Chapter 11: A New Experience
Percy
Despite Percy mocking Harry's post-run around the lake stench, he was positive he didn't smell like all that great, either. Annabeth used to tell him he smelled like the ocean, more like the Hudson River at this point. Can't see an inch below the surface, black water, garbage floating in the waves… you get the point. He had used all of his early morning energy running around the lake and his tank was running on empty. He was contemplating just plopping down on the chair in his hut and propping up his feet for the day.
Regardless, using his better judgment, he took a quick shower, the water reenergizing him more than any wave of a magical stick ever could.
With that extra burst of energy the water provided him, he had made his way up to the castle for a hearty breakfast. He made sure to hit all the food groups, his large stack of blue pancakes smothered in syrup providing him all the sustenance he needed. He had scanned the Great Hall and noticed Ron's own rather large stack of pancakes, silently complimenting him on his taste in breakfast foods.
He had sat next to Professor Sinistra during the morning meal, the tall, dark skinned witch proved to be a nice person to talk with, not to mention quite interesting. She had plenty to say about the night sky, the phases of the moon and their relation to the tides; a subject that Percy was all too familiar with… the tides part, at least.
"Professor Sinistra-"
"Aurora, please. We are of the same station."
"Okay then, Aurora." Percy corrected himself. "I just have a few questions that may fall in your area of expertise."
"Oh, and what may they be? It's rare to find another interested in astrology."
"Do you know all of the constellations?" Percy asked.
"As an astrology professor, I like to think I know them, yes."
"Are you familiar with 'The Huntress'?"
Professor Sinistra scrunched her face, searching her memory for any facts pertaining to said constellation. Percy didn't expect her to know much, if anything, about the new constellation. He assumed the goings on of the godly world in America didn't make the front page of the Daily Prophet. And if anybody in this world would have noted a shift in the stars it would not be the wizards, it would have been the centaurs that called the Forbidden Forest their home. After a moment of concentration, Sinistra finally admitted to her lack of knowledge on the subject.
"I am not familiar with this constellation, it was not in any texts I have read."
"I'm not surprised. 'The Huntress' was recently discovered a few years ago in America." Percy told her.
"I have not heard of any new constellations." She admitted, her interest piqued. New developments in the night sky were few and far between in the wizarding world. "That does not happen often."
"They say it's like she's racing through the stars, shooting her dazzling arrows into the night sky." Percy hoped his regret was not evident in his expression. "I don't know too many constellations, but this one… she's my favorite."
"I have not known many wizards able to make emotional connections to the stars, they deem it unimportant. What does your connection stem from?" Sinistra was obviously quite invested in their conversation. It was surfacing less than pleasant memories for Percy, and breakfast was not the place for those things. Unfortunately, Percy was the one who brought up the subject and now he was stuck in the middle of his own mistake.
"I suppose it's the story that comes along with it."
"What is this story?" Sinistra continued her questioning.
"It's the story of a hero..." Percy's gaze was unfocused now, absentmindedly staring out over the tables in the hall as memories from the year came flooding back, flashing before his eyes. Annabeth's capture, losing Bianca, losing Zoe, his broken promise to Nico… "…Who made the ultimate sacrifice so others could live." Only his colleagues' voice broke him out of the trance.
"I see. And you believe this needs to be in the curriculum?"
Percy's eyes slowly gained their focus back. "I believe," his gaze slowly swung towards Sinistra, "that her story deserves to be remembered."
"I can see this means a lot to you. Perhaps you can join my class one night and teach us this story. You certainly know more about it than myself."
"I'm not really qualified..."
"Nonsense. It will be a learning experience for us all." Sinistra persisted.
"Alright, I'll think about it." He relented.
"Thank you, that is all I can ask."
Percy wasn't too keen on reliving the events of that year, but he was damned to Hades if he was going to let Zoe's story become corrupted, it had to be told correctly. Not to mention the pain Artemis would put him through were he to allow a disservice to her former Lieutenant.
That proved to be the end of their conversation, as the students began to file out of the Great Hall, stomachs full from a hearty breakfast. A quick look at the Gryffindor table revealed that Hermione was the only one of the trio to stay for a complete meal. Percy was unsure of where the other two had gone, he must have been too engrossed in his conversation with the astrology professor to notice their departure from the hall.
Thinking nothing of their absence, he rose from his seat as well and bid farewell to Professor Sinistra. He made his way past the students who remained in the Great Hall and out the front doors. Walking down the hill, he was intent on taking advantage of the Saturday, seeing as how his training with Harry was already done.
He had been awfully busy lately, a nice day off would do wonders for his stress levels. A nice relaxing day on the couch sounded just like what the doctor ordered. Lean back, kick up his feet and watch one of his favorite movies… Finding Nemo, of course.
He dug out the Nemo disk from his desk and popped it in the designated slot. He poured himself a glass of water and released a groan as he lowered himself onto the cushion. He kicked off his sneakers and lifted his feet to the opposite side of the couch and leaned back into the arm behind him. He pressed play on the remote and instantly relaxed as the opening title sequence appeared on the screen.
It was quite possibly, one of the greatest films ever made, in Percy's humble opinion.
He had just reached the part when the boat first shows up in the reef, when he was interrupted by his fireplace flaring up and a disembodied voice calling his name. He frustratingly smashed the pause button and released a sigh. I hate those fireplaces. He muttered as he deliberately took his time getting up from the couch.
"Alright, who interrupted my Saturday!" Percy said after reaching the fireplace.
"Nice to see you too, Perce." A face that vaguely looked like his pink-haired friend said in the coals.
"Sorry, didn't know it was you."
Fire - Tonks rolled her eyes, which was slightly disturbing to see, truthfully. The coals in a fire should never move that way.
"Can I come through, Perce?" Fire - Tonks asked. "I heard something about Umbridge."
"Why not." He waved her on. "Don't really want to talk to a face in my fireplace anyway."
He plopped down on the couch before his fireplace flared green, bathing the room briefly in a sickly light. A moment later, the pink haired witch was standing in front of his fireplace, robes hovering just above the floor.
"What're you wearing?" He immediately asked her.
"Ummm, robes?"
"Wh- it's a Saturday!" Percy exclaimed, like it was the most obvious fact in the world.
"So?" Tonks had adopted a confused look, her eyebrows scrunched up between her eyes.
"You're supposed to be comfortable on the weekend." He explained. "I will not have someone, under my roof, wearing robes on a Saturday."
"Well I don't have anything else, sooo…" she grabbed some fabric in each hand and picked them up away from her sides. She held the robe there for a moment before releasing her hands, letting the fabric drop and sway back to its original place. Percy leaned his head back and sighed, swinging his feet into the floor before getting off the couch and heading towards his dresser.
He opened the drawer, digging around for a few seconds. He drew out a pair of gray sweatpants and a blue hooded sweatshirt with the 'Delphi Strawberry Service' logo on the left breast. He threw them at the woman who had not moved from in front of the fireplace. She caught the pants, but the sweatshirt hit her right in the face. It slowly dragged down her head before losing hold and joining the sweatpants in her hands, leaving her hair all staticy, sticking up at weird angles. She quickly brushed her hair with her free hand to retain some semblance of control.
"Gotta be comfortable on a Saturday." Percy said simply, heading back towards the couch.
"Fine, just don't look while I change."
"Yeah yeah, I won't."
It was only a few moments later that Tonks gave to go ahead that she was changed. He turned to look and he could honestly say that she looked pretty good in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. "Good. Now come sit down and get comfortable, would ya."
Tonks dropped her robes on the table haphazardly before walking over towards the couch where Percy was seated and kicked off her shoes. She promptly sat on the opposite cushion and swung her feet, dropping them right on Percy's lap. He raised an eyebrow towards the witch, only to be met with a small shrug.
"You told me to get comfortable."
"I did." He admitted. "And are you?"
"As a matter of fact," she smirked. "I am."
"Good, that's how Saturday's are supposed to feel." He said, eyeing the pair of feet placed on his lap. "Did you match your socks to your hair, or is it the other way around?"
"A witch never reveals her secrets."
It was Percy's turn to roll his eyes. He was eager to hear about the information that Tonks claimed she had, but… he also hadn't seen Finding Nemo in years. Tonks' info couldn't be life changing, right? The fact that he told himself he would spend the morning relaxing sealed the deal for Percy, he was watching the movie whether Tonks was here or not.
"Listen, Tonksy." He said. "I know you have something to tell me but, it's a Saturday morning and I really want to watch this movie."
"I haven't watched a movie before." She admitted. "My dad has told me about them though."
"First time for everything. And this is one of the best."
"Alright, so we watch this, then I tell you what I know?" She asked.
Percy nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, Please."
"How long is this gonna take?"
"It's about an hour and a half."
"Hour and a ha-" Tonks exclaimed. "That's a long time, Perce." Percy just waved off her concern.
"It's not that bad. You'll love it and it'll be over before you know it… then you'll be sad it's done." The look Tonks gave him showed she wasn't completely convinced. So he went for his ace in the hole. "Don't you trust me?" Followed by his best set of puppy dog eyes.
She lost the rest of her resolve after that question. She hurriedly answered. "Of course I trust you." Followed by a contemplative expression. "Wasn't doing anything else today anyway, I suppose." Percy mentally cheered, finally getting to watch the movie.
"You're gonna love it." She just gave him a look that said, I better. He quickly grabbed the remote before she could change her mind, rewinding the movie to the very beginning.
"I thought electrical things didn't work at Hogwarts, something about the magical environment messing it up." Tonks apparently had one more question before the movie began.
"A wizard never reveals his secrets." He mocked her earlier statement, pretty accurately if you asked Percy. It wasn't that difficult to get electronics working when you were related to the literal goddess of magic. He pressed play before any more questions could flood out of her mouth.
Finding Nemo was as great as Percy remembered, and Tonks enjoyed it as well, if her reactions were anything to go by. She had yelled a myriad of things at the television during the duration of the movie. Phrases that included; No Nemo, don't touch the boat!, Get that red-haired freak away from the fish tank!, and Oh C'mon Dory! It's 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney!. It was truly a spectacle to behold.
"So, what'd ya think?" Percy asked her, grinning. He knew what Tonks' answer was going to be. She crossed her arms and sat back into the couch, pushing her bottom lip out in a pout.
"It was good, okay."
"Just good…?"
"It was amazing, alright!" She threw her hands up. "It was great. Are you happy now?"
Her antics forced a chuckle out of Percy's throat. "Oh believe me, I'm happy. 'Cause I knew you would like it." A small silence followed, the two just sitting in a comfortable silence, but Percy couldn't help but poke fun at Tonks again. "I heard you gasp when they were getting chased by Bruce."
"I was nervous." She countered. "I didn't want Marlin and Dory to become bloody shark food! I thought fish were friends, not food."
"Fish are friends." Percy knew Tonks wouldn't understand the underlying meaning he had when he muttered those words, but he couldn't resist throwing it out there. Tonks flopped back down on the couch, she had sat up to her knees while she was talking about the movie they had just finished. A large smile remained on her face as she let out a long breath.
"Thank you, Perce."
"For what?" He asked, confused on what exactly she was referring to.
"For making me watch that. I really enjoyed it… and letting me wear your clothes."
"I've got more movies where that came from I think you might enjoy. We'll have to watch another sometime." He could think of plenty of movies that Tonks would enjoy if she liked Finding Nemo that much. Plenty of which he would not mind watching another time.
"I would love that, Perce." Her smile grew wider, if that was possible.
"Toy Story is up next, that's another classic… or maybe Moana." Percy began to list off titles of the movies that came to mind but thought better of it. Tonks probably had no idea what he was talking about. "As for my clothes, I couldn't have you being uncomfortable on a saturday… that's just not right."
"They are bloody comfortable." She said, looking down at his sweatshirt that covered her torso. "More people should make these, I don't reckon I could get some at Madam Malkin's." She mused, until she suddenly gasped and looked right at Percy. "Merlin, maybe Snape needs a pair of sweatpants and he wouldn't be so grumpy all the bloody time."
Percy couldn't help but laugh at that mental image of Snape in a pair of sweatpants, sitting on the couch watching TV, sipping a drink. The image just did not look right in his head. Maybe he should start a shop in Diagon Alley that sells exclusively sweatshirts and sweatpants, it might be a million-drachma idea. If he was able to get these wizards into something more comfortable every once in a while, maybe some of them would take the stick out of their asses.
"Perce" Tonks began, almost reluctantly. "As much as I love just hanging out with you, I do have to tell you what I found." Percy almost forgot about that part, and he was having such a good morning too. He did want to know what she had found, and one in the afternoon was enough relaxing time.
"Alright, just give me a minute to prepare. I have a feeling whatever you're gonna tell me is real annoying." Her expression was enough confirmation, he wasn't going to like what she had to say.
"Fudge thinks Dumbledore is trying to take over." She said without missing a beat.
"Oh come on, Tonksy!" He was halfway to the sink before he threw his hands up. "I told you to give me a minute, I knew I wasn't gonna like this bullshit." He had reached the sink - it wasn't a long walk - and placed his hand on either side, bending his head down towards the faucet. He turned on the water and let it run, intermittently splashing a small amount on his face. He stood back to his full height after a minute, taking care to physically dry his face with a towel. "Okay, I think I'm ready now."
"I thought I'd just spare you the suspense, sometimes that's worse than the actual news." Tonks explained her reasoning.
"Yeah I know, but this is a little more than rippin' off a band-aid." He noticed her confused look from the couch. "Right, you guys don't use band-aids… just heal cuts with a flick of your stick."
Tonks had gotten up from the couch, circling to the back to face Percy. She leaned back, resting her butt on the back of the couch. "Flick of my stick?" She narrowed her eyes and shook her head, her pink hair framing her face. "What're you on about, Perce?"
"A band-aid, ya know? To cover cuts so they don't get infected." He explained with his hands in the motion of putting on a bandage. "Never heard of 'em?"
"Do you not just heal them with magic?" She couldn't keep the smirk off her face, her amusement evident. "Or 'a flick of your stick', even?" She had raised the pitch of her voice in order to properly mock Percy's earlier statement. One that he was now regretting.
"There are some things I'm not good at, okay."
"Well, it seemed to this witch," she pointed to her own chest. "That the great Perseus Jackson was a master at everything."
"I never claimed to be a great wizard." He wasn't. In fact, he was a pretty useless wizard. Hecate had given him a wand, sure, but not much instruction. It was mostly a crash course, one he didn't remember much from to begin with. Then she left him a book that supposedly had all the answers he would ever need. At least she gave him the Greek version, but his adhd didn't allow him to focus long enough to actually read any of those answers. It would raise too many questions if he had asked anyone from the order for help, so as it was, he was stuck. "Where did you get that impression anyway?"
Tonks bobbed her head back and forth, a contemplative look on her face. "Mostly rumors around the order. I think what Dumbledore mentioned for his recommendation was the beginning. I wasn't there to witness it, but I heard it was positively glowing." She had her thumb and pointer finger forming a circle with her last three fingers straight in the air in the 'ok' gesture. "Merlin, before you showed up some of us thought you were a god."
"Really? What did he say?" Percy hadn't really thought of what happened before he had arrived in Britain, and he didn't think he was important enough over here for that.
"I think I'm done stroking your ego for now."
Percy rolled his eyes. "And what did you think?" He was curious of what Tonks had thought of him before compared to now. Surprisingly, the order rumors were almost correct, he was half god after all.
"Had to see for myself. Now I know that you're good at loads of things, and very good at one particular thing… something of a more personal matter." She finished her sentence with a smirk and a wink, something in her eyes that Percy wasn't all too familiar with, though familiar enough. He fought to keep the blush from rising on his cheeks as he kept his gaze on the floor, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Anyway, we're getting off topic. What is it you found?" Percy changed the topic quickly. Tonks let out a disappointed huff, mercifully letting him off the hook.
"Fudge believes Dumbledore wants to take over."
"You said that already."
"It's so stupid I had to repeat it." She simply said. "So, he's sent Umbridge to prevent that from happening."
"By not teaching them anything?" Percy asked, his annoyance levels rising the more he thought about it.
"Take away their ability to learn spells and they're not a threat, I suppose."
"Unable to defend themselves too. Fudge is going to be the death of this world, I swear." Percy shook his head, the situation giving him a headache. "Why would he even think that?"
"People with power are afraid to lose it, right?" Percy nodded, confirming he was following along. "Maybe he thinks this Voldemort business is a ploy to gain followers or something. Doesn't help that he's got Malfoy senior's galleons lining his pockets."
"That's so idiotic. He thinks Dumbledore is raising an army of school children."
"Well, Fudge is an idiot." She said with a shrug.
"That, we agree on, Tonksy." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "This war… these kids won't know how to survive without that class. We need to do something."
"What about holding a class in private?" Tonks suggested the idea that first came to her head. She just kind of threw it out there as a brainstorm, but it reminded Percy of the beginnings of an idea he had a little while back.
"Not a bad idea, Tonksy. They'd need someplace where they wouldn't be discovered, and someone to teach them." The plan was really coming to fruition in his head, he could almost picture it.
"You wouldn't teach them?" Tonks asked, pointing at Percy. He shook his head before answering. He knew why he couldn't teach them, his methods of surviving were a little different than theirs. Percy couldn't really explain that to Tonks, though.
"I told you I'm not great at magic. But… Harry is." He pointed out. He watched the reservation appear on her face, then morph into an almost amused expression. She thought he was joking, but he was dead serious. Her face quickly lost its amusement when he didn't smile.
"You're talking about Harry Potter?"
"I am."
"You reckon he can teach school kids his own age?" Percy nodded, his mind was made up and what was he, if not stubborn.
"If you believe the stories, and I'm inclined to believe them, he has done things that most grown wizards can only dream of." He explained. "The kid, unfortunately, is going to be in the middle of this godsforsaken shit whether he likes it or not. He has to get used to being in a leadership position, might as well start now."
"I can't say I believe as strongly as you. But, I do know he's done some wild stuff." She said and locked her determined eyes on Percy's gaze. "I trust you Perce, so I'm with you."
"We're gonna have to find Harry and tell him the news. The kid deserves to know." Tonks confirmed her stance with a nod and a grunt of approval. "Thanks for snooping, by the way."
"Oh, anytime. I rather enjoyed it actually, loads better than waiting around and guarding Harry." She winked at him once again. Winking must be one of her favorite things to do, because she did it quite often. "I'd snoop for you any day."
"Yeah yeah." Percy waved her off. "We should go find Mc G, she'll know where Harry is."
"Mc G?" Tonks gave him an incredulous look and cocked her head, laughing slightly while repeating his words.
"Yeah. McGonagall should know his schedule."
Tonks held a snicker behind her hand. "I assume she hasn't heard you call her that. Otherwise, you'd be quite dead."
Percy shrugged as he led Tonks out the door of the hut. "Still breathing, aren't I." The door shut with a soft thud and he made sure to lock it as the pair made off towards Hogwarts castle.
As it turned out, 'Mc G' did in fact know where Harry was, and Percy was mighty careful not to use her nickname in front of her face, lest he not see tomorrow.
That was how he found himself watching this sport he knew absolutely nothing about, sprawled out on the bleachers next to Tonks as she attempted to explain the rules. Honestly, he was not retaining any information she was telling him, it was going in his right ear and out his left. He had to admit that it was impressive, especially watching Harry. To be able to move like that in mid air takes an impressive amount of control. Percy knew nothing of the sport, yet even he could tell that Harry was a natural.
"Tonksy, I'm sorry but I'm not hearing anything you're saying."
"What's the last thing you remember?" He didn't want to face her annoyed expression.
"Uh, I don't know." He waved his hand in a lazy circle. "Something about somebody chasing something."
"Ugh!" It sounded like Tonks' hand hit her forehead pretty solidly. "That was fifteen minutes ago!"
"I'm really sorry, Tonksy. I'm just not feeling it. Maybe if I watch a game I'll be more into the sport." He just didn't understand the concept, maybe he would if he had been listening to Tonks. All he knew was that he would never be caught dead on a broom zooming around the sky. That's a recipe for getting zapped down to earth.
"You could have told me before I wasted my breath!" She lightly smacked his shoulder before pinching the bridge of her nose and leaning back on the bench. "Don't come running to me if you have any questions." They sat in mostly silence for the remainder of practice, the occasional friendly topic being discussed here or there to fill the gaps.
Percy recognized most of the students on the team, having had the majority of them in his class at some point in the year so far. He recognized Harry of course - honestly who wouldn't, he had a very distinctive look about him - and the four Weasley siblings as well. Come to think of it, he knew the majority of the team before he even became a professor.
He only remembered one of the 'chasers', as they called themselves. Katie Bell was in his class, she always stayed towards the back, and mostly to herself. From his observation, the girl was much more confident in the air than in class, a fact she shared with her two partners. Well, they were all confident, he couldn't say what the other two were like in class, they apparently didn't like magical creatures.
Before they knew it, the team was gathering for a final meeting before heading to the locker room. Percy and Tonks jumped off the bench and rushed down to the field to catch Harry before he could evade their grasp. Their feet reached the grass just as the huddle dispersed and the players began to meander their way off the field.
"HARRY!" Percy raised his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, and it was amplified alright. The group paused as a whole and turned towards them. They heard whispers and giggles from across the field as if Harry had just been sent to the principal's office.
"You just had to draw that much attention, huh." Tonks said slowly from his side. "Embarrassed the poor lad."
It took Harry a minute to reach them with his slow hair across the grass. As he got closer, Percy could tell that Harry was feeling the weight of his position, just by the way he held himself, his mannerisms, his expression. Percy remembered that expression well… he saw it on himself every morning during the titan war. So, when Harry reached the pair, Percy wasted no time. He placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, hoping to dispel some of the anxiety that plagued him. It seemed to work somewhat, Harry was able to stand a bit straighter after, and Percy was glad that he could at least do that for the kid who was dealt a shitty hand, similar to himself, a lifetime ago.
"Wotcher, Harry."
"Talk about me embarrassing poor Harry, what about you?" Percy shot at Tonks' back as she dragged him towards the hut so they could wait for Harry's arrival. He was of course talking about Tonks' comment advising Harry to take his time in the locker room, to which Harry flushed a bright red and had immediately spun away.
"Merlin, it's so easy." Tonks said over her shoulder. "He gets so flustered."
"Give him a break, he's got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. And he's not the most confident guy to begin with."
"It's a good confidence builder." Tonks said simply.
"Having a beautiful woman constantly embarrassing you is a confidence builder?" Tonks suddenly stopped in her tracks almost causing Percy to collide with her back. He had to stumble over his own feet to avoid her. When he was able to collect himself he turned a questioning look to his companion. She had a small smile gracing her features, not the mischievous smirk that Percy had gotten used to. Her eyes were soft as they stared at Percy, as if she was lost in her own world.
"You think I'm beautiful?" She asked him softly. Percy wondered what had caused this sudden shift in Tonks' demeanor. She had done a complete one-eighty in half a second and had seemingly lost her edge in that moment. He wasn't sure how an off-handed comment on the hill outside Hogwarts could facilitate that.
"Of course I do, who wouldn't?" He responded with his brow furrowed. "I've told you that before."
"Before, you were also giving me excuses of why the two of us wouldn't work. It was just words you'd say to make it sting a little less." She explained.
"That doesn't mean I was lying."
"Never said you were. But, you just said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world." Her smile got wider. "I don't know, it just felt… different."
"Tonksy, I-" Percy hoped she wasn't getting the wrong impression, but he also couldn't bear to see her crushed expression again… it made his chest tighten with guilt. "Let's just go wait for Harry." It was his turn to grasp Tonks' arm and drag her down the hill, she just lazily followed his lead and shuffled after him.
It only took Harry about half an hour to make his way down to the hut, wrapped up in his jacket to combat the cooling outside air. Percy let him in after he had knocked on the wooden door and he had shuffled awkwardly across the room, plopping down on the couch. He refused to meet Tonks' eyes. This, of course, only encouraged the small smirk from the witch.
"Harry, we got a problem." Percy started off, eager to get this covered. "Turns out, Umbitch is here to screw everyone over."
"Okay. I could have told you that." Harry stated. "I did tell you that." Percy vaguely remembered the conversation the two had had before, at the side of the Black Lake. Harry had looked pretty down in the dumps, shoulders slumped while he gazed forlornly across the horizon - well, as much of the horizon as you could get with the forest in the way. Percy had been sitting at the bottom of the lake, making friends with the local aquatic life when he had spotted the young man. He had been frustrated about being left in the dark. Now that, Percy could relate to.
"Yeah Perce, he already told you that." Tonks piped up from behind him. "Now quit stalling and get to the point." Percy glanced at her from over his shoulder with a glare. Not his best, Lupa special glare, but one that got the point across enough. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the outgoing witch, depending on the point of view, she was quite bold. "Just rip off the band-aid, yeah?"
Percy drug a hand down his face, resting over his mouth momentarily. "It's not that simple, Tonksy."
"Why not?" She raised her arms up to her sides, palms facing the air. "Seems pretty simple to me." She maintained eye contact with him, almost daring him to come up with a reason as to why he didn't just spill it all at once. And he was drawing a major blank. He just didn't feel like it was the right way to go about the situation, but that was hardly a solid reason.
"Alright, alright. Fine." Percy threw his hands up in surrender. "Fudge believes you and Dumbledore are trying to seize power using an army of school children, for some reason. So, he's sent Umbridge here to ensure that fantasy doesn't come to pass."
Percy watched Harry's jaw drop as he finished his footnotes outlining the situation. "That's so stupid!"
"That's what I said." Percy declared at the same time as Tonks did from behind him. They're two voices becoming one in that moment. Percy paused and his finger rapidly pointed between himself and Tonks multiple times. "That's what we said."
"Why would Fudge think that?"
"People with power are afraid to lose it, Harry. It makes them irrational, blind to the truth." Percy explained. "And it makes them paranoid, imagining plots to take their power everywhere they look."
"Malfoy Senior has been whispering in his ear too, probably spinning tales of your planned overthrow attempt." Tonks added.
"Fudge is scared of Dumbledore, the influence he holds over the masses. I've only been here for months and I can see it. Dumbledore could probably take power whenever he wanted, and the public would support him unquestioned." Percy said. "That's what Fudge is afraid of."
"And Fudge is a tosser." Tonks' voice came from over his shoulder.
Percy raised his eyebrows and gave a single contemplative nod. "That too." Harry sat for a good bit in silence, processing what they had revealed to him, trying to figure out how to respond. Percy could see his inner turmoil twisting his face into an odd expression. He was probably feeling how Percy felt - well all demigods, really - when Olympus went silent during the Giant war. Abandoned, alone, betrayed by your own world, left to die. The only difference was Olympus didn't think their kids would try to take power. Well, Zeus might have.
He settled with a sigh. "Ookay, so no help from the ministry then." He looked dejected. The ministry was probably the most well equipped force to combat the emerging threat, and to lose their support was disheartening.
"Wouldn't count on it." Tonks shook her head slowly. "I reckon that Voldemort sent Malfoy to pit the wizards against one another."
"A divided world is easier to conquer, after all." Percy added to Tonks' thought.
"Great, that's just brilliant." Percy detected just a bit of sarcasm dripping from Harry's mouth as he dragged his hands down his face. "What're we supposed to do, then?"
"Well, we got some options." Percy began. "We can wallow in self pity." He raised his pointer finger to the sky. "We can try to make due with what we have" his middle finger joined. "Or, we can build that army that Fudge is so afraid of." Percy knew which option he would pick, and he knew Harry was of the same mindset.
"What do we even have right now?" Harry asked, weighing his options. Though there wasn't much to weigh.
"We have… pretty much just the Order of the Phoenix. With the Ministry preferring to stuff their head in the sand, we'd be hard pressed to stand up to all the forces Voldemort's been recruiting." Percy said solemnly.
"Not particularly any option, then." Harry summarized what Percy had just said quite eloquently. "What do you mean, 'build that army'?"
"That army of school children that Fudge is so afraid of? I say we give it to him."
"You reckon kids should fight, Perce?" Tonks gave him a look that said she couldn't believe what came out of his mouth.
"I'm not talking young kids." He clarified. "Students who are old enough, fifth years and up probably. I'm sure if you asked, plenty would be willing to learn. It's their own future they'd be fighting for, they deserve the chance to shape it."
"Yeah, but… they're still in school, Perce…" Tonks almost whispered.
"We're not much older than them." He pointed out to the witch with an uncharacteristically soft voice. Tonks had just recently graduated from the school a few years ago and Percy… Well, Percy had aged a lot in the last few years.
"Absolutely not!" Harry exploded, Tonks jumped. "I will not have anyone else dying for me!" He jumped out of his seat after his proclamation. "I'll do it on my own if I have to. Nobody else has to end up like Cedric!"
"Harry, listen." Percy held up his hands in a placating gesture, calming Harry's outburst. Harry slowly sat down as his face eventually relaxed from its infuriated state. Percy waited till Harry gave him a nod and his full attention. "You're going to lose people, it's a fact of war. People you know, friends, are going to die. It's unavoidable."
"Good pep talk, Perce." He threw up a finger towards her without sparing a glance. Hopefully conveying the point that it was not the time for jokes.
"I know It sucks, believe me. And it gets worse every time. But, you have to remember something, Harry. Something I figured out way too late." He paused, giving Harry more time to collect himself. "Whoever leaves this earth, they won't die because of you, they won't even die for you. It will be their choice to give their life thinking they've just made the difference to save their world, for something they believe so deeply in. We should all be so lucky."
"That's not what it feels like."
"I've seen too many people go, put that burden on my shoulders for far too long. I threw myself down that rabbit hole, and I almost got lost... It was only because of my friends that reached in and forcefully dragged me out that I'm here right now." Percy's voice was barely a whisper at this point. "And I won't let that happen to you, not if I can help it."
The room was silent for a while. Percy only stared at Harry, watching him as his eyes scanned the floor, not meeting Percy's.
"You can't do it by yourself, Harry. I tried." Harry gave a slow nod, still not meeting Percy's eyes. A small sniffle sounded from behind Percy, he paid it no mind… he was focused on Harry. It took him a minute, but he finally sighed and raised his head to meet Percy's gaze.
"What's your plan, then?"
"Find a place away from Umbridge's prying eyes and ears, first. Then you find people who want to learn how to defend themselves. I'm sure you know a few, and I bet Hermione would too."
"What if nobody believes me?"
"I don't think you'll have trouble with that. People know what's going on, they're smarter than they look." Harry shot him a look that clearly conveyed his disbelief.
"Say this all works, then. Who's going to teach them? You?" He pointed at Percy.
"Me? No, it's not my place." Percy answered. "You're going to teach them." He returned the point right back at Harry.
"Me? What am I goi-" He paused and took a breath. "Why would they even listen to me?"
Percy knew there were plenty of reasons why they would listen to Harry. Harry just didn't give himself enough credit, doesn't think he's capable. "They all listen to the rumors I'm sure, they know you've done things no other wizard dreams of."
"But that's the thing, they're just rumors." Percy knew that wasn't true.
"All rumors begin with a grain of truth." Percy said. That might have been the most wise-sounding thing that has ever left his mouth. He will admit he took a moment to appreciate that pearl of wisdom while he let Harry stew about his idea. "They're going to look to you whether they know it or not, you're gonna have to be a leader."
"I don't know." Harry sighed. "I'll think about it, alright."
"That's all I can ask." Percy nodded. "Just don't take too long to think, we got a little bit of a deadline." He tapped his finger on his wrist where his invisible watch lay. He allowed his famous smirk to grace his lips to hopefully put Harry at ease, at least a little. Harry rose and Percy laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he passed. He led the younger man to the door, opening to allow him to exit. Harry spared one glance back as he left, presumably on his way to the Great Hall for dinner.
He closed the door after Harry and remained in that spot as he heard Tonks lightly shuffle behind him. "What did you mean you wouldn't have been here?" She said in a whisper.
"I think you know what I mean." He heard a choked gasp come from behind him as a pair of lithe arms wrapped around his midsection. A weight settled on his shoulder and soft hair tickled his cheek. He felt wet drops land on his exposed neck above the collar of his shirt. He stood for a moment longer before he untangled himself and turned towards the witch behind him.
Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was a mess. She sniffled as she wiped under her eyes where tear tracks had stained her smooth skin. "Why didn't you tell me?" She managed to choke out.
"It's not something I like to make public knowledge." Percy admitted. "Besides, it's in the past now. I shouldn't have put that on your shoulders, I'm sorry."
"But… I want to understand, Perce." She had moved closer to him now and he could see the lights reflecting in her glassy eyes. He shook his head and looked at the floor. "I think we're close, then I'm reminded of this whole other side of you I know nothing about, it's like you're a stranger again."
"There's only two people in this world who can understand." He said softly.
"Well, help me then." She pleaded with him as she continued ever closer.
"There's just some things you'll never be able to understand… and I hope you won't ever have to." Percy had turned his back at this point, unable to face her. "I-I'm sorry, Tonksy… I have to go to dinner." He slowly opened the door, a low creak accompanying the door's motion.
"Perce," Something in her voice compelled him to pause in the doorway, the breeze rustling his hair. "If you ever need to talk, I- I'm here."
He didn't glance back. Percy stepped through the door and into the cool evening air. The sun was setting, casting a hue of reds and yellows across the sky, illuminating his trek up towards the castle. It was one of the longest walks he ever had to make.
