Hey everyone. Please make sure to read the previous upload as it is an important author's note explaining my current situation. Thank you all so much for your support. This is a preview of the first draft of chapter 1 and half of chapter 2 of the revised version of The Riddle. Please let me know what you think, I'm still figuring out toning and everything for Percy and Hermione and any constructive criticism is so welcome! I will upload the revised story as a new story but don't worry I will be leaving this version up as it is. If the revised version is super hated, I am open to continuing this version so don't worry, the story will be continued either way! Love you all, enjoy!

Percy Jackson hated airplanes. And he thought there was something incredibly unfair about the fact that he had to be on one after fighting a war, not getting anything close to a good night's sleep in over two weeks, and having his heart broken.

His mom had a tight grasp on his hand, and normally he would be embarrassed, but with exhaustion already weighing down on his bones, he didn't quite have the strength to battle the nerves and instinctive fear that came with being in the sky. Only the Gods knew why Zeus hadn't blasted them to Hades yet. Maybe his gratefulness was still lingering.

Percy fiddled with the bottle his mom had suggested packing, swirling the sea water inside slowly, taking some small comfort in having a part of his more natural habitat close to him. He could feel the distant pull of the Atlantic far, far below. At least if Zeus changed his mind about the whole blasting-out-of-the-sky thing, he could attempt to save everyone. Maybe his own father would help.

The cabin was dark and almost all of the passengers were asleep. But Percy had no desire to wake up screaming in the middle of all of these strangers; no desire to let anyone know that he wasn't completely okay. Hades, he still had a hard time remembering himself. He could ignore the nightmares during the day, could pretend like he didn't see ghosts despite being a son of Poseidon. He could smile and laugh and tease. He could be a leader. He could tell himself he was okay. Like he didn't flinch when someone moved too abruptly, instinct putting him on guard before he was even aware of it. Like he didn't spend more time in the sea, where the gaps left by voices missing were muffled and filled by the mindless chatter of fish. Like he wasn't slowly suffocating under the guilt and grief.

Percy shook his head slightly, running an agitated hand through his already-chaotic hair. His mind was rarely at peace these days, and he was glad he had insisted that Grover break the empathy link before he left. His friend was already suffering enough.

Percy ran a finger over his thumb, his thoughts shifting to the reason he was on the plane in the first place.

He had been packing away all of the blueprints on his desk to deliver to the Athena cabin, trying to be as fast as possible as his heart ached with every glimpse of her handwriting, when he sliced his thumb on one of the papers. Normally, a paper cut would be pretty insignificant, but after his little dip in the River Styx, he had gotten used to not getting any injuries. The sight of his own blood caused a rush of panic in him that almost overwhelmed his heartbreak.

He had gone to Chiron about it, had tried to contact Nico, but had gotten no answers. Meanwhile his abilities had somehow grown stronger, and he often woke up to a flooded cabin. Chiron had hypothesised that his growing power had something to do with having fought in a war, like using his abilities so much had caused them to grow.

It was during a weekend trip to see his mom that he had found out the truth. His mom had seemed anxious about something, and after he had explained how he seemed to have lost his Achilles' blessing and his increasing power, she had let out a defeated sigh and sat him down, and told him about her past. Her real past.

She was a witch. Like a real, honest to Gods, witch. And he was a wizard. And there was a magical school all the way in England. Oh, and his mom's parents were actually British. It had taken time for him to understand what she was saying. She had needed to repeat it more than once before he was convinced. And he had felt the anger rise, the fury at being lied to by the person he trusted the most in this world, but his exhaustion quickly fizzled it out. Truth be told, he didn't have the energy to be angry at his mom.

Then his mom had made, what seemed at first, the most ridiculous suggestion. She wanted him to go to this magical school, all the way over in England. But the idea had started to grow on him, and he had ended up talking to someone he didn't expect. An Iris message call with Thalia had convinced him, and suddenly here he was, sitting in a plane Zeus knows how many feet in the air, on his way to Hogwarts.

He rifled through his bag, pulling out the reddish ten-inch stick his mom had given him. His wand. Despite being a demigod and seeing Hecate's children doing magic, it was still strange to think that he could do spells with this little piece of wood.

"How are you doing, honey?"

Percy glanced over at his mother, her kind blue eyes offering comfort. He shrugged and stuffed the wand back in his bag.

"Just waiting for you-know-who to strike us out of the sky." He smirked.

Sally paled, and attempted to smile back. Percy wanted to believe that she was just nervous about being in the sky like he was, and that the fact that her parents died in a plane crash was just adding to those nerves, however something in him insisted otherwise. But if he couldn't trust his mom, who could he trust?

The next few hours were spent in a similar state of nerves and overthinking. Percy didn't even attempt to sleep. The relief he felt when they landed was insurmountable though. He passed through the airport in somewhat of a daze, his eyes drooping and mind growing fuzzy as jetlag and natural fatigue combined forces.

They got in a cab and he watched a new world pass by, already feeling a surprising amount of relief over the fact that his surroundings were so unfamiliar. They were dropped off in the middle of nowhere and Percy barely had a chance to turn to his mom and ask her what was going on when a figure emerged from the trees.

Percy immediately deduced that the guy was a wizard, based simply on his choice of clothing alone. Wearing sparkly purple robes, a matching pointy cone hat, and half-moon glasses that did nothing to hide knowing eyes; the guy was definitely not normal.

"Sally Jackson, my dear. It has been too long."

Percy watched the man as they walked over to him. He had a calm demeanour, and Percy got the impression that it would be very difficult to surprise him.

The man stretched out a hand and Percy shook it, cautiously.

"And you must be young Perseus. A pleasure, my boy. I am Dumbledore, your new Headmaster."

"Just Percy, actually. Sir."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement and turned to Sally after a moment.

"Shall we then, my dear?"

He offered his elbows, and after a curious look to his mom, Percy grabbed onto the velvety fabric. With a loud crack, they disappeared, and a blink later, they were in an entirely different forest.

Percy lurched back, falling into a defensive position as he waited for his stomach to settle. He took in his surroundings, making sure to keep an eye on this Dumbledore guy. The forest was darker than the last one, and he was sure that it was much more dangerous too. Sally laid a reassuring hand on his arm and turned to follow Dumbledore, who had begun walking away.

Percy's first view of Hogwarts was a dark, beautiful castle high up on a hill, surrounded by a navy sky of small, wispy clouds, and a large bright harvest moon. If he focused he could sense water nearby, calling out to him, but fainter than it would have back home. His breath fogged as they walked to the castle, the grounds completely silent bar the noise of creatures from the forest and the cold autumn wind.

The castle stood tall as they neared it, walking through what appeared to be a side entrance as they bypassed the grand, ornate front doors. Their footsteps echoed lightly through the stone corridors, lit only by the light shining from the tip of Dumbledore's wand. Percy lost track of the twists and turns they made almost immediately, his mind instead latching on to the numerous paintings that decorated the walls; paintings that seemed to be moving. He watched in interest as a man in medieval clothing snored, the feather in his cap flopping back onto his face on every inhale. This magic was already very different from what he had seen with the Hecate kids, although granted it wasn't like he had spent all that much time with them in the first place.

They finally stopped in front of a stone statue. A gargoyle, Percy was pretty sure they were called.

"Toffee Eclairs."

The gargoyle spun out of the way to reveal the first few steps of a staircase. As they stepped on, the staircase began to rise in a spiral, like a weird escalator. It was pretty handy, and Percy's exhausted legs definitely appreciated the small rest.

They emerged into a large, circular room. The walls were completely covered by an arrangement of crowded bookshelves, windows, and more snoring portraits. Over to one end was a fancy-looking sink that Percy guessed was not actually meant for washing hands, and a tall perch with a flaming red bird sleeping away on it. Dumbledore led them to the desk and gestured for them to sit while he took his place on the other side. Percy tried desperately to not get distracted by all the shiny bits and bobs that somehow brought the desk to life, and stared at the old man instead.

"Now, terribly sorry for the journey my dears! It's never ideal to be trekking about hours from dawn, is it?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with humour, and Percy kind of hated how lively he was at this hour, especially as his own body begged him to just close his eyes and sink into this ridiculously comfortable chair. Fortunately, Dumbledore seemed to understand, and stood up briefly to retrieve an old, extremely weathered hat.

"Now Percy, I don't want to keep you long at this hour, I'm sure you're eager to get to bed. However, a matter must be sorted first. You see, at Hogwarts we have four houses which all students are sorted into. Each house has its own common room and dormitories, and you will stay with your house for the rest of your time here. This hat will sort you into your house."

Dumbledore slid the hat over to him. Percy cast a doubtful glance at the old thing and turned to look at his mom for guidance.

"It's okay honey," Sally smiled softly, her gaze far off in her own memories, "You just have to put the hat on, and it will talk to you."

Percy was not all that reassured to learn that the hat talked but there didn't seem to be another option available. Body tense, he carefully placed the hat on his head.

"Oh ho!"

Instinct told Percy to get as far away from the voice in his head as possible, but he only tightened his grip on the arms of the chair and clenched his teeth, trying hard to not think of Kronos.

"Most peculiar indeed! Well, well, boy. Where to put such a curious specimen, hmm?"

Percy held still. Talking to voices in his head never turned out well.

"Oh, not one for conversation, eh? No matter! Now let's see… hmm, yes, plenty of courage, not lacking there, and oh! Loyal to a fault, of course! Ambition, now, I suppose it's there. Traces, yes. Perhaps you should be encouraged to get more of it? So many choices… Right! I suppose it best be-"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Percy jerked the hat off and tossed it back on the desk, sending it a glare when it cackled gleefully.

Ravenclaw. Whatever that meant.

Percy looked at his mom to see her surprise, and even Dumbledore was stroking his beard curiously.

"Is something wrong?" Percy's voice was a little hoarse, having not been used so much these past few hours.

Sally shook her head. "Not at all Percy. I'm just a little surprised, is all. I thought for sure you would be in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff."

None of those words made any sense to Percy.

"Why? What are people in Ravenclaw normally like?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Gryffindor, the house of the brave. Hufflepuff, the house of the loyal. Slytherin, the house of the ambitious. And Ravenclaw, the house of the intelligent."

Percy blinked. Intelligent?

"However, nothing can be summarised so simply, and we must not focus on stereotypes. The hat is never wrong, my boy. Ravenclaw you shall be!"

Percy supposed it didn't really matter where he was put. A part of him hoped he wasn't just going to be surrounded by children of Athena now, though. Wasn't he here to escape all that?

Sally and Dumbledore stood up, and Percy followed suit a second later. He turned to his mother to see tears building in her eyes.

"Mom?"

"It's time for me to go, Percy." She pulled him into a tight hug, breathing deeply into his neck.

Percy held her close, only just now realising how far away she would be. He couldn't just take a cab to go see her anymore. She was going to be a whole ocean away. He took in the smell of candy and cookies and home that always emanated from her, and the way he felt in her arms, all warm and safe, like this world of Gods and monsters was just a bad, extremely creative, dream. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears back, because she wouldn't be able to leave if he cried too, and he wouldn't be able to let her go.

She pulled away after a few moments and wiped away the few tears that had fallen. She smiled, in that way mothers seem to do, full of strength and understanding and faith.

"It's okay honey. I know it seems far, but I'll always be close to you." She held his face in her hands, running a few fingers through his hair to try in vain to tame it. "It'll be better here, you'll see."

Percy nodded, holding onto her hands. "Okay. Okay."

"Dumbledore will show you how to contact me, okay? Don't completely ignore your schoolwork, you hear me? But, most importantly, let yourself relax. You're safe here, honey. There's no safer place than Hogwarts."

Percy nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and wishing he could just go back home with her. But she would never be safe with him around. And deep down, he knew he was already feeling a little better being here. He knew this was what he needed.

"I love you, my sweet baby boy. Always."

Percy wrapped his arms around her again. "I know. I love you too, mom."

This time, when they separated, Sally turned around and took something wrapped in a cloth from Dumbledore. She stared at the old man for a few seconds before nodding and walking over to the door. With a final smile, she was gone.

Percy dropped back into the chair, suddenly infinitely more exhausted than before, though he didn't think it possible. Dumbledore smiled softly at him.

"I won't keep you here any longer, Percy. Come, I will show you to your dorm. Don't worry about your luggage, it's already been sent up. Now, everyone will be asleep, so you'll have to introduce yourself to your new dorm mates in the morning, but not to fear, the eagles will take good care of you."

Percy wasn't so sure about that. Birds had never really liked him.

They walked through a few more corridors and Percy tried to pay attention as Dumbledore explained more about how the houses worked and Gods know what else. They climbed a tower and Percy tried to ignore the unease in his stomach at being so high up. The staircase ended at an unassuming wooden door with an eagle knocker.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the eagle blinked awake.

"Now I don't quite know if I can tell time, but I'm rather certain it is past curfew, Headmaster."

Percy should not have been surprised that the eagle talked. It seemed like almost everything in this place was sentient, and he wasn't really sure what to make of it. Then again, he hadn't ever had much trouble with Seymour back at camp.

"Ah well I bring a new student, you see." Dumbledore chuckled.

The eagle seemed to perk up almost. "Well, in that case, during which month do people sleep the least?"

Dumbledore looked at Percy expectantly. "You must answer the riddle to enter."

Of course, he should have figured. Get into the house of smart people by answering a riddle. Annabeth would have loved this.

Percy grimaced. He really wasn't in the mood for this.

"February." He blurted out. He, personally, always slept the least in February. Mostly because it was too cold and he always woke up in the middle of most nights shivering.

The eagle beamed, despite not actually changing its features at all. "Welcome to Ravenclaw!"

The door swung open and Percy was in awe as he walked in. He assumed this was the common room; it was large and circular, and the thing that drew his eyes first was the ceiling of bright, twinkling stars and animated constellations. It was like looking at the night sky, only the sky was alive. To Percy's immense delight, he could see Zoe hunting Orion in a graceful dance across the cosmos. She glanced at him momentarily and nodded in greeting before resuming her chase.

A light breeze turned his head towards the enormous open windows wedged between straining bookshelves that stretched up to the ceiling. It was dark outside, so he could only see the actual night sky from the windows, but the view must have been incredible. He would probably appreciate it if he wasn't trying desperately to hold back the fear from being so high up. Curiously, despite the windows having no glass, the common room was warm, with the light breeze doing nothing but ruffling the papers that were spread across almost every available surface.

Desks and tables scattered the space, and he could spot chess tables and a couple of those podium things you put books on. Towards one end was a marble fireplace which had a few sofas and armchairs surrounding it in a semicircle. The carpet below his feet was dark and covered in stars.

Dumbledore directed his towards the only other door in the room, beside which stood a tall statue of a regal looking woman wearing clothing more suited to the medieval times. They walked through the door and down two flights of the staircase to the right. Dumbledore gently opened one of the doors on that floor and nudged Percy in.

The room had five beds in it; fours with closed curtains. There was a bookshelf and a nightstand next to each bed, and a trunk by the foot. There were a few arched windows here and there, smaller than the ones in the common room, but like the common room, it was still somehow warm. A black cat was sleeping peacefully on one of the trunks.

Percy followed Dumbledore over to the empty bed.

"Your belongings have been placed into the trunk. You will find a uniform here in the morning." Dumbledore spoke quietly.

"I'll leave you to sleep. Good luck, my boy. Great adventures await you here."

Percy mumbled a half-hearted goodbye as Dumbledore left and immediately stripped into his boxers, reminding himself to pick his clothes up from the floor in the morning. He collapsed into bed, drawing the curtains closed, and sunk into the soft pillow. He could tell that his sheets were blue, despite the darkness, and gratefully closed his eyes. Everything would be better now.

Percy woke up to three pairs of wide eyes staring inquisitively at him. He jumped back, hand reflexively reaching under his pillow for Anaklusmos. It took him a second to remember where he was.

"You're awake." One of the boys observed.

Percy sat up, realising that he was meeting his new roommates.

"Um, hi. I'm Percy."

"Terry Boot. You're new?" The boy who spoke earlier asked.

"He's American." A different boy spoke up. "Ollie, by the way. Chambers."

The third boy held out his hand and offered a friendly smile. "Anthony Goldstein, pleasure to meet you mate."

Percy shook his hand. The three boys leaned back and he could see another boy, tall with dark hair and cold expression, leaning against one of the beds.

Ollie noticed and pointed a thumb over at him. "That's Michael. Don't mind him, he thinks he's some sort of emo lone-wolf."

Michael scowled and stalked over. "So, feel like explaining yourself then?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. Michael was cold, and the way he held himself screamed arrogance, but somehow Percy didn't get the impression that he was a bad guy.

"Right. Well, I'm Percy Jackson. I am from the States. Um, and I'm here to learn magic, I guess?"

Terry grinned, his light brown hair falling into friendly hazel eyes. Where was this kid's energy coming from?

"Funnily enough we gathered that much mate."

Percy shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"Ah, leave the poor lad alone. He's just woken up, bless him." Ollie smirked.

"Here, come on, you're gonna want to get dressed soon. Breakfast is waiting!" Anthony dragged the other two away to give Percy some space.

As promised, a uniform was neatly folded on top of his trunk. He stumbled out of bed and quickly pulled on the neatly pressed shirt and pants. He held up his tie and frowned, remembering the last time he had to try tying one of these. Before he could say anything though, Michael grabbed it from his hands with a scoff and tied it around his own neck, loosening it and tossing it back.

"We can't wait all day for you, Jackson."

Percy caught Ollie's eyeroll and amused smirk.

He threw on the black robe and pocketed his pen before nodding at the boys.

"Don't forget your wand!"

Percy reached back to grab the wand on his nightstand and they finally set off. The common room was brightly lit now as they walked through it, and Percy could see that it was themed in gorgeous blues and bronzes. He had noticed that his tie was also blue and bronze and gathered that they were his house's colours. He could certainly appreciate being surrounded by his favourite colour, and the way it made the common room seem large and airy and spacious.

They hurried down the spiral staircase and Percy was grateful that his demigod training had made him quite fit. He tried to pay closer attention to the route they were taking, noticing that the paintings were all awake and chattering after him now. They arrived at a large set of doors that were thrown open to reveal what he gathered was the Hogwarts version of the dining pavilion. There were four long tables full of food that seated the students, and on the far end was a horizontal table where the professors sat.

Percy tried to ignore the whispers and looks that followed him as they made their way to the Ravenclaw table. It was like his first day at camp all over again, except this time he actually had people on his table. He took a seat between Terry and Anthony and piled his plate full of pancakes when he saw the others helping themselves.

"Alright, Percy, now that we've graciously let you get some food in yourself, it's question time!"

Percy nodded cautiously at the boy in front of him. Ollie had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that reminded Percy of Travis and Connor. His dark hair was fluffy and styled, and his rectangular frames kept sliding down his nose whenever he looked down to butter his toast.

"Alright, ask away then."

Michael instantly leaned forward. "So what are you actually doing here then? I mean, they have a magical school in America so why transfer in for 5th Year?"

Percy shrugged, looking down at his food. Fortunately, he had a story that he was supposed to stick by.

"Okay, honestly, I'm here because I've lost my memory."

The other boys instantly leaned closer and Anthony took out his wand and muttered something before nodding for him to continue.

"I was at home last week when some wizard came and attacked. I don't know what spell he hit me with but I was knocked out and when I woke up I had no knowledge of the magical world. I didn't remember a single thing. My mom had to fill me in, but I still didn't know any spells or anything like that. So my mom figured it wasn't safe for me there, and decided to send me here to relearn magic while they tried to find the guy that attacked me back home." He recited, concluding with a hopefully nonchalant shrug.

His roommates stared at him in awe.

"Okay, but," Michael frowned, "Why not the American magic school?"

"I was homeschooled before." Percy explained. "And my mom actually went to Hogwarts. She says there's no safer place."

Terry grinned up at him. "Well she's not wrong there!"

"Damn, man, that's insane. Well, welcome to the UK then! Don't worry, we'll take good care of you." Ollie said with a wink.

Michael offered a less hostile grimace and Percy decided it was going to be a slow journey to friendship there.

Anthony gave him a strong pat on the shoulder, his stocky build clearly being all muscle. "It's great to have you here Percy. Let us know if we can help you in any way."

Percy smiled a thankful smile. It was incredible that he was able to meet such great friends so soon. It reassured him that he was making the right decision by being here. Finally he could have a year of minimal danger and no quests.

When Hermione woke up that morning - bright and early as usual - her only worry was Harry. More specifically, Harry's detention with Umbridge and the troubling notion that she was using blood-quills. Of course her S.P.E.W work and school work were also concerns, but she was rather terrific at compartmentalising by this point and was able to push those worries to the back of her mind where they would wait their turn.

She went through her morning routine absentmindedly, knowing that she would still manage to beat the boys to breakfast if she took her time. Her thoughts were circling around Umbridge, and an idea that had been building. Hermione wasn't sure if she believed in bad omens, but that woman was definitely not a sign of good things coming. She wondered how many other students would have to suffer under a blood-quill, and hoped that Harry's hand would not scar.

She made her way down to the Great Hall and, as expected, was still early enough that the Hall was only dotted with students - Gryffindor being the most empty table as usual. She sat down across from Neville and exchanged a pleasant "good morning" as she buttered some toast.

"No Harry and Ron, Hermione?" Neville said, smiling knowingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes playfully. "One day those boys will wake up relatively early but that day has yet to come Nevillle."

Neville chuckled. It was a question he asked every morning and the routine of it was comforting. He proceeded to ask her about the Herbology homework and she was easily drawn into a discussion about the benefits of self-fertilizing shrubs.

The Hall slowly began to fill with chatter and fluttering as more students slowly filed in and the owl post arrived. Hermione was listening to Parvati's enthused retelling of her dream when her two best friends finally stumbled in, hair messy and robes haphazardly thrown on. She scooted over a little to let Harry drop into the seat beside her, and Ron into the seat next to him. They mumbled a quick "Morning", wasting no time in loading their plates - Ron's voice muffled around the whole pancake he had already stuffed into his mouth.

Before Hermione could open her mouth to admonish him, Ginny Weasley hurried into the Hall, an excited grin taking over her face and the infamous Weasley energy bursting from her skin. She shoved Neville over to take the seat beside him and leaned forward, eyes alight in an emotion Hermione couldn't yet identify.

"We have a new student." Ginny almost squealed, the information throwing itself from her mouth like it couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Everyone around them that heard her immediately leaned in, ears honed in on the promise of gossip.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Ginny nodded eagerly, "Colin - Colin Creevey - told me as I was walking down. Apparently a few paintings saw Dumbledore taking a guy to Ravenclaw tower in the middle of the night."

Heads turned to the Ravenclaw table. Hermione's eyes flickered across the faces sitting there, trying to spot an unfamiliar one. She knew a couple of the Ravenclaws in her year, but didn't think she saw anyone that seemed new. Although, now that she was looking, she realised that the Ravenclaws, while always animated in the mornings, were a lot more excited than usual.

"I don't think I see anyone new over there." Seamus frowned. "Oi Parvati! Want to go see if you can get something from your sister?"

Parvati scowled, but the possibility of there being a new boy to obsess over was too great to ignore and she got up with a flip of her hair and quickly walked over to her sister. The table waited eagerly, watching as Parvati gasped and came back with a grin.

"Well?" Lavender grabbed her arm as she sat down.

"He's American. He's hot. And.." She squealed, "he's in our year!"

Lavender let out a strangled sound, looking like Christmas had come early. Her eyes flew to the entrance to the Hall, having realised that the boy was probably on his way to breakfast.

Hermione didn't know how to feel. She was curious about this new student. And an American, no less. She figured he was probably intelligent, having been placed in Ravenclaw. Or maybe he was odd, like Luna. She imagined a smart guy with maybe blonde or brown hair. Maybe she'd see him in the library sometime.

"Why did he come here now?" Harry quietly mused, his brows furrowed in that familiar brooding way. Hermione had seen this expression far too much on him; he was only fifteen for Merlin's sake..

Ron shrugged. "Maybe he couldn't be in a country with such a rotten Quidditch team anymore."

It was an absurd suggestion, but it sparked a whole new conversation as the Quidditch fans on the table realised that this could potentially mean more serious competition between the houses if the new guy ended up being good.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the typical turn in conversation, and let her mind wander back to Umbridge. She spotted the pink toad sitting beside Professor McGonagall, blabbering away at her with an entirely undeserved air of self-importance. Hermione loathed the woman. She didn't understand how they were expected to learn a practical subject without actually having any practicals - especially in the year of their OWLs! The woman was clearly delusional and her obsession with pink and cats did nothing to dissuade that opinion.

Suddenly, Lavender gasped, and the chatter in the Hall grew louder. Hermione turned to see five Ravenclaw boys walking in through the open doors; Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Oliver Chambers, Michael Corner, and- and the new kid.

Hermione's first thought was that she had been wrong in her imagination, but in her defence he did not look like a Ravenclaw. He was tall - easily six foot - and lean, though his robes hid his exact shape. He had a warm, even tan that spread across his unblemished skin, and messy jet-black hair - not messy like Harry's, but more like he had stood in the middle of the sea just a second before a storm. He had a handsome face, well-defined, and lips that stood a quirk away from an easy smile. He walked with a quiet sense of power and responsibility, and his shoulders were strong, like he had carried the weight of the world on them.

Hermione's eyes trailed after him as he sat down between Terry and Anthony and filled his plate with pancakes.

"Wow."

Hermione slowly looked back at Ginny, who was staring unashamed at the boy. She tried not to blush when she realised she had just been doing the same.

"Do you reckon he has a girlfriend?"

Ron glared at his sister. "I reckon you don't need to be going any-bloody-where near him."

Hermione noticed that Harry was still looking at the new guy. He had an odd expression on his face as he peered at the Ravenclaw table.

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione whispered, peeking over at the boy too.

"I don't know, 'Mione," Harry frowned. "But I have this weird feeling that I've seen him before. Or someone that looks like him, maybe. I dunno. There's just something about him that's almost familiar."

Hermione frowned. How could Harry have ever interacted with this new American?

The rest of breakfast was spent discussing the new boy and what his story could be. Hermione put him to the back of her mind and went back to debating what the right thing to do about Umbridge was. She trailed behind the boys as they made their way to History of Magic, leaving them to their conversation about whatever pranks Fred and George had come up with now. As she walked, an elf suddenly appeared in her path with a pop!

Hermione took the folded note that was aggressively thrust into her hands - the house elves were still angry with her it seemed - and paused to read it. Harry and Ron turned around when they realised she was no longer behind them and came over with curious eyes.

"What's that,'Mione?" Ron nodded towards the note.

"It's a note. From Dumbledore. He wants me to go see him immediately." Hermione answered absently, frowning as she realised she'd have to miss a bit of class.

Harry leaned closer to read the note. "Oh. Do you want us to go with you?"

"Don't be silly, Harry." Hermione smiled, mischievous all of a sudden. "You boys have to take notes for me while I miss class."

The boys groaned, Ron even going as far as dramatically pretending to stab himself and crumble onto the floor, dead. Hermione rolled her eyes and playfully shoved them towards the classroom, assuring them that she would tell them what Dumbledore wanted after.

Truthfully, she was a little worried too. What could Dumbledore want with her? The only thing that could come to her mind was her parents. But surely You-Know-Who wasn't powerful enough yet to go after some muggles? Her heart started beating faster and she hastened her pace. Mumbling the password supplied on the note, she hurried up the spiral staircase.

Hermione hadn't been in Dumbledore's office often, and she couldn't resist casting a wistful and awe-filled glance at the bookshelves that surrounded the room. Dumbledore stood up to welcome her, and gestured for her to sit in the empty chair. Because the other chair was occupied - with the new kid.

He turned his head to watch her as she approached, and offered a friendly but hesitant wave. Hermione had been too far to notice before, but now she could see that his eyes were a brilliant sea-green. And like the sea they were filled with unknown depths, unimaginable power, and unquestionable life.

Hermione tore her gaze away from those hypnotic eyes and waited for Dumbledore to explain.

"Miss Granger, wonderful to see you. Thank you for your prompt arrival." His eyes twinkled knowingly. "I'm afraid there is a very serious matter I require your help with, should you be willing of course."

Hermione smiled, even as her stomach knotted in worry. "Of course, Professor. I would be happy to help in any way I can."

Dumbledore nodded and leaned back in his chair. "First, allow me to introduce you to Mr Jackson."

"Percy." The boy next to her said, shifting his arm. She realised he hadn't stopped fidgeting the entire time she had been here.

"Hermione Granger."

Percy had a nice smile.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Now, Miss Granger, what I tell you here must not be repeated elsewhere. The safety of Mr Jackson could depend on it."

Hermione bit her lip and assented.

"As I'm sure you know by now, Mr Jackson is from America. He has come here because only a short while ago, he was attacked by a wizard and unfortunately, lost all of his memories of the wizarding world."

Hermione blinked. This was not at all what she was expecting. She felt a pang of sympathy for the boy beside her. She couldn't imagine being thrust into this world at this age. To be told that you were a wizard and dropped into a magical school with no knowledge of magic.

"-and of course, this is where you come in. Mr Jackson will need tutelage, and who better to fill such a role that the 'Brightest Witch of Her Age'?"

Hermione's mouth fell open as she realised what she was here for. Of course Percy needed tutoring. She could not imagine a worst time to forget magic, except maybe during NEWTs. But of course she would now have to completely rearrange her own study schedule. She would need to move her revision timetable up, and possibly spend more time during the weekends researching and doing homework. Oh but, she would probably have to spend some time tutoring Percy over the weekend too-

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione started and released her lip, having been subconsciously nipping at it while she got lost in her head.

"I take it you've accepted, my dear?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, amused.

Hermione nodded. "Of course, Professor. My pleasure, really."

Dumbledore clapped his hands and stood up. "Excellent! I have full faith in you my dear, and Perseus, I'm sure you'll find yourself caught up soon. I shall leave this young man in your capable hands then, Miss Granger."

Hermione understood the dismissal and got up. Percy stood up too, and they both bid the Headmaster farewell before walking out. They made their way down the staircase in silence, and after the gargoyle shifted back into place, Hermione spun around to face her new pupil. He was standing very close to her, and she had to crane her neck to meet his eyes. She ignored the absurd scent of the sea that surrounded him. There wasn't a salt-water body anywhere near them.

She stepped back and cleared her throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Percy."

She held out her hand and he shook it after a moment. His hand was larger than hers, and callused but soft. There was a smattering of scars covering the knuckles of his fingers.

"You too, Hermione. Or is it Granger? I've noticed you guys like to use last names a lot."

Hermione blushed as he grinned, pearly white teeth shining, and cursed herself for behaving like such a girl. So what if he was good looking and had a nice voice, and a nice smile, and absolutely incredible eyes. She wasn't Lavender or Parvati or any other of those boy-obsessed girls in her year.

"Hermione's fine. I'm sorry about what happened."

Percy's smile dimmed and shrugged a single shoulder. "Not your fault, right? Don't worry about it."

Hermione began walking and Percy easily followed, his long legs slowing to keep pace with her.

"So I think it would be better to sort out the details now rather than later. I'm a firm believer in timetables so I'm going to schedule our meetings up until Christmas. We can see if any changes need to be made after that. Oh, and I'll need to see your class schedule too."

The pair caught a staircase to the third floor and, quite fortunately, it stopped at a corridor close to Hermione's favourite part of the castle; the library. Percy remained relatively quiet as they walked, simply answering questions when Hermione gave pause for long enough to let him get a word in, but she noticed that his eyes were in constant motion, taking in the various portraits and other decor. She remembered doing the exact same thing back in first year, and even now when she came upon an unfamiliar corridor or found a new room, she would eagerly try to take everything in.

They walked into the library and Hermione handed Madam Pince the note from the Headmaster. The fact that she was missing class right now tingled uncomfortably at the back of her mind, but she was able to ignore it in favour of the excitement and anxiety she felt over the challenge before her. She would have to cover at least four years worth of material in a number of subjects in only a few months, and fit in time to complete her own homework and study, and somehow find the time to help out Harry. It was a sobering thought, but she couldn't keep forgetting that Vold- You-Know-Who was back now, and they had no idea where he was or what his next move would be. It seemed almost certain that they would be on the brink of war soon though, and that was a possibility Hermione wasn't quite ready to face yet.

Hermione had led the way to her usual table while she was pondering the future. It was a small nook in a far corner of the ground floor, hidden behind the sections on magical theory and magical creatures. The table could seat four people and was older than most of the other desks in the library. It was placed by a window seat, and the light coming through the stained glass often cast pretty, iridescent colours over her books.

They sat down and Percy fished out his slightly crumpled class schedule without any prompting. He handed it over with a sheepish smile and Hermione was reminded of her two best friends. They could never keep their parchment neat either, and always wore the same expression when they handed her their homework.

She took out her own schedule and a fresh piece of parchment, and began noting drafting up a rough sample timetable. While she worked, she could see Percy shifting restlessly in his seat. His fingers drummed against the edge of the table, and his foot tapped out a sporadic tune. She did her best to ignore it, instead using some spells to copy out her calendar from her planner and duplicate it. As she was erasing the filled in memos from the copy, she noticed where she had - at her friends' urging - marked in all the scheduled Quidditch games of the month. She thought of Ron and the conversation at the table that morning, and realised she'd be crucified if she didn't take this opportunity.

Percy had drifted over to the window seat by now, and sat with an elbow on one knee and a finger tracing something into the condensation. Hermione could just about hear the soft pattering of rain from outside.

"So," she began awkwardly, keeping her eyes firmly on the parchment, "what are your thoughts on Quidditch?"

Percy glanced at her, frowning. "What's that?"

Hermione blinked, and tried to crush the hope that she'd finally found someone that wasn't crazy about Quidditch. Then she remembered Percy's current situation.

'Could you be more daft Hermione. God! Of course he's not going to remember Quidditch!'

She winced and shook her head.

"Er, sorry, I shouldn't have- sorry. It's a game. Or, well, a sport really."

Percy bit his lip to hold back a smile and perked up when she mentioned 'sport'. Hermione should have known he'd be another fanatic. To be fair he was rather fit - in the athletic sense, strictly - and probably played a lot of sport back in the US.

"Right, well, it's a bit like football, only not really, and you play on brooms. Each team has seven players. Three of those players toss a ball about and try to score, one person defends the goals. But of course because they can't just keep things simple, there's also two people that have bats and try to hit these other balls at opposing players, and it is frankly quite a barbaric and completely unnecessary addition to the game! Then there's also a Seeker, which is someone who tries to catch this small, seemingly sentient ball that evades the Seekers at ridiculous speeds-"

"Wait you play this while flying?" Percy interrupted with a grimace. "Um, I don't think that's really my style of sports."

Hermione grinned. "I sort of hate it too."

"Heights, right?"

They shared a smile and Hermione went back to her work. This certainly was good news for the Gryffindor team, she supposed.

They spent a while organising suitable meeting times, as well as discussing a place to have the lessons. Hermione then set about outlining an ambitious curriculum, assuring Percy that she was incredibly confident in his ability to learn the spells. Amidst the planning, she also learned a few things about her new pupil. For one, Percy could not stop fidgeting. He traced shapes on the table, tapped his foot, and even played with a pen at some point. Of course, a few of the muggleborns had pens, but writing with a quill was basically compulsory when it came to homework, so it was still a little startling to see one.

Another thing Hermione noticed was that Percy was never completely relaxed. Even as he lounged on the window seat his shoulders remained tensed, and his eyes sharp and alert.

'Gosh, maybe it's because he's in an unfamiliar place, remembers nothing about magic, and was attacked not too long ago! Great deduction there, Sherlock.'

Hermione really hated that her internal voice bore a strong resemblance to 'Sassy Harry' - a term coined by Ron after Harry opened his smart mouth and lost points for Gryffindor for the millionth time back in third year.

By the time they had everything arranged to Hermione's satisfaction, it was almost time for break. Hermione offered to show Percy the way back to the History of Magic classroom since Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had the class together. They made idle conversation as they waited for their friends to emerge, Hermione lamenting the fact that she'd have to somehow figure out what she missed based on her friends' less than stellar notes.

"I could probably ask one of the guys for a copy of his notes, if you want. I mean, Terry said he likes history, so he'll probably have good notes?" Percy offered with a shrug.

Hermione beamed and nodded eagerly. She had a few passing conversations with Boot in the past about History of Magic, as he was one of the few people that also paid any attention, and he was rather brilliant at the subject. She had always felt too awkward to ask to see his notes, and never actually needed them anyway. Until now, of course.

The bell finally sounded, and students came pouring out of the classroom. Hermione pressed herself against the wall, experienced with the usual commotion, and managed to snag Percy's elbow and yank him back before he got caught in the rush.

To her luck, Percy's presence beside her meant that everyone's eyes were on them, and they were spotted by both her friends and his. Ron's lanky frame pushed through the moving crowd with Harry in tow. His eyes were narrowed on the boy beside her, whom she now realised had stiffened uncomfortably - almost defensively - at all the sudden attention.

Ron cleared his throat meaningfully.

"Right." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Percy, this is Ronald and Harry."

"Ron." Ron puffed his chest out and scowled. "Ron Weasley."

"Harry. Potter." Harry muttered at Ron's nudging. Hermione tried not to sigh. He was in one of those moods again.

"Percy Jackson." Percy said, jerking his head in a nod. "Nice to meet you."

Before anything else could be said, Percy's friends arrived. The boys all nodded at each other in that serious, almost formal way all boys seemed to do, and Percy offered Hermione another nod in goodbye before joining his housemates.

Once they were gone, Ron immediately turned to face Hermione.

"Oh don't give me that look Ronald." Hermione scoffed.

Ron mumbled in protest and she rolled her eyes. "You know what look. You're looking at me like I'm - what did you call it? - oh right, fraternising with the enemy again."

Ron huffed. "No, I'm looking at you like you're fraternising with an unknown individual whose intentions are a complete mystery!"

"He's not some sort of enemy agent or- or spy Ron!"

"He's American Hermione! A- a bloody Yank!"

Hermione glanced at Harry, who had yet to contribute to the conversation. She saw Ron looking at him too. They had both discussed their best friend's behaviour a few days ago. He had been so furious when he realised everyone was hiding the Order from him. Harry's temper wasn't anything new, but the level of anger he had expressed had been a little shocking. Hermione suspected that Harry hadn't properly dealt with Cedric's death yet. While they were all sad at the loss, he was the one that witnessed the murder. But theorising what was wrong with her friend wasn't much use in figuring out how to help him.

"Oi, Harry! Fred and George have a new batch of sweets they've cooked up and need to test. They're make your voice change or something. Callin' them Pitch Fits. Reckon they could slip one to Snape before Potions next?"

It took a minute but Harry finally smiled, his eyes brightening back to their normal shade. He started grinning properly as the idea took hold, most likely imagining their dreadful professor trying to instruct with a helium-voice.

"Potter! This must be your work. Detention! Fifty points from Gryffindor!" Harry said in a high-pitched voice, baring his teeth and letting his hair fall into his eyes.

Ron chortled and Hermione felt relief wash through her as she giggled. Whatever Ron's faults, he was always good at this part of their friendship. The part that reminded them that they were still kids, and that there was more than Harry's anger and Hermione's constant worry.

The trio walked down to the dungeons, foregoing the Great Hall since break would be just about up by the time they got there. Hermione hinted at the fact that her trip to Dumbledore's office and Percy were connected, but refused to tell them anything more until they could speak in private.

Potions passed slowly; the twins hadn't managed to slip anything into Snape and as a result they had to listen to his droning voice for almost two hours. The atmosphere was so dull and stifling that even the Slytherins were quieter than usual. Hermione dutifully took notes, although with less fervor, and did her best to make sure Snape didn't catch on to Ron and Harry's whispering.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, every student in the class leapt to their feet. The Gryffindors almost ran out of the room, paying little attention to Snape's "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

"Merlin's balls I'd actually rather go to feckin mass than be in that room any longer," Seamus moaned, yanking his tie loose like he had been suffocating.

"Mass has nothing on class with that wanker, mate. At least at mass you're in the presence of the good lord," Dean said, grinning.

"Fuckin gobshite."

"Seamus!" Hermione hissed, glancing over her shoulder nervously. It would be just their luck to get caught by the dreaded professor.

"He's not here, Hermione!"

"Nah, 'Mione's right mate," Ron smirked, "You know those bloody snakes lurk everywhere."

The boys continued to make fun of Snape as they walked into the Great Hall. Usually students would just grab some food and eat outside, but with the constant rain so far, everyone felt more comfortable eating indoors. Hermione sat down and grabbed a sandwich, tuning into the conversation taking place beside her.

"-ther hot, now that I think about it. In that sort of brooding way, you know?" Ginny was saying, hands flailing and the contents of the sandwich she held were dangerously close to flying.

Hermione's mind almost went to a certain new Ravenclaw, but she stubbornly refused to think about him.

"What do you lot think then?"

Hermione blinked in Ginny's direction, but before she could apologise for not having followed the conversation, Ron spoke up. Or rather, he attempted to formulate words around the large bite of whatever in his mouth.

"Wa?"

Hermione and Ginny both shot him a disgusted look, and Harry tried to hide his smile.

"Michael. What do you think of him?"

"Ooh?"

"Bloody hell Ron! Michael Corner. He's in your year."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows, taking another bite of his sausage roll. "Cona?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and scoffed, turning pointedly to face Hermione.

"You know him right? What do you think? He's quite fit isn't he?"

Hermione shrugged, only a bit uncomfortable. "Well I suppose so. Truthfully, I've never paid all that much attention to him."

Across from her Ron was starting to turn red again. He furiously chewed his food and turned his glare at his sister. Beside him, Harry wore a peculiar expression, however he seemed to shake it off after a moment.

"What do you need to be asking if he's bloody fit for?" Ron said, sending a glower in the general direction of the Ravenclaw table. "He's too old for you anyway!"

The siblings began arguing, the famous Weasley temper rising swiftly. Hermione traded an exasperated glance with her other best friend and left him to his Quidditch conversation with Seamus and Dean, fishing out her Arithmancy textbook to go over her notes again. Now that her schedule was a lot tighter, she'd have to take any opportunity to get a bit of studying done.