Chapter 11: Not Fairy Funny (AN: Yes I know it's a bad dad-joke. It's so bad that it's hilarious. I cannot not use it!)
Words: 2,979
Recap: So after giving the finger to the so-called "Devil" of Slytherin, the first match between the Badger and the Snake begin.
[The whistles' blown, and the team are off with the Hufflepuff's newest Seeker yet definitely seasoned player, Percy Jackson, be the fastest one up with his custom-made broom, Pegasus. Gosh, look at the beauty of that thing, so gorgeous. I definitely would—]
[TOOTS, DO NOT BE CRASS!]
[What?! I was going to say 'date that broom', what did you think I was going to say, Professor McGonagall?]
[...nevermind, just keep your comments on the match, please.]
[Yes, Ma'am! Now it's barely the first-minute mark, and we've already got a heated back-to-back from the chasers, particularly by Hufflepuff fierce captain, Marlene McKinnon. Her signature tag team with Mason is cut-throat as they're cutting through the field smoother than a hot knife through butter. But oh, the Slytherin aren't chumps. Chaser Cara Selwyn is flying closer, no doubt to steal the Quaffle but-OH! Another chaser from behind took the Quaffle instead! Gerald Zabini is in possession before passing it on to the Slytherin's captain, Damien Sommer.]
[I must admit, that's a beautifully executed steal.]
[Thats rare for you to admit, Professor. But Captain McKinnon is still going strong as she wastes no time stealing it back- Oh, but wait, Sommer threw a feint and still has the ball. The two are locked in an intricate dance, zig-zagging the field. One eye's on the goal, the other on the Quaffle. Not an inch of gap separating them and- WOW! A Bludger just zipped over their head, but seemingly paid no mind. What tremendous focus they have! The mad ball is coming back and Chris River came and knocked it out of the park— Ooof, but the Slytherin had batted a Bludger and hit Chris' broom, spinning him out of control.]
[Meanwhile, the Captains are nip and tuck. McKinnon putting pressure on Sommer. The infamous Captain sweats to find an opening to score a goal. Already I can see the stakes getting higher, sparks flying across, tension rising—and boy, what a tension those two have on the field, makes you wonder what other tension they might be—]
"FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I'LL SHOVE A ROD DOWN YOUR THROAT AND SHUT THAT LOUDMOUTH OF YOURS!"
Marlene's scream was so loud; Toots was thrown off from his chair even being as far as he was and within a stadium filled with the cheering crowds. I couldn't help snicker at his reaction.
"Do you even have time to put your attention elsewhere?" The youngest Seeker in the field asked. Regulus Black looked fierce with his piercing eyes for a kid who still has baby fat in his cheeks. "Don't think you'll have it easy just because of our last match."
"I never imagine it would be. You're a talented kid, Regulus."
The kid blushed, not expecting good words from his opponent. Understandable. But with his reaction, how could I not be honest with my teasing? But then a loud roaring almost made me jump from my broom. Most noticeably, from the green side of things.
[GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL! TEN POINTS! TEN POINTS GOES TO SLYTHERIN!]
"Looks like we took the first point of the season." The young upstart shot me a smirk as if he already won, but one or two points ahead won't determine the game.
When all the cards are laid down, it'll be up to him and me. And this time, I won't be playing around. Regulus must have noticed my mood because the curved of his lips fell, tight-lipped, knuckles white, he didn't want to waste his shot. He's going to take me down, but I'm not going to let him.
Marlene would have my head if I did.
[We continue with Hufflepuff's Keeeper throwing the Quaffle in a high arc and oh- looks like we have the newest Chaser in the field, Howey Scott, in possession and man, oh wow, I'll never get enough seeing his switch from a quivering bunny to a fierce lion on the field is honestly gratifying. Jackson may be the crazy speedster in the team, but when it comes to his agility, you can't write one of our star-player. Look at Scott flying and swerving and dodging and passing and—SCORE! Hufflepuff scored so now it's 10-10. Golly gee, I can't even waste a blink watching him, or I would have lost sight of him.]
[Toots, breathe!]
[Don't tell me you're not as excited, Professor!]
[Well… I can say it was an ingenious plan to have the former Seeker to hold on as long as he could before passing it to Malone to score a point. Mister Howey may outfly them, but scoring is another thing.]
[Now what will the Slytherin do?]
"Tch should have known it wouldn't be that simple. Alright everyone, let's go for Plan Counter-Defense Beta!"
"Captain, are you sure it's wise to do it this early in the game?"
"I never planned for things to play out longer than necessary, now do as I say, people!"
Wow, never imagined that calm, suave Damien to be this worked up over competition.
[The Slytherin's Keeper, Adrinetta Aucrum made a long throw of the Quaffle. Malone caught it and is now in possession. She broke to the zone and huh? What? What the hell?!]
What the hell indeed, the two Slytherin Beaters were busy turning the field into their personal game of ping-pong and made it difficult for our Chaser to fly without staggering while she kept dodging the unpredictable Bludger.
[This is unprecedented! The beaters are using the Bludgers to block the opponent's movement and defending their goal. However, they seemed to be hitting the ball as wild as the Bludger. You can't actually hit someone with that tactic so what are they planning to achieve from this?]
I was thinking the same thing until Damien came zooming and had no problem streaking through the onslaught and tried stealing the Quaffle. Mason tried swerving away, but she was cornered by the fast pace Bludger that doesn't seem to make Damien sweat. The Quaffle was taken, and he zoomed through the field. Chris and Gideon were ready to block him, but then he showed off why he is the Ace Chaser of the team and single-handedly threw them off with his flying before finally scoring another goal, making the Slytherin's cheers filled the stadium.
Argh… why in the world would that guy even try try to sabotage us when he's this good?
"Your friends seemed to be having trouble, guess they're regretting putting you with me by this point."
"Don't look down on them just yet, Rookie," I answered absentmindedly, my eyes searching for the slightest golden glint.
[At this rate, there might be no one who could break through Slytherin's hard-made defense! Can the Hufflepuff have to give up on the scoring and leave everything to the Seeker?]
"DAMN RIGHT WE'RE SCORING! YOU THINK PETTY TRICKS WILL STOP US?! CHRIS, GIDEON, GO OVER THERE! HOWEY WITH ME!"
"Oh god…"
"Aye, aye, mon capitaine."
Chris and Gideon came and marked the Beaters, and created the most uncooperative doubles ping-pong I've ever seen with their partner being the opposite team. But that left with a more chaotic trail in the field but more legroom to slip through. It's a testament of her daring nature that Marlene didn't give the slightest hesitation before breaking once she's in possession of the Quaffle. But Damien was already cut her off, forcing her to swerve and almost got bludgeon to the face.
I saw a glimpse of Damien smirking from afar, but it fell when she passed the Quaffle to Gideon, hit it just as hard as if it was a Bludger right toward Howey. Our former Seeker would have difficulty catching a hard pass like that, but instead of catching it, he used his broom to make a quick, clean hit of Quaffle toward the goal that the Keeper couldn't be quick enough to block.
[OOOOOOOOHHHH ANOTHER SCORE and the Hufflepuff caught up with the Slytherin again, making it 20-20. This is becoming quite a see-saw match]
"See, told you they'd get through," I said.
Regulus clicked his tongue, "Lucky shot."
"You know, it's good to be wary, but here's a friendly tip, Reggy."
"That's not my name!"
"You should get your head in the game rather than what's in front of you."
Regulus tilted his head before squawking out of the way when I zoomed past him. Eyes preying the glinting, fleeting, flying Snitch in the middle of the chaos. Even with my new training menu as a Seeker, no training could have prepared for the singular focus needed to keep your eye on the tiny ball while dodging and crossing the players and magic balls playing parallel while paying little heed to you.
Anybody who could swiftly do that on his first play can only be a prodigy. At least being a Chaser meant I only have to be faster than the other person.
[SCORE! Another one for the Slytherin Team, making this 20-30 in their favor— What's this?! Percy Jackson is flying fast and is that the Golden Snitch, I see? IT IS! I know he's a seasoned player, but this will be our first time seeing Jackson as a Seeker. Is this even allowed? I thought there are rules against substitution.]
Professor McGonagall started taking her lecture tone, [Substitution only applies when you're registering the players before the play, not during. Although the changing upon position is certainly unusual unless they're being replaced upon graduation.]
[So this unconventional tactic can either give them a surprising edge or hold themselves back.]
[Indeed, it's rare to find an all-around player capable of decently playing different positions.] There was only her tone to tell, but I swear she sounded impressed. Ha! As if McGonagall would be impressed by anything I did.
[Aaaaaaaand Chaser Malone took the brief distraction of the Snitch to hit another point for the Hufflepuff! It's 30-30, and they're tied in a tie. At this point, things can tip whichever side— but what's this?!]
And when Toots cried that, he meant how Regulus managed to sneak from below and cut in front of me, closing further to the Snitch.
I huffed and annoyed puff as he kept blocking me from going forward, but my time as a chaser taught me a few tricks as I threw a left feint before zipping to my right. I willed my broom faster, our necks neck-to-neck, but my eyes were only on the prize as it flies and away from sight. We did not wait before being right on its tail. Wind breezing by while the Snitch zipping passed, but we're not letting a single pause give the other the upper-hand.
Chasers started passing with some space instead of the other way around while Beaters weren't beating with no restraint. I trusted Chris and Gideon to have my back and hope my head doesn't get bludgeon any time soon.
I've only got one job in this game, and I don't want to be the guy who can't do that one job.
[Our Seeker may be skilled, but Slytherin's Rookie isn't giving an inch. Look at them go! You can see the crowds are backing away from how close they're sprinting near the seats. The Snitch making rounds around the stadium. A brief reminder to our audiences: please refrain from snatching the Snitch otherwise you might end up with a broken rib by a couple of speeding players.]
[TOOTS!]
[What now, Professor? It's a reasonable concern. It's not like it never happened before.]
His reasoning is legit, but the silent being broadcast gave a vivid image of McGonagall's exasperation.
The Snitch was non-stop. It flew higher and higher. At this point, I feel no different from a fish being lured by bait, knowingly. Yet, you can't walk away.
Regulus may have been shorter, but he has unusually long reach, there's no telling which of us was going to catch it first.
I saw nothing but the shimmering blur and the roaring wind near my ear, the goal was getting closer, the Snitch split to two—hold on a second, what?!
But there's no time to discern what I saw before I went and grasped it in my hand. I swerved around, slowing my pace as I was about to inspect my winning…
"I GOT THE SNITCH!" Regulus cried, showing off to the audience and teams the gold, glittered wings, and strangely struggling thing that does not look like a ball in his hand.
Premonition started knocking, unclasping my hand, what greeted me was a fairy, puffing and primming, looking displeased from being caught.
My head swiveled back to witness the moment Regulus realized what he had in hand. But, oh man, he had a feistier one when she thought his face needed a good slap. I doubt he felt more than a love tap.
I could feel the confusion permeated throughout the field. The sound of broom zooming was strangely absent. The loud cry was subdued to unrest whispers, the distinctive crackle of the silent broadcast.
Then I heard another flutter of wings, and another fairy appeared passing me. Then more and more, there were many winged humanoid creatures filling the stadium and started playing tricks on them.
It wasn't as bad as those doxies and pixies I've encountered before. They were skittering the crowd like examining a new land. Poking at every person they find, hitchhiking on the player's broom, Chris got ecstatic from having a glittered broom, Jeremiah turned useless with his face being blinded by fairies.
[Merlin's beard! What do we have here? Fairies have unexpectedly come out to play and attack the stadium like a locust on the Day of Judgement! We better buckle ourselves, folks, because these cretins aren't messing around—what the? Hey! Hey, wait, gimme back my mic!]
[You should have known fairies don't take kindly to insults] McGonagall made a tsk sound, [That said, looks like we'll have to cut this game short.]
Madam Hooch was about to whistle the end of the game but then a random audience had to yell out, "Hey, isn't that the Golden Snitch?!" And made things burdensome.
Indeed, where he was pointing in the middle of the field was a bunch of fairies playing some kind of game of tag with the Snitch. The sight lit the team's fire fiercer than before.
"Ha! Don't think a little mishap is enough to deter us. This is probably one of the Snake's stupid strategy. Percy, go get that Golden Snitch!"
"Regulus, in the name of the Black Family, you better catch the Snitch, that's Captain's order!"
Regulus and I exchanged awkward glances where we shared the same sentiment for our respective overeager Captains.
[Looks like the match isn't at its—ow!—end yet ladies and gents, for our players are still—quit that!—raring to go even amidst this unusual phenomenon.]
The fairies who had been playing the Snitch spotted us raging toward them. They started fighting over the Snitch as they took turns looking over their reflection over the surface of the ball before they split, fearing the pair of speed demons coming at them. It was left on the hand of a blonde leaf-dressed fairy. She glanced at the Snitch then at us, and began bolting with our prize and the chase was once again on.
The fairy kept looking back, surprised to find us following along. Probably cause she thought the Snitch was some shiny toy she found and flew to the end of the field. At the rate she's going, she might just run out of the pitch with it.
"Alright, this is a personal broom given by the goddess, Hecate, herself. I really hope you can do better than this."
Sunking a deep breath, I braced myself before urging my broom to move even faster than I've done before. The scenery blurred, the fairy squeaked, and I was cutting the fairy's path with a ready hand to catch her. My heart was skipping a mile a minute as I almost felt thrown off by my own broom and swear not to make a reckless repeat of that.
It finally dawned on the fairy that what we wanted was the shiny piece of metal in her hand before finally throwing it away. My instinct acted faster; my hand was out, ready to block its trajectory.
Then an incoming Bludger was coming in from the side, and I wouldn't have minded if the fairy wasn't on its line of path.
A helping hand was already grabbing the fairy and whisking it to safety, ignoring the golden ticket as it fell on the winner's hand.
And at long last... it was over.
[Jackson got the Snitch… Percy Jackson got the Snitch which means HUFFLEPUFF WON THE GAME—ARK! Ark! No! Not the hair, not the hair!]
Even with the Snitch in hand, I glanced at Regulus wobbly flying back with his shoulder hunched down, but I put it out of mind. My feet touched the ground and was glomped by my team as they cheered at their victory.
Marlene, especially, made a choking hug before she gave a slap of well done at my back, almost throwing me off and hiding my wince. "Great job, Percy, I knew I could count on you."
"Oi, what are we? Chopped liver?" Jerry grumbled, but even he couldn't hold back the smile on his face.
"Thanks, you guys, I'm just glad I survived the first game for the season without having to fall off my broom for a change."
We laughed, and they looked half-ready to pick me up and carried me away to the dorms when I heard someone crying out my name, sounding quite distressed before I turned around and was blinded by the sparkling glitter and the upcoming dark ball straight to my fa—
AN: AHAHAHHAHAHA I feel sorry for Percy but it's so great writing the moment he was knocked unconscious. This is a short chapter, unfortunately, but hopefully I'll get the next chapter out by next week.
I'm in my last year of college and actively looking for an internship with no luck :((( I'm confident with my dissertation but not so much for job-searching. I'm stressing and if there's a time in the future that I haven't posted anything. Know that I'm struggling to graduate and survive.
Now let's go to the QRA Corner, where I answer questions and thank for the loves.
aarna rastogi: He did the right thing, don't worry; the details were all laid out in the last chapter. And thank you for the love, hope you don't mind the short chapter.
SandaKagami: I see we both have an affinity for certain "Silvertongue" characters. I just have so many plans for Damien I can't wait to just show you guys what an a-hole he is but you can't help liking his charisma and the different kind of chaos he ensues. Also, let's just say I have imagined scenarios for him that do not exclude Marlene and Damien getting together but depends on how the story unfolds in the future. But let's just say... IF they do get together, you're gonna like how it happens.
Stjinbus: I'll refrain from making any bad jokes this time, I've spent it on the title already. Hope the Quidditch match is as good as you expected it. And did you mean when Percy find out about Remus? If so, well, they'll get there.
Sev and Lily already meet and being taught by a Titaness though, that's a whole lot better than just meeting a god. Sure, they don't know they're meeting a celestial being, but I'd like not to have them getting an existential crisis just yet.
And no, Damien is 100% mortal... but I'll give you some cookie crumb and tell you that from a certain perspective, he's not "Ordinary". Whether something bad happens to Damien... err... well... something bad happens to everyone eventually...
As always, thank you for the love :)
dauntlessofthesea: Not at all, I urge you too. It helps to know there's that charming little a-hole you can't help disapprove but want to see more of him.
XoverFan$evaaaa: Really... you had to go there -_- You're lucky I like you, but I can't deny someone out there must be saying "nice"
Patolemus: Of course it's canon, BECAUSE I SAID SO! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! In my verse, canon is no longer canon because of timey-wimey reasons.
I'm so happy how much you dislike and like Damien :))) I'm glad you acknowledge he's manipulative but also notice his charming points, which he used to make things go as he wants and essentially make people gravitate to him. Of course, he's no match to Percy's snark. It's a different type of love-hate feeling compared to the Marauders because they have a different charm and different kind of arseholery. I'm just so happy reading how you react to them, especially the frustration. There are no marauders in this chapter but you'll get a glimpse in the next chapter with an addition of the Wholesome Trio being wholesome.
I have a feeling you like this Reggy-packed chapter, I'm pretty sure you'll notice that small bit of goodness I show... okay, maybe not show, implied in the chapter. Because Percy can't be the unsung hero all the time.
You think the Devil is beyond redemption? InTeReSTiNg. I can't wait to change your mind * laugh devilishly *
Astra03: No, the Trio isn't going to cross paths with Zoe and the hunters. Maybe in the next act but don't hold your breath because it's unlikely. And it's good that you're dreading because I'm trying my best here to make sure you'll love them so the Wholesome Trio so much, you'd be screaming during the fallout. Like watching a train wreck you know is going to happen.
Thank you for your compliment of Sommer, hope you like how the Quidditch play turns out.
pinkdoughnuts: Damien has a lot of things, nerves are one of them. Good news, Percy and the Hufflepuff won. Bad news, the fairies hate him now.
CalRedEss: Hope you like the action-packed chapter for this. And why does Snape do anything anyway? BECAUSE HE CAN! But yes, he's a troubled kid at heart, I wish him the best despite writing him being miserable.
FolkLuz21: AHAHAHAHAHAH XD I can't get the image of a Latina mama shouting "Stop it, mijo!" and roll him into a blanket burrito out of my head. That's priceless! I'm happy you're emotionally attached to him. I feel kind of bad having to say that I plan to make him miserable in the future (There'll be happy moments though!) I'm also happy that you compliment the small excerpt of Rune Class, it took me the longest for just that one paragraph so I'm glad it makes you want to join the class... though you might change your mind by the end of this Act... for reasons...
Maraudorks cooking at the next chapter being their adorable a-holes self. Because being a dick, apparently, doesn't stop them from being funny.
The reason you like Damien is similar to the reason you like Maraudorks. You hate the sin but not the sinner. And, of course, Ted's mad to anyone who betrays his loyalty, too bad that the Chaser's loyalty isn't to him. I mean, there should be that one person who embodies the tragic nickname, "Duffer".
Being angry for real may intimidated people, let this be your outlet to exorcise all those negative feelings you have from reality. If you love the Food scene, you're gonna love what I have in mind for the Wholesome Trio in the next chapter. Tengo curiosidad, ¿qué otras películas te gusta ver?
Gracias por tu amor y buenos deseos. Estoy un poco estresado tratando de encontrar trabajo pero I will survive! (Cue Gloria Gaynor Voice). Other than that my family and I are still well despite the ups and downs in our country. Semoga kamu suka bab ini, dan sekali lagi terimakasih busa semua pujiannya. Aku selalu menanti review dari kamu :)) Sampai jumpa!
Geni Blaze: Everybody loves/hates Damien, I wrote him that way ;) Percy didn't just find a loophole, he found the best way to give the devil a taste of his Perssass XD
snowsstorm18000: I'm glad you have fun with the last chapter, I hope you can say the same for this one. There's still time before the Fifth Act so you'll enjoy moments of Wholesome Trio or as I like to call it Percy and his Two Friends going through Teenage Angts. I'll try hard so the moment the train wrecks happen, you scream despite knowing it'll happen.
DreamCatcher06: Of course, it's Percy we're talking. He would have gone to Slytherin if not him being such a loyal arse. YEAAAAAAH another Hamiltrash! (High fives!) Did you not notice I made Percy spill a line from Hamilton though? Percy can't Take a Break, can't he? The one time he might survive a Quidditch match despite having problem, he got bash in the face. I'm safe and healthy, and always wish for the best as well for you. Oh, have you tried watching 21 Chump Street? It's another work LMM wrote that I recently watch and it's soooo good, I totally recommend it.
KimiKiwi: Indeed, Damien maybe a bit devilish, but at least I make him likeable... Now that I think about, none of JKR's Slytherin's character has been redeeming, weren't they? (Except for Tonk's mother, but she's barely mentioned so she doesn't count). Most of them ended up being pitiful, and Narcissa ran away from the war with her family so she's debatable, while Severus was only found redeemable at the end of the book. Urgh, again, I like Harry Potter, but finding problems in the book as you grow up really hits a nerve. This is why Uncle Rick is better at coming up good diverse characters that challenge misconception, even from the first book with Hades!
Sorry, I ended up ranting. Anyway, Harry Potter in my verse will... have a happier ending... to some... but mostly ending up bittersweet tho... basically I'm aiming to make you cry so...
OH LOOK, HERE'S YOUR REGGY! HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT, BYE (Ran away).
LunaLovegood48: Thank you for the love. Percy doesn't just escape favours, he does it with style. The details and clues are there in the last chapter for his position, but this chapter should have cleared that up already.
DarkPercy: Yes, Percy rejected Damien. The details are all there in the last chapter, no need to read so quickly.
YEAH, another Hamiltrash! I don't have many friends who listen to Hamilton so they won't know the references even if I said it. And don't you mean you're Non-Stop? XD I recently listen to 21 Chump Street, another work by LMM, and It's so gooooood. Totally recommend it if you haven't watched it. Percy has his friends and so does Remus, they might reach an understanding someday but that day is not today. Thank you for the love :)
Baron1674: Hello newcomer, thank you so much for the lovely reviews you've given me. I'm pleased that you enjoyed my fic so much. As you've seen from Act II, I'm slowly growing out my PoVs, but only to relevant key scenes that would impact the overall series. Both PJO And HP series have limited perspective after all, and when I started out I wanted to emulate the same experience and joy when reading their books; which is Percy's snarky PoV and the exploration of a new world of magic in Hogwarts.
Also, it never mentions that Snape owns Riptide, even if he was keeping it safe. But Percy did temporarily gave up ownership of the sword to something or someone. And all the answers to Percy's mysteriousness will be at the end of this fic. Which maybe done in around 3-4 years at the rate I'm writing. Urrrrrgggghhhh...
Again, Thank you so much for the love you give me in the reviews and OmG yoU FiNisH iT iN a DaY?! That's... well, wow! I'm really glad you like the story and the WHolesome Trio. I hope you like this action-packed chapter as well. I hope that you'll be here to stay for the long magical ride.
scl04: Thank you for the LOVE! I'm glad the story is up to your taste. Oh, you'll be looking forward to the MAJOR changes in the epilogue for this act.