Chapter 28: The Supreme Lord is Back!
Words: 4,690
Recap: I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD!
Okay sorry, that was overreacting. So...thanks to Lily, she help broke the possession that was cast on me by throwing me into the lake (Thanks for that Lily!) Things is starting to heat as the climax is reaching its end.
I expected to be wakened up somehow. Whether it'd be in the middle of the still ongoing battle or when everything was all over. I did not expect my wake up call to be inside a pitch-black lake, feeling disoriented like after having a three-day coma, not knowing where or when you are. Then I wondered why I wasn't panicking like Grover would when he doesn't have a can to chew on. Instead, there was a feeling of coming close to home.
Blinking for a second or two I realized I was surrounded by a body of water. Then, I caught a glimmer of dim blue light at the corner of my eyes and turned to find a wisp glowing in the deep dark lake. Memories of the night came rushing back like a waterfall, my eyes widen and my thoughts immediately came to Lily and how she was doing.
I was about to swim up when I paused, looking back at the wisp that was hopelessly stuck in water and then I made a bubble cage to surround it and hope it would keep off from anyone closing on it. I nodded, admiring my work before turning around. I almost yelled out loud when I faced the sudden appearance of a woman without my notice.
My first impression was figuring she might be a nymph or some kind. She had flowing black hair, sharp cheekbones, chin pointed and sharp, and her eyes were watchful of me and matched the color of her brown skin. To be perfectly frank, if I hadn't met Aphrodite and have to be watchful what I write since Annabeth could be reading this, I would say she's the most beautiful lady I've ever met.
...that didn't help my case, didn't it?
Anywho, questions floated in my mind as to who she was, what she was doing, but she didn't give the chance to voice it out before I was thrust with an item to my hand. She never said anything, only smiling as she did before slowly becoming misty water and disappearing with no answer and a necklace with a purple glowing gem. Not that I don't appreciate the gift, but I don't really accessorize well. I can't deny the gift saying it doesn't suit me, I probably would have rocked it if I tried.
I pocketed the necklace and decided to think about it later on. I swam up and finally walked out of the lake. Once I spotted Lily running over to me, I went back to the water so I could get out fully drenched and not mysteriously dry to her. Lily stopped short, looking afraid and wary to come any closer to me. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
"Percy?" she said with a questioning tone. Realization dawned on me that she might think I'm still possessed so I couldn't help but tilted my head and gave her my customary smirk.
"Who else?"
The reaction was immediate. Lily smiled, laughed, then ran up to me, jumping at the last second to give me a bone-crushing hug. "You're back!" she cried, exuberantly.
"And the others aren't yet. Let's focus on breaking them free, yeah?" I reminded. To which Lily detached herself and nodded with serious grim on her face.
Confusion then marred her face as she looked me up and down, "Wait, Percy... you're not cursed?"
"Gee, and I thought you'd be glad that I'm not."
"No, I mean- I cursed you with a Leg-locker Curse so you couldn't move and I get to throw you out the window... that sounded so wrong out of context, but anyway- you're not cursed now and why does water seem to help cure you, and-"
"Lily!" I cut her off, not wanting her to press on the subject I so do not want to talk about, "I know you have a lot of questions, I'm sorry but now is not the time. Can we postponed that after we defeat the Will 'o Wisp and make sure they don't take over the school with a reenactment of the zombie apocalypse via possession?"
Lily nodded and the two of us rushed back to the castle. Jack had waited for us and for a ghost who never ran, he sure looked like he was out of breath.
"So, what do we do with the salt?" Lily asked him.
"Salt? Are we going to exorcise them or something?"
Lily shrugged off my puzzlement, "I'll explain later."
"Well, like I said, we need to trap them with that jar of salt and used the pumpkin - which we left on the abandoned girl's bathroom by the way - to seal them away. So first, one must surround the room with a circle of salt while chanting "Sas anazitó kai sfragízete" exactly 33 times, but that's the easy part, and the other will have to pick up the pumpkin which I guarantee, a trap from the wisp would most likely spring afterward."
"Then I'll get our own trap ready. Percy, you should go and get the pumpkin. At least if you meet with few of the wisp you could outmaneuver them better than I will," Lily suggested. I was a bit surprised that her tone of voice came out more like an order and there was confidence in it that I never heard her in unless she was teaching me charms. I broke out into a soft smile at her.
"What?" she asked, baffled by my expression.
I shook my head at her while keeping my smile, "Nothing." Lily didn't press and shrug me off. Still, I nodded solemnly to show her I was in complete agreement to aboard her plan. "Do you know what room you'll be working on the trap?"
She paused in thought before answering, "Classroom 3-C."
Hearing her answer, I couldn't help but smirk, "The DADA Classroom, seriously?"
Her cheeks reddened from the deep flush she made and I laughed at her expression, "Shut up, it's the only class you and I remember going without help, okay!"
"Alright, alright. I'm just saying...we're going up against the dark arts in a Dark Arts Classroom. Talk about ironic."
"Just go fetch the pumpkin, Percy!"
I gave her a mock salute followed by a flash of grin, "Aye, aye Ma'am." I turned and rushed along with Jack who guided toward the bathroom. It took a short while to find it and spot the orange pumpkin left in the middle of the gray-white tiled bathroom. Once I picked it up, I turned around but felt dread when I found myself being surrounded. It looks they had put up a trap here as Jack had said. I guess they weren't as dumb as I first thought they were.
They were several faces both I recognized and unfamiliar to me; Professor Rose who was leading the horde, Severus and the other victims were walking just behind her, and among them was Pringle, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, and a few other Hogwart Students. If it was an appropriate time, I would laugh at what some of them wearing for their sleepwear. Especially when an older guy I recognized who threw me an Exploding Snap once wearing a dragon onesie. Made my day all the better despite the circumstances. What would I give to take a picture of him now.
In one glance, you might think I was overwhelmed. But if you see the bigger picture, you'll know I have the upper hand. Jack didn't, and he looked moderately worried on how I was going to get past them when my Celestial Bronze Sword couldn't even touch them.
"Relax Jack, I got this in the bag." I waved his worry off, which doesn't give confidence to his spirit.
The Wisp People were growing ever closer.
"Are you sure about that, Percy?"
"Positive. You know I held a lot of titles back home. Son of Poseidon, The Prophecy Child, Hero of Olympus, One of the Seven," Seaweed Brain, "But there's one title I call myself that I'm particularly fond of. Do you want to know what that is?"
The Blue fire began flickering as well and made the already surrounded room all the more crowded.
"Percyyyyyyy," Jack hissed my name but I ignored him. The diabolical grin I had grew, hearing the rumbling and shuddering pipes. That actually made the lot of them paused, finally realizing something was wrong, and the face I made didn't inspire confidence in them.
"It's The Supreme Lord of the Bathroom."
The moment I proudly said it, every bathroom stall, that was supposedly not working responded to my call, whipped open from the force of the fountain of water bursting out from the toilets and launching toward the mass of people. Pushing them out of the girl's bathroom. Had I cackled madly at the time, I would have looked like a mad evil overlord with the power of toilets at his command. Pretty lame power when being said but damn did I look impressive.
After making everyone wet, slipped from the floor, some struggled to get up but failed miserably as they flail around the wet floor. I even made the water spun them around like drained garbage. Jack gawked at the sight, slowly turning to me before he had his hand outstretched, and said in reverie tone, "All hail the Supreme Lord of the Bathroom!"
I admit I was looking pretty smug by then.
I made use of the wet floor and use it to propel me forward like I was ice skating, running faster than I've ever had done before. Only, this applied more to water skating in my case.
Passing by in a flash past the Wisp People and let them barely miss me by a second when they lunge, only to face plant and kissed the water. I admit I even spotted a few familiar faces like James and Sirius. As worried as I am for them, I didn't past the opportunity to skate past them but I may have soaked them wet like a motorcycle splashing a pedestrian from running at high speed. Hey, I'm not above a little payback. I laughed despite myself and gave all of them a glimpse of me giving them a two-finger mock salute before turning down to a corner, chuckling all the while.
Back to the running, since the wisp use most of their resources on the trap. There was barely anyone that tried to block me. It only stopped them for a short moment, but enough for me to pass them by. Of course, I hadn't forgotten that I was supposed to lure them and kept looking back to make sure they were following. Good news was, they are... but still it was creepy seeing them with blank blue eyes trying to make me join their little zombie club. And I have no intention of giving them lea way to get any closer than necessary. Obviously, they don't take rejection well enough if my resignation got all them together like this.
Once I climbed the stairs, I dashed into the classroom, just in time for Lily to finish putting the Salt Trap. We exchanged gazes and nodded knowing the steps for the next phase of our plan.
Respectively, we hid out of sight and waited with bated breath for them to come. The seconds we did nothing but wait felt like it stretched out longer than it was supposed to. Finally, our breath hitch in excitement when the first Wisp People, Pringle, came and scanned the room before stepping in. Followed by a flock of his people. Finally, when all the Wisp People we know were in position. I leaped to close the door behind them, making them turned and caught their attention. "You just got punked, big time."
Lily finished the last part of the Salt Containment Spell. Professor Flitwick - in his possession state - notice her first and cried out, "Stop her!"
I pulled out Riptide and pointed it at them, "Try it!" I threatened. Sure the sword wouldn't work on them, but it did make them flinch which was the second we needed for Jack to descend from the ceiling. I threw the pumpkin at him to which he caught, and I swear all their faces simultaneously turned ashen white at the sight of Jack and his lantern.
"To wake the dead and end the fear," Jack started reciting and that caused the people here to scream in fear in which I never imagine hearing. It was unsettling seeing blue fire began flying out of their mouths and made the people slumped to the ground like a puppet that had their wires cut.
"Ceased fool's fire and minds be clear," Jack continued and this time, the wind began howling beside our ears. Chairs, books, tables, and other knick-knacks inside the class began rattling before some were swept in a small whirlwind with Jack and his pumpkin as the eye of the tornado. The Wisps tried to go through the wall but couldn't because of the spell we made.
"Tis the soul ends its sear."
This time, all the Will 'o Wisp couldn't help but be swept by the wind. Thunder roared and lightning crackled. Lily and me exchanged worried looks and we went back to our hiding spot beneath one of the cloaked table.
"Be sealed once more in pumpkin near!" Cried Jack at last of the last verse of his spell and everything was quiet. We waited for a beat before slowly crawling out. The room looked like it was hit by a tornado, only in this case, the meaning was literal. The people and desks were strewn all over, many glasses tools broke to pieces, drapes and curtains were torn. It was a disaster.
I didn't care much about it. We both looked up and saw Jack, floating with composed gait, his grin was wide and blinding and on his hand, was a lighted Pumpkin Lantern.
We looked into his translucent eyes and knew the silent meaning he gave us.
It's over.
It's finally over!
Lily and I broke into a grin, then too loud exuberant laughter, then we hugged each other as we cried out "We did it, we did it!" over and over. I even lifted her up and swing her around, that's how glad I am it was over.
We then heard a soft groan. W paused with our guard up, but then we realized it was the waking victims of the Wisp Possession. Already Jack was gone like a...well...like a ghost, with no trace of him was ever here. Lily noticed Sev getting up and would have dashed toward him if I hadn't pulled her down and becoming part of the 'victim crowd', not wanting to be part of the group that needed to explain what exactly happened. I pulled Lily down to the floor and pretended we were waking up alongside everyone. Years of trying to sidestep from the spotlight kicked in (because of how bad the mist usually portray my action until I got a decent hold of it). I doubt anyone would believe what happened from us anyway even after we explained.
But no matter how disorienting the possession must have shuffled their heads, it didn't stop Professor Rose from eyeing us when she got a hold of her head. The woman was looking halfway of demanding answers but cut herself when she realized the many down students and professors laying around. Of course, later on, her eyes showed she was eager to confront us but - I never thought I say this - thanks to Professor McGonagall who felt the children should not feel worried and should go back to bed and Professor Rose has no reason to deny them otherwise without implicating herself as a spy or someone suspicious.
Maybe she could have, but I'm glad she didn't. Because once we reached our bed. Exhaustion crept on us and took our consciousness away and I was glad I had a dreamless night because I already had enough dreams.
. . .
The next day, the school was in so much chaos, they canceled the lesson for the whole day.
No, not that kind of chaos. The good one where people were so happy the Sleeping Victims were awake that the teachers let the whole school take a breather from the high tension that had been strangling almost throughout the term.
Of course, that day was also one of many questions left unanswered. Like why did the sleeping victim become awake? Why did students and teachers found themselves at the DADA Classroom while they looked ruin and drenched from head to toe? Why was the abandoned girl bathroom flooded out?
It was a mysterious day indeed, but Dumbledore managed to charm his way out with his words to focus more on the joy that all the Sleeping Victims are fully awake with no warranted health condition whatsoever.
Heck, he even went as far as not only to cancel out all the lessons that day but to hold a banquet. Adding the fact, the ghosts all came back and are in full participation cut every tension that held back the school, knowing whatever that's been plaguing the school was truly and finally over and that the fear was over.
When Severus had woken up, he was as confused as the others but we didn't get him the chance to question anything before enveloped him with a hug, making him quite speechless. It was before the banquet started that we started explaining privately as we overlook the Black Lake by the bank and let the smell of freshwater soothed us in a way only nature could.
We explained everything to him. About my dream, why Peeves lied, going to the Forbidden Forest again at night when I've just been banned the night before, the chase, even Lily told her side on breaking Jack's Pumpkin seal when I was out of commission, and finally the sealing of Will 'o Wisps that marked the end of the Sleeping Plaque that had befallen the school. All the while hearing our tale, Sev was silent with a passive face until our tale ended and he finally voiced out;
"So let me get this straight, Stingy Jack was real and he was the good guy all along?"
We nodded.
"And he was guarding the Will 'o Wisp that caused the Sleeping Plaque in the first place."
"Yup," I supplied.
"And Professor Rose is a spy sent from MACUSA."
"I know, it's unbelievable, isn't it?" Lily told her thoughts.
"And you guys were running around Hogwarts with possessed people on your tail, all the while trying to break free Jack and sealed back the Will 'o Wisp to his lantern."
Again, we nodded.
"...and this all happened when I was knocked out and my body was used like a play doll?"
"Sums about right," I confirmed.
Sev made a long and hard look between us, probably gauging us if we were messing with him or not, before sighing with what one would surely call exasperation, and massaging his forehead, "You know, if I hadn't known what kind of life you had Percy, I wouldn't have believed a single word you said."
"Don't sweat it, Severus, I wouldn't have believed me too if I were you."
The rest of the talk had moved on past that, and converse about everything to nothing. Just enjoying each other's company without worrying about anything that might come to ruin the moment. Then when dinner came and the banquet started. The Great Hall was decorated with golden drapes around the walls, the floating candles lit in yellow and purple color, roses and lilies decorated the walls and tables. The gargoyles statue surrounding the hall that had been looking like normal statues would be, standing or crouching with their hollow gaze and creepy mouths. Now, their expression was merry and most of them had weird poses like one monkey gargoyle was turned upside down, the mermaid was lifting a wine bottle, and even two statues were kissing in one corner.
The crowd of students was festive now that they got their friends back from their own dreams. Everyone chattered and ate, including the teachers as I could see they were more open with their emotion and a few even openly got drunk if their flushed cheeks were any telling. Sev rolled his eyes at most of their antics before saying, "All the idiots are celebrating when you guys are the ones who saved the school."
"You meant we saved the school. You're part of the team Sev, don't exclude yourself out," I told him. Sev turned his head aside and let his greasy hair curtained his face, but I knew he was blushing behind his hair.
"You're just saying that."
"Well, I believe you're a hero," Lily piped in, "I didn't get to say thank you for taking in the Wisp for me. You saved me." Lily leaned in and kissed his cheek, and I had to stifle a laugh as I saw him blushed so red, I think even an apple would be jealous of his color by then.
Then I spotted it, a glimmer of blue fire lighted within a pumpkin lantern amidst the decoration that colored the Great Hall. For others, they may see it as a joke or was put up by someone confused. Yet I knew who had left it there. Leaning in, I whispered to Sev and Lily to get out since a friend of mine wanted to say goodbye. Lily smiled, all bright and sunny, while Sev frowned confusingly and a hint of suspicious within his dark, droopy eyes.
The three of us sneaked out after we had a quick dinner. There, floating by the window outside, was Jack and his lantern lighting up by his side. While Lily and me smiled and waved at him in greeting, Sev was gaping at him and shakily pointed at him, "You...You're Jack 'o Lantern."
Jack seemed to only realizing there was an extra and made a manic grin that promised mischief, "I would say 'In the flesh' but as you can see, I don't have any."
"Bu...but, you can touch things."
"That's because I'm sort of part ghost and part ammortal. I may have started off as a ghost, but when enough people start to believe you and make rituals for you. You'll start to become something more...permanent? Divine? Eh, not sure about the right term but take Peeves for example. Why do you think he stays at Hogwarts when everybody barely tolerates his presence?"
"There's a reason?" I voiced out.
"Of cou'se there is yeh Silly Half-Blood," he said with Scottish accent turning up, he cleared his throat and turned to his British one once more, "Anyway, Peeves is what he is because he is the personification of children nature; mischievous, uncontrollable, trying to be funny when they're many know that, not even the ghosts. They only know he's been here long and that he's not exactly a ghost."
"Sorry, but what do you mean...personification?" Sev asked, he wore his curious face and had made to move forward.
"I mean what I mean!" he almost exclaimed, "you get hundreds of children and teenagers in the same building, all those hormones, drama, and pranks. What do you think it's going to happen? Peeves is born from the clouded mass mind of the students themselves. So as long as children being children in Hogwarts-"
"-then Peeves will keep on existing in it. They're connected!" Sev said in glee withing his eureka moment while I'm left still in confusion. But I know the basic isn't that far of theory from civilization and the gods concept. Sev then frowned as I knew another thought was plaguing his mind, "Not that I'm not thankful of you explaining yours and Peeves existence...but why I even bother, no offence, but you don't seem to be the type that likes to explain thing just because."
"Sharp little Lad yeh are," said Jack in slightly impressed note, "Well you can say a lot of things but make no mistake that Stingy Jack always pays his due when his life is concern."
"Except with Death," I murmured.
"There's an exception for everything," he countered, "Anyway, since you seemed to stubbornly intend sticking by this-" he jerked his thumb at me, "-little trouble magnet, I thought you might need a small heads up of what you'll find out more about our kind."
"What do you mean your kind?" Lily asked, "You and Percy, you two would sometimes talk like you know something others don't. Like a secret concerning you two, is that what it is? And why can't we find out now?" she exchange glanced between the two of us, her emerald eyes demanding answer we couldn't give.
For the first time, Jack's face softened and he suddenly looked years older and his eyes showed the millennia-old glint that one that had lived so long and seen things mere mortals couldn't have. I remember being looked at with those eyes the first time and felt how small and childish I was, it was impossible not to with them.
"Oh Lily, Lily, Lily. Brave little Lily, you have so many things coming your way. Having a heart so pure and full of love and that love will hold the fate of the world. Hold on to it tight and when all seemed dark, just know you are loved just as much."
Lily looked thrown off by his words, quite not ready by the sudden seriousness of his tone and the words that weighed heavily on her, "That's not what I asked," she managed to stay on topic, but her face showed she was affected by his words.
"I know," Jack said, "but you need to hear it nonetheless. As for your question...you'll find out when it's time."
"When will that time come?"
"When you need to know, then you will."
Jack then turned to Sev, he eyed him with a shook of his head and the sad smile he gave him was unnerving, "Severus Snape, The Half-Blood Prince." Severus looked shocked by the name and Jack shrugged it off, "Oh I know who you are, you'd be one with the most peculiar fate. Many would live and die by the choices you make and none would be easy. It's not one you would like, but it is what you have to accept."
I knew without glancing at Severus to know he both felt fear and unsettling from the premonition that was given when he didn't even ask for it. Exactly like how I was told when the fate of Olympus would be decided by my hand. It wasn't a great feeling and you feel somewhat unattached since it was years from now. But it only felt worse since the words haunted at the cornerback of my mind, every day until the fated day came.
Finally, Jack came to stop by me but I put my hand up before he could say anything, "Save it. I have enough prophecy to last me a lifetime. I'll let the pieces fall where it should be and act what I think is best."
Jack understood where I'm coming and nodded, he then floated off into the darkness, growing ever smaller, his signature grin plastered back on his face as he waved us off until only the part of a blue fire visible until it vanished. Signaling the moment he was fully gone, off to scare some pansies I figured.
Without another word, the three of us walked back to the Great Hall, where the party would still be ongoing when Severus decided to make an off comment, "By the way, where is Peeves anyway? You would think with all the ghosts back and partying, he would be one of the ones who wouldn't dare to miss it."
Lily and me paused from our steps, glancing at one another since we both know where we had last left him, before striding on without a care.
"Not sure," I said.
"Not a clue," Lily added.
And so the party went on. Forgetting the miserable muffled cry of a certain poltergeist deep in the dark forbidden forest.
AN: Aawww, you are all so kind with your review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Time for the last chapter tomorrow!
Finally, I can see the ending!