Chapter 24: Oh, SNAP!
Words: 2,842
Recap: I'm done. I'm so done with dragons. The next fire-breathing creature that comes my way, I'll just sick Sev and leave him to it. It really made me consider if the hype of the Legendary Gryffindor's Sword was worth it. Yet, for whatever rhyme and reason, in the hands of Lily, she manages to defeat the Gold Dragon with a single swing of the sword. You go, Girl!
When the last trickle of dust disappeared. When only the harsh air of our breathing was heard. When the heat of the flames died out on itself the same moment of the gold dragon's demise.
Lily looked just as bewildered, looking down at the sword in her hand with an awed sort of expression as if she can't believe what she just did.
"What the bloody hell just happened?!"
The same can be said to the rest of us as it was so eloquently exclaimed by James. Yet, Severus didn't seem to look all that surprised. Humming contentedly as if everything was a foregone conclusion to him. There was a lot I wanted to ask, but priorities, "Is anyone hurt?"
Three pairs of eyes glared at me with judgment, and I rolled my eyes in return, "Is anyone hurt badly?"
"Well my back burns, I can barely lift my arm, and my whole body aches like I've been running from a dragon for hours."
I had to take a few calming breaths before the urge to throw my sword at Sirius' head overwhelmed me.
Seeing as these idiots are fine enough to joke, I made a sprinting run toward Lily. Her emerald eyes caught my sea green ones, I watched the tension and fear released into relief, and couldn't help but offer her a hug. Lily held tightly around me, physically trying to keep herself together.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. We're alive, everyone is alive because of you."
She might have a thing or two to say but was thwarted by the bubble of laughter spilling out alongside her tears. Lily hid it quick by burying her face to my shoulder. I kept a soothing pat on her head until she calmed herself down. We broke apart as Severus stood between us, looking awkward as Hades between his wife and his mother-in-law.
Lily, aware of his emotionally obtuse self, smiled at his awkwardness. "Oh, come here, you," she said while practically pulling him into a hug, but returning it just as tight.
"Oi, don't we get a hug?!" James called from behind, dragging his left leg a bit, and I winced at the limp.
"Don't push it, Potter." But the smile she had didn't put a damper on them.
"Not that a hug from you isn't great, Evans," Sirius piped up from beside, "but I'm more curious is how in the name of Merlin did you manage to make the dragon disappear?"
Lily looked down at the sword in her hand with a frown before shaking her head, genuinely confused as to how she did what she did. I'm just glad that the dragon is gone and done for.
Severus surprised me though by the admiring smile, one he rarely if not never gave me, "You figured it out, didn't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Lily. You figured out she was the 'hero' from the plaque." Sev explained without much elaboration, to which I respond "Huh?"
Sev frowned at my lack of reaction, "In the last third and fourth line, it said 'only of hero's birth be worthy of my sword', Godric had most likely meant those who prove their valor would be able to use the sword to disable the vault's trap. You threw the sword at her knowing she's the only Gryffindor who could use it when she refused to turn her back on the dragon, proving her valor as a hero."
"So we're just chopped liver then?" James cried out annoyingly to which we ignored. Me, mostly I was busy drowning in realization now that the little riddle all makes sense. It was a better reason rather than chucking the sword since it was the first thing that crossed my mind and let my body do all the work.
That was a bit wrong thing to do since it was shown in my face, and Sev narrowed his eyes with building rage that glinted dangerously. "Percy, do you mean to tell me you just threw a legendary sword to a second-year girl who knew only three months' worth of sword fighting and just… hope for the best?" He was hissing almost every word, and cold sweat started to drip on my back.
"Oh, look! Heckler is still all the way over there. Someone should lift him back up," I told loudly before promptly going over to the unconscious teacher.
"Perseus Jackson!"
Damn, Sev went and pulled out the name card. My feet hasten its step away from the irate wizard, 'less he comes up with new ways to curse me, and I don't want to test Sev when he's testy.
It was easy getting Heckler off the floor with a little bit of magic. We had no strength to even talk as we drag ourselves out from the secret vault. My mind was free to mull over everything that happened. I remembered Hecate's words and how the right path was to not become the hero for the story. Once we got out, we were greeted by a slew of wand aimed at us and we drew our wands just as fast.
"James! Sirius!"
The light at the tip of the wands obscure the figures in shadow, but the voice calling their better half is unmistakable. Remus dashed forward and engulf his two buddies in a hug. Peter awkwardly hung around before Sirius pulled him in. The rest of the shadows revealed to be Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, Sprout, Slughorn, and Flitwick.
They brought the cavalry after all. Though a bit late, but it's better than nothing at all.
"What in Merlin's name happened here?" Professor McGonagall said in McGonagall fashion, looking like she's ready to keel over from a heart attack but looking just as ready to blow out a series of lectures that could out-breath a rapper.
A quick exchange of our glances was enough to share that none of us was willing to be the one explaining the whole treasure ordeal, mythical sword, and a professor very eagerly wanting to kill us.
Yeah, no. I rather not.
However, they were less eager to get in trouble for something out of their control so they were quick to assure the adults of their innocence and their plight, but everyone talked too fast at the same time that barely anything got across other than "treasure", "passage", " kidnap", "sword", and " dragon." Which isn't much at all.
One thing that clearly caught their notice from our rushed answers is the fact that Heckler had threatened their students. They all shoot dirty looks to the prone man, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they decided to hex him to next week. Unfortunately, Dumbledore was there to be the voice of reason.
"While I thank the gods you children are safe, this is a grave and unfortunate news indeed. I must contact the minister immediately so that he'll be handled appropriately."
"Good." Professor Flitwick snorted strongly, "He'll find himself at home alongside the dementors."
That sentence might have triggered something because immediately Heckler jumped up and pulled the nearest student. Lily's scream was cut short when a wand was pointing at her face. The crazed smile fell when Heckler realized she hadn't had the sword.
"Where's the sword! Where is it–" his eyes fell on the sword Lily asked to hold for her, and I tried fruitlessly hiding it behind me. I forgot my body isn't big enough to hide the whole thing.
"Aah… Percy, Percy, Percy. Why don't you be a good boy and hand over my sword."
"Professor Heckler, this is madness!" Exclaimed Professor Sprout, "Put down your wand! You're surrounded and there's nowhere for you to run." The rest of the teachers had already pointed their wands at him, but Heckler just tutted at them.
"On the contrary, I don't need to run once I have swords, and as long as I have her," he pressed his wand harder to her head, "Then I suggest you don't try anything if you don't want one of your students to forget saying her name. Now give me the sword!"
"Professor, stop, surely we can discuss this like civilized people."
"I said give me the SWORD!"
It went for a while with the teachers point their wands at him while repeatedly failing to talk him out. The rest of the boys didn't jump in, believing the adults to take the wheel and help their friend.
However, I was too angry to do that. My mind flashed at the memory of Lily writhing, screaming on the floor, tears leaking on her face as she begged for the pain to stop as Heckler watched without a flinch of remorse. I thought enough was enough, it's time to give him a taste of his own medicine. It didn't take much effort for me to point my wand and let the familiar incantation shaped my lips.
"Crucio."
The blood seems to left his face before the last syllable could form, but when it did, Heckler went into endless pain. He fell into a pile of heap on the ground, mouth stretched wide, and nails digging in his own skin. I was sure he was screaming, but everything seemed to turn deaf on me as I focused solely on making sure he never hurts anyone ever again. The background became too blurry to make out the horrified look each of them had that left them speechless.
A strong shake of my person and only the insistent shout of my name jolted me back to the living. It dawned on me what exactly I've done and wouldn't have known how wrong it was if not for the terrified pair of eyes from Sev. And to find one of the least impressed kids I know to visibly show emotion, and to have him feeling afraid of me showed home how bad I was.
Calming down, the spell broke at the same I released a sigh. Heckler was still prone on the ground, weeping while hugging his knees to his chest. He kept choking out "No more, no more," and rocking himself that made even me wince in pity. Feeling ashamed, I gazed up, in search of guidance but all of them gaping with the same horrified look in their eyes, and the four Gryffindor were looking mostly in disgust and fear.
"I…I…"
My broken words seemed to tear out the dumbfounded expression on Dumbledore, "Minerva, please bring the children to be checked out by Pomfrey. While we may have our questions, I think it's more prudent to check for any injuries from the aftermath of their... adventure."
Adventure he said. Way to understate the situation, Sir.
McGonagall snapped into her usual role of a compose and in-control teacher and promptly round up all of us. But I didn't miss the way she flinched before touching me.
"Not you, Percy," Dumbledore voiced out before McGonagall could say or do anything, "I believe we need to have a discussion."
"He didn't know what he was doing!" Severus pulled away from the group to stand before Dumbledore, "Percy didn't know about the Unforgivable. Don't send him to Azkaban!"
Don't send me to where now?! I'm sorry, did I heard that right or am I possibly on the verge of going in jail? Again?! That's worse than getting expelled!
"What?!" Looks like I wasn't the only one shocked by that revelation. Lily went wide eyes before pulling away from McGonagall to stand in line with Sev. "You can't! He was only trying to protect us! Don't send him away, please!"
Dumbledore didn't say anything for a second or two, but a second or two enough to make cold sweat from my back. Then he smiled, using that grandfatherly charm of his to quell their fear, "Not to worry children, Percy would not be going anywhere any time soon. I only need a moment with him."
"You promise?" Sev sounded almost demanding in his query.
Dumbledore kept his smile, "I promised."
Sev nodded, and took Lily's hand before going over to the Professors' side, while Dumbledore patted my back and gently pushed me forward in a silent request to walk with him. Despite his assuring tone with Sev, it didn't stop me from swallowing my saliva in trepidation. We arrived in his office and he stood behind his desk. Fawkes, as usual, stood away from me near the balcony, looking ready to flee at any moment. The headmaster didn't say much, just gazing at me with a considering look in his eyes. The lack of twinkle in them set me off a bit. He's not even offering me his Lemon Drops.
"So," I started, nervously, "How much trouble am I in?"
"I know what you must feel, Percy, but you're not in trouble" he finally deliberated, "Not bad enough that you would be expelled or gods forbid Azkaban. From what you and your friends told me, Heckler had coerced your group into being apart in this… treasure hunt of his."
So I sat across from him and started telling a tale of us trying to solve the mystery of the Treasure of Hogwarts just for fun as any kid would do, how we manage to solve it by the end only for Heckler to kidnap Remus and coerced in leading him to the treasure which was a secret underground vault below Hogwarts, accidentally triggered a trap which led to us fighting a giant gold dragon that only disappears once the Sword of Gryffindor in the rightful hands, which had been Lily's at the time.
"Then this… is truly the Legendary Sword of Gryffindor." Dumbledore inspected the silver sword on his table with unabashed amazement, like finding out tooth fairy existed. He was quiet for a long moment, finger drumming on his table as he fell deeply into his own thoughts for whatever he might have in mind for the sword.
I coughed out awkwardly, and that broke the reverie of his. He turned his inquisitive stare at me, "But that doesn't explain how you learn the cruciatus curse."
"The what?"
Dumbledore seemed to be surprised then. It was a small reaction, just the slight parting of the lips and the raise of his white eyebrows. I wouldn't have noticed it if he wasn't so rare to see him react emotionally.
"One of the three Unforgivable spells." He began explaining, "The cruciatus curse is a spell that would torture the recipient with unimaginable pain. There have been cases where enough times on using it would push them to insanity."
"What?! That's sick, why would wizards even have that spell?! Wait… and there are two more spells like that?!"
"It had been our way in extorting information from criminals as well as capital punishment before the dementors. The imperius curse, capable of controlling people's will, and the worst of all Unforgivables; the killing curse." He didn't elaborate on the last, and frankly, there's no need for one.
I gulped, feeling the weight of my action, "I swear I didn't know. Heckler used it on Lily before, and when I saw him trying to hurt her again, I just… I just got so angry, and it was the first spell that came in mind."
Dumbledore raised a hand and halt anything more I could in defense, "I trust your intention at the time had been honorable, Perseus, but you must understand." Dumbledore began with a stroke of his fancy long beard, "Knowing a spell isn't equal to capable of using it as you experienced it many times before hands."
"Gee, I see my exploits reach your ear."
"You make a great ice breaker during our faculty meeting but I digress, as you know now, it's quite shocking to see you performing a spell as difficult as the cruciatus."
"Is...is that bad?"
"Considering anyone caught using would have been sentenced to Azkaban with no trial, my fellow professors are, least to say, disturbed by the discovery."
"Okay, bad," I summarized, "I'm not really going to Azkaban, am I?"
"Goodness, no. Despite what you are Percy, you wouldn't survive long tangling with the Dementors. None of the people in my staff would allow a child succumbs to their horrid ways."
I let go of my breath I didn't even know I was holding. "So where do we go from here?"
"Now? You go to the infirmary. You've had quite a night that you should sleep on, and rest assured that I'll handle whatever questions my staffers would have."
The tension that kept my muscle strain finally relaxed, and I found the exhaustion hit me like a freight train. Trusting Dumbledore would know what he's doing, I nodded. Letting my feet went on autopilot to the infirmary that I've become way too familiar in, even as my mind gradually became clouded and heavy. Pomfrey took one look at me and was kind enough to point out my usual bed without her usual pestering. It took only a second of me hitting the mattress and let oblivion take me.
AN: I'm sorry it's such a shorter chapter than regular. God, life can't stop their drama, their homework, and stuff in general. Do you guys even realized, my campus and job now take up my weekend! I had to struggle to either post this or led the sweet, sweet abyss that takes me to its embrace. Thank you for being patient with me. Hopefully, my life can de-stress after the job is over but I fear it's only wishful thinking.
Also, I regret putting the Marauders here. Not because I don't like them, but because they're here they dynamic between them HAS to change. I don't care if their kids who know nothing, there's no way their relationship stays the same and my intention was to make them a two-dimensional bully until their character development in fifth year or something! It was a premise for Snape's worst memories that I don't want to change but now I have to either be better or worse. If that's change then canon might as well go to hell! I don't know. I'm making it up as I go. It's why writing Percy is so easy for me. I don't want canon to go to hell because Snape's Worst Memories is essential to what I have in plan! But well... I've spilled the milk, time to salvage what I have.
Enough of my rant, time for the QRA Corner (Question, Review, and Answer Corner because not everything is answering questions.)
raymond4909rc: "Dark Lord Fred" HA! Now you just made me think of Fred and George Weasley being Dark Lord Twins. They wouldn't even need to change their name, they would make their mundane name be the most fearsome thing in Wizarding history. As for your question, while I can't say much because of spoilers, I can say that my intention is to have the main plot stayed the same with minor changes like Percy being the youngest seeker before Harry. The setting of Sword of Gryffindor was my headcanon that the Sorting Hat would give clue to the Headmaster if the Sword is ever truly needed, that was when Myrtle died and Dumbledore wasn't the Headmaster yet at the time. There may or may not be cases that the Hat told the few previous Headmasters of the sword, but they either ignore it, don't know how to solve the clue, or since the case is closed had deemed it unnecessary to find. The clue was told again when the First Wizarding War broke out.
Patolemus: Sadly, our marauders didn't witness first hand of Percy being badass. They came when Percy was basically flailing around to avoid the dragon. Plus, as you can see in this chapter, their awe might have been buried by their disgust and fear.
4everfictional: I know! It's what makes Greek Society to be so interesting in making "god" to be not infallible and reflected human nature instead.
FolkLuz21: I feel so bad not responding to you sooner. I want to PM, Honest! But I fear of not responding appropiately when I'm already having a hard time posting my chapter. I used to have a dog named Felix who died as well. Little kids threw rocks as a jock and hit his eyes. Poor Felix died and currently buried in my backyard. We've lost two other dogs afterward, and the guilt I have is that my family couldn't be the owner they might have needed. I'm glad you love my chapter so much. I want Percy to slowly edge closer to the darkness before- (Ups, spoiler). I hope at this point, you have a great life.
Bunearybunny: THANK YOU!
dauntlessofthesea: I understood that reference (Actually, no, I don't)
FavFan: You fucking bet she is!
Lila: I'm on my way of fixing the few atrocities that my younger self has the guts to publish to my hundreds of followers.
M: Again, yes, I'm in the middle of fixing my poetry. My younger self has been appropriately ashamed and promised to think before posting. I'm so happy you love it so much because I love twists and never before made stories. The type of adventures you want to continue of your favorite characters and one you can never find in canon. I thought this is a good way to explore Hogwarts, the Marauders, and just that Percy Pizzaz into the mix.