Chapter 17.0

Percy


He woke up in the Hospital Wing, bandaged. The wound had mostly healed, he could tell from unfortunate experience, and he heard voices talking nearby. Sitting up, he saw Madame Pomfrey crying as she spoke to Dumbledore. Stepping forward, he grinned.

"I'm not dead yet, trust me." She turned to him, and Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"I'm not a werewolf either, don't worry. I'm not gonna bite you or any-" he was stopped by the crushing hug he received from the teary nurse. She let him go, then began fussing over his bandages.

"How are you unaffected by the werewolf bite, Percy?" Dumbledore asked, finding his voice. Percy winced, then turned to him.

"A few years ago, I was someplace pretty dangerous. Scratch that, it was extremely dangerous. The air itself was poisonous, and I lived off what I could. My girlfriend and I were stuck there for months, and we built up some immunities to lots of things. I can handle most curses and poisons, and I treated the bite with nectar right away." Dumbledore seemed to take that in, but Percy kept going.

"No, I can't tell you where it is. I wouldn't, even if I could. I wouldn't wish that place on anyone." He shuddered, and Madame Pomfrey made him drink a cup of hot chocolate. Then, Hermione and Harry burst in the infirmary. Percy finally noticed Ron, who was in a bed by the door. They made to hug him, but Madame Pomfrey blocked them.

"He has several broken ribs, and a shoulder wound. Do not injure him further." She strode to Ron, and began the spell that would fix his leg. Hermione and Harry were looking at him, with pity and horror. Percy chuckled, sitting on his bed. Then, he held up his hands like a cliché monster.

"GRRRRRRRRR!" he said, and laughed at the incredulous faces of his friends.

"I'm not a werewolf, calm down. Long story short, spending a lot of time around curses and poisons gave me some immunities." They looked heavily relieved, sitting on his bed. Dumbledore left, claiming he needed to see the Minister of Magic. Madame Pomfrey let Harry and Hermione spend the night with their friends, and they went to sleep.

The next morning, they went to check up on Lupin. Harry and Percy found him in his office, packing his trunk. He looked up when he saw them, and Percy saw the bandages on the older man. Lupin wouldn't look at him, and stood stiffly.

"If you want to press charges, I'll gladly accept. Execution wouldn't be enough to repay what I've done to you. This curse, I was supposed to be your teacher. Percy, I-" Percy stopped him with a hug. Percy wasn't much of a hugger, but the older man looked like he needed one. He let him go, and Lupin stared at him with shock.

"I'm fine, Professor. I'm not a werewolf. Even if I was, I wouldn't hate you. We've known you were a werewolf all year, I don't care what you are. My little brother isn't completely human either, and I'd give my life for Tyson. You weren't in control, this wasn't you. Damn racist wizards, would they really execute you?" Lupin was teary, but held his head up. He nodded, and Harry muttered something under his breath.

"Seriously, Professor. Don't leave because of me, I'm totally healed. You look like you need to see Madame Pomfrey, though. Sorry about that, I didn't want you doing something you'd regret." Percy held out a hand, and Lupin took it. Percy pulled him into another hug, and Harry joined in. They came out smiling.

"Percy, you have no idea how much that means to me. I'll stay until finals, but leave after exams. I never want to risk anything like last night again. I hurt you, and nearly gave you this awful curse." Percy then gave the older man a quick, light punch to the gut.

"Keep being such a downer and I hit you for real, Professor." Harry smiled, and they went as a group to see Sirius. He had spent a night being questioned, but was now in the infirmary. When they walked in, he smiled. It made his pale face seem ten years younger.

"Hey, Remus! And Harry, you look so much like James. Percy, I hear you're quite the prankster." Harry and Percy grinned, he was nothing like the angry and scared man they'd met last night.

"I once filled the Slytherin Common Room with rainbow slime that only Muggle cleaning worked on. You should've seen how angry Snape was, covered in pink goo." Sirius laughed, and Lupin looked like he'd won the lottery.

"What I would give to see that, you have no idea." He said, and Percy and Harry joined the laughter. When they calmed down, Sirius looked at Harry.

"I don't know if you knew, but I'm your Godfather, Harry. If you want, you could live with me." Harry blinked, then gave a loud whoop.

"You bet! Getting away from the Dursleys is a dream come true!" Sirius gave another smile, happiness shining from the Azkaban-worn face.

"Harry, do you know why we called James 'Prongs'?" Lupin asked, and Sirius grinned. Harry shook his head.

"It was because he was also an Animagus, and he was a stag. A stag, Harry." Harry smiled.

"A stag, huh?" He said quietly, and Percy was probably the only one who heard him. They said their goodbyes, heading to class. They still had class, despite everything. Meeting with Ron and Hermione, they made their way to Transfiguration.


Dumbledore

The boy was a mystery, and Dumbledore didn't like not knowing. He set to research, hoping to learn more about the oddity of the student. He carried a sword and shield made of a metal that can touch ghosts, he was immune to Lycanthropy, he spent time in a place Dumbledore had never heard of.

The camps he claimed to go to didn't seem to exist either. He couldn't find any records of Percy Jackson anywhere. He was worried, and suspicious too.

Who was Percy Jackson, and was he an enemy?