Disclaimer: i don't own Percy or Harry.

Chapter 23: The Next Day.

Harry pov.

Bright sunlight shined in my bedroom window waking me up. I ignored it and rolled over to put my arm around Piper, to find she wasn't there. I opened my eyes, frowned and sat up to see a folded note sitting on the night stand. I reached over and picked it up, it was written in accent greek, so it would be easy to read.

Harry,

Tonks and Mr. Lupin took me to see my dad. You were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn't bring myself to wake you. I'll be back soon.

Love always,

Your girl, Piper

P.S. Last night was amazing.

I smiled remembering what we did last night after we entered my room, and reached over to the floor and picked my boxers up and put them on. I then went into my bathroom and took a shower. Puting on some of the old clothes of Dudley's I had left behind. After my shower I went to check on Leo and maybe see Ron and Hermione.

I walked down the hall into I came across an open door and looked in to find Leo sitting up in bed. He had a tray of food laying across his lap and was picking at it looking grim.

"Leo," I said, going into the room. "I'm so sorry."

Leo looked up startled then rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it, Uncle Harry. I'm fine, in a little pain, but fine." He said.

"But if I hadn't gone to the Ministry you wouldn't be hurt." I said.

Leo shook his head. "Dude, don't blame yourself." Then Leo suddenly grinned. "I know I'm your favorite nephew now. Look how worried you are about me."

I snorted then shook my head. "You're weird, has anyone ever told you that?"

"everyone I meet." Leo said grinning. Then he winced in pain.

"How are you doing, really?" I asked.

"Like I said I'm fine." Leo said. "A little sore, and I have to take some nasty potions ever four hours, but other than that I'm fine."

"Good, I'm glad." I patted Leo's leg. "I'll come back and see you later. I'm going to go see where everyone else is."

"All right, uncle Harry." Leo said.

"Don't call me uncle." I said, going out the door. I walked a little ways down and came to another door that was open and I heard people in it talking. I want in and suddenly had my vision blurred by a mane of bushy brown hair.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione demanded, she stepped back and took a good look a me. "You've gain some weight. And look a little taller. And where are your glasses."

"Don't need them anymore." I shrugged.

Hermione frowned "What is that on your neck?" She looked closely at my neck and her eyes widen as I blushed. "Harry, is that hickys all over your neck." I reached my hand up and rubbed my neck. My face going even redder. I heard laughter. As Fred and George came walking over to me.

"I believe our little Harry has grown up." Fred said, slinging his arm around my shoulder.

"I believe he has." George said, slinging his arm around my other shoulder. "I think I might cry." George said, wiping his eye, like he was wiping away tears.

"All right that's enough." I said, stepping out from under them. "And I thought Leo was weird." I went over and sat down next to Annabeth on the sofa, her and Percy was sitting on. She had a very old book in her lap, and Percy had his arm around her shoulder.

I looked at Annabeth "How's your shoulder?"

"Fine. " Annabeth said. "Hasn't bothered me since it was healed." She looked up from her book, and t my neck, my face got red again, but Annabeth just shook her head, and mumbled some thing that sounded like. "That's why, Piper never made it up to our room." I decided not to comment and turned to Nico.

"Nico, how's your ankle?" I asked.

"It's fine." Nico answered. He was sitting in an armchair looking through an old book.

I felt someone looking at me and looked to see Ron glaring at me. He was sitting in front of a small table, playing chest with no one. The other chest pieces playing themselves.

"Hello, Ron." I said He just grunted and looked away.

"Whats his problem?" Percy demanded. I looked at him and shrugged. I didn't know why Ron was acting like that.

"How long are we going to be here?" I asked.

"A couple of days." Annabeth said, turning a page in her book."The healer said Leo couldn't be moved into then."

"Want to leave already do you?" Ron asked.

"How long has Piper, been gone?" I asked. Ignoring Ron. I wished I knew way he was so mad at me.

"About two hours." Jason answered. I just noticed him. He was sitting on another sofa talking to Ginny Weasley who sat next to him. I couldn't hear what they were talking about. But they seem to be hitting it off.

"So, Harry where have you been all this time." Hermione demanded.

I figured it was okay to tell them what has gone on. So I took a deep breath and explained everything to her. From Hera being my mother to Voldemort's Horcruxes. And all about the quest I had been on. How I had a vision about Voldemort hurting Sirius and went to the Ministry to save him. And I told them what happen there, but left out that I had been dead.

When I was through Hermione was standing there gaping at me like a gold-fish.

"Sirius told us about him being pardoned, and you get to live with him now." Hermione finally said. "It's wonderful. I'm happy for you."

I grinned "He even signed adoption papers. Were going to live in New York so I can be close to camp."

"That must be why mum is in such a bad mood, and keeps glaring at Sirius." Fred said.

"We're happy for you though, mate." George put in.

"Oh, that reminds me." Percy said. "If you guys need a place. The apartment building My mom and I live in had a few apartments empty. I'll check with my mom and see if they still are.

"Thanks." I said. "I'll talk to Sirius about it."

"Just can't wait to get away." Ron said.

"All right. What is it?" I demanded. "What did I do to make you so mad?"

Ron snorted. "You should know."

"Know what?" I said.

"Why don't you just go on back where you were." Ron demanded.

"Hey, man." Percy said. "Lay off him." Ron glared at him.

"We had to put up with a lot this year." Ron said. "From Hermione being teased for sticking up for you, because everyone thinks you are either lying or crazy. Hermione and I had to take most of what people would have said to you, but since you weren't there and we were, and known as your best mates, people targeted us and it's your fault, Potter."

"I'm sorry, about that Ron, but now that people is going to know the truth about Voldemort they should stop." I said. What Ron just said to me kind of stung.

"That's not all." Ron said. "We had the worst DADA teacher this year. Some Ministry hag, that was only there to spy on Dumbledore and whoever wanted stick up for you. We all ended up in detentions. Hermione more than me. Do you know what we had to do in her detention?'' He turned to Hermione "Show Potter your hand."

"Ron, his name is Harry, and I don't think..." Hermione tried.

"Do it Hermione." Ron demanded.

"You don't have to take being mad at me out on her." I said. I couldn't believe Ron was acting this way. It was worse than when my name came out of the goblet. I turned to Hermione. "Is something wrong with your hand? Let me see."

Hermione hesitated. Then held out her hand and I took it. My eyes widened. There carved into her skin was words. It took me a while to make them out.

"I will not tell lies." I read. "Hermione what...who..Someone carved in your hand?" Annabeth took her hand and looked. So did Percy.

"That's sick." Percy said.

"It's this quill. Umbridge made us write lines with." Fred explained. "When you write on the paper the words appear on the back of your hand." He held his hand up. "If you write with it enough the words end up carved in your skin."

George held up his hand. "Ours says "I will not pull pranks." He grinned. "Like that stopped us."

"Ginny even has some." Fred said. "It's not as noticeable as ours. You have to look real close to see it. But you should see Neville Longbottom's hand. It's the worse than all of ours. "

I looked over to Ginny to see Jason taking her hand and looking at it. He frowned as he looked real close and read out. "I will not talk back to the High inquisitor."

"The high what?" I asked, watching as Ginny pulled her hand from Jason's with a blush on her face.

"It's been bloody awful, Harry." Ginny told me. "Fudge made her the High Inquisitor. She gets to sit in other teachers classes and inspect them. Everyday shes putting up these new rules all over the castle. And she even goes over top of what Dumbledore says. Becaues Fudge is backing her. And if teachers aren't teaching the way she thinks they should she can fire them."

"She sacked Trelawney." Ron said. "No complaint there though."

I frowned at that. I may not like Trelawney, Umbridge didn't have to fire her. Maybe Dumbldore will give her job back when Umbridge is gone.

"You said her name was Umbrige." I said. "You don't mean Dolores Umbridge. A short ugly women with a big pink bow in her hair. Looks like a toad?"

"That's the one." George said.

"She was at my hearing this past summer." I scowled "Fudge even let her snap my wand."

"She'll be gone now though." Fred said. "You just wait, now that the truth is out. Dumbldeore will get Hogwarts back."

"I hope so." Hermione said. She sat down across from Ron. "Hogwarts is awful with her there."

"I'm sorry." I said "I can't help but feel like this is my fault."

"Here we go again." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Harry, everything is not your fault."

"I know." I sighed.

"Fudge thinks Dumbldeore is making an army to fight against him." Ginny said. "So, we weren't even learning anything in defence this year. All we did was read from some stupid texts book."

"Why would Dumbledore make an army?" I asked.

"Fudge is an idiot." Fred said.

"Yep, " George said. "But we didn't take it. Did we Hermione?" George smirked at Hermonie with what looked like pride in his eyes.

"We weren't learning anything from her." Hermione said. "So, I had this idea we learn our selves. So I got some kids who wanted to go against Umbridge and we taught them."

"We?" I asked.

"Ginny and I " Hermonie answered. "I just wished you could have been there to teach us, but we did good by ourselves."

"You did all the teaching Hermione" Ginny said. "I just helped you find some cool spells to teach people."

"You should see Neville, he learned a lot." Fred said.

"Yeah, he even beat Malfoy in a duel." George said.

"You're kidding?" I asked, shocked.

"Nope." George smiled. I suddenly remembered something.

"Hey, hows your dad?" I asked. "I had this vision a few days ago. That he was.."

"Attacked by Voldemort's snake." Ron finished. "He's fine. Still at St. Mungo's, but fine. No thanks to you."

"No thanks to me." I repeated.

"You just said you had a vision of it and you didn't let anyone know. And he was guarding something at the Ministry that had to do with you." Ron spat. "If Kingsley hadn't been with him, dad would have died."

"Don't blame Harry." Annabeth said."It's no his fault. And how was he suppose to warn someone when he was in another country."

"And he happened to be really bad hurt when he dreamed that." Jason said. "He was uncossion and had lost a lot of blood. We had just got away from some Cyclopes that wanted to eat us."

"You what?" Hermonie demanded.

"I don't think eating Harry would have filled them." Fred said, thoughtfully.

"You're right there, mate." George told him. "He is way too skinny. Not enough meat. And that Jason boy wouldn't have filled them either."

"Yeah, look at him he's just as skinny as Harry." Fred said. "Well almost. Nobody is that skinny."

"Or short." George added. "Or ugly."

"Shut up." I told them. They just laughed. "I'm not that skinny, or that short. Nico's shorter than me." Nico glared up at me then went back to looking through his book.

"Don't you love how he didn't deny being ugly." Fred laughed, and my face turned red as everyone, but Ron laughed.

Ron suddenly stood. "How can you two just sit there and joke around with him?" He demanded. "He ran out on all of us. and left us to Voldemort. How can you act like he didn't turn his back on us."

"Becaues, he didn't." Nico said. "Harry and I are working on destroying Voldemort. And I believe it was you wizards who turned their backs on him. So just leave him alone" He flipped a page in his book and said no more.

"I didn't turn my back on you, Ron." I said. "Like Nico said, we've been working on destroying Voldemort. We know how now. I had no other chose but to leave. I was kicked out of school and there was no way in Hades I would go back to the Dursleys."

"Whatever," Ron Snorted. "I still say you turned your back on us."

"What's your problem, man?" Percy demanded. "Harry's been off risking his life. And he even dueled with Voldemort a few hours ago. And was almost killed. So don't tell me he turned his back on anybody. Harry wouldn't do something like that."

"It's okay, Percy." I said. "You don't have to explain anything to him." I stood. "I'm going to go check on Leo."

I left the room and walked back up the stairs. I guess I should have realized Ron would act like that. I opened the door to Leo's room. Saw he was asleep and left. I didn't want to wake him. So I went on up to my room and laid down on my bed. Where my new pet lion was curled up asleep.

Everything I had been through the last few days finally caught up with me and I started crying. I know, it was a baby thing to do, but I couldn't help it. My little lion work up and came over and laid next to me. I reached over and got his bottle Hera had gave me last night. It was magic. It never had to be refrigerated and it refilled it's self.

"You need a name." I told him as I fed him. He looked up at me with golden brown eyes. And I smiled he was just too cute. I thought about what I could name him.

"How did you get in here anyway?" I demanded. "You sneaky little kitty. Hey think I'll call you Marauder. You like that?"

There was a knock on the door and Piper walked in.

"Hey, " she said quietly. As she closed the door; came in and walked over and laid down next to me. "Hermione told me about the fight you had with Ron."

"I don't want to talk about it." I told her, wiping my eyes. She reached over and started petting Marauder. We laid in silence for a while. Before I sighed and sat the bottle back on the night stand.

"Hows your dad?" I asked, rolling over and facing her. Piper smiled. There was something different about her. I couldn't think what. She just looked a little different

"He's fine." She answered. "Tonks had taken him to her parents place. Her dad use to be a healer. And he fixed him up. Said he could go home in a couple of days."

"Did they..?" I asked. Piper nodded.

"Mr. Tonks did it." Piper said. "Dad thinks he was in an accident. They even let that slip to the press. So they won't be any questions about him disappearing." She suddenly frowned looking worried. "Babe, do you think I did the right thing. Having them take away his memory?"

I laid my hand on her cheek and rubbed her jaw with my thumb. "You said he wouldn't be able to handle those memories. So, yes I think you did the right thing." Piper smiled, and snuggled into me. Marauder had jumped to the floor and was running around somewhere in the room. I finally realized why she looked a little different. Her hair was longer and not choppy and uneven. And her eyes. They were no longer changing colors but had stopped on a pretty blue.

"Pipe,r how is your hair longer?" I asked. She laughed.

"Now he notices." She teased and pulled away a little. "Tonks saw how my eyes changed colors and had this thought that I might be like her." She stopped explaning for a minute and closed her eyes and made the same face Tonks does when ever she's changing her looks. Then suddenly her hair became short and uneven again. And when she opened her eyes they were a light green.

"You're a Metamorphmagus." I said, shocked. Piper nodded.

"Apparently you don't have to be a witch to be one." Piper said, snuggling back into me. "I think it has something to do with Aphrodite being the goddess of beauty. And being a Metamorphmagus has to do with your looks." I nodded I guess it makes since. "I can make myself look how ever I want."

"If you ask me. You're perfect the way you are." I said.

"I love you." Piper told me. Her eyes were back to changing colors.

"I love you too." I said. Leaning in and kissing her. Piper put her arms around my neck as she kissed me back. When we broke apart Piper smiled up at me. And I laid my hand on her waist.

"I punched him." Piper said. I frowned in confusion.

"Punched who?" I asked. She blushed a little.

"Ron," She answered. "After Hermione had told me about your fight and what Ron had said. I just got so mad about him upsetting you. I punched him."

"You punched Ron." I said. A little shocked.

"You're not mad are you?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, but I guess I'm not the only one that needs to learn to control their temper." I said. Smirking at her. Piper rolled her eyes and reached up to kiss me again. I learned in and kissed her harder. We ended up making love for the second time.

When we finally made it down to dinner. I noticed Ron had a black eye. And wouldn't look at me. I guess he would come around. He always does. It just felt good to be back in the wizard world. Even if it was just a few days. I was happy. Truley happy for the first time in my life. I know it won't last long with what lays ahead, but for now it felt good to feel like I had a family, and friends. I can trust and count on. And I had Piper who I loved more than anything. I wasn't about to let anyone mortal or immortal take any of them from me. I promised myself I would destroy Voldemort and stop Gaea. So we could live in peace. Into the next villan comes along anyway.

I looked at my friends Percy and Annabeth. They were smiling and talking while they ate. I watched as Annabeth rolled her eyes at something Percy said then kissed him.

I looked at Jason he was talking to Ginny. I think he liked her. He gave her a smile and she blushed. I guess she liked him back.

Next to him was Nico. Who was talking to Lupin and Sirius. They all seemed to be getting along. My thoughts went to Leo upstairs. Tonks had taken his tray to him and was now up there eating with him keeping him company. I looked back over to Piper she was talking to Hermione. I smiled. Happy that they liked each other.

Yes we were going to win this war. I just knew it. In my gut. I knew it. We would stop Voldemort and Gaea. And just maybe us demigods could be happy for once. For a few years anyways. I was going to see to that.