They're What?!

An Honest Plea

Third Person POV

"How do we break this to them simply?" Percy asked. He was sitting crosslegged on his desk in his classroom. Grover lay on his back in one of the wide windowsills, munching on a can, and Clarisse was twirling a dagger idly.

"I don't know if we can-" Grover began.

"We just give it to them straight." Clarisse said.

"How do you mean?"

"They're kids, Prissy. We were too once."

Percy nodded slowly. "Right.... still not following."

"I am." Grover sat up slowly.

"Explain please."

"Percy, how did you feel during the battle for New York?"

He leaned back on his hands, thinking. "Angry.... Ready. Scared as Hades."

Grover nodded. "These kids need to feel that. How would you explain what's happening here to the campers back home?"

"We're at war. We're at war and we're the last line of defense. If we fall, everything falls with us. Our homes, our safety. Our families. The whole world. We're backed into a corner and fighting for our lives. And the lives of those we love."

He nodded. "Tell them that. Make it clear to them."

Percy smiled slowly. "Okay."

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"If we could have everyone's attention, please." McGonagall spoke from the teacher's table. Everyone looked towards her. "Percy has something to say to you all."

Percy stood up and walked to the podium. He didn't stand behind it, rather in front where he was closer to everyone. "Can someone tell me the last time they were scared out of their mind?"

The hall was quiet for a few moments before a few hands went up. Percy nodded to a small girl.

"When my house burned down."

He nodded and pointed to a 7th year boy.

"When I got kicked out of my house and didn't have anywhere to go."

Percy nodded again, gravely, continuing to point to others.

"When my mom died."

"The time I got charged by a bear in the field behind my uncle's house."

"The night my dad left."

He nodded and looked around. "The last time I was scared out of my mind was when I was 16 and fighting the final battle of a war. My friends were falling all around me, my girlfriend had been stabbed and was lying in a makeshift infirmary. I was scared, so scared, but I fought because I knew if I didn't fight, I'd die. And more of my friends would die."

He paused and looked around. "This is you now. We are at war. You are at war. And you're the last line of defense. You're it. If those things in the Forbidden Forest get past you, they will destroy the world."

There was quiet murmuring throughout the hall.

"You are the last line of defense. And you're sitting idle!"

That caused a grumble. Percy shot them a hard look. "You are! You're being offered help and if you'd just take it, you'd be so much better off than you are! If I'd had the help we're offering you now when I was 16, do you know how fast I'd have taken it? I braved a river that could literally have killed me just to have an equal footing! I'd have been able to save dozens of kids no older than you, kids who were trusting me to keep them alive!"

It came as a surprise to some that he was crying.

"I still see them, in my nightmares. All those people I couldn't save.... we just want to help! We want to show you how to protect yourselves and your loved ones! Just let us!"

The hall was completely silent as Percy composed himself. He stood straight and looked out at them. "Let us help you, before it's too late."

More murmurs. He continued talking.

"There are people in your government that think we're too dangerous to be around you. They think we're disgusting half humans who don't deserve to be treated like people."

Percy looked around. "We want to help you, because we've gone through this before. Please let us help before we're chased out. Will you let us help you?"

The hall was quiet, but not completely silent. People murmured amongst themselves as the son of Poseidon stood in front of them and waited.

Finally there was an answer, from the last person he expected.

"I will." Harry Potter stood from his seat, facing Percy with a serious expression.