As always thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Sorry for the long delay, you can blame my other fanfiction for it.
Chapter 6 – The Exploding Cauldron
Percy woke up the next morning feeling about as tired as he had when he went to bed, but somehow, he managed to drag himself to breakfast. Once again Nick floated through the kitchen wall to guide him to his next lesson, Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall was as strict and demanding of a teacher as he thought she would be, but she also was fair and acknowledged when he did good work. Like Flitwick, she spent the first few hours describing the extremely complex theory behind her subject. With all the laws and theories, Transfiguration seemed more like a science to Percy than a magic class. It turned out that the actual spells were just as difficult as the theory. Even with McGonagall correcting his form for over an hour, he still could not change his match to a needle.
Finally, he silently prayed to Hecate, "A little help would be nice right about now."
"Go to the bathroom," the goddess cryptically replied.
Not sure how that would help, Percy asked McGonagall if he could take a bathroom break. "Very well, Mr. Jackson. I think a short break will do you good," McGonagall admitted. "Just remember to be patient it takes most first year's a week before they can master this."
Percy rushed to the nearest bathroom and asked, "Now what?"
"Turn on the water," Hecate instructed telepathically. "Use your father's abilities to make a sphere of water."
Percy concentrated on the water coming out of the sink and after a few seconds had a perfect sphere of water hovering over his palm. "Good, now change it into a pillar and feel how the water flows from one shape to the other."
Percy did as she asked and felt the water shift. Water was flexible and flowed and could take on any shape. It did not like being restricted any more than he did, but he still didn't get Hecate's point. He released the water back in the sink. "But it's still water, I can't change it."
"What is water made out of?" Hecate asked.
"Umm, hydrogen and oxygen, I think?" Percy replied trying to remember his science class.
"Not so literal," Hecate huffed. "It is made of drops. You rearranged the drops to make something new. Now think of what makes up the matchstick, the matter itself or atoms if you prefer. It doesn't necessarily have to be the complex scientific atom you mortals are so fond of, but the original, ancient Greek idea of an indivisible part that makes up the whole. When you do the spell, imagine rearranging these atoms into something new the same way you did with the drops of water. Your magic will allow these atoms to shift and flow."
"Okay, I guess that makes sense. I'll just pretend the match is made out of drops of water and rearrange them," Percy said and headed back to the classroom to try again, wondering how crazy that one sentence made him sound.
Luckily no one but the goddess in his head herd it. "If you must make it that simple than yes," she retorted.
Armed with a new perspective, this time when he did the spell, he felt the magic take hold and shift the imagined drops that made up the match. "Well done, Mr. Jackson," McGonagall said in approval with a rare smile on her lips. "A perfect transfiguration. Perhaps the occasional break will be good for you if this is the result when you come back."
Sure enough, where the match had been, there was now a shiny pointy needle. They moved on to larger and more complex transformations which meant Percy had to keep track of a lot more imaginary drops. Sometimes if Percy lost focus or got distracted, he would leave behind some of the drops and only manage a partial transfiguration. Usually, he got it right the next time after a reminder from McGonagall.
At the end of the five hours, McGonagall released him for lunch telling him to practice in his free time. Before he could groan, she gave him a small smile that softened her severe features, and added "You did well today, Mr. Jackson. If you keep up the hard work and just remember to focus, I think you could be very successful in my subject."
Percy wasn't sure where he was going after lunch but kept an eye out near the end of his hour break for his friendly ghosty tour guide. Instead of Nick though, it was Dumbledore that stepped into the kitchen. If Percy thought the elves were excited when he came, that was nothing compared to what happened when Dumbledore entered. There were shouts or more like squeals of "Master Dumbledore!" Percy swore one elf even fainted from excitement while a few others bowed so low they toppled over.
"Please," Dumbledore said in a calm and kind voice, "thank you for your services. I do not mean to disturb you."
Three elves rushed over to the headmaster, "Is there anything Master Dumbledore needs?" one of them asked.
"Thank you Rosy, but I do not require anything right now. I would just like Mr. Jackson to accompany me if he is ready?"
"Yep," Percy said as he stood up and handed his plate to Nettly thanking the elf for another delicious meal before following Dumbledore back into what Percy had dubbed the food hall.
As they climbed the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall, Dumbledore asked, "How are you doing?"
Percy shrugged, "Besides feeling like my head might explode, I'm good."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I am afraid that is the consequence of cramming a year's worth of education into ten days. According to your professors, you are making excellent progress."
Percy didn't know what to say to that. He wasn't used to getting complemented by teachers, so he quickly changed the subject as they climbed even more stairs, "So you're taking me to my next lesson?"
"Yes, I am afraid you are stuck with me for Defense Against the Dark Arts since the new teacher was unable to come to the castle early. However, this is probably for the best anyways," Dumbledore replied with a wink. Dumbledore finally stopped walking in front of a large statue of a gargoyle on the seventh floor and said, "Lemon Drop!" in a clear voice.
Percy looked at him in confusion until he realized that "Lemon Drop" must be a password. The gargoyle statue suddenly hoped to the side making Percy jump in surprise and grip Riptide in his pocket. The wall, behind where the gargoyle had been, split in two revealing a spiral staircase that moved upward like the escalators in the mall. "Cool!" Percy exclaimed once he was sure that the gargoyle wasn't going to attack him.
"Welcome to my office, Mr. Jackson," Dumbledore announced.
It was a super cool office. The circular walls were covered in portraits of wizards and witches, and then there were the strange silver gadgets that whirred and released puffs of smoke every so often. A huge bird with crimson and gold feathers perched on a stand by the door. It was one of the most beautiful creatures Percy had ever seen.
"Ah, I see you have found Fawkes," Dumbledore said. The bird cocked its head at Percy as if examining him. "He is a phoenix."
"Like the feather in my wand?" Percy asked slowly approaching the phoenix.
"Yes, phoenixes are extremely magical creatures and rather intelligent too. They die in flames and are reborn again from the ashes, and their tears have remarkable healing powers."
Percy was about to reach his hand toward the bird, but glanced back at Dumbledore for permission, "May I?"
"I believe Fawkes will let you know if you may," Dumbledore replied with a smile.
Percy eyed the extremely sharp looking gold beak and cautiously extended his hand. Fawkes stretched out his long neck and rubbed his head against Percy's hand. "Thanks!" he whispered to the bird who cooed back.
"It appears that Fawkes likes you Mr. Jackson, and I have found over the years that he is an excellent judge of character," Dumbledore stated in approval when Percy finally stepped away from the phoenix. "Now if you will take a seat, we can begin your lesson." Dumbledore magicked a cushy high back chair into existence for Percy before taking his seat at his desk.
Percy tried to sit still and patiently wait for Dumbledore to start, but everything in the office was too distracting. An instrument in the corner made a tinkling noise. A sleeping portrait of a wizard with black hair and a pointed beard gave a particularly loud snore. After what felt like forever but was probably only a few seconds Dumbledore spoke, "You seem distracted, Mr. Jackson."
"Sorry, Professor, I have trouble paying attention sometimes when there's so much," Percy waved his hand to encompass the huge distraction that was Dumbledore's office for anyone with ADHD.
"I see," Dumbledore responded and with a flick of his wand all the random noises were suddenly muffled sort of like how some sounds were when you went underwater. "Better?" Percy nodded. "Very well, the first thing you must understand is that magic itself is neither innately good nor evil. It is simply a tool that can be used by witches and wizards that chose to do good or evil with it."
Percy had figured out that much for himself and barely managed to stop an eye roll at the cliché. Chiron had given him a similar talk before he left Camp in the summer about not abusing his powers and only using them to help others. Percy really didn't want a repeat. "However," Dumbledore continued, "there is a branch of magic called the Dark Arts that consists of spells, potions, and even a few creatures created and used with the malicious intent to harm or violate someone for the selfish gain or pleasure of another. But to use such powerful magic so cruelly not only hurts the victim but also corrupts the witch or wizard doing the magic and can even damage one's very soul." Well that was new. Chiron had left out the soul damaging part in his lecture.
"Although there are many spells that the wizarding community considers 'dark,' the labeling is not as black and white as many believe. For instance, in certain scenarios one could argue that the use of the Killing Curse would be a mercy even if it is considered to be one of the most sinister spells known to our kind. Alternatively, one could use Wingardium Leviosa, a usually benign charm we teach first years, to kill another person. In fact, last year, a first year used that very same spell in self-defense to knock out a fully grown mountain troll." That was impressive. Percy hadn't considered how his first spell could be used as a weapon. "Therefore, the intent of the castor is often more important than the spell used."
Dumbledore paused carefully looking at Percy for a reaction, so Percy just nodded that he understood. "In Defense Against the Dark Arts, we try to give you the tools to defend yourself against dark spells and creatures because unfortunately there will always be wizards and witches that are drawn to the seductive power of the Dark Arts. One such wizard rose to power in the 80s and is considered by many to be the most powerful and dangerous Dark Wizard of all time. His name is Lord Voldemort. He has been gone for nearly eleven years now, but he is still so feared by the wizarding community that many refuse to speak his name and refer to him as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
So that was who Colin had been talking about in Madam Malkin's. Although, the whole not using a name reminded him of the gods and how saying certain names like the Furies and Zeus attracted unwanted attention from immortal beings. Just saying Kronos could make a room suddenly seem darker and the air colder. But this guy was just a mortal, so why not use the name? "My father's family believe that names have power. Is that why people don't say this Voldy guy's name?"
Dumbledore frowned, "In my experience names only have the power that people give them. In this case, I believe we are giving Voldemort's name more power by not using it. Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."
Well clearly Dumbledore didn't have any experience in the Greek world. "Vold-e-mort," Percy said cautiously, but there was no thunder or sudden chill in the air. It was just a name after all.
"See, no lightning strike," Dumbledore said with an encouraging smile though Percy did wince at his word choice. Luckily Dumbledore assumed it was because he felt foolish not because lightning strikes were a very real danger for him.
Percy didn't want to draw attention to it, so he quickly changed the topic, "What did Voldemort do? And what happened to him?"
"Besides delving deeper into the Dark Arts than any other wizard, Voldemort launched over a decade long reign of terror throughout Great Britain. The likes of which had not been seen in this country since the Dark Ages," Dumbledore explained sounding as old as he looked. "For personal reasons, Voldemort hated Muggles and used the growing Muggle-prejudices of the times to amass followers from pure-blood families. Those followers called themselves Death Eaters." Percy had to bite his lip to stop from laughing. He bet that these guys weren't really popular with Uncle H. "They wished to create a new world order ruled by pure-bloods and purge the wizarding community of Muggle-borns, claiming they were unfit to practice magic."
"Isn't that like Grindelwald?" Percy asked. All these Dark Wizards were starting to sound alike.
His question seemed to surprised Dumbledore, "You know of Grindelwald?"
It was only then that Percy realized that mentioning Grindelwald might have been a mistake. "My cousin told me about him when he found out I was coming here." Technically, he wasn't lying. Hermes had mentioned him.
Understanding flashed in Dumbledore's blue eyes. "I suppose Gellert was more prevalent in the United States than Voldemort ever was, but they are different even if they both had support from pure-blood families. Voldemort is an extremist compared to Grindelwald. Gellert never cared about blood-purity. He was too smart for that. He knew that magic was magic whether you were Muggle-born or pure-blood. He wanted to subjugate Muggles while Voldemort wanted to exterminate and enslave both Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards, believing they were less than human. There was so much death and pointless slaughter all done by Voldemort and his followers.
"Many believed I was the one wizard he feared. He certainly avoided any direct confrontation with me, preferring more underhanded assassination attempts. I did what I could to stop him. I protected this school and organized a resistance group to directly pursue his Death Eaters. But it wasn't enough. Voldemort started targeting those brave witches and wizards who helped me. Many were brutally tortured and killed, and I could see no end to the war."
No wonder Dumbledore had been searching for Grindelwald's supper warriors. He had needed the demigods help, but the gods had turned their backs on the wizarding world. This time, it wasn't their secret, their world, being threatened, so the gods and by extension the demigods did nothing. It made Percy feel sick and dirty somehow. Heroes were supposed to help people no matter what secret world they belonged to. Maybe, Luke was right about the gods though he seriously doubted that Kronos would be any better.
"Then, eleven years ago Voldemort targeted one family in particular, James and Lily Potter and their one-year old son Harry."
"This guy killed a baby!" Percy exclaimed. He knew he shouldn't be surprise since Voldemort clearly was a mass murderer, but there was something so shockingly wrong about killing an innocent, little baby.
"He tried," Dumbledore corrected. "Voldemort murdered James and then tried to kill Harry, but Lily sacrificed herself to save her son. You see, Percy, pure love is a powerful magic in its own right, one that Voldemort for all his power and knowledge of the Dark Arts could never hope to understand. Lily's selfless sacrifice out of her love for her son formed a protective shield around Harry so that when Voldemort once more turned his wand on the baby, the unstoppable Killing Curse rebounded on him."
"Wow," was all Percy could say. He'd heard some crazy stories before, but this was almost Greek myth level crazy.
"After Voldemort's defeat, the Ministry was able to capture many of his Death Eaters, and the war finally ended," Dumbledore finished his tale though it didn't quite sound like a happy ever after.
"What happened to the baby?"
"Harry grew up with his Muggle relatives and now attends Hogwarts. He will be in your year in fact," Dumbledore answered.
Percy couldn't imagine growing up without his mom. He thought back over all that Dumbledore had told him, but something didn't quite make sense. "This Voldemort guy isn't dead, is he? You've said he was gone and defeated, but you never said dead. Plus, the way you talk about him. You say 'is' not 'was."
Dumbledore gave him a piercing look under those glasses, but he seemed pleased with Percy's observations. "Very perceptive of you, Mr. Jackson. No, Voldemort is not dead although most of the wizarding community believe that he is. The Killing Curse destroyed his body and broke his power, but due to some dark magic, he still exists trying to regain a body and rebuild his strength. I can only hope that he never does. Now, Mr. Jackson what do you think was the reason for me telling you all of this?"
Percy groaned, "Of course there's a pop quiz."
Dumbledore smiled, "I would get used to those Mr. Jackson. I find that life is a constant, never-ending pop quiz."
From his experiences this past summer, Percy had to agree with that statement, but it didn't mean he liked it. "Well, it's a good example of why wizards need to know how to defend themselves," Percy hesitantly answered.
Dumbledore nodded encouragingly, "Good, and what else?"
"It's also a warning on why you shouldn't use the Dark Arts unless you want to become a crazy mass murderer, wizard Hitler who gets defeated by a baby."
"Very good, Mr. Jackson, despite the sarcasm," commented Dumbledore. "Voldemort started as a boy much like yourself who had a difficult childhood. His thirst for power corrupted him, body and soul, until he became a monster. And lastly Mr. Jackson what is the best defense against the Dark Arts?"
That one stumped him. "I don't know," Percy finally admitted feeling embarrassed.
But there was no annoyance or impatience in Dumbledore's expression, only a kind smile. "Love, Mr. Jackson. Love is the best protection against the temptation and power of the Dark Arts." Dumbledore let that sink in for a few minutes before continuing. "However, there are less abstract methods to help defend oneself, so let us focus on those for now."
First, Dumbledore showed Percy how to make green and red sparks shoot out of his wand tip. Apparently, that was the wizard version of SOS. "There is no shame in calling for help when you need it," Dumbledore said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Next Dumbledore reviewed the Lumos spell with him and showed him how to control the intensity because according to Dumbledore many Dark creatures, well, preferred the dark. Dumbledore ended the lesson a few hours early by handing Percy a parchment. He pulled out his glasses, so he could better read the list of spells without getting a headache, "Dancing Feet Spell, Full Body-Bind Curse, Jelly-Leg-Jinx, Leg-Locker Curse, Slug-Vomiting Charm. . . What are these?"
"Using magic in the halls especially aimed at another student is of course prohibited. Nevertheless, these are the most common spells that students seem to accidently get hit with near the end of their first year. Therefore, your assignment is to look up these spells and figure out the best way to counter them. We will discuss and practice these counter spells when we meet next. I suggest using Hogwarts' extensive library."
As much as Percy hated homework, he knew he couldn't complain since he would probably need this if he didn't want to become the magical punching bag for the school bullies. So, for the first time in his life, Percy found himself actually thanking a teacher for homework.
Percy turned to leave, but Dumbledore stopped him, "One more thing, Mr. Jackson, I suggest you start wearing your school robes tomorrow. Professor Snape will not be as accepting as the other teachers." Percy opened his mouth to argue back, but before he could Dumbledore asked, "Do you really wish to make your life any more difficult than it already is?"
That forced Percy to clamp his mouth shut as he thought it over. Even though he knew Dumbledore was right, his stubbornness was just unwilling to accept it. "Okay," Percy finally grumbled. "Thanks for the suggestion and the warning."
The next morning, potions went about as well as Percy had thought it would which meant it was horrible even though he had taken Dumbledore's advice and worn the stupid robe. Unlike the other teachers, Snape had decided to split up his theory and practical lessons, so Percy was forced to endure five hours of lecturing which should be considered a cruel and unusual punishment. By the end of it, Percy wasn't sure which of them hated the other more.
At one point, Percy had thought for sure that Snape would kick him out after several snide comments from the teacher about Percy's inability to sit still and pay attention. That would have been fine with Percy since learning potions from books and Hecate had to be better than this. But something made Snape change his mind and continue lecturing. If Snape' evil smile was anything to go by, he must have seen Percy's eagerness and realized that it was more torture for Percy to stay. Percy was tempted to see how far he could push Snape. Maybe, he could use his powers to make those jars with creepy, floating dead things explode assuming there was actually some water in there.
"Don't you dare, Perseus," Hecate hissed in his mind. "If you use your father's gifts to purposely get yourself removed from a class, I will stop helping you."
Well, that was something Percy couldn't afford. Without Hecate's help, there was no way he'd be able to catch up, so he just settled for glaring at Snape until the lesson was over. Percy practically sprinted out of the gods-forsaken dungeon, glad that he wouldn't have to go back there for a few days.
It turned out that the subject Percy was least behind in was actually Astronomy. Since so many constellations and planets were connected to Greek gods and myths, Annabeth had pointed them out either in the sky or on maps and charts as she had told him the stories of the heroes who had come before them. Percy had actually kind of paid attention to most of it. For him the constellations were reminders that his life wasn't the only one that sucked. Plus, stars could help guide you on dangerous quests if you say accidently blew up your compass with the rest of your supplies on a bus. Professor Sinistra was pleased with his current knowledge but still gave him a few charts on planets to study.
Percy spent his first day off properly exploring the grounds. After being cooped up inside classrooms for three days straight, he intended to spend every second he could outside. He ran over to check out the quidditch pitch, admired the stands and towering goal posts, and then ran past the groundskeeper's hut, and around the lake. Once he was sufficiently sweaty, he took off his shoes, socks, and shirt and jumped into the water with his bathing suit. Immediately, he felt refreshed, but the water seemed different.
It tingled against his skin with what Percy could only assume was magic. Hesitantly, Percy dove underwater and was relieved that he still had the ability to breath. Now, that Percy was actually in the water he could tell that the lake was even bigger than it appeared to be from the surface. He wasn't sure how, but he knew that the lake floor was approximately 165 feet below him and there were several underwater caves and offshoots. It would take him weeks to explore the whole thing and even then, he wasn't sure if he would see everything.
Before he could even think about diving deeper and finding that giant squid, there was a splash and a commotion near the shore. Percy surfaced to find the largest man he had ever seen walking towards him in the water. "What d'yeh think yer doin' jumping in like that?" The man exclaimed, "When you didn't come back up, thought those Grindylows got yer."
Percy quickly swam back to the shore making sure he stayed wet as he climbed out of the water. "Sorry, I didn't realize I'm not supposed to swim in the lake," Percy tried to explain hoping he wasn't in too much trouble. "Professor Dumbledore never mentioned it."
"Suppose the Headmaster, didn't think he had ter. Most o' the year it's too cold fer swimming," the giant man reasoned. "An' most are too afraid o' the giant squid to go in there."
Percy thought he'd have to be careful around the giant squid, but the giant squid wasn't what the man thought had attacked him. "What are those Grindy things you mentioned?"
"Water demons, like ter try an' drown people," the man said. "They're the ones yer should worry 'bout down there. The giant squid's pretty harmless though the merpeople don't take too kindly to trespassers either."
Since Percy couldn't drown, he figured the Grindylows wouldn't be too much trouble. But Merpeople? Did he mean like the Little Mermaid? Before Percy could ask, the giant said, "Names Hagrid. I'm the Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. An' yer must be the new student from the States."
"Yeah, I'm Percy," he extended his hand, and it was quickly swallowed by Hagrid's huge one.
Hagrid grinned behind his wild beard, "Pleased to meet yer. How 'bout yer come to my place for a cup o' tea while yer dry off?"
"I'm not much of a tea guy, but sure," he replied.
Percy ended up spending the rest of the morning at Hagrid's. The food was terrible. Percy thought he cracked a tooth after trying one of the cakes Hagrid offered, but the company was excellent. Percy hadn't realized how lonely he'd been until then with only teachers and house-elves for company for the past few days. Hagrid enthusiastically told him all about the different creatures that lived in the forest, everything from unicorns to giant spiders which made Percy glad that Annabeth was on a different continent. He even showed Percy the supersized pumpkins in the garden that he was growing for the Halloween feast and let Percy play fetch with his huge dog Fang.
Percy would've liked to stay longer. Hagrid seemed like a pretty cool guy, but unfortunately, Percy's day off wasn't completely free because he had his first flying lesson. Despite what Hecate had told him, Percy was still nervous. He kept glancing anxiously at the clear blue sky as he headed back to the Quidditch Pitch waiting for it to cloud over. But the sky stayed lightning bolt free, so when the time came, he ignored his nerves and shoved off the ground as Madam Hooch instructed. He hovered a few feet above the ground then leaned forward slightly and landed safely. There wasn't even a rumble of thunder. Feeling more confident now that it looked like Zeus really wouldn't blast him out of the sky, he did the next set of exercises with a lot more enthusiasm.
Flying was fun. It felt freeing, and he loved the speed and adrenaline rush of diving, spinning, and making sharp turns. It was like a rollercoaster that he could control. Sure, he would never be as comfortable in the air as he was in water, but Hecate was right. Somehow riding the broom felt way safer than the airplane he took to New York. It was like neutral territory. By the end of the lesson, Madam Hooch was satisfied with his performance, "Not bad Mr. Jackson, not bad at all." Her normally stern face softened with a small smile. "Perhaps I may see you on your House Quidditch team in a few years."
The next few days passed in a blur. Percy learned the locking and unlocking charms along with the severing and repairing and several more that he could barely keep track of. In Transfiguration he progressed to changing live animals like beetles and mice into objects which led to some rather gruesome sights whenever he messed up and lost his focus. But the class he was most excited for was Dumbledore's next Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Back in the circular office, Dumbledore asked, "Were you able to complete your assignment, Mr. Jackson?"
"I think so," Percy replied.
"Very well then, with your permission, I wish to cast a few of these jinxes on you so that you may practice the counter-jinxes."
Dumbledore gave him a questioning glance, so Percy nodded, "Okay," and pulled out his wand as the headmaster pulled out his own.
"Locomotor Mortis," Dumbledore exclaimed with a flourish of his wand. Percy immediately recognized the incantation for the Leg-Locker Curse (thanks to his built in Latin and Greek dictionary) as a flash of purple light sped towards him. Time seemed to slow down as Percy watched the light and stepped aside like he was dodging one of the Apollo cabin's arrows in Capture the Flag, and time sped up again as the spell crashed into bookshelf behind Percy. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise before firing off another spell, "Tarantallegra."
Percy dodged that one too, and the one after that. Finally, Dumbledore lowered his wand and chuckled, "I see you have found a creative solution to your assignment, Mr. Jackson."
"It just seemed like the best way to counter a jinx is to never get hit with one in the first place," Percy remarked not bothering to hide his smirk.
"It has been a few years since I have heard such cheek, but you are correct, Mr. Jackson. And that is a very important lesson that many wizards much older than you never master." Percy was surprised at Dumbledore's praise. He had half expected the headmaster to be mad at him like most of Percy's old teachers would have been if he had cheated or showed up the teacher.
Then with no warning Dumbledore flicked his wand, and a bolt of purple light hit Percy before he even realized that Dumbledore had cast a spell without the magic words. "While dodging a spell, should always be your first defense," Dumbledore continued as Percy felt his legs bind together and struggled to keep his balance, "sometimes it is impossible to completely avoid a curse, and therefore, you should know how to properly counter it for those circumstances."
Luckily, Hecate had convinced Percy to still actually do Dumbledore's assignment. Percy silently thanked the goddess because he actually knew the incantation for this counter-curse and got it right on the second try using the same mental trick he used in charms class to channel his intent. "Very good, Mr. Jackson," Dumbledore complemented. "Now, for the sake of time, I would like you to let yourself get hit by these next few jinxes."
They progressed down the list though Percy was relieved that they skipped the slug-vomiting one. With only an hour remaining, Dumbledore taught Percy the Disarming Charm. "I do not believe your classmates have learned this in their lessons yet, but given your proclivity for . . . shall say trouble, it is my hope that if an altercation with another student is unavoidable you will use this charm and walk away."
Dumbledore magically conjured a wooden dummy with a fake wand and demonstrated the spell before having Percy try. After a few pointers from Dumbledore to help Percy's aim, he felt like he had gotten the hang of it. It was pretty cool watching the dummy's wand fly across the room after he did a successful spell. It reminded him of the first time he disarmed Luke. "Professor, does this spell only work on wands, or will it work on whatever someone is holding?"
Dumbledore looked at him curiously as if he suspected the real reason Percy had asked, "An excellent question, Mr. Jackson. Expelliarmus will work on any object your opponent is holding at the time." That would be supper useful, but Percy doubted that he would be allowed to use his wand back at Camp.
The class he was least excited for was his next potions lesson. As soon as Snape swept through the empty classroom, Percy knew he was in trouble. Snape looked like he wanted to murder someone. "That arrogant, insufferable, fraud," he muttered under his breath, "Why the headmaster insists. . ."
Then Snape's dark eyes fell on Percy and that glint promised torture. "Today you will start by making a potion to cure boils, Jackson," Snape declared with a sneer. "Follow the instructions on the blackboard. I just hope that you can pay more attention to your potion than you did during our lecture last time." Snape flicked his wand, and the instructions magically appeared on the chalkboard. Percy had never been more grateful for Hecate's reading glasses even if Snape scoffed as he put them on.
Percy didn't know it was possible to pour water wrong, but apparently, he managed to mess up the first step. "You are making a potion, Jackson not pumpkin juice. The instructions say 100 ounces of Standard Potioning Water not 105," Snape criticized with glee. Next, it was not enough dried nettles and then too much crushed snake fangs. Each insult was worse, more bite and more personal, until Percy's temper was boiling more than his potion.
Later, Percy wasn't sure exactly what happened, though he thought he should be congratulated for keeping his cool as long as he had. And he only managed that because he knew Snape was purposely trying to bait him, but there was only so much Percy could take before he exploded. He was about to add the porcupine quills when Snape's voice once again cut through, "Are you an imbecile, Jackson? The potion needs to cool before adding the quills which is why you take the cauldron off the fire. I see why your father shipped you off to a different continent the first chance he got. Too embarrassed to keep you around."
Percy saw red, and there was an intense tug in his gut. The next thing Percy knew, he was standing brandishing the silver cutting knife in his hand, and Snape was covered in Percy's incomplete potion sprouting red boils on his face and arms. Percy just stood there, mouth open, too stunned to say anything or even laugh.
"Get out," Snape snarled with an angry glare that could rival the god of the Underworld. Percy didn't need to be told twice.
Back in his room, Percy paced not sure what to do. So much for a fresh start at a magic school. He had just attacked a teacher, again, though this one didn't just disintegrate into monster dust. Would he be expelled? Would Snape blame accidental magic or realize that Percy had used something else? Percy was totally screwed. Hecate might make him spontaneously combust for this.
"What did you do now, Perseus?" Hecate's voice sounded resigned.
"I might have exploded my potion all over Snape," Percy admitted.
"For the love of the Fates, why couldn't it have been a child of Athena," Hecate muttered. "Of course, she's far too sensible to ever have a forbidden child."
"I didn't mean to," Percy defended himself. "That overgrown bat just made me so mad. Am I going to get kicked out?"
Hecate sighed, "No, Professor Snape will just assume it was a case of accidental magic especially if he was provoking you. I doubt he will even tell anyone about it."
Percy sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't be getting expelled before the school year even started. "However," Hecate continued, "I did warn you what would happen if you abused your powers during a lesson."
Percy thought back to his first potions lesson when Hecate had warned him, "But you said if I purposely used my powers, and I didn't. This was an accident."
"I'm impressed you caught that loophole, Perseus, but you still must have better control and not lose your temper every time someone insults you."
"I didn't until he brought up my dad," Percy ground his teeth together at the memory. He'd been surprised that Snape even knew about that though he figured Dumbledore must have told the teachers something to explain his sudden attendance at Hogwarts. "After everything that's happened. . ." he couldn't finish the thought out loud – that Snape's words had hit too close to his own doubts because part of him wondered if his dad really was ashamed of him now that he was a wizard, a double mistake.
"I see," came the stiff reply though Percy swore he heard a note of understanding in Hecate's voice.
"So, you'll teach me potions?" Percy asked hopefully.
"I suppose I will," the goddess relented. "However, I expect you to do better next time, no matter what Snape says."
Percy grimaced at the thought of having to endure more of Snape's irritating taunts, but after a moment, he said, "I'll try."
"You better, otherwise I'll have to turn you into something creative, maybe a Tasmanian Devil. They are known for their tempers." Percy winced. If he had to pick, he would prefer Mr. D's threat to turn him into a dolphin.
Hecate, satisfied that her threat was being taken seriously, started the lesson. "Originally, I was not going to tell you about this because in my opinion it's a shortcut, but unfortunately, because you've antagonized Professor Snape in such a humiliating way, it seems necessary. Just teaching you potions will not be enough for you to succeed now. You will have to be the best which may be difficult given your trouble with paying attention. Luckily, some of Poseidon's offspring have a certain gift when it comes to brewing potions. Based on what you did today, I believe you will be able to master it. Besides, providing a channel for your father's gifts during that class may prevent another outburst."
Suddenly, everything Percy needed to brew a potion appeared on his desk including a paper with very familiar instructions. It looked like he was going to make a cure for boils again. "Now, what is the base for most potions?" Hecate asked.
Percy took a second wondering if it was a trick question, "Water?"
"Correct, and as the son of the sea god, you have a certain affinity for water."
"So I can just make the water turn into the potion?" Percy asked.
"Don't be ridiculous. You still have to make the potion, but you will find if you focus on the water while keeping your intent in mind then you will be more attuned to the potion. You will be sensitive to the exact temperature and mixing of the potion and should be able to control it to some extent. Additionally, as Golpalott, a famous potioneer and son of Poseidon, put it, 'The potion will sing for you."
"Sing?" Percy asked trying not to laugh as he imagined his potion singing Led Zeppelin.
"Golpalott always liked to be vague and poetic in his expressions," Hecate huffed. "But yes, according to him, the water helped him sense what he needed to do next. I believe he imagined a symphony and every ingredient had a distinctive sound in his mind which is how he was able to invent so many new potions and develop Golpalott's laws. Though an uncredited witch actually had to interpret Golpalott's laws for the rest of the community because frankly I don't think Golpalott knew exactly why he added certain ingredients other than the water was answering his intent."
Percy frowned, "Okay, sounds kind of weird, but then again two weeks ago, I would have thought making any potion was weird. So how do I do this?"
"Honestly, I'm not certain." Percy was surprised by Hecate's response. Most gods wouldn't admit when they didn't know something. "In the past the children of Poseidon gifted with this ability discovered it on their own. I think the best thing to do is for you to just keep making this potion until you sense it. Just remember much like spell work, intent is the key."
Groaning Percy sat down at his desk and started brewing the potion. The first time he forgot the dried nettles. The second time he stirred the potion too many times counterclockwise, and the third time he was so frustrated that he messed up the Incendio spell to heat up the cauldron and had to use his powers to dump the potion on the fire. The fourth time though he did everything correctly and produced a cure for boils, but there was still no sixth potions sense coming from the water.
Once again, the potion in his cauldron vanished. "Do it again, Perseus," Hecate commanded. "But focus more on the water."
"This doesn't feel like much of a shortcut," Percy muttered starting to get angry. After his seventh time making the potion, Percy got so frustrated he upturned the desk which resulted in a thorough scolding from Hecate including a threat to turn him into a ferret this time, before she sent him to the shower to cool off.
The idea of a shower actually sounded appealing, so Percy for once in his life did as he was told. As always the water was refreshing and soothing all at the same time while Percy wondered if maybe he didn't actually have this so called gift, and he was destined to suck at potions and be insulted by Snape for the rest of his life.
When he finally left the bathroom, his desk was once again perfectly set up for brewing the cure for boils. This time he didn't wait for Hecate or even glance at the instructions, but he just started adding ingredients from memory. He didn't bother using the stir rod. Instead, he willed the potion to stir the proper amount of times in the proper directions. Maybe it was because he was extra sensitive to water after the shower or maybe he was just paying more attention, but when it was time to remove the cauldron from the heat, he knew it. When he closed his eyes, it was like he could still see the potion, and it was glowing. He also knew exactly when it was cool enough to add the porcupine quills too because the potion had a sort of orange aura even though the potion itself was a bright pink and for some reason orange and porcupine quills made sense to his tired brain.
After the final step, Percy felt like he woke up from a daze and in front of him was a perfect blue potion with puffs of pink smoke. "Excellent, Perseus!" Hecate complemented. "You managed to decrease the average brewing time by 15 minutes."
Percy snorted, "Yeah because I knew what I was doing after the hundredth time."
"Yes, but you also used your father's gifts to manipulate the potion and even helped it reach the optimum temperatures faster."
"I did?" Percy asked shocked.
"Now, try it with a new potion," Hecate instructed, and the whole process started again. This time though Percy knew what it felt like and had a perfect potion on his second try. He realized that Golpalott had been right, but instead of sounds it was colors for Percy. By the time Hecate had him brew the Forgetfulness Potion, Percy knew that when he added a new ingredient to the potion or stirred it or changed the temperature it altered the aura of the potion regardless of the physical color. A kind of glow that he assumed only he could see that he somehow matched with the next step. Usually, it helped if he had his eyes closed. He also learned by accident that he could use his powers to extract liquid ingredients and add them directly into the potion. Hecate was fascinated by the whole process and figured that he was sensing the actual change in the essence of the potion due to his father's powers interacting with his magical core.
That night Percy collapsed into his bed exhausted but pleased. He was confident that as long as he concentrated on that strange connection with the water in his cauldron, he would be able to make any potion Snape could throw at him.
To Percy's relief, he had off the two days before the term started. Officially, he was supposed to be reading his History of Magic textbook, but instead he spent the day exploring the castle. He even ran into Nick during his wanderings, and the ghost was more than happy to join him, pointing out which staircases had trick steps that he needed to skip and useful secret passages that could help him avoid crowded hallways and get to class on time. Most importantly, he helped Percy dodge Peeves the poltergeist who was setting up a nasty surprise for the school's cranky, old caretaker, Filch.
For the first time in his life, Percy found himself looking forward to the start of school. Magic could be pretty cool, fun even. It definitely was way better than math or reading stupid books about boys whose dogs die. Like, seriously couldn't English teachers ever pick a happy book. Since it was his last night with his own room, Percy Iris messaged first his mom and then Annabeth. He wasn't sure when he would get another chance once he was surrounded by other students. Percy was going to miss his privacy, but at the same time he was excited to join a House. Even at Camp Half-Blood, Percy still felt alone sometimes because unlike the other campers, he didn't have cabin mates. He hoped that being part of a House would maybe be like that, like he was a part of something larger, like he belonged.
"So how exactly do you get sorted into these Houses?" Annabeth asked through the rainbow he'd created in the bathroom. Sometimes Percy thought she could read his mind.
"I don't know," Percy frowned, "Everyone's been pretty secretive about the whole thing. I think it's supposed to be a surprise."
"Hmm," Annabeth mused, "maybe it's some kind of personality test like Myers Briggs. Which one do you think you'll be in?"
Percy shrugged, "Not sure, though I know I won't be in Ravenclaw which is a shame because Nick told me their color is blue. That one's for smart people. They like wisdom and books and homework, so you'd fit in perfectly with them since your mom's literally the wisdom goddess and all."
Annabeth twirled her hair as she thought, "Probably or I guess I could be in that other one, Slytherin was it? For ambition and cunning?"
"I guess so, but still seems like the Wise Girl would be put in the wisdom House," Percy emphasized. "But Nick thinks I'll be in his house, Gryffindor."
Annabeth snorted, "Yeah, I guess anyone foolish enough to charge a Minitour without a weapon could be considered brave. What about the fourth house, the one your ancestor founded? Don't you want to be in it?"
"Suppose so, but not because of my ancestor. It's not like I really have any connection with her anyways, but Professor Sprout is by far the nicest teacher here. And based on what everyone's said Hufflepuff is the nice House."
Annabeth scoffed, "You? In the nice House?"
"Hey," Percy said indignantly, "I'm nice." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Besides, I think Dumbledore said something about loyalty, hard work, and patience," Percy added
That made Annabeth laugh, "Gods, Percy I think you're the most reckless, impatient person I know. But you also are the most loyal one too."
Once again, Hecate visited Percy in his dreams. This time though they were back at the crossroads and not in a gods-forsaken classroom, "Well done my hero. You have worked hard and exceeded my expectations. The rest is up to you now."
Percy frowned, "What does that mean?"
"I could only help you until you caught up with your classmates," Hecate answered. "You were robbed of your first year of magical education, so by helping you, I was able to restore balance so to speak. Now, you must continue your magical education on your own. Only then will you reach your true potential as a wizard and a hero."
Percy was conflicted. He knew that Hecate helping him was one of the main reasons why he was suddenly kind of good at this magic school stuff, and he didn't know if he'd be able to keep it up or if he'd revert back to his regular being bad at school routine once she was gone. But at the same time, it would be nice to not have a goddess in his head.
"Don't worry, Perseus. I've given you a strong foundation. As long as you work hard, you should be fine," Hecate said reassuringly. Her expression shifted to a mischievous smile, "However, I will check-up on you occasionally, and if I find you are not applying yourself to your studies then I will turn you into a suitable animal, maybe a miniature horse. I hear they are known for their stubbornness. If you don't wish to get on the wrong hoof, I suggest you start by reading your History of Magic tomorrow."
Percy wasn't sure if the goddess was joking or not, but he'd rather not find out.
I will update the next chapter in a week. It includes the sorting which was the second part of the story that I drafted right after the very first scene in Dumbledore's office almost a year ago.