The Right-hand Corridor

A Harry Potterfic by Elise

Rating: G. Maybe PG with the action scenes at the end, but I haven't written those yet.
Warnings: Um…chibi-Oliver?
Summary: Percy Weasley finally gets to go to Hogwarts. But can he stand it, with the Slytherins, an exuberant roommate, a mysterious disappearing hallway, and -worst of all- getting points off?

Author's Notes: Finally, chapter 4. I had some computer problems and other Issues that delayed it even though it was done, but here it is.
As a reminder, I update sporadically at best. I want to finish this story, but my original stuff is a far, far higher priority- and I don't write often. So rest assured, I will finish this, but it probably won't be soon.

The Right Hand Corridor
Part 4- A Very Boring Adventure

In which Percy and Oliver embark on a mission, and Oliver is bored to tears, figuratively speaking.

****

"Ooh, look!" Missy Green squealed. It was Halloween, and that evening, the Great Hall was decked out in black draperies, with heavy silver cobwebs strung everywhere. Lighting was only from the candles in pumpkins, giving the whole room a flickering, shadow-laden glow. It was all quite eerie, and Missy and Oliver loved it.

"It's like giant spiders are going to come crawling from the corners any second now!"

" Ew! No! I don't like spiders!"

"Don't worry, Mary. Oliver and I will protect you!" Missy said, making a fist at an imaginary spider. "Right Oliver?"

"Yeah!"

Percy was just glad his little brother Ron wasn't there to hear about spiders- he was terrified of them.

Part way through the feast, Oliver leaned toward Percy. "Remember when we got lost on the first day of classes?"

"I've been trying to forget," Percy snapped, "but yes I do. Why?"

"Doesn't this remind you of that spooky hallway we saw?"

"Why, yes. Yes it does."

"Doesn't it make you want to go down there and find it again? You know, check it out, see where it goes…."

"Not particularly." Percy sipped his pumpkin juice. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking…."

"Yup! We're going to find that hallway again!"

"No, we are not! We could get into tons of trouble. We'd get points taken off or get detention or…."

"Not if we don't get caught."

"Oliver! We are not going and that's final." Percy turned away to watch the enchanted tumbling pumpkins that were currently forming a pyramid.

****

"You know I'll win eventually, Perce."

"Shut up, Oliver."

****

"You know you're curious."

"No."

****

"There could be treasure, or a monster, or a way into Hogsmeade, or-"

"I said quiet!"

****

"I knew you'd do it, pal!"

"Shut up."

It was almost December before percy caved. Luckily, Oliver had gotten distracted by the start of the Quidditch season. Then he'd fallen into a funk when Gryffindor lost to Ravenclaw, 160 to 70. But finally, he'd managed to cajole Percy into helping him find the lost corridor.

While Oliver had immediately panned to set out for the search, Percy had different ideas.

"The library? Why are we in the library?" Oliver exclaimed.

"Because this is the best place to look for information," Percy said simply.

"Information? What'd we need information for?"

"Don't be stupid, Oliver. First we need to know where we're going."

"But we do know-" Percy cut him off.

"We do this my way, or not at all, got it?"

"All right," Oliver pouted. "What's your way?"

"Research! I want to see if there's any documentation or maps of the area. Don't look at me like that!" he snapped at Oliver's expression. "We were completely lost, remember? We don't even know which corridor leads to the branch."

"Yeah…."

"So let's try to find it here first, where it's safe and we don't have to sneak around after hours. Now, we'll start with 'Hogwarts, A History' and from there…"

An hour and a huge stack of books later, Oliver looked up at Percy, bleary-eyed and stiff from sitting.

"Percy?" he called. The redhead raised his eyes and blinked. "Perce, this is the most boring adventure I've even been on."

****

But if Percy thought making Oliver do research would put him off the idea, he was sadly mistaken. He took the few leads they found and ran with them, mulling them over before bed. He ruled out the Chamber of Secrets, the Door to the Past, the Druid's Dungeon, and the Haunted WC (which everyone knew was the out-of-order girls' room on the first floor), but had faith that it would be one of the other legendary sections of Hogwarts they'd heard rumors of.

"Do you think it leads to the Founders' Hall?" he asked Percy.

"I think that if there was a Founders' Hall, one of the former headmasters would have seen to it that it was tidied and on a main route, so that everyone could see it. It would be an important landmark. So no, I don't think there's a Founders' Hall at all."

"What about-"

"No, Oliver! We have a quiz in History of Magic tomorrow. Go to sleep, if you're not going to study!"

"You've been putting me off for two weeks, Percy! C'mon, let's start actually looking tomorrow!"

"No."

"Percy! C'mon! What if it's something good, like…." He thought quickly for something Percy would like. "Treasure, or a lost library?"

"Library?" Percy's voice wavered. "No. I mean it, Oliver!" But he had lost some of his former conviction. Oliver grinned.

****

They waited until the Hufflepuff/Slytherin Quidditch match. Although Oliver had wanted to go to it, Percy convinced him that it would be the best time.

"Half the school is at the match, and more than half the teachers," he explained, "so there's less people around to see us. I'd rather not get caught."

"But we're not doing anything wrong!" Just, wandering around the halls with no goal, looking for a secret passageway that-" Oliver stopped when he caught Percy's glare.

"I'm going back."

"Oh, no you're not!" Oliver said, grabbing Percy's collar before he could turn and run back to their dormitory. "We're in this together."

"Oliver-" He paused. "What was that?"

"What?"

"Someone's coming!" he hissed. "Hide!" He grabbed Oliver's arm and dragged him into a doorway, which was fortunately not locked (like so many of the other closets- upperclassmen had a disturbing tendancy to get caught kissing in certain ones).

They waited a long moment for the footsteps to recede, and Oliver stuck his head out the door. "All clear."

"Good. I bet that was Filch. He doesn't seem like a Quidditch fan."

"Poor sod. Maybe that's what's wrong with him."

"Don't start, Oliver," Percy scolded. "I don't want to get caught. Let's go."

"Yeah, it won't take long for Slytherin to flatten Hufflepuff, from what I've heard of their teams."

"Oliver! Keep walking!" So he did. It didn't help their search that their only landmarks were a branching corridor and a painting of sunflowers.

"Paintings can be moved," Percy pointed out. "Just because they don't rearrange OFTEN doesn't mean that-" He paused at a window, swearing.

"What? What is it?"

"Game's over."

"Who won?!"

"Who do you think won?" Percy said irritably.

"Damn. I was hoping for Hufflepuff. Now Slytherin will start catching up again." He pouted for a moment. "I guess we should get back, huh?"

"Thank goodness," Percy muttered. "I've had enough slinking around…."

"Oh, come off it," Oliver said jovially. "You know you're enjoying yourself. It's exciting!" Percy flushed.

"It's… a little exciting," he admitted, but quickly regained his composure. "Still, I have no desire to get caught roaming around the castle without permission."

"Yeah, yeah. So you've said." Oliver rolled his eyes and said, "Let's go back. I'm sure you'll find some homework to keep us busy for the rest of the day."

****

Later, they sat in the common room, working on papers for Defense Against the Dark Arts ("C'mon, Perce, let me see it for just a minute." "No. Do your own work!"). Most of the Gryffindors were doing their homework as well, since their House hadn't played that day and only the big Quidditch fans went to non-House games. Robert Davies had of course dragged the team, and they sat in a corner, working out strategies for after Christmas break.

"That'll be me next year," Oliver said wistfully.

Percy nodded absently and put the final touches on his essay. "There! Done!"

"Cool! Let me read it!"

"No. I told you, do your own work!" Suddenly the light from the fireplace was blocked by five small forms.

"Hey girls," Oliver said. "What's going on?"

"Where were you today?" Missy asked suspiciously.

"Wha'd'ya mean? We were around," said Oliver without the slightest hesitation. Percy looked up quickly.

"But you weren't in the library," Sally said softly.

"And you weren't down here," Jane added. "I was here all afternoon, teaching Sara to play Exploding Snap."

"And you're still a little… young… to be sneaking girls up into your room like Tony," Missy said.

"Tony sneaks girls up into his room!?" the boys asked together, appalled.

"Yeah, Bran says that's how he gets all his points off. He gets caught snogging." Oliver gagged and Percy turned beet red. Mary shrugged. "You didn't know?"

"That's gross," Oliver said. "Who wants to kiss girls?!"

Missy gave him a level look. "I can't wait until you hit puberty, Oliver Wood. I am going to laugh at you so hard…"

"Save it, Missy," Jane interrupted. "So where were you two? C'mon, you can tell us. Please?"

"What, do we have to tell you every time we shower now?" Oliver snapped. "Are you my mother suddenly?"

"You don't have to yell at us, Oliver!" Missy snapped back. "We're just… concerned about you." Oliver still scowled at her. "Oh, c'mon girls! Who needs these guys, anyways. I've already finished my Defense essay. A whole three feet of parchment!" And she flounced away, Jane and Mary in her shadow.

Sally looked at the boys. "She's only mad because she thinks you're doing something interesting without her," she said. "And her essay's only three feet because she writes much bigger than you do, Percy." She smiled reassuringly at him, having caught his panicked expression when Missy said her essay was three feet of parchment long. His was only two and a half. Professor Quirrell had asked for two feet on vampires, which seemed to be an obsession of his.

After Sally retreated back to her books, Sara stood regarding the boys for a moment. "I bet you were doing something fun without us," she finally said. "But since you don't want to share… Tell us after, okay? And don't get into trouble, Oliver. Percy will have a breakdown." She reached over and patted Percy's cheek fondly. "Ooh, there's Bran! I've been trying to get him to teach mewizarding songs. Later, boys!" And then she too bounced off.

Oliver shook his head. "Girls are weird," he said firmly. Percy nodded.