A peaceful summer is about to end, and it's time to get back to Hogwarts. As in those last days, Percy had sent Harry a batch of blue cookies. Hoping it could help him survive with the Dursleys. And the other days, Ron had actually call him but because Percy didn't think throught before gave him the phone numbers. His demigod problem. So his mom had to took the call.
And over the summer, Sally had keep contact with the wizarding world and something was keeping her on the edge. And Percy worried for her.
For the first time, Percy will be on his own, to Hogwarts since he found out about Paul 'Blowfish'. His mom's new boyfriend. But before he's gone, Percy's mom already sign his form to visit Hogsmeade.
As Percy walked into the green flame, and there he was, at the Leaky Cauldron, and Percy visits Gringotts. The place was macnificent as ever but the cart ride was a little bumpy but before he knews it, he was already there in front of his father or so his vault. Percy opened the vault and took some drachmas and galleons to buy his school supplies.
As Percy stay at the Leaky Cauldron for a few days, his slept was well, more than usual, even than demigod standard. He slept most of the morning. Different time zone. In the afternoon, he strodes down the alley of, well Diagon Alley. And at night, he trains his sword fighting and magic skills (sound so weird, sorry.)
As the morning of the train leave arrive, Percy somehow manage to wake up on time to set off. But when he get downstairs, with a fuffel bag on his shoulder and pulling his trunk. But he was suprised by Harry, Ron and Hermione. And the entire Weasley's family.
"What are you guys doing here?" asked Percy as he dropped the bag and his trunk. Percy hugged each person quickly.
"What about you?" Asked Harry "How long have you been here?"
"Past few days. Why?"
"Serious! Then why i haven't see-"
"Now now, you kids can have this conversation on the way to the station." said Mrs Weasley.
"And how are you goin' to-" asked Percy.
"The Minister's vehicle" answered Hermione.
"They have cars?"
"For your matter of facts. Yes they do have cars" said Mr Weasley as he patted Percy in the shoulder.
Everyone started to put their luggages on the back of the cars. And enter it.
"You coming?" asked Hermione.
"Is there enought room because it kinda-uh"
"Magic remember?"
"Right" and he entered the car too.
As Percy on the car, next to his right was Hermione, in front of him was Harry. And the ride was uneventful until.
"And Percy" said Harry "those cookies are life-savers"
Then after 20 minutes, they arrived at Kings Cross Station. They all unloaded their trunks and Percy grabbed his duffel bag along with him.
"Right then," said Mr Weasley "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go throught first with Harry."
"Or just don't want anything like last year to happened." whispered Percy to Harry.
Then Mr Weasley and Harry strolled their cart between platforms 9 and 10 and disappear. Then other to other. And last was Percy and Hermione.
"Ready?" asked Hermione.
"Like you have to ask." answered Percy.
And the two pushed their way toward the wall. Next thing they know, they already on the other side of the wall. As Percy and Hermione met up with Ron and Harry and off they go, on the train. As the train started to move, they all leaned out of the window, waved to Mr and Mrs Weasley until the wall block them.
"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Percy, Ron and Hermione.
"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.
"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.
Then the four set off, finding an empty compartment. But all are full, except for one in the back. As Percy pulled open the door, but there only a man, sleeping next to the window. The man looks exhausted.
"Is that Percy?" Ron said, gasping.
"Ha ha," said Percy, full of sarcasm "very funny."
"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as the four slid in the seats, door shut silently.
"Professor R. J. Lupin," whispered Hermione at once.
"How d'you know that?" asked Percy.
"It's on his case," she replied, poited at the man, or the new professor's luggage.
"Of course." said Percy.
"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron.
"That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."
'Well, that give it away.' the thought appeared in Percy's mind. But the past two years, there were two Professor had teach DADA, and all ended up badly. Some even says the subject was jinxed.
"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like on, good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." He turned to Harry. "What were you going to tell us?"
Harry explained the three what Mr and Mrs Weasley had told Harry. When Harry finished, Ron was dumbstruck, Hermione had her hand over her mouth while Percy finally discover what her mother was so worried about.
Hermione finally lowered them to say,"Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry... you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry -"
"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."
"Just another day at the office." said Percy. Full of sarcasm.
"And how thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily
Harry was checking them. Percy had notice.
"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."
"Wait," said Percy "but i thought Azkaban was unbreakable-ish."
"It was," answered Hermione "until Black.'
"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I Mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..." "What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.
Then a sudden sound made Percy almost jump. The other two looked around the compartment.
"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up, reaching for Harry's luggage. Moment later, Ron pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out. Spinning fast.
"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.
"Yeah... mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."
"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.
"Well," said Percy "there was one time Ron-, actually no. There was this time-, no. Sorry man"
"It's ok," said Ron "But i wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys... but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?" said Ron
"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised "or it'll wake him up."
And Harry nodded toward Professor Lupin. As a signal, the three understand it. So Ron stuff the monster book in the chest again.
"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."
"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain -"
"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way"But that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honey Dukes."
"Really dude." saide Percy.
"What's that?" said Hermione, in confusion.
"It's a candy shop." replied Percy.
"They've got everything... Pepper Imps - they make you smoke at the mouth - and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next -" said Ron with enthusiasm.
"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shades supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain -"
"- and massive sherbert balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.
"And an excellent bar- with an amazing drink," said Percy "Butterbeer!"
Hermione looked around.
"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"
"Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."
"What d'you mean?" said Ron.
"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."
Ron looked horrified.
"Now that's a bummer." said Percy. Hermione gives him the look.
"You're not allowed to come? But - no way - McGonagall or someone will give you permission - " then the door suddenly open. Appeared Draco, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy "Potty and the Weasel."
Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly.
"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"
And Ron stood up fast, knocked crookshank off the ground.
"Who's that?" said Malfoy.
"New teacher," said Harry, who got to his feet, hold Ron back"What were you saying, Malfoy?"
"It's like watching a show." whispered Percy to Hermione.
Draco's eyes narrowed. Must be don't want to make a bad impression on the new professor.
"C'mon," Draco muttered to Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry and Ron sat backdown, fist bumping.
"Nice backing us up." said Ron.
"Well it seems you guys have everything under control." replied Percy with a smirk.
"Yeah, well-I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and -"
Ron made a violent gesture in midair.
"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful..."
But the professor was still far asleep.
The rain was thickened as every minutes passed, and the window now was solid. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the ind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.
"We must be nearly there," said Ron as he leaning to the window.
As the words came out of his mouth, the train slow down.
"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."
"Me too buddy." said Percy.
"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.
"So why're we stopping?"
The train getting slower and slower. The sound of the pistons faded away, and the sound of the rain was getting louder and louder.
Percy and Harry were the nearest to the door, so they get up and open the door to open it. Check if something happened. And just like them, lots of other students also stick their head out too.
The train stop with a thud, then a long bangs. But without a warning, all lights went out. Everythings was in darknest.
"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.
"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"
Harry and Percy felt back to their seats.
"D'you think we've broken down?"
"Dunno..."
There was a squeak sound, and the corridor was still pitch-black.
"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."
"No it's not." said Percy in a deathly calm.
The compartment door suddenly burst open to reveal Neville.
"Sorry - d'you know what's going on? - Ouch - sorry"
"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, pulling up his cloak.
"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"
"No idea - sit down -"
There was a loud hissing. Neville had almost sit on Crookshanks.
"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's the door slid open again.
"Who's that?"
"Who's that?"
"Ginny?"
"Hermione?"
"What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Ron -" "Come in and sit down -"
"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"
"Ouch!" said Neville.
"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.
The professor finally waken up. Professor Lupin appeared to holding flame in his hand. Percy can now see his face clearly. A tired, gray face,but his eyes looked alert and wary.
"Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice.
As the professor get up to the door, Percy draw his pen.
But the door slid open before he could reach it.
Standing in the doorway, an illuminated figure in the hood, hidden his face. The creature was floating, then like it was draw to Harry, it like sucking the life out of Harry untill he passed out.
But the professor yelled a spell, let out a spree of gray light, so powerful, it push all those figure away.
"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?" said Hermione, slaping his face.
"W - what?"
Harry slowly opened his eyes, blinked a few times. The train already on its way to Hogwarts and the light had come back on. Percy, Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to Harry, while Neville, Ginny and professor Lupin were standing above them.
Percy and Ron helped Harry het on his seat.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked.
"Yeah," said Harry, looking around "What happened? Where's that - that thing? Who screamed?"
"No one." said Percy, with a nervously look on his face.
"But I heard screaming -" said Harry. Ginny and Neville were both paling.
Professor Lupin made a loud snap, he broke an enormous piece of chocolate.
"Here," said professor Lupin, handling Harry the chocolate "Eat it. It'll help."
Harry took it, but didn't eat it.
"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.
"A dementor," said Lupin,"One of the dementors of Azkaban."
Everyone stare at the professor, except for Percy, still holding Riptide.
"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."
He strolled past Harry and Percy. Then disapeared.
"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" said Hermione.
"I Don't get it... What happened?" said Harry, wiping sweat.
"Well - that thing - the dementor - stood there and looked around - and you - you" said Hermione.
"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -"
"It likes sucking the life out of you." said Percy, deadly calm.
"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away... "
"It was horrible," said Neville "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"
"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."
Percy didn't say a thing, but the look on his face said it all. He was worried.
"But didn't any of you - fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.
"Well," said Percy "that's on you."
"Ginny was shaking like mad, though..." said Ron.
Percy could feel the awkwardness in the air. And Harry was shivery, Percy could tell. The professor had come back.
"I haven't poisoned the chocolate, you know..." said the man with a small smile.
Harry took a bite.
"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"
"Fine," he muttered, must because of embarrassed which Percy can totally related to.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. At last, the arrived at Hogsmeade station, and rain was driving down in icy sheets.
"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice, Harry, Ron , Hermione and Percy turned around to see the gigantic man. Hagrid was gathered the first year.
"You all right?" yelled Hagrid over the first year waved at him, but didn't had the chance to talk to him before they kinda met in the Dining Hall. The four make their way to the carriage, as they enter, the carriage pulled itself to the castle.
As Percy could see the tower, he could also see dementors, standing guard. Percy and the rest see could feel the sickness cold threatened them. The carriage pick up the speed, making its way into the castle.
When they finally there, Percy, Harry, Ron and Hermione get out, get wet a little. So Percy looked back and forth, seeing nobody really notice him, so he dries himself using his power.
"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottorn telling the truth? You actualy fainted?"
Malfoy elbowed Hermione and Percy as the blonde walked by. "Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, jaw clenched.
"Let it go." Said Percy
"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"
"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.
Malfoy froze, "Oh, no - er - Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.
Then the four making their way throught the crowd, up the step, throught the oak doors. The flaming torches, lit up the Great the four about to get to their table, a voice called out. "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!" Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house.
As Harry and Hermione left, Ron and Percy make their way to the table. But before he finally sat down, a familiar face caught him. Ally Dawson. He waved at her, smile and she waved back. Over the summer, Percy had talked a lot with Ally since they are both in the State.
Then to the sorting, which went by as fast as it come. Which was pretty quick for Percy. And soon enough, Harry was back with Hermione. As the two make their way to Percy and ron, a few whispered stated to come up.
"What was all that about?" Ron muttered to Harry.
Harry started to explained everything to Percy and soon enough, Harry was back with Hermione. As the two make their way to Percy and ron, a few whispered stated to come up.
"What was all that about?" Ron muttered to Harry.
Harry started to explained to Percy and Ron, but as the headmaster stood up, everyone broke up.
The old professor, alike Chiron always gave an impression of great energy. He is believe to be the greatest wizard of all time. And Percy trusted him, ever since his second year and when the man found out about his 'other side'.
"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..." he paused then continued
"I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year."
"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." There was applause, but unenthusiastic. The only few who clap hard was one of those stay in the compartment with him which include Harry.
"Look at Snape!" Ron whispered to Harry and Percy.
The potion master was staring at Professor Lupin, every one know Snape want to take the job, but get rejected everytime.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued, "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gatekeeping duties."
The four friends stared at each other, stunned. They soon joined in applause, which was kinda loud, especially from Gryffindor table.
"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"
Percy let out a small smile at Ron's comment.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."
The Headmaster pause, Percy can read from his expression, or to reframe it 'he tried to', the dude hates dementors.
"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," the professor glanced at the four "It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors," he continued.
"But you know, happiness can be found, even in the darknest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." he paused.
"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"
The food appeared from thin air, and Percy reach for it.
It was a delicious feast, and percy was full. The hall now echoed with talk, laughter. The four friends already finished their food, and eager to talk to Hagrid.
As long last, all the last of food disapeared into the air. And Dumbledore gave his last words before they off to bed. And that's there chance.
"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed.
"All down ter you four," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them., "Can' believe it... great man, Dumbledore... came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough... It's what I always wanted. -"
The giant burried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Percy joined the rest of the Gryffindor students to the tower. But the lady in a pink dress was there asked them "Password?"
"Coming through, coming through!" the Prefect called from behind the crowd. "The new password's 'Fortuna Major'!"
"Oh no," said Neville Longbottom sadly. The dude always has problem remembering password and this time was not an exception.
As the portrait open, Percy said good night to Hermione and so did the boys before headed to their room.