigh. But again, he blamed it on his imagination, since the mummy hadn't moved at all.
"Uh… Chiron sent me to…"
"I know. To receive your oracle, young hero," the mummy interrupted.
Suddenly it began to tremble slightly, dry cracking sounds echoing through the room like old bones rubbing together. Then it opened its mouth, and green smoke started to pour out like a thick fog. Percy took a small step back with a faintly disgusted expression, thinking that had to smell awful. He raised a hand to cover his nose just in case.
The green mist began to drift slowly. For a moment, it hesitated, as if unsure. Then a black mist seemed to try to push its way out as well, and a sharp ringing pierced Percy's ears for a second. But the sound stopped almost immediately when the black mist vanished, as if something had crushed it from the inside.
After that, the green mist stirred again and began to take shape.
Percy kept staring, confused, not lowering his guard.
Then, to his surprise, the mist began to take the shape of someone familiar. Someone he truly hated; maybe the first person he had ever hated with that kind of intensity.
It was Dudley's Aunt Marge. The woman with the awful dog who had once hurt Harry. The one who shamelessly yelled at his mother when they defended themselves. The one who made him understand, for the first time, that protecting the people he loved was something he had to do. Because he never wanted to see Harry hurt again, or his mother insulted to her face.
And after that, he had picked up a sword and never truly put it down.
Percy's expression tightened the moment he saw her. An old irritation crossed his eyes. But he couldn't say a word when she suddenly opened her mouth.
"You will go west, where you will face the god who has revealed himself; you will find what was stolen and return it; you will be betrayed by one who calls himself your friend; the past will shape the present and the future. You will face it with courage, but you will not have what you need to win."
Marge said it while staring straight at him, though the voice coming from her was dry and hollow; the true voice of the Oracle. Then her figure burst into green smoke and, like a serpent made of mist, it quickly rushed back into the mummy's mouth.
Percy didn't even have time to ask a single question.
.
Back in Cabin 3, Percy had finished recounting the entire oracle.
Harry remained thoughtful as he listened to everything, especially the part about betrayal. He looked at Percy seriously.
"Percy, my oracle also talks about a betrayal toward you," he said gravely, before sharing part of his own. Only part of it, since he still hadn't properly sorted all the words out in his head.
"So… could it be true? Will I be betrayed?" Percy asked in an equally serious tone after hearing what Harry revealed.
"I don't know. You heard Chiron. It can be interpreted in different ways. Like how he interpreted that Hades is our enemy," Harry replied.
Percy held his gaze without blinking when he heard that.
"But what if he is? Harry, what if it's a trap to make us go? Could that be the betrayal?" he asked, now suspicious.
"No," Harry answered, shaking his head with certainty.
"And why are you so sure?" Percy asked immediately.
"Because it said someone who calls himself your friend will betray you. But Hades called me. Besides, I don't think a god would consider you his friend. Especially since… I'm pretty sure Hades thinks you're an idiot," Harry said bluntly.
"Hey. And why's that?" Percy replied with a frown.
"Well… that's just the impression I got when he spoke to me," Harry answered with complete honesty.
"Hmph. It's not like I'd want to be his friend anyway," Percy muttered, annoyed.
Then the mocking look disappeared from his face.
"But if we're talking about that… the only friend I have here might be Grover. And I'm not going to distrust him. I already did that once, and I really regret it," he said firmly.
"I know. Grover is determined to go to the Underworld with us. Suspecting him would be an insult," Harry replied calmly. "But the oracle said, one who calls himself your friend. Not one you consider your friend. Maybe that's exactly the point," he added.
"Then who?" Percy asked.
"No idea. Honestly, it's just speculation," Harry said, gently shaking his head.
"Damn… why isn't there a phone here? Maybe if we called Hermione she could help us," Percy said irritably.
"Maybe once we leave we can call. But for now, it's better if we stay alert," Harry replied with a faint smile.
After their conversation, the two of them stepped out of the cabin. Annabeth and Grover were already waiting for them beside Chiron, who handed them two bags containing a bottle filled with golden liquid and food shaped like cubes that smelled absolutely amazing.
According to Annabeth, those were food of the gods called ambrosia and nectar. Just a small amount was enough to heal wounds and restore strength. But if a demigod consumed too much, their body could start burning from the inside out. And if a human tasted it… well, they would probably turn into a torch within seconds.
Chiron also gave them a small pouch with two hundred dollars and what looked like twenty large coins called drachmas. Percy picked one up for a moment before handing it to Harry, staring at him.
When Harry took the coin, he noticed that on one side it had the Empire State Building, and on the other the symbol or face of some god. He couldn't help reaching into his magical pouch and pulling out a Galleon.
When he compared them, he realized both coins shared something similar; the feel of the metal, the structure, even the size were almost identical. But the images and engravings were different.
Chiron, noticing the coin Harry had taken out, focused on it.
"Let me see that for a moment," he said.
Harry handed him the Galleon.
Chiron examined it carefully for a few seconds.
"Mmm… yes. It's somewhat similar. But the inside is different. Still, it could easily fool someone who doesn't pay close attention. As always… it seems the two worlds are still more connected than they should be," he murmured while looking at the Galleon with the Gringotts symbol. "You'd better not mix them up. There are certain… people who don't look too kindly on the magical world," he added.
Harry nodded and stored his Galleon away again.
With that, it seemed the entire group was finally ready for the quest.