Chapter 22: Ministry of Magic?!

"I'm the goddess of all magic Percy, there isn't much I can't do. Now come on, we need to get you registered for you OWLs this June. You have finished OWL level runes, arithmancy and potions in a month's time, plus making amazing progress in astronomy. I'm sure you can finish transfiguration, charms and the rest by then as well."

Percy nodded, "right."

"Oh and before I forget, here," Hecate summoned a black wristband of some kind and handed it to Percy, "it's an auror grade wand strap. Remember, never ever keep your wand somewhere snappable. It can and will break. It might be powerful but it is still made out of wood."

Percy nodded as he quickly wore the strap on his left hand and slid the wand into place. The wand fit perfectly with his forearm length allowing Percy to move his arm freely without clipping the wand.

Once ready Percy Hecate's hands and once again they apparated away. This time when they stopped Percy managed to not fall down, his head still spun around like crazy, but hey at least he didn't puke.

Percy looked up and his jaw dropped. The hallway he was in was huge with an cloves up against the walls with fire places that flashed green.

Witches and wizards walked through the fire as they made their way down the hall towards the Atrium that had a giant fountain in the center.

"Get up Percy," Hecate said as she quickly walked down the hall.

"So this is the Ministry of Magic?" Percy asked as he quickly caught up to the goddess.

The atrium was bigger than number 7 and filled with people walking all over the place.

The statue in the center featured a witch and a wizard with a centaur, a goblin and something that looked like a tiny human with bat like ears looking at the wand wavers in amazement.

"Correct," Hecate nodded, "this is the government center for the British wizarding world. Everything is here from the minister's office to the department of mysteries."

"Department of mysteries?"

"It's like the magical version of the CIA, except much more powerful and much more deadly. They are also the only ones alive that know the existence of the divine world."

"What?! But I thought you said that the divine and the magical world must never meet? How come these wizards are aware of us?"

"Because we need someone on the inside helping us," Hecate explained as he walked towards a desk at the opposite side of the atrium.

Behind it was a hallway leading to several elevators, guess that's where they needed to go.

"You see the people in the department of mysteries know the dangerous of our two worlds meeting, and so they help us in keeping that secret under wraps at all costs. After all it help if we actually had someone on our side."

The desk they approached had a man sitting behind it reading a newspaper. When they stopped in front of him he looked up lazily and raised an eyebrow.

He sighed and grumbled as he put the paper away and got up shooting them a dirty look for daring to make him do his job.

"Wands," the man ordered. Percy looked to Hecate who nodded in approval.

Percy carefully took out his brand new wand and handed to the man. He flinched as he saw the man's dirty fingers wrapping around his new wand, he didn't even bother holding it by the handle!

Percy could see the clogged up dirt gathered under his nails, it took all his will to simply not snatch the wand away.

The man waved his own wand over Percy's and waited. He then finally spoke up, "English Oak, 15 inches with a phoenix feather core, owner, Percy Jackson. Has been registred to said wizard for all of five minutes."

Percy nodded, "correct." The man handed Percy back his wand who snacthed it away, he didn't want the dirty fingered man holding it for a single moment longer.

The man turned to Hecate and raised an eyebrow expecting her wand. The Goddess simply smiled, "I'm Hecate Blackfyre, a squib, no wand for me."

The man grunted in disgust as he looked at her like she was yesterday's trash. "Fine, purpose of visit?"

"I'm here to register my ward for his OWLs, he has been home school for all his life so we can't do it through the school like normal."

"Fine," the man waved his wand and created two badges, one read 'Percy Jackson: Hopeful OWLs taker' and the other simply, 'Hecate Blackfyre: Squid'.

Percy gritted his teeth at the blatant disrespect the man showed. He wanted to say something but Hecate quickly spoke up, "thank you, we'll be on our way." Hecate pinned her badge and handed Percy his own.

They walked passed the barricade and down the hallway when Percy spoke up, "I can't believe he treated you like that! You were like a piece of dirt to him!"

"He didn't know I was the goddess of magic Percy, we can't blame him."

"I don't' mean that! Even if you weren't a goddess, no one should treat other people like that!"

"Thinking like that is not wise Percy, when you do eventually join this society you are going to have to learn to adapt."

"No, fuck that. My mom taught me that shit like this must never be allowed. I'll stand my ground, let them adapt."

Hecate looked over her shoulder and smiled, "you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am."

"...Good. This world needs to change, and something tells me you just might have a hand in that in the future."

Percy nodded as the walked silently. He looked down at his wand and grumbled as he saw finger smudges running along its length.

He quickly cleaned it with the long sleeve of his robe, "stupid gaurd, what's the point of having magic if you can't even take care of your own hygiene? I mean would it kill him to wash his hands?"

Hecate chuckled, "honestly most have stopped caring about things like that. Wizards are….not really all there when it comes to common sense."