Harry Potter & Percy Jackson: Dark Waters.

"Aw, that's so unfair! Self-pitching tents, now, mysterious ways to wash without washing!" he complained playfully.

Zoë was definitely amused now. "Thou knowest the price. Allow My lady to turn thee female, and thou canst learn these secrets for thyself."

Harry finished whittling and studied the tip. He nodded, and held it in the fire to harden the wood. Keeping his eyes on his task, he said, "Only if I get to turn back if I change my mind."

Zoë remained silent as he worked. Finally, she said, "Unfortunate. Thou would make an excellent addition to the Hunters. Thou wouldst be my little sister, then."

Harry finished his spear, and shook his head. "You're my friend now, Miss Zoë." He looked at her, only to see that she had vanished. He sighed, it had been the longest conversation he had with her since this test started. Maybe she had been feeling lonely he knew he was.

Taking his new spear, he started trekking towards the trap. He had low expectations, despite the feeling in his gut. Traps rarely worked out so quickly.

To his surprise, when he approached it, he heard squealing and snorting. He knelt down and looked through the bushes.

His trap had caught a boar. A younger one, so to see – it definitely wasn't 80 centimeters tall, nor did it weigh 100 kilos. It still looked angry, squealing and snorting as it yanked angrily at the cordage tying it to the sapling. Harry was glad he had picked a sturdy-looking sapling for his trap, as that boar definitely looked like it could pull the tree out if it got angry enough.

Harry approached cautiously. The boar turned on three legs, one of them still off the ground, held by the tree, and snorted at him.

Raising his new spear, Harry studied his target, trying to make it a clean kill. Zoë and Artie both had insisted on proper reverence for his prey, and he was determined to make it quick so the animal didn't suffer.

Aiming for the heart, Harry thrusted. The sharpened stick drew a deep scratch in the wild pig's skin as it basically bounced off the thick hide. The boar squealed angrily and yanked ferociously at the trap. Zoë grin vanished. "Oh," she said, looking shocked. She obviously hadn't expected that. "I suppose you have your bow?" Harry asked, just a little bit of snark entering his voice. He'd just fought for his life, some rest would be good!

Zoë didn't take it personally, and pulled her bow form underneath her cloak. "One of My Lady's gifts is tobe able to draw our bows when required, and stow them away when not required," she said.

Harry didn't reply, and just groaned. Sometimes, it didn't pay to be a boy.

Something had to give, and the young sapling was the thing to give. With the cord still tied to its foot, but now free, the boar charged Harry, who let out a very undignified yelp and dropped his spear in surprise.

He jumped aside, grabbing the boar as it raced past, and tried to hold on to it. The pig thrashed, rolling over the ground to throw Harry off, then charged again. Trying desperately to stay away from that mouth with sharp-looking tusks, Harry grabbed hold of the beast's neck, and tried to keep his body parts away from the front of the beast. He was fighting for his life, now.

"Remember thy knife, boy!" he heard a female voice shout.

Harry grunted, reached with one hand to his knife, unfixed the clasp, grabbed the weapon, and thrust it savagely into the boar's neck. It squealed once, then fell.

Harry stayed on his back, panting, staring at the skies. His body hurt.

"Thou made thy first kill, and in a personal manner," Zoë noted, staring down at him. Harry just nodded, looking at his hands, now covered in the pig's blood. He swallowed deeply.

"Using a ranged weapon would have been easier," she noted, still looking down at him. He drew in a deep breath, his heart had finally stopped pounding so hard. "I couldn't make a bow and become any good with it in such a short time," he protested.

Zoë looked amused. "Thou could have brought thy bow," she replied.

Harry frowned, looking up at her. "I don't have a bow. Artie conjures one for me to learn with, then vanishes it when the lesson's over." "Doest thou remember how to butcher a kill?" Zoë asked when five minutes had passed and he made no effort to move.

Harry groaned, and sat up. He was covered on bruises and cuts from where the pig had dragged him over the ground. He nodded, and stared at the boar.

"I should butcher it here, so the smell doesn't attract bears," he said. Zoë did not reply now that he was getting up, and stepped back into the background.

The boy stood up completely, and grabbed the cord that was still tied to the hog's hind leg. He dragged it over to a sturdy-looking tree, and hoisted it up.

Harry just nodded, and pocketed the tusks. "Thanks, miss Zoë."

She remained silent, but he saw her dip her head in response. He carried the meat away from the butcher site, now poised to attract bears, and found a different spot, still far enough away from camp that a bear wouldn't go and wander through it.

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