Chapter 13.0

Percy


Harry shook him awake after what felt like a few seconds of sleep. He leapt to his feet, sword in hand. When he saw everything was all right, he put his pen in his pocket. He went with his friends and fellow Gryffindors, led by Professor Mcgonagall, back to Gryffindor Tower.

A new portrait had been hung, and a crazy knight whose name was Sir Cadogan. The students left for Christmas break, but Percy and his friends stayed. They were some of the only Gryffindors left, with three other students staying. Fred, George, and Ginny had decided to spend Christmas at home, and Other Percy had stayed. He claimed it was his duty as Head Boy, and that he would not leave his duty. Percy tried his best to keep a straight face, but he was pretty immature. Other Percy didn't seem to notice, so he succeeded.

Percy had told them everything he knew, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't think Lupin could be a traitor. Percy hoped they were right, the image of Selena's bloodied face kept haunting him. They went to Dumbledore's office when the time came, and guessed passwords. Dumbledore hadn't mentioned one during their conversation.

"Cockroach Cluster." Said Ron

"Cauldron Cake." Said Harry

"Every Flavor Beans." Said Percy

"Sugar Quills?" When Hermione spoke, the gargoyle lept to the side. They went up the curved staircase, and Dumbledore was in his usual seat.

Aeto leaped from Percy's pocket, as he'd outgrown the hood, and went to Fawkes. The phoenix looked down at the excited puppy with a trill of disapproval. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in the seats in front of Dumbledore and Percy stood behind them.

"I hear you were quite diligent last night, Percy. The welcome you gave me was apparently given to Professor Lupin twice." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and Percy laughed a little uncomfortably.

"I had to make sure, Professor. Being paranoid isn't a bad thing, especially with my luck." Dumbledore nodded, leaning back.

"Take twenty points, anyway. I called you here to tell you all information about Black is not generally known. Please, save questions for the end. As you probably know, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were friends in school. There were two other boys in their tight-knit group, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter. Black and Potter were best friends, and troublemakers that would give even the Weasley Triplets a run for their money. When they graduated, they were still friends, and the rise of Voldemort didn't change that. Black was even the best man at Lily and Jame's wedding, and your Godfather, Harry." Percy grasped the wood of the chair he was standing behind a little too hard, and it splintered. Harry looked pale, while Hermione looked horrified, and Ron furious. They remained quiet, waiting. Dumbledore gave them a look of timeless sadness, and continued.

"We began to suspect a traitor in our midst, and we decided to protect your parents and you the best we could. We used the Fidelius Charm, which makes a place completely hidden. The charm uses a Secret-Keeper, a person with utmost trust. The only way for someone to find what was hidden is if the Secret-Keeper tells them the location. Sirius Black was the Secret-Keeper, and he chose to betray his friends to Voldemort." He looked at Percy's face of cold fury, and the quietly horrified faces of the three in chairs.

"Peter Pettigrew took it upon himself to hunt down Sirius Black, and unfortunately succeeded. Black killed him and twelve nearby Muggles, blowing the street apart. Only a finger was left of the poor boy. When they found Black, he was laughing. He was put on trial, and sentenced for life in Azkaban." Harry was visibly upset, and Hermione and Ron were looking at him. They were pale, and worried about him. Percy was furious, and it showed. He calmed himself, with effort, before walking in front of Harry.

"Are you alright?" He asked, making Harry look at him. Harry was shocked, and angry too.

"Harry, listen to me. I may not look it, but I have lived a long life. I'm going to tell you a story, the story of Ethan Nakumora. His mother had been wronged, she had been betrayed by her family and cast out. Ethan was furious at the betrayal and pain his mother had gone through, and swore revenge. He made a promise with someone who used Dark Magic, and lost an eye. He was bent on revenge, and was used by an evil person who promised to help him. They attacked Camp, and nearly killed everyone and destroyed everything. Ethan had been tossed aside like garbage, and he had been caught under a fallen cabin. We got it off him, but it was too late. Before he died, he told me he regretted turning his life into a quest for vengeance. I promised to do everything I could to make things right, and he died. He was just a kid, seeking revenge for his parent. He died a kid, full of regret." Percy was staring evenly at Harry, who was staring back with shock and sadness. Hermione and Ron were appalled, and he didn't turn to look at Dumbledore.

"Harry, don't make his mistakes. I don't want to bury another friend. Don't be rash, and rely on us. We're all here for you. You're not in this alone." Harry nodded at him, and Percy stood. He finally looked at Dumbledore, who was looking at him with sadness and a little respect. Dumbledore had been in the war against Voldemort, and probably understood loss more than most.

"Percy, I believe you're right. I'm sorry for your loss, death is always painful for those left behind." Percy waved a hand at him.

"Don't worry about me. Harry has just heard some awful things, and I think we should go. He needs time to get over this, whether he thinks so or not." He dragged Harry to his feet, and the other two followed him out of the office. They walked to the empty Common Room in silence, and were soon seated in armchairs. Percy left, returning with hot chocolate a few minutes later. The three sat in silence, thinking about what they had heard.