Percy was usually never afraid. A year of battling monsters taught him that being scared would get him in trouble, but sitting on a stool in front of hundreds of students made him a bit queasy. He supposed he looked really stupid just sitting there. He heard whispers in the crowd talking about him.

"Isn't that Harry Potter's brother?" said one. Another muttered something that sounded like, "Yeah, I didn't even know he had a brother."

Percy didn't like being called 'Harry Potter's brother'. He wanted to be called Percy Jackson, that was his name wasn't it?

Percy thought he saw a shadow on the floor that belonged to nobody, but he supposed it was one of the 'ghosts' the students were talking about. He sat on the stool, Professor McGonagall placed a funny looking hat on his head. It had sung a song earlier, and it 'sorted' the other students into their 'houses'. Percy wondered whether he'd be sorted into the house called Slytherin, they looked pretty cool. So did the Gryffindors. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws didn't make much of an impact on Percy, but he guessed they had some surprises.

When the hat was placed on his head, he was enveloped in blackness. He was surprised when the hat talked to him. Percy had the feeling only he could hear the hat.

'Ah, Harry Potter's brother. I wondered when I would be sorting you.'

Percy scowled and said quietly, "I have a name you know."

'Yes, yes. I know that. There's nothing you can hide from me, but let's get down to business. You have a lot of courage, but quite arrogant. Smart, but not enough to be a Ravenclaw.'

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm stupid?"

'Maybe.'

"Ouch."

'Better be… Gryffindor!'

Percy took off the hat and gave it back to McGonagall. He moved over to the cheering Gryffindors.

"Two Potter's!" a boy yelled. Everyone cheered. He sat beside Fred and George, and saw Harry and Ron enter. Everyone must have known about the car incident, or they must have been really popular, cause the cheering got louder after they arrived. Percy looked around the Gryffindor table, taking in the sight of many boys and girls who were now his house mates.

"Heya, Fred." said Percy. Fred and George nodded and pointed to an empty spot beside Hermione, then took out the most used prank of all time. A whoopee cushion.

"Really? Lame." said Percy. Fred and George looked at each other like they knew something Percy didn't. They reminded Percy so much of Travis and Connor Stoll at Camp Half-Blood. They taped the whoopee cushion onto the two empty spots. Percy guessed Harry and Ron would sit there. Then George whispered in Percy's ear, "When they sit on the whoopee cushions, we rigged some fireworks on it, when they sit, they go kaboom."

Percy thought that this would be a stupid question, but asked it anyway, "Isn't that…dangerous?"

Fred grinned like it was stupid question, "Not really. It will just singe all their hair off."

Percy grinned, then said, "Oh good they're sitting down." He didn't even notice the food that magically appeared in front of him. Harry and Ron sat down on the bench, and there was a loud boom. Ron and Harry were enveloped in smoke. When the smoke cleared, they were both bald as eggs. Everyone stared, after a moment of silence, everyone laughed.

"Fred, George, Percy, I am going to kill you!" cried out Ron. Harry nodded and took out his wand, he said a word, it was muffled by laughter. A jet of yellow sparks hit the twins and Percy, and Percy felt his nose get heavy. When the smoke cleared, he almost screamed. His nose was the size of an eggplant, and it was in the sickest shade of orange. Fred and George's were too. Just before Percy uncapped Riptide, Professor Dumbledore said in a magically enhanced voice, "Stop, Percy, Harry, Fred, George, and Ron! You are to see me after dinner."

"Aww, that sucks." Percy said. Fred and George were still roaring with laughter. Harry and Ron were desperately trying to cover their bald heads with their robes.

"Percy!" a voice beside him whispered. He looked to his right, but there was no one there. Only the shadow he saw earlier. The voice was eerily familiar, then the shadow disappeared.

"Worth it." said Fred and George together. Then they finally noticed their meal. Percy did too, he looked at his goblet. There was an orange liquid in it, pumpkin juice?

"Yech." said Percy, then he said, "Blue cherry coke." and surprisingly the goblet changed into a deep shade of cobalt. Fred and George stared.

"Woah, we didn't know that was possible. How'd you do it, Perce?" said George. Percy taught them how, and soon everyone in the Gryffindor table were drinking assorted things. The cup could give any drink except alcoholic beverages. Percy was the minute-celebrity for 'learning' how to change drinks.

Before dinner ended he realized something. That voice and shadow earlier. He was almost positive that they had belonged to Annabeth.

Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry for the long hiatus! You could say I was dead. I was just killed with Writer's Block. Sorry. Gah! Summer is ending anyway, so I can't update as fast (although I've been slow).

Forgive meeee.

xXRitLXx