Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Sorry for the long delay. The past 8 weeks have been super crazy for me. After a bit of re-writing, I'm still not totally happy with this chapter, but at this point I just need to move on and not get bogged down by perfectionism.
Chapter 11 – Loitering in Bathrooms
Despite the tense atmosphere of the school, classes continued as normal though Hufflepuffs took Cedric's words to heart and rarely traveled the halls alone. While Percy wasn't a Muggle-born like Justin, his friends were still annoyingly worried about him because of his mom. However, when Snape made Percy stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks, he told his friends to go on to lunch without him.
"Mr. Jackson, am I correct in assuming that you are not challenged in my class?" Snape asked while Percy worked.
"Umm, no sir." Percy had a feeling he wouldn't like what happened if Snape figured out exactly how easy it was for him to brew potions. Snape seemed like the kind of teacher that would give Percy extra work just because he expected a certain level of torture and misery from his non-Slytherin students.
"You do not sound very certain," Snape said with a smirk as if he had just caught Percy in a trap. "Yet you continue to brew better quality potions than my top students in half the time."
Percy's response left his mouth before he could stop himself, "Careful, Professor, that almost sounded like a compliment."
"It wasn't," Snape snapped, "because despite your unusual proficiency with brewing, your theory work is mediocre at best."
Percy shrugged, "Must be luck, then."
"Or laziness on your part since clearly, you have the time and ability to invent potions and test them on faculty," Snape countered.
Percy glanced up and met Snape's piercing stare with a grin, "I have no idea what you mean Professor, but on a completely unrelated note, I think I appreciated Lockhart's sudden hair color change almost as much as you did."
However, Snape was not amused. "You know what I think Jackson?" but he didn't wait for Percy to respond. "I think a rare, once in a century potion's talent has been wasted on a foolish, lazy, entitled boy with a temper problem. The last wizard who I believe had a similar ability revolutionized the brewing of antidotes and saved countless of lives, yet you seem content to use it for party tricks." Snape was so angry that his nostrils flared, making Percy wonder if he was about to breath fire.
Instead, Snape's mouth formed a cruel smile. "However, I intend to correct this. From now on, you will receive assignments according to your seemingly prodigious potion brewing skills. Although I haven't been able to prove that you are helping Ms. Abbott cheat her way through my class, I have a feeling that once you are adequately challenged, her potions will return to their previously abysmal state. I wonder if Hufflepuff House can afford the points I will have to take away for her shoddy potions work."
Percy clenched his fist squeezing the last of the tubeworms as he gritted, "That's really not necessary."
"Oh, but I think it is," Snape sneered. "Looks like you missed a spot."
Before Percy knew what was happening, the jars of foul liquid were rattling on their shelves along the walls of the classroom. But the jars stopped moving just as quickly as they'd started, and Percy had to resist the urge to double over as he gasped in pain. Until then, Percy hadn't realized exactly how drained his demigod water abilities were after an hour and a half of brewing potions. It was probably why Hecate had showed him that trick to begin with. It would be impossible to douse Snape now, even if Percy did lose control of his temper.
Snape tsked, "Best watch that temper, Jackson. It will get you in trouble sooner or later." Percy just gritted his teeth and went back to scraping.
As soon as the desks were cleaned to Snape's satisfaction, Percy dashed to the nearest bathroom to remove the remains of the worms from his hands all the while cursing Snape in ancient Greek. Just as he turned off the sink, the bathroom door opened, and he heard a familiar, arrogant voice. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the puny, Yank Hufflepuff with the big mouth, all alone. I think he needs to be taught a lesson about respecting his betters." It was Draco Malfoy and his two goons Crabbe and Goyle. Percy whirled around to see Malfoy point his wand at the door and say, "Colloportus."
For a second, Percy hesitated. Even if his water powers were tired from potions, he was pretty sure that if he concentrated enough, he could still manage to blast the Slytherins. It would hurt like Hades, probably destroy the bathroom, and bring up a lot of awkward questions. Exactly how much could be blamed on accidental magic? Or he could beat them at their own game and prove he really was a wizard and didn't have to rely on his father's powers for everything.
"Locomotor Mortis," Malfoy called in a sing-song voice. Percy easily dodged the jet of purple light. Malfoy narrowed his eyes in annoyance. As Percy reached into his pocket for his own wand, the other boy ordered, "Crabbe, Goyle, hold him down."
The bigger boys rushed him. The part of Percy's mind that had started to sound like Annabeth recognized that a wand was a long-distance weapon and would be almost useless in close range against two charging boys the size of gorillas, so he left it in his pocket. He had said he'd beat them at their own game. If they wanted a physical fight, that was fine with him. Now, Chiron had told him to never take his anger out on regular mortals and to save his fighting for monsters. But wizards weren't exactly regular mortals. And besides, this was self-defense.
Goon Number One (Percy had never bothered to learn exactly which one was Crabbe and which one was Goyle) reached and lunged for him. Compared to the Ares' kids Percy had wrestled against at Camp, the Slytherin moved in slow-mo. Percy easily ducked under his arm, and then grabbed it, spun into his attacker and yanked his arm down with all of his strength. The goon flipped over Percy and slammed to the floor with a loud crash and a howl of pain from what was probably a dislocated shoulder. Annabeth had taught him that particular move after their quest.
Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Goon Number Two getting close, so he swept his leg out, knocking him to the ground, except as the boy fell, he managed to get tangled in Percy's robe taking him down too. Percy kicked trying to free his legs from the mess of robes as the heavy goon attempted to grab onto him. He heard an ominous crunch as his left foot made contact with something, and the burly Slytherin hollered. That was probably his nose.
"Petrificus totalus!" Malfoy shouted right as Percy managed to shove himself free of the groaning boy. Luckily, the motion caused Malfoy's spell to hit the Slytherin instead.
As Percy got to his feet, dodging another of Malfoy's spells, he managed to pull out his own wand and shouted the first spell that came to mind, "Expelliarmus!" There was a flash of scarlet light and a cry of alarm from Malfoy as his wand flew at Percy. Instinctively, he caught it with his left hand and pointed both wands at the blond boy who looked even paler than usual.
"You're going to pay for this Jackson," Malfoy stuttered. "You'll be expelled. I'm going to tell my father . . ." But Malfoy never finished as both he and Percy realized that Malfoy would not want to tell anyone about this, certainly not his father or even a teacher.
Suddenly, the bathroom door burst open. Percy pointed the wands at the intruder, but his stomach dropped as his current least favorite teacher swept into the room (It really depended on the day, since sometimes Lockhart held that honor). Snape's dark eyes scanned the scene taking in Crabbe and Goyle on the floor, Malfoy's relieved face that was quickly turning red with embarrassment, and finally Percy standing in the middle of it all with two wands pointing at the professor. Percy quickly lowered his arms. He figured pointing the wands at Snape was not going to help the situation. Snape must have decided that Crabbe and Goyle weren't injured too badly – though you would never know that based on how the one that could move was carrying on – because instead of rushing them to the Hospital wing he fixed Percy with a gloating look that said he was definitely in big trouble. "I thought I heard a disturbance in here. Draco, what happened?" Snape asked in a smug tone.
However, Malfoy hesitated. No doubt, he was trying to figure out how to get Percy in trouble without completely embarrassing himself. Before Malfoy could decide on a response, they were interrupted by the sound of hurrying footsteps from the hallway. "Percy are you okay?" Ernie called as he rushed in, wand raised, though Percy noticed it was shaking slightly. Justin followed a step behind with his wand out too. Hannah and Susan stopped at the door clearly not sure about entering a boy's bathroom, and Zacharias peered over their shoulders.
However, they halted as soon as they saw Snape and quickly tucked their wands back in their pockets. Ernie glanced around the rest of the bathroom slowly piecing together what must have happened.
"Macmillan, what are you doing here?" Snape asked annoyed.
"Well, when Percy didn't come to the Great Hall, we got worried and thought. . . well it looks like you're fine," he flashed a grin at Percy after looking at Crabbe and Goyle again.
"More than fine, I'd say!" Zacharias declared also looking at the big bullies. "You promised I'd get to watch."
"What does he mean by that, Jackson?" Snape demanded.
Despite the fact that Percy was most likely going to get a detention, if not something worse, he couldn't help himself. He gave Snape that half-smile he knew teachers hated, "I don't know Professor. What do you think Draco? Did a single, puny, Yank, Hufflepuff duffer get the better of three, clever, sly Slytherins, two of which are twice his size? Or did your two friends there have a nasty fall?" Percy asked with a wink.
Malfoy grimaced, "I don't know what you are Jackson, but you are no Hufflepuff."
"The Sorting Hat disagreed," Percy replied as he twirled Malfoy's wand between his fingers before holding it back out to him by the handle. "Cool wand by the way, thanks for showing it to me." Malfoy snatched it out of his hand with a glare.
Snape though had had enough. "Detention, Jackson, and twenty-five points from Hufflepuff."
"For what, sir?" Percy smiled innocently wondering if Snape would admit that Percy had bested three of his favorite Slytherins.
Snape glanced at Malfoy who was intently studying the floor. "For loitering in the bathroom," he responded with a sneer.
Percy wasn't sure whether to laugh or explode at the trumped-up charge, but before he could blow up the bathroom, Justin declared, "That's not fair. Percy was only defending himself. He's not loitering."
Snape glowered at Justin, and the boy seemed to shrink, "Can you prove it Finch-Fletchley? Because all I see is Jackson loitering in the bathroom?"
Percy snorted, "And I suppose Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle aren't loitering in the bathroom?"
Snape's malicious smile made his dark eyes glint, "I believe as you said that Misters Crabbe and Goyle had a nasty fall, and Draco being a caring friend brought them in here to help them. I assume, given your past record, and the headmaster's explicit warning that you, Mr. Jackson, wouldn't have dared to take part in a fight. Otherwise the punishment would be most severe." Percy couldn't stand the triumphant look in Malfoys eyes, but Percy couldn't argue back without admitting that he had given Crabbe and Goyle those injuries. He'd get a lot worse than a single detention then.
In a shaky voice Justin said, "If you're giving Percy detention for loitering in the bathroom, Professor, then you need to give me one too." He gave Snape a fearful look before stepping to Percy's side. Percy was so shocked; he didn't know what to say.
"Us too," Hannah declared as she and Susan joined him.
"And it's a boy's bathroom," Susan emphasized though her face was bright red, "so we're in extra trouble."
"And me," Ernie must have swallowed his constant desire to be the good little teacher's pet as he too joined Percy.
They all looked at Smith who still lingered at the door. "Oh fine," he muttered with an eye roll.
"Well, Professor, I suppose you should get your quill and parchment because that's going to be a lot of paperwork," Susan reasoned. "Six detentions all for loitering in the bathroom, how long will that take to fill out?"
"And you probably would want us to have separate detentions," Hannah added. "Otherwise, we might actually have fun if we get to spend time with our mates, and I'm sure Professor Sprout will be extremely interested in why six students who have never received a detention before all got one at the same time."
Snape glared at them, clearly weighing his options. Writing up six separate detentions really must have been a lot of paperwork, or maybe Snape didn't want to deal with Professor Sprout, who never responded well when someone was unfair to her students, because Snape snarled, "Get out." But as Percy left, he added, "And if I find you in a similar situation again Jackson, I don't care which House you are in or if it's fair or how many detentions I'll have to write. Do I make myself clear?"
"Absolutely," Percy replied, still not quite believing his luck, but when he glanced at Malfoy and saw the eager look on the other boy's face, as if he was already plotting his revenge, Percy added, "But that's assuming Malfoy doesn't want to be the one who has a nasty fall because if this does happen again, or if something similar happens to any of my friends, next time I might forget Hufflepuffs are supposed to be nice. There might not be much of you left, Malfoy, for a teacher to save."
"Is that a threat, Jackson?" Malfoy scoffed clearly feeling braver with Snape at his shoulder.
"No, it's a promise," Percy replied as he walked towards his waiting friends, friends who were willing to get detentions for him, and he would dam himself to the Fields of Punishment if he let Malfoy or anyone else bully them.
Once they were away from the dungeons, Percy said, "Thanks guys, but you really didn't need to do that. Usually, at this point in the year, I've had at least five detentions."
"Nonsense," Justin stated matter of factly. "It's like Cedric said: We're stronger together. You would've done the same for any of us."
"Besides, we all know Malfoy tried to jump you three on one, and you were only defending yourself." Ernie added. "Any other teacher would have at the very least punished Malfoy too."
"Still wish I could've seen it," Zacharias muttered.
That Saturday, excitement filled the school, and for the first time in days, people weren't talking about the Heir of Slytherin or the Chamber of Secrets. It was the first Quidditch match of the season: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. "Slytherin is going to win," Zacharias predicted at breakfast. "They have the faster brooms. The whole team has faster brooms!"
"But Gryffindor's got the better team," Ernie argued back. "All their players are fantastic and could probably go on to the British and Irish League."
Percy glanced over to the Gryffindor table and saw Harry with the rest of the Gryffindor team looking nervous and picking at their food. "I don't care who's got the better chance, I'm cheering for Gryffindor," Percy stated.
"We're all cheering for Gryffindor," Hannah added. "Slytherin hasn't lost the Quidditch Cup in forever. Plus, we all want to see Malfoy lose, again," she winked at Percy. Then her eyes widened, and she said, "Hi Cedric!" in a voice that was a whole octave higher than normal.
"Hi Hannah," the fourth year replied with a polite smile as he stood at their section of the table.
"Diggory will agree with me," Zacharias claimed. "Slytherin's going to win."
"Actually, Smith, if I was going to bet on anyone, I'd bet on Gryffindor," Cedric corrected, and Ernie flashed a pompous smile at Zacharias.
"But a whole team on Nimbus 2001s!" Zacharias argued.
"Doesn't matter. Potter's the better Seeker even with a slower broom," the older boy reasoned. "He'll catch the snitch before Slytherin can get a big enough lead." Zacharias huffed in disbelief, but Cedric ignored the rude response and instead asked, "I wanted to ask if you and Jackson would want to come sit with me and the rest of the team to watch the match? We analyze the techniques and strategies of the other teams together. I figured it would be good exposure for you if you two still want to be Chasers next year."
For once, Zacharias looked like he was at a loss for words, so Percy answered for him. "Sure, we'd love too, once Smith gets over his shock at being included for once."
"Great! The Gryffindor Chasers are some of the best Hogwarts has seen in a while, so it will be good for you to watch them closely," Cedric added.
"You mean the best until Jackson and I start playing," Smith corrected as they headed out of the Great Hall.
"Well, it didn't take him too long to recover his cockiness," Percy observed.
They were walking across the grounds when a familiar voice called out, "Hiya Percy!"
"Great what does he want," Zacharias muttered, as Colin Creevey dashed towards them.
"Be nice, Smith," Percy warned. Although privately Percy agreed with Zacharias. If Percy had to pick a time for Colin to come talk to him, it wouldn't be when he was with the most popular guy in his House and the guy who would most likely tease him mercilessly about whatever Colin said. It was kind of embarrassing. Percy wondered if this was what it was like to have a younger brother. That thought though made Percy smile. He had always wanted a little brother, "Hi Colin."
"I haven't been able to see you much since we're in different Houses and all. Been having a good term?" Colin enthusiastically asked.
"Yeah, actually, I have," Percy answered still a little surprised that he could honestly say that. "You?"
"It's been incredible!" Colin exclaimed. "Magic is so cool! Anyways, my father let me take Mum's camera, so I've been taking lots of pictures." He held up an old-fashioned camera for Percy to see. "I've actually used it to make some money when classmates want their pictures taken so here. Percy barely stuck out his hand in time for Colin to dump a handful of coins into it. "I know that's not enough, but maybe, I'll be able to pay you back by the end of the year!"
The boy looked so hopeful, that Percy didn't know what else to do but pocket the money, "Really, Colin, you can pay me back whenever."
"Thanks Percy! Oh, and here's a photo I took of you playing Quidditch! I developed the film in a potion, so the picture moves!" he said proudly as he thrust a photograph at Percy and waved it under his nose until Percy took it.
Percy tried to ignore the snide look Zacharias was giving him, and he just knew that Cedric wanted to laugh but was too polite. "Umm, thanks Colin," he said dryly.
The boy must have missed Percy's less than enthusiastic tone because he beamed at him, until something else caught his eye. "There's Ginny! I told her I'd sit with her. See you, Percy!"
"Merlin! I didn't think he would ever leave us alone," Zacharias stated.
"Do I want to know why you are taking money from a first year, Jackson?" Diggory asked sounding more amused than judgmental.
"Uh, I sort of helped him out of an awkward money situation at Madam Malkin's. I figured he'd be more upset and embarrassed if I refused to take the money," Percy admitted.
"That was nice of you," Cedric commented.
Percy shrugged, "I know what it's like to not have a lot." He remembered all those years of trying to hide money from Gabe, but he smiled as he thought of how happy and excited Colin had been, "And I guess in that moment, Colin just reminded me of that younger brother I always wanted."
Percy hadn't been paying attention, so he didn't realize what was happening until it was too late, and Colin's photograph was snatched from his loose grip. "Let's take a look at this picture," Zacharias taunted. He took one look and burst out laughing.
He gave the photograph to Cedric next. The older boy finally lost his personal battle and laughed too, but at least he apologized while he was laughing, "Sorry Jackson, but this photo is too good. Guess you really did almost fall off the broom on that pass." He handed the photograph back to Percy, and Percy groaned.
Colin had captured his upside-down pass. The Percy in the photo kicked his legs out wildly while one hand had a death grip on the broom, and the other arm pulled back and threw the Quaffle. But Percy's face was the worst. It looked like he was constipated. "This is getting destroyed as soon as I get back to the common room," Percy stated as he folded the picture and tucked it safely in his pocket.
"Pity, Jackson, I was going to buy you a frame for it," Smith remarked.
"You're going to need to save it, Smith, for the fabulous action shot, I'm going to ask Colin to take of you," Percy shot back with a grin.
Smith opened and closed his mouth unable to come up with a satisfactory comeback. Cedric laughed again, "Thank Merlin you came to Hogwarts, Jackson. We needed someone who can out snark Zacharias."
"Whose side are you on, Diggory?" Zacharias grumbled.
"The side of my sanity," Cedric replied with a grin. "Though I have a feeling if I have to captain you both next year, there won't be much of it left."
Once they found the rest of the Hufflepuff team, Cedric introduced them, and they sat next to Tasmin Applebee who would be the only returning Chaser.
"So, it's official were on the team next year?" Zacharias asked.
"It's unofficially official," Tasmin replied with a wink.
"Officially, I can't make the announcement until next fall," Cedric explained. "But I want you two to do the best you can to prepare. You are good, but there still will be a steep learning curve, especially for you, Jackson. I want to build a team that shows the school that we aren't just a bunch of pushovers."
"At least, you will finally get to play Seeker," Smith commented but was shushed by Tasmin who looked over at the current team captain.
"Are you a better Seeker or Chaser?" Percy asked Cedric.
The older boy shrugged, "I'm a decent Seeker."
"He's being modest," Zacharias interjected. "In a pickup match at the Prewett's annual picnic, he got the Snitch so fast we just started the game over, so we could actually get the chance to play."
"That was luck," Cedric protested.
"Maybe, but you can't blame that next catch you made on luck. He did this really impressive swerve and cut off the other Seeker." Percy raised his eyebrows in surprise. Coming from Zacharias, that was high praise. Cedric must be a really good Seeker.
The Slytherin team stepped onto the field to a roar of cheers from the Slytherins in the stands and boos from the Gryffindors and Percy, but he stopped once he realized the rest of his House was politely clapping. When the Gryffindor team entered though the Hufflepuffs cheered just as enthusiastically as the students in red and gold. Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the match started to the roars of the spectators. Slytherin grabbed the Quaffle first thanks to their faster brooms and made a quick score.
Tasmin whistled appreciatively, "Man those new brooms sure are fast."
"Now pay attention," Cedric instructed. "Look how the Gryffindor Chasers weave around each other. One blocks a Slytherin Chaser, then rolls under him, and is open for the pass." It was a good play, but the pass was intercepted by another Slytherin Chaser.
Percy was distracted from the action with the Quaffle though when Harry sped across the length of the field, a Bludger close behind. A Gryffindor Beater, one of the Weasley twins, hit the Bludger solidly away, but then the Bludger changed directions and hurdled back towards Harry. "Are Bludgers supposed to do that?" Percy asked. "I thought they just tried to hit as many players as possible."
"No, that is definitely not normal," Cedric admitted frowning in concern as the two Weasley twins sandwiched Harry between them to protect him from the murderous Bludger.
"Still think Gryffindor will win now?" Zacharias smugly asked. "You should've realized Slytherins always cheat."
"This is extreme, even for them," Cedric argued. "Wood needs to call it off before Potter gets hurt. It's too dangerous."
"Didn't that Quill guy try to kill Harry last year at a Quidditch match? Maybe, it's something like that." Percy suggested. He was beginning to suspect that Harry might have as bad of luck as he did.
"Could be," Cedric admitted. "Potter has a lot of enemies. All those who supported You-Know-Who would like to see him dead. Good, Woods called the timeout. They should stop the match and ask for an inquiry." However, after the timeout the match continued except this time Harry flew alone without the Weasley twins' protection, the crazy Bludger right behind him. Cedric groaned, "Damn Gryffindor pride. What is Wood thinking? He's going to get Potter killed!"
"Knowing Harry, I think he might have suggested it himself, instead of risking losing to Slytherin." Percy stated.
And on top of everything it was raining. Cedric quickly cast a water repellant charm which helped (It seemed rain was more resistant to Percy's drying abilities. Maybe because rain was more of Zeus' thing), but the players were not as fortunate. Yet, somehow Harry still managed to avoid the Bludger looping, spiraling, and zigzagging across the field. Cedric whistled appreciatively, "Now, that's some impressive flying."
Something though made Harry pause his crazy, roller coaster flying and face Malfoy. "Potter's spotted it!" Cedric announced squinting his eyes at the field. "The Snitch is right next to Malfoy's head, and he doesn't have a clue."
The pause though cost Harry as the Bludger smashed into his elbow. "Ouch," Percy winced in sympathy, "That's a broken arm." Harry slid to one side of the broom somehow managing to swerve away from the Bludger as it came at him again. Then, he dove straight for Malfoy.
"Incredible! He's still going for it," Cedric exclaimed. Harry took his good arm off his broom and made a desperate grab for the tiny, winged, gold ball before crashing into the ground.
"Gryffindor wins!" Lee Jordan shouted over the speakers. "One-hundred sixty to seventy, and I am sure a full inquiry will be launched into this obvious, rampant attempt of cheating and murdering Gryffindor's Seeker!"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall reprimanded.
Percy tried to reach Harry to see if his friend was okay, but Harry was surrounded by an impenetrable crowd of red and gold clad Gryffindors. Percy finally caught him as Harry left the pitch with Ron supporting him and Hermione leading the way. Something was wrong though. Percy expected to see Harry's arm bent at a bad angle. Instead, it swung limply at his side and looked kind of rubbery. "What happened, Harry? Are you okay? I thought you broke your arm?"
"I did," Harry gritted. "And then Lockhart tried to fix it."
"Oh, man that's rough," Percy winced. "I think I would've kicked him if he tried."
"Everyone makes mistakes," Hermione defended.
"He removed all the bones in my arm, Hermione! That's some mistake," Harry huffed.
"So, why do you think the Bludger did that?" Percy asked before Hermione could start an argument.
"Malfoy probably did something to it," Harry answered. "He was having a good laugh up there about it until I caught the Snitch." Based on Percy's experience with Malfoy, it did sound like something he might do.
Percy left them at the hospital wing. He never was particularly fond of hospitals anyways and spent enough of his summer in a sickbed between the Minitour and pit scorpion, so he headed back down to find his Hufflepuff friends. Even with the chance of murderous Bludgers, Percy couldn't wait to play on the Quidditch team next year.
Percy slept in that Sunday morning because he'd once again snuck out to the forest to train, so he was one of the last to arrive at breakfast. As soon as he entered the Great Hall, he knew something was wrong. Everyone was talking in hushed whispers and the other Hufflepuffs kept giving him pitying looks as he headed towards the other second years. He sat down in the space they'd saved for him between Hannah and Justin, and his friends stopped talking immediately and instead just looked at him.
Percy poured his cup of coffee and grabbed some eggs, bacon, and toast because he needed his breakfast first before he could deal with whatever it was. Finally, he said, "Okay, out with it. What's going on? Why does everyone look like their dog died?"
His friends all looked at Hannah like they'd already discussed the best way to tell him. She took a breath and in a soft, gentle voice said, "Percy, there's been another attack, last night." Percy felt his blood freeze. "It was Colin Creevey. Zacharias said you two were friends."
"Is he . . .?" Percy didn't want to finish the thought.
"Lavender Brown says he's only been petrified. He's in the hospital wing, but apparently, they're not letting anyone visit him in case the attacker tries to finish him off. Rumor has it, he was trying to sneak down to the hospital wing to see Potter."
Percy tried not to imagine Colin, usually so full of energy and enthusiasm, just lying there like a living version of one of Medusa's statues. And just yesterday, he had been embarrassed by him. He felt in the pocket of his robe. At least, he had forgotten to destroy the picture Colin had given him. He would have felt even worse if he had thrown it in the fire like he had planned to. Suddenly, he didn't feel hungry anymore. He needed to do something to stop this. He needed to talk to Annabeth.
Shoving his plate away, Percy stood up. "I need to go."
"Wait," Justin pleaded. "You can't just go off by yourself, the monster will find you."
"Good, I hope it does because I'm going to kill it," Percy declared, deadly serious.
Zacharias scoffed, "What are you going to do? You're only a second year."
Percy felt the edge of his lips curl upwards as he remembered all the monsters, he'd faced last summer, "Trust me, killing monsters is my specialty."
As his friends tried to figure out what he meant, he quickly headed back towards the entrance hall, but when he reached the doors, he felt like someone was watching him. He glanced up at the staff table and met Dumbledore's x-ray blue eyes. Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout also looked at him with varying expressions of suspicion and concern. Did they suspect that he knew something about Colin's attack? If they did, it could make it a lot harder to get to the bottom of this. He saw his friends scrambling to catch up with him, so he quickly left the hall, taking one of Nick's secret passageways to the third floor before doubling back down towards Myrtle's bathroom. He felt bad leaving his friends, but this was something he had to do on his own for now. He couldn't tell them about Annabeth or Iris messages or his dad's side of the family without putting them in danger and sounding like a crazy person.
Over the past week, he'd been looking up magical horse creatures in the library whenever he had a chance. When his friends had asked about his uncharacteristic, extracurricular reading interest, he'd just told them that he really liked horses and was curious about magical ones. It wasn't exactly a lie. There were surprisingly a lot of monstrous horses in Scotland and the Wizarding world in general.
However, the only two that maybe could have caused the attack were thestrals and nuckelavee, but neither creature completely fit the evidence. Thestrals could only be seen by someone who had 'seen death.' Percy wasn't sure what that meant, but it could explain how the monster was sneaking around the castle invisible. However, as far as Percy could find, the reptilian, skeletal horses did not petrify people or cats. Nuckelavee though were nasty demons. The books did not mention invisibility, but they did cause lots of catastrophes like drought and disease. Even the author of the book Percy had found could only speculate at the full extent of their power, but since nuckelavee were sea monsters, they could not cross fresh water. Now, Percy didn't know exactly where Hogwarts was, but as someone also connected to the sea, he had a feeling they were far enough inland to make a nuckelavee uncomfortable, especially with a large freshwater lake nearby.
He hoped Annabeth could make sense of it. He didn't like to admit it, but she was better at connecting things together than he was, like how'd she realized the Furies had been looking for something when they'd attacked him on the bus.
Percy double checked that the coast was clear before pushing open the door to Myrtle's bathroom. Except, for the first time, he wasn't the only living person there. "Harry?" Percy asked incredulously. Harry Potter stood right in the middle of a girls' bathroom. Ron and Hermione were there too, peering around a stall door, but they quickly blocked Percy's view making him think they must be hiding something in the bathroom stall. "Hermione? Ron? What's going on?"
"Jackson, what are you doing here?" Ron asked, clearly annoyed.
Percy grinned, "You know me, I'm just loitering in a bathroom. According to Snape, it's my new favorite hobby. Why are you guys here?"
"Shouldn't you be running away from me like all your other scared Hufflepuff friends, Jackson?" Harry snapped at him.
That got on Percy's nerves. He expected comments like that from Malfoy. He thought Harry was better than that. "Firstly, Potter, I thought we were becoming friends, but I guess it was silly of me to think you cool Gryffindors would want to be friends with a Hufflepuff, like me. Secondly, in case you haven't noticed, I don't think you're the Heir of Slytherin, and I've been trying to convince the other Hufflepuffs that it's not you, but I guess this is what I get for trying to stick up for you."
"You have?" Harry sounded genuinely surprised, like he had not thought Percy would bother to stand up for him.
Percy nodded, "And you haven't been making it easy. I know you guys are hiding something about how you ended up in that corridor that night, but despite how suspicious it seemed, I just don't think it was you," he admitted. Percy wasn't even sure why. Since he'd been so wrong about Luke, it had been hard to trust his instincts again, but he just had a feeling Harry was innocent. "I guess it was your expression in Lockharts' office. It wasn't the oh-shoot-I-got-caught look or even the I'm-going-to-play-it-cool look. It was more the oh-no-I'm-getting-blamed-for-something-that's-not-my-fault look. And trust me I know that one really well."
"Sorry, about what I said," Harry muttered, sheepishly. "We are becoming friends, it's just . . ." he trailed off.
"Look, I get it," Percy assured the other boy, "This past summer, I got blamed for something I didn't do, and it really sucked. So, are you guys going to tell me what you are doing in here or why you ended up in that corridor on Halloween?" Harry looked down at his feet, and Ron shuffled awkwardly still guarding the stall. Hermione though looked like she was dying to say something but was biting her lip.
"Fine then," Percy said trying to hide his disappointment. He thought after all those visits at Hagrid's that the three of them really had become friends, but if they still didn't trust him, then the most he'd ever be, was someone they said 'Hi' to in the halls. He guessed this was why real friends outside of your House were so rare.
He turned to go, but then Hermione burst, "Why did Dumbledore ask you if you'd seen anything strange on Halloween, and the bit about dreams and lapses in memory?"
Percy turned back, eyebrows raised, he hadn't been expecting that. His lips quirked into an amused smile, "I don't think it works like that, Hermione. It's not fair if you expect me to answer your questions when you don't answer mine." He glanced at Ron and Harry. Both of them had curious looks on their faces like they hadn't thought to wonder about that until Hermione had brought it up.
"Fine," Percy huffed. "I'll go first as a sign of trust and all of that. Besides, there really isn't too much to tell. Honestly, I don't know why Dumbledore singled me out like that. Maybe, he thought my family was involved somehow."
"But I thought they were in the States?" Harry asked.
"They are," Percy admitted. "Though sometimes, it seems like their influence is practically everywhere. They're kind of annoying like that."
"You think they are really capable of petrifying Mrs. Norris and Colin?" Hermione asked in horror.
Percy shrugged, compared to some of the jerk things the gods had done over the millennia, temporarily petrifying a cat and a boy wouldn't even make the top hundred. "I think some of them definitely could, but at the same time, they don't really have anything to do with the Heir of Slytherin or the Chamber of Secrets, at least not directly, as far as I know."
"And Dumbledore knows your father's family is this dangerous?" Hermione prodded.
Percy nodded, "I think so, or he at least suspects. I mean he knows my uncles and cousin tried to kill me this summer, and they would've tried again if I hadn't come here."
All three of the Gryffindors looked at him in shock, "And I thought Uncle Vernon was bad," Harry muttered. "At least he hasn't actually tried to kill me, yet," he added as an afterthought.
"They're not all bad," Percy defended. "Sure, some of them are pains in the podex, but they're still family. And, I'm not sure they'd actually do this even if they could. As for the dreams and memory loss," Percy shrugged, "no idea what that has to do with anything. But my dreams have been pretty normal for me, and the only gaps I have in my memory are during History of Magic. Like really, I never remember what happens in that class."
"Me either, mate," Ron said as he and Harry laughed while Hermione scowled.
"So now that I answered your question, are you going to tell me why you were in that hallway?" Percy looked at the Gryffindors expectantly.
Hermione and Ron glanced at Harry who sighed and said, "Please, don't tell anyone, but we were in that hallway on Halloween because I heard a voice, and we followed it."
"A voice that said something about time to kill?" Percy asked.
"Yeah," Harry's eyes widened in surprise, "You heard it too?
"Yep, thank the go- Merlin," Percy caught himself just in time. "I thought I was going crazy because no one else could hear it."
"Me too! Did you hear it the first weekend back as well?" Harry asked eagerly.
Percy nodded and then thought of something, "Hey, any chance you have a sort of special connection with horse creatures?"
Harry frowned in confusion. "No, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Apparently nothing," Percy muttered since clearly it couldn't be a thestral or a nuckelavee if Harry couldn't speak to horses. He just spent a week of torture reading extra library books for no reason. Luckily before anyone else could ask more about Percy's strange comment – he just knew Hermione wanted to – a familiar loud burbling sound came from the toilet stall Ron and Hermione had been guarding. "Is that a potion?"
"Oh no, I was supposed to add the knotgrass! And now it's boiling over!" Hermione rushed into the stall, and Percy heard several hisses and splashes.
"What are you brewing?" Percy tried to peer around the stall door, but he couldn't see much.
The Gryffindors shared a look before Hermione answered, "Polyjuice Potion."
"What's that?" Percy asked.
Ron and Harry snickered while Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes, "Don't tell me you don't pay attention to Professor Snape either?"
"Okay I won't," Percy replied.
"See Hermione, we aren't the only ones," Ron said. "In fact, I think we're in the majority."
Hermione frowned, "Yes, but I figured since Percy seems to be quite good at potions that at least he must pay attention."
"Nope, on a good day Snape and I just ignore each other's existence," Percy informed them. "So, what does this Polly stuff do?"
"It transforms you into someone else," Hermione explained.
"We're going to use it to turn into Slytherins, sneak into the Slytherin common room, and get a confession from Malfoy because let's face it, he's the real Heir of Slytherin," Ron said excitedly.
"Yeah, he's definitely suspicious," Percy admitted. He and Annabeth had been so focused on figuring out the monster and killing it that they hadn't really thought too much about the person behind it. "I mean he's in Slytherin," Percy ticked off on his fingers for emphasis, "And we know he hates Muggle-borns. He's a way better suspect than you are Harry."
"Exactly," Harry agreed.
"D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper at the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin," Ron snarled.
"I should have pulverized that jerk when I had the chance," Percy growled, "Next time, I see him I'm going to –"
"Do nothing," interrupted Hermione. "Confronting him won't do any good. He can't know we suspect him otherwise we'll never be able to prove that it's him."
Percy could see that she had a point. Although beating Malfoy up would make him feel better, it wouldn't solve the problem. He watched Hermione add the leeches to the potion and stir. He focused on the potion and a silver glow shimmered around it with a red tinge. "Fine, but at least let me help with the potion. You need to stir counterclockwise. And three more leeches, I think, but squeeze them first."
Hermione shook her head, "No, the instructions clearly say seven leeches and to stir clockwise until they stay at the bottom."
"Fine, if you want to be stirring and smushing ingredients all day in here, have fun," Percy said turning to go again.
"Wait," Ron begged. "Maybe, we should listen to him. I really don't want to be stuck in a girls' bathroom all day, and Myrtle might come back." Ron looked around as if he expected the petulant ghost to appear any minute.
"We cannot deviate from the instructions," Hermione declared. "It's a difficult potion, and it will have disastrous results if brewed wrong. Something you should be familiar with Ron based on your own experience in Potions class."
Ron's face turned pink – Percy wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger – and he immediately started bickering back. Gods, Percy wondered if he and Annabeth had been this bad over the summer. Harry just ignored his two best friends and gave Percy an assessing look, "You really think you can make the potion faster by not following the instructions?" he asked.
Percy nodded, "Yeah, and sometimes I think the potion comes out even better. I caught Snape trying to hide that he was impressed while he muttered something about higher purity. It's hard to explain, but it's like the potion tells me what to do."
"That's utter nonsense," Hermione stated. "The potion can't tell you what to do."
Percy shrugged, "I guess it's like those people who are freakishly good at math. It's like I go into this sort of trance and have this extra awareness, so I just know what needs to happen to get the results I want. It's something I inherited from my father. I think one of my relatives had the same trait a long time ago and invented a lot of potions."
"That's so cool, mate!" Ron exclaimed, "Wish I could do that. I might actually enjoy potions then."
"Fine," Hermione huffed, "if you two want Percy to make the potion, then let him. Just don't expect me to fix it when he messes up."
Percy immediately focused on the potion keeping the intent to make a potion that allowed them to look like anyone firmly in his mind, and after the addition of a few squeezed leeches and counterclockwise stirs, the potion turned a rust red. Hermione gasped, "That's impossible! It's not supposed to do that until after 707 seconds of stirring." He continued to follow what the aura of the potion told him, even levitating some lacewing flies in the fire Hermione had conjured to heat the cauldron for a few seconds before adding them to the potion because the potion's aura had seemed like lacewings except burnt.
Although most of Percy's attention was on the potion, he was aware that at some point Hermione had stopped, scoffing at what he was doing and was instead frantically scribbling on parchment. Finally, he paused confused, the potion itself was a deep maroon, but the aura was a shimmering, silvery green. It wasn't associated with any of the ingredients in front of him.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked breaking his trance.
He glanced up suddenly feeling exhausted and saw the other three looking at him expectantly with a plate between them though there was only a tiny sandwich left. Percy's stomach grumbled in complaint. He had barely eaten breakfast.
"Here mate," Ron offered Percy the last sandwich.
"There was more," Hermione explained, "but Ron ate three of them."
"Hey, I'm a growing boy," Ron defended.
Percy engulfed the sandwich in two bites as he explained, "I'm not sure what ingredient I need next."
Hermione tried to show Percy something in a large, moldy-looking book, but the writing swam off the page, and all Percy could focus on were the grotesque pictures of people turning into other people. He quickly pulled out his glasses from his robes trying to get those images out of his mind.
"I didn't know you wore glasses," Ron commented.
"Uh, they help me read," Percy tried not to sound embarrassed, but he just knew the glasses made him look like a nerd.
Ron tilted his head to the side, "He kind of looks a bit like you Harry, though not as scrawny."
"Yeah, well you can thank the Dursley's for that," Harry said bitterly. Not for the first time, Percy wondered exactly how rough Harry had it back at his home.
Hermione of course brought them back on track, "According to this," she pointed at the instructions in the book and held out a parchment with her notes. Percy realized she had written down everything he'd done. "We're already down here, which I'm still having trouble believing since it should have taken at least a week to get to this point and not three hours. But it says we need fluxweed picked during the full moon."
"Oh, so that was what the potion was trying to tell me," Percy muttered as the meaning of that particular aura clicked in his mind.
"Don't suppose you have a shortcut for that too?" Harry asked. "The next full moon is what, three weeks?"
Percy shook his head, "No, I don't think there's a way around that one." He continued to read the ingredients list and frowned, "I don't recognize that bicorn horn or boomslang skin. Where are you going to get those?"
"Snape's private stores," Harry said.
Percy could hear the forced confidence in his tone and winced, "Good luck with that man, I wouldn't want to be the one to steal from Snape, and annoying teachers is a favorite hobby of mine. I'm surprised you're cool with all this rule breaking though Hermione. I kind of figured you were one of those that actually tried to follow the rules."
"This is more important," Hermione said stiffly.
"No complaints from me," Percy replied. "I break the rules even when it isn't important. Besides, I was thinking while you were spying on the Slytherins you could probably ask Malfoy about jinxing that Bludger."
"Actually, it turns out it wasn't Malfoy," Harry admitted. Based on the shocked looks on Ron and Hermione's faces, this was news for them too. "It was Dobby."
Harry then explained for Percy's sake how a house-elf had randomly appeared in his room during the summer and tried to get him expelled, and that same house-elf had stopped him and Ron from boarding the Hogwarts express which was why they had taken the flying car to begin with. And now, he had cursed the Bludger, in the hopes that Harry would be sent home, all to protect Harry from the Chamber of Secrets which had apparently been opened before.
"So the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before!" Hermione exclaimed, like it was an answer to a question. "But I wonder why no one's mentioned that?"
"I bet Lucious Malfoy must've opened it when he was at school," said Ron excitedly. "And now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. Wish Dobby'd told you more. Though if he doesn't stop trying to save your life, Harry, he's going to kill you."
Percy laughed while trying to think through all that he'd learned. When had the Chamber of Secrets been opened before? Could it have been back when demigod-wizards still attended Hogwarts? If so, could Percy's presence have woken the monster?
With all those questions swimming through Percy's head, he tiredly made his way down to the kitchen. He was going to need more than a measly sandwich to make it until dinner. As soon as he entered the secret door, Nettly rushed to his side, "What would Mr. Percy sir like?"
"Ah, do you have any food left over from lunch?" Percy asked as he followed Nettly to his normal spot.
"Nonsense, Mr. Percy needs fresh food," Nettly insisted and sprinted off before Percy could contradict him.
In no time, Percy had a pile of peanut butter sandwiches and cheeseburgers and pizza. Percy ate as much as he could of his favorite comfort foods (minus his mom's cookies) while Nettly happily watched, clearly pleased that Percy was enjoying his meal. Percy found it hard to imagine Nettly cursing a Bludger to injure someone, yet this Dobby house-elf had. "Nettly?" Percy asked after swallowing a large piece of pizza. "You wouldn't happen to know a house-elf named Dobby?"
Nettly's bat-like ears seemed to perk up, "Dobby you say sir?" Percy nodded. "Aye, Nettly knows Dobby. Those of us who served old pure-blood families would often travel with our families to special gatherings, and the house-elves would work together." The little elf frowned, "Though Dobby is a very strange elf."
Percy thought that was putting it mildly though he honestly didn't have too much experience with the species. "How is he strange?" Percy asked.
"He's always speakin about freedom, sir. Tis unnatural for a house-elf, though Nettly suppose if he served Dobby's family, he'd be wanting freedom too."
On a hunch Percy asked, "What family does Dobby serve?"
"The Malfoy's, sir," said Nettly. Percy almost choked on his cheeseburger in his shock. It was too much of a coincidence. If the Malfoy's were behind the Chamber of Secrets, then it was likely that Dobby would have heard about it, and that's why he was trying to protect Harry. They needed to finish that Polyjuice potion and get a confession as fast as possible before Malfoy attacked anymore of Percy's friends. After the full moon, Percy knew he was going to spend a lot more time loitering in a bathroom.
Sorry, but it's probably going to be a few months before the next update. I've been working 10+ hours a day for my main occupation plus I have other very time consuming hobbies, and I'll need to spend any free time on my other story for awhile. For those of you who do read The Father, thank you for your patience. A new chapter will be coming eventually, but on top of my crazy schedule, I'm also battling some writer's block.