Percy was stunned. The castle was amazing.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Percy."

"Thanks, Neville." Percy couldn't stop staring at the towers. And the entrance. And the carriages. All of it. Annabeth would have loved it. Percy stiffened, and his eye started to tear up.

"Are you alright Percy?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Percy coughed. "I'm fine, Just, uh, got something in my eye." Hermione wasn't convinced but she dropped the subject.

"First years o'er here!" A gruff man yelled. Percy looked towards the voice to see a large man with a beard carrying a lantern by a lake.

Percy looked towards Ron and Hermione silently asking if he counted as a first year.

"That's Hagrid. Best teacher in Hogwarts." Ron said.

"He's the Gatekeeper and teaches Care of Magical Creatures." Hermione added.

Percy was on edge. He trusted his friends, but Hagrid didn't seem entirely... human.

"He's half- giant." Harry said. Percy forgot he was even there.

"Oh."

"C'mon, we'll introduce you." The trio started walking towards Hagrid, with Percy following behind them. They almost made it, until Percy started hearing voices.

Lord, we are honored to have you here. Percy looked around. All he saw were students milling about in between carriages. Have you talked with our King? Percy stopped walking, confusing his fellow wizards and witch.

Who are you? Percy mentally asked back.

By the carriages. The voices answered.

Percy started walking towards the carriages, but stopped when he saw what the voices belonged to. Percy stared at the creatures. The were horses, of course, but they were translucent. Dead, almost.

"What are they?" Percy turned, asking Hermione.

"What are what? Percy what are you talking about?"

"The horses! Hermione I see. Dead. Horses." Hermione looked worriedly over to Harry who was glaring at Percy.

"They're Thestrals." Hermione answered. Percy nodded, still confused on why Ron and Hermione were confused. Before Percy could ask, Harry cut him off.

"Only people who have seen death can see them." Percy's lip twitched. Of course he could see them. It made sense.

The fact that Percy could see dead horses, wasn't going to help him convince Harry he was a good guy. And Percy did not want to tell them about the people that died because of him. How it was his fault his friends were dead. How Annabeth was dead- missing. Annabeth was missing.

"Let's go find Hagrid." Percy left no room for conversation as he walked towards the half- giant.

~~~

After Hermione and Ron introduced Percy to Hagrid, they watched as Percy got into the boats with the other first years and head towards the castle.

Hagrid told them to go back to the carriages that would take the three to the main entrance of Hogwarts.

Once Harry, Ron, and Hermione found a vacant carriage, Harry spoke.

"He's a death eater."

Hermione sighed. "Harry. Just because he can see Thestrals, doesn't make him a death eater." Before Harry could respond, Hermione added, "You can see them too."

"But it's not just that!" Harry protested. "Every time I look at his left forearm it shimmers."

"Shimmers?" Ron questioned.

"Yeah... shimmers. No. It like, it's like there's a veil in front. Like a mist. He's hiding something."

Hermione and Ron looked between each other. Harry could tell they didn't believe him.

"And another thing. What's in his bag? Why does he bring it everywhere with him?" Ron nodded his head along with Harry's questions.

"That's his personal business Harry." The carriage came to a stop. "Let's just sit down and watch the sorting ceremony. The chances that he's a Gryffindor is low." Hermione said.

The trio got out of the carriage and started walking through the main entrance into the Great Hall.

"Yeah. Because he's a Slytherin." Harry added.

"We don't know that. He could be a Ravenclaw."

Ron looked at Hermione doubtful. "A Ravenclaw?"

"Yes, Ron. He learnt six years worth of magic in less than a month." Hermione paused, "Even I don't think I could do that."

"Yeah well that's probably because he already knew he was a wizard before he came. He's been lying to us this entire time." Harry argued. "Therefore, he's a death eater."

~~~

Percy stood at least a foot taller than the overwhelming amount of 11 year olds around him. This earned him many odd looks.

Everyone was seated with their houses, as Percy watched Dumbledore step up on a podium and give a very long, and very boring speech. Percy tried to pay attention, but he spent the entire time looking around for Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Once he found them, at what he assumed with the Gryffindor table, he noticed the sorting hat ceremony already started.

Percy realized he had no idea what the other three tables were, so he tried to pay attention to the kids getting sorted.

After what felt like forever, Percy was the only one left. He shifted between his feet, wanting to just get sorted. Everyone was whispering and staring and he didn't like it one bit.

"Now, may I have your attention." Dumbledore said. Percy was thankful to have everyone look at the old headmaster. "This year, we have a new student joining us. He is an exchange student from the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is top of the class at the school, and for his seventh year, decided to come join us at Hogwarts." Dumbledore paused for effect. "Please welcome, Perseus Jackson."