"Ron, Hermione, Percy, and I will hunt for the horcruxes, while you guys and Annabeth help Hogwarts prepare for an inevitable attack." Harry summarized.

~~~

Percy paced around his room, throwing clothes into his backpack.

"Percy..." Annabeth put her hand on Percy's arm, causing him to stop.

"I- I can't-"

"I know," Annabeth comforted. Percy sighed, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Annabeth pulled her sweater over her hand, and wiped the tear off Percy's cheek. "It's going to be okay. We've been on dozens of quests, and fought two wars. We can handle this."

Percy looked up at Annabeth desperately. "Can we?"

Annabeth gazed at her fiancé. She nodded her head, before cracking a small smile. "Do you doubt me?"

Percy let out a pained laugh. "No. No I don't."

"Good. Now get packing. We've got a quest to complete, and a war to finish."

~~~

"So yeah." Harry finished awkwardly.

Professor McGonagall stared at him, as if he suddenly grew a second face. "Are you mad, Potter?"

Harry shifted on his feet, glancing at Ron and Hermione.

"And you- Ms. Granger- you think this is a good idea?"

Hermione glanced at McGonagall before quickly looking down. She wrung her hands. "I think it's our only option. Annabeth is a brilliant war strategist, she can work with you and the other professors and prepare Hogwarts for the attack."

McGonagall sighed. Before she could say more, Percy threw open the door and marched into the professor's office, with Annabeth following behind (after she closed the door, of course).

"Alright. Let's get this over with." Percy hadn't meant that to be angry or intimidating, but by the way Harry and Hermione's eyes widened, and the way Ron shrunk back slightly, he guessed he was wrong.

Annabeth put her hand on his arm. "So. What's the plan?" She asked the trio.

No one answered. McGonagall sighed.

Annabeth stared. Her voice calm, she said, "You do have a plan, don't you?"

Ron stared at the floor, as Harry nudged Hermione's arm.

"My gods! You don't have a plan? How can you go on a quest with no plan!?"

Percy remembered the dozens on quests they've been on, that had basically no plan. "Uh Annabeth-"

"Not now, Percy."

"Okay."

Annabeth started to pace. Percy hung his head just knowing where this was going to go.

"Quests are important. It is a great honor to be chosen to go on one..."

Percy coughed to hide his laughter. "Honor?"

Annabeth shot him a glare. "Shut it Percy," she hissed.

"Yeah, okay."

Annabeth continued, "Life and death hangs in the balance. You need a plan. Going on a quest with no plan can get you killed, or worse-"

"Expelled." Hermione finished, chuckling slightly. Ron and Harry snickered.

Annabeth shot the trio a glare, centering in at Hermione. "No. Captured and tortured."

Percy winced slightly at the memories. McGonagall sat amused. It was about time someone went off on those three- that wasn't her.

Before Annabeth could continue lecturing, Percy jumped in, calmly putting his hand on her arm.

"Look, what Annabeth's trying to say," Percy began, ignoring her glares, "is that what we're doing really can't just happen on a whim. There are too many things that can go wrong, so we need to know what we're looking for, and how to destroy it- without dying."

"Percy Jackson. I can talk for myself." Annabeth chided.

"Yes, ma'am." Percy mock saluted, earning him a punch on the arm.

"Geez, Wise Girl. You're going to break my arm if you keep punching there."

"Then don't do anything to warrant a punch."

Percy and Annabeth playfully glared at each other.

"By far, the strangest couple I've ever seen," Ron mumbled. "Well, maybe except for Charlie and his dragons."

"Heard that." Percy called out. Ron's face flushed red.

"But seriously," Annabeth started, "Do you even know what you're looking for?" Harry began to open his mouth to speak, before Annabeth cut him off. "Harry Potter. If you say 'horcruxes' I will hit you." Harry closed his mouth.

"We have an idea of what they might be."

"How?" Percy asked, taking a seat on McGonagall's couch.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged a glance. "That's... not important. Point is-"

This time, Percy was the one to cut her off. "Hold on. It's uh, it's actually important we know where the information came from. Could be trap, we need to know if-"

"We can trust him." Hermione said.

Percy and Annabeth exchanged glances. "You know what?" Percy said. "I don't care."

Annabeth's eyebrows shot up. "Percy Jackson-"

"I want the quest over with. At this point, everything we know could be false. Who gives a dam. I wanna get back to camp and marry you. Let's just get this over with."

Annabeth was unsure if it was her imagination or not, but she could have sworn she saw the trio let out a breath of relief.

"Look we already destroyed one, Dumbledore has the second-"

Percy held up his hands. "Woah, woah, woah. Dumbledore has a horcrux?"

Hermione shifted on her feet. "We think so, yes."

"Gods dammit. Okay. Fine." Percy was not a fan of the old man. This was a fact that he wouldn't have hated knowing going into the quest. "What else?"

This time, Harry spoke up. "Before he left, he showed me a few memories."

"How?" Annabeth asked.

"Does it matter?" Harry shot back.

Annabeth's eyebrows rose as she shrugged and went to sit next to Percy on the couch.

"Anyways," Harry continued, "the memories suggested what Voldemort's other horcruxes might be."

"And they are...?" Percy prompted.

"A cup, crown, locket, and snake." Ron said.

"Well gee, Ron, thanks. That really narrows it down."

"I sense sarcasm."

"Ya think?" Percy responded.

"The cup belonged to Helga Hufflepuff; the crown is called a diadem, Ronald, and that was Rowena Ravenclaws; the locket we think is with Kreacher, and if not, he'll certainly know where it is; and the snake is Nagini, Voldemort's uh, well, pet," Hermione clarified.

"My gods!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Why didn't you just say so? Why did we go through all that when you knew this all along?"

Ron gazed down at the floor, while Harry and Hermione looked sheepish.

"If I may," McGonagall said, startling Percy who forgot she was even there, "You four should get a move on. Ms. Chase will help me and the rest of school prepare for an attack. Time really is of the essence."

"Yes, professor." Everyone said.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go on that quest." McGonagall shoed Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of her office.

Percy looked at Annabeth before pulling her into a tight hug.

"IM me."

"Always."

"And Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't be a seaweed brain and lose that ring. And don't be stupid."

Percy chuckled. "Okay, wise girl."

With that, Percy Jackson left McGonagall's office, to finally start their quest that'll end the war.