Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

These past few weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions for one Harry James Potter. Between learning there was a mass murder out there and getting kicked out of his home because of blowing his aunt up it has been a pretty wild week.

He almost laughs at the absurdity of it all. Usually, it is not until his back at Hogwarts that all of these shenanigans start. Seems there was much in store for him this time around.

Speaking of stores. You may be wondering. So, what does a teen who just turned fifteen do since he was kicked out of his home? The answer? Explore each and every corner of Diagon Alley.

Since he was staying at the Leaky Cauldron he decided to spend his time between class work by exploring and shopping in the Magical's best flea market. Though he would never tell his wizard friends that that's what he called this place in his head.

He visited the broom shop multiple times. Books and so were left as an afterthought. Not really his cup of tea. That seems to be more of Hermione's hobby and not his. But he did visit places where treats and sweats were sold regularly. After all, he was an unattended fifteen-year-old teenager. Of course, those were the places he would regularly visit.

But there was a place he dared not visit yet. Though there was a part of him that wanted to. Maybe it was his Gryffindor courage or just his morbid curiosity calling him. What place was this? But the Dark Alley of course.

The place where, according to Mrs. Weasley, only those who dabble in the Dark Arts dared to step inside. Maybe it was true. Or maybe it was just a scary story invented by the Weasley matriarch to dissuade him from going inside.

So here he was. Just as he had been doing for the past week at this time of the day. Standing in front of the Alley trying to get the courage to take the step inside.

He gulped to get rid of his nerves and was about to take a step back when a voice on his right startled the shit out of him "You're going in or not?" The voice asked and Harry had to jump back a little to get his surprise in check

There stood a male teen about Harry's age. He had blond platinum hair that seemed slightly white. He styled it in a short undercut fade that made Harry self-conscious of his rough and messy long hair.

He wore a streetwear outfit with a gray hoodie on top of it. But the thing that captured Harry's attention the most was a pair of lilac-colored eyes looking at him in curiosity.

Harry, thanks to his years of experience dealing with Snape, got his surprise under control and put his attention back on the teen. "Um, I'm sorry. What did you say?" Harry said as he stood straighter.

"I was wondering if you're going into the Alley or not," The teen asked as his eyes traveled to the alley in front of them "I've seen you around here for the past couple of days. You always stay here and then never go inside so I was curious," He said shrugging his shoulders "So, are you going in or not?" He asked and Harry glanced back into the Alley

"I don't know. Isn't that place filled with darkness and such?" Harry asked rhetorically and the teen again shrugged his shoulders

"It does. But those that matter anyhow?" The teen asked giving a curious look to Harry once more before walking into the alley.

Harry got left out of words. Here there was a teen he didn't know walking into such a dark place without any self-doubt and practically nonchalantly. Harry couldn't help but feel frustrated by his indecision right here. And one thing that was a unique characteristic of Harry is that whenever he felt frustrated he was prone to rash decisions.

And perhaps following that teen into the Dark Alley was a rash decision. But while it may seem a rash decision now. In the future, Harry would feel very grateful for this moment. Since this would mark a path that would lead to a better future for him and those he held dear.

Harry practically sprinted through the alley and before he could crash into someone who was rounding up the corner he felt a tug on his collar "So, you've decided to come then," He heard that same bored voice from behind him.

He shook the hold and looked back to see the teen still looking at him with those same curiosity-filled eyes "Yes. Figured there was nothing to be afraid of. Especially something I don't know yet," Harry said and the teen offered him a small smile.

"That's very healthy of you, Potter, " the teen said before walking past him. "Come on. There are some stores I wish to go to," he said as Harry matched his pace.

"What makes you think I'd follow you? I don't even know you," Harry said hiding the fact that he had entered the alley just to follow him.

"You're free to explore by yourself, Potter." The teen said without looking at him "But I've been told that shopping with company is quite pleasant," He said as he turned around into another corner and Harry had to backtrack to keep with him quickly. But then he stopped as the teen in front of him stopped and turned around abruptly.

"And I taught you remembered me. My mistake," The teen said putting a hand forward "My name is Perseus Nyx. Percy is fine," The teen said waiting for Harry to shake his hand.

"Um, nice to meet you. But what's this about me not remembering you?" Harry said not hiding his confusion one bit as he shook Percy's hand.

"We met just before our first year started," Percy said as Harry furrowed his brow trying to remember when he met this guy "We shared ice cream while you waited for the school's guard Hagrid," Percy explained and Harry's eyes grew big.

"Oh, that's right. We talked about how nervous we were about the whole magical thing," Harry said with a bit of a nostalgic tone in his voice but then a thought went up his mind "Why didn't you talk to me later? Back then I mean," Harry asked.

Percy looked away from Harry's eyes for a moment and shrugged his shoulders "You got into Gryffindor and I into Slytherin. By the time I wanted to approach you, you had started believing all of us were evil and bullies. It made you pretty unapproachable." Percy said continue walking forward.

Harry felt a little bad and started scratching the back of his head "I'm sorry," Harry said apologetically and Percy glanced at him.

"Don't be. 'Sides, Malfoy, and the upper classmates didn't make it any easier either," Percy said as Harry grew a bit curious.

"Meaning?" Harry asked and Percy stopped in front of a shop and looked at Harry with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Live in Slytherin isn't rainbows and roses. It is a viper pit and one of the rules there is that if anyone befriends Harry Potter or his friends then there'll be repercussions," Percy explained as he opened the door to the store and let Harry enter first.

"That has to be a joke right? And what about this? Will you get in trouble for just speaking to me?" Harry said and Percy just looked at him seriously and gave him a nod "Then why risk speaking to me then?" Harry said as Percy closed the door behind him.

"I realized some things about my family recently. Figured I should stop worrying about what other people might think or say," Percy said as he walked around the store.

Harry again was lost for words and to regain some composure he started looking around the store. It looked like a normal library but the books looked rough and old instead of pristine conditions.

"What is this?" Harry asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Mcklain's store for the unknown. It is a small library of sorts," Percy explained and Harry saw him grabbing two scrolls from a wall nearby "And they're not technically ministry-regulated so that's why it's here." The white-haired teen explained as Harry started browsing the books around him.

"So it's illegal then?" Harry asked but the answer didn't come from him but from a voice above him.

"Not technically it's just not advertised that much." Harry heard a high-pitched voice explain and looked up. There on one of the stools a small creature, the size of a coffee mug, stood fixing some books.

Harry had read about such creatures. If he recalled correctly they were called gnomes. Small creatures that lived in small holes and were favored in magic. He was so lost in his amazement that he almost missed whatever the small creature was saying.

"Hi my name is Gabriel, nice to meet you, Harry," The gnome said as the small gnome stood in front of him and gave him a small wave "What brings you to my store?" She asked and Harry blinked a bit.

"Um, just exploring I guess," Harry said still unsure how to feel with staring at an old female gnome.

"Gaby you're freaking him out. It is his first time seeing a gnome," Percy said as Gabriel's eyes winded and she quickly scurried away.

"I'm so sorry, please call me if you need any help!" She said and quickly ran away before Harry could get any word in.

"Hey Gaby! Where is your Greek mythology collection? I don't see them anywhere!" Percy shouted as his eyes browsed the collection of books in front of him.

"Right in the front! The left corner! They should be there!" Gaby shouted back and Percy moved to the front.

Harry quickly rushed to where he was and started whispering to him "Dude what the hell is this store!?" He whispered a bit forcefully.

"A bookstore?" Percy said a bit confused "I thought that it was obvious," Percy said blinking a bit and Harry quickly shook his head

"No, I get that," Harry said looking around "I mean. Why such an ordinary store is in the Dark Alley? Just because the ministry doesn't advertise it?" Harry asked incredulously and his eyes grew bigger in shock when he saw Percy nodding his head.

"That's the gist of it," Percy said as he grabbed a book from the selection in front of him "Most of these books come from authors that are frowned upon by the ministry," Percy said as he handed a book to Harry "Like that one for example," Percy said.

"Mythological creatures. Real or fantasy? Rulebook on how to find and kill fantastic creatures, by Drog Ragzzlin," Harry read out loud and then looked at Percy with confusion.

"He was a Goblin. An important one at that. It took 'bout 4 thousand or so wizards to take him out during the rebellion," Percy said as he grabbed the book back and placed it with the others he was going to buy "It's common knowledge that the ministry doesn't like to share because they don't want to look weak. It's bigotry," Percy said with a shrug as he walked to the counter, having already gotten what he came for.

"It also doesn't help a wizard didn't write it," Percy said as he placed the books on the counter and Gaby started checking them out "Ask Granger how many books are written by non-wizards in Flourish and Blotts. It will surprise you how low the number is," Percy said as he brought a bag of golden coins to pay for the books.

"So this place exists for these types of books then," Harry noted and Gaby gave him a nod in agreement.

"Knowledge is knowledge. Ignoring them just because of who wrote them is plain stupid in my opinion," Gaby said passing Percy a bag with the books "That's why my grandsire created this place. For people to read everything he used to say," Gaby said and Harry looked slightly impressed by the whole thing.

"Incredible. I'll make sure I bring my friend here sometime, she could definitely love this place," Harry said and Gaby offered him a bright smile.

"I'll look forward to it, have a good day Harry," Gaby said as the raven-head teen nodded his head "And good hunting Percy," Gaby said as the white-haired teen gave her a nod in thanks.

"Hunting?" Harry asked as they were leaving the Bookshop. His curiosity was piqued a bit by Gaby's choice of words.

"Dungeon hunting. A small hobby of mine," Percy said as he led Harry to a store down the hallway "I can explain more later if you're interested," Percy said and Harry was indeed interested.

That's why he kept following Percy throughout this shopping spree. Or at least that was the excuse he was telling himself. He actually found himself enjoying Percy's company. He didn't like to compare but he was better than Hermione at explaining things.

Hermione explained things very methodically and logically—a textbook explanation you could say. But Percy, on the other hand, explains things to him outside the box. It was as if he was telling a story rather than explaining a subject.

They enter one last store. It was called Diagon Alley's Underground Material Shop, and Harry didn't have to be a detective to figure out what they sold there. Materials of every kind and need.

Or at least that was what he thought but once they entered the first thing he noticed was all the glowing little spheres on the store's shelves. Round spheres each in a different color from white to black and all the in between.

And just by walking past them, Harry could feel the elemental power surging through them. He almost touched one but Percy swatted his hand. Telling to be careful with those.

Then in the middle of the store, several mechanic devices lay together. Harry didn't know what their function was exactly. He asked Percy about them but he just said that he would show him later.

Both teens approached the counter and the young Gryffindor student saw Percy pushing the bell that served to call the clerk out of the inventory room.

Harry, having gotten used to the unique qualities of the Dark Alley's stores, wasn't surprised much when an old and scrawny centaur came out of the back door of the store.

"You're late Percy," The centaur said and then he noticed the other teen there. Harry felt like he was being judged as the centaur looked at him up and down "And you brought company. Care to tell me what the boy who lived is doing in the dark alley?" The centaur asked and Harry looked at Percy confused.

Percy just shrugged his shoulders letting him know to answer however he liked "Just browsing. Why, I can't?" Harry asked with a little bite coming out of his voice. A habit he had picked over the years.

The centaur whistled and gave Harry a chuckle "Of course you can. I'm just a little surprised that the Light's poster boy would roam these dark spaces," The centaur said. And again Harry gave Percy another confused look.

"What does he mean by that?" Harry asked and Percy rubbed his face a sign of annoyance

"Don't mind him, Potter," Percy said and then looked at the Centaur "Do you have what I asked you for Bill?" Percy asked and Bill smiled and put a small box on top of the counter.

"Took me a while but it is done," He said as Percy opened the box. Harry took a peak and saw those small and light mechanical black fingerless gloves with sphere-sized holes in the middle of them.

Percy tried them on and flexed his fingers a bit getting a better feeling for them. He adjusted the strap on the wrist before looking back at Bill "They're great. Feels very light," Percy said and Bill looked proud of his job.

Harry was just lost. He felt out of place by everything that was happening between Percy and the clerk. Especially after Percy a bunch of more things.

He hoped that Percy would stick to his word and explain things later on because he wanted to know why he was buying a sword from this place.

Percy had sent back his purchases home by a house elf as Harry had seen. Then the white-haired teen led Harry to a muggle café shop in front of the entrance leading to the Leaky Cauldron.

Percy reasoned that Diagon Alley had too many wizards and didn't want anyone to overhear him. But soon Harry would learn that wasn't all to it.

"So, have you read any fantasy books, Potter? Like The Hobbit or something like that?" Percy started after both had their drinks in their hands.

Harry shook his head "No" and Percy leaned back to think of a better example "Fantasy movies perhaps? Narnia? Lords of the Rings?" Percy asked and again Harry shook his head "No".

"Seriously? What do you do to pass the time then?" Percy asked a bit confused and Harry shrugged his shoulders

"Quidditch perhaps. My relatives don't give me so much free time like that," Harry said and Percy started tapping the table with his fingers.

"You need to get out more Potter. You live too much in the magical world," Percy commented before taking a sip from his tea. A comment that didn't sit too well with Harry.

"First of all call me Harry, you sound like a prick when you call me Potter. Like a certain one I know if I might add," Harry said and Percy looked apologetically. Harry knew he meant no harm by it so he carried on "And second of all. Life outside the magical world, at least for me, it's shite. So excuse me if I prefer to live too much in the magical world," Harry said and then looked down at the table in frustration.

"I'm sorry," Percy said after a pause of awkward silence "Can I ask why life is so shite for you?" Percy asked in curiosity and Harry looked out the window

"Let's just say life for a magical orphan in a muggle household is not easy," Harry said and Percy looked at his cup of tea.

"I get it," Percy said and Harry looked at him as if he had grown a second head "I lived in an orphanage before Hogwarts. And the matron was very religious. So you can guess how I was treated after my accidental bursts in magic," Percy said and Harry looked down.

Whatever retort about how he could get about how he was treated died down at the thought that someone had gone through something similar as him or worse. "On the other hand. I could show you," Percy said with a shrug and Harry looked up in confusion.

"Show me?" He asked tilting his head.

"Muggle pop culture," Percy said as he leaned forward "Don't get me wrong the magical world is pretty sick. And I'll show you why in just a second," Percy said adjusting himself in his seat. "But the muggle world has much to offer. I'm guessing your friend Granger has told you as much," Percy said and Harry frowned a bit.

He tried to remember what Hermione had told him about the muggle world and other than the fact that her parents were dentists he was drawing a blank. He realized that he should ask Hermione more about her muggle life.

"Take this for example. It's called an iPhone," Percy said as he handed the rectangular device to Harry "Whatever advances we wizards have. Muggles have them in technology. It is impressive that you can access every corner of the world with that small piece. Muggles found a way to get the whole world at their fingertips," Percy said as Harry looked through the phone.

"That's very impressive of them," Harry said and gave the phone back to Percy.

"That it is," Percy said as he started going through something on that phone looking for something specific "So, I suppose I should explain my hobby no?" Percy said glancing at Harry for a bit. And when he saw the black-haired teen nod he showed him an article on the phone.

"Two weeks ago in Whales, a couple of middle school students found a cave and swore they heard some growling coming from inside," Percy said as he leaned forward while pointing at the phone "So the local coastguard sent out a team in case if it was a bear. Since the cave is pretty close to the local school they were afraid it could get loose," Percy said and Harry noticed a bit of excitement dripping from his voice here and there.

Harry looked at the article and got confused since it didn't say anything about a bear in the article. It was just an article about a mysterious and scary cave that was all. But then he looked up and his eyes grew big.

Percy hadn't shown much emotion since he had met him. Other than plain boredom or slight curiosity there isn't much there. It made him look aloof. But here, right now in front of him, the teen he had met just a few hours ago, had his face with a huge excited smile and slightly sparkling eyes.

"Now here's the interesting thing, Harry. No matter how close the coastguard got, they all turned away," Percy said leaning forward with the chair below him leaned forward with him "And you know what they all said? They all told the press that they started to feel dizzy and before they knew it they were back at the start. And a Place we know does the same effect," Percy said brimming with excitement.

Harry was still confused so Percy decided to carry on "Hogwarts. If a Muggle gets too close to Hogwarts grounds there's magic in place that will force them to turn around wondering why they were there in the first place," Percy said and Harry tilted his head for a bit.

"So this place has the same type of magic as Hogwarts. Why the great interest?" Harry asked as Percy dropped down making a clang sound with his chair drawing a few looks towards him but none that remained for long

"Because great magic like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It has to be concentrated by something. Most likely a powerful item or creature," Percy said as he took out a straw from the nearby tray "Take our wands for example. Imagine this a wand for a second," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding. They couldn't take their wands out so freely so he supposed the straw would suffice.

"For the wand to work, it needs three components. The core, the wood, and an anchor that holds them together. But it channels its user's magic for one singular piece. It's core," Percy said pointing at one end of the straw "And the other two components help redirect this magic, this power to the end of the wand. But everything starts from the core," Percy said as Harry looked closely at the straw. Intrigue filled his eyes and he absorbed every detail of Percy's information dump.

"But you may be wondering why wand-makers like Ollivander choose to do wands like this. Why not use the core or the wood alone?" Percy said rhetorically as Harry looked up "Because Magic needs a catalyst. It is one of our secret world rules. A rule of nature," Percy said as a bright smile filled his face.

"And once in a while, nature creates these surges. These secret places are protected with such potent magic that you have to wonder what catalyst this place has. And that Harry, those places are what I like to call dungeons," Percy said to Harry's never-ending curiosity.

"Places filled with magical creatures and endless supplies of magical items and scrolls. As well as gold," Percy said as he leaned back and brought his excitement down a bit "So, I go to these dungeons when I get the chance just to see what's there. Before those cunts from the curse-breaking department seal the place," Percy said ending his explanation.

Harry leaned back absorbing all the information while looking at the article in his hands "And here I thought bravery was a Gryffindor trait," He joked getting a small smile out of the teen in front of him "All of this is very interesting I will say. But why show me this? What do you gain by telling me all of this?" Harry asked and Percy understood his reasoning.

They had just met and Percy had dumped a lot of personal information on Harry. He couldn't tell the raven-haired teen that his hobby was too much fun for him and he just wanted to share. So, as nonchalant as he could, he started explaining his reasoning.

"Honestly? I figured you're bored at spending all your days in Diagon Alley and I'm just presenting you with an alternative," Percy said shrugging his shoulders "Besides, these dungeons are dangerous and I could use some company. And who better than the guy who killed a basilisk as the rumors say," Percy said smirking slightly and Harry looked down and crossed his arms

"So you're asking me to go with you?" Harry asked as Percy nodded while taking a sip of his drink. Harry pondered for a bit before looking back at the white-haired teen. "Can I think about it?" He asked and received a nod

"Sure, sleep on it." Percy said as he grabbed his phone "I'll be waiting here at 10 am tomorrow if you decide to come," Percy said as he stood up from his seat "Now you have to excuse me but there's much I need to do to prepare for tomorrow. I hope I see you again Harry," Percy said putting a hand on Harry's shoulder before leaving the café

And Harry remained there for a couple of moments pondering the offer that had been made. He couldn't lie, adventure like that sounded pretty nice. But there was also the fact that he had just met the guy and this whole thing could just be a huge practical prank from the Slytherin student.

But anyhow he wasn't a person that overthinks stuff. He would rather face things head-on. So after a good night's sleep, tomorrow, he would decide whether to go or not

Line break

Percy was flipping a coin up and down to ease his nerves a bit. A mantra that helped him calm down whenever he was facing new challenges. He often wondered where it came from but he never found an answer. It was just one of the things he had grown to do.

He was leaning in front of one of the walls of the entrance of yesterday's café waiting. There were still ten minutes or so for the agreed hour to get here and there still wasn't a sign of the Gryffindor teen. There still was time but he was getting ready to go it alone.

A waste really. He would never admit it but he longed for someone to accompany him in these little adventures of his. Daphne never would've agreed to and her being his only friend there was a shortage of people he could ask. Especially now that she had gone cold turkey on him.

That was another matter he needed to resolve really. It had sting a bit when she went low contact on him in the summer but thanks to the lengthy chat he had with Ragnok, a goblin who worked at Gringotts, he had a pretty good idea of why she had done so. And knew how to fix it.

But his musing where cut short when he felt a hand on his shoulder "Hey Percy are you there?" He heard Harry's voice on his left and blinked catching the coin in his hand

Had he been so lost in thought that he didn't see the boy-who-lived getting here? He was getting too comfortable perhaps "Yeah sorry, there's been too much on my mind and I think I lost myself in there," Percy said pocketing the coin away.

"Can I ask what is it about? Maybe I could help," Harry said sympathetic, and Percy couldn't help but smile at him in thankfulness.

"Just some issues with a friend. One that I will sort out later on," Percy said as he pushed himself forward and stopped leaning on the wall "So, are joining me I guess?" Percy asked and Harry nodded his head

"No turning back now right?" Harry said with a bit of sarcasm and Percy chuckled a bit. Then he reached for something inside one of the pockets of his jacket.

"You'll have to wear this," Percy said giving Harry a gray simple cap to him "I can't have people wondering why the Boy-Who-Lived is in Scotland," Percy said and Harry took the cap with curios eyes.

"And how does a simple cap would help me hide?" Harry said putting the cap on as Percy pointed at the reflection next to them.

"It has a simple confusion charm placed on it. It hides your most prominent figures from everyone except you and me," Percy said as Harry looked at his reflection noticing his scar was gone and his eyes had turned into a shade of brown "Got the idea from a book I read," Percy said with a shrug and Harry looked over at him.

"You made this?" Harry asked slightly impressed and Percy just nodded his head as he started walking forward

"Just a few simple runes really no big deal," Percy said as Harry stopped looking at his reflection and caught up with Percy.

"So how are we getting to Scotland?" Harry asked as Percy gave him a side glance

"Through a portkey," Percy said simply and then realized he would've needed to explain further when he saw Harry's confused face "They're these items that serve as anchors to travel from one place to another, like teleportation," Percy explained and Harry nodded in understanding.

"I had Teeky, my house elf, put the other part as close as she could to the dungeon," Percy said as he led Harry to a nearby abandoned alley.

There in the middle of the dead-end ally, a portrait of a white castle stood on the ground "So how does this work?" Harry asked as Percy kneeled down

"Just grab the portrait and once we're ready I will activate it. Just don't let go till we're there, don't want to know what happens if you do," Percy said as Harry gulped but kneeled as well and grabbed one of the edges of the portrait.

"Ready?" Percy asked and Harry nodded his head, Then a surge of aid invaded this area and suddenly Harry found himself floating up in the air

It looked and felt like he was in the middle of a tornado and he held the portrait for dear life and he had to close his eyes as it was too much for him. Suddenly the feeling of floating stopped and he found himself smelling the breeze of the open sea

"You okay? I know that the first time traveling like this can be a bit too much," Percy said putting a hand in front of him. Harry blinked and looked around before grabbing Percy's hand.

The white-haired teen helped Harry up and the Gryffindor teen needed a moment to get his bearings "We're here?" Harry asked glancing back at Percy

"Yes, we are. Do you need a moment?" Percy asked but Harry shook his head and took a few deep breaths in

"No, I'm okay," Harry said shaking the sand off his pants "Let's carry on," Harry said and Percy snorted and tapped his shoulder.

"I'm glad you didn't puke, that would've been embarrassing. This way then," Percy said as he led Harry through the beach and towards a small cave in the distance.

"People puke with this?" Harry asked and Percy nodded

"Some do, movement like that can get people a bit dizzy and well," Percy said as they neared the cave and that's when Harry noticed a huge camping bag lying in front of the entrance of the cave.

But he didn't have the time to wonder much as a medium-sized cat with two tails and bright yellow eyes jumped on top of the bag scaring Harry a bit. He then saw Percy kneeling in front of the car and started scratching the chin of the animal "Hey Kuro, sorry for leaving you here this long. Did you have a good hunting day?" Percy asked and Harry heard the cat meow as if it was responding to the other teen

"Harry, this is Kuro. My familiar and our guide today, he will lead us to the exit if things get too hard or if we lose ourselves," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding.

"Now, before we go in, there are a few things I need to say for our safety," Percy said, and Harry focused on him "First, since Scotland is part of the UK, we cannot use our wands, with the trace and all of that. I would rather not go to jail, thank you very much," Percy said, getting a chuckle out of Harry.

"So, what was your idea then?" Harry asked as Percy reached for something inside the bag

"You know how you use a sword?" Percy Asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders

"Just stick them with the pointy end no?" Harry said a bit sarcastically and Percy snorted

"Yes I suppose that will suffice," Percy said as he handed Harry a silver longsword with a compartment in the handle filled with three of the gems Harry had seen in the store where Percy bought those gloves yesterday. "Now pay close attention, I'm gonna explain how this sword works," Percy said as he pointed at the gems.

"See those colorful gems?" Percy asked, and Harry nodded. "They're elemental gems, catalysts for magic. Like a magical core," Percy explained as Harry looked up, fully taking the information in. "Right now, the sword is nothing special. But if you press the button below the handle, it will turn elemental. Give it a try," Percy said, and Harry did as he was told.

And suddenly the sword became a bit heavier and Harry saw a gust of wind swirl around the blade as if a small tornado had invaded the sword "Now, make a swing that way. And remember, the more power you channel the stronger the effect will be," Percy said as Harry nodded in understanding.

So he closed his eyes for a second and faced the ocean. Then in a quick but strong movement, he swung the sword slashing forward. And a gust of air flew out the sword and cut the waves in half before they reformed once more.

"Whoa," Was the only thing Harry could say as he saw the gems changing places with an orange one standing on top of a purple one and a white one

"Once you use the power the gems will change to cool down the sword and make sure it doesn't break. After five seconds you'll hear a ring," Percy said and just as he finished the ring sounded "That will mean the next power is ready to be used," Percy said and Harry turned with a look of excitement on his face.

"This is incredible, did you make this as well? And what other powers does it have?" Harry asked and Percy chuckled

"I came up with the idea but the rest is all Bill's work," Percy said as he reached for something else and Harry noticed that Percy's hands had bandages all over them. He decided to ask about that later and instead focused on the further explanation of the sword "And the powers are Wind, Fire and Lighting. The three are the same mechanic, a long-distance elemental swing," Percy said as he threw a metal wristband at Harry who caught it with ease.

"Now put this on the wrist opposite the one holding the sword. Your off-hand," Percy said as Harry did and also notice him putting those gloves he bought yesterday on. Harry also noticed that on the right one, a red gem was there while the left one carried a white one. But his concentration broke off when a small shield appeared from the wristband.

"Whoa," Harry said as he moved his arm up and down testing the shield around.

"If you want to put it away just flick your wrist once more," Percy explained and Harry did just as he started bringing and putting away the shield over and over again.

"This is so cool, where did you get all of these ideas?" Harry asked as Percy stood up making sure his gloves were tight enough.

"Like I told you. We can learn a lot from the muggles. A lot of these items came from inspirations I got while watching movies and playing muggle games," Percy said as she adjusted Harry's wristband "Then I realized us wizards had the tools necessary to build them and the rest is history," Percy said taking a step back after making sure everything was alright.

"And the gloves?" Harry asked in curiosity as Percy looked at his hands

"These things?" Percy asked and Harry nodded "These are a bit different. What do you know about Sorcery?" Percy asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders

"Is what they teach us in Hogwarts is it not?" Harry said as Percy shrugged his head

"Not quite. Hogwarts teaches magic the wizarding way. The basic way you could say," Percy started explaining "Wizards learn magic through endless study. They devote themselves to books and a logical path that grants them magic," Percy said

"But there are a lot of ways you can use and learn magic, though it is not mentioned due to bureaucracy issues," Percy said with a shrug but that served to raise Harry's curiosity more

"So what kind of magic are they?" Harry asked and Percy pondered for a second.

"Well I don't really know, magic is endless so who knows how many ways there are," Percy said and then looked at Harry "The ones I do know are as follows. One, you get your powers by striking a deal with another powerful and otherworldly being, like a devil or a fey creature. They are called warlocks," Percy said and Harry raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"People made deals with devils?" Harry asked as Percy handed him the backpack with the unspoken question being if he could carry the supplies. Then Harry saw Kuro jumping on top of Percy's right shoulder.

"Different times I suppose, they weren't called the Dark Ages for nothing," Percy said as Harry adjusted the backpack on his back "Although one can argue that house elves are a type of warlocks," Percy said looking up.

"House-elves? Really?" Harry asked as Percy nodded and walked forward as Harry trailed behind him

"Well a deal is made between elves and wizards and the stronger the wizard, or house depending on the contract, the stronger the elf," Percy said as both teens entered the cave.

And because Harry was so absorbed with information dump he didn't realize that he had entered his first dungeon until he was already deep inside.

"Then you got people who have a close bond with nature. The world's magic speaks to them and lends them help whenever they need it. They're called druids," Percy explained "Their magic is more nature-related, and changing to animal forms is one of their perks," Percy said and Harry blinked a bit.

"Not gonna lie that sounds very impressive," Harry said and Percy nodded in agreement.

"It is, and I have a suspicion that Longbottom could be one but I haven't gotten the opportunity to talk to him long enough to decide if he is or not," Percy said and Harry tilted his head in curiosity.

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked curios and Percy shrugged his shoulders

"Herbology came as second nature to him. Either he had previous studies in that subject or perhaps a deep connection," Percy said and Harry looked at him as the walls of the cave started blocking the light more and more.

"Then we have vow magic. Either with a deity or a bond. Their faith and devotion are so powerful that they manifest magic in ways that can only be granted and not studied. They are called Paladins and Clerics," Percy said "Goblins have gotten very capable with the uses of this magic," Percy explained.

"Goblins? Really?" Harry asked incredulously

"Yes. Goblins are very powerful warriors, and their vow to keep money safe has granted them these powers. Seems you haven't been paying attention to the Goblin rebellion that Binns keeps babbling about," Percy said cheekily, and Harry chuckled sheepishly

"Then there's the bards. But I'm not well versed in how they use melody as magic. I know they sing and play music and magic appears. Perhaps their powers were granted by sirens," Percy said with a shrug.

"Sounds like fun. Do you know of someone like that? Or someone that uses that magic?" Harry asked and Percy shook his head

"Not really. Though last year I heard someone or something singing around the lake at night. I never did find out who it was," Percy said before looking at his hand.

"Then we have Sorcerers," Percy said stopping for a bit and making Harry stop as well "Sorcery is something that's granted, like the warlocks, but it comes from bloodline not an otherworldly being," Percy said as his focus remained on his hand.

"Either a relative was a powerful being, made a pact, or fucked a powerful being. And it is always the third option," Percy said with a sarcastic chuckle "Magic is granted by family, makes it special you know," Percy said with a smile on his face.

"I'm guessing that's the magic you use," Harry said and Percy nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'm still learning to control it," Percy said "I'm good at the utility and simple spells, but I'm still figuring out elemental magic. Hence the gloves," Percy said and then looked at Harry "I also think you are one," Percy said as Harry blinked in confusion.

"What? Me? A sorcerer? Why?" Harry asked and Percy tilted his head in slight confusion

"Remember the first class with Madam Hooch? How Malfoy stole Longbottom's remembrall?" Percy asked rhetorically

"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Harry asked and Percy looked closely at him.

"You've never even touched a broom before. And flew like a seasoned seeker. Either you're a quidditch prodigy," Percy said moving one hand to the side "Or you have bloodline magic that lets you fly like that," Percy said moving his other hand to the side.

"Maybe. But how can you be sure?" Harry asked looking at his hands. If there was another part of him that he could learn, that connected him to his family. He was eager to learn.

"There is a test, but I don't have the equipment to do it here. If you like, after this, we can check what type of magic you have," Percy said and Harry nodded.

"I would like that thank you," Harry said and Percy nodded before flicking his hand in a circular motion. There a small bright orange flame appeared lighting the path ahead.

"It's a deal then. I really hope you are. Being the only Sorcerer I know it's starting to get pretty lonely," Percy said as he started walking forward.

And Harry couldn't help but sympathize with the other teen. For as long as he could remember the only thing he desired the most was a place to belong. And he had found it in Hogwarts and his friends. He wondered if Percy still hadn't found anything like that.

"I'm gonna leave you behind if you don't start walking Harry!" Percy shouted and Harry quickly trotted to catch up with Percy.

Either way. If Percy was looking for a place to belong then it was up to Harry to give him that chance. Then after making that mental bow, he realized something. They have been descending rather than going forward for a while now.

"We're going down," Harry pointed out and Percy nodded as he put the flame in front of them.

"I've noticed," Percy said looking around "Seems this dungeon is underground. I don't particularly like the fact that we haven't found any indication of what's inside the dungeon though," Percy said as Harry looked at him in curiosity.

"Meaning?" Harry asked as Percy glanced back at him

"Dungeons are a manifestation of the creature or item residing in them," Percy started explaining "The more you get closer to the center you start noticing certain details of what resides in these places. Like webs on a spiders nest and such," Percy said

"And you're worried that we haven't found something significant?" Harry asked and Percy shook his head no

"I'm worried that the significant thing is the cave around us. I was hoping for a magical item dungeon but it seems we'll have to deal with a magical beast," Percy said and then gave a side glance searching for any sign of hesitation in Harry's expression "If you wish to turn back Kuro would be happy to guide you back," Percy said but Harry shook his head.

"No, I came all this way here. I need to see this through," Harry said and Percy gave him a small smile.

"Good. Because we're here," Percy said moving the flame between them and Harry saw what was ahead.

A circular door made out of silver rocks with engravings of a blood war stood in front of them. Preventing them from going through. He then saw Percy levitating the flame around him before he started pushing the door to the right.

"I could use a little help, Harry," Percy said struggling, and that woke Harry up into helping Percy push the door open.

The door started moving to the side revealing a circular hole big enough so that the two of them could fit. And on the other side, there was this natural light coming out so Percy decided to preserve some energy and get rid of the small ball of flame.

Harry entered the room first with big wide eyes. In front of him, there was this hidden small paradise. It was a huge cave with a small waterfall on one of the lateral walls. And thanks to this source of water the floor had these beautiful red roses and green grass all around. It was a thing of beauty.

"This is so beautiful," Harry couldn't help saying and glanced back at Percy. But then Harry got confused as Percy had this serious look on his face.

"Don't drop your guard," Percy said and then Harry heard rustling behind him. He turned around and saw a medium-sized hyena walking towards him wabbling, as if it was hurt.

Then the hyena dropped to the ground in front of him and Harry saw its stomach starting to move around "What's happening?" Harry said worrying about the obvious pain the Hyena was facing

"It's turning into a Gnoll, step back," Percy said and Harry did just that. Avoiding the explosion of blood that happened in front of him. Then out of the Hyena's stomach, a red-bloodied creature appeared towering over Harry and roaring at him.

Harry froze for a second but Percy didn't and the black-haired teen saw a small ball of fire connecting with the creature. Harry quickly jumped back in time to see an arrow flying past him.

Out of the grass ahead, four creatures similar to the one who had been just born appeared. These were older guessing from the fur on them. They had some armor and weapons on them but they had one goal in mind in their pale eyes. Kill the two humans in front of them.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked Harry dropped the bag and took out the shield Percy had given him

"I'm okay. Guessing we have to kill them right?" Harry said pointing his sword at the Gnolls while activating the firepower

"Unless you'd like to become their food. Then yes, we must," Percy said creating flames around his right hand "You take point, and I'll offer support okay?" Percy said as Harry nodded his head.

Then he heard Percy whispering something in a language he didn't understand. He was about to ask what that was when suddenly an orange aura filled his vision and wrapped itself around Harry.

"It's called Haste. It will make you quicker," Percy said as he sent a ball of fire to one of the Gnolls.

Harry didn't have time to wonder more about what just happened thanks to the situation at hand. So he decided to take action and sprinted forward.

Just to find himself face-to-face with a gnoll in the blink of an eye. Instincts took over and he made a swing with his sword cutting the head of the gnoll in a swift moment.

"Holy," Harry said marveling at his speed missing how a gnoll jumped at him with a rapier heading straight to his head. He put his shield up to protect himself but it wasn't necessary as an invisible force of wind pushed the gnoll away sending him crashing into the wall face first.

"Don't lose focus Harry," Percy said as he stopped an arrow in mid-air with his left hand and sent a ray of fire to Gnoll that had shot that arrow.

"Right," Harry whispered to himself as he focused on the matter at hand.

Both teens made swift work of the Gnolls. They were though but they were wild animals and thanks to Percy's experience and advice Harry found himself tackling this issue very easily.

So with the Gnolls dead, both teens took a moment to breathe. They were covered in gnoll blood and the scent of ashes was present in the room. But neither of them had let their guard down. Both had the same amount of experience in this type of situation to know that this much quiet meant trouble.

And they were right. A small explosion occurred at the far end of the cave and out of it came a creature unknown to even Percy. This creature had the same look as the gnolls but it had the face of a lion. It could've been a morphing between a lion and agnoll but Percy didn't have time to ponder.

In the blink of an eye, the Gnoll creature was in front of him, he reacted by instinct creating a magic shield between him and the Gnoll. But the creature's strength proved greater than he anticipated. The Gnoll broke through the shield and managed to cut Percy right above his left eye before sending him flying away.

Harry didn't have the chance to worry about Percy as the Gnoll set his eyes on him. He managed to block the first strike with his shield and roll away against the second one. He sent a stream of flames with the sword but the Gnoll powered through and punched Harry in his gut. That's when the Gryffindor noticed the red bright necklace on the Gnoll's neck.

Harry tumbled down thanks to the strike but managed to recover quickly before the Gnoll could hit him again. Then both creature and human entered into a strike contest. Harry was trying to cut the necklace off while the Gnoll was trying to cut Harry down.

There an opportunity came as Harry rolled away and cut the necklace from the Gnoll's neck. Then the hairs from the creature grew short and the muscles of the creature receded.

"Nice going Harry," Percy said and Harry glanced at him and saw the white-haired teen with his right hand holding his left hand with purpose. Then a massive gust of wind hit the Gnoll and cut the creature in half.

Harry fell tired and shocked. That kind of magic was impressive and he couldn't help but stare at Percy in wonder.

But then that wonder turned into concern when he saw Percy holding his left hand in pain "Percy! Are you okay!?" Harry asked quickly rushing towards the Slytherin

"Yes, I'm fine. I just overdid it a bit and my arm went numb," Percy said standing up and shaking his left arm around "What about you? Are you okay?" Percy asked and Harry again was out of his depth

Here there was a teen, bleeding from his left eye and with a numbed arm and the first thing he asked was if he was okay. He was starting to grow fond of the Slytherin teen. Not that he would tell him that.

"I'm okay, just some bruises here and there," Harry said as Percy looked up and down at him in concern.

"I'm glad. Sorry about that. It caught me by surprise," Percy said cracking his shoulder while walking towards the Gnoll "Gnoll's shouldn't be this strong," Percy said kneeling down and taking the necklace with his left hand.

"Perhaps that thing made him stronger?" Harry said and Percy nodded his head.

"Perhaps," Percy said as he levitated the bag towards them and put the necklace away inside the bag "Bill should know what it does. Let's carry on, I think this guy was protecting something," Percy said and Kuro, who was guarding the bag while the two teens fought, jumped right back on Percy's shoulder.

A lot of things had happened that Harry didn't even process the effortlessly wandless magic that Percy had done. He just put the backpack on once more and looked at the white-haired teen in concern "Wait, what about your cut? Shouldn't we do something about it?" Harry asked in concern and Percy looked back at Harry

The left side of his face was bloodied and Percy had his left eye semi-closed avoiding the dripping blood from entering his eyes. But other than that he remained as if nothing had happened

"It's not bleeding anymore. Once I get back home I'll deal with it," Percy said as he started moving forward to where the monster had come through.

Harry didn't like it but he didn't have the strength to drag Percy to a nurse, so he will accept this answer for now. He followed Percy into the hole where the Gnoll creature had come from and his vision was suddenly filled with a bright yellow glow.

Gold. Endless amounts of gold filled the room. There was not a single place that didn't have treasure around it. And it was no wonder why he was smiling like crazy. This was spectacular.

"Go ahead. Jump right in. I did it the first time," Percy said from his side and Harry didn't think twice. He carefully dropped the bag and jumped on top of the gold.

"This is incredible. I haven't seen so much gold ever. At least not like this," Harry said grabbing coins and dropping them just to feel them "I get it now," Harry said looking down at the gold missing how Percy was looking at one of the walls with seriousness.

"What?" Percy asked not taking his eyes from the wall.

Harry looked up and smiled at Percy "Why you come here. This little hobby of yours. Adventure and reward can be very addictive," Harry said and Percy snorted but offered no response.

Harry dropped down and walked up to Percy "What are you looking at?" Harry asked getting them a better view of what Percy was staring at

It was a handmade drawing of a white oak with white leaves falling to the ground. And below the drawing, writing was there but in a language that Harry didn't quite understand.

"Just wondering who drew this. I don't think our Gnoll friend had the mental capacity to do this," Percy said putting a paper out from Harry's sight "Now, let's figure out how we're going to carry all this gold out and into your vault," Percy said and Harry blinked at him in confusion.

"What?" Harry said simply not sure of what to say to that statement.

Percy offered him a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder "This belongs to you. You've earned it," Percy said and before Harry could refuse Percy continued speaking to seal any retort away "Happy Birthday Harry," Percy said leaving a dumbfounded young Gryffindor.

And as he saw Percy starting to gather all the gold around he couldn't help but feel glad he had accepted coming here. Not only had he found a great adventure but also a new friend.

Later that day. At nighttime, Percy had returned home. A lovely flat in the middle of south London hiding under a charm that prevented muggles from knowing it was there. He was currently sitting on the kitchen table with a bunch of papers in front of him.

Drawings to be precise. Drawings similar to the one he had found in that dungeon earlier. Each with a white oak but with different writings of their own. And it was clear what Percy was trying to do, decipher the meaning of these writings. But he was getting nowhere as usual.

Then his concentration was broken when Kuro jumped on top of the table "You should take a break Percy," A young and chirpy voice said coming from Kuro. A voice that only Percy understood.

"You're probably right. But I'm close I can feel it," Percy said and then heard his familiar let out a sigh.

"You've been at it since you got back. And you have other things you need to worry about. For example those four boxes over there," Kuro said and Percy looked back. There on a nightstand stood four boxes containing a ring inside each box. Each one a different color. Dark red, silver grey, dark emerald green, and deep black respectively.

"Later," Percy said simply returning to the drawings below him

"You heard what Ragnok said. The more you wait the more it will eat at you. Or has Daphne's situation not done so already?" Kuro said leaving Percy out of words.

"How long are you going to hide from your troubles?" Kuro said and then looked at Percy with a slight frown "What was your family's motto? Only the moon knows our secrets? Perhaps you should abide by those words," Kuro said jumping down and walking away from the kitchen.

Percy dropped his head and rubbed his face in frustration. He had many things to ponder and worry about.

Then for a second when he dropped his hand from his face moonlight hit him in the face revealing his true nature for a moment. His ears turned pointy like the ones similar to elves from those medieval stories. Black dragon scales appeared around the edges of his forehead, jaw, and eyes. And once he opened his eyes there were not those lilac colored iris. Now he had black scleras and red flaming pupils instead. He glanced at the moonlight with a troubled frown. Then a sort of familiarity and comfort washed over him. It was as if the moon was trying to comfort him for a bit.

The moonlight went away and his features returned to normal. And now he found himself with a newfound purpose. He stepped down from the kitchen table and walked to his room. He had a letter to write.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Greengrass Manor late afternoon

Astoria Greengrass's life was pretty normal unless you ignored her sickness. She lived a pretty secluded life, but after a year at Hogwarts, she was getting out of her shelf.

If she was being honest, she kind of hated this sheltered life. Even at Hogwarts, her sister never left her out of sight, and she was getting tired of it. She longed for adventure, for some exploring, for some overdue freedom.

And it seems that her family disagrees. Hence her current punishment and seclusion. She had been losing her mind for the past few weeks and it all started with the deal they made with the Malfoys.

She didn't know what the deal was, but she had an idea. She didn't like how her family let itself be a pushover like this, and she especially didn't like how Daphne had cut herself from the world just for her sake. Her bitterness exploded when she found out that Daphne had stopped contacting Tracey and Percy.

She had enough and berated every member of her family. But it all fell on deaf ears. They thought they knew better than her and it frustrated her to no end. So now she was stuck here. Taking care of the greenhouses under the watchful eye of her father.

"So you're still not speaking to me?" Cyrus Greengrass said as Astoria cut another flower from the pot. The patron of the Greengrass family wonders where did it all went wrong. He couldn't help but feel tired at this whole situation "I know you're mad but it is for the best Tory. Trust me," He said and Astoria scoffed but offered no further comment.

"Master Greengrass," The family's house-elf called out from the entrance of the greenhouse getting the attention of both Greengrass' members.

"What is it?" Cyrus asked looking at the elf in slight curiosity

"Young Nyx is here to see you. Says it's urgent," He said and Cyrus held back a sigh and nodded his head.

"Bring him here," Cyrus said as the elf popped away. The patriarch noticed the sudden rise of excitement in his daughter and couldn't stop the pang of guilt that suddenly invaded him.

There was another pop and Cyrus looked at the entrance noticing the young white-haired teen entering the greenhouse.

"Percy!" Astoria exclaimed rushing towards the male teen and crashing into him in a tight hug.

"Careful there Tory. You almost tripped me down," Percy said patting Astoria on the head. The youngest there looked up and then her eyes narrowed in confusion when she saw the small band-aid over Percy's left eye.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Astoria asked worried and Percy gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's just a small accident. I'm okay," he said, ruffling her hair. Then he looked up, connecting eyes with Cyrus. "Can you give us a moment, Tory? I have important things to discuss with your father," Percy said as Astoria looked back.

She wanted to say no, but the look on both males' faces made her hesitate. "Fine. But don't go without saying goodbye, okay?" Astoria said as Percy looked down.

"Promise," He said ruffling her hair once more and watching her leave the greenhouse. Then an uncomfortable silence invaded the area.

"Percy," Cyrus said breaking the silence but stopped his train of thoughts when he saw a pair of cold violet eyes looking at him.

"I'm here on important business Lord Greengrass. Heir Nyx will suffice," Percy said as Cyrus nodded entering his ministry persona.

"Very well Heir Nyx. What can I do for you?" Cyrus asked as Percy brought a letter from one of his jacket's pockets.

"First. I visited my family's vault and talked to the goblin in charge of the Nyx's estates. And I learned a few things," Percy said placing the letter next to Cyrus "Apparently my family has a seat on the Wizenmagot. I was eager to ask you for help understanding and navigating this issue. Till I wasn't," Percy said and Cyrus glanced at the letter for a moment before looking back at Percy.

"I feel honored but what changed?" Cyrus asked and noticed the young teen crossing his arms. A moment of silence passed and Cyrus couldn't help but feel a bit nervous under the cold stare of the teen in front of him.

"I tried to understand you, Lord. I know the grey faction is losing its power and all. But a marriage contract? Really?" Percy said and Cyrus' eyes winded.

"How? Why do you know that?" Cyrus said as Percy sighed and pinched his nose.

"Read the letter Cyrus and you will understand. Then we can talk about how to make the best of this fuck-up of yours," Percy said and Cyrus frowned.

He wanted to say something about his comments but then his eyes caught something in the letter. He saw the name of the person who wrote the letter. One Arcturus Black the third.

His eyes widened and he immediately started reading the letter. And as his eyes scanned the contents of the letter his eyes grew bigger and bigger.

Then when he finished reading the letter his wide eyes turned towards Percy, who was trying to avoid Cyrus' stare. The Lord of the house dropped to the ground looking at his hands in shock.

Then he snorted. A snort that evolves into a fit of uncontrollable chuckles. "Oh, sweet Merlin. What a fool I was," Cyrus said as he looked up. Then an excited smile invaded his face "Yes, we can work with this," Cyrus said as Percy looked down at him with the same cold look.

"We must. For those we love," Percy said seriously and with conviction. There was a purpose behind that sentence. Then his eyes traveled to the main house. To a certain window in particular. And for the first time, his eyes changed from cold ones into ones of melancholy.

Leaky Cauldron Late in the morning.

Harry had slept very well. A dreamless peaceful night. A huge difference from the nights he had been having as of late. And now he was in the main dining of the establishment having a normal English breakfast.

He was pondering about his recent adventure and even if he was a bit tired from the recent exploration. There was an eagerness to go again inside of him still. He was so lost in his mind that he almost missed someone putting a hand on his shoulder.

He quickly made a sharp turn of his head and saw Percy standing there with his hands up in a sign of peace "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," Percy said as Harry relaxed a bit.

"Don't worry. I just didn't see you coming," Harry said as he moved to the side so that Percy could sit next to him "I was lost in thought," Harry said as Percy took a seat.

"I can see. Can I ask what about?" Percy asked and Harry looked at him a bit sheepishly.

"About yesterday. I kind of want to go exploring once more," Harry said with a small smile on his face and Percy blinked a few times.

"Really?" Percy asked tilting his head a bit "Why?" He asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Turns out I have a liking for exploring," Harry said with a bit of a chuckle "Yesterday was different from my usual adventures," Harry said and Percy remained quiet to let Harry speak.

"Usually these adventures are thrown my way against my will. But this one, I chose it. And it was very rewarding," Harry said and Percy gave him a small smile.

"Well, I'm glad you're eager to go adventuring. Merlin knows I could use the company," Percy said with a snort "As you can see. It's starting to get dangerous going alone. And quite boring frankly," Percy said and Harry looked at him with eyes of excitement

"Really!?" Harry asked excitedly and Percy nodded his head.

"Yes, but keep it between us for now," Percy said before looking ahead "I don't mind bringing others along in the future if things get too complicated. But I would like it to remain a close circle secret for now if you don't mind," Percy said and Harry nodded his head.

"My lips are sealed," Harry said and Percy squeezed his arm in thankfulness.

"So, care to join me for an ice cream or would you rather spend all day trapped here?" Percy said and Harry tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure," Harry said stepping out of the table and following Percy into the Diagon Alley "You gave Bill the amulet?" Harry asked and Percy shook his head

"Not yet. I got occupied by some personal matters and I forgot," Percy said patting one of his pockets "I'll give it to him later," Percy said.

"Can I join you? Perhaps I can look better at his wares," Harry said and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, Bill will thank me if I bring money to his shop," Percy said a bit amused as Harry let out a small chuckle.

Both teens arrived at the ice cream parlor and ordered their desserts. Then they fell into small talk, mainly about Hogwarts and their future classes. Harry was intrigued by subjects like Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. If he was being honest when Professor McGonagall and Hermione explained it to him, it sounded very complicated and convoluted. That's why he chose Divination with Ron.

But now, hearing Percy describing them, he couldn't help but feel intrigued. Creating your spells and accessing another form of magic seems intriguing to him. But it wasn't like he could change course this late. But Percy said that he didn't lose anything by asking McGonagall fora change.

He was pondering this topic when he heard two familiar voices near him "Harry!" He heard his best friend shouting at him. He left his seat in a blink of an eye and met his friends at the edges of the ice cream parlor.

Ron had his ginger red hair longer than the previous year and a bit more rough-ish. It seems he had let it grow in the summer. He sported a bit of a tan thanks to his trip to Egypt.

And there was Hermione who had tried to the best of her abilities to straighten her hair down. She still had some unruly curls here and there but it seems more controllable. He also noticed that her teeth were a bit shorter. A small difference from the year before. But he supposed he would've to ask later.

"So what's this about you inflating your aunt?" Hermione asked a bit accusatory and Harry scratched the back of his head sheepishly

"I didn't mean to," Harry said with a shrug "I just lost control," He said and Hermione rolled her eyes while Ron chuckled at him.

"It's not funny Ronald. He could've been expelled," Hermione said and was about to say more but then she noticed someone else approaching them.

"You blow up your aunt?" Percy asked in curiosity and slight amusement. Harry sighed and noticed how his friends stared at Percy. Ron had this look of annoyance in him, he couldn't blame him. He wasn't the biggest fan of Slytherins. And Hermione had this curious look on her as if she was trying to figure out who he was.

"She was saying things about my parents and I lost it," Harry explained and Percy crossed his arms.

"Accidental Magic?" Percy asked and Harry nodded his head "How unusual. Then again, anger does make magic uncontrollable," Percy said, and Harry got curious.

"How so?" He asked and Percy just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll tell you later. Shouldn't you introduce me to your friends?" Percy said tilting his head with a smirk on his face Harry blinked a bit before his eyes widened

"Ah right," Harry said turning to his friends as they both looked at him with curiosity and annoyance in their eyes, well annoyance more in Ron's eyes than Hermione "Guys this is Percy, we met yesterday," Harry said as Percy nodded at them and place his hand forward to Hermione who was the closest to him.

"Percy, these are Hermione and Ron, my best friends," Harry said beaming as Percy kissed the knuckles of Hermione's hand getting a blush out of her. He moved to shake Ron's hand but noticed his anger rising and him not wanting to shake his hand so he didn't.

"Why are you talking to a slimy snake?" Ron asked annoyed and Percy blinked in confusion.

"Slimy?" Percy asked out loud but no one really heard him because of Hermione's indignation.

"Ronald! Don't be rude!" Hermione said slapping his shoulder as Percy looked at Harry in confusion.

"He knows that snakes aren't slimy right?" Percy asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders not knowing what his friend was saying.

"How am I being rude!?" Ron exclaimed at Hermione "You know that those Slytherin cunts can't be trusted. Or have you forgotten how Malfoy is!?" Ron said and Hermione rolled her eyes

"Not because Malfoy's a prick does it mean every Slytherin is also a prick!" Hermione said and then she turned to Percy "Are you a prick?" She asked Percy who shook his head.

"Not usually," Percy said a bit confused much to the amusement of Harry.

"See!?" Hermione said as Ron crossed his arms and scoffed. She tried to argue more but Percy stopped her.

"Granger," Percy said getting her attention "It's okay. I know my housemates aren't the most welcoming people to put it lightly," Percy said to the snorts of both boys there "So it's fine. I'm used to it," Percy said and only Hermione noticed the little annoyance behind his eyes. But it faded away too quickly for others to notice.

"That doesn't mean he gets to be rude, I'm sorry about that," Hermione said and then looked straight at Percy's violet eyes "And please, call me Hermione," She said and he offered her a small smile and nodded his head.

In an effort to bridge a gap with Harry's friends, he looked at Ron who still had that annoyed look on him "I saw you on the news. How was your trip to Egypt?" Percy asked and Ron's annoyance calmed down a bit

"It was good. Me and my family had tons of fun," Ron said and then a small smile invaded his face "Bill was so excited and he couldn't control himself," Ron said and Percy chuckled.

"I supposed he was. Places like that are a curse breaker's paradise," Percy said avoiding the knowing look that Harry sent him.

"I guess you're right," Ron said before bringing his rat familiar out from one of his pockets "The only downside is that Scabbers has been pretty sick since the trip," Ron said as Percy leaned over to look at the rat.

"He does look a bit worse for wear," Percy said as he stared intently at the rat. There was something familiar about this pet but he couldn't place what it was.

"He does. I want to get him a check over. Just in case," Ron said as Harry jumped in.

"There's a magical creature shop just over there. They should have something for Scabbers there," Harry said and Percy couldn't help but throw a dig at him.

"We best listen to him. We're in the presence of a local after all," Percy said with a light chuckle and Harry's eyebrow ticked in annoyance.

"Come on Ron let me show you the way," Harry said under the chuckle of his friends. Harry and Ron walked away first leaving Percy and Hermione trailing behind.

Hermione kept looking at Percy every once and a while still with curiosity and Percy felt the need to point it out "Something the matter?" Percy asked and Hermione blushed a bit.

"I'm just wondering if we met before. I swear I've talked to you before," Hermione said and Percy nodded his head.

"We have," Percy said to Hermione's slight surprise "Back in our first year, I got lost and ended up in the old women's restroom," Percy said and Hermione's eyes winded.

"Oh that's right," Hermione said in realization "You tried to cheer me off back then, I remember," She said and Percy scratched his head.

"I did though I supposed I didn't do a good job. Considering how nervous I was back then," Percy said and Hermione placed her hand on his arm.

"Don't beat yourself too much. I needed someone to listen to me back then," Hermione said with a small smile on her face.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to stay," Percy said as Hermione moved her hand away "It would be a shame for Hogwarts to lose someone as bright as you," Percy said as Hermione blushed a bit and looked away.

"W-well I suppose I would've regretted leaving in the end," Hermione said and Percy tilted his head "How can anyone turn their backs on this world? Am I right?" She said and Percy chuckled and nodded

"Yes, I suppose us muggle-born and muggle-raised can go back after seeing the wonders of the magical world," Percy said and Hermione blinked.

"You're a muggle?" She asked a bit hopeful but that hope died down when Percy shook his head.

"I'm a pureblood who was muggle-raised. Malfoy's biggest nightmare," Percy said cheekily and Hermione giggled a bit "So I grew up reading and watching the Lord of the Rings. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was a wizard," Percy said and Hermione's eagerness rose.

"I know right!? Things I imagined as a child were suddenly real. And even if it isn't all rainbows and roses, it's still pretty amazing," Hermione said and Percy nodded his head.

"Then again, not every world is rainbows and roses is it?" Percy said and Hermione nodded her head.

"Yes I suppose you're right," She said as the group entered the magical creature shop. Percy let Hermione in first and then he looked around the shop.

It was a bit small and all the walls around were blocked by the endless cages of animals and creatures. The shop was also filled with the roars and screeches of the animals around them.

Each teen moved around the shop waiting for the clerk to finish with another customer. Percy was looking at a beautiful black python who was staring back at him with its red ruby eyes in curiosity "There is a joke here somewhere," Harry said behind Percy and the white-haired teen looked back.

"Just please don't call me or her slimy," Percy said with amusement as Harry chuckled and placed himself next to him.

"Her?" Harry asked in curiosity and Percy nodded his head "How do you know?" Harry asked as the other teen just shrugged his shoulders. Harry felt there was something that the other teen was not telling him but he didn't want to pry too much.

"What is she saying?" Percy asked looking at Harry who got a bit nervous. His parseltongue ability wasn't something he was very proud of "I won't judge you," Percy felt the need to reassure him and Harry sighed.

He focused on the hissings of the snake and then turned to Percy "She wants to leave, she feels trapped here. And she wants the pretty white wizard to take her," Harry said with an obviously amused smirk.

"I don't know whether to feel flatter or not," Percy said with a bit of a frown. Then he carefully opened the cage "Kuro might get jealous but she's too gorgeous to pass on," Percy said putting his arm forward.

The snake slithered around Percy's arm and placed herself around his neck. She made herself comfortable and then lay there. Marking the spot for herself. "You aren't worried about what they would say around Hogwarts?" Harry asked in concern.

He couldn't help the whole Slytherin's heir fiasco from the year before and concern filled him for his new friend "Not really," Percy said scratching the chin of the snake.

"But," Harry said and Percy put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't care if people talk or say things. I only care what those closest to me say," Percy said squeezing his shoulder "Besides, people should stop associating snakes with evil," He said before walking to the counter where Ron and Hermione were.

Harry looked at the floor in deep thought. Perhaps Percy was right. He should stop getting upset about what the others say about him.

He approached the counter and heard Ron talking to the storekeeper. She offered a rat-tonic for Ron who bought it. The lady handed him the bag with the tonic and just as Ron was about to pocket Scabbers away. A kneazel orange cat jumped into the counter with the sole intention of eating the rat.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS NO!" The storekeeper said stopping the cat in its tracks as the rat bolted for the door with Ron behind it.

Harry looked at the entrance of the store and sighed in annoyance "I suppose I should help him. You're going to Bill's after?" Hary asked Percy who nodded his head "If I don't find you when you're done we'll meet you there," He said before walking outside "And bring Hermione!" He shouted at them before leaving the animal store.

"Bring me where?" Hermione asked curiously and Percy looked at her a bit.

"A store, what else there's around?" Percy asked cheekily and Hermione rolled her eyes and slapped him in the arm.

"Prat," She said a bit amused, and then she looked at the snake "She's pretty," Hermione said and moved her hand forward. She was a bit surprised by her actions considering everything that went down last year. But she was in Gryffindor for a reason.

Percy glanced at the snake a bit and saw her looking at Hermione in curiosity and didn't notice any hostile intentions on the creature "Sure, just be careful. Don't want you getting hurt," Percy said as Hermione put her hand in front of the snake.

The tongue of the snake hit Hermione's hand a bit making her giggle and then the snake moved her head up allowing Hermione to scratch her.

Hermione did so scratching the snake below its neck and the snake closed her eyes showing how much it liked it.

Percy was staring right at Hermione thinking how pretty she looked with those curiosity-filled eyes. She must've felt his stare as she looked at him with a raised eyebrow "What is it?" She asked in curiosity making Percy blush lightly.

"Nothing," Percy said looking away. Hermione looked at him with uncertainty. She stopped petting the snake and was about to ask something further but the clerk interrupted them.

"Huff, sorry about that dears," The clerk said managing to calm the cat down. Both teens look back at the clerk "So, I suppose you wish to buy Aurora here," The clerk said and Percy looked at the snake.

"Aurora huh?" Percy asked himself before looking back at the clerk "Yes I want to buy it. How much?" He asked and the clerk smiled at him.

"Twenty galleons, but if you pay ten more I can give a personal care package to you," The clerk said with a sly smirk and Percy just nodded his head as he took an empty pouch out of one of his pockets.

He placed it on the counter and tapped the top edge of the bag with his wand and the previous bag started filling up. And once it stopped Percy took the exact thirty galleons out of the bag and placed them into the clerk's hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you dear," The clerk said and Percy nodded politely before looking at Hermione who was staring at the cat with slight wonder.

"You should buy him," Percy said as the clerk handed him a bag with the care package "He seems lovely," Percy said moving his hand in front of the cat.

Crookshanks sniffed it for a bit before rubbing its head on Percy's palm. Then Percy scratched behind the cat's ears making it purr a bit.

Hermione bit her lip in deep thought before looking back at the clerk "How much?" She asked and Percy moved his hand away.

"I'll wait for you outside," He said to Hermione who nodded her head. Percy stepped out ofthe store and walked to a nearby bench. He took a seat and started looking through the bag the clerk had given him.

He was sorting everything when Harry joined him once more "Found the rat?" Percy asked and Harry nodded and took a seat next to him "And Ronald?" Percy asked in curiosity.

"He told me he'll meet us back at the leaky cauldron. He said that Scabbers needs a rest," Harry said with a tired sigh "I really wanted him to meet Bill," Harry said and Percy placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We can always go another time," Percy tried to reassure him but Harry shook his head.

"No, we should go. You need to sort out the necklace," Harry said before letting a chuckle "'Sides. Hermione will never forgive me if I don't take her to Gabriel's store," Harry said to the amuse of Percy.

"Take me where?" Hermione asked gaining the attention of both males. She had Crookshanks nested in her arms and the cat looked content.

"A store. What else is there around?" Harry said cheekily to the snort of Percy. Hermione rolled her eyes and called Harry a prat same as Percy "Ron will be mad when he sees him," Harry said pointing at the cat.

"Oh I'm counting on it," Hermione said to the amusement of the teens in front of her "So, can I know where are we going? Or will you two keep acting like prats?" Hermione asked as both men gave each other an amused look.

"Come on. It's just up ahead," Harry said jumping off the bench leading Hermione. Percy fell behind letting both friends catch up. He offered some comments here and there but he mostly stood aside.

That's it until they got to the entrance of the dark alley "Wait," Hermione said as Harry looked back "We're going into the dark alley?" She asked and Harry nodded his head "But," She started saying but Harry cut her off

"Don't worry, it's perfectly fine," Harry said and then smiled at her "Besides, where's your sense of adventure," Harry said as he started walking forward.

"If it makes you feel better. He spent at least three weeks standing here deciding if he should go in or not," Percy said placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him uncertainly and he squeezed her shoulder "It's safe in there. You just need to know what stores to avoid," Percy said as Hermione nodded and walked forward stopping only when she noticed Harry frozen in place.

"What's wrong Harry?" Hermione asked as the black-haired teen looked back a bit sheepishly.

"I kind of forgot the way," Harry said to the amusement and exasperation of Percy and Hermione respectively.

"Gabriel's store is this way," Percy said as he walked forward and started leading both teens forward.

It was a short walk to the store and once they entered Hermione had these huge eyes of wonder and couldn't stop looking around at the endless sea of books "What is this place? There are so many books I haven't even heard of," Hermione said looking around.

"You were right," Percy said leaning into Harry. Remembering how he said that Hermione would love this place.

"I told you," Harry said as Hermione looked back at them.

"Seriously, what is this place?" She asked with a big smile on her face.

"Perhaps I can help you with that dear," Gabriel said from behind Hermione. The young Gryffindor girl turned around and quickly hid her shock of meeting an actual gnome very quickly "How was your hunt, Percy?" Gabriel asked as she sorted out two books on the shelves.

"Pretty good overall," Percy said simply trying not to give anything away "No scrolls though," He said and Gabriel sighed in defeat.

"Bummer," She said before looking at Hermione "So, what do you want to know?" She asked as both teen and clerk went on a huge conversation of how this store worked.

"This is going to take a while, want to go to Bill's?" Harry asked and Percy, who still had his eyes on Hermione, shook his head.

"We should stay," Percy said without looking at Harry "I have a feeling she would like Bill's store as well," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding.

Both teens watch from the sidelines as Hermione, with the help of Gabriel, explores the store to its full capacity. She was frustrated that she didn't have enough money to buy at least one book. That's when Percy intervened.

"I'll pay for them," Percy said, and Hermione looked at him in slight surprise. "Just pick the ones that catch your attention the most," Percy said, and Hermione looked a bit mortified.

"I can't just take your money away," Hermione said and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"It's okay, I have too much of it anyway," Percy said reassuringly "Besides, the more money this store gets the more books I get to buy," Percy said a bit cheekily and Hermione looked at him uncertainly.

"Are you sure?" She asked and Percy nodded his head. She turned around and started telling Gabriel which books would she like.

Percy noticed the look Harry was giving him and glanced at him "What?" Percy asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing," Harry said with a small smirk on his face. Percy wondered what all of that was about but didn't get anywhere.

They saw Hermione walking to the counter and Percy walked there as well. He paid for the books, in truth there were fewer than he was expecting. Perhaps she didn't want to impose too much.

After they were done, they left the store. As soon as they left, Hermione jumped at Percy, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you. You really didn't have to do that," she said, and Percy, who didn't know how to react, patted her back a few times.

"Like I told you, I don't mind," Percy said as Hermione stopped hugging him "So shall we go to the next store," Percy said quickly changing topics quite nervously.

Harry hid his amused chuckle behind a cough and then smirked at Percy's slight annoyance. He saw Percy walking away first and looked at Hermione for a bit. "So what do you think?" Harry asked Hermione, who was busy looking at her bag. Harry offered to carry it for her, seeing as she was having trouble carrying Crookshanks and the bag at the same time.

"About what?" She asked a bit confused and Harry looked forward, she turned around and saw where Percy was "About Percy? He seems nice," Hermoine said and Harry nodded with a smile on his face.

"He is. I'm glad you two are getting along," Harry said as he walked forward before Percy disappeared from their sight.

"I'm glad you're making new friends Harry," Hermione said as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder "Especially one from Slytherin," She said and Harry scratched his head.

"He basically forced a friendship to be honest," Harry said before glancing back at her "He can be very persuasive," He said as Hermione gave him a small smile as they caught up with Percy.

"There there, you can always send it to him by mail," Harry tried to say reassuringly and patted Percy's back. It turns out that Bill was out of town and the store was closed till further notice. Much to Percy's annoyance.

"Out of town my ass," Percy said grumbling much to Harry's amusement. The trio entered the leaky cauldron. Hermione was eager to enter the store later on because of the other two males' descriptions. Gems of powerful elemental magic sounded very interesting to her.

She was lost in her thoughts and was brought back to reality by Ron who started berating her because of Crookshanks.

Both Percy and Harry saw this coming and didn't want anything to do with it so they silently moved away. Percy noticed the huge crowd of redheads and figured the Weasley coven had arrived at the magical motel.

Percy wanted to go away but Harry had dragged him to meet his foster family "Harry," Both males heard a soft voice say and they looked at a red Ginny, she was clearly embarrassed by something and went away quickly. And now it was Percy's turn to look at Harry amused.

Harry elbowed Percy a bit hiding his chuckles "Harry. How nice to see you," Percy, the Weasley head boy, said as Harry took Percy Weasley's hand with his own.

Harry was still trying to hold his laughter about the Ginny situation as he said hi to Percy Weasley. Soon he was met by the twins who started making fun of their older brother.

Percy Weasley met Percy's eyes and both men shook their hands "I don't believe we have met. I'm Percy Weasley," The head boy said as Percy nodded his head.

"Perseus Nyx. A pleasure, and congratulations on making head boy," Percy said noticing the badge that the Weasley was wearing proudly "From what I've heard it was well deserved," Percy said as the Weasley beamed a bit before being pushed away by his siblings.

"Oh of course it was," Fred said jumping on the conversation.

"Only someone with a head as big as Percy's could be head boy," George said chuckling. Their older brother was annoyed by their attitude and decided to just go away.

Harry chuckled a bit but stopped when he saw Percy rolling his eyes a bit "And who is this?" Fred said as Percy looked up at them but this time didn't make any effort to put his hand forward.

"This one seems familiar. Don't you agree Gred?" George said as Fred nodded his head and both twins looked closely at Percy.

"I'm the guy you bullied to hell on its first year. And retaliated last year," Percy said a bit annoyed "Or did you forget the endless stink bombs you threw my way?" Percy said and Harry looked at the twins mortified

"You guys did that?" He asked and Fred and George shrugged his shoulders

"We don't remember, we prank a ton of Slytherins. Who can keep track of them all," Fred said as it was a matter of fact and Percy rolled his eyes once more.

"Of course," He said bitterly as he walked away towards the bar area. The twins and Harry watched Percy leave in uncomfortable silence.

"What did you do?" Harry asked as the twins shrugged their shoulders. Harry raised his eyebrows and the twins looked away sheepishly.

"Well he's a Slytherin and we may have overdone it a bit," Fred said, scratching his head.

"But we stopped last year when he trapped us in that room with fireworks," George said looking back at Percy "He gained our respect," George said and Harry rubbed his face in annoyance.

"And have you apologized?" Harry asked in a slightly annoyed tone and the twins shook their heads "Then go. He's a good guy and bullies are the worst," Harry said and the twins sighed but walked up to Percy.

The white-haired teen was sitting on the bar stool waiting for a drink when he turned around annoyance was still present in his eyes "Look Percy, about the pranks," Fred started as Percy narrowed his eyes.

"We're sorry we took it too far, but you were the only one that kind of fought back, and," George said while looking at his brother.

"Well, we were happy to have a small prank war and we may have overdone it," George said and Percy sighed and rubbed his face.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have reacted like that," Percy said while rubbing his neck "It's just that one of your pranks kind of ruined a special day for a dear friend of mine and I've been bitter about that for a while now," Percy said to the confusion of the other three people.

"Ruined how?" Fred couldn't help to ask as Percy looked forward.

"Sorry, that's personal. Let's just say this person is one of the closest people I love and I kind of lose it when something happens to her. She's kind of a sister to me," Percy said and Fred and George understood completely.

"Same as us with Ginny," Fred said as Percy turned around and let out a breath.

"Then how about we start over, I could use your help with something," He said taking a small pouch out of his pocket again. He reached into it and with a bit of a struggle he took out two identical black pocket-size notebooks "Here," Percy said handing George one notebook. The twins plus Harry looked at the notebook in confusion before looking at Percy with the same look.

"Try writing something on it," Percy said passing a pen to George "A question perhaps," Percy said and George shrugged his shoulders and started writing in the notebook.

He wrote, "Who is the biggest git in the school?" And then looked at his twin unsure. But then Fred's eyes grew big and pointed at the notebook. There, below George's question, something started to appear.

Then an answer that said "It is between Malfoy or Professor Snape," appeared below George's question.

"Whoa," Harry said as the twins looked at Percy with wide eyes. Percy showed them his notebook and they saw both sentences there as well.

"This an invention from my mother. A two-way secret communication, my gift to you," Percy said as George and Fred blinked and narrowed their eyes a bit.

"What's the catch?" Fred asked and Percy gave them a small smile.

"Malfoy has a lot of influence in Slytherin thanks to his cocksucker of a father," Percy said to the snorts of the other three "And I want him to lose it. I have a plan, but this may speed things up," Percy said as the trio looked at him confused.

"What will?" George asked as his twin nodded his head agreeing with his brother.

"And what do you have against Malfoy?" Harry asked and Percy looked at the trio in front of him.

"Well leaving the fact that Malfoy is a cunt aside," Percy said gaining a few chuckles here and there "Right now Slytherin is associated with evil. People think of us as future death eaters. Nothing but bullies and evil horrible people," Percy said with a sigh.

"I wish to change that. We're cunning and ambitious sure, but those aren't evil traits. But Malfoy and his cronies don't realize that. And since they refuse to change, I got no choice but to get rid of them," Percy said and Fred leaned forward.

"And how are you planning on doing that?" He asked a bit intrigued. There was no love in Fred for Malfoy and the chance to knock him a few pecks down caused a huge eagerness on the young Weasley.

"By alienating him. If people start distrusting him. He will slowly but surely lose his standing," Percy said before pointing at the notebooks "And to do that I just need to bring one person on my side," Percy said as the trio looked confused.

"Who?" Gorge asked and Percy just smirked at them not giving them the answer "Fine keep your secrets. But at least tell us what part we play in it," George said and Percy smiled at them.

"You just need to prank them. At every week, every day, and every hour," Percy said before pointing at the notebooks again "And for you to do so, I will give you every password of our common room, even if they change it," Percy said as the twins blinked and then got excited.

The only place they had never been able to enter was the other houses' common rooms. But if they had access to one just like that, the possibilities would be endless. But they didn't want to agree right away.

"Can we think about it?" Fred said as Percy nodded and then looked at the notebook in Fred's hands.

"Sure, why don't you keep the notebook, and if you decide to go with my plan just let me know through there," Percy said as the twins nodded and walked away. They had much to think about.

Harry took a seat next to Percy while looking at the teen in slight curiosity. Percy raised an eyebrow asking what was on Harry's mind silently "There's more to this isn't it?" Harry asked as Percy tilted his head "You wouldn't do this type of thing just for power. Or at least that's what I think," Harry said and Percy looked forward and nodded.

"How well have you come to know me in such a short time, Harry," Percy said as Harry smiled a bit shyly under the praise "He called one of my friends a dirty and worthless half-blood traitor all of our second-year while taunting her about becoming a prey of Slytherin's monster. It's personal," Percy said with narrowed eyes. There was also hatred behind those eyes. Harry gulped and right there and then he vowed to never cross Percy in any way.

"He did?" Harry said a bit surprised. He at least thought Malfoy would treat his house-mates a bit fairly "He's truly a massive cunt," Harry said as Percy snorted as his drink arrived.

"That he is," Percy said taking a sip of his drink "I should probably get going," Percy said as Harry looked at him with a frown.

"You're leaving?" Harry asked a bit sad. But he understood if Percy needed to leave back home.

"I need to sort out my things so that I can join you tomorrow on your trip to Hogwarts," Percy said as he noticed the confused look on Harry's look "What? You're not getting rid of me that easily," Percy said cheekily as Harry spluttered a bit embarrassed.

"Tom. I'll take a room for the night," Percy said dropping a few galleons on the table "I'll meet you later Harry. Or tomorrow morning if you're fast asleep when I arrive," Percy said as he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Yeah, see you later," Harry said as he saw Percy leaving the leaky cauldron.

"He left already?" Hermione asked as she took a seat next to Harry putting Crookshanks on top of the table. Harry nodded as he noticed one taking a seat next to him on the other side.

"Good riddance if you asked me," Ron said receiving to pair of glares from his friends.

"Seriously Ronald! Don't be rude!" Hermione said but Ron just rolled his eyes. Harry wasn't much of a confrontational person so he took the more passive approach of berating his friend.

"Ron, he's a good guy. Just give him a chance," Harry said but Ron, as always, was being stubborn.

"No way. He's a snake, he probably just wants something from you Harry," Ron said and Hermione had enough and started berating him.

Harry tuned them out as he had grown used to doing and looked forward. He was a bit worried. For a moment just before Percy left he looked a bit concerned and he couldn't help but worry.

A day later.

Harry hadn't slept well, his mind didn't let him rest from what he had heard from both Weasley's adults about Sirius Black. He knew he was dangerous but learning that he was being hunted was something else. And to think that he hoped for a normal school year.

Then he had forgotten how chaotic the arrival to the train was with the Weasleys. He was dozing off while all the redheads plus Hermione scrambled to get their suitcases and belongings packed.

That's when he felt a familiar touch on his shoulder. He looked to the right and noticed Percy slipping into a seat next to him while giving Harry a cup. He had started to notice that even if Percy pretended to be aloof he liked physical and reassuring forms of affection. Seeing how much he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Coffee?" Percy asked as Harry took the cup in his hands.

"Thank you," Harry said before looking at Percy "When did you get here?" Harry asked as Percy leaned back and Harry noticed that his snake pet was again on Percy's neck.

"Between twelve and one in the morning," Percy said rubbing his eyes "I started reading a book and time passed me by," Percy said with a yawn "What about you? What kept you awake?" Percy asked and Harry yawned as well.

"I'll tell you on the train. If you wish to join us that's it," Harry said and Percy looked at him amused much to Harry's embarrassment.

"Whoa Harry, are you perhaps asking me on a date?" Percy said as Harry went bright red "I'm flatter but I don't swing that way, mate," Percy said with a few chuckles as Harry slapped his arm while calling him a prat "Well usually I join with some friends of mine, but we're on a rough patch and I don't want to see them just yet," Percy said scratching the back of his head.

"Can I ask what sort of rough patch?" Harry asked and Percy looked at the floor in deep thought.

"One of my friends stopped talking to us in the summer, that us being me and my other friend," Percy said with a sigh "She has this habit of closing off when bad things happen. Both I and the other friend were a bit tired of it, so we bowed to not speak to her until she spoke to us," Percy said before looking at Harry "So I'll be glad to join you. Though I'm not sure your friend Ron would like me there," Percy said and Harry snorted.

"Don't worry about that, he'll behave," Harry said as Percy raised an eyebrow asking how he knew "Hermione didn't leave him alone because he was being rude to you," Harry said and Percy's face adopted a small smile.

"I'll have to thank her then," He said before both teen's attention was caught up when Hermione and Ron joined him.

Percy noticed that Hermione had her new cat in a medium cage fit for travel "Don't worry Crookshank's. I'll let you out on the train," Hermione said as Percy noticed the annoyance in the cat. He could clearly see the cat begging him to be released.

"You won't. What about poor Scabbers?" Ron said pointing at the lump on his chest where the rat was hiding "And you, keep that snake in check," Ron said to Percy. And as if Aurora knew she was being called. She moved her head up and stared at Ron intently getting him nervous.

"Don't worry. She won't eat your rat," Percy said scratching her neck while looking at Ron.

Then the group of teens was called by the Weasley patriarch telling them that they were here "Who?" Percy asked in confusion and Harry looked a bit shy.

"Ministry cars, they're going to take us to Hogwarts Express," Harry said much to the confusion of Percy.

"Why?" Percy asked not knowing what else to say. Harry looked down nervously and down and Percy noticed this while Ron explained that his Dad worked at the ministry and that's why they were giving them these cars.

"I see," Percy said while looking at Harry who mouthed "I'll tell you later," Not wanting to say much out here.

The teens walked to the cars and before they left Hermione noticed that Percy wasn't carrying any trunks "Wait, Percy where is your stuff?" She asked as Percy blinked at her.

"Ah that," Percy said as he took out a mini-sized trunk out of his pocket "Here," Percy said, and Hermione leaned forward with curiosity in her eyes.

"You shrink your trunk?" She asked while looking up at Percy. He nodded and Ron answered for Percy.

"It probably has a shrinking charm on it. Fit for long travels, though those things cost a bloody huge amount of money," Ron said not hiding how he thought that Percy was a rich asshole.

"Yes, they do. It was a present though," Percy said pocking the small trunk back on his jacket.

"What about Kuro?" Harry asked as they moved away a bit faster. Harry tried to avoid an early confrontation between Ron and Percy.

"Hogwarts allows only one pet and an owl," Percy said while glancing at Harry "And since Aurora is kind of a baby I thought it would be best if she joined me," Percy said while opening the door and letting the trio walk out first since they had all those luggage with them.

They got to the cars and Percy couldn't help but throw a dig at Harry as he bowed and opened the door for him pretending he was royalty. Harry rolled his eyes and entered the car.

The golden trio got on the back and Percy took the co-pilot seat. It was a silent trip since the ministry chauffeur was much of a talker. Ron was looking at the muggle's streets in amazement while the others just waited for the trip to be over. And in the blink of an eye, they got to their destinations.

Mr. Weasley suggested they go into the barrier between platforms ten and nine in pairs. They agreed and Mr. Weasley and Harry went first. Percy hung back and went inside along with Hermione as he helped her push her trolley. They got onto the platform of the Hogwarts Express and noticed Arthur talking to Harry in hushed whispers.

Percy followed Hermione and Ron to the train and the trio waited for Harry near the entrance of the train. Harry rushed to them and they quickly got into the train before it took off. Both Ron and Harry leaned over the window to say goodbye to the rest of the family.

Harry led the group and whispered to Ron and Hermione that he needed to tell them something. Ron ushered Ginny away, and the girl cursed her big brother off. Percy let her pass with an amused smile on his face at her vocabulary.

Ginny thanked him while glancing away at him. It seems that outside her family she was very shy. Percy crossed eyes with Harry for a bit asking him if he still wanted him to join them. Harry nodded his head and Percy followed them to almost the end of the train. Whatever Harry wanted to say it was very secretive indeed.

They got to an empty compartment, as empty as it could be, since it had an adult sleeping in it. Harry decided this would do and ushered everyone inside.

"Who do you think he is?" Ron asked out loud wondering about the man inside. Percy and Harry glanced a bit at the man while standing in the doorway as they let Hermione and Ron settle.

"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione said as Ron and Percy looked at her in a mixture of surprise. Both were wondering how id she knew who he was but Only Ron voiced that question. "It's on his suitcase," Hermione said and Percy felt dumb and glad he didn't say anything.

"Wonder what he teaches?" Ron asked out loud and now it was Percy's turn to answer.

"Probably Defense Against the Dark Arts," Percy said and Hermione nodded agreeing with him. Then Percy looked at Harry a bit "So, how private do you want this conversation to be?" Percy asked and Harry looked at him with a mixture of confusion and seriousness. The jet-black-haired teen nodded at him with narrowed eyes conveying how much privacy he needed then Percy turned around.

He started murmuring something while passing his wand along the edges of the door of the compartment "What are you doing?" Ron asked noticing the look of amazement in Hermione.

"That's the notice-me-not charm, it creates a veil so if anyone passes through this compartment they will be compelled to walk away, but that's a Fifth-Year spell, how do you know it?" Hermione asked as Percy just smirked at her.

"Trade secret," Percy said as he took a seat next to her putting Hermione between him and Ron "But it will suit our needs for the moment until one of us opens the door that's it," Percy explained as Harry nodded in understanding.

To be honest he was a bit impressed as well by the use of the charm but he had some other things to discuss. So he did, he told them everything Mr. Weasley had told him and also what he had overheard about Sirius black.

When he was done he was faced by three ghost-ashen white surprised faces. At first, neither of the three spoke but their thoughts were spoken by Percy in a simple word "Fuuuuck," He drawled out as he rubbed his face.

Ron leaned forward a bit worried about his best mate but Hermione beat him to the conversation "Sirius Black escaped prison to come after you? Oh, Harry," Hermione said bringing her hands over her mouth "You'll have to be very careful, please don't go looking for trouble," She said and Harry quickly retorted back.

"Trouble usually finds me not the other way around," Harry said as Rin agreed with him. There was just no way Harry would be chasing a mass murderer. And that's when Percy noticed Harry's reaction to all of this. He was too calm, with no panic whatsoever. As if it was a daily occurrence.

"Harry, why are you so calm?" Percy asked a bit concerned and then noticed that the trio wasn't as surprised as him "I mean, a serial killer is after you after all," Percy said and Harry shrugged his shoulder.

"When you've already faced the dark lord twice. A serial killer isn't that scary," Harry said and Percy blinked a bit confused.

"Twice? What do you mean by that?" Percy asked and then the golden trio looked mortified. They remembered that Percy hadn't been there for their previous adventures.

"Ah well," Harry said looking at his two friends who just shrugged their shoulders "I supposed I need to tell you some things," Harry said as Percy leaned forward expectantly.

Then Harry went on a brief description of what had happened the previous years at Hogwarts. Explaining the philosopher stone and meeting Voldemort for the first time and then came the second year.

At the end of Harry's tale Percy had his head in his hands while he rubbed his forehead periodically "I'm gonna get a headache," Percy mumbled as the trio looked at each other worried. They didn't know how Percy would react to this.

"Are you okay mate?" Ron asked. He was starting to get comfortable with Percy. He still had mistrust for the Slytherin but it was slowly fading away though perhaps Harry was just hoping and seeing things.

"Yes, it's just that not every day do you learn that the blood purist murderer Lord Voldemort was, in fact, a half-blood. And that wasn't even the most shocking thing you said," Percy said rubbing his face and moving his head up. "I don't know whether to be impressed or worried you faced all those things, Harry. Especially the basilisk, I thought that was a fucking joke," Percy said and Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

"Sucks to be me," Harry said and Percy couldn't stop the snort that came out of him.

"You don't say," Percy said as he finally regained composure "It's a lot to take in and I need a drink. I'm gonna see if the trolley's coming," Percy said removing the charm and sticking his head out of the compartment.

"Hey, Harry," Ron whispered to him and Harry leaned forward "Are you sure about telling him?" He asked in concern and Harry nodded.

"I trust him," Harry said simply. He would admit, he wasn't the best at judging people usually. But with Percy, he got a good feeling about it.

"She's four compartments away, nothing but wait then," Percy said flopping back to his seat. A moment of silence invaded the group, a silence that Ron broke.

"So, are you guys excited for the Hogsmeade trip? Merlin knows I am," Ron said with a bright smile on his face "I want to go to Dervish and Banges. Fred and George told me of all the things they sold there," Ron said as Hermione jumped into the conversation. And both of them went on a tirade of Hogsmeade while Percy and Harry listened to the best of their abilities.

And once they were done Harry finally said something "All of that sounds cool. You'll have to tell me when you go," Harry said and his two oldest friends looked at him confused.

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked and Harry shrugged his shoulders once more.

"Can't go. Dursleys didn't sign my form and Fudge wouldn't either," Harry said and Percy looked intrigued.

"You meet the minister?" Percy asked and Harry nodded "For all the Sirius business I presume," Percy said and Harry once again nodded.

But that didn't matter for Ron, he wanted to go with his friend on a trip and started planning ahead. But whatever plan he made was shut down by Hermione. "Well at least you will have company that day," Percy said and Harry raised in curiosity.

"Oh yeah? Who?" Harry asked a bit sarcastic but stopped when Percy pointed at himself "Seriously?" Harry asked as Percy nodded

"Perks of being an orphan. Although perhaps in this case it doesn't seem like a perk," Percy said a bit downcast. Hermione placed her hand in an emotional support manner getting a small smile from Percy.

"Well, if there's no other option," Harry said and Percy kicked his feet playfully. The group chuckled a bit but stopped when the professor moved around a bit. They held their breath and released a sigh when the professor went back to sleep once more.

An hour or so passed and the trolley lady had come by. They bought their snacks while trying and failing to wake the professor in case he wanted something. They were busy eating when Hermione started opening the cage that held Crookshanks in.

"Don't you dare Hermione!" Ron said but it was too late, she had already opened the cage and the first thing Crookshanks did was bolt toward Ron and strike at his chest where the rat was.

Ron shoved Crookshanks forcefully away and the cat jumped avoiding any major injury "Ron don't!" Hermione said trying to save her cat but failed. Thankfully the cat landed on Percy's legs gracefully.

Hermione's mascot moved in circles for a while before settling there. Percy didn't know what to do at first but then he settled for petting the cat over its head much to the delight of the cat. Hermione looked at him in curiosity before berating Ron for almost hurting her pet.

Another few moments passed with nothing major happening. Other than Malfoy walking up to the compartment searching for Harry. But thanks to Percy's charm he and his cronies went away. Harry couldn't be more thankful for Percy right about that moment. But they did have to hold Ron back from jumping outside of all the things Malfoy was saying.

They continued their travel for a while till suddenly the train came to a full stop. Ron stretched his arms upwards and yawned "Finally, man I cant wait for the first feast. Wonder what they'll serve this year?" Ron said out loud not noticing the look of concern in Hermione's and Percy's faces

"That's weird," Hermione said looking at her watch "We can't be there yet," She said and Ron grew confused.

"Then why are we stopping?" Ron asked but then the compartment grew cold and the lights went out. Startling everyone out of their seats

"Ouch Ronald, that's my foot," Hermione exclaimed and moved back but then stopped when she heard a huff "Oh I'm sorry Percy," Hermione said and Percy grumbled.

"It's fine; that's just my stomach," Percy said, but then both Harry and him exclaimed out in pain "And that's my forehead! The hell is going on!?" Percy said, and Harry could see the faint outline of someone looking out the window.

"I don't know. It seems someone is entering the train," Ron said as Harry opened the door, hoping to see something. But then someone tripped over him, sending both him and the other to their previous seats.

"Ouch!" Harry heard a familiar voice exclaimed as he helped the person above him up.

"Neville? That's you?" Harry asked out loud feeling around trying to find Neville

"Yeah, what's going on?" Neville said as he tried to stabilize himself. The others told them they didn't know and Hermione started to move around.

"I'm going to speak to the driver, and see what's going on," Hermione said using Percy's help to get to the door.

Percy held her hand till she opened the door. But before she could get out she squealed along with someone else. Turns out Ginny was outside and both girls crashed into one another. They got back to the compartment not knowing what else to do. They kept shouting over one another till a hoarse voice shushed them all off

"Quiet," They heard and noticed that the professor was wide awake now and standing in the middle of the compartment. The cold grew colder and then they heard it. A soft crackling noise that came along with a shiver. Then a small shivering light invaded the room. Giving everyone a good view of the professor.

His roughed face and brown hair betrayed the stress he was feeling but even if his physical features had a lot to be desired his eyes were wide awake and ready for anything.

"Stay put," Professor Lupin said as he reached for the door but before he could open it the door opened for him.

There in the doorway illuminated by Lupin's magical light a creature towering over the door covered in a black dread hood was floating and looking around the compartment. For a second Harry looked down and saw a glistering in its hood revealing a dark bony type of hand. One of a skeleton.

And as if had sensed Harry's glance the creature put its hand back into the hood still looking around the compartment.

"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under their cloaks. Leave," Lupin said but the creature didn't seem to listen. The creature gazed at Percy for a moment and the white-haired teen held a breath in trying to control his fear.

He felt Aurora moving around his neck trying to comfort him and he also felt a hand slipping into his own. He glanced back without turning his head around and saw Hermione behind him looking out for him while using him as comfort. He glanced back to the creature as it stopped looking at him and settled his glance on Harry.

Then the air grew thin as Harry saw the creature drawing a short and hollow breath in and the compartment grew colder. The compartment air grew heavy and Harry felt himself losing his breath. Then his eyes rolled back as nothingness invaded him. And then he heard a woman screaming before darkness surrounded his vision.

End of Chapter 2.

Chapter Text

The first thing Harry heard when he regained consciousness was several questions asking him if he was alright. He blinked, and the first thing he saw was Percy kneeling before him, checking him over.

"Whoa, don't try to stand up mate. Take it easy," Percy said pushing Harry back slightly into his seat. Harry rubbed his forehead trying to regain composure as he saw all his friends looking at him in worry.

He noticed that the train was moving again before asking what happened "What happened? Who screamed asked?" And everyone looked at each other in confusion.

"No one screamed mate," Ron said. Harry looked confused and glanced at everyone. Ginny and Neville looked very pale while the other three looked shaken but fine nonetheless.

Harry was about to say more but a loud snap interrupted him and he saw Professor Lupin breaking a bar of chocolate "Here, eat it," Lupin said as Harry took the chocolate a bit shaken.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked Lupin not eating the chocolate yet. But his answer didn't come from the professor. It came from the white-haired teen.

"A dementor. Azkaban's guards, he was probably here looking for Black," Percy said as Lupin nodded his head.

"Very well, I would give you points but alas we haven't started the school year," Lupin said standing up "I need to talk to the driver. Percy please make sure he eats it, excuse me," Lupin said before walking away.

Harry looked at Percy in confusion "How does he know your name?" Harry asked and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. Now stop asking me questions and eat the chocolate. I don't want you fainting on us again," Percy said as Harry sighed and took a bite out of the chocolate bar feeling better all of a sudden.

"What happened?" Harry asked after taking a few bites of the chocolate bar.

"Well - that thing- the dementor. It stood there and looked around, at least I think it did, and you-" Ron said before looking at Harry in huge worry. "You went rigid and fell to your seat spazzing out. I thought you were having a fit or something," Ron said as Percy cleared his throat.

"It started kissing you as us wizards call it," Percy said and Harry looked disgusted and confused "In layman's terms it was sucking your soul, bit by bit," Percy said as Harry looked horrified.

"Professor Lupin tried to usher it away but it didn't work. Then he muttered something and a blue mist appeared from his wand and that scared the dementor away," Hermione explained and Harry nodded in understanding.

"It was horrible," Neville said in a voice higher than usual "That cold, it was not natural," Neville said.

"Yeah, it felt like I would never be cheerful again," Ron said as Percy nodded.

"That's what they do. They take your happiest memories away and leave you with the bad ones. Guess that's why Azkaban prisoners go insane," Percy said as he placed a hand on Harry's knee in comfort.

Then Harry saw Ginny curled in a ball in the corner and saw Hermione quickly rushing towards her hugging her trying to comfort her.

Everyone took a seat once again trying to calm themselves down when Professor Lupin came back again "You ate the chocolate, good," Lupin said from the doorway "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. Are you all right Harry?" Lupin asked as Harry nodded his head wondering how the Professor knew his name.

"I have to check on a friend," Percy said standing up "You're okay?" Percy asked Harry who nodded and just ushered him away telling him not to worry about him.

Harry watched Percy leave and leaned back on his seat. He was tired, who knew that his arrival at Hogwarts. But other than the dementor their trip to Hogwarts was very ordinary.

Same insults by Malfoy on the carriage, the same steps to the grand hall. And a little trip to Madam Pomfrey just to check on him. Like he said nothing major. He and Hermione got to the hall after talking to McGonagall. The sorting ceremony was over and the feast was about to begin. They quickly took a seat where Ron was, he tried to ask what had happened but the headmaster had started speaking.

He started simply by welcoming everyone back and wishing them another good school year. That's when Harry's eyes traveled to the Slytherin table where he found Pery whispering something to another Slytherin.

A tan brown-haired skinny and freckled female student with dark eyes. Both of them had small smiles on their faces and it appeared that they were joking around before Dumbledore had started speaking. And it was as if Percy had felt his stare since he turned and looked at him.

Percy gave him a small smile and a nod before nodding at Dumbledore telling Harry to pay attention "Now, there's a few things I must tell you and one of them is very serious," Dumbledore said clearing his throat.

"As you're well aware because of the Hogwarts Express search, our school will be playing host to the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic Business," Dumbledore said and as he took a pause Harry could sense a hint of anger in the Headmaster about all this situation.

"They're stationed all around the entrance of the school," He continued "And while they're here with us I must make it plain that nobody it's too leave the school grounds without permission," Dumbledore said as he looked around and Harry could've sworn that his eyes rested on the Slytherin table for a moment.

"Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or charms," He said and then Harry saw Dumbledore resting his eyes on him "Or even Invisibility cloaks," He said and Harry gulped feeling being put on the spot.

He felt someone looking at him and saw Percy tilting his head with a sly smirk on his face. He knew that statement was directed at Harry and he couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

"It's not in a Dementor's nature to understand pleading or excuses, so make sure not to give them any reason to harm you," Dumbledore said "I look to the prefects and our newest Head Boy and Girl to make sure that no students run afoul to the dementors," Dumbledore said and Harry looked at his hands. He absolutely wanted nothing to do with those creatures, not after what had happened on the train.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore said a bit more cheerily "I would like to present the newest members of our faculty," He said as he looked back to where all the professors were sitting.

"First, Professor Lupin, who was kindly enough to fill the Defense Against the Dark Arts position," Dumbledore said as the shabby-looking Professor stood up to a polite round of applause excluding those who were there in the compartment with him.

Then before the round of applause finished Ron whispered at him telling him to look at Snape. The greasy man always had a scowl on his face, that was usual. But this time his face screamed nothing but loathing and hatred. This couldn't be because Snape was snubbed out of the DADA position. No this kind of hatred stems from something else.

"And for our second appointment," Dumbledore said as the applause died down "I'm sorry to tell you that our Care for Magical Creatures' teacher, Professor Kettleburn, has decided to retire at the end of last year," He said before smiling brightly "However I'm please to announce that the position will be filled by our very own Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take the role alongside his gamekeeping duties," Dumbledore said and as soon as he finished the roaring excitement from the Gryffindors made itself present.

Hagrid had to be pushed by McGonagall to stand up and he did a bit messy and shyly as the applause was greater than everyone had ever heard.

Harry didn't bother to hear the rest, he wanted to finish eating as fast as he could. He needed to congratulate his friend. A sentiment that Ron and Hermione seem to share.

They finished their meals at incredible speeds and made their way to the teacher's table. They congratulated Hagrid on his new position much to the half-giant embarrassment.

Hagrid got emotional at the huge welcoming and McGonagall ushered them away as the feast was nearing its end.

The trio soon joined the Gryffindors on the staircase down to the common room. And as Harry entered it and climbed up to his dormitory where his friends were unpacking their things. He couldn't help but feel glad he was home at last.

Next day

Hermione was running late, something unusual for her. But it was the first time she used the artifact McGonagall had given her. It would take some time to get used to but that wasn't her main concern right now. Her main concern was to get to the Arithmancy classroom on time.

She got there in a rush and saw that most students were already there. There were no Gryffindors in sight as most of them had taken Divination as their electives. She recognized a few Hufflepuffs, these being Susan Bones and Hanna Abbot while the other two she didn't recognize.

Then there was Padma Patil. Parvati's twin from Ravenclaw joined by Sue Li another Ravenclaw student. Both Girls were sitting together on a two-seated desk talking amicably same as Susan and Hanna.

There were also some other Ravenclaw's students but she didn't remember their names. But the biggest divide she saw was from the Slytherins. There were four of them. Two boys were sitting together but weren't talking. The first one was a tanned and brown-skinned quiet boy with deep black hair. His brown eyes were transfixed in a book on the table.

The other one was a brown-haired teen with a freckled pale face. His dark eyes showed how bored he was. He connected eyes with Hermione for a moment and she was ready to see the disgust she was so used to but there she only saw indifference.

Next was one of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen. She had silk long blond hair that made Hermione a bit self-conscious for a bit. She was skinny, even her robes couldn't hide that and her pale white skin seemed to shine a bit. The girl met Hermione's eyes for a moment and brown eyes met cold blue eyes that looked at her in curiosity. And before the other girl broke the stare, Hermione, for whatever reason, noticed a bit of sadness behind those eyes. She was sitting all alone and perhaps if she wasn't a Slytherin she would've taken a seat next to her.

And there was also another reason she didn't. It was because of the last Slytherin there, one who seemed to be purposefully sitting the farthest he could from his other house-mates. The only person she actually knew in that classroom.

So she went ahead and approached Percy, who noticed her and gave her a small tired smile "Is this seat taken?" Hermione asked and Percy shook his head.

"No, not all," Percy said as Hermione took a seat next to him "Sitting with an evil snake, pretty brave of you," Percy said a bit cheekily and Hermione rolled her eyes and couldn't help but join the fun.

"Well, I'm a Gryffindor aren't I?" Hermione said getting a snort out of Percy "Where's Aurora?" She asked and Percy yawned.

"Back in the common room, since we have Care of Magical Creatures today, I didn't want her to bring her to such a wild environment," Percy said rubbing his eyes "Besides I wanted her to get used to the common room first," He said as Hermione nodded in understanding.

Then she noticed the small eye bags under his eyes "Are you okay? You seem tired," She said a bit worried and Percy nodded his head.

"I'm fine, I just kept reading a book instead of sleeping and now I'm paying the price," Percy said with a yawn "And there was no coffee for breakfast," Percy said as Hermione leaned forward a bit.

"What kind of book?" She asked her curiosity up the roof.

"A book about magical trees. Mostly the ones they use for wands," Percy said rubbing the back of his head and trying to hold another yawn un-successfully.

"What for?" She asked and Percy looked thoughtful for a moment before leaning towards her.

"I found these drawings in my mother's stuff a while ago. And there's this drawing of a white oak that has no information whatsoever," Percy said and Hermione could see his frustration.

"Do you have any picture of the drawing with you?" She asked and Percy shook his head.

"I don't but I can draw it. I remember it quite well. But why?" He asked in curiosity and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Perhaps I can check the library in case I see it and find some information," She said as if it was a simple manner not realizing that for Percy that meant a lot.

"You really don't have to. I don't want to unload something on you. You must be pretty busy already," Percy said trying to convince her that she didn't have to help. He really didn't want to bother her with this.

"I know," She said putting a hand over his "But I want to," She said and Percy blinked a bit before chuckling lightly.

"Very well, give me a moment then," He said as he leaned forward into the desk and started drawing on a piece of paper. And as he leaned forward she noticed the blond girl looking at them with a bit of a frown on her face. She noticed Hermione's look and turned around but she could see the girl fist tighten in what seemed to be anger.

She ignored that for now and watched Percy draw on the paper "It sort of looks like this, with the fallen leaves and all. Just imagine it in white," He said as Percy handed her the drawing. She leaned over trying to get a better look.

"You're a good artist," Hermione complimented getting a small blush out of Percy. She went over the drawing and to her it seemed like a normal drawing of an oak. But what caught her eye was the unrecognizable language below it "What's this?" She said pointing at the language.

"Dunno. I first thought they were runes but they didn't like any of the runes from the books," Percy said rubbing his chin "Then I thought they were some sort of Nordic language but that was a dead end as well," He said and Hermione looked closer.

"It is a language, the patterns are too long to be runes," Hermione said as Percy nodded agreeing with her "But I don't recognize it. Although, this drawing could be an emblem? Or a house sigil perhaps?" Hermione asked and Percy blinked a few times.

"What makes you say that?" He asked and Hermione asked for the quill he had used to draw the oak.

"If you draw a pentagon around it. Doesn't it seem like a house crest?" She said and Percy's eyes grew big.

"It does. What didn't I think of this before?" Percy asked a bit frustrated "It doesn't look like the ones I know," He said and Hermione frowned a bit.

"Perhaps it is one of an old family. The library should have something that could point us in the right direction," Hermione said and Percy looked at her in confusion.

"Us?" He asked conveying his confusion.

"Yes, I want to help," She said with an eager smile. There was a puzzle to be solved and she was eager to get her hands on it "That's of course if you want my help," She said backtracking a bit remembering that sometimes her eagerness could disturb others to be put lightly.

"Well, if you want help who am I to stop you," Percy said as he rubbed his face "Merlin knows I could use some help. Three years of researching has gotten me nowhere," Percy said much to Hermione's excitement.

"Then before Care of Magical Creatures, we should hit the library, to try and find something," Hermione said and Percy smiled at her in thankfulness he nodded agreeing with her but before he could say anything more the Arithmancy professor walked in.

"Settle in class," Septima Vector, the Arithmancy professor said rubbing her forehead, she was one of the youngest faculty members in Hogwarts from what Hermione knew. So she was eager to see what the class had in store.

"So, welcome to Arithmancy, where we'll explore the mathematics and engineering behind spell creations," She said taking a seat on the teacher's desk "It is my hope that by the time you're taking your OWLs in your fifth year, you have already a spell or two created in your repertoire," She said much to the excitement of the class.

Then Hermione saw the Professor rubbing her head once more and she couldn't help but speak her concerns up "Um, professor," She said as Professor Vector glanced at her "Are you alright? You seem hurt," She said and the professor chuckled.

"I'm all right, just word of advice," She said finally centering herself "Never go out drinking with our gamekeeper, that man can out-drink the whole Three Broomsticks bar by himself," She said getting chuckles out of the class.

"Now first things first classroom rules," She said as the classroom settled in and listened to her "Punctuality is something I pried on. So if you're, let's say, ten minutes late. Then don't bother entering the classroom. You may ask other students for that day's work but I will not let you in, okay?" She said as the students nodded. It seems a bit harsh but it was fair overall. You lived in the same place where classes were given, you have no reason to get late.

"Secondly, you may only speak when I address you. Speak out of turn and I will remove so many house-points that you'll have to spend the remaining school year to try and recover half of them," She said glaring a bit at them "You're fifteen and well grown now. This is a classroom and not a playground. I will not have any ruckus or something along those lines here. Understood?" She said as the whole classroom nodded their heads.

"Which brings me to my next point. House rivalry," Septima said looking at the Slytherins and Gryffindor in the classroom "I know house pride is a huge deal. I also went here as well, but as I grew older I realized that the whole rivalry between houses is just plain moronic," She said as she crossed her arms and looked at the teens with narrowed eyes.

"I hate to break it to you, but houses don't matter much outside Hogwarts. Other than small talk it has no uses," She explained "When I was an unspeakable, I was tasked to train two new prospects that I had to turn down. Want to know why?" She said as the teens leaned closely wanting to know the reason.

"I turned them down because they refused to work together. Both adults I might add, couldn't cooperate because one was Gryffindor and the other one was Slytherin," She said with a sigh "Now I wonder, would you risk your future, just because you can see past a pair of color palettes? She asked rhetorically leaving the students with much to ponder.

"I for one don't want to waste my time teaching students that will do so," Septima said and the glare returned "So, if I catch you fighting between anyone in this classroom, house-mates or not. I will throw you out the class, and tell McGonagall to change your electives," She said much to the horror of some students there.

"We're here to learn, and I believe that such egregious acts have to be met with more egregious consequences. And losing house points as a punishment doesn't seem to working, so I'm left with these procedures," Septima said as some of the more confrontational students gulped a bit.

"If you don't agree with these rules, then there's the door," She said but no one moved she waited a moment to see if someone would leave. When no one did she nodded and brought out a pouch.

"Good, you've made a good choice," She said as she took out two pieces of paper from the pouch "From now on each term work will be done in pairs with every pair hanging around before the second term starts. And I will choose the pairs," She said as some of the students groaned.

"Shush it, teamwork is essential in our world. If you can't do it here then you've no shot out there," She said as she looked at the paper "Daphne Greengrass and Hermione Granger you will be team one, please raise your hands in case you don't know who the other is," She said as Hermione raised her hand and she saw the blond girl from before raising her hand.

"I'll see you later," She said putting a hand on his shoulder before walking towards Daphne with her stuff "Hello, I'm Hermione, I look forward to working with you," She said, and Daphne looked at her thoughtfully.

Hermione thought back on how annoyed she looked at her before but it seemed that Hermione passed some sort of test as her blue eyes seemed to slowly lose their coldness "I as well Granger, please take a seat," She said as Hermione did so "I must apologize for earlier, I didn't mean to look at you annoyed," She said as Hermione looked at her in curiosity.

"Why were you if you don't mind me asking?" She asked and Daphne sighed as she looked at Percy who was laughing and chuckling with Susan Bones. Hermione glanced at where she was looking as well and her eyes grew big "Oh I see," She said and for a moment Daphne looked a bit embarrassed.

"No, it's not like that," Daphne said getting her blush under control "He was my best friend, but I did something that might have broken that friendship. And I don't know whether it will be fixed or not," She said and Hermione could feel her pain a bit. So she, being the emotional support person she was, hesitantly put a hand on Daphne's shoulder.

"Perhaps a conversation will help," Hermione said and Daphne sighed "Sometimes talking can help to fix a relationship of any kind," She said and Daphne giggled a bit.

"Perhaps you're right Granger," Daphne said with a bit of a small smile.

"Please call me Hermione," She said having learned a bit of pureblood attitude from meeting Percy before "We're supposed to be partners after all," She said amusing the blond girl a bit.

And both girls started getting to know one another they missed how Percy glanced at them with a small smile on his face. He felt glad that Daphne was getting out of her shell. But before Daphne could see how he felt Percy went back on speaking with Susan.

Then class began and Hermione, being the study nerd she was, paid close attention. It didn't matter that she had made a new friend in the class she would not fail to take notes and participate in class. It was not in her nature.

Harry was walking silently to the school grounds, as he had Care of Magical Creatures there. Ron and Hermione were bickering behind him, something about the divination calls. These had become the norm, so he had gotten pretty used to tuning out their bickering.

And as he got closer to the class he noticed a familiar set of three heads and realized that this class would be shared with the Slytherins. He grew frustrated, he didn't want to share Hagrid's class with those assholes but then his eyes brighten when he saw a familiar white-haired hair.

Percy was sitting on a rock far away from the group of Slytherins, talking to the girl he had seen at the welcoming feast. Percy noticed Harry's stare and waved at him. Harry figured out what the hell and waved to him, as Hermione and Ron followed closely.

"Hey," Harry said as Percy smiled at him and both of them bumped fists. He nodded at the girl who had a curious look on her face.

"Why does he look depressed?" Percy asked noticing the long face of Ron. Harry looked back and sighed.

"It appears I'm going to die," He said with a shrug as if wasn't the biggest deal in the world.

Ron frowned and shrike at him "Those things are not to be messed Harry," He whispered forcefully and Harry just couldn't be bothered.

Percy looked confused and the other girl offered him an answer "Trelawney saw the Grimm in his leaves. An omen of death she said, baloney if you ask me," She said and Percy snorted when he saw Hermione agreeing with her.

"Now don't be too hasty Trace," Percy said as Tracey, his friend looked at him confused "While Trelawney is not well in the head," Percy said to the amusement of the group "Divination is a great powerful magic. If you have the gift that's it," Percy said and Harry scoffed.

"Do you really believe that?" Harry asked and Percy looked at him while tilting his head "Reading something that hasn't happened with leaves and lines. Sounds stupid," Harry said and Percy gave him a small smirk.

"You're overestimating magic, Harry. Trelawney doesn't have the gift so that's why she resorts to these types of tricks, but don't underestimate those who do have it," Percy said as Harry rolled his eyes.

"And you're saying you have it?" Hermione asked in genuine curiosity. He gave her a sly smile before closing his eyes and pretending to focus hard.

"I see something no wait, someone, a green-eyed man," Percy said as Ron and Hermione looked at Harry in curiosity while the jet-black-haired teen looked annoyed "He's experiencing tremendous pain, inflicted by someone whom he thought he could trust," Percy said letting a huff of air pretending that had tired him much to the amusement of Tracey.

"Really? You're resorting to these jokes? I thought-," He said but before he could finish he winced as Percy flicked a finger on Harry's forehead "Ouch! What was that for!?" He asked as Percy gave him a sly small smile.

"Oh will you look at that, my prophecy came true," Percy said before looking at his hands "Perhaps I do have the gift after all," Percy said much to Harry's annoyance. The Gryffindor tried to strike Percy back but the white-haired teen dodged away with a chuckle.

"You know he won't be happy about you being friends with him," She said as Percy shrugged his shoulders as he moved back avoiding another attack from Harry.

"Malfoy? I'm done caring what he thinks," Percy said as the Gryffindor trio grew confused and Harry stopped trying to hit him. There was something else besides that they were hiding under those sentences "You?" He asked and Tracey scoffed.

"I couldn't care less," she said as Percy smirked widely. Then, for a brief moment, Hermione saw Daphne there, looking at them with a melancholy look. She tilted her head, inviting her here, but Daphne just shook her head. It seemed Hermione would need a more direct approach.

"Ah, Hermione," Percy said, getting the nerdy Gryffindor's attention "Thanks for your help in the Library, even if we didn't find anything," he said, and Harry noticed how confused she looked, which also Percy noticed.

"Um, yeah, sure. I'm glad to be of help," she said, and Percy frowned for a bit. But before he could express his curiosity, a booming voice interrupted them.

"C'mon gather around!" Hagrid said as he rounded up the class "Got a real treat for yeh, follow me," Hagrid said and Harry for a moment got scared thinking he might lead them to the dark forest but let out a breath in relief when he led them through the edges of the forest and into an empty padlock.

"That's it make sure yeh can see," Hagrid said as everyone gathered around the fence "Now firs thing yeh want is to open yer books-," He started saying but was interrupted by Malfoy.

"How?" The blond twat as Harry had grown to call him drawled out.

"Eh?" Hagrid said confused but before Malfoy could clarify Percy spoke up.

"What page professor?" Percy asked with his book open much to the surprise of everyone there.

"Ah right, page thirteen," Hagrid said as he walked forward leaving the group unattended for a moment.

"How the hell did you open it!?" Tracey asked shocked and Percy looked at her confused.

"Oh, you just have to stroke it on the spine to calm them down, like a pet," Percy said showing the whole classroom by calming Tracey's book down "The clerk who sold it to me explained it. After I ask her of course," He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"There's even a note on dragons," Percy said excitedly showing Tracey the page he was referring to. He then looked at Hagrid, who had come back as the class started opening their books "Is there a chance we could see Dragons Professor?" Percy asked a bit excitedly but Hagrid shot it down.

"Sorry lad, dragons only live in shelters in Scandinavia or the wild, I don't have any," Hagrid said getting Percy a little downcast "But I have something better for yeh," Hagrid said and some squeals from girls could be heard all around.

Harry saw these creatures and the first thing he could think was that they looked abnormal. They had bodies of horses all around except they had the front legs of giant eagles as well as wings of the same category. Their heads were eagle-like with bright orange eyes and black sclera. Each of their creature's necks had a chain attached around them and it ended in the hands of Hagrid.

And as Hagrid led these creatures into the padlock Harry felt himself shaken by Percy "Hippogriffs! Oh my god!" Percy said with shiny eyes as Harry chuckled at his friend's excitement. Seems that his hobby was shining through here as well.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Hagrid said and Harry could see the beauty of them once you looked past the weirdness between the two animal mixtures "So, if yeh want to come nearer," Hagrid said and no one did except the trio of Gryffindors and Percy the latter practically sprinted to the fence to get a better look.

"Now the firs thing you want to know about Hippogriffs is that they're proud creatures," Hagrid said "Proud creatures, don't ever insult them or it may be the last thing yeh do," Hagrid said and Harry noticed Malfoy and his cronies not paying attention. He got worried they might try and do something to disrupt the class.

"Yeh have to wait for them to make the firs move," Hagrid said and Harry could practically feel the excitement from Percy "It's polite yeh see. Yeh walk and yeh bow, and if he bows back then yeh good to pet hi. But if he doesn't, then yeh better back away quickly," He said as most of the class paid attention.

"Now, who wants ter go first?" Hagrid said and even Ron and Hermione seemed apprehensive like the rest of the class. The hippogriffs flapped their wings and looked massive so no wonder why no one wanted to do it.

Well, no one except two people "I'll do it," Harry and Percy said at the same time raising their hands equally. Harry wanted to help Hagrid with the class and after the Gnolls this was nothing. And he didn't need to be a telepath to understand why Percy wanted to go, he loved magical creatures. He wouldn't pass on this opportunity.

"Harry, remember the tea leaves!" Lavender whispered at him but he didn't care. Percy had already jumped the fence and he would be damn if he would let Percy jump in ahead of him.

"Right lads come here'" Hagrid said as he led them towards two Hippogriffs. One was a silver feather and the other had dark blue feathers.

"This is Buckbeak and Shadow, the oldest of their packs," Hagrid said removing the chains of the creatures' necks. "Easy there, now don't break contact, look into their eyes calmly," Hagrid said as Harry looked at the grey one while Percy looked at the blue one.

"Now don't blink, they don't trust someone who blinks," Hagrid said as Harry wondered if it was real or if Hagrid was messing with them "Now bow, slowly," Hagrid said as the boys slowly bowed their heads.

For a moment the Hippogriffs didn't move and Harry wondered if they were doing it right but then the Hippogriffs bowed back "Well done!" Hagrid said as the teens lifted their heads "Well go on, yeh can pet them now," Hagrid said and Percy didn't waste any moment petting the beak of the blue creature.

Harry did the same with Buckbeak albeit a bit more slowly. Both teens were wrapped in the beauty of the creatures as they ignored everything around them. That's it until he felt Harry carry him "How about a ride now," Hagrid said placing Harry on top of the grey Hippogriff and noticing that Percy was already on top of his. "Well off you go," He said as he slapped the creatures, and off they went.

Harry hated it right off the bat. It was uncomfortable and rough nothing like flying a broom and the same couldn't be said of his Slytherin friend. Percy was loving every second of it. Screaming in excitement and laughing all around. Seems his friend had a wilder spirit than him.

It wasn't a long trip as the Hippogriffs after a short moment landed back down. Harry practically fell off the animal while Percy jumped looking at him in amusement "Well done both of yer," Hagrid said before facing the classroom "Who's next?" He said as Percy helped Harry up.

"Fun trip?" Percy asked a bit amused and Harry frowned at him jokingly.

"Fuck off," Harry said as he and Percy joined Hermione, Ron, and Tracey as it was their turn now to Pert Shadow.

Most of the class went smoothly right up till the end. Malfoy must've said something to annoy Buckbeak because, in the blink of an eye, Harry heard and saw Malfoy on the ground whining and holding his arm as some drops of blood came out of it.

Hagrid quickly rushed to Malfoy and carried him back to the castle. To the infirmary to be precise. Harry looked at Percy concerned. Percy had a frown on his face and the reason behind this. Malfoy was going to make this a big deal, he just hoped it wouldn't be too much of a big deal.

He made a huge deal out of it. Malfoy was a huge prat but today he was even a huger one. He was milking his injury to no end. And had made Potions hellish. A thing that Harry didn't think possible.

Snape had woken with a grudge it appears so and Harry wondered if he should be grateful that today's grudge wasn't aimed at him or not. Besides him, Neville seemed to be the one who received the most sneers from the greasy professor.

He was just glad that the class was over and that they were heading to DADA, he almost forgot that he shared that class with Slytherins. But he wouldn't let that be a detriment to his excitement.

The trio of Gryffindors were walking upstairs when they heard someone rushing towards them. Harry turned around first and saw Percy walking in a trot towards them "Percy? Did you need something?" Harry asked as Percy moved a hand upwards.

"Yeah just give me a moment, you guys sure went out there quick," Percy said catching his breath for a bit before looking at Hermione "I need ask something to Hermione. A private matter," He said as Harry and Hermione looked intrigued. But not Ron, no, he looked with a face of mistrust. He didn't like that Percy wanted to speak to Hermione one bit.

"What for? If you want to talk to her you can talk here," Ron said as Percy narrowed his eyes for a moment in frustration and annoyance just brief enough for Harry to see.

"I'm gonna ask her for a date. Happy?" Percy said annoyed much to the embarrassment of the trio. Hermione quickly walked down and grabbed Percy's hand while he led him down.

"We'll catch up with you later," Hermione called out as Harry chuckled at her redness. Then he noticed Ron glaring ahead and Harry rolled his eyes.

"What now?" He asked as he started walking forward.

"I don't trust him. Why the sudden interest in you and Hermione?" Ron said as Harry had to force himself to listen. Yesterday and the day before were like this, Ron complaining of how Percy couldn't be trusted "I'm telling you. He must be working for Malfoy to get some dirt on you, slimy snakes are not to be trusted," Ron said as Harry sighed and nodded.

He was too frustrated to deal with it so he just kept quiet and let Ron rambled on how Percy was evil.

Back with the other two. Hermione had led Percy to the other end of the stairways going around in opposite directions as Ron and Harry. She noticed the grip she had on his hand and let go a bit embarrassed. She looked up and noticed a certain someone looking at her from Percy's neck in curiosity. "Hello Aurora," She said with a smile as the black snake hissed at her as a hello "You brought her today?" She asked and Percy nodded his head.

"I'm showing her around," Percy said as a joke much to Hermione's amusement.

"So, I'm guessing you don't really want to ask me on a date right?" She asked and Percy frowned a bit. He wondered why she put herself down so easily but put it behind him for later.

"No, not really. Though perhaps we could get back on that another time?" Percy asked tilting his head and smiling at her a bit cheekily.

She snorted as a small blush adorned her cheeks "Perhaps. So, what did you want to ask me?" Hermione wondered and that's when Percy's eyes turned serious.

"First, who am I speaking to? The before or after one?" He asked a bit cryptically but Hermione understood completely. She tried to avoid the topic as best she could at first.

"W-what do you mean?" Hermione asked with a bit of a stutter behind her words. Percy narrowed his eyes at her for a moment.

"You know well what I'm talking about. So, before or after the time turner?" He asked and Hermione sighed no point in pretending now.

"After, I switched right after runes and before potions," She said and Percy nodded in understanding "How did you know?" She asked trying to figure out when and where she had slipped off.

"Arithmancy is at the same time as Divination, that was my first clue. My second clue was that you didn't remember our time in our library yesterday at Care in Magical Creatures," Percy said as Hermione cursed internally for her slip off "And, you seemed busier than usual," Percy said with a shrug.

She sighed and then glanced forward "I thought no one would notice. And you did in the first day," Hermione said a bit defeated but slightly impressed.

"Well you're many things Hermione but unnoticeable isn't one of them," Percy said and Hermione blushed once again while hitting his arm a bit "I just noticed something strange and put two and two together," He said with a shrug and Hermione glanced at him.

"Are you gonna tell?" She asked and felt glad when she saw him shaking his head.

"No, that's your business," Percy said before looking at her with worry "I just wanted to tell you to be careful, time traveling is quite a dangerous thing," Percy said and Hermione squeezed his arm in a sign of thanks.

"Thank you, but I got it under control. No need to worry," She said reassuringly and Percy nodded his head figuring that's that.

"If I could offer advice, leave yourself notes when you turn time," Percy said as Hermione grew curious "When you turn there are practically two Hermione's out there. I'm guessing in the future you just go to the classes that the past you hasn't gone am I right?" He asked as she nodded her head. "Then the past you needs to know the details the future you has done, otherwise past you will be taken aback by certain things," He said, and Hermione blinked realizing what he meant.

"Like our time in the library, I see," Hermione said and Percy nodded his head "I'll think of it," She said.

"Of course, if you need anything concerning the time turner please don't hesitate to ask me," Percy said with a kind smile. She really appreciated his help.

"Thank you, Percy, really," She said truly appreciating his sentiment but then she offered him a sly smile "But I'm not so dumb not to realize that you separate me from the other two for something else," She said and Percy chuckled a bit.

"How shrewd of you," He said and Hermione beamed a bit at the praise "You're right. I did want to ask something from you," He said and Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"I was thinking of your adventures of the previous school years, and something keeps bugging me," Percy said as Hermione tilted her head in curiosity "That many occurrences, in so little time," Percy said scratching his chin "You know the saying, once's a coincidence," Percy said and Hermione nodded her head.

"Twice is a pattern," Hermione said with a nod "So what can I help you with? I thought Harry went over them already hasn't he?" She asked and Percy nodded his head.

"He did but the devil is in the details you see," Percy said as he looked forward "And I got the feeling that Harry glossed over some important facts just because he didn't consider them important," Percy said as Hermione sighed but nodded.

"He tends to do that," Hermione said a bit tiredly. That's what's one of her friend's habits that she didn't like.

"So, I was wondering if you could write me all the things you guys went through, with every detail that you can find," Percy said as Hermione frowned and looked down "I can pay you if you think it's too much work," He said and she shook her head.

"You don't need to pay me I'll do it. But can I just know the reason behind this request?" She asked and Percy scratched the back of his head.

"Well, you're my friends. Both you and Harry," He said and Hermione's eyes grew big for a bit "And the thought of my friends being in danger while I'm doing nothing doesn't sit right with me," Percy said and Hermione beamed at him.

"You're very kind Percy," She said getting a small blush on the teen's cheeks "Give me a week okay? I'll get you the information," She said as Percy gave her a small smile "Merlin knows that we could use an outsider's perspective on things," She said as they got to the classroom.

Their conversation quieted down as they entered the classroom. They quickly found Harry and walked up to them missing how Malfoy noticed them walking together with a sneer on his face.

Percy gave Ron a polite nod and ignored the narrowed eyes directed at him "Did she say yes?" Harry asked cheekily and Percy snorted.

"No she didn't, she stomped my heart," Percy said pretending to be melancholy "Your friend can be pretty harsh you know that," Percy said and chuckled a bit when a bright red Hermione slapped his arm.

"Shut up," She said glancing at Lavender and Parvati hoping they hadn't heard that. She didn't want any rumors spreading around like that.

"How's Hagrid?" He asked changing the topic and showing concern for the trio's oldest friend

"Distraught," Harry said and then noticed Percy's friend approaching them "But we talked to him yesterday and he seems to be recovering," Harry said as he saw Percy nodding at Tracey before the Slytherin girl struck up a conversation with Hermione.

"Well I'm glad he's okay," Percy said before putting a hand on Harry's shoulder and clearly noticing how Ron rolled his eyes.

Then Harry leaned over and whispered something to Percy "Seamus told me they've spotted Sirius Black, not far from here," Harry said as Percy's eyes grew big.

"Really?" Percy asked surprised and Harry nodded "He's got ambition I'll grant him that," Percy said before looking at Harry in concern "Keep your wand under your pillow, Harry," He said and Harry looked confused.

"Think he can break in here?" Harry asked and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"He shouldn't but considering your past experiences," Percy said in a whisper "I wouldn't say no to extra protection," He said and Harry nodded his head.

"You're probably right," Harry said. He knew that it would be best not to tempt fate considering his track record. He wanted to continue chatting but then Professor Lupin came out of his office.

"Hello, please put your books away, today will be a practical lesson," He said moving his wand around as he moved the desk and chairs to the walls to create some space "Please get closer so that you can get a better view," He said as the class gathered around the professor and saw him pulling a closet with his wand. A closet that seemed to have something inside waiting to get out.

The class took a step back at the sudden hit. Professor Lupin looked at the class with a small smile before glancing back at the wardrobe "No need to worry," He said beaming at the scared class "It's only a boggart after all," He said, and those who knew what that was hissed in fright.

"A hippogriff and a boggart back to back, this year rules," Percy whispered to himself, and Harry, who heard him, couldn't help but agree with him.

"Bogarts like dark enclosed spaces" Professor Lupin started explaining "Wardrobes like this one, gaps between the bed. I once saw one lodge in a grandfather clock," He explained and Harry saw Percy taking mental notes.

"So, the question is. What is a boggart?" Lupin asked and Hermione's hand shot up in the air as usual. But, much to Harry's surprise, Percy's hand did as well. The professor nodded at Hemione who looked at Percy almost triumphantly.

She went on to explain that the Boggart was a shape-shifter type of creature and how it took the shape of what it thought would fright its victim the most.

The professor went on to explain how the boggart hadn't changed form yet and alluded to one advantage this group may have. One that Harry pointed out. He said that since there were a lot of them the creature would have trouble adopting a form.

Professor Lupin smiled at him and nodded before he taught them how to pronounce the spell to fight the creature. Then he approached a student who looked so frightened and nervous that you could almost see him vibrating where he was. This student was Neville Longbottom.

Lupin asked him for his help and questioned him on what scared him the most. And considering the previous class it was no wonder why Neville said that Professor Snape was his greatest fear much to the laughter of the Gryffindors and some Slytherins.

Then the professor started asking Neville about the outfits his grandmother wore. Seeing as they were old clothes Professor Lupin asked Neville to Picture Professor Snape wearing those clothes.

He then asked the rest of the class to picture what they feared the most and think about how it would make them laugh. Harry thought about Voldemort for a second but then his mind went to that Dementor from the train. And couldn't help but shiver a bit.

Then it began. Professor Lupin opened the wardrobe and the Boggart immediately went after Neville and turned quickly into Professor Snape.

Neville, even though he looked frightened, didn't have any problem turning the boggart into something funny, and the classroom was quickly filled with laughter. And so it went.

It stopped in front of several students the ones Harry managed to get a good view of Ron's, Seamus's, and Parvatti's. Those being a Spider, a Banshee, and a Mummy respectively. Then the creature jumped to where Harry and Percy were and it seemed to be deciding on which of the two teens to attack first.

In front of them, Harry could see a blue-darkish shadow that carried that same cold he felt back then on the train. But in the middle of the mist, he saw a bright red spark threatening to turn into a red flame. He then noticed Percy's arms tensing a bit and reaching for his wand but neither of them could fight the boggart as Professor Lupin grabbed the attention of the creature away from the teens.

Both Harry and Percy frowned wondering why the professor had taken the creature away from them.

Lupin asked Neville for help once more and both of them put the boggart away back into the wardrobe once more. The professor gave points to various students of the class before finishing the class while giving them little homework to do.

Harry felt frustrated and looked at the professor wondering why he had intervened. Then he felt someone touching his shoulder. He looked up and saw Percy nodding at the exit of the classroom telling him that they needed to leave.

"Are you alright? You seem frustrated," Percy asked as soon as they left the classroom Hermione and Tracy were talking just up ahead while Ron trailed behind them.

"I'm just wondering why Professor Lupin intervened that's all," Harry said and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe he was worried that your fear would scare the others. I would've done so considering your track record," Percy said with a hint of mirth in his voice and Harry couldn't help but agree with him "What were you picturing?" Percy asked and Harry looked forward.

"Dementors," Harry said before looking back at Percy "And you?" Harry asked. He was a bit worried about what he saw back then in the class. Percy's tightened fists came back to his mind.

"Fire," Percy said much to the surprise of Harry "Wild and untamed fire," He clarified and Harry could see some sorrow behind those purple eyes.

Then before he could wonder further on what that was Tracey and Hermione joined them "We should get going, we have transfiguration next," She said and Percy nodded before looking back at Harry.

"I'll see you later," Percy said and Harry saw him leaving. His mind was clouded by uncertainty. Before he joined Hermione's and Ron's conversation he stared at his newfound friend in worry.

Slytherin Common Room Later in the Night.

Daphne Greengrass was a logical person, she found a problem and always resolved it in the most methodical way possible.

It didn't always work for her but it was a plan that carried her life the safest it could be. A passive view on life. But as she had said it didn't always work. And right now it was one of those moments it wasn't working.

Here she was in the common room working on some homework when Malfoy barged in demanding to know where Percy was. But when no one could give him a straight answer he started berating Tracey about consorting with those dirty Gryffindors and Mud-bloods.

But no matter what he said Tracey remained silent reading her magazine. Malfoy was losing it and Daphne was scared that he could throw a spell at her friend. He wasn't even pretending to be hurt anymore.

Then she held her breath when she saw Tracy standing up and looking at Malfoy with a bored pair of eyes "Are you done?" She asked as Malfoy gave her a sneer "Whoever I choose to be friends with is my business Draco," She said as she picked up her magazine "You don't have any say on that," She said as she walked past him.

"So you'll follow Nyx's example and make friends with mud-bloods and half-bloods?" Malfoy asked annoyed "Why are you so eager to follow that loner instead of someone better?" Malfoy said a bit cocky and Tracy snorted before glancing back at him.

"Because there's no one else to choose from," Tracy said before giving Malfoy a disgusted-filled sneer "At least not within your circle," She said, and Malfoy frowned at her with hatred.

"Careful, you do not wish to cross me, my-" He started saying and Tracy snorted interrupting him.

"Let me guess, your father will hear about this," Tracy said sarcastically and then stepped up to Malfoy and glared at him face to face "Your dear old man ran my father into Germany so I'm familiar with your family's slimy ways of doing business," She said taking a step forward making Malfoy gulped while taking a step back.

"I got nothing left to lose and you have nothing to give me, so no, I will never follow you Draco. There is just nothing to gain by doing so," She said before giving him a sick and wicked smile and then she leaned in "And I'm not the only one who's starting to notice it," She said and Malfoy looked around and saw Blaise and Theo looking at him with bored stares. It was clear they were getting bored of him.

Then Malfoy breathed when he saw Tracy leaving the area. His hand went immediately to his wand with the intent of throwing a spell at her but a bored voice spoke up in a drawl interrupting his actions.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Blaise drawled out without looking at Malfoy. The blond teen glared at Blaise as Tracy disappeared from the area.

"Why not?" He asked annoyed. He clearly hated that most of the Slytherins outside his circle were starting to disagree with him.

"Nyx has shown himself to be a vindictive person. Hurting her would do you no good," Blaise said as Theo leaned forward.

"Or have you forgotten what he did to the twins last year?" He said as Malfoy tched in annoyance and looked down "We all know you have a big mouth Malfoy, and with Nyx," Theo said before looking at Blaise.

"We will do nothing to stand in his way, it would do us no good," Blaise said simply and Malfoy huffed.

"When did you all start bending at Nyx's will?" Malfoy asked annoyed and was surprised to hear both boys snorts and chuckles of amusement.

"That's the thing Draco," Theo said with a smile leaning back on his chair.

"We only follow those who have higher power, and right now," Blaise said returning to his book "Neither of you has it, so while won't follow him. Neither will we follow you," He said as Malfoy grumbled and went away to complain to Crabbe and Goyle if Daphne was guessing correctly.

But Daphne didn't care about that. His friends were getting bold and they were risking their lives by angering Malfoy. It went against the plan of laying low that they had. So she rushed as quickly as she could back to the girl's dormitory.

There she found Tracy in her bed back again reading the magazine once again "What were you thinking Trace!? Going against Malfoy like that!?" She asked in a frightened voice and Tracy just glanced at her and didn't offer any comment.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Daphne Asked and Tracey scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Why do you care?" She said in a cold voice that shocked Daphne a bit "You made it quite clear that you don't care what we think didn't you?" She said bored and Daphne grumbled and looked at the floor frustrated.

"Just please be careful Tracy, I cannot afford to lose you," She said before she started walking away but Tracy stopped her before she could go away.

"But you can afford to give yourself away huh?" Tracey said as Daphne's eyes grew wide and turned around "You really could never figure me or Percy out. Why would you think we'll be okay with you sacrificing yourself?" She said and Daphne was out of words but before she could argue for herself Tracy closed the curtains of her bed.

"Leave me alone Daph, you seem to be an expert on that," Tracy said and Daphne looked at the ground frustrated and with tears in her eyes. But then a ray of moonlight hit her and suddenly she felt a bit lighter. She turned to the window and looked at the moon and felt as if it was trying to comfort her.

She rubbed off her tears and let a small smile. She didn't know why but the moonlight let her feel a bit better.

And perhaps it was after all it was doing the same to a guy that was traveling the grounds near the lake right now. This guy was Percy, who was exploring the grounds at night. Just as he always did. And as always, the moon lighted his path.

He was nearing the grounds when he heard it. A soft melodic hum that immediately captured his attention. He followed the hum as best as he could as memories started flowing through his mind. Memories that brought small tears to his eyes.

So here he was walking the edges of the lake with teary eyes. And then he found the source of the hum.

And later in the future, he would recall this meeting with fondness. A meeting that would forever change his life. For you see, on top of what seemed to be a rock formation, a girl with sliver-platinum blond hair was sitting there humming this beautiful melody with her eyes closed. She had a white silk pale skin that reflected the moonlight quite easily.

She was wearing the school uniform but what caught his attention was the fact that she was missing her shoes. And he wondered if it was by choice or something else. Then his previous sadness made itself present as he sniffed some tears away.

And because of that, he gained the attention of the girl. She opened her eyes and Percy caught his first glimpse of those beautiful grey eyes that would forever make him get lost looking at them.

"Hi," The girl said looking at him with a small smile and bringing his legs up to her chest.

"Hello," He said not sure on what else could he say.

"You have tears in your eyes. Are you okay? Did perhaps the Nargles attack you while you weren't looking? They tend to do that," She said and Percy looked at her confused before rubbing the tears off his eyes.

"Nargles? No. I was just moved by your melody," He said as the girl beamed at him for a moment "You have a beautiful voice," He remarked and the girl gave him a smile of appreciation

"Why thank you," She said before putting her wonder-filled grey eyes on him "Care to join me up here. The moon is beautiful today," She said looking up at the bright white orb in the sky.

Percy looked up as well and for whatever reason he decided to join her up there. He sat next to her and she moved closer to him his shoulder touching hers practically "It's beautiful isn't it," She said and Percy looked at her for a moment.

"What is?" He asked as she leaned forward and pointed at the night sky.

"Up there, where thoughts and prayers are the only things capable of reaching. The tears of Selûne," She said and Percy was marbled by her wonder and eager expression.

"The lady of night and silver? Most don't know of her. They have forgotten her," He remarked and she looked at him with a dreamy look on her face.

"Most of us have forgotten many things. But her presence is all around us, don't you agree, Nyx?" She said as a small smile appeared on her face but this dreamy look prevailed.

He chuckled a bit, he had to admit he was out of his depth a bit with this girl in front of him but he didn't seem to mind "I do," He said simply not giving much away "Though it seems I'm at a disadvantage. As I do not know who you are," He said and the girl just continued to smile.

"How inconsiderate of me," She said and put her hand in front of her. Then Percy's breath hitched as her dreamy eyes turned normal, almost serious in the blink of an eye "I'm Luna Lovegood. Pleasure to meet you Dragonborn," She said and Percy's eyes immediately grew big in surprise.

How did she know? That was the thing he was wondering. But then the moonlight hit both of them and suddenly his eyes transformed into his red ones. But surprisingly enough so did hers.

They turned from grey to a color that mirrored that one of a rainbow. They were purple, blue, green, red, yellow and dark. And the colors kept moving around as a white shine appeared from time to time.

And as red eyes met rainbow-colored eyes he couldn't help but smile as he took her hand kissed her knuckles and said "The pleasure is all mine, Fairy,"

End of Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Harry was in the main hall eating breakfast with Hermione. Ron was in deep slumber, a norm for him. It was Saturday, and there were no classes, so it was no wonder his friend wouldn't wake up for at least a few more hours.

And he wouldn't admit it, but he was glad. He was getting tired of his and Hermione's spats about their pets. Over and over again, they couldn't stop fighting. It was funny at first, but now it was just tiring.

At least classes were fun, well most of them. DADA has turned out to be a wonder. Professor Lupin knew what he was doing so it was no surprise that his class had become a favorite for all students. Well most students, Malfoy still didn't waste an opportunity to make fun of the Professor.

However, he had to admit that at the start of the year, he had noticed that some Slytherins didn't follow Malfoy blindly. Maybe it was because of Percy that he had noticed this but either way, he saw that Malfoy wasn't as loved there as he once thought.

But back to the classes, Charms and Transfiguration were fun as always, and Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were entertaining and knowledgeable as always. Potions… well Snape was vindictive as always. But after learning about Neville's boggart, he dialed it up to a hundred. And now he was insufferable.

But even that didn't compare to the two letdowns of this year. Care for Magical Creatures and Divination. He loved Hagrid to death but after that first class, he had lost his confidence and had just left them to take care of these creatures called Flobberworms which were huge-sized worms. They were the most boring creatures he had ever seen.

But still, that class was more enjoyable than divination. He was getting tired of her constant prediction of his death. It was getting annoying. Maybe that's why he joined Hermione this early.

He was asking her about her other electives, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. He had to admit it when Percy had explained them to him he was interested and now hearing Hermione's experience had given him resolve to his decision.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said interrupting her for a moment "Think you can help me convince McGonagall to let me change electives?" He asked and Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"You want to change electives? Why?" She asked and Harry scratched the back of his head.

"I'm getting tired of reading my death over and over again," He said as Hermione was starting to get excited "And creating your own spells sounds kind of cool," He said and Hermione gave him a huge smile.

"That it does," Harry heard someone say behind him and turned around. It seems Percy had approached them mid-conversation and had heard the last sentence. "Can I join you guys?" Percy wondered as Harry looked at Hermione in uncertainty

But not because he didn't want to but because he didn't know if that was against the rules or not "Um sure, but can other house students sit at the Gryffindor table?" He asked as Percy took a seat next to him.

"Well it's not against the rules, only in the great feast and the final one do we need to sit with our houses," Hermione offered before looking at Percy in curiosity "Though not many do that," She said and Percy gave her a small smile.

"I like to break the mold," he said a bit cheekily, to the amusement of the other two. "Besides, I don't need a reason to be with my friends, do I?" he said, and Harry and Hermione beamed at him.

"So, you want to change electives?" He asked as Harry nodded his head "Well good for you, though perhaps I would advise that you speak with Professor Vector first before McGonagall," He said, and Harry looked at him in confusion.

"He's right. Professor Vector is a bit strict and has sway over who gets into her class. If you convince her, convincing McGonagall would be easier," She said agreeing with Percy and Harry looked at his plate in deep thought.

"Could you help us?" Harry said and Percy tilted his head in curiosity "No disrespect Percy, but you're slier than us. You know what to say," He said and Percy gave him a sly smirk.

"Well, thanks for the compliment," He said as he grabbed the utensils and breakfast appeared before him "Just let me eat first. Then we'll visit Professor Vector in her office," He said and both Gryffindors nodded as they changed topics and started talking about something else.

Then, in the middle of the conversation, Harry felt Percy slip a piece of paper into his hand. He quickly read it, and it said, "I found another one." His excitement went through the roof. He quickly glanced at Percy away from Hermione's sight, and he saw the white-haired teen giving him a small smirk.

Percy finished his breakfast and then the trio walked up to Professor Vector's office. The trio of students struck up a small-talk conversation as they arrived at the castle's fourth floor. Where Professor Vector's office was located.

They entered the office and found Professor Vector talking to someone else, Professor Babbling, the ancient Runes Professor. Professor Vector saw Harry and the others in the doorway and let out a small smile when she saw Percy standing there.

"Percy, what brings you to my office so early?" Professor Vector asked leaning forward as Percy led Harry and Hermione inside.

"Sorry to bother you, Professor. We've come to ask you something," Percy said before glancing at Harry and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Or rather, he has something to ask of you," Percy said, pushing Harry forward without much force.

Harry gulped swallowing his fear a bit before looking at the curious eyes of the professors "I wish to change my electives Professors," Harry said as Professor leaned back on her seat.

"And you wish to join our courses? Or only one in specific?" Professor Babbling asked as Septima narrowed her eyes at him making Harry gulp a bit again. He glanced at Percy who whispered to him telling him that Babbling was the Ancient Runes professor.

"Both ma'am," Harry said as Babbling glanced at Septima who seemed to be in deep thought.

"Why?" she asked after a few moments of silence, and Harry found reassurance in his friend's nods.

"Because I made the mistake of not researching the courses well enough before choosing," Harry said a bit ashamed "It took a friend's new perspective for me to see that to be the best version of myself. I need proper fundamentals, Professor," He said clearing his throat at the end of that sentence.

Professor Vector leaned forward, put her chin over her hands, and gave Harry a small smile. "I see Percy's been rubbing off on you," she said before glancing at Percy. "Just don't listen too much to him," she said before standing up as Percy narrowed his eyes a bit.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy asked confused but then blushed and looked down when Septima gave him a knowing look.

"Have you thought about what you want to be when you grow up, Harry?" She asked as Harry frowned in deep thought for a second.

"I haven't given much thought, to be honest Professor," Harry said as Septima gave him a curious look before glancing at Babbling.

"Then it will be up to us to help you decide," Babbling said before taking a paper out of Septima's desk.

Harry looked at both Professors with big, wide eyes and felt ecstatic. He was totally ready to be turned away, so their accepting this decision brought a smile to his ear. "Thank you, Professors. I promise you won't regret this," Harry said as Septima looked over him with a small smile on her face.

"We shall see. We'll be expecting nothing but the best from you Harry," Septima said as Harry beamed at her before glancing at his friends who gave him a thumbs up conveying how excited they were as well.

"Take this to McGonagall, it should speed the process a bit," Babbling said before glancing at Hermione and Percy "And ask your friends for help catching up, it's been only a week but it would be a shame for you to join us a bit behind," Babbling said as Harry gave her a nod.

"Don't worry professors, we will make sure he's up to par," Percy said before glancing at Hermione who nodded her head vigorously. Harry could practically see all the ways she was thinking of how to help him catch up with the rest of the students.

They left the professor's office soon after and headed toward McGonagall's office. On the walk towards McGonagall's office, Hermione kept theorizing ways and plans on how to get Harry caught up with the courses. And even Percy had trouble following Hermione's train of thought.

So both male teens just gave each other a look and decided right then and there to leave the planning to Hermione. Much to Harry's dismay. There will be a lot of studying for him in the near future.

They got to McGonagall's office and sometimes Harry had to admit that traveling the school grounds felt very tiring. Like going on a long hike.

They found the Professor going through some papers on her desk. She let them in and Harry noticed the look of confusion on her face. And he couldn't blame her. Most of the times they visit her it would always be Him, Hermione, and Ron. So not seeing the redhead and seeing Percy instead must be a bit confusing for her.

"Is there something I can help you with?" McGonagall asked in curiosity and a bit of a stoic demeanor in her voice.

Harry stepped up swallowing his nervousness and putting on a brave face "Professor, I'm here to change electives. I've already spoken to Professors Babbling and Vector and they've said yes," Harry said passing the forms to McGonagall who looked at them in curiosity.

"Seems you've gone through most of the process," She said before looking at Harry in the eye "Before I agree I want to know your reasons, Harry," She said and Harry nodded fully expecting this.

"Divination is good to know for those who have the gift," Harry started saying noticing the small nod on McGonagall's face "And since I don't have it then I thought it be best if I learned something I could use. Besides predicting my death every week," Harry said finishing the sentence with a bit of a cheeky tone much to the amusement and annoyance of Percy and Hermione respectively.

"That's fair," McGonagall said before leaning forward "But what about your school supplies for those subjects?" She asked in curiosity and slight worry. She fears that missing books from those classes could hold Harry back.

"He can order via owl mail," Percy offered from the sidelines "Meanwhile he can use mine's or Hermione's till he gets them," Percy said as Hermione gave the Professor a nod agreeing with Percy's statement.

"Very well then," McGonagall said before giving Harry a serious look "Our school's policy grants only one change of electives per year, so I want you to be sure about this Harry," She said and Harry gave her a look of conviction.

"I'm sure Professor," He said as McGonagall smiled at him. Then she signed both forms and put a stamp on them.

"Then I wish you good luck," She said putting the approved forms away and Harry turned around to his friends with a huge smile of excitement on his face.

But that excitement of changing classes was nothing compared to the excitement he was feeling right now. Again he was surprised by the ways Percy managed to think out of the box.

He thought that teleporting or apparition, as Percy clarified, out of Hogwarts was impossible. And to a degree it was. But that statement only applied to wizards not to house elves.

So with the help of Teeky, Percy's house elf, here he was. In the middle of south England looking at an open landscape of rainforest trees and bushes. A huge anomaly in England. He already had the shield wrist attached to him and the longsword lay just next to him ready to be used.

According to Percy, a small landscape of trees turned into a full-blown rainforest. Locals went to the authorities to report this, but once again, people turned around without any previous recollection of why they were entering the forest in the first place.

So here he was, looking at the forest in deep thought. It didn't help that Kuro, Percy's familiar, was looking at him with curious eyes. He was guarding Percy's stuff with Kuro's help. And he was trying hard to resist petting the small black cat. He nervously adjusted the cap Percy had gifted him while waiting for the other teen.

But he didn't have to wait much further as Percy appeared in front of him shortly. He noticed Aurora wasn't with him but he figured he didn't want to risk his familiarity with such situations. "Sorry about that. I forgot the testing device back home but that's been resolved," Percy said as he took a seat next to Harry.

"Now, I do have to ask, are you sure you want to know?" Percy asked as Harry looked at him in confusion "There's nothing wrong with remaining as a wizard. Sticking to the status quo you could say," Percy said and Harry huffed.

"I'm in too deep now Percy. Literally," He said pointing at the forest in front of them "Might as well do it now," He said and Percy nodded agreeing a bit.

Then out of a bag, he took out a simple crystal ball and gave it to Harry "Process is simple. Just pour a bit of magic on it and it will show a specific palette of colors to let me know what kind of arcane you have," Percy explained and Harry nodded while looking at the ball.

Then a look of confusion invaded his face "Um, how exactly do I do that?" Harry asked and Percy blinked a few times.

"Ah, right," Percy said as he put a hand under his chin. "How can I explain this?" Percy wondered for a second. "When you make a spell, there's the intent behind it, right? " he asked rhetorically, and Harry nodded. "Sure, there's the proper incantation and movements, but there's a moment when you need to put power behind your spells. Same process," He said as he took a bit of tape from the bag that Harry was guarding.

Harry looked down at the crystal ball and closed his eyes. He focused on the ball and started sending a bit of Magic to it. And waited for Percy to tell him when he should stop.

"That's okay you can stop now," Percy said as Harry opened his eyes. He looked down and saw the crystal ball glowing white.

"Give it a moment, it's processing your magic," Percy said wrapping his hands in bandages. Then the crystal ball started changing into a deep dark color hue. Harry looked at Percy for answers but the white-haired teen kept looking at the ball in deep thought.

He wondered why Percy was doing that but then his attention was caught by how the ball started changing and a cloud of storm appeared with some lighting blasting here and there.

"Oh my," Percy said leaning forward "A Storm-born sorcerer, no wonder you're so good with flying," Percy said with a smile on his face.

"Storm born sorcerer? What's that?" Harry asked in confusion while giving Percy the crystal ball back.

"Like I told you Sorcery is something innate. There's no studying or accessing it other than by bloodline," Percy said as he concentrated, and a flame appeared on his right hand "It makes who we are and lets us manipulate it in ways no other can," Percy said as two bolts of fire shoot out from his hand and landed on a rock nearby.

"Now, within those branches of magic. There are sub-branches, subclasses if you will. Storm-born being one of those," Percy said as Harry paid close attention "Now, as you can guess, I haven't met many sorcerers in my life, haven't met any, to be honest," He said as Harry snorted in amusement.

"So, what I know it's what I gather from books and journals," Percy said putting a hand above his knee "They say that Storm-born sorcerers are masters of the sky. Flying is second nature to them and lighting and wind magic. They also say that they are people who follow their emotions to the end. Conviction is a key value to them, it really suits you, Harry," Percy said as Harry smiled very brightly at him.

"And what kind of sorcerer are you?" Harry asked in curiosity and Percy hesitated for a second. A thing that wasn't lost to the black-haired teen but decided not to dig too much.

"Draconic bloodline," Percy said, and as soon as he noticed Harry's confusion he continue talking "I got my powers from a dragon basically, either an ancestor of mine made a deal with one or fucked one, my money is on the latter," Percy said standing up leaving Harry behind feeling shocked.

"Fucked a dragon!? You can't be serious!" Harry said taking up the bag and putting it on his back.

"Well, dragons that age were different. Books said that they could transform into humans but still maintain the regalia of being a dragon," Percy said as both teens entered the forest "And that can be alluring to some people," Percy said and Harry still couldn't fathom that someone would do something like that.

"Either way, you should start practicing sorcery. The more you do the more of an expert you will become," Percy said "Just try sending magic to your hand. But not too much, don't want you electrocuting yourself right now," Percy said with a slight smirk as Harry snorted.

"Yeah, that would be bad," Harry said, concentrating his eyes on his hands. Then after a few moments, small sparks appeared from Harry's fingertips.

He looked up and showed to Percy with such blinding excitement that Percy had to shield his eyes away for a moment "Holy, look at it," He said as Percy chuckled for a bit.

"Addicting isn't it?" Percy said with a knowing smirk and Harry nodded with his excitement still up in the air "But let's stop for now mate," Percy said as Harry looked up confused.

"Why?" He asked as Percy pointed up ahead.

"We're here," Percy said as both teens looked forward. There in front of them stood a small entrance to a cave blocked by deep green vines that sprouted out a big pink tulip that was on the middle top of the cave.

"What is that?" Harry asked in confusion as Percy crossed his arms.

"A plant of some sort, maybe magical," Percy said tilting his head "But I don't recognize it," Percy said as Harry looked at him.

"So, what do we do?" Harry asked in curiosity, as Percy was in deep thought. "Can you throw a fire bolt at the vines, perhaps? " he offered, and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"It's worth a shot," He said throwing a small flame at the vines. A small explosion of fire occurred right at the blockade that soon covered the vines in dark smoke.

But when it cleared the vines hadn't moved but what did happen is that the tulip started growing orange "Oh shit, move!" Percy shouted as both teens jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a fire bolt heading their way.

Both teens looked at the scorched earth next to them with big eyes "Okay, any other ideas?" Percy asked letting out a huff of air as Harry threw himself to the ground.

And what followed next was a series of, unsuccessful, tries to enter the cave by Harry. He tried slashing, ripping, and even crashing into the vines but nothing seemed to work. "Save your strength Harry is pointless," Percy said as Harry looked back and saw him drawing something on a paper.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" He asked as he took a seat next to Percy and saw him drawing the plant on the paper.

"It's still early, we can go and research what type of plant it's and come back later," Percy said finishing the drawing "Like looking through books and that," He said as Harry frowned not liking the idea.

"That could take too long," He said as Percy sighed and nodded. He didn't like it but he agreed completely with Harry.

"I don't have any other ideas," He said before looking at the drawing "Other asking an expert. But I don't want to ask Professor Sprout, that would only get us into trouble," He said.

Harry crossed his arms, trying to think of a plan, and then he blinked as an idea formed in his mind. "You know asking someone isn't a bad idea," he said as Percy looked at him confused "We just need to ask the right person. And I know just the perfect guy," Harry said cryptically with a smirk on his face, much to Percy's confusion.

"This isn't going to work," Percy said as he and Harry walked to the Hogwarts Library. The black-haired teen had a huge smile on his face and was walking with a purpose.

"It will. Have some faith in me, Percy," He said as the white-haired teen held back a groan.

"I have," Percy said getting Harry's demeanor to rise a bit "But I still think this won't work," He said as Harry rolled his eyes.

They entered the library and Harry quickly scanned the area. There he found the short blonde hair he was looking for. He tapped Percy's arm and led him to the right side of the library "Neville! Hi!" Harry said excitedly before the librarian shushed him.

The short and plumb boy was no longer that. He had hit a growth spurt in the summer or something as he was a bit more muscular than plumb and short wasn't something that could describe him. His features were more defined Harry noticed and he clearly noticed that they were more handsome, he looked different.

"Hey Harry," Neville said and Harry noticed that while the physical features had changed his attitude stayed the same. And Harry was a bit glad about it, he liked the way Neville was. A kind and soft boy.

Neville glanced at Percy with uncertainty but didn't comment on why Harry was hanging with a Slytherin. Percy and Harry's friendship was something most of the school knew already and with Harry being as famous as he was, nothing ever stayed quiet. So befriending a Slytherin was a big deal for the Gryffindor population but Neville would never tell him that unless someone else made it an issue.

But having both of them approaching him made him curious and he couldn't help but voice his curiosity "Is there s-something I can help you with?" He asked as Harry tapped Percy's shoulder.

"Come on, show him," Harry said much to Percy's exasperation. But the white-haired teen took a seat next to Neville and put the drawing from before in front of the blonde teen.

"We were exploring, me and Harry that's it, and we found this plant guarding a cave," Percy said as Neville leaned forward "We threw a spell at it but it just threw it back at us," Percy said as Harry took a seat looking at Neville who had this look of concentration on him.

"We were wondering if you had any idea what it was," Harry asked as Neville looked up with a look of shock and wonder in his eyes.

"It's a dragonfly tulip, but they are pretty rare," Neville said leaning forward "They only appeared to guard magical items in a rainforest. Where did you say you were exploring?" He asked in curiosity as Percy and Harry shared a look of uncertainty.

Harry shrugged telling Percy Neville was alright if he decided to tell while the white-haired teen grumbled and looked back at Neville "I'll tell you later. Do you know of a way to get through it?" Percy asked as Neville crossed his arms.

"Well, they are protected by magic so any spell would only be thrown back," Neville said as Percy nodded having experienced that for himself "You need to feed it," Neville said and Harry blinked in confusion.

"Feed it?" Harry asked as Neville gave him a nod.

"Just as its name suggests, a dragonfly tulip needs to feed on dragonflies," he said as he traced his fingers along the vines of the drawing. "Once it's satisfied, the vines retreat, letting you pass," he said as Percy leaned forward.

"Dragonflies huh? Wonder where we can find some?" He asked out loud and after a few moments of silence, Neville cleared his throat.

"I have some," Neville said as Percy and Harry looked at him in shock "I was saving them for a project but I could give you some," He said as Harry smiled at him while Percy narrowed his eyes at the blond boy.

"Really? Neville, thank you so much. This is a huge help," Harry said as Neville smiled nervously at him but then looked at Percy's narrowed eyes.

"I don't buy it," Percy said as both Gryffindors looked at him in confusion "You're willing to give us the dragonflies freely? Without asking anything in return? There has to be a catch," Percy said as Harry frowned at him.

"Hey, not everything needs to be an exchange, Percy. Some can do things out of the goodness of their hearts," Harry said with a bit of a bite Percy was taken aback a bit and was about to apologize but Neville stopped them.

"No Harry he has a point. I do want something in return," Neville said as Harry blinked while the blond boy looked at Percy "Some of our housemates don't trust you, Percy," Neville said as Percy raised an eyebrow showing his confusion.

"A Slytherin suddenly befriends the Boy-Who-Lived without any hidden agenda? Some people have become suspicious," Neville said as Percy nodded seeing where those people came from.

"And you're one of them?" Percy asked in curiosity as Neville shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not saying anything. I just want to know why Harry decided to befriend you," Neville said as he narrowed his eyes at the white-haired teen "And see for myself if you're a threat or not," He said and Percy hummed in deep thought.

Harry looked at both teens trying to figure out how to break this tension or how to get both of them to like each other in a sense but he didn't have time to do anything as Percy spoke up before he could say anything.

"Fair enough," Percy said rubbing his neck "Then why don't you join me and Harry on our exploration?" Percy asked as both Gryffindors blinked in confusion.

"What?" Both of them asked at the same time but Percy only answered Neville's question.

"You wanted to know why me and Harry became friends. I could tell you but you will never believe me," Percy said with a shrug "So it's better if I just show you," Percy said as Neville looked at Harry confused as the black-haired teen just shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay then," Neville said as Percy gave him a small smile "What do I need to do?" He asked as Percy thought for a second.

"Just bring the dragonflies and change into more comfortable clothes," Percy said as Harry put a hand on Neville's shoulder.

"Let me give you a hand," Harry said but before anyone could stand up they saw Hermione and Daphne approaching the trio.

"What are you doing guys?" Hermione asked in curiosity as Percy and Harry's eyes winded and the black-haired teen scrambled to hide the drawing.

"I'm just asking Neville some questions about Herbology's homework," Percy said, giving Neville a side glare and telling him to keep it quiet. "Nothing major," he said as Harry smiled.

Both girls looked at each other in confusion but decided not to comment on their clear misdirection. "So, I was wondering if you guys could help us with our Arithmancy homework," Hermione said as both girls took a seat across from the boys.

Harry wondered what Hermione was doing. He knew her well enough to realize that she didn't need any help with homework. So this was something else, clearly, and it seems that Percy realized that as well. But while Harry didn't know why, Percy clearly did.

"So, you're just gonna pretend like nothing happened?" Percy asked the blond girl, and Harry, in the short time he had known him, had never seen him more annoyed.

"I'm not," Daphne said while looking at Percy "I'm just trying to get things the way they used to be," She said as Percy leaned back and crossed his arms.

"They can't. You made sure of that Daph," Percy said as Daphne's eyes widened while Hermione tried to say something but a slight glare from Percy shut her up.

"What do you want from me, Percy?" Daphne said tiredly as Percy rolled his eyes "What can I do to make it up to you and Tracy?" She asked almost with a pleading tone.

Percy leaned forward and glared at the blond in front of him "Then why did you spend all summer giving us the cold shoulder huh?" Percy said as Daphne was left out of words "Ah, no words for that huh? You truly are your father's daughter," Percy said as he stood up annoyed.

"That's not fair. You know what my duty is!" She said stopping from going out and before the librarian came here to shush her Percy glanced back at her with pity eyes.

"That's the thing, Daphne, no one asked you to do that," Percy said before turning around "Have you ever asked Tory what she thought of that?" He asked before leaving the library leaving a group of shocked and silent students behind.

Daphne had her hands tightened in a closed fist of frustration before steeling down "I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to bring our troubles out to the public," Daphne said to the trio of Gryffindors who looked at her confused.

"It's okay Greengrass," Neville said being the only one familiar with pureblood customs to offer her a response.

Daphne then turned to Hermione and offered her a small smile "Thank you for your help, Hermione. I'm sorry it didn't turn the way we expected it," She said before standing up "If you excuse me," She said heading out of the library.

The trio sat there in quietness before Harry spoke up "What was all that Hermione?" He asked as Hermione looked at the table a bit frustrated.

"I underestimated their issues. I was just trying to help," Hermione said as both teens looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Perhaps it did help," Neville said as both Harry and Hermione looked at him in confusion "Rumors were that they weren't speaking to one another. And now they did. Baby steps," He said and Hermione smiled softly at him.

"You're right. Thank you, Neville," Hermione said much blond boy's slight embarrassment. But Harry wasn't paying attention to them. His eyes were filled with worry and focused on where Percy had left. He recognized those eyes from Percy. He was hurting and the fact that he didn't know why was killing him.

Percy was sitting on the fountain at the main entrance of Hogwarts looking at the sky in deep thought. His previous encounter with Daphne left him with a lot to think about. He hated being this mean to her but what else could he do to make her see that being trapped was not the answer?

That was the train of thought that was plaguing him right now but it was cut when he felt a soft hand on the back of his neck "The nargles are plaguing you a lot dear. Is something bothering you?" Luna's soft voice hit his ears before he turned around to meet her beautiful grey eyes.

"No, I'm alright," He said as Luna tilted her head not believing him "Okay I'm not," He said as she started touching his hair softly.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asked as he sighed and shook his head.

"Not really," He said as Luna nodded. She looked at him with kind eyes and kept stroking his hair softly "What are you doing here anyway?" He asked as Luna shrugged her shoulders.

"I was up for a walk. Nargles stole my shoes and I wanted to see if I could find them," She said showing him her bare feet.

"Again?" He asked as she nodded her head. Then he looked around trying to see if anyone was looking at them. And when he found no one was his eyes quickly turned red and glanced at her "You know they aren't been stolen by nargles right?" He asked rhetorically.

Her eyes turned rainbow-colored in a flash of a moment and narrowed at him "I know dear. But what can I do against them?" She asked as Percy narrowed his eyes.

"We can speak to Professor Flitwick," He said and Luna scoffed while looking at the fountain.

"To what end Percy? Wizards still look at the unusual with hatred. And whose more unusual than Looney Lovegood?" She said with a bit of hatred in her voice.

"Still," He said grabbing her hand "There's has to be something we can do," He said as Luna put her hand on his cheek.

"Don't bother dear. Human behavior shouldn't be a concern to us," She said as both their eyes returned to normal.

"If you say so," He said in resignation before noticing something she had said "Dear? Where did that come from?" He asked confused and Luna gave him a small smirk.

"Just a preview of what's to come I'd say," She said cryptically much to the confusion of Percy "Of the destiny you seem so eager to run from," She said and he frowned in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked as she tilted her head and her eyes grew big as if they were mocking Percy. Or perhaps he was reading things wrong.

"Have you forgotten about the jewelry that Gringotts gave you already?" She asked as his eyes grew big in shock and he couldn't help but swallow a gulp of saliva in slight fear.

He wanted to ask her how she knew about that but couldn't as Neville and Harry got there before he could "Yo Percy. Are you ready mate?" Harry asked excitedly before noticing Luna and how close they were.

Percy turned around letting go of Luna's hand while the platinum-blond girl kept her hand on the back of Percy's head for a moment before letting go "I am. What about you Nev? You can back now still," He said in concern but Neville just shook his head.

"What about you? Want to join us?" Percy said turning to Luna who gave him a huge smile.

"I'd be honored, Percy. But I'll wait till the rest join," She said cryptically confusing the trio of males there. Then she stood up but not before putting a hand on Percy's cheek "Good luck dear," She said before leaving the trio of teens there.

"Dear?" Harry asked a bit teasingly and Percy gave him a playful glare.

"Don't," he said before standing up and getting a chuckle out of the other two. Then he looked at Neville with focus. "Harry filled you in?" he asked as Neville looked at Harry confused.

"I gave him a vague idea. Figure you could explain it better than I," Harry said as Percy nodded.

"Then follow me, gentlemen," Percy said as he led the other two to the outskirts of the school where Percy's own house-elf was waiting for.

Neville was flabbergasted. He never used that word lightly, but this situation required it. This had to be an elaborate prank from Percy and Harry. There was no other way.

Because this couldn't be possible, it had to be a joke. "You kidding, right? " he voiced his doubts as Percy and Harry shared a look.

"We're not," Percy said as he pointed behind Neville. And Longbottom turned around and stared at the endless rainforest trees "Magic is vast Nev, and in that vast space, magic creates these places. They're called dungeons," Percy said before flicking his hand and creating a flame on it.

"After all, magic is all about intention," He said as Neville leaned forward lost for words. He looked at Harry with big eyes.

"Impressive isn't it?" Harry said rhetorically and Neville had to nod his head "So, shall we go or what?" Harry said adjusting his cap.

"Not yet," Percy said taking the crystal ball out once more "Since we're here might as well know what kind of arcane magic you're more attuned to Nev," He said passing the ball to Neville.

"Arcane Magic?" Neville asked and Percy glanced at Harry seeing if he would take the initiative.

"There are multiple ways to practice magic other than the one we're been taught," Harry said as Neville looked confused "Magic, arcane, whatever you want to call it. It's not linear. It's unbound and by being that way it can be tapped in various ways," Harry said creating sparks in his hands.

"And every arcane individual has a singular attunement. A way to practice magic," Percy explained as he pointed at the crystal ball "Sometimes they're born with it or their experiences mold it. And by knowing what attunement you have, then you can practice the arcane the way you've always meant to," Percy explained as he looked at his hands.

"Me and Harry are sorcerers," Percy said as Neville looked at him in curiosity "Our arcane powers came from our bloodline. Passed from generation and generation," He said as Neville frowned in deep thought a bit.

"Like family magic?" He asked as Harry looked confused but Percy nodded.

"Sort of, the difference is that only our bloodline can practice it. It can't be taught to someone else," Percy said as Neville nodded in understanding.

"And you think I could be a sorcerer as well?" Neville asked and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"Perhaps, but I don't think so," Percy said as Neville tilted his head.

"He thinks you might be a druid," Harry offered as Neville glanced at Percy looking for an answer.

"Druids are attuned to nature. And can tap to their primal instincts better than most," Percy offered a brief synopsis "And since you're terribly good at Herbology," Percy said with a shrug.

"I see," Neville said and then looked at the ball in his hands "And this will let you know what magic I possess?" He asked and Percy nodded.

"Yes, just pour magic into the ball and it will do the rest," Percy said as Neville nodded. He closed his eyes and focused on his magic a bit.

Then after a moment he opened his eyes and looked down at the ball. It started changing from a transparent color to a golden one. Harry then noticed that Percy's eyes winded when the golden color started gaining a bit of black and red highlights here and there.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked Percy causing Neville to look up at Percy in confusion.

"What? Did I break it or something?" Neville asked ready to apologize but Percy quickly stopped him with a shake of his head.

"No, everything's fine I just got surprised that's all," Percy said taking the ball from Neville's hands "I really thought you were a druid but I was wrong," Percy said grabbing the bag of items closer.

"So, what am I then?" Neville asked as Percy looked at him with a bit of serious eyes.

"A Paladin," Percy said, and before Neville could voice his curiosity Percy put his hand up stopping him "A paladin is a type of knight. But they can use magic through their pacts and bonds. They make a promise to something and that grants them powers to manifest that bond," Percy explained and Neville nodded in understanding "But what's curious is your subclass, Nev," Percy said before putting his hands close and forward.

"My subclass?" Neville asked as Harry explained how the subclasses work to Neville who nodded following the thread of information the raven head supplied.

"You're an Oath of Vengeance Paladin, Nev," Percy said and could see the intrigue behind Neville's eyes "A Vengeance Paladin's Oath is simple, they seek justice for those who have done evil. It's their mission to persecute those who have avoided the law by any means necessary. And considering why you wanted to come here it's not surprising," Percy said with a smile on his face.

"But," Harry said in confusion as both teens looked at him "You said that paladins make an oath. When did Neville make his oath?" Harry asked in curiosity but regretted it immediately when he saw the sorrowful look on Neville's face.

"Lestrange?" Percy asked simply and Neville nodded slowly and that was enough for Percy "That's his secret Harry," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding.

"Still, I'm glad you're a Paladin. There was something I wanted to test, but I never could," Percy said, opening the front zipper on his bag. Then he put his hand inside, trying to find something. But he groaned when he couldn't. "Excuse me a bit," Percy said, opening the bag to incredible degrees before putting his head into the bag.

Neville looked at Hary confused as they both glanced at Percy with a raised eyebrow. The white-haired teen had the upper half of his body inside the bag and he seemed to be struggling.

"Um guys, could you help me a bit?" Percy's muffled voice sounded as Harry sighed and walked forward.

Neville had to hold back his laughter when he saw the scene before him. He saw Harry trying to take Percy out of the bag with great struggle. Then with a final push, Harry managed to bring Percy out but stumbled back nonetheless.

"You guys okay?" Neville asked the two fallen men who only put a thumbs up. Then he looked to the right and saw what Percy was trying to take out of the bag.

There on the ground lay a golden Warhammer. Its handle was rusty and mechanic-looking. But the most noticeable part was the hammer itself. It was huge and it had this glowing blue orb right in the middle of it.

Neville knelt down and passed his hand over the hammer "What do you think?" Percy asked standing next to Neville.

"It looks intimidating," Neville said looking up "Where did you find it?" Neville asked as Harry looked at Percy with the same question in his mind.

"I made it," He said much to the shock of Harry and Neville "Saw it on a videogame. Then I tried to replicate it with magic," Percy said as Neville grew confused "I tried it but it was too heavy for me, so I just put it away," Percy said with a shrug.

"What's a videogame?" Neville asked confused as Harry and Percy looked at him with a deadpanned stare for a moment.

"Muggle technology," Harry explained simply and Neville nodded in understanding. Then he grabbed the handle and tried to lift the hammer up but it was too heavy for him.

"Ah we have a problem I see," Percy said as he started looking for something in the bag.

"I'm too weak, sorry," Neville said being hard on himself as always before Percy looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"What?" Percy asked looking at Harry in confusion "Neville, we're fifteen years old. Anyone would have problems lifting it," Percy said taking a necklace out of the bag, a necklace that Harry instantly recognized.

"Strength has to be built up it's not something that one gets out of nowhere," Percy said tapping his shoulder "And I have no doubt you'll get there someday. But for now, use this," Percy said giving the necklace to Neville.

"What's this?" He asked curiously.

"A magical necklace. In simple terms it will make you a bit stronger," Percy said before looking at Harry "We found it on our last exploration," Percy said as Neville glanced at Harry.

"Sure did. This huge lion-humanoid creature had it, kicked the shit out of Percy," Harry said as Percy rolled his eyes.

"Did not," Percy mumbled as Neville put the necklace on. Then, after a few moments, he felt much lighter than before. And with power, he didn't know where it came from. Then he grabbed the handle of the hammer and unlike before he lifted it quite easily "Much better isn't it?" Percy asked as Neville looked up at him.

"Yeah. So how does it work?" He asked as Percy moved closer.

"Well it's simple, you grab it from below and here," Percy said pointing to another handle much closer to the front of the hammer "Then you bash forward. Your goal is to push and hit enemies with the hammer. You'll be a bit slower than Harry and me but your job is not to do damage but to push forward," Percy said as Neville nodded in understanding while he adjusted his grip.

"But, that doesn't mean you don't have any power to rely on. You see this handle?" He said pointing at the handle closer to the hammer "It works similar to the crystal ball. You grab it and pour magic through it. That will charge this sphere in the middle and it will send a ray of magic to wherever you wish to," Percy said as he placed himself behind Neville "Why don't you give it a go?" He said as Neville nodded and aimed the hammer to the right side of the forest.

Harry placed himself next to Percy as he watched Neville pull the handle down and saw the sphere glowing blue. Then, a small ray shot from the hammer into a tree, creating a medium-sized explosion on it.

Percy and Harry had to shield themselves from the light and breeze created by the impact before sharing a shocked look. "The hell was that? You said small!" Harry said as Percy stared at Neville in shock and slight fear.

"It's supposed to be!" Percy said before looking at Neville "How much magic did you put in there Nev!?" He asked in slight fear as Neville kept his amazed eyes stuck on the small explosion.

"Not much, um, I'm sorry if I did something wrong," Neville started saying but Percy shook his head interrupting him.

"No, no you did nothing wrong Nev," Percy said before letting a small amused chuckle "It seems you have a ton of magic in you Nev," He said while squeezing his shoulder.

"Thanks," Neville said a bit ashamed "So, we should get going no?" Nev asked trying to move the topic along.

The other teens nodded agreeing with the blond teen. Harry went to the bag and put it on his back before the trio set forward as Kuro, Percy's familiar, led the way for the teens.

They got to the obstacle from before and Neville's wonder couldn't grow further. He had read about them sure but seeing one in person was a different deal.

"So, how do we do this?" Percy asked in curiosity at Neville who got out of his spunk by that question.

"Ah right," Neville said reaching for something on his jacket. That something turned out to be a small jar containing fireflies "We just need to get close and feed it," Neville said as Percy shared a look with Harry before addressing Neville.

"Well the honor is all yours Nev," Percy said as Neville tried to hide how grateful he was for that. Though by the smiles that Harry and Percy had it was clear he wasn't hiding it that well.

Neville stepped forward and lifted the jar. The tulip started to open itself as a small golden vortex appeared at the center of the flower. Then as Neville opened the jar that same vortex started swallowing all the fireflies.

Then after a moment or two the vines started retreating and only the tulip remained giving them a clear path into the cave.

"Well done Nev," Percy said patting Neville's back before entering the cave. Harry then gave him an encouraging smile before following Percy inside.

Neville couldn't feel any better. Here he was for the first time not screwing things up it made him feel so great that he felt he could take on anything that crossed his path.

Neville followed the other two into the cave and quickly caught up to them. He looked around at the black stone that covered their surroundings in awe. Percy and Harry had given him a general overview of how this worked, but he underestimated how beautiful it looked.

Then he stopped when he noticed the other two stopping in front of him "Something wrong?" He asked moving to the left to get a better view.

In front of them stood a small wooden elevator. However, an elevator wouldn't be the way they would describe it. It looked more like a shady platform that functioned like a lift.

"It looks man-made. Why would something like this be here?" Harry asked in confusion as the two Gryffindors looked at Percy in curiosity.

"Good question," Percy said as he put a hand under his chin while noticing how Kuro just jumped over the small door in front of them "In the couple of years that I've been exploring I sometimes encounter things like this," Percy said as he looked at the elevator quite thoroughly.

"And have you found a reason?" Neville asked as he too was curious about why a man-made structure would appear in something magical created.

"No," Percy said opening the front door of the elevator "I have a couple of theories but I have nothing concrete or any proof for that matter," Percy said entering the elevator as the other two followed him inside.

"What kind of theories?" Harry asked as Percy had his eyes transfixed on the lever next to them.

"Well, just three to be honest," Percy said before looking back to the other two while grabbing the lever with his right hand "Be ready. This lift doesn't look secure enough so grab onto something," Percy said as the other two boys grabbed onto the rails of the lift.

Then Percy pulled down the lever and the lift rocked back and forth for a moment before it started slowly descending "The first one is that magic is powerful enough to recreate real human spaces to fit whatever item it holds inside," Percy said crossing his arms and leaning on the rail behind them.

"How so?" Harry asked in curiosity while tilting his head a bit. Neville looked at Percy as well, he didn't know when it started but he began to notice Percy's natural ability to explain things in a way you could easily understand.

"Well, take our house common rooms. They fit a certain theme and aesthetic depending on which house they belong to. For example, yours. While I haven't been inside I doubt there are green, silver, or black colors around am I right?" Percy said as the other two boys nodded "It works the same way for these magic items. They need a home to survive on. So they use magic to recreate a space they can live in," Percy said as Harry hummed for a moment.

"It makes sense. Just like the mandrakes, they need to be in pots to survive but if you take them out," Neville said as Percy nodded agreeing with Longbottom's logic.

"But you don't think that's the case right?" Harry asked and Percy did a so-so nod with his head.

"No, the items are too random for that theory to work," Percy said rubbing the back of his neck "Take the necklace for example," Percy said pointing at the necklace around Neville's neck "Sure it boosts the user's strength but thematically it has nothing to do with gnolls. And one time I found a Greek totem in a desert pyramid, one did not fit the other," Percy explained "That and the fact that these dungeons don't disappear right after I take the item from them," Percy said as the other two nodded in understanding.

"What about your other theories?" Neville asked as Percy hummed and looked up.

"I think these places come from a specific place. A kingdom of some sort," Percy said as the other two looked at him in curiosity "In every single dungeon I have found the same drawing. A drawing of a white oak. And me and Hermione think it may be a sigil or something like that," Percy offered as the other two boys' eyes grew a bit.

"Hermione knows about these places?" Neville asked in curiosity beating Harry to the punch and Percy just shook his head.

"No, I told her that I found those drawings in my mother's stuff. Which technically isn't a lie but is not the truth either," Percy said and Harry narrowed his eyes a bit.

"It's that why you started exploring?" Harry asked in curiosity as Percy grew quiet for a moment and looked to the right.

"More or less," He responded cryptically and Harry wanted to dig further but a look from Neville stopped him from doing so. So he just went with another question.

"So, what's the third theory?" Harry asked in curiosity and Percy thought for a moment.

"Aliens created them," Percy said before glancing at the other two who met him with blank stares on their faces "Not my best one I admit it," Percy said with a bit of a blush on his cheeks as the other two sighed in amusement.

Then they felt the elevator stop and the trio had to hold on to the rails to not fall on their faces. Once the turbulence was over Percy opened the door and led the other two forward.

Then after a moment of traveling a rocky corridor, they arrived at a landscape that took their breath away.. The first thing that hit them was the breeze of the waterfalls that surrounded the area and served as the walls of the space. Below them, a platform of gold served as a floor. It was trapped on the ground and that ground had grass all around. It vibrated with greenness.

But that wasn't what took their breath away. No, that was the trio of gigantic totems that stood around the golden platform. An Owl, Deer, and a Bear totem stood there looking down at the trio, and at their feet, a small door could be seen.

"Whoa," Neville said out of words as he started looking around. Harry was doing the same as well next to him and the two Gryffindors couldn't be more excited "Look at this place," Neville said in wonder.

"I know right!?" Harry said excitedly as he looked around with a bright smile on his face "What the hell is even this place?" Harry asked with a chuckle as Neville smirked at him.

"It's pretty," Percy said with a little less excitement and he received booing from Harry as a response that only served to get a chuckle out of him "We should look around. See where we need to go," Percy said as the Gryffindor duo nodded and started looking around.

After a few moments of looking around and finding nothing but the doors under the statues, the Gryffindor house duo regrouped with Percy who was looking at something on the floor in the middle of the area.

"Found something?" Harry asked as Percy looked up and looked at them for a moment.

"Perhaps. Look here," Percy said as the other two kneeled down and looked at the ground where several symbols were written there but it looked like time had gotten rid of most of what was written.

"Do you understand what it says?" Neville asked in curiosity but Percy just shook his head.

"No, but it's the same symbols on those drawings," Percy said before looking up and standing up "Perhaps they are some sort of instructions but we can't know for sure. I have a hunch on what to do but it may be a bit risky," Percy said facing the other two.

"Risky how?" Harry asked as the Gryffindor duo stood up and looked at Percy who had crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, sometimes, in games and books, the characters often find themselves in places like this," Percy said as he looked around at the statues "And they usually get out by undergoing tests or solving puzzles," Percy offered with a shrug, and the other two looked at each other in confusion.

"And you're thinking we need to do the same here?" Neville asked as Percy shrugged his shoulders for a moment.

"Like I said, it's a hunch," Percy said before scratching his head "I will know for certain after we enter a totem. But we're going in blank, that's the risky park," Percy said and the Gryffindors just took a deep breath.

"We're okay with that Percy," Harry said as Neville nodded, agreeing with Harry. Percy nodded and then looked at Kuro who was waiting in the middle of the area.

"Wait here Kuro," Percy said as he walked up to his familiar "If you feel something is wrong pull us out," He said and immediately received a meow as a response.

"Pull us out? Can it do that?" Neville asked in curiosity. Never had he heard of a familiar's ability to do so.

"Kuro's smarter than he let's on," Percy said cryptically and Neville had to look at Harry for answers but he just shrugged his shoulders and told Neville to ignore it.

"So which one first?" Harry asked and Percy looked at Neville.

"It's Nev's first dungeon. Honor should go to him," Percy said with a shrug as Neville gulped a bit of saliva at being put on the spot. And as he looked around the totems Percy told Harry to leave the bag with Kuro just in case.

"How about the owl one? It looks the least intimidating one," Neville offered and the other two shrugged not having any problems with that.

So with a totem chosen the trio walked up to the owl totem. Harry couldn't help but fix his wristband that contained his shield in nervousness. But that nervousness went away when Percy placed a hand on his shoulder.

Harry gave him a small smile in thanks and then the trio stepped into the archway. And suddenly they were in a separate room. One that was wrapped in darkness.

But that darkness didn't last long as several torches lit up instantly revealing the details of the small room. It was a room with a dark bottomless pit in the middle of it. It also contained three pillars. One right near the start of the pit. The second was just in the middle of it, more specifically on the left side near the left wall. And one at the end. But the one at the end had this blue orb that seemed to be glowing brightly.

The duo of Gryffindors looked around trying to figure out what they had to do but Percy just kept staring forward. At the blue glow more specifically. "So, what are we supposed to do?" Neville asked as Percy glanced back.

"I think we have to grab that blue orb," Percy said before looking at the pillar on his right "Perhaps the pillars could offer a clearer path," Percy wondered scratching his chin as the duo of Gryffindors looked up to the pillar.

"So we need to climb it up?" Harry asked as Percy looked at him with a bit of amusement behind his eyes "Yow want me to climb it up?" Harry asked a bit of shock behind his voice.

"Well, you're the athlete amongst us. Isn't that right Nev?" Percy said cheekily and Neville had to hold his chuckles back and decided just to nod in agreement.

Harry mumbled and grumbled something about the other two as he walked up to the pillar in front of him. He strapped his sword on his back before he started climbing up the pillar. And once he was there the only thing he noticed was a pair of binoculars shaped in the form of owl eyes.

"Found anything!?" Percy shouted from below as Harry looked down at them.

"Just some binoculars!" Harry said before he tried them on. Then he looked at the pit and his eyes winded by what he saw "Guys! I see a path!" Harry shouted and the duo below looked at him in surprise.

"That's it! That's the test! You have to guide us forward!" Percy said and then Harry noticed something concerning.

"But I only see half of it! The path leads to the other pillar!" He said and Percy looked forward trying to see what he had missed. But this time Neville had the answer.

"The next pillar must have another pair of binoculars," Neville offered and Percy gave him a look before nodding at his train of thought.

"Sounds solid enough," Percy said before looking at Harry "You'll have to guide us, Harry! You're ready!?" Percy asked as Harry put a thumbs up.

"Just be careful guys! There are parts where the path cuts off!" Harry said as Percy and Neville nodded. They both gave each other a nod and moved forward.

They followed Harry's direction very carefully but both Harry and Percy couldn't help their shouting match against one another. Perhaps Percy was just trying to make the situation less stressful. At least that was what Neville was thinking.

They got to the next pillar without a hitch. Except for that time when Neville took a wrong step and Percy had to pull him back but other than that they had no trouble getting here.

Percy was about to climb up but Neville offered to do so. Percy gave him a confused look but let him do so nonetheless. Neville strapped his hammer on his back got up there and quickly grabbed the binoculars up there.

He led Percy carefully to the end and it took almost no time for the Slytherin to get to the blue orb. He would lie, having people here made things easier than when he was exploring these dungeons alone.

He looked around for traps before grabbing the orb. And once he grabbed it the trio started floating upwards as a blue-ish glow surrounded them for a moment. And before they knew it they were dropped outside the room and below the statue.

The trio stood up as Harry groaned and cracked his back. That drop really did a number on him and he still wasn't used to teleportation magic. But then his displeasure disappeared when he saw the blue orb starting to fly up.

The trio saw the orb fly up to the totem and get stuck on the owl's neck. Then, the statue's eyes started glowing blue, sending a bright blue light into the golden platform in the middle of the area.

"So, it worked?" Harry asked after getting rid of his discomfort. He looked at Percy searching for answers but the Slytherin teen had his eyes fixated on the ray "Percy?" He asked getting the white-haired teen out of his stupor.

"Huh? Oh right," Percy said before turning to the other totems "I guess if we complete each trial we can move on," He said before looking back at the other two.

"Fine by me," Harry said, cracking his shoulder. "But I get to choose which one next now," he said as he quickly approached the deer totem. Percy and Neville gave each other a confused look before walking up to Harry.

They entered the deer totem and immediately saw something entirely different from the previous room. This room was simple. It was an obstacle course, but it seems to be missing several parts. They knew this because they could see the after-images of the missing parts.

These after images had these color hues to them—green, yellow, red, and blue, to be specific. So maybe that had to do with how to get the blue orb that was on the other side of the obstacle course.

"Hey, check this out," Neville said as the other two looked at where he was pointing at. There were four plates on the ground two on the left side and two on the right side.

The ones on the left were Green and blue and those on the right were red and yellow. Percy looked at the plates on the floor and carefully stepped on the blue plate. Suddenly the parts that had the blue became solid enough to use.

"It's an obstacle course," Harry said, as he was the only one staring ahead. "So, we need to synchronize each other to be able to cross, right?" he asked, and Percy nodded.

"Want to cross it?" Percy asked him. He wouldn't force him to but knowing Harry he would want to do it.

"Yeah, I trust you guys not to let me fall," Harry said cheekily and both Percy and Neville snorted at him. Percy's was a bit louder than Nev but the sentiment was the same.

Harry positioned himself at the start of the course while Neville walked to the right. The trio looked at each other and gave each other a thumbs-up before Harry started running forward.

His quidditch exercises came into play here. Oliver was a slave driver and he had built a bit of a muscle. Muscles that let him parkour and climb the obstacles with little to no trouble.

The only time he hesitated was when there was a part that had to be timed absolutely right by him and Nev. Nev had to change platforms and that would make the one he was on currently disappear.

So both Gryffindors took a deep breath and to avoid any nervousness Percy offered himself to do a countdown. So, when Percy ended the countdown both Gryffindors moved at the same time and Harry managed to grab the handle necessary to climb to the end.

His face had this excited smile to it once he got to the blue orb. He grabbed it carefully and once again the trio was transported outside once again.

This time it was Harry who stared at the floating orb and saw once again a blue ray hitting a piece of the golden platform "One more to go, huh?" Harry said to the others feeling the trepidation in their chests. They could take on any task by how powerful they were feeling.

So they walked up to the Bear totem and this time Nev led the charge. He opened the door and this room was the simplest of them all. There was a huge block of ice formed on a cubical form in the middle of it. This cube had the orb right in the middle of it. So the task was simple. Take the orb out of the cube.

"Think you can take this on Nev?" Percy said as Nev looked at him confused but Percy just looked at the hammer on Neville's back and Nev just made an oh sound before walking up to the cube.

"Hey can ask you a question?" Harry asked walking up to Percy who looked at him in curiosity "Why are you giving Neville a lot to do?" Harry asked as Percy crossed his arms and looked forward.

"Nev is more powerful than he believes. He just needs a confidence boost," Percy said and Harry nodded in understanding. He had to agree. To be honest, he didn't think much about Neville like the rest of the school. But the Longbottom heir had been proving him wrong since they started exploring today.

And did again when Neville took a big swing and broke the ice cube in that same motion. Even Percy was surprised, he clearly didn't expect Neville to break it on his first try "Remind me never to piss him off mate," Percy whispered to Harry who nodded feeling the same way.

Nev looked at them a bit surprised at the feat he had accomplished and Harry as well as Percy gave him a thumbs up. So, feeling super great, Neville grabbed the final blue orb carefully and same as the others it teleported them outside once more.

And now it was Neville's turn to watch how the orb floated upwards into the Bear totem. And just like before a blue ray struck the golden plate once more.

But this time the rays started moving in a counter-clock circular motion all around the borders of the golden plate. The trio quickly jumped on the plate in case anything happened and they were glad they did because once the rays ended their lap the plate started descending further down the cave.

As they were going down, they started looking around, noticing how the landscape changed from lively and colorful to dark and large, almost gigantic. But even if it wasn't colorful, that didn't mean it wasn't as beautiful as the other areas.

The roof and walls were filled with small blue lights that seemed to mimic the stars of the night sky. They gave an eerie glow of beauty that was impossible to recreate.

But the most beautiful thing was these iris flowers that were floating on this lake that surrounded the whole cave. It wasn't that deep it didn't cover their ankles. But the glow of the lights made the reflection so bright and beautiful. It almost felt like they were floating in space.

Their sense of wonder and simple awe was so big that they didn't even want to continue exploring. They were content with just looking around. But that stopped when Neville noticed something in the distance.

Something caught his attention long enough for him to walk forward. Walk to where this thing was. And this thing, it was a skull that belonged to a deer. You could tell by the formation of its nose and the space where the antlers could grow.

He was in a trance, sort of speaking. He didn't know what caught his attention so much, but he felt like he needed to grab the skull. But just as his fingers touched it, the skull started to shake violently.

Suddenly an ethereal blue specter of a deer started forming from the skull and onwards. Like a ghost of the animal. It kept growing to enormous sizes and once it was done growing it stared at Neville with hostile intentions.

But before it could attack Neville felt someone grabbing his collar and suddenly his vision was surrounded by a white mist. Then he found himself far away from the ghost.

He looked behind him and saw Percy standing there looking at the phantom deer "You ok Nev?" He asked without looking at him and Nev nodded his head.

"Yeah, thank you," Nev said as Percy helped him up. Then the trio gather together as they watch the deer specter growling at them. Then before anyone could react the dear started jumping into the air.

Then they had to quickly dodge out of the way as the deer sent blue flames at them. Neville was out of his depth. Being his first adventure he wasn't prepared for this fight.

But unlike him, Percy's experience showed up as he quickly threw two simultaneous fire bolts at the deer to stun it. And then he made a silver dagger appear out of thin air and went to stab the deer. But the deer shook its head before Percy's hit could connect and suddenly the deer sped through him and the two Gryffindors sending them all flying away.

The deer then put its eyes on Percy as it started charging an attack and Percy had to react quickly putting a shield in front of him blocking a blue ray that came at him.

He held back the projectile long enough to give Harry an opening to strike the deer in its face. Cracking the skull a bit.

The deer stagged backward and that's when Neville entered the fray by pushing the deer back with his hammer. The deer growled at them but couldn't stabilize itself as a force of air pushed it back a bit.

Nev and Harry looked back and saw Percy with his palms together facing the deer "I have a plan," Percy said getting both of their attention "Nev, me, and Harry will create an opening. Then you shoot it with your ray," Percy said as Neville tightened his grip on the hammer and gave Percy a nod.

"Let's go and kill the bastard," Harry said with an excited smile on his face. Adrenaline was kicking through his system. He was really glad about coming here.

Then Neville saw both of them explode towards the deer. Harry stayed closed blocking its strikes while trying to hit it on its legs.

And Percy was running around the deer throwing a magic rope around the deer's feet in hopes of tying it to the ground and he was succeeding. And Neville knew what he had to do.

He pulled the lever on the hammer down and started focusing his magic on the orb while pointing the hammer at the deer. And once he felt he was ready he shouted for the others to move out of the way.

Percy then grabbed Harry's shoulder and teleported them both to where Neville was. Then the blond Gryffindor let his attack out and a gigantic blue ray struck the deer on its stomach and split the phantom deer into two.

The ray practically disintegrated the deer leaving nothing but its face there. Then as the boys took a breath to gather themselves the mist started to disappear and the blue-ish hue that surrounded the area changed into a golden one as the area got surrounded by an endless sea of treasure.

Jewelry, scrolls, coins, and even three Greek-looking statues appeared of all a sudden and Neville couldn't help but stare at the treasure in dumbfounded wonder. And his mouth was open in an endless gasp "Oh my god," Neville couldn't help but say anything else to show his amazement.

"Impressive isn't it?" Harry said slapping Neville's back playfully as Neville gave him a nod "Come on, let's go and pick our spoils before I leave you with nothing," Harry said rushing forward as Neville gladly followed him into the treasure.

Both Gryffindor boys were happily rummaging around the treasure taking everything they liked or that caught their interest. Crowns, collars, and coins, Harry even grabbed a golden cup. They were celebrating but then Neville noticed that Percy was not celebrating with them.

He looked around and found him in the middle of the three statues looking at them with intense focus. He walked down from the pile of gold to where Percy was. He noticed he had the head of the ladder in his right hand but decided not to comment on it "What are you looking at?" Neville asked as he heard Harry stumbling behind him.

"You don't recognize them?" Percy asked as Harry got to where they were with several chains around his neck. He clearly was having fun but he wanted to see what the other two were doing.

Percy then noticed that neither Neville nor Harry knew who the men represented by statues were "Right," Percy said before looking at the statues "These are Greek heroes. Characters of great mythology and history," He said as he pointed at the statue in front of Harry.

"Achilles, the greatest warrior Greece has ever seen. And the hero of the Troyan war," Percy said as Harry looked up at the sculpture in wonder "We even have a body part named after him. The Achilles' heel," Percy said as Neville looked at him curious not familiar with muggle mythos.

"Why?" Neville asked as Percy looked at him a bit confused "I mean, why is our heel named after him?" Neville asked and Harry also looked at Percy feeling curios himself.

"Because of how he died. The myth tells us that Achilles was invincible. His mother bathed him in the Strix river making him invulnerable except for one place. The place where she was holding from. His heel," Percy said before looking at Neville "And he died at the hands of Paris of Troy with a perfectly placed arrow at his heel," Percy said and Harry again looked at the statue in front of him.

"That's sick. How do you know all of this?" Harry asked in wonder as Percy gave him a small smile.

"I like to read," He said cryptically before looking at Neville "It's all in Homer's Iliad remind me to tell it to you later," Percy said as he looked at the statue in front of Neville "Actually all of them from that Iliad. That one, that's Hector prince of Troy, son of Priam, and brother of Paris. The most loyal man that city has seen," Percy said as Neville looked up at the statue.

"And how did he die?" Neville asked in wonder as Percy looked at him for a moment.

"At the hands of Achilles, just outside of the walls of Troy," Percy said as Neville's eyes winded "He was an unfortunate man. He was loyal and smart but he was born into a dangerous period," Percy said with a melancholy tone in his voice "He had the misfortune of having to take responsibility for his brother's actions," Percy said and Harry spoke up in curiosity.

"What did his brother do?" He asked and Percy looked at him.

"He stole a wife from a Greek general. An important one and threw Greece into a ten-year war against Troy," Percy explained, and Neville grew curious.

"Sorry for asking. But why are you so knowledgeable about these men? I don't think just reading does the trick," Neville said as Percy scratched his head.

"Well, I like the Greek mythology very much. It is vast and immense. It has moral stories all around, but," Percy said turning to the statue in front of him "If I'm being honest it's because of this man," Percy said as both Harry and Neville looked at that statue.

"The king of Ithica himself, Athena's champion, And the unsung hero of the siege of Troy. Odysseus," Percy said, and while they couldn't see his face they could hear his deep-rooted fanatism in Percy's voice. Odysseus clearly was his hero "I could tell you what his life was like but I wouldn't do it justice nor would I have the time necessary to tell you everything. But if I could describe him it would be like this," Percy said taking a moment before speaking once more.

"A man forced to become ruthless in the desperation of returning home to his wife and son," Percy said turning around to face them "A lot can be learned from his life and experiences," He said with an excited smile.

"Sounds great, but why are these statues here?" Harry asked in curiosity and Neville nodded his head feeling the same as Harry.

"It's obvious don't you see?" Percy said as both Gryffindors looked at each other confused "These places are pulled out from somewhere and these people just helped me narrow the search," Percy said as each individual looked at the statues in front of them.

Harry stared at Achilles' statue, Neville at Hector's, and Percy at Odysseus' one. Each with different expressions on their faces with Percy being the most excited one of them all "The answers I've been looking for lie in one place and one place only. Greece," Percy said as his excitement was felt all around within the other two boys and someone else entirely.

Far away from the cave where the trio of young explorers were. On a beach miles away from the cave stood a majestical creature looking straight into the cave's direction. This creature was a snowy white owl with blue stripes on its feathers but the most noticeable feature was its big wide eyes that kept looking ahead with satisfaction behind them. It was keeping a close eye on the explorers there even that far ahead. And what it was seeing pleased it to no end. Then a blue/purple-ish mist started surrounding the creature as what it had seen was enough to move ahead.

And as the creature disappeared you could almost read its thoughts about the situation it was seeing. That, all of it, was going according to plan.

End of Chapter 4

Chapter Text

It was quiet at the Gryffindor dorms. No sound could be heard except for Ron's snoring. Everyone was fast asleep except one person. This person was no other than the boy who lived Harry Potter himself.

He was in bed, sitting cross-legged, looking at his right hand intensely. He was practicing his sorcerer magic by creating lighting around his hand.

Percy was right this was very addicting. The power that surged on his hand was enormous and enticing, and seeing his hand surrounded by lighting was exciting. But then he had to stop when someone pulled his curtain a bit.

He was afraid of being caught but sighed in relief when he saw Neville standing there "Fuck mate, you scared me there, Nev," Harry said as Neville looked down at him.

"Sorry," Nev said a bit apologetically before turning a bit more serious "Didn't Percy tell you to be careful while practicing sorcery?" Neville asked with a bit of a smile on his face.

Harry grumbled and looked away "He did, but Nev!" Harry whined a bit, and Neville held his laughter back to avoid waking the others up.

"Look, I'm no one to judge since I've been practicing myself," Nev said, and Harry looked at him with wide eyes on his face "But it's late, Harry. Go to sleep you can keep practicing in the morning," Neville said, and Harry grumbled.

"Fine, buzzkill," Harry mumbled, getting a snort out of Neville. The blond then moved towards his bed, but Harry stopped him midway through "Hey, Nev. You're a good friend, I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner," Harry said, and Neville looked at him for a moment before looking down.

"Maybe you don't know this, but my mother is your godmother," Neville said, shocking Harry to his core "Perhaps in another life, we would've been friends from the start. Maybe even brothers," Neville said with a hopeful smile as Harry looked at him with strong resolve.

"Well, it's never too late to start, isn't it?" Harry said as Neville found himself nodding with a huge smile on his face "Maybe you can tell me about your mom," He said, and Neville nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. Sleep well, Harry," Neville said, and Harry closed his curtains and lay on his bed.

What Neville had just revealed gave him much to think about. He had always longed for a real family. A family that loved him and cared for him, but he didn't realize that a chance was waiting for him all this time so close to him. He felt like a fool for not approaching Neville sooner.

But perhaps this was his chance to make something for himself. Even if he didn't have any relatives outside, maybe it was up to him to create his own family. A group that would forever hold his trust.

Perhaps a brother would be nice. Those were the thoughts of a sleep-deprived Harry, but the weird thing. Or maybe the sad thing is that when Harry pictured the image of a brother, it wasn't Ron like it used to be. No, this time, it was Percy that came to mind. For a moment, Harry felt heartbreak; he was starting to feel as if he was losing a part of himself, and he couldn't do anything against it.

And with that sadness, he went to sleep and it really didn't help with his dreams. You could see it in the way he was walking when he woke up. Groggy and yawning. A thing that Neville pointed out but he told him that a good shower and some coffee would help him.

He was finishing getting ready and started walking out of the dorm when he stopped and looked back where Ron's bed where the redhead was sleeping currently. Now, the normal thing to do was to wake Ron and wait for him. But Percy and Hermione had warned him that Professor Vector was very strict about punctuality.

So with a sigh showing his regret, he walked out of the dorm earlier than usual. He walked down and found Hermione ready to leave for breakfast "Harry? What are you doing down so early?" She asked a bit surprised and Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is it that surprising that I wake up early?" Harry asked rhetorically but continued talking when he saw Hermione's expression "Don't answer that," Harry said as Hermione chuckled a bit. She had Crookshanks in her hands and for once the cat was fast asleep.

"So, should we go for breakfast or are we waiting for Ron?" She asked in curiosity and Harry instantly knew that she didn't want to wait for him. She didn't want to be late.

"And wait a month here before classes? Let's just go, he'll catch up with us," Harry said and Hermione nodded hiding her amusement at Harry's dig. Then as they were leaving the Gryffindor common room Harry noticed Neville on the corner sorting out his books for the day "Hey Nev!" Harry called out as the blond boy looked at him curiously "Come join us for breakfast!" Harry said.

Neville looked at him unsure but a reassuring nod from Harry was all that he needed to agree "Didn't know you were close with Neville," Hermione pointed out as Neville finished sorting his books.

"I'm full of surprises," Harry said a bit cheekily and Hermione just rolled her eyes as Neville caught up to them. The trio then walked to the Great Hall. They talk about nothing and everything at the same. It was mainly Hermione asking questions to Neville trying to get to know him better.

After all, Hermione was the sociable out of the golden trio. They got to the hall and Harry noticed it was pretty unoccupied. And since he wasn't used to waking up this early he was not used to seeing these few people around.

He looked at the Gryffindor table like always but stopped when he saw Percy. Now normally he would pay no mind to where his friend was but once again he wasn't at the Slytherin table.

He was sitting at the Ravenclaw table in front of two other girls. One was Tracey's friend from Slytherin and the other one was the blond girl he and Neville had seen before their adventure yesterday. He saw both girls close to one another talking between them while Percy ate offering comments here and there. He also had Aurora around his neck as his snake pet was sleeping peacefully.

And today Harry was feeling bold so instead of going to the Gryffindor table he turned to Hermione and Neville "How 'bout we do something different today?" Harry said with a small cheeky smile on his face.

Hermione looked confused and looked at Neville but he was just exasperated by Harry's cheekiness and rolled his eyes. But still followed Harry to the Ravenclaw table.

Hermione stood there for a moment and glanced at the Gryffindor table. There were not many people there but she did see Lavender and Parvati there. And the fact of being there with them gossiping didn't sound enticing to her. So she quickly caught up with Harry and Neville.

Percy was the first to notice them and waved at Harry. Both girls were busy with something, Harry noticed that the blond girl was painting something on Tracy's hand and grew curious for a moment.

He would have to ask Percy about it later. He took a seat next to Percy while Neville sat on the other side of the white-haired Slytherin.

Hermione chose to sit Next to Tracey as the brown-haired girl who had called her over "'Morning," Percy said as the Gryffindor's meal appeared just as they sat. Harry looked at the Ravenclaw's work before looking at Percy.

"What are you guys doing?" Harry asked grabbing a muffing from the tray in front of him. Neville looked at Percy feeling the same curiosity as Harry while Hermione looked at Tracy's hand in wonder.

"Luna got her hands on some henna body paint. And offered to paint us some warding glyphs," Percy said showing them his right hand. On it, he had some geometrical patterns drawn. Harry took a closer look to inspect it but he didn't know what it meant "To protect us from Nargles and such," Percy explained.

"Nargles?" Harry asked in curiosity and Luna responded.

"Nasty creatures. They plague your mind and make you unfocused and angry," Luna said as she looked up at Tracey "All done," Luna said as Tracey looked at her hand with a huge smile on her face.

"It's beautiful thank you so much, Luna," Tracey said hugging the blonde girl and the Ravenclaw girl just smiled happily not knowing what to do as she was not used to someone hugging her.

Then Percy noticed the look of confusion on Hermione and grew curious. He tilted his head and spoke to her "Something wrong Hermione?" Percy asked in curiosity.

"No, I haven't heard of them that's all," Hermione asked and Percy noticed the bit of skepticism in her voice but chose not to comment on it.

"They are invisible that's why they haven't been reported. But soon they will I'm sure of it," Luna said with a bright smile and confidence behind her words.

Harry noticed the small smile on Percy's face before it went away. It raised his curiosity, because, in his perspective, they had just met so how did the two of them bond so quickly? And it appeared someone else at the table was wondering the same but for a different person.

"So, when did Neville become friends with you?" Tracey asked boldly, so much so that it made Percy choke on his food "No offense Neville but ever since this year started he's been getting friends left and right," Tracey said to the blond boy.

Who was trying to hold his laughter because of the scene next to him, that scene being Percy trying to not choke on his food while Harry tried to help to the best he could "Well, I helped them with homework, I suppose that's when it started I guess," Neville explained as Percy managed to breath once more.

"A homework you say?" Tracey asked a bit skeptical "Weird, since we share the same classes why didn't they ask for our help as well?" She asked narrowing her eyes at Percy.

"It was a Herbology homework Trace," Percy said as Tracey crossed her arms "And as good as you are Tracy, Neville here is a prodigy, would be foolish not to ask for his help," Percy said before smiling softly at her "Worried I'm gonna replace you or something?" He asked with a bit of a cheeky tone and Tracey huffed.

"As if. You wouldn't last a day without me," Tracey said as the group chuckled in amusement at their banter "I'm just jealous that you got two Gryffindors as your mates and I got none," Tracey said with a pout as Percy chuckled and just shrugged his shoulders.

Tracey then, after pretending to pout for a moment, looked at Hermione with seriousness "What?" Hermione asked a bit confused as Tracey wrapped her arm around Hemione's own arm.

"I've decided she'll be my Gryffindor friend, she can't be yours," She said to Percy as he raised an eyebrow at her "And as a matter of fact, Luna's gonna be my Ravenclaw friend you can't have her either," Tracey said wrapping her other arm around Luna's.

But unlike Hermione Luna was just glad to be called someone's something so she had a huge smile when Tracey pulled her over "Greedy as always huh?" Percy said simply with a bit of a chuckle in his voice.

"Always," Tracey said with a laugh getting a few chuckles from the boys in front of her.

"Wait, you can't just decide that without my opinion," Hermione said and her conviction crumbled immediately when she saw both Tracey's and Luna's teary eyes. She knew they were pretending but damm, they were pretty good actors.

"Don't bother Hermione," Percy said as she looked at him confused "Once she decides on a friendship it is done. You have no say on it, that's how she did it with me and Daphne," Percy said with a chuckle but then he realized who he had mentioned, and that made his mood sour same as Tracy's.

And everyone immediately noticed the change of mood and Hermione was the first to speak up "I don't want to overstep, but why are you so angry at her?" She asked as both Slytherins looked at her.

Then they looked at each other for a moment before Tracey let out a sigh "Her family went through some issues and they had to take a deal. And she took the biggest fall herself," Tracey tried to say as cryptically as she could "Normally we would've gone to her but she cut us off, the only way we know is thanks to Percy, though he refuses to tell me how he learned it still," Tracey said trying to lift the mood at the end.

"It's confidential," Percy offered for the other's curiosity.

"But that's not enough to be mad is it?" Neville asked confused and Percy nodded and leaned back.

"To be fair it's not her fault entirely. She just decided to cut us off at a bad time," Percy said before taking a moment to center himself "I had just learned some things about my family that brought bad memories and I needed someone to talk to," Percy said "And before when I needed to talk to someone she was the first person I went to," He said putting his fork over his plate finishing with his meal.

The sound had woken up Aurora or perhaps it was her master's sudden mood change that did it. Either way, she had moved around and now Percy was petting her neck while she climbed onto his arm both pet and human seeking comfort from one another.

"And it was the same for me. Malfoy had just run my father out of business and into Germany," Tracey said looking down "And I needed to vent and plan my retribution. So I needed Daphne's help but she didn't answer," Tracey said and Harry grew curious.

"Why did you need her help?" he asked, trying to understand why Daphne was so important to them.

"Well, be honest. Do you think I'm smart?" Percy asked in curiosity, and Harry wondered where the question came from but answered nonetheless.

"Yeah. You think things through unlike me, and well," Harry said and ended the sentence in the open to try and avoid talking about the plans and explanations Percy had given but the white-haired teen knew what he didn't say.

"Well, Daphne is ten times smarter than me," Percy said as a small smile started to form on his face "She sees things logically, like a puzzle that needs to be solved. And once she does well, there's no way to stop her from solving the problem," Percy explained and everyone could hear the respect and love Percy had for her in his voice.

"Which is why it's fucking frustrating watching her shut down that easily," Tracey said tightening her fist in anger. But that anger went away by what Hermione said next.

"She hates herself for that you know," Hermione said and Percy as well as Tracey looked at her a bit surprised "She told me that she made a mistake that she doesn't know how to fix," Hermione said as Tracey looked down at her plate.

"Really?" Tracey asked as Hermione nodded her head not realizing that Tracey was just asking that question to herself. Then she looked at Percy who had his hand on his forehead "What should we do then?" Tracey asked as Percy pinched his nose for once not having a clear answer himself.

But it didn't matter because a solution came from the youngest of them all "Drag her out," Luna said nonchalantly as the group looked at her "Sometimes people are just too wrapped in their own conviction that they refuse to listen to reason," She said looking up at Percy specifically and only he notice that that sentence was directed at him as well. He looked down a bit ashamed at being put on the spot and was glad no one so it.

And for a moment Harry swore her eyes changed into rainbow-colored ones but perhaps it was the light playing tricks on him "In those cases it's best to be fierce and just make her listen," Luna said shrugging her shoulders.

Tracey looked at her in surprise and then chuckled at her bluntness "Perhaps she's right," Percy said as Tracey nodded her head "But we can't keep bothering with our problems so let's change topics," Percy said and before anyone could disagree he looked at Harry "So, excited for your new classes?" Percy asked Harry effectively changing topics.

But unbeknownst to most of them the topic of their conversation was looking at them with longing eyes. Daphne missed he friends. Her resolve only lasted this long because she hadn't seen them in the summer.

But having them here at arm's reach was killing her. She knew what her duty was and she was willing to go through it all the way but as the weeks passed that resolve was crumbling right before her eyes.

Only the love for her sister had kept her going but Astoria had shunned her as well. And that had hurt, and if she was being honest with herself, it would be a matter of time before her decision fell to her desires.

And, as she looked at Tracey especially looking at Percy with more longing than her other friend, she saw it. It appears one person in the group had noticed her stare. The blond and youngest one of them all Luna Lovegood.

Daphne connected her eyes with her as Luna tilted her head at her while narrowing her eyes. It seemed as if Luna was judging her and asking her to wake up from whatever spell or trap she had put on herself. Such was that judgment that Daphne had to look away in shame. It was clear she had a lot to think about.

Harry and Percy were walking up to their Arithmancy class. Hermione had told them that she would meet at the classroom since she had to put Crookshanks back at the dorm. Harry had offered to accompany her but she told him it was okay.

Percy reassured him that she would catch up with them and he nodded in understanding so that's why only the two of them were walking up to the classroom right now.

Luna had gone to her own classes while Neville and Tracey went to Divination much to her dismay. Harry did mention she could change electives but she told him that she was okay. She didn't want to change electives because it came in the way of her training quidditch.

And in that instant, Harry became giddy, while he wasn't Wood when it came to Quidditch excitement, he still had some for the sport. It was Tracy's dream to be a professional Quidditch player, but since Slytherin's Quidditch was run by Malfoy and Flint she couldn't join the team.

So she had to train hard on her own time so she could keep up with the rest and right there and then Harry became her biggest supporter behind Percy. And he had told her if she needed some help with training he would be willing to help. And she gladly took it and now Percy had to deal with not only one but two quidditch fanatics.

This is what they were talking about while walking up the stairs "Thank you for offering your help Harry, you didn't need to," Percy said as Harry blushed a bit still not being used to taking compliments.

"Please, it's no issue," Harry said simply before thinking about something "I know that Flint is a cunt but he doesn't strike me as the type to avoid good players," Harry said and Percy looked ahead.

"He isn't but the quidditch team isn't his. It's Malfoy's," Percy said and Harry grimaced knowing where this was going "And since Tracey is a Half-Blood woman, it's impossible for her," Percy said and Harry grumbled.

"Fucking arsehole," Harry said as Percy nodded agreeing with Harry's crude sentiment "Is there anything you can do?" Harry asked and Percy held back a sigh.

"At this point is a patience game. Malfoy's dad is very respected in the upper-class circle, but as soon as they graduate next year is open season," Percy said scratching the back of his head "It's very political and manipulative shit but in simple terms, next year we decide who runs the place," Percy said as Harry's eyes winded.

"You're joking," Harry said but when he noticed the seriousness on Percy's face he knew it was no joke "Doesn't Snape or the Prefects control it?" Harry asked and Percy almost scoffed but still maintained a stoic expression.

"Snape doesn't care. He pretends to be our Head of House for the rest of the staff room but he spends his time locked in the dungeons greasing his hair probably," Percy said getting a chuckle out of Harry "The only rule he gave us is whatever issue we have amongst ourselves can't and mustn't reach the other houses," Percy explained and Harry couldn't even describe what he was feeling.

It was a range of emotions between surprise, shock, and disgust "Like fights and such?" Harry asked and Percy immediately "Jesus, it is a pit of vipers. And the Prefects?" Harry asked and Percy just gave him a cold deadpanned stare "Right, so what's your plan?" He asked and Percy shrugged his shoulders. And Harry's eyes immediately grew big "Don't tell me. You're planning on taking over!" Harry said almost shouting but a glare from Percy shut him up.

"Why would you wish to control such a place?" Harry asked a bit shocked and Percy started scratching Aurora's neck, a habit of seeking comfort that he had adopted in the few weeks since he got her.

"I do not wish for it, Harry. But duty is the death of desire, and failing to do so only brings pain," Percy said as Harry looked confused a bit. Percy clarified as his face got a pair of serious and conviction-filled ones. "I won't let Malfoy take over and destroy those whom I love," Percy said simply, and Harry found himself relating more to that than Percy realized.

He didn't ask to be the boy who lived. He didn't ask to be hunted by serial killers and criminals like that. But if he had to take those things head-on to protect his loved ones. He would gladly do so.

Then his thoughts were interrupted as Percy placed a hand on his shoulder "But as I said, that's not something you need to worry about. Come on, we have a class to attend," Percy said as Percy walked forward leaving Harry behind a bit.

Harry knew very well that Percy was carrying something heavy on his shoulders. A burden different from his but heavy nonetheless but unlike Harry Percy didn't have anyone to help him.

So it was up to him to help Percy carry that burden. He swore to it so when he walked forward again Harry had a new conviction to him. He caught up to Percy as the white-haired teen was entering the Arithmancy classroom.

Harry looked around feeling confused a bit. Normally classes in Hogwarts everyone stuck around their housemates. But here it was a mixture all around. Slytherins talking to Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors with Ravenclaws.

It weirded out Harry a bit but his weirdness went away when Hermione got there out of breath "Few I made it," Hermione said much to the amusement of Percy and Harry.

"Getting just in time Miss Granger. Please don't make it a habit," A voice said from the teacher's desk A Professor looked at them with bored eyes "Miss Granger. Mr. Nyx, please take your seats," She said as the students nodded and went to their seats "Mr. Potter a moment please," She said calling him over as Harry approached her a bit curious.

"Did Mr. Nyx or Miss Granger explain how this class works?" She asked as Harry nodded his head as both of them had given him a general synopsis of the class "So you're aware that we work in teams in this class right?" She asked and Harry nodded once more.

"Good, then you'll be working with Miss Padma Patil and Miss Hannah Abbott," She said as Percy blinked a few times. He knew there was little chance he was going to be assigned to Hermione or Percy but he was still surprised nonetheless "Miss Patil, Miss Abbott," Professor Vector said getting the attention of both girls "Mr. Potter will be joining your team from now on. Please get him adjusted," She said as Harry looked up to the classroom.

She recognized Padma quite easily since she had the same physical appearance as her twin sister Parvati, but he did notice she had a kinder set of eyes. She was sitting next to a blond Hufflepuff and he figured that was Hannah.

He nodded at the professor before walking up to the girls and he quickly swallowed his nerves "Hi," Harry said simply as Padma offered him a kind smile while Hannah looked at him shyly.

"Hello Harry, please take a seat," Padma said patting the seat next to her. Harry took a seat as he looked at Hannah in confusion "Don't mind her, she's just a bit shy with new people," Padma said as Hannah smiled apologetically.

"Ah I see, don't worry I get it," Harry said to Hannah who smiled in thanks and then he decided to change topics to avoid bothering her further "So, what can I expect from this class?" Harry asked in curiosity.

Padma raised an eyebrow wondering if his friends had told him anything about the class but figured he was just making small talk "Well it can be a bit tough but Professor Vector is very good at her job," Padma said as Hannah found confidence to chime in.

"She's very clear," Hannah said and Padma nodded while smiling at Hannah.

"That she is," Padma said before looking at Harry "She can be a bit strict but don't worry, we got you covered till get used to this class," She said and Harry gave her a big appreciation smile.

"Thanks, I will definitely need it," Harry said getting a chuckle out of Padma and a smile out of Hannah.

These were the times were he kicked himself mentally. There were a lot of nice people outside of Gryffindor. He was an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

And on the other side of the classroom, a set of green eyes were looking at Harry's group in concern "Worried about your friend?" Percy said noticing the pouring concern out from his partner.

Susan Bones was not the type to worry. While she didn't live a life full of risk, she believed in living with a smile on your face and facing life with open arms. A life out of worries and a more happiness-filled one.

But she did worry about one thing. Her loved ones. It was the main reason she was in Hufflepuff, she was loyal to a fault. It was her biggest flaw someone would say but she rather go through pain than witness a loved one being in pain.

So seeing Hannah, her shy childhood friend so out of her depth worries her a lot "Am I that obvious?" Susan asked Percy with a bit of a nervous smile.

"A little bit," Percy said a bit amused as Susan moved a bit of her hair behind her ear. She was a bit ashamed at being caught that easily "I think is sweet," Percy said and Susan blinked before blushing a bit.

"Shut up," She said pushing him a bit playfully while he tried to chuckle out loud "I just worry about her that's all," Susan said as Percy gave her a look full of curiosity.

And since the week they had been working together, she had started to like the white-haired teen. Not in a romantic sense but liked him nonetheless, he was funny and understanding. So she felt safe about confiding in him "She's had a rough childhood. Same as all purebloods I suppose," Susan said with a bit of a sigh "And she's a bit too shy around new people, especially extroverted and charismatic people like you and your friend Harry," Susan said as Percy hummed.

"I see," Percy said giving a side glance to Hannah out of her view. Then he looked at Susan before putting a hand on her shoulder "You know, it's not wrong to worry," He said as Susan looked up "But sometimes you need to let people soar on their own. If you keep looking over her she will never become the person she's meant to be," Percy said letting go of her shoulder.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm still gonna worry though," Susan said and Percy chuckled at her conviction. Then she smiled at him a bit cheekily "You're pretty weird you know," She said as Percy blinked in confusion and she clarified herself "Do you prepare those deep speeches or do you just go with the flow?" She said jokingly and Percy blushed a bit before looking away for a moment

"Prick," He grumbled as Susan laughed while hitting his arms playfully. So to throw the blush back at her, he looked at her with a bit of a cheeky smile "So, what's this about me being charismatic?" Percy said hoping to get a blush out of her.

But surprisingly she didn't. Instead, she met his attempt to be flirtatious with her own by leaning forward a bit towards him "Yeah. You have a way with words and have a nice smile. 'Sides, your eyes and hair make you look very handsome," She said and again the blood rushed up to his cheeks. He wasn't being used to people flirting with him so he didn't know how to react.

So he spluttered for a bit trying to find some words. "Thanks, um, you also have lovely hair and eyes," Percy said scratching the back of his head nervously.

Susan smiled as she looked to the front of the class "Thank you, Percy," She said before adopting a more cheekier smile "You're gonna try harder next time," She said as Percy got rid of his blush and chuckled.

"Seems I do," He said as he looked at the Professor. It seemed like the class was about to start.

Harry loved his friends. He did, they had gone through a lot. But sometimes he finds them very annoying. Ron especially, and now it was one of those times.

Ron realized that Harry had changed electives and he was pissed. For what? Harry didn't understand but he was getting tired of this berating. His plan was just to ignore it till he calmed down but then Ron said something that pissed him off.

"I'm sure it's all that slimy Slytherin cunt's fault. I'm telling you he has you under his wrap," Ron said and Harry stood up from the couch of the common room where he was sitting and glared at Ron.

"Don't you dare Ron! He's not a cunt!" Harry said annoyed at him "I changed electives because I fucking wanted to!" Harry said as Ron glared back.

"That's what he wants you to think! I'm telling you, you cannot trust snakes!" Ron said as their shouting had started getting some attention "What are you gonna do with quidditch practice huh!?" Ron shouted and Harry looked confused "With all these classes you may not have time for it! That's what that fucker is looking for!" He said and Harry didn't know whether to be confused or angry so he settled for the two of them.

"The fuck is it to you what I do with my time!?" Harry shouted back as Ron's eyes winded a bit "Quidditch practice would've happened whether I was in divination or not! I will manage just fin Ronald!" Harry said channeling his inner Hermione for a moment.

Then he stepped up to Ron with an enormous glare on his face "And don't you dare say anything about Percy again! You better start getting your head out of your arse Ron, because you're starting to sound like Malfoy!" Harry said and immediately regretted what he said but it was too late to take it back.

"Screw you," Ron said simply walking away too pissed off to continue the discussion. Harry grumbled and dropped back onto the couch mad. At himself and Ron.

He rubbed his forehead back and forth trying to get rid of his annoyance. He didn't mean that Malfoy comment but Ron was pissing him off. He hated when people bad-mouth his friends and it hurt seeing a close friend like Ron doing so.

He was lost in thought when he felt a hand touch his neck and the back of his head in a comforting manner. He resisted the urge to flinch and looked back and saw Ginny there looking at him in worry.

That's when he remembered that they were arguing in the common room and suddenly he felt ashamed at the display he had made of himself "Shit, did everyone see that?" Harry said putting his hands over his face a bit of a blush over his cheeks.

"Yeah pretty much," Ginny said with a bit of a chuckle in her voice as Harry groaned "Lavender and Parvati will get a kick out of this for weeks," She said and Harry groaned even louder. She was making fun of the situation Harry noticed. To help him calm down he figured.

"Harry, are you okay? Is unusual to see you this mad" She asked concerned. She knew he was prone to anger but not that usually and not toward his friends. So she was worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't like what he was saying about Percy," Harry said before looking back at Ginny "I'm sorry. I know he's your brother but he's being a prick," Harry said and Ginny sighed.

"Don't worry he was being prick. I've met Percy he doesn't strike me as a cunt," Ginny said before looking down "And any friend of Luna is good in my book," She said getting this faraway look.

"Just don't listen to him. You know how he is, he's jealous and stubborn. He will get over it," Ginny said and Harry sighed but nodded nonetheless. He was well aware of Ron's fits of stubbornness but this felt different.

"What if he doesn't?" Harry asked a bit afraid and Ginny sighed while looking at where Ron had left.

"Then that'll be his mistake," Ginny said before looking at Harry "I know his your best friend but if he continues this path then do not forgive him that easily," Ginny said as Harry blinked in confusion.

"What?" Harry asked confused as Ginny looked down.

"Friendship is not a one-way street. Both people need to contribute to it. Otherwise, you're just taking advantage of the person," Ginny said before looking back at Harry. "Don't let him take advantage of you," she said as Harry was confused by how much this topic bothered her. There was a small sadness behind her eyes, so he couldn't help but ask why she was feeling like this.

"I took advantage of a friendship as well, and she was too kind to let me know I was wrong. And she suffered for it," Ginny said getting rid of the tears that threatened to come out "Never again," She said and Harry placed a hand on top of hers.

"Ginny, one thing I've learned is that it's never too late to make amends," Harry said before smiling at her "And you're a good person Ginny, don't ever doubt that," He said as Ginny looked at him big eyes before a small blush appeared on her cheeks and then she looked down with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Harry. Your friends are lucky to have you," Ginny said and Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um, you know we're friends, right?" Harry said rhetorically and Ginny blinked for a moment. Then she smiled, she really wanted to get close to him so him calling her a friend was good.

Then she noticed how close they were. With her hand on his neck and his on hers. She became self-conscious and quickly moved back a little.

"Um well, I'm glad you're okay," Ginny said stepping off the couch "I should go and do homework, um, see you later, Harry," Ginny said a bit nervous before walking away.

Harry looked at where she left confused and a bit amused. His mood was brightened thanks to her and his annoyance went away quite quickly. Then he looked at the hand that was holding Ginny's and he couldn't help but blush a little.

Her hand was very warm.

Ancient Runes was different from Arithmancy. Both classes were difficult. That much Harry had noticed. But the difference lay within the Professors' way of teaching.

Both Professors Vector and Babbling were adamant about working in teams that was a given but while Professor Vector had a more methodical and logical approach to her class. Professor Babbling had a more practical one.

She went over a specific rune for that class and then she taught them ways they could implement them. Today they were starting with shield runes and now he, and his team, consisting of Sue Li, a Ravenclaw Asian girl who seems to have always a stoic face, and his friend from Slytherin Percy, were reaching for the historic presence of that rune since they'd have to make a small presentation about what they found.

And by working with them Harry realized that he was truly out of his depth. While Padma and Hannah made him feel welcome and helped him every step of the way, Percy and Sue were different.

They weren't the most talkative people and apparently, since they both didn't speak that much they didn't explain what they needed to each other. They worked like a well-oiled machine.

Sue asked something and Percy already had the answer for her. Percy wanted a book and it was in his hands before he could even finish his sentence. It was as if they were talking telepathically.

But he was grateful Percy was here. Since they both already knew one another Percy knew how to integrate Harry smoothly. And Harry found himself learning and helping the best he could.

But he was quieter than usual. He had met Ron while walking to meet with Percy and Sue at the library. He wondered where Harry was going and at the first mention of Percy Ron had scoffed at him and walked away.

And that had brought up the argument they had yesterday. And his annoyance was brought back up by that moment. And Percy noticed it quite easily "Something wrong, Harry?" Percy asked in curiosity as Harry looked up.

He wanted to deny any ongoing problems but the concerned eyes of Percy made him change decisions "Had a spat with Ron. Nothing important," Harry said.

"I wouldn't consider a spat with a friend not important," Sue commented and Percy nodded agreeing with the girl next to him. He looked at Harry wondering what the spat was about and got his answer when Harry avoided his eyes.

"Ah I see," Percy said looking down at his books "Perhaps is best if I give you some space, to work things out with him," Percy said and Harry looked up immediately.

"What? Fuck that!" Harry exclaimed and someone shushed him from far away "He's being a prick that isn't your fault," Harry said narrowing his eyes at Percy making sure his point was well received.

Percy looked at him with a bit of apologetic eyes before speaking up "I just don't want to be the wedge that drives you two apart," He said and Harry looked at him for a moment. Friendship was really important for Percy it seems.

"You won't," Harry said reassuringly. "You aren't to blame for Ron being a prick; that's his problem," Harry said, and Percy blinked for a moment. It was nice that someone was putting him first for once. He wondered when the last time that had happened.

"As touching as that was and I truly hate to interrupt," Sue said getting the attention of the two boys "But we should get back to the assignment," She said and the boys grew a bit embarrassed and looked back at their books.

"Right, so I was thinking. How about we do a presentation about blood runes?" Percy asked changing the topic as well as offering an idea for their assignment.

"It could work, I don't think many people will choose that," Sue said agreeing instantly with his train of thought.

"Blood runes? What are those?" Harry asked in curiosity as Percy looked at him for a moment.

"Normal runes are tied to the wizard's magic. That's what powers them. Blood runes on the other hand are tied to the user's blood," He explained as he took a blank page out and drew a circle in the middle of it.

"Imagine this is a barrier. While using normal rune magic the best way to break in is to overload the arcane on the rune effectively breaking the barrier," Percy explained as Harry leaned forward paying close attention to his explanation.

"But with blood runes," Sue said jumping in for a bit "You can avoid that flaw since they don't work on magic. As long as that person or relatives live the rune will continue to work," Sue Li said as Harry looked impressed.

He almost laughed a bit at the irony. It wasn't even a week and he was already learning more than he was at Divination "Well it sounds cool, I say we go for it," Harry said as Percy gave him a small smile while Sue just looked at him with the same bored expression as before.

"Then it's settled," Sue said as she glanced at Harry "There should be some books at the end corridor about this topic. Can you get them for us Harry?" Sue asked and Harry wondered for a moment why him, but he just shrugged his shoulders and went for them anyway.

But it wasn't only him who wondered why Harry was sent away. Percy was confused as to why Sue did that and glanced at her with confusion on his face but she spoke up before he could ask anything "Are you a moron?" Sue said surprising Percy a lot.

"What?" Percy asked not knowing what else to say.

"Perhaps I should give you some space"? Are you an idiot?" Sue said a bit annoyed. Percy didn't know where this was coming from but he didn't need to wonder further as she made it clear "You're willing to give up for that prick after what he did to you?" She asked and Percy blinked for a moment before looking away.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Percy said trying to deflect the topic and Sue leaned up to him.

"Does he know? Harry I mean," Sue said and Percy looked down as his hands started closing into fists "Does he know why you gave up on trying to be his friend in our first year?" Sue asked and Percy sighed trying to calm himself down.

"No, he doesn't know," Percy said before looking at her with narrowed eyes "And digging the past it's of no use, so leave it," Percy said and Sue blinked a bit before nodding her head.

"Fine. I just don't know how you could forgive him after what he did to you," Sue said and Percy looked ahead. Then she was surprised by the small hatred that invaded his eyes.

"I haven't. I just don't want to bother about it," Percy said before glancing back at her. He realized something, that annoyance of hers wasn't one of concern but one coming from experience. So he wondered if she had gone through something similar herself "Did he do something to you as well?" He asked and Sue looked down for a moment.

"You weren't the only one that wanted to get close to Harry," Sue said "Even though my intentions were born by the small crush I had for the boy who lived. I still wanted a friendship, but he made it impossible," Sue said and Percy sighed.

"Fucking arsehole," Percy said with a bit of a frown on his face as Sue agreed with him. Then he looked at where Harry had gone before looking at her "Well it's not too late you know," Percy said and Sue blinked at him for a moment "To get close to him, to your crush I mean," Percy said and Sue looked at him for a moment before chuckling softly.

"Oh, Percy that's long gone," Sue said after a moment of chuckling "It was a silly crush that died a while ago," Sue said a bit of a smile on her face a show of her amusement.

"Oh, really?" Percy said as Sue nodded her head "Well that's a shame, you should've had at least a chance," Percy said and Sue shrugged his shoulders.

"It's fine, he's too extroverted for my tastes anyway," Sue said before a small blush appeared on her cheeks "Besides there's someone else I fancy right now," Sue said and Percy grew curios and leaned forward

"Really, who?" He asked a bit cheekily but Sue just gave him a look that shut him down very quickly.

"Don't push it, Percy," Sue said and he chuckled before going back to his books to continue with the assignment. And that made him miss the look that Sue gave him. A look that had a bit of longing behind it.

Back with Harry, he had gotten to the corridor where the books were and he came up with a predicament. He didn't know which to take. So here he was just looking at all the sections out of his depth.

"I'd probably grab the ones on the right," He heard a soft melodic voice behind him say and he turned around a bit surprised by the sudden voice.

There stood a girl a bit shorter than him. Dark-haired and pale white skin that seems to glow a bit with the lighting of the library. And her deep green eyes were looking at him with a curiosity behind them. She sported a Ravenclaw uniform so he didn't have to wonder what house she was in but she wasn't on her year as he didn't recognize her.

"Um, and you are?" Harry asked and then he felt a sense of deja vu, he had experienced this exact same moment back at the entrance of the dark alley.

"Astoria Greengrass. Pleasure to meet you, Potter," Astoria said as Harry nodded. He didn't know who she was but he wasn't rude to not respect those who he didn't know "So, are you done? I have to get a book and you're kind of in the way," She said and Harry blinked.

"Ah right, sorry. Just give me a moment," Harry said taking the books she had mentioned in his arms "Here you go," Harry said stepping away. She gave him a nod of thanks before stepping forward.

Harry saw her looking at a book above her on the top shelf. He was about to offer some help but his eyes winded when he saw her pull the book from the shelf without a wand.

"Please don't tell. I don't want my sister to worry," She said and Harry did a sign of sealing his lips "Ah, and also Potter," She said before she glared at him surprising him a bit.

"You dare hurt Percy in any form and I will end you," She said glaring at Harry hard and he got scared a bit if he was being honest. He gulped the fear down and nodded as Astoria let go of her glare.

"I'll see you around Potter," She said walking away leaving Harry there confused. When it came to meeting people he thought that the one with Percy was the weirdest he had experienced.

But no, this one took the cake.

Quidditch season was just around the corner. And a part of Harry couldn't help but feel excited. Being back on the air was one of the main reasons he always looked forward to coming back to Hogwarts.

Even if Wood was a sadist fuck he was always glad to be back on the broom. Currently, the Gryffindor team was on a break after Wood had made all of them fly laps around the Quidditch stadium.

Harry was sitting down taking in the view when someone brought his attention "Catch," A voice said as he swiftly caught a water bottle coming at him.

He looked up and saw Katie Bell his brown-haired teammate, coming towards him. She had a bit of sweat on her forehead and a towel around her neck. Wood was a sadist indeed they hadn't even started the practice yet.

"Wood is ambitious this year," She said dropping beside him "I'm sure I won't feel my legs later on," She said and he chuckled as he put the bottle next to him.

"Yeh, my arm is sore already," Harry said with a snort before looking at her "Think he'll get mad if lay here for a moment?" He asked and Katie shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't know, don't care," She said dropping down and lying on the ground of the pitch "Ah yes this is nice," Katie said and that was all it took for Harry to drop as well.

"Oh yeah," Harry said with a sigh of relief. The grass felt very nice on his back. He even felt the desire to take a small nap but Katie brought his attention to her.

"What do you think?" Katie asked and Harry looked at her confused "What do you think about all of this?" She asked and Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

"About quidditch?" Harry asked, and Katie hummed before nodding her head. "Ell, I don't have much to think about, honestly," he said, and Katie felt the same way.

"I get it. Want to know a secret?" Katie said and Harry shrugged his shoulders and nodded "I didn't want to join the quidditch team at first," Katie said and Harry blinked for a moment.

"Really!?" He asked a bit surprised as Katie nodded her head.

"Yeah, Angelina and Alicia dragged me into it," Katie said with a chuckle in her voice "And I fucking hated it at first," She said getting a snort out of Harry "I got dizzy, sweaty and everything hurt. Frankly, at the end I wanted to die," She said and Harry chuckled.

"Felt like the first day Wood trained me as well," He said remembering the hell he had gone through when McGonagall introduced him to Wood "What made you stay?" He asked in curiosity.

"The freedom," Katie said as she looked at the sky "There is a sense of freedom very time I get on a broom. Wind in my face and all," She said as Harry looked up to the sky.

"I get it. Playing quidditch makes me feel like I'm in a place no one else can get to," Harry said looking at the clouds missing how Katie looked up at him "Away from all the looks and judgment. A chance to just be myself," He said as Katie grew concerned for a moment.

She moved her hand up to his hair and Harry turned to look at her "Are you okay Harry?" She said while caressing his hair softly. Normally he would've recoiled by the touch but with everything going through his life he had grown tired so he appreciated the moment of affection.

"I'm just a little tired," Harry said and Katie smiled. After the spat, she had seen between him and Ron it was no wonder why he was like this. And she knew she was not the best person to unload on but he needed some rest might as well help him a bit.

"Then let's just stay like this for a bit and enjoy the view," Katie said softly while she continued stroking his hair. He sighed as a bit of heaviness left his shoulders. He knew they would need to go back to training. But for now, he really felt rested and at peace.

And the same could not be said by Hermione Granger. She was sitting on the stands of the quidditch pitch doing some assignments while Crookshanks lay asleep next to her. Normally she would do this back at her dorm but Ron was there and right she was avoiding him the best she could.

Sure he was her friend but he was also being a prick about everything as always. And she could handle well when Harry was there but ever since the spat they had Ron's annoyance had been directed at her and her pet.

And she's had enough of it. That's why she was here avoiding him altogether. Or at least that was one reason.

The other one was about a certain person who had come into her life recently. Percy was something different entirely. She didn't want to be mean but her friends weren't as smart as he was.

She was used to help Harry and Ron with their assignments at every chance she could. It was a custom she had adopted from her muggle school. She knew some people just did it to take advantage of her. And she knew Ron also did it for that purpose she wasn't an idiot.

So when she offered Percy some help she was surprised when he had refused. And not only had he refused he had challenged her work in a good way. He offered a different point of view than hers and suddenly she found herself an equal.

Someone that she can actually debate certain points of view. And even had a different experience than her to pull knowledge from. It was something new for her.

That's why she found herself excited to meet him every single week. That and because of something else but she wasn't ready to admit that.

And the other reason she was here was because she had asked him to meet her there. She wanted to ask him something. She was having an issue and she needed an outside perspective. But if she was being honest with herself, she just wanted to spend some time with him.

Hermione looked from her assignments for a moment. She looked over to the pitch to try and see what Harry was doing but before she could find him a white set of hair invaded her vision.

She smiled as she saw Percy waving at her. A small blush started to appear on her cheeks the more he got closer and as soon as he got to where she was she invited him to take a seat. She moved a bit of stray hair behind her left ear and looked at him as he took a seat on her left "Hi," She said as he gave her a small smile.

"Hey," He said as he removed the dust from his legs "Mind telling me why you brought me all the way here?" He asked a bit curious as Hermione smiled feeling a bit cheeky.

"Thought you'd appreciate the view," She said with a shrug getting a small snort out of him. Then she reached for her bag and took a small black journal out "I wanted to give you this. This is all I can remember from our first year," She said as he grabbed the black journal.

"Oh, that was quick," He said a bit surprised at how little time it took her to write it all "Thank you, Hermione, you really didn't have to do this," Percy said placing the journal next to him.

"Like I told you. I wanted to," Hermione said as she moved a bit more closely to him without him noticing her.

"So, did you just want to give me this? Or was it something else?" Percy asked in curiosity and Hermione had to give it to him. He of course realized there was more to asking him here than the book.

"I wanted your opinion on something," Hermione said as Percy looked at her paying her his undivided attention "How does a friendship work?" Hermione asked as Percy raised an eyebrow.

He was a bit confused so he let her carry on with her explanation "I mean Harry and Ron are my first friends, and technically you're my second. And my friendship with you is pretty different," She explained and Percy crossed his arms.

"Well, every friendship is different. But how is my friendship different?" Percy asked. It was clear this was something else entirely and now he was growing concerned.

"Well, you listen to me for starters," Hermione said before looking forward "And you don't insult me or take advantage of me. I don't know but when I'm around you I feel heard," Hermione said not noticing that she revealed a bit much or the mortified look he was giving her.

"They insult you!?" Percy asked in shock as Hermione looked at him and nodded "Harry and Ron!?" He asked and Hermione sighed.

"Harry doesn't it's mainly Ron. But Harry doesn't say anything against it," Hermione said before looking at him "And it's starting to get annoying if I'm being honest," She admitted and Percy frowned. She was a bit surprised by his disgust so maybe she was right about her annoyance at this.

"What types of insults?" Percy wondered. He needed more information about this issue "Because there is a fine between banter and insults," He explained and Hermione grew curious.

"What's the difference?" She asked and Percy blinked for a moment. Sure he knew she didn't have many friends but he didn't realize it was this bad.

"Um like. For example," Percy said trying to find the best way to explain it "When me and Harry call each other dickheads, cunts, and that sort of stuff. That's banter," Percy said as Hermione nodded taking the information in "But if it's more targeted. If it's directed at an insecurity, when it's mean. When one person feels bad about that. That's an insult," He said as Hermione tilted her head.

"For example?" She asked and Percy thought for a second.

"Like when someone mentions something about my family," Percy said as Hermione frowned in confusion "I'm an orphan. And some people had insulted me about that or my dead fathers. That really pisses me off," He said, and by the hatred in his eyes, she knew there was a specific person in mind.

"So it has to be personal?" Hermione asked and Percy nodded feeling that way was the best to describe it "I see, so he really was insulting me," Hermione said looking down a bit dejected.

"What sort of things has he said to you?" Percy asked as Hermione looked forward for a moment before speaking again.

"The usual stuff. Bookworm, know-it-all, annoying, mental, ugly," She said as Percy nodded "But I feel that if it wasn't for Harry he wouldn't hold back. But maybe I'm just seeing things," She said as she looked at him and now his look was filled with worry. She couldn't help but feel touched.

"And have you talked to him?" He wondered and Hermione shook her head "Why not?" He asked and Hermione looked down.

"If I do he's not gonna take it well. And besides, I can sometimes be those things and I don't want to lose my friends," She said as Percy looked at her with a ton of worry.

How awful had her life had to be for her to keep ignoring all those insults? He needed to do something, something out of the ordinary for him "Hermione," He said as she looked up.

Then his hand went forward and moved a hair strand behind her ear. An action that surprised Hermione especially when his hand stayed on her cheek "You're not those things. You're smart, confident, brave, and fucking beautiful. Don't ever let anyone make you doubt that," He said as Hermione was just shocked at his words.

"And you'll never have to worry about not having any friends," Percy said with conviction behind his eyes "You'll always have me," He said as Hermione blinked for a few moments. Then she brought her hands to her eyes as tears started forming on her eyes.

Then the emotion got the better of her. She had endured a lot these years and while she thought it was normal a part of her knew that something was wrong and having heard Percy reassure her broke it.

So she fell into his chest as he held her tightly trying to comfort her through her tears. Tears the weep for all of those years of mistreatment endured

Percy had one habit. Exploration, that was it. It was dangerous at times but only to him so he considered it safe for most of it. But what he was doing right now could be considered very dangerous.

Okay considered wasn't the right word. It was simply dangerous. Like what he was doing right now, he was currently studying the dementors to the best he could. He was sitting on top of a rock and looking at the distant lake where all the black creatures were hovering around.

There wasn't going to be another opportunity like this any time soon. And he wasn't crazy enough to go to Azkaban. So these creatures being here was a golden opportunity.

He had read a few pages of the journal Hermione had given him and now he was processing what he had read. He got to the part of the troll and had to take a pause. He had severely underestimated how heavy their adventures had been.

There were a lot of unknown variables and questions. Not only with this book but with the whole situation he was currently in.

First his dungeon explorations. As much hope he had received from the previous dungeon he still didn't know where to go. And it frustrated him to no end. Going dungeon from dungeon hoping to find something was just stupid. And he knew that but he didn't have any other idea of what to do.

Then there was all the Slytherin issues. He was no moron, he knew his friendship with Harry was stirring the pot. Sooner or later someone would say something or do something against him. He needed to get ready, or perhaps he needed to prevent it. And he was debating on what to do.

And the final thing that plagued him was the whole business with Daphne. He knew what she was going through. He even understood it but he couldn't stop the anger that he felt at the whole situation. It felt frustrating and it bothered him more than it should.

He pinched his nose before groaning in frustration. He needed to do something, Luna was right action was required but he didn't want to do the wrong one. He wanted to be sure. Some sort of divine intervention would be nice at this point.

Then as he was frustrating himself over all of this a hoot of an owl caught his attention. He moved his hands away and looked up to a tree on his right. There stood a snowy white owl with blue stripes looking down at him with its big eyes.

He tilted his head feeling something was off about the creature. Why was it here? Why was it looking at him? And why did he feel like he was being judged?

Those were the questions that ran through his mind but he lost focus when his left hand started burning up a little. He looked down and the henna tattoo that Luna had made and saw it glowing orange.

He frowned and quickly left the rock grabbing the book in a swift movement. There was an urgency in his step and by his intended direction one could only wonder what had happened.

And as soon as Percy left the rock the owl flew as well. It didn't follow him but instead, it took a shortcut to the Slytherin common room area. The same place where Percy was heading.

A few moments before Percy's mark had burned up a bit in the Slytherin main area was Tracey just passing time and doing some assignments. She wanted to get through homework as soon as possible to get some time to practice quidditch.

But damn the divination assignment was killing her. Not because it was difficult or anything like that. But it was so boring.

It got to the point that her boredom was giving her a headache. And it didn't help that Cassius Warrington, one of the chasers of the quidditch team, was glaring at her.

She had made the mistake of saying she wanted to be a chaser and join the team back when and apparently that had pissed Cassius a lot. And maybe she being half-blood didn't help that much but that didn't matter it appeared.

He hadn't done anything to her yet. But she wasn't kidding herself, that was thanks to Daphne and Percy. Daphne was an important pure-blood so someone like Warrington wouldn't dare to do anything against her. And Percy's aloofness and mysteriousness weirded them all out enough to think things twice.

But now everyone knew she and Daphne weren't talking and Percy wasn't here. She didn't have to be a genius to see that something was going to happen. So she quickly sent magic to the runes on her left hand. And she was glad she did when Cassius stood up.

"Hey I have a question," He said stepping up to the middle of the room "How long are we going to ignore her being friends with those mud-bloods?" He asked as several of the Slytherin students that were there looked up.

The most notable of the bunch were Malfoy and his cronies. Daphne, Theo, and Blaise who stood there in a neutral manner, and those in the quidditch team.

Tracey leaned back and maybe the annoyance made her bolder but she didn't care anymore "If you have anything to say, say it to my face," Tracey said as Cassius narrowed his eyes at her.

"I don't like who you're consorting with," He said simply and Tracey actually laughed at that.

"You joke," Tracey said before calming herself down from the laughter "Warrington it isn't your fucking business who I'm friends with," She said before looking back at her work.

"I'm just saying. There's better picking than those mud-bloods and that freak," He said, and her quill almost snapped at the anger of him insulting Percy. But she calmed herself before she did something rash. But he wasn't letting up "I mean I don't know what you see in that parentless bastard when you could be with better company," He said and Tracey immediately glared at him and she wasn't the only one as Daphne did as well from her place.

"Because his company is ten times better than yours and you pack of dickless cowards," She said before standing up "And say any more about him and I'll drive my wand up your fucking throat," She warned and Cassius just gave her a cheeky smile.

"What a potty mouth. Guess your useless father didn't teach you better," He said and Daphne tried to warn Tracey with her eyes to not do anything rash but she knew there was no stopping her.

Tracey rushed forward and placed her wand up throat before he could even raise his. He gulped at the sudden threat as she had piercing eyes glaring at him "Go on, continue. Keep saying things about my father, see where it ends," She said as Cassius looked around trying to find any help.

But he wouldn't find any around. It was one of Slytherin's main rules. If you had an argument or fight you'd have to finish it yourself and never let it go out of these walls. So help was not something he would receive.

So he just gulped and shut his mouth and that was enough for Tracey, she put her wand away and turned around but that was a mistake. Cassius wasn't going to live with that humiliation and not especially by someone who he deemed below his status.

So before she could leave he grabbed her arm with his right hand and turned her around and slapped her right in her right cheek. The sound of his hand hitting was deafening enough to silence and shock everyone there. The force was strong enough to send Tracey to the ground and looked up at Cassius in shock.

"Do not ever forget your place filthy half-blood. Who do you think you are by threatening me huh?" Cassius said glaring down at her before looking around trying to shower himself in pride at what he had done.

But surprisingly no one was looking at him there. No, they were all a bit afraid and were looking at the entrance of the common room. He wondered what got them all scared and decided to look at the entrance as well.

And there stood Perseus Nyx, watching in cold boredom at the scene that was happening. His eyes didn't betray any though and just a blank face was all that Cassius met. He didn't know what the white-haired teen was thinking and that weirded him out but he had made his bed and refused to leave it.

"Ah, the freak has come back. What? Here to help you filthy…" He started spluttering threats to Percy as well but couldn't finish his sentence as a huge force of air suddenly hit his stomach. It crashed into his stomach immediately taking his breath out but the force didn't stop there.

No, it continued to push forward enough as Cassius started feeling himself being lifted from the ground. And the last thing he saw before he was sent flying away into the chimney behind him was Percy's outstretched right hand.

As Cassius's back hit the chimney all who were gathered around couldn't do anything but stare in shock at what had just happened. One moment Cassius was standing on top of Tracey and then he was crashing into the chimney.

Even Tracey who was rubbing her cheek was too shocked to even process what just happened. Her shock was so big that she even missed the first time that Percy spoke to her "What?" She asked once she realized that he was kneeling in front of her.

"Let me see," He said simply and Tracey could see how he was holding his anger back trying to stay calm. It was all in his eyes. She removed her hand from her cheek and he narrowed his eyes at the red mark that had started to appear "Go to your room, I have something that can help with that," He said before he stood up.

Tracey looked at him a bit afraid before looking at Cassius, she was scared of what Percy would do to him. But then he gave her a reassuring small smile "Go on, I'll handle things here," He said as Tracey nodded and stood up promptly going to her dorm.

Percy then crossed eyes with Daphne and quietly told her to go after Tracey. The message was clear things between them needed to be resolved now. Then he looked at Cassius and started walking forward "Marcus, correct me if I'm wrong but our first match is against Gryffindor right?" He asked out loud but never took his eyes off Cassius.

"Yes," Marcus Flint, the captain of the Slytherin quidditch, found himself only capable of answering like that. He was confused as to why he was being addressed.

"Now I'm not the most competitive or prideful housemate. But I know that if Gryffindor wins I will never hear the end of it," Percy said as he got closer to Cassius "So, since you have two injured players you're in dire need of backup players. So how about me and Tracey help you in that regard?" He said as he got to where Cassius was.

Flint looked at his chaser and saw him groaning in pain. The crash must've hurt but other than that he seemed fine "You're count is off. There's only one injured player," Flint said glancing at Malfoy who had a look of deep fear in his eyes for whatever reason that Marcus didn't know.

"I don't think so," Percy said grabbing Cassius' right arm. Then before anyone could react they all saw Percy twisting Cassius' arm hard enough to break it from the elbow. The injury was bloody enough that you could see his bone sticking out of his arm and suddenly the room was filled with Cassius' screams of pain "See, two injured players," Percy said and then looked down seeing some blood on his hands and right cheek.

Flint was just too shocked and afraid of what just happened so he stumbled on his response on when should Percy and Tracey join quidditch practice "Um, right. Thursdays at two," He said as Percy got rid of the blood on his hands.

"Very well," Percy said walking to the girls' dorms without any more comment. He needed to say anything more. His message was sent and he hoped no one would dare to hurt his friends again.

And everyone there just kept looking at Cassius with fear. Percy took him down quite easily so how could they ever compete, and no one was feeling more fear than Malfoy.

But there were two who weren't afraid, two who saw the chance of a lifetime. Two who saw an opportunity where everyone else saw chaos. Blaise and Theo were almost salivating at the power that Percy showed.

They were hiding it well Blaise better than Theo but if you looked closely at them you could see the greed behind their eyes. Sure, they were waiting for either Malfoy or Percy to make a mood since the two of them were clearly the powerhouses in Slytherin. But after what Percy just did it didn't matter the chance of learning a bit of that power was too good to pass on.

So they gave each other a nod and quietly stood up. They needed to talk to Percy it was time for them to back him up.

Back at the girls' dorms, Percy was looking at Tracey's cheek carefully while applying a sort of ointment over the red part of her cheek while Daphne stood to the side looking at Tracey in concern "Percy I told you I'm fine," Tracey said a bit embarrassed about him fussing over her.

"Tracey," Percy said looking at her for a moment "Shut up and let me worry about you," He said as Tracey blushed and looked down not being used to someone worrying about her like this.

Then she glanced at Daphne who was looking at the floor in shame and a bit of annoyance came forward in Tracey's mind "Why didn't you intervene?" She asked a bit angry at her.

Daphne looked up for a moment to try and explain herself but no reason was enough so she just looked down "Don't blame her," Percy said as Tracey looked at him a bit confused and angry.

"But," She said but Percy just gave her a look interrupting her train of thought, and stopped applying the ointment.

"If she had she would've become a target. And she has a lot to lose if she did," Percy said placing the ointment box on her nightstand "That doesn't mean she wasn't worried about you," He said as Tracey looked down understanding why Daphne didn't intervene. She didn't like it but she understood it.

And Daphne was looking at Percy with wide eyes. She was sure no one understood why she was doing this. But hearing Percy not only understanding it but also defending her made her a bit emotional. How long has it been since he defended her like that? She missed it.

Then Percy leaned at the nightstand and looked at Daphne "Daph, aren't you tired?" He asked bringing her out of her thoughts. Tracey looked at him also wondering what he was doing.

"What?" Daphne asked in confusion as Percy sighed before looking up at her.

"Aren't you tired? Of shutting yourself down? Pretending to be something you're not? Be honest," Percy asked and Daphne placed a hand on her elbow while she looked away.

"Yes, but you know it doesn't matter what I think. It's just what I have to do," She said and Tracey for the first time could hear the sadness behind her words. Seems like she was going through something as well.

"Duty right?" Percy asked as Daphne nodded her head "Then what if you pretend for just a moment that duty didn't exist? What would you do in that case?" Percy asked and Daphne looked down for a moment.

What would she do indeed if duty was forgotten? Sometimes that could be a hard thought question but for her, it wasn't. It wasn't because she asked herself that question every single day "Then I would go straight to you and beg for forgiveness even though I know I don't deserve it," Daphne said as Tracey looked at her. Now she realized how much Daphne needed help. She wanted to rush and hug her right now but she knew that wasn't what she needed. She needed to put her trust in Percy.

"Daph, do you trust me?" Percy asked as both girls looked at him in confusion. Both wondered where he was going with this "Simple yes or no question do you trust me?" He asked again and Daphne looked at him for a moment.

Again she didn't have to think to much. After all they've been through the answer was clear for her "Yes," She said with conviction as Percy crossed his arms and looked at her.

"Then let me help you fix this burden of yours," Percy said and before she could say no he continued speaking "I know what it is and I know a way so please, let us help you," Percy said as Daphne's eyes grew big in slight shock. She wanted to ask him how he knew but no words came out of her. A part of her wasn't surprised he knew.

"Please let me help you. I can't keep going on like this," Percy said and now the girls realized how much being apart from Daphne was hurting him "Please, I miss my best friend," He said with emotion clear in his eyes.

Emotion so big that struck Daphne to her core and she started walking towards him slowly. She got up to him and met his eyes and both of them were trying hard to hold back their tears. She moved one hand forward and rubbed the tear that had dropped from his right eye "Could you ever forgive me for this?" She said hoping he did. She wanted her best friend back as well.

Then she winded in surprise when Percy abruptly wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to him "Always you moron," He said as she stopped fighting her tears and let them out freely.

Percy had started tearing up a bit and had a huge smile on his face but then knew something was missing. He looked up and saw Tracey tearing up but otherwise just sitting on the bed watching all of that "What are you waiting for?" He asked simply and that was all it took for Tracey to jump from the bed and crash into both of them.

"Fucking finally. I couldn't take this anymore," Tracey said as she wrapped her arms around Daphne "Don't you dare do that again Daph. My heart can't take it," She said as Daphne chuckled with teary eyes still.

"I'll try," She said as Tracey put her head into Daphne's shoulder to hide her tears. The trio were a mess of tears but at least they were glad they were all back together. They had missed each other a lot.

But their reunion moment was cut short by a knock on the door "Yo Nyx, you there? Me and Blaise wanted to speak to you," Theo said from behind the door. Percy looked up and slowly removed himself from the hug.

"I'll tell them to leave," He said but a hand stopped him in his tracks. He looked back and saw Daphne holding his wrist stopping him in place.

"Don't," Daphne said before looking at the door "After what you did the only reason they're here is to get knowledge of that power," Daphne said as Percy and Tracey could see the gears turning in her head.

"We need to play this smart. If we can get them on our side then we're a step closer to controlling Slytherin," She said to the two of them as both Tracey and Percy shared a look.

"She's back," Tracey said as Daphne blinked for a moment before looking at both of them in confusion. Then she understood what they were saying and chuckled in amusement.

"Just shut up and look here," Daphne said taking her wand out. Then she started moving it in a circular motion. Then their faces started losing their tears and became a bit more presentable "There, now go. We will follow your lead, Percy," She said as Percy gave her a confused look same as Tracey.

"Didn't we say if we ever did this that we would follow you?" Percy asked her and Daphne looked down before letting out a sigh.

"I lost that right. I can't do it anymore," Daphne said before looking at Percy and giving him a small smile "But I'll happily follow you, Percy, till the end of my days," She said and Percy blinked and tried to argue back but Tracey slapped his arm.

"Heavy is the crown my friend and it's all yours. Especially after that display outside. You'll have to tell us how you did that," She demanded and Percy chuckled and nodded. He wanted to argue more about leading but Tracey's next statement shut him up "Come on, you cannot turn two pretty girls down like that. Man up Perseus," Tracey said cheekily bringing Daphne close and the blond girl tried to mimic Tracey's smile as best she could.

"Fine," Percy said pretending to be exasperated before placing a hand on each girl's shoulder "But we need a united front. At least between us three," Percy said as both girls nodded.

"United front," Daphne said with a nod before looking at Tracey who nodded as well "Now go on before you pissed them off," She said as Percy nodded and walk up to the door.

He opened it and saw Theo and Blaise waiting there a bit annoyingly. Or at least Theo was with Blaise you could never guess "Sorry, what can I do for you fellas?" Percy said leaning on the wall on the left of the door.

"What were you doing? Snogging? Or why did you take so long?" Theo asked a bit annoyed and Percy chuckled before looking at him.

"We were resolving previous issues," Percy said cryptically "I'm guessing you wanted to know what that was right?" Percy asked and Blaise took over.

"Yes, but I'm guessing you're not gonna tell us," Blaise said and Percy looked at him appreciating how smart Blaise was.

"No I'm not," Percy said as Theo frowned a bit "Not that I don't trust you but these walls have ears. I cannot tell you while we're at Hogwarts," Percy said as Theo sighed. He wanted to know but understood Percy's hesitance.

"Fair enough. Still, can we come in? If we're to fully support you we need to talk steps," Theo said as Percy looked at them in wonder.

"Oh, you're willing to do so?" Percy asked pretending to be shocked. Best if they thought they had the upper hand.

"We might, but it's best if we don't discuss these topics out in the open," Blaise said and Percy nodded agreeing with the Italian teenager. He moved to the side and let them through.

He closed the door behind them and put magic into the silencing rune. Best if no one knew what was discussed here. Theo and Blaise saw the two girls sitting on the bed and Theo couldn't help himself.

"Guess those two were a given," Theo said to Blaise who just rolled his eyes. They watched Percy take a seat on a couch near a window while the two stood close to the bed "So what's your game?" Theo asked Percy who just looked at him in confusion.

"Yes, because these moves you're making don't make sense," Blaise said as Percy glanced at him "No offense. But befriending Granger and Potter with Malfoy watching. It is pretty bold," He said and Percy shrugged.

"Maybe boldness is our motto," Tracey chipped in from where she was as the boys looked at her "And you really care who he befriends?" Tracey asked and Blaise shrugged his shoulders.

"Not really, but like he said it's bold," Theo said before looking at Percy "Look if we're going to piss off the death eater faction we could at least use a good reason," He said as Percy looked up but Daphne answered for him.

"And what could you offer then?" She asked as Theo and Blaise looked at her "Sure your support is great and all. But other than that what else?" She asked and Theo hummed.

"Well with me you have another seat on the council. Sure my uncle could be a problem but my father still has a good hold. And Malfoy wouldn't dare go against the Nott family," Theo said and Blaise took over.

"And you can use my mother's contacts to your advantage, and the numbers matter," Blaise said as Daphne narrowed her eyes and was about to say that wasn't enough but Percy interrupted her by speaking for the first time.

"It's okay," Percy said reading Daphne's thoughts as all of them looked at him "It doesn't matter what you bring to the table what matters it's what you do once you're there," Percy said rubbing his face.

"Mind if speak freely?" Percy asked as everyone there nodded their heads "As you know, I grew up a lot different than you," Percy said looking down "After the war I ended up in a muggle orphanage. It was shit but it has it's good parts," He said as Theo and Blaise took a seat wondering where this was going to not knowing that the girls were confused as well.

"One of the good things is that this orphanage had a massive library, not like the one Hogwarts but it was massive still," Percy said reminiscing for a bit "And for a child with no friends it was paradise. So I grew up reading all these fantasy books like Narnia, the Hobbit, that sort of stuff," Percy said glancing up knowing full well they wouldn't know what those books are.

"Books full of powerful characters and magical creatures. It was my escape from reality," Percy said chuckling a bit "So imagine my excitement when I learned that this world existed. A magical world where everything I imagined was real. Dragons, magic, elves, huge magical landscapes. All of it was suddenly real. But that excitement didn't last long, because after all this world held a secret," Percy said leaning forward and pinching his nose in the process.

"It was not long till I realized that this world was pathetic," Percy said looking at all of them "I was hoping for a world of freedom and exploration, and instead I got bigotry, racism, and plain boredom. Made me want to burn it all," Percy said as Theo grew curious instead of afraid.

"So you plan to burn the world? Sounds too cliché don't you think?" He asked a bit amused and Percy snorted.

"No, that would take too long, and like you said it's too cliché," He said dropping back to the couch outside the window, the clouds were starting to move past the moon "I want to build a new world," Percy said surprising everyone there.

"What?" Daphne asked realizing that in all their talks he had never revealed his goals for the future "Why would you want to do something like that?" She asked as everyone there was wondering the same question.

Then as the clouds let the moon breathe and shine its light a ray hit Percy's spot illuminating him and he had his eyes closed when it hit him. Then he slowly opened his eyes revealing his red iris in each as well as his black sclera and his pointy ears. Everyone there was so shocked and frightened by his sudden change of appearance that they almost missed his final statement.

"I just want a world where everyone is free,"

End of Chapter 5

Chapter Text

Harry was frustrated. Slightly depressed even. Everyone in his house was chatting excitedly about what they would buy after going to Hogsmeade. It frustrated him enough to leave his dorm. He was walking through the school corridors but the sentiment around the school was the same so he searched for some peace.

So he ended up on the bridge that connected the main school to its outskirts. He was looking at the clouds wondering what he could do to go on the trip. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he missed Percy approaching him.

"How's the brooding going?" Percy asked surprising Harry a bit. He managed to get it under control very fast and just rolled his eyes at the white-haired teen.

"I'm not brooding," Harry said before looking back at the clouds "I'm just thinking," Harry said as Percy leaned his back on the rail next to Harry.

"About?" Percy asked curiously. Maybe Harry's sour face worried Percy a bit and he was glad for it, but he really didn't need it right now. But Percy wasn't going to let it go so best if he told him.

"Wondering how I can go to Hogsmeade," Harry said with a sigh "Think McGonagall would sign it?" Harry asked referencing the permission slip everyone needed signed to go there.

"No," Percy said simply as Harry cringed at his lack of tack. Trust Percy to always tell you things like they are "She's not your guardian and signing it would be against the rules. Besides, with all the Sirius Black business I doubt she would sign it," Percy said as Harry sighed in defeat.

"Yeah you're probably right," Harry said while rubbing his face "Guess I'll have to spend the day in boredom," Harry said and then he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"You forget I'm not going either," Percy said as Harry blinked before looking at him. He had forgotten that indeed "We can think of something to do," Percy said as Harry gave him a thankful smile.

"Now come. Wallowing in self-pity would do you no good," Percy said lifting and walking forward as Harry grew confused and walked behind him.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked wondering where Percy was leading him.

"I'm meeting some friends to go over some assignments. You can come if you want," Percy said as Harry grew a bit curious.

"Your friends from Slytherin?" Harry asked and Percy nodded his head "Only them?" Harry asked and Percy hummed.

"Well Sue wanted to come as well and Daphne had some things to go over with Susan and Hermione so they'll probably come," Percy said with a hum, "I told Luna if she wanted to come on the way here and she told me she would bring a friend," He said with a shrug and Harry hummed.

"Sounds like a big group," Harry said, and then his mind went to a specific person "And Neville?" Harry asked wondering about the person he vowed to get to know better.

"First person I asked," Percy said with a small smile. It appeared the bond between the three because of their exploration was as strong for Percy as his. So, even if there were a lot of people going there he found himself wanting to go.

So he followed Percy around the school but what weirded him out a bit was that Percy wasn't heading to the library. Instead, he led him toward an empty classroom on the top floor of the school.

Percy let him enter first and the first sight to greet him where two people throwing marshmallows at each other's mouths. The first one was Tracey and the other was a brown-haired boy from Slytherin. He saw Tracey catching the marshmallows and celebrating right as he entered.

"This doesn't look like a study session," Harry whispered at Percy who snorted and crossed his arms.

"We're on a break, come on let me introduce you to everyone," Percy said as Harry looked around. Besides Tracey, there were three other Slytherins. Sue Li was there as well as Padma, Susan, and Hannah.

"Everyone I brought company," Percy said as everyone looked over at them. Harry grew self-conscious and looked at them a bit nervous.

"Hi, I'm Harry," He found himself introducing himself nervously as the brown-haired boy snorted.

"We know, you're pretty famous Potter," He said as Harry almost grew annoyed but the blond girl from Slytherin deescalated things very quickly.

"Don't mind him, Potter, Theo's a bit crud but he does mean well," She said as Harry glanced at her. He grew curious as she had Aurora around her neck, he wondered if Percy and she weren't talking then why did she have his pet there "I'm Daphne and the quiet one over there is Blaise," She said as Harry looked at the tanned Slytherin boy who offered him a nod.

"Yeah I remember," He said glancing back at Daphne before looking at Percy "I thought you weren't speaking to one another," He said and Percy shrugged his shoulders.

"We made amends," He offered simply and Harry just nodded not asking further questions.

"Hey Potter," Theo said as Tracey dropped from the desk she was on. She offered him a smile before walking towards Daphne.

"You can call me Harry," Harry said not feeling insulted knowing the customs purebloods have thanks to Percy. Theo gave him a cheeky smile full of amusement.

"Very well Harry. Want to try?" Theo asked as Harry looked at him confused "Simple thing. Just climb the desk over there and try to catch it with your mouth," Theo said as Harry raised an eyebrow at Percy who gave him an encouraging look.

"I thought we were studying," Harry wondered out loud as he started climbing the desk across Theo's.

"We're waiting for the others to get here," Sue said as Harry looked at her in confusion wondering who the others were "Hermione and Neville went for some books and Ginny went for some snacks with Luna," She explained as Harry blinked a few times.

"Ginny's here as well?" He asked a bit surprised that Ginny would come here since it wasn't her type of crowd. And Blaise looked over at him offering a response.

"Luna dragged her here, you can blame Nyx," Blaise said pointing at Percy who was eating some cheeps next to where Theo was.

"You have a problem with Ginny or something?" Percy asked in curiosity hiding his tone of amusement hiding the fact that he was making fun of Harry.

"No, no. I'm just surprised that's all," Harry said before looking at Theo who had a marshmallow in his hand.

"Ready golden boy? Or do you want the join the dorky squad over there?" Theo asked pointing at Padma, Susan, and Hannah who were in the middle of finishing a potions assignment.

"You come and do Snape's assignment wanker," Susan said flipping him off and getting chuckles from the boys there.

Harry controlled his laughter and just looked at Theo with fierce conviction "Just throw it," Harry said as Theo smiled and threw the marshmallow at him.

Harry wobbled for a bit but ultimately failed to catch the marshmallow. But before it could hit the ground it disappeared and landed on a tray next to Theo's "Damn close though. Now you throw," Theo said pointing at the tray next to Harry.

Harry wondered what kind of magic was that but didn't ask as he started having fun with the marshmallows and continued with the game.

Both of them took turns around while the others either continued with their assignments or watched them play around. Theo had caught three marshmallows while Harry had caught none. But as the missing people from the group arrived he managed to catch one with the edge of his teeth. He celebrated by throwing his hands up in the air and he wobbled on the desk almost tripping off.

"You guys are still on that? One of you will get hurt," Hermione said as Theo, Harry, and Percy were laughing hard at the almost fall of Harry.

"Best if we listen to her," Percy said as Theo and Harry dropped down from the desks before anyone fell "Otherwise she would trip you herself," He said with a laugh as Hermione slapped his arm while passing by.

"Prat," She said as she joined Tracey and Daphne. Neville approached Harry glad to finally have someone else he got along.

"We brought muffins and biscuits," Luna exclaimed as she and Ginny put the food upwards as some of them celebrated her sentence.

"I still think is abuse you sent us for them," Ginny said grumbling as the whole group got close together in a circle.

"You're the youngest, it's like a law," Theo said with a laugh as Ginny flipped him off with a sweet smile on her face. She took a seat next to Harry unconsciously and when she realized she got a blush noticed by some of the people there and they didn't hide their chuckles. But only she knew what it meant so she glared at them all.

Then the trio who was working on Snape's assignment approached them Susan yawned before dropping next to Percy "Fucking sadist cunt," She said as Percy gave her a look of amusement which she promptly pushed away as the group chuckled at her choice of words.

"Who got you so mad?" Hermione asked in curiosity wondering what subject had stressed her that much.

"Snape. He gets a kick out of torturing us," Susan said cracking her back while Harry and Neville as well nodded their heads agreeing with her statement "All that shit for a vial that small, fuck him," Susan said getting chuckles from the group.

"He's a manchild. Stuck forever in the past," Daphne said as Harry looked at her in confusion.

"How so?" He asked as the group minus Hermione looked at Percy letting him answer for them all.

"We don't know the details but apparently he didn't have a good time in Hogwarts, he was a bully victim from what I understand," Percy said and looked at Daphne at the end who nodded telling him his information was good.

"How do you know this?" Hermione wondered. Seems all this group was pretty knowledgeable about these things.

"Perks of being pureblood you could say. Cunts like to gossip," Theo said getting chuckles all around "Gossip is like drugs to those idiots," He said as Daphne found herself agreeing the most.

But Hermione was still pretty confused and Percy noticed it so he nodded at Daphne out of everyone's view "Most of our families are in the ministry. Families with ancient and noble descendants get to vote on matters of our world. And gossip is key information in the ministry," Daphne explained as Hermione nodded taking the information in.

"It's all rubbish. Mainly who is friends with who? Who is cheating on who with who, that sort of thing," Susan offered as Hannah nodded beside her but didn't comment further.

"That is the playground our minister has created," Blaise said with a bit of disgust behind his eyes.

"So like your father Ginny?" Harry asked as Ginny looked down embarrassed momentarily before shaking her head.

"Not really. My father is just an office worker, he doesn't have a vote on the ministry," Ginny said playing with her hair feeling embarrassed at the obvious comparison.

"He's not missing anything," Theo said surprisingly reassuring "It is a pain in the ass at the end of things," Theo said as Ginny gave him a small smile in thanks.

"Honest work is more fun than anything," Luna chimed in and everyone looked at her with curiosity in their eyes "I've met your father a few times and he seems happier than most purebloods I know," She said looking at Ginny who had her eyes wide open.

"Luna," She said grabbing Luna's hand as a show of gratitude. They had their own private little moment as Padma took over.

"So Harry, since you just arrived. Do you have any questions on how this works?" Padma asked him as Harry looked around at all of them.

"Um, isn't it like a simple study session? Like the ones we have before?" Harry asked as Padma shook her head and Hermione answered for everyone there.

"It's a bit different since we're a big group," She said as Harry looked at Hermione "If you're working on something specific just call out loud what you need help on. Someone will then help you with it," She said as Harry blinked a bit confused.

"Everyone here is pretty knowledgeable in at least one subject. So help is sure to come," Daphne explained as Harry looked at her before nodding understanding to the best he could.

"That's why Percy brought you here," Blaise commented as Harry blinked before looking at him and Percy. And the white-haired teen looked away sheepishly "Since you're the best DADA student we could use your help," He said as Harry blushed a bit.

"I'm the best?" Harry said as Theo laughed a bit.

"Well, we didn't bring you here for your potions skills," Theo said getting chuckles from some people around as Harry scratched the back of his head sheepishly "Now can we start? Because I need severe help on McGonagall's assignment," Theo said as the group focused back on why they were there.

Harry looked around at all the people there. This was the first time he was with a huge group of people like this and it felt different. It felt good, for the first time he truly felt like he was living instead of just surviving.

"Wood you sadist prick, it's one pm. Why are we training so early!?" Fred whined as the whole Gryffindor quidditch team walked the school corridors together.

Wood had secured the quidditch pitch for them. Early practice he had called it but they all knew it was Wood's ambition and some of them had to admit that they hated being dragged because of it. But they still went with it either way.

Harry and Katie were trailing behind, having their own private conversation instead of joining the group's one: "Heard you made new friends?" Katie said referring to the group Harry had joined for the past few weeks now

"Rumors fly fast don't they?" Harry said a bit amused as Katie chuckled a bit "They're good people," He said as Katie hummed.

"Not according to your friend Ron," Katie reminded him as Harry's face turned sour. He was reminded of the endless spats Ron had with him and Hermione when he learned about the study group.

At least Quidditch season was starting and Ron had calmed down but while Harry pretended to ignore all the verbal discussions Hermione didn't. Something had changed in her demeanor. Usually when she and Ron fought it lasted a week before they continued speaking to one another.

But this time after Ron had called Percy a slimy cunt one too many times Hermione lost it. She called him an arsehole and a cunt and refused to talk to him for three weeks straight. It was only recently that they started talking again but only when Harry was there as well.

She was pissed he could tell but he was glad she still talked to him but he was worried that the trio of friendship was falling apart. And apparently, Katie had noticed his worry as well "Something wrong Harry?" She asked as Harry looked at her for a moment.

He wondered if he should grief out his concerns to her but he realized he needed an outsider's point of view "I'm scared I'm losing my friends," Harry said as Katie looked at him with worried eyes "I'm glad I'm making new friends but I'm afraid about losing my previous one," Harry explained as Katie nodded and looked forward.

"You know, I had a good friend back home. We were tight like this," Katie said crossing her fingers together "We did everything together. Shopping, going to parks, skipping school, all of it," Katie said as Harry paid close attention.

"Then on the year before I discovered I was a wizard we just stopped talking," Katie said and Harry raised an eyebrow at her showing his curiosity.

"What happened?" He asked as Katie shrugged her shoulders.

"I started playing soccer and she went to summer camp of advanced classes. And we just grew apart, it happens," Katie said before looking at Harry "Sometimes people just grow apart. Now I'm not saying that that's what's happening to you and Ron," She said before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay to hold out a bridge to your friendship but it's up to him to cross it," Katie said as Harry looked down "And while losing a friendship hurts, don't forget you have friends to fall on," Katie said as Harry looked up and pulled back the tears that threaten to leave his eyes.

"Yeah you're right," Harry said as Katie smiled at him before letting go of his shoulder. He felt a bit better. He was sure there were more spats with Ron in his future but if the friendship were to remain it would have to be up to the redhead.

The Gryffindor team arrived at the pitch but stopped when they saw Wood stop abruptly "The fuck is this?" Wood said a bit in shock but everyone could hear the annoyance in his voice. They entered the pitch and saw why he was annoyed.

The Slytherin team was there practicing and training. It seems they arrived earlier than the Gryffindor team. Wood went up to the captain of the Slytherin team who was in the middle of the pitch looking around at his players.

"Marcus you twat! The pitch is ours to practice the hell are you doing here!?" Wood said as Marcus looked at him with a sly smile on his face.

"Wood, what a coincidence," Flint said with slight mirth in his eyes "Lovely morning innit?" He said as Wood felt his annoyance grow to new levels.

Harry watched from the sidelines how Wood and Flint insulted each other. It was usual for them to go on this tirade of insults but then Flint said something that caught everyone's attention "Stop this Wood you look pathetic," Flint said as Wood narrowed his eyes at him "We had a special permit to train our two newest members and we're almost done," Flint said letting out a whistle at the end.

Then most of the team looked up and Harry's eyes widened when he saw a familiar girl run around the beaters and score at record speeds. Then most of the Slytherin team got down to the pitch next to Marcus "So, what do you think? She hasn't missed a score in all practice," Flint said with a glee look on his face as Tracey dropped out of her broom with sweat on her forehead and a huge smile on her face.

"You replaced Warrington?" Wood asked shocked. The Slytherin team had a close policy and Warrington had never left the team under Flint's captainship.

"Warrington faced an awful incident that left him injured," Flint said glancing at Tracey for a moment as she just narrowed her eyes at him "So I was forced to call supplements for all my injured players," Flint explained as Harry grew confused. He said all his injured players and the other one that was injured was the one that got hit by a Hippogriff.

"You replaced your seeker?" Harry found himself asking as Flint just looked at him with a wide smirk on his face.

Then he heard it, the buzz of the golden snitch right next to him. He looked to his right and saw the snitch flying there. It stood there for a minute and tried to fly away but in an instant, someone rushed there and caught it before it could fly away.

Harry saw the hand that caught the snitch then he looked up as his eyes winded further and his mouth opened in shock as he saw his white-haired Slytherin friend hovering right in front of him. Percy was looking down at him with a small sly smirk on his face. Then a slight excitement grew within Harry, for the first time in the three years since he had joined the quidditch team he was excited to play against Slytherin.

Harry was rushing through the corridors at huge speeds. Percy was right asking McGonagall to sign his permission slip didn't work so he was stuck at the school as everyone had gone to Hogsmeade.

But not everyone. Percy had stayed back as well and had told Harry to meet him at the DADA classroom. And while walking there he had almost got caught by Filch the school's Gate Keeper. But he had managed to evade him.

He arrived at the classroom and quickly entered it avoiding everyone's sight "Who are you running from?" Neville asked and Harry turned around surprised at finding Neville there.

"Filch. What are you doing here Nev?" Harry asked in confusion as he thought that Nev had gone on the trip like everyone else.

"Oh shit Nev seems someone doesn't like you," Percy said from the side as Neville pretended to be hurt and wallowed at Harry's words "How rude of you Harry," Percy said as Harry's eyebrow twitched and the duo of boys laughed when Harry called them twats.

"Going to Hogsmeade is great with friends. But since you two weren't going I just didn't want to," Neville explained as Harry beamed at the consideration he was given "And I just can go to the next one," He said as Harry nodded in understanding.

"Right so, Harry, did you bring what I asked?" Percy asked as Harry looked up at him.

"Oh yeah," Harry said taking out a few pieces of paper out of his pockets "I didn't know what to write so please don't judge me," Harry said as Percy smiled at him.

Percy had asked him to write a few dare challenges as well as some truth questions. He said that they would play a modified version of Truth or Dare and just write whatever Harry liked. Percy then walked up to him with a bowl filled with papers similar to Harry's.

"Please put them in sir," Percy said cheekily as Harry dropped the pieces of paper into the bowl then Percy started mixing the papers around "Game's simple. Each of us will go one at a time and draw one paper out. It can be a challenge or a question," Percy said placing the bowl next to another one filled with candy that Harry recognized.

"If you fail the challenge or choose not to answer a question then you'll have to eat one Betty Boot's Every Flavor Bean," Percy said as Harry and Neville nodded in understanding "Now, who of you pretty boys would like to start?" Percy asked as Neville looked at Harry.

"I'd say that the last to get here should go first," Neville said as Harry snorted and gave him a playful glare as he stepped up.

He put his hand on the bowl and grabbed a paper. He started reading it and grew confused "Balance your wand with the tip of your tongue for a minute," He said looking at the boys there "How am I supposed to do that?" Harry asked and Percy tilted his head.

"Whichever way you like mate. But it has to be a minute," Percy said taking a miniature hourglass that measured the passing of a minute "Whenever you like to start," Percy said as Harry took his wand out.

He wondered how he was going to do this for a moment till he decided to just go for it. He placed his wand on his tongue horizontally and gave Percy a thumbs-up to start the countdown.

He wobbled back and forth trying to maintain his balance but, in the end, he couldn't do the challenge in time as he dropped the wand at the forty-second mark. "Ooh unlucky," Neville said as Harry flipped him off trying to catch his wand.

Harry then eat a bean and immediately did a face of disgust "Sour lime for fucks sake," Harry said much to the amusement of Neville and Percy.

Then Neville grabbed a paper and read it out loud "With the levioso charm try and stack at least twenty books without them dropping," Neville said as he looked at the books around the tables "I can do that," Neville said as Harry laughed a bit and took a seat on top a desk.

"Bit cocky aren't we?" He said as Neville snorted and took out his wand. Then he started. He was doing great so Harry and Percy started making noises to try and break Neville's focus. But it didn't matter as Neville managed to stack the twenty books almost perfectly. The tower wobbled a bit but it maintained the position for a minute so Neville managed to complete his challenge.

Then it was Percy's turn and he did a bit of a show about grabbing a paper but once he read what was in the paper his eyes were filled with disgust "Go and flirt with moaning Myrtle, nah fuck that give me the candy," Percy said as Harry and Neville chuckled at his demeanor.

He ate a bean and nothing happened no reaction "What was it?" Harry asked eager to know what Percy had eaten. Then out of the blue Percy started turning red and he had to spit out the bean into the trash.

"Fucking hell that was spicy," Percy said over the trash as Harry and Neville laughed at his misfortune.

"Mine was an easy one let me go next," Neville said finding the courage to take another challenge. Courage that soon disappeared when he read what was in the paper "Is there someone you fancy in school?" Neville said as the boys looked at him in curiosity.

Then Neville's cheeks soon turn red from embarrassment "Oh my god there is! Come on spill!" Harry said as Percy managed to get rid of the spiciness and was looking at Neville with a knowing smirk.

But Neville just put his hand on the candy bowl as Harry booed him. Then he ate the bean and immediately stopped coughing "Cinnamon dust dammit," Neville said as Harry laughed at his misfortune while Percy looked at him.

"You're having too much fun, Harry. Go on your next," Percy said putting the bowl forward as Neville managed to get his cough under control.

"Fine, see how I nail this challenge," Harry said as he took a piece of paper out "Run out the outside corridor on your knickers, fuck!" Harry said as Neville and Percy smirked at him.

"Go on, nail this challenge," Percy said as Harry narrowed his eyes and then looked down for a moment. Frankly, this could be done very easily but he had a problem.

The scars. The multiple scars he had around his torso and back thanks to his upbringing back home. He hesitated but he was having fun and he was not ready to stop "I'll do it, but promise one thing," Harry said seriously surprising Neville and Percy a bit "You'll have to ignore what you see," Harry said as the other two grew confused.

"Ignore what we see? What do you mean by that?" Neville asked in confusion and Percy felt the same as him.

"Look I trust you guys," Harry said before realizing something and saying it out loud "Even more than Hermione and Ron, thanks to what we have been through," Harry said referring to their adventures "But I'm not dumb to realize that each of us carry something heavy around their shoulders, scars you could say," Harry said as Percy narrowed his eyes at him.

"You'd be right," Percy said as Neville nodded. It was no secret that each teen there had their own share of burdens "Are you saying we might see yours if you take your shirt off?" Percy asked as Harry nodded.

"Yes, and I've learned to live with it. So I ask you to not make a big fuss about it and to not ask me any questions," Harry said as Percy and Neville gave each other a look "Just promise me we'll carry on with the game," He said as Neville looked at Harry and spoke for Percy.

"We promise," Neville said as Percy nodded his head. And Harry believed them, and for once he felt comfortable enough to do what he was about to do.

So with a deep breath, he took his shirt off and fair to the other two they did wince but managed to keep their comments to themselves. It was a grim sight Harry knew. He had some bruise marks from injuries that didn't heal right on his ribs and torso, some cuts on his upper arms and shoulders and the worst part of all was his back that had these red lines thanks to all the lashes Vernon had given him with his belt.

He had grown used to them and when they found out he was a wizard the physical abuse had stopped but he was a little self-conscious about them so he was glad that Neville and Percy didn't say anything.

"Right, so let me show you the route," Percy said leading Harry to the door once he was done undressing. Neville didn't say anything and just followed them close behind trying to hold his anger back "So, at the end of the corridor there are the bathrooms. You have to run there tap the men's door and come back," Percy explained and Harry nodded in understanding.

"Got it. Okay then, here I go," Harry said as he started sprinting down the corridor. Then as they watch him leave Neville puts himself next to Percy.

"You saw them right. That's," Neville said trying to find the words to describe how awful his scars looked "We got to do something," He said and Percy just looked up ahead before speaking up.

"He told us not to make a big deal out of it," Percy said as Neville scoffed and narrowed his eyes ahead "He's still processing it. It's a waiting game now Nev," Percy said as Neville glared at him for a moment.

"So, we're just gonna wait till he wants to do something?" Neville asked in frustration and Percy nodded his head "And what if doesn't want to?" Neville asked and Percy glanced at him.

"Oh he will, even if I need to drag him to do so," Percy said and Neville could've sworn he saw Percy's eyes glow red for a moment but he must've been seeing things "And when he does those fuckers will pay," Percy said as Neville looked ahead and crossed his arms.

"Fucking aye they will," Neville said with serious conviction as they saw Harry come up the corner "Seems like Ron and Hermione don't know," Neville said and Percy glanced at him.

"Let's keep it that way. It's Harry's secret to share," Percy said as he saw Harry coming towards them "Now calm yourself 'less he notices your anger," Percy said as Neville took a deep breath in, trying to get his emotions under control.

"That has to be it right?" Harry said as Percy smirked at him while Neville gave his best attempt at a smile.

"Yeah, go on before anyone sees your streaking ass," Percy said slapping Harry on the back as the black-haired Gryffindor entered the classroom as quickly as he could.

"Okay someone else goes then, let's keep this going," Harry said much to the amusement and chuckles of the other two. It seems Neville's spirits had gotten up in that small moment.

"Okay, I'm next," Percy said as he grabbed a piece of paper from the bowl "Would you date Hermione?" Percy read out loud and his eyes met Neville's.

"I was hoping Harry would pull that one," Neville said with a shrug and Percy chuckled for a bit before looking at the paper once more as Harry looked at Neville a bit confused.

"Yeah, I would," He said simply as Neville and Harry looked up at him.

"Really?" Harry asked and Percy nodded his head.

"I have a thing for nerdy girls," Percy said as the boys chuckled at that comment "I'd let her boss me around. Though don't tell her I said that," Percy said as the boys found themselves laughing at that comment.

Then Neville in between laughs grabbed a new piece of paper "Let the others give you a temporary tattoo of their choice," Neville read out loud before looking at the glee in the other's eyes "Nothing too mad," Neville said as Harry and Percy came close to discuss what to do.

"We got it," Harry said as they presented the idea to Neville who winced but went ahead with it anyway. Then Percy got to work and in a couple of minutes Percy had drawn a heart with the initials N P inside of it "Now everyone will know your love for us," Harry said as Neville gave him a playful glare.

"Go and take a paper you twat," Neville said as Harry chuckled and took a piece of paper. Then his eyes winded in shock.

"Change your hair color to green," Harry said as he looked up at the others "How am I supposed to do that?" Harry asked as Percy took a vial from the bag he had brought.

"You just have to drink this. It lasts three days give or take," Percy said putting the vial of potion on the table.

Harry looked at it and sure, he could just take a candy but he was feeling a bit bold so in a moment of courage he grabbed it and chugged it in one go "Holy shit," Neville said as Percy and Neville looked amazed at Harry's courage. Then suddenly his hair turned from dark black to bright green.

"It better last only three days Percy or I swear to god," Harry said much to the amusement of the white-haired teen "You're next," He said as Percy chuckled while taking a paper out of the bowl.

"If you had to date someone from your house who would it be?" Percy read out loud and deadpanned at the irony of picking a similar question as before.

"Nah man you have to take out another one after this, you're having it too easy," Harry said as Percy blinked at him.

"To be fair he is right. I have a tattoo and Harry has run naked as well as changing his hair," Neville said as Percy sighed and crumbled the paper on his hand.

"Fine, and I might as well answer his one," He said signaling the paper in his hand "It would probably be either Daphne or Tracey," Percy said reaching for another paper.

"Really?" Neville asked this time as Percy nodded.

"They're the most beautiful ones there and the only ones I know. It's a no-brainer," Percy said taking a paper out from the bowl "Show us your best Snape impression," Percy said as Harry exhaled a bit.

"Finally a good one," He said as Percy cleared his throat and closed his eyes. Then he opened them and did a sneer as he looked down at them before opening his mouth.

"Harry Potter," Percy drawled out while looking down at them and sending shivers down at them "Our newest celebrity, what would I get if I shag a minotaur?" Percy drawled in his best Snape impression getting chuckles from the boys then he turned his eyes at Neville.

"Longbottom. Your uselessness has been noticed so you will help Malfoy take the stick out of my ass," Percy said getting laughs from Neville and Harry "Ten points from Gryffindor because I couldn't grease my hair the correct wait," Percy said and Harry lost it.

"Stop please," Harry wheezed out grabbing the side of his stomach in pain from the laughter. Neville's laughter was calmer than Harry's but he still was laughing like crazy.

"So, what's it good?" Percy asked losing his drawling demeanor as the Gryffindor boys tried hard to get his laughter under control but then a voice answered for them.

"I'd give it eight points. It could use a bit more of a boredom tone," a voice said from the entrance of the classroom. They saw Professor Lupin standing there, watching them with amused eyes.

"Professor Lupin! Sorry, we're just messing around," Harry said quickly. He feared they'd just been caught and didn't want to get into trouble. But then he realized that Percy and Neville were calm in the presence of the Professor.

"Don't worry Harry. Percy asked me to use the classroom to pass the time beforehand," Lupin said as he walked forward through the classroom with a cauldron in his hands. A cauldron that had a strange and smelly green liquid on it "But I have to ask you to stop since is getting late and I fear what sort of challenges await you by the looks of the current ones," Lupin said as the boys sighed in defeat but understood the Professors train of thought.

But then Harry looked up and saw the glee in Percy's eyes "Perhaps you should take one Professor. Just to wrap the game in its entirety," Percy said moving the bowl forward.

Lupin looked down at the bowl as Harry and Neville stared at both Professor and student in expectation. Percy was bold to ask a professor to do a challenge and they were waiting to see what happens.

"I suppose I should," Lupin said placing the cauldron on a desk before taking a piece of paper out of the bowl "Who would you shag out of all the faculty staff?" Lupin read out loud as the boys looked at the professor with amusement behind their eyes.

"So, will you answer or eat a bean Professor?" Harry asked feeling a bit bold as Lupin chuckled lightly while grabbing the cauldron back.

"Well the answer is simple isn't it?" Lupin said as he started walking to his office "Since I'm a faculty member I would shag myself," He said as the boys blinked for a moment not realizing that Lupin had won over them "Pack up your things and go to your dorms before Filch gets a wind of you," Lupin said walking up to his office.

Then as he walked up the stairs he glanced down at the laughing trio of friends and his eyes watered for a moment. Staring at those three was like looking through a mirror of the past. Of the past that was taken from him.

It happened again. Harry should've guessed it by now. Nothing good ever happens on October 31st. First-year was the whole troll incident and last year was the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. So he should've known that something would happen this year as well.

And something did. Somehow Sirius Black had managed to infiltrate the castle and scare off the fat lady so he could enter the Gryffindor house dorm to kill him probably.

He was glad everyone was at the feast when that happened but he was getting tired of these types of incidents. With all the fun he had with Percy and Neville earlier, he had forgotten the normal ways his school year went through.

So now he was walking with the rest of his dorm mates to the great hall as Dumbledore had ordered everyone to sleep in the hall just this once. It was still early to call it a night so he wondered how a sleepover with all the houses would go.

In front of him, Ron and Hermione were arguing in hushed tones about what just happened and the whole Sirius business. And frankly, he would rather just ignore it for the moment. He wanted to just have a normal day instead of worrying if someone was going to kill him.

That's why he was thankful for the man next to him. Neville had asked him if he was okay with all of this earlier. He told him he was alright and just wanted to ignore the whole thing.

So now Neville was walking next to him without saying a word but Harry knew he was staying close in case he needed him and Harry appreciated it. Then they got to the hall and Harry was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer of people there.

Dumbledore had gotten rid of the tables and it was just a sea of people and sleeping bags all around. Harry looked at where the Gryffindor students were going as all of them decided to stay close together. He was about to join them but then a hand stopped him.

"How 'bout we go somewhere else? Figure you might need it," Neville said as Harry looked at him in confusion for a moment. Then Neville pointed at the left corner of the hall where the majority of his study group was just laying around and having a laugh.

Harry blinked before looking at Neville with a bit of hesitation "Go, let me worry about Ron, and then I'll catch up with you," Neville said passing Harry a sleeping bag.

He grabbed and gave Neville a small smile of appreciation before walking away. He made his way to the study group avoiding everyone's stare and once he got close the others noticed him and greeted him with a smile and open arms. Some of them laughed and pointed at his green hair but he took it all in good fun. That was better than them mentioning all of the Sirius Black business.

Then he placed his sleeping bag next to Percy's unconsciously as he took a seat and faced the others "You're late," Percy said amused as Harry snorted a bit. He was thankful that no one was making a fuss even though they wanted to "Do you want some snacks? Hannah and Susan managed to snag them on their way here," Percy said pointing at the multitude of food in the middle of the circle.

"And we decided to share because we're good like that," Susan said pridefully as some there chuckled at her comment.

Harry nodded as he took an apple and looked around. The majority of the group was here only those in Gryffindor were missing but he didn't have to wait long as Hermione, Ginny, and Neville joined them while Harry was staking an apple.

"Everything alright Hermione?" Daphne asked noticing Hermione's frustration and again Harry noticed that the blond girl had Aurora around her neck. She and Percy must be really close for him to lend Aurora to her. Perhaps it was something he should ask Percy later on.

Then he looked at Hermione who had anger in her eyes and wondered what got her so pissed off but the answer came from Neville instead "Ron," He said as and the group nodded in understanding knowing how frustrating Ron could be. Ginny then wrapped her hand with Hermione's to try and comfort her as she too was pissed as well.

"So, you guys want to join our game?" Percy asked trying to move out of that topic to calm everyone there. Or at least that was what Harry thought.

"What kind of game?" Hermione asked in curiosity trying to get rid of her frustration.

"Fuck, marry, kill," Theo said from the side as the group of Gryffindors looked at him in confusion "Pretty simple, you give a person three people to choose from and they have to choose who they'd marry, kill or fuck," Theo explained and then Blaise took over.

"But you cannot choose the person who asked you. You have to choose someone else," He said as the members who had just arrived nodded in understanding.

"You'll get the idea once you start playing," Sue Li said "So, are you in?" She asked as the Gryffindors looked at each other and then all of them nodded. Though Ginny and Neville were the most nervous out of the four they still were eager to participate.

"Great, so we were with Tracey right," Susan said as she smiled at her with glee in her eyes. Tracey just smiled at her challenge and told her to bring it on "Okay then. Professors Lupin, Snape, and Hagrid," She said as the group made an ooh sound.

"Damn Sue you don't hold back," Tracey said getting laughter from the group as the Gryffindors started understanding how this was played "Okay I'd kill Snape obviously," She said as the group nodded agreeing with her "I'd marry Lupin, he seems snuggly and I'd fuck Hagrid," Tracey said as some of the group giggled.

"Really, Hagrid?" Hermione asked with a bit of amusement in her tone and a bit of a blush on her cheeks at the crudeness of the question.

"I'd climb that mountain," Tracey said getting laughs from most of the boys there and some of the girls "Okay Percy," She said as Percy looked up.

"Hit me," He said eagerly but then gulped when he saw the smirk Tracey had sent him.

"Since you like exploring and creatures so much. Let's make it easy for you," Tracey said as Percy almost sighed in relief he was sure it was going to be targeted but he was glad it wasn't "A merperson, a werewolf, or a veela," She said as Percy hummed for a bit while everyone looked at him.

"Well, I'd kill a merperson, doing in the water is just not for me," Percy said as some of them agreed with him "I'd marry a werewolf. I would only have to worry about the full moon nights," He said and Susan found herself chipping in.

"Or not, if you're kinky enough," She said getting laughs all around as Percy chuckled at her comment.

"And I'd fuck a veela, obviously," Percy said as most of the girls rolled their eyes while Theo and Blaise nodded at him.

"Good man," Theo said as Blaise gave him a thumbs up appreciating his answer. Harry grew confused as to why that reaction but he didn't have time to answer as Percy looked at him.

"Harry," He said as Harry gulped a bit "The girls in the quidditch team," He said as there was a chorus of excitement all around as Harry blinked and blushed a bit.

He had grown close to Katie a bit so he felt a little self-conscious but he answered all the same "I'd kill Angelina since she's a bit older than me," Harry said as most nodded seeing his reasoning "I um, I'd marry Katie and fuck Alicia," He said a bit nervous and most nodded agreeing with his answer but Percy found himself wanting to egg him on.

"Alicia eh, you horny dog," Percy said elbowing his arm playfully as Harry grumbled and looked away. Then Harry looked around and his eyes landed on Daphne and his curiosity got the better of him.

"Daphne," Harry said and the girl looked up feeling a bit surprised that he chose her "Theo, Blaise, and Percy," He said as Daphne blinked and Theo chuckled.

"Ah come on Harry, you're making it too easy on her," Theo said as Daphne narrowed her eyes at him while Theo just smiled at her cheekily "It's obvious who she would," He started saying but Tracey, who was next to him, elbowed him in the stomach cutting him off.

"Well as you can see I'd kill Theo because he's annoying," She said as Theo wheeze out an air of pain on the ground "I'd fuck Blaise, it would be quick and simple," She said as Blaise shrugged his shoulders "And I'd marry Percy," She said with a shrug ignoring the obvious look that Tracey was giving her.

So to move the spotlight from her she quickly found her next target "Hermione," She said as Hermione looked up surprised at being picked "Ron, Percival, and the Weasley Twins," She said with a smile on her face as Hermione blinked.

"Wait, that's four," She said as Daphne shrugged her shoulders and the reason behind it came from Sue Li and not Daphne.

"They do everything together. They come as a package," Sue Li said before smirking a bit "Just ask Angelina," She said getting snorts and laughs from the group as they were surprised at the crude but oddly accurate comment.

"Fine," Hermione said in a grumble before thinking of her response "I'd kill Ron," Hermione said pretty sure of herself and perhaps past experiences had swayed that decision "I'd probably fuck Percival, a marriage with him would be pretty boring. And I'd marry the twins," She said after a moment as the group smiled at her and Tracey just had to do it.

"Double the fun eh?" Tracey said as Hermione blushed and looked around to try and get the game going. And she wanted to bring those who hadn't answered yet into the game so her eyes set on the set of red hair next to her.

"Ginny," Hermione said as Ginny looked up with a bit of a blush on her cheeks. But the problem was that Hermione didn't know many people outside her housemates and Ginny's siblings. So without her knowing she put forward the only names she could think of. Not knowing that she was practically placing Ginny on the spot "Percy, Harry, and Neville," She said as Ginny blinked and her cheeks turned red a bit.

She looked around and saw everyone staring at her. She wanted the ground to swallow her but she was a Gryffindor. So she gulped down her nervousness and faced everyone there "I'd kill Neville, sorry," She said as Neville gave her a reassuring smile. Then she looked at Harry for a moment as her blush grew a bit "I'd marry Harry and I suppose I'd fuck Percy," She said avoiding Percy's eyes at the end.

"Lucky you Harry," Theo said as he managed to recover from Tracey's strike Harry blushed a bit but gave Ginny a reassuring smile. But what Theo didn't know was that Ginny had a mean streak that grew a lot, especially after living with Fred and George.

"Theo," Ginny said as Theo, who was chuckling, looked at Ginny and gulped in fear at her narrowed eyes "Pansy, Milicent, or Moon," She said as Theo blinked and grew quiet.

"Shit," He said as some of the group laughed at him "I'd marry Lily," Theo said before crossing his arms thinking through the answer "Ahg I'd fuck Pansy and kill Milicent. I wouldn't like it but I'd do it," Theo said as the group chuckled at his answer.

Then Theo looked around and his eyes met Susan's and Theo had a bit of a prankster side to him. And he had noticed how well Susan and Percy got along in class so he felt a bit bold "Susan," He said as the Hufflepuff redhead looked up "Percy, Harry, and Smith," He said as Susan hummed and crossed her arms.

"I'd kill Smith, I can't stand him," She said as the group looked at her while she think it through "I'd fuck Harry just so I can rub it in some people's faces and I'd marry Percy because he's loaded," Susan said giving Percy a sultry look as he rolled his eyes. And some people, mainly those who had just started to get to know Percy, wondered where the loaded comment came from.

"Great, thanks a lot," He said with a snort as Susan gave him a wink.

"You're welcome hubby," She said as some of the group chuckled. Then she looked around at the people who hadn't answered and her eyes landed on Hannah for a moment who was trying hard to avoid Susan's eyes. And she wouldn't have it, Hannah needed to get out of her shelf "Hannah," She said as Hanna's eyes widened, and looked at Susan feeling betrayed.

Susan thought about it for a second and decided to go easy on her friends "Harry, Percy, and Neville," She said as Hannah blushed a bit and avoided those three boys' eyes.

"I'd kill Harry, I'm sorry I couldn't handle that spotlight," She said and Harry nodded understanding that reason and finding it fair "I-I'd marry Neville," She said as the Gryffindor blond boy blushed for a moment "And I'd chose Percy," She said not willing to say the actual word.

Then she wanted to leave the spotlight so she found a target quickly "Blaise," She said as the quiet boy of Slytherin looked up and waited for choices but he wasn't prepared for what she said "Lavender, Parvati, or Pansy," She said and Blaise blinked at her choice of people.

He wasn't ready for that, he thought she would pick people from his house so he wasn't ready for that "I'd kill Pansy," Blaise said as he looked down for a moment "Marrying Lavender would drive me mad so I'd marry Parvati and fuck Lavender," He said as the group nodded at his reasoning.

"Neville," Blaise said deciding to ask the only male there who hadn't answered. And Blaise thought about playing mean for a moment but noticed the slight glare that Percy was giving him so he turned it down a bit "Hermione, Ginny, and Hannah," He said knowing those were the girls he spent more time with.

Neville looked down as a small tint of red appeared on his cheeks. He swallowed his nervousness and looked up "I um, I'd kill Ginny," He said giving her an apologetic look as Ginny gave him a reassuring smile "I'd marry Hannah and well," He said not willing to say the other thing in front of Hermione just as Hannah. Who unbeknownst to all of them had a huge smile after listening to that comment.

Neville then looked around not wanting to further explain himself and found a target "Padma," He said as the Ravenclaw girl looked up "Um, Harry, Percy, and Ron," He said mentioning the people he spent the most time with.

Padma blinked a bit wondering what choices she should make "I'd kill Ron, I wouldn't stand him," She said as most of them agreed with her sentiment and Harry started to notice that Ron wasn't well-liked in this group "I'd fuck Percy he's pretty enough," Padma said as Percy looked up not knowing whether to feel proud or insulted "And I'd marry Harry," She said with a shrug and Harry blushed a bit. A bunch of them had chosen him so he felt a bit self-conscious.

"Luna," Padma said looking at the platinum blond. Luna looked at her and tilted her head as her grey dreamy eyes met Padma's "Harry, Neville, and Percy," She said going with the easy choices.

Luna hummed for a bit before answering "I'd have to kill Harry, he has too many Nargles for my liking," She said as Harry wondered if he should feel insulted by that "I'd fuck Neville, he seems to be caring enough to take care of me," She said as Neville blushed and looked away at that comment. Then Luna met her eyes with Percy who gulped at the sudden look "And I'd marry Percy, obviously," She said as some people's eyes grew big at that.

"Obviously?" Ginny asked and a lot of people were wondering the same question so they were glad she asked it for them.

"Yeah, he's the only one who will love the real me," Luna said not breaking the stare with Percy as the white-haired tee looked at her with a melancholy look. A look that didn't go unnoticed by anyone there and all of them wondered what the deal between them was. Some more than others.

Then Luna broke the stare and carried on with the game "Sue," She said as Sue Li looked up. And she was ready, sure she had the whole fancying Percy thing that no one knew but she was ready in case Luna mentioned him. But she severely underestimated Luna's brain and train of thought.

"Daphne, Hermione, or Susan," Luna said, and the usual stoic Sue Li found herself blushing at the sudden choices. She looked around trying to see if anyone would say anything but she was just met with smirks and smiles.

"Come on then. It's all part of the game," Susan said egging her on as Sue narrowed her eyes at her.

"Just for that I'd kill Susan," She said as Susan pretended to be hurt much to the amusement of the rest "I'd fuck Hermione, I think that would be fun at least," She said as Hermione blushed at that getting chuckled from the people around "And I'd marry Daphne, she seems like great company," Sue Li said with a shrug as Daphne looked up and smiled at the Ravenclaw girl. It was clear that the sentiment was the same the other way around and that Daphne appreciated the comment.

"Now let's see, who's next," She said as Harry looked around with a huge smile on his face. Even if the night had started awful he was glad about how it had turned around. The incident had been long forgotten and his grievances had lessened. It was the moments like this that he was so grateful to be a part of.

The mood of the day was ominous. It was pouring rain nonstop and clouds were so low that you couldn't see that well. It was really an awful climate to play quidditch but the faculty didn't care. The match would go o either way.

There were rumors that the Slytherin team was going to invent an excuse to miss the game but that didn't happen. Maybe pride was too much for both teams as both the Gryffindor team and the Slytherin team were in the middle of the pitch, under the pouring rain, in this hellhole of climate, glaring daggers at each other.

Even friendships didn't avoid this demeanor as Harry and Percy were glaring at each other. But their glares were not born from hatred. They were born from competitiveness. Harry was a bit angry that Percy didn't tell him that he was the new seeker so he was ready to show him the error of his ways.

And Percy just wanted to beat the seeker prodigy. Percy cracked his neck as Harry crossed his arms and lighting could be heard around both of them.

Then Madame Hooch put herself between both teams as she looked at the aura of hatred that both teams were pouring out "Oaky people, I want a clean-cut game. Any form of cheating or unnecessary roughness will not be tolerated," She said but it fell on deaf ears as the team kept glaring daggers at each other.

"Take your positions," She said as each team member climbed up their brooms and flew into the air. Tracey looked ahead and then tightened the purple ribbon on her upper arm a good luck charm that Daphne had gifted her and Percy for their match.

This was it for her. If she failed here Filch would turn against her so she had to win them for them. She had to put her trust in Percy to catch the snitch and make sure to make enough points so if Harry caught it wouldn't matter.

She grabbed the edges of her broom and prepared herself. Then the balls went up in the air and the match started. And as soon as she saw them she exploded forward.

She managed to beat Angelina to the quaffle and grabbed it tightly. The problem would be the twins. They were the best beaters this school had to offer. So her job was to avoid them as best she could. She threw the ball back and quickly cut through the twins as they were surprised at the bold maneuver.

She cut in between them and caught the quaffle once more once it was thrown back to her. And she exploded to the goal and narrowed her eyes at wood. He was good and any type of serious throw would be blocked. So she had to get creative.

So she baited him and pretended to throw it to the far left ring. She knew he wouldn't fall for that but she just wanted him to hesitate, then she threw the quaffle up in the air and spun around. Then she hit the quaffle with the back of her broom sending it to the far-left ring at a speed Wood couldn't catch.

Wood just stared at the goal in shock before looking at Tracey who had a huge smile on her face. The Slytherin crowd was roaring at the skill displayed and Tracey had accomplished her goal. She had made a mark and now no one would dare to question her abilities.

Now it was time to win the whole match.

It didn't take too long for the game to turn competitive and aggressive. It was tight Slytherin was winning 80 to 60 all thanks to Tracey's scoring but then it started. The seekers spotted the golden snitch.

It was clear as you could see Harry and Percy hovering above all the rest of the players and in the blink of an eye both of them exploded to the edges of the sands. They flew at incredible speeds just above the crowd and everyone had to dodge down to avoid them.

It was an agility battle as both of them matched each other's speed and were neck to neck when it came to flying. But while Harry had more power behind his flying Percy had a more dexterity approach.

Percy was cutting and turning the broom around easier than Harry but when it came to chasing the snitch in a straight line Harry had the advantage.

Both of them did several laps around the pitch before the snitch exploded forward. Harry immediately flew upwards and looked down wondering why Percy had fallen behind. But then he saw him spinning around in the same place.

Then his eyes widened when he saw Percy using a bit of sorcery outside everyone's view and exploding upwards with a power greater than Harry's.

The white-haired teen immediately caught up with Harry and then it became a race to the sky. They broke through clouds and rain to get to the snitch and Harry was closest as the snitch was on his side.

But then he saw Percy jumping from his broom and flipping over Harry just before he could reach the snitch. His eyes widened as he saw Percy catching the snitch mid-air before landing back on his broom gracefully.

He was lost for words as that was the first time he had seen someone do something like that. Something so bold and so risky. Both teens just stayed there floating while looking at each other.

Then Harry snorted before that snort turned into laughter and Percy started laughing as well. Even if this match had ended with Slytherin's win they had fun. Their bond had grown so much in so little time that even a loss wasn't bothering Harry. He was even glad that Percy had managed to make a show for himself.

Every single moment he spent with Percy had turned into fun. It was normal and free of burdens. But what Harry didn't realize was that that was about to change for the worse.

Because in that moment of celebration, the air started getting colder and Harry could see the clouds of hot air coming out of their mouths. The clouds became heavier and it became difficult to see around. And that's when it happened.

That's when he saw the black shadow figures around them and Percy was the first to suffer for it. Percy being a bit above Harry made him the first target of the dementors and Harry was powerless against them because, in the blink of an eye, he saw them starting to suck Percy's soul.

He took out his wand to try and save his friend but then he became the target of another dementor. And his mind became fuzzy and his vision got blurry.

And the last thing he remembered before his vision went black was the voice of a woman begging Voldemort to spare his life and take her instead. A voice that for some unknown reason brought tears to his eyes.

End of Chapter 6

Chapter Text

He felt like he was floating. It was different from all the other times he had been unconscious. Usually, it felt like a tiny blink before everything started making sense.

But this time, Harry felt like he was swimming against a tide, floating with waves of an endless, forever pulling him down. That's what he was feeling right now.

But then, hushed voices of concern started pulling him from those waving feelings, and the darkness started leaving him. Light hit his eyes first, and then he saw a pair of brown eyes looking at him in concern.

He blinked as he saw Ginny leaning forward, scanning him over, checking if he was alright. "Harry?" She asked as he blinked for a moment before his eyes adjusted, but then he realized he couldn't see well because he didn't have his glasses. Then he saw Ginny putting the glasses on his face, and now he could see all around.

To his right, the whole Quidditch team minus Wood was there, watching him with Ginny just next to them with faces of concern. In front stood Hermione and Neville with the same look on their faces as the others. He wondered why Ron was nowhere in sight, but he didn't have time to ponder those questions because of what greeted him on the left.

There stood the rest of his study group. But while several of them were watching him with concern. Some like Daphne, Tracey, and the rest of the Slytherins, as well as Luna and Susan, were watching the one who was in the bed next to him, Percy.

He was still unconscious and wasn't showing any signs of waking up anytime soon. And that's when he remembered. He remembered the sight that he saw right before the world turned black, Percy being attacked by dementors. When he remembered that, he quickly tried to stand up, but Ginny put a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful; you still haven't recovered your strength," she said as Harry looked at her, confused, before he noticed how tired he was.

"What happened?" Harry asked, holding his head as a headache invaded his system when he tried to stand up that quickly.

"You fell. I think it was about fifty or sixty meters, give or take," Fred said as George nodded his head before looking at Percy.

"He fell first, and you followed behind. Nasty thing," George said before looking at Harry once again. Harry looked to his left as his eyes filled with worry.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked as the ones looking at Percy glanced at him, having realized he had woken up.

"He's okay," Neville reassured him as Harry didn't take his eyes off Percy. Only Neville knew how deep both teens' bond was. Harry then noticed Daphne had her hand holding Percy's hand with dear life. "Madame Pompfrey said that it would take a while for him to wake up, but he's alright," Neville said as Harry looked forward.

"How so?" Harry asked, curiosity filling his voice as he wondered why it was taking him so much to wake up if they had experienced the same thing.

"The dementors grabbed him longer than you," Tracey said, looking at Harry for a moment before looking back at Percy, and the black-haired Gryffindor noticed how she was holding her elbow, a sign of how worried she was.

"Not everyone is as tough as you, Harry," Theo said, and Harry looked down. He felt a bit guilty, the dementors were here because Sirius Black was hunting him. He did this. But it seems someone had noticed his guilt.

"It's not your fault, Harry," Luna said as he looked up and glanced at her with wide eyes. "Don't blame yourself. Dementors are wild creatures. It was a matter of time before something like this would happen," Luna said, and he noticed that she was working on something on her lap. "Percy would tell you the same, so don't worry," She said as Harry smiled at her.

"Thanks," He said before he glanced at her lap. "What's that?" He asked as he saw the blue flower collar she was making.

"A gift. I hope he likes it," She said cryptically, and that was that. He sighed before looking at the rest. It seemed he was going to have to wait for Percy to wake up. While Luna was right about this not being his fault, he wanted to say sorry nonetheless.

Then the day passed quickly. They told him that both their brooms were broken beyond repair and that Slytherin had won. He knew about the latter since he had seen Percy grabbing the snitch before everything went black.

His team had gone first, and it was a testament to their loyalty as the Slytherin team was nowhere to be seen. He had wondered about that, but Tracey had told him that the sentiment was the same the other way around.

It was just a means to an end, so it didn't matter that much. Then his headache came back when he learned why Ron wasn't there.

It turns out he was, but he kept antagonizing the Slytherins and blaming Percy for the whole thing—until everyone, even his siblings, got tired of his behavior, and the Twins dragged him out.

Sue and Susan had some unsavory words about his behavior. He knew he would have to talk to him once more, but just the thought of it tired him out.

Then the study group told him to take it easy and that they would help both of them with any assignment they missed. Harry was thankful and relieved as he wouldn't have to worry about it.

They went out in groups, with Sue and Susan glancing at Percy one last time before they went. And then only Hermione, Neville, Daphne, Tracey, and Luna remained.

Ginny squeezed his hand before leaving, and he wondered once more where the token of affection came from, but his mind was all around thinking again about how warm her hand was. Then, as the night approached, Nev and Hermione bid their goodbyes and promised to come back in the morning.

"Best if I go on my way," Luna said, putting the collar of flowers on the nightstand next to Percy. "Please let him know this belongs to him when he wakes up," Luna said, bidding him goodbye as Harry nodded at her.

Then only he and the girls of Slytherin remained as company to the white-haired teen. Tracey put her hand on Daphne's shoulder before speaking up. "We should get going as well, Daph," Tracey said, but the blond girl didn't move and just shook her head.

"You can go. I'm staying till he wakes up," Daphne said, not taking her eyes off Percy. Tracey sighed, knowing full well she wouldn't budge, so she just let her be.

"I'll go see if Astoria is okay," Tracey said, and Daphne nodded. Harry knew Astoria was Daphne's sister, and by the threat she had given him, he wondered why she wasn't here. But perhaps it wasn't his business to dig.

"Please tell her he's alright," Daphne said while Tracey walked out of the infirmary. Then, an uncomfortable silence surrounded them.

It was the first time they were alone with one another, and it was a bit uncomfortable. It was fine when everyone was there, but if Harry had to admit, she scared him a bit.

"It seems there's something you wish to ask me, right, Harry?" Daphne said without looking at him as Harry gulped a bit, feeling put on the spot. "It's okay, we might as well strike up a bit of conversation," She said as Harry looked at her a bit before speaking up.

"I just wondered how the two of you are so close," Harry said as Daphne glanced at him for a moment before looking back at Percy. "I mean, he lends you Aurora, and I haven't seen him do that with anyone else," He said as Daphne chuckled lightly at that.

"He does it with Tracey as well. But it weirds her out, so she doesn't do that often," Daphne said before looking at him. "Don't tell her I told you," She said, and Harry chuckled lightly.

Then, she looked at Percy before speaking once more. "I took pity on him," he said as Harry looked at her, a bit shocked. "We met on Diagon Alley. At first, I didn't think much of him. But mother thought differently, so when she saw him struggling with everything there, she offered to help him navigate this world," She said as she moved her hand up and started caressing his hair.

"And he was wise and witty. He was a bit clueless, but that was to be expected with his Muggle upbringing," She explained as her eyes became nostalgic at the memories of that day. "But he was ambitious and eager to learn. He was a true Slytherin, and I had grown fond of him quickly. And I knew he would've had a hard time there, so I helped him," Daphne said before looking at Harry.

"You could say that I took him under my wing for the first few months until the end of the Halloween feast," she explained as Harry listened closely to what she said. "Then Tracey joined us, and we became good friends and confidants, " she said, giving Harry a small smile.

"And how about you? How did the two of you become so close?" Daphne asked, flipping the question back to him as Harry gulped a bit before responding.

He looked up to the ceiling, trying to find the right answer, knowing he couldn't tell her about their exploration. "He showed me something new." He said cryptically, raising the girl's curiosity a bit.

"He showed you something new. Like what?" She asked in curiosity as Harry looked ahead, thinking of the right response.

"I don't know how to explain it, but he showed me a new side of this world," he said before looking at her. "He showed me another world. And it's beautiful," He said with a small smile on his face.

"Sounds lovely," she said before looking at Percy once more. "I hope he shows it to me as well one day." She said as Harry grew quiet.

A thought suddenly invaded his mind. He looked at Percy for a moment and wondered, wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the study group joined their explorations? He knew Percy was in favor of more people joining them, and Harry had grown close to that group. Perhaps he should bring it up with Percy soon.

Then night arrived, but Harry wasn't tired, so sleep didn't catch up with him. It did with Daphne as slumber overtook her after a while. But still, she didn't let go of his hand, he noticed.

But in the middle of the night, when the moonlight was at its brightest, an unconscious man decided to wake up. Harry immediately looked to his left when he heard Percy groaning in pain.

He watched as the white-haired teen sat up and looked around, confused as to where he was. He saw Percy noticing Daphne holding his hand, and also noticed how Percy didn't seem surprised one bit.

"She refused to leave, said that she would wait till you woke up," Harry said as Percy looked at him, having realized that Harry was also there.

Then, the white-haired teen noticed something on his nightstand and picked a small bracelet made out of the petals of some flower Harry didn't recognize. "Luna made it for you, said it was a gift to cheer you up." Harry said as Percy looked at it in deep thought.

"Moonflower petals. How did she know?" Percy asked, and Harry realized that he was just asking himself that and not necessarily addressing him. So that's why he remained quiet.

"Harry," Percy said without looking up, his eyes transfixed on the bracelet, "Remember when you asked Nev and me to keep glimpses of your past quiet?" Percy said, reminding Harry about the time he showed them his scars.

"I remember," he said as he looked at Percy, confused, wondering where he was going with this.

"Then can I ask you to do the same for me now?" Percy asked as Harry looked at Percy with close attention, confused. But then he saw it, in the glimpse of the moonlight, the fall of teardrops.

Harry's eyes grow big in shock. You see, in the short three months he had known Percy, he had come to realize that while his white-haired friend was a bit aloof, he had conviction and bravery like no one he had ever known.

So, seeing his friend openly crying and weeping, he couldn't stop his feelings of shock, concern, and dread. What haunted and burdened his friend so much to break him so much?

Something was off; Harry could tell. Things didn't come back to normal that quickly, even if on the surface it appeared so. Things in his common room were the same; other than Wood wallowing in misery at the loss, nothing changed.

Even he and Ron had made amends. Their friendship changed. Harry wasn't fooling himself; it seemed the wake-up call his siblings had given him worked, but it wasn't the same. Ron's stubbornness had gotten in the way, and now the trust between them had lessened. It saddened him, but what frustrated him more was that Ron seemed content to pretend like nothing had happened.

But he couldn't worry about that right now, not when there was a dark cloud above his study group. The reason? Percy.

The white-haired teen had missed two of their gatherings, and it seemed no one had spoken with him since the incident with the dementors. And only a few of them had even seen glimpses of him.

That's why, in the current study session, Harry had pulled Neville aside to voice his concern. "Have you spoken with Percy?" Harry whispered, trying not to bring attention to them or their conversation.

"No, you?" Neville asked back as Harry shook his head. "I'm worried. It seems like he's just disappeared." Neville said, crossing his arms as Harry looked forward.

"What do you think he saw?" Harry asked as Neville looked at him in curiosity. "Back when they attacked him? The dementors, I mean," Harry said, and Neville shrugged his shoulders.

"He doesn't talk much about his past," Neville said before realizing something. "What did you see?" He asked in concern, realizing that Harry had also experienced something.

Harry looked at Neville for a moment before pausing to give him a response. "I heard my mother's voice," He said as Neville's eyes widened. Then he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, supporting him in his own way.

Harry gave him a small thankful smile and was about to keep asking about Percy, but then someone approached them, having heard a bit of their conversation. "So, neither of you has spoken to him?" Daphne asked as they both realized that the group was looking at them. Seems they weren't as quiet as they thought.

"Not since that night at the infirmary," Harry said as Daphne looked down deep in thought. Then, he looked at the rest of them for a moment. "Has anyone spoken to him?" Harry asked in curiosity as everyone shook their head.

"He came back to the dorm, but he didn't speak," Blaise said, crossing his arms. "It's quite impressive holding that long without speaking a word." He said as Harry looked down and hummed.

"Maybe the dementors affected him more than we thought," said Hermione, getting nods all around. "Think he talked to Professor Lupin about it?" She asked all around.

"Unlikely. He doesn't strike me as the type to go to professors." Sue Li said as Suan nodded her head, agreeing with Sue's statement.

"He seems like the type to brood alone," Susan said, trying to lift the mood a bit. Which she managed as she got some chuckles here and there.

"Should we do something?" Hannah asked in curiosity as everyone looked at her, making her blush in self-consciousness. "I-I mean, we should help him, don't we?" She asked as the group looked at her, thinking the same as her.

"And how can we do that?" Theo asked, tilting his head a bit. "And what if he refuses our help?" He asked in curiosity. That stumped the group a bit as they didn't know how to go about helping Percy.

A lot of them were desperate for an answer, and the ones who weren't just wanted to help those who were. But nobody had an answer- well, almost nobody.

"There is something we could do," Luna said, getting everyone's attention on her. "Though Percy will be hesitant to do it." She said as everyone looked at her, confused at what she was referring to.

"What?" Tracey asked, trying not to let her desperation slip. She missed talking to her friend, and these two days of silence were killing him.

Then, Luna moved her eyes to Neville and Harry, and the boys grew confused as to why she was looking at them. Then they gulped when her glance turned into a knowing one. "I think is time you let us join in your little escapades, boys," She said as the group turned their stares at the two Gryffindor boys.

Harry and Neville gave each other a look for a moment. "I mean, it can work. Take his mind out of things." Neville said as Harry hummed and crossed his arms.

"I don't know. Since it's his secret, it doesn't seem right to just give it away," Harry said, and Luna stepped up and placed herself in the middle of the group.

"You won't," she said as Harry tilted his head at her. "He's going to, once we ask nicely," she said with a sweet, sly smile on her face.

Harry sighed and chuckled a bit before looking at the group for a moment. "Fine, but if he says no, that's it," Harry said as Luna nodded in understanding. Then he looked at the rest of them, who looked confused since they didn't have an idea of what they were talking about.

"I know you all are willing to help. But our escapades are a bit dangerous, so I won't judge if you wish to leave now," Harry warned them, trying to be as cryptic as he could.

"Dangerous how?" Theo asked, confused, and Harry looked at him but offered no explanation. Seems whatever it was, it was as secret as it could be.

"We're in," Ginny said with conviction, as many of them mirrored her conviction. "I've grown to like everyone here, so if he's hurting, it's up to us to cheer him up." She said as many of them nodded and chuckled at her sentiment.

"Trust a Gryffindor to be chivalrous. But we agree," Padma said, voicing her thoughts. "We cannot let a mind like his grow dull by this incident." She said as Harry looked around. He was grateful for this group's bond and conviction. Now, he hoped Percy agreed with this.

And it seems Luna noticed his worry. "Don't worry, Harry. Let me do the talking, I'll get through to him." Luna said as she started walking to the exit of the room they were in.

"Um, okay," Harry said with a tone of confusion in his voice. Then they realized that Luna was leading them to where Percy was and quickly followed her.

She quietly led them to the top of the castle as the rest of the group kept asking Neville and Harry questions, wondering what kind of escapades they had had. But the Gryffindor boys kept quiet still.

But their chatter quieted down when they approached the astronomy tower. It quieted down because they started hearing this beautiful piano melody. Then they entered the tower and saw something that shocked most of the group.

The melody was coming from Percy as he was doing his rendition of Moonlight Sonata perfectly. Most didn't know that he could play the piano, and those who knew were shocked as it had been so long since they had heard him play.

Then they saw him stop and let out a defeated sigh, not noticing that Luna had placed herself behind him. "That was beautiful, Percy," She said as Percy immediately looked back in fright.

He hadn't noticed them getting here, and Luna had scared him a bit with her silent moves. He looked up as Luna tilted her head a bit with a small smile on her face. "What are you doing here?" Percy asked with a bit of a quiet tone as the rest of the group caught up to Luna.

"We were worried about you," Neville said as Percy looked up. It seems like he was about to say he was fine, but he couldn't, as Luna beat him to the punch.

"Memories of that time are awful, huh?" Luna said. And no one there knew what she was talking about, no one but the one who was hurting. And you could tell as his eyes widened in fear, "Remnants of the past are not something that you should be concerned with, Perseus," Luna said seriously as the group was shocked at her sudden change of demeanor.

"Is this going somewhere, or are you just tormenting me for laughs?" Percy said, glaring at her for a bit as Luna sighed and crouched down to be at eye level. Then, in a moment just between them, she managed to whisper something to him.

"Think she will be pleased to see you wallowing like this?" Luna asked in a whisper tone as Percy looked down at the floor, hurt by the truthful words she was saying.

"What do you want, Luna?" He asked as Luna stood up before glancing at the group, who were a bit afraid that her words weren't working.

"We wish to join you in that hobby of yours," Luna said as Percy immediately looked up and glanced at everyone there in surprise. "It was my idea," She said as Percy blinked for a few moments.

"Why?" He asked as Harry cleared his throat, getting Percy's attention.

"To cheer you up," he said as Percy looked at him with confused eyes. "Besides, I think everyone here deserves to see who they are. Don't they?" Harry said rhetorically as Percy looked down at his hands. Then he sighed while standing up and closing the piano.

"You're right," Percy said as he looked at everyone there. "While I'm thankful for your wishes of seeing me better, I do have to warn you," Percy said while putting his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "The world you live in will never be the same if you choose to go forward with this," he explained as the group curios.

"Is that your way to tell us to go away?" Theo asked, a bit amused. "You're only making us more excited about whatever this is," He said with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Prick is right," Susan said as Theo chuckled. "So, can we stop with the secrets and cryptic messages and just get on with it?" She said as Percy formed a small smile on his face.

"Very well." He said to the group before looking behind him, "Teeky." He said as a house-elf suddenly appeared in front of all of them.

"You called young master?" The house-elf said, bowing its head for a moment, and those who had talked or seen a house-elf were shocked at the way it spoke with clearness.

"Can you get us to the penthouse? To the alley next to it." He said as the elf nodded and snapped its fingers. Then, all of them found themselves teleported from the castle.

Unbeknownst to them, a white owl stood on the handle of the lookout of the Astronomy tower, watching the group with great interest. A white owl that flew away as soon as the group disappeared from the area.

Harry still wasn't a fan of magical modes of transportation. And you could tell as his face was currently kissing the ground. He blamed Percy, as a warning would've been nice before his elf apparated them here.

Neville took pity on him as he helped Harry up, much to the appreciation of the boy who lived. At least those who weren't used to such magic travel were having problems as well; that was a bit of consolation.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, looking around in confusion as the group felt the same way as him.

"South London," Percy said, placing a cap on Harry's head as the black-haired Gryffindor looked up, confused. "Wizards don't roam this place much. But we should be careful nonetheless," Percy said as Harry recognized what kind of hat Percy had placed on top of him.

Then, he saw Percy taking a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Okay, everyone, please read this and pass it around," Percy said as he walked out of the alley and into the street. Then, one by one, they left the alley once they read what the paper said.

Then the paper landed in Harry's hand, and he started reading it while he walked forward. It read, "The Nyx penthouse is located in Richmond Street." Then, as he left the alley, he saw something: the building in front of him started changing.

You see, at the start, it was a normal seven-story building. But as soon as he finished reading the paper, a new floor formed on top of it. And he couldn't help but stare in amazement; every now and then, he remembered how amazing magic was.

Percy then led them inside the building. The lobby was empty, which was a bit weird since it was the weekend. But Harry was glad since this was a large group, and if people saw them, it was bound to start some rumors.

Percy led them to the elevator. And then he noticed a problem: the size of the group. So Percy decided to split the group up and sent the whole Gryffindor students, plus Padma and Hannah, up first.

Harry pressed the button to the penthouse, and it didn't take long for them to reach the top floor. The elevator opened to the side, revealing the penthouse in its full splendor. It was a three-bedroom room, and Harry could see the corridor that led to them right ahead.

Then, to the right side, a living room with a lookout to the city stood there. It was big and homey with a big television on the wall on the left. Right behind it was a big dining room that led to the kitchen on the right.

It was a big and interconnected area that left Harry wondering where Percy got this from. And the purebloods of the group immediately went to the living room and stared at the television in confusion.

As always, Hermione jumped at the chance to explain something and started telling them what kind of object it was and how it functioned.

Soon, the rest of them arrived, and just like him, everyone was looking around in amazement. Even the girls of Slytherin. Harry had thought they'd visited this place before, but it seemed he was mistaken.

"Make yourself comfortable, guys," Percy said as he led the group to the living room. "I need to get some things," Percy said, walking into the kitchen and disappearing from view.

The group sat around the couches of the living room quietly. No one knew what to say, as they were out of words at the whole situation.

Then, Percy came back with two chalices, one golden and one silver, and that's when Susan decided to voice everyone's thoughts. "Percy what the fuck!?" She exclaimed as Percy looked up confused while placing the chalices on top of the table that was in the middle of them all.

"I mean, I know that I joked about you being loaded, but this is something else," she said as the group nodded in agreement. Percy scratched the back of his head nervously while avoiding their looks.

"It was my mother's bachelor apartment," Percy said with a shrug. "It's cozy, I think," Percy said, dragging a chair and sitting on it so he could face everyone there. Then he leaned back as he turned serious.

"Do you guys know the myth of Prometheus?" He asked, and everyone except Luna and Hermione shook their heads. "In Greek mythology, after the Titan War. Prometheus was charged with the creation of mortals, he built us with mud and clay in the image of the gods." Percy started explaining as everyone paid attention to his words.

"Mortals then were sent to earth to honor the gods of Olympus. Through sacrifices and prayers," he explained as he crossed his arms, "So Zeus, God keeper of Olympus, tasked Prometheus with deciding what kind of sacrifices would please the gods," Percy continued his story.

"And in his love for his creation, Prometheus tricked Zeus into choosing the least expensive choice of them all. As punishment, the lord of lightning stripped mortals of most of the resources they needed. In hopes of teaching Prometheus a lesson," Percy said as they were all wrapped in his story.

"But Prometheus, in an act of defiance, gave something back to the mortals," Percy said, looking closely at all of them. "He slipped into Hephaestus, the God of the forge, and Athena, the God of Wisdom's forge, and stole a bit of flame before giving it back to the mortals." He said, taking a moment to recover his voice.

"Flame those mortals used to camping and cooking. As well as to forge weapons and wage war. It was an evolution of unprecedented speeds that enraged the gods." Percy said as his eyes rested on the chalices, "A rage so great that led to Prometheus being tied to a mountain to forever be tortured by a bird that ate his liver every single day." He finished the story and let it sit for a moment as the group looked around.

"Cute story, but what does it have to do with this?" Theo asked as Percy leaned forward and put his hands together under his chin.

"A lot can be learned from these myths. You see, I do not wish to share Prometheus' fate," he said as he made several daggers appear with the snap of his fingers. One for each member of the group.

"This knowledge I'm about to share with you is something precious to me." Percy started saying as he grabbed a dagger. "It's not something I wish to be known by the public. Or be taken away from me, so this is my price," he said as he placed the dagger's sharp edge in the palm of his hand.

Then, in a swift movement, he cut his palm open to the shock of everyone there. Then he grabbed the golden chalice and let his blood fall inside it. "This blood will be the sign of our bond. A bond that will protect all of our secrets. A bond that would never be taken from us, willingly, unwillingly, or unknowingly. This knowledge will forever remain between those who show me their willingness to enter this bond," Percy said as he dropped the dagger back on the table.

"And this choice is entirely up to you," Percy said as he made a bandage appear and started wrapping his hand with it. "This chalice," he said, pointing at the silver chalice, "Is filled with sleeping draught. Just one sip and it will put you to sleep, then Teeky will erase your memories concerning all of this," Percy said as the whole group winced at the presented choice.

"You will still be part of our study group. But you won't be privy to the knowledge ahead," Percy said as he leaned back, letting a moment for any questions.

"You're joking. Are we supposed to give everything away, put our trust in you, just because?" Theo asked, and Percy tilted his head.

"It is a choice you should be familiar with, Theodore," Percy started as Theo blinked in confusion. "Stay with the status quo or risk it all in a leap of faith for a better future?" Percy asked rhetorically with a shrug, and Theo looked down, a bit frustrated.

"What about Harry and Neville?" Padma asked, her pragmatic side slipping for a bit. "It is clear that the two of them are well-versed in whatever this is. Did you ask them to do this as well?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at Percy.

"No," Percy said simply as Padma was about to say something about it, but Percy kept talking. "But sooner or later, I would've. You guys joining just sped up the process," he explained as Padama hummed.

"Why?" Sue Li asked as Percy looked at her in curiosity. "Why ask us to do this process instead of just asking us to make a vow?" She asked as Percy hummed. He knew someone would ask something like this, so he was prepared.

"Teeky," he called out, and soon his house-elf appeared next to him. "Please reveal to them a deep secret of mine," Percy said, never taking his eyes from the group.

Teeky took a moment before looking at the whole group. "You're a year older than your classmates. Because you lived on the streets for a year before Professor Vector found you," Teeky said simply as the whole group winded. And his friends from Slytherin were shocked even more.

"What!?" Daphne asked, mortified as Percy glanced at her. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked as Percy looked down with a melancholy look on his face.

"It is not a time of my life I remember fondly. But that's not something to speak now," Percy said before looking at his elf. "Teeky," he said as the elf looked up, "Tell them what the knowledge I speak of is," Percy said as Teeky blinked for a moment before settling herself.

Then, nothing happened for a moment, but it was not long before the elf started twitching. Her little hands started trembling, and her eyes looked everywhere. Then she tried to get something out, to speak. But she couldn't, something was preventing her.

"What are you doing to her!?" Hermione asked, mortified as Percy looked at all of them. Then, he slowly placed his hand on top of the elf's head.

"That's enough, Teeky. You did well," he said as Teeky let a breath out as her pain left her body. "I'm sorry for putting you through this pain," he said as a green aura surrounded her for a moment.

"It's okay, young master, I understand," Teeky said before disappearing from the area. Then, Percy looked at his hand before looking at the group.

"She was fighting against her elf bond," Susan commented, knowing full well what was going through the elf. "What did you do? There's nothing that strong that can prevent that bond," She said as Percy looked at her.

"But there is. Blood magic is stronger," Percy said to the whole group. "And me and Teeky made the same bond that I'm asking you to do," Percy said, looking around. "You ask me why, Sue. And the answer is simple," Percy said, pointing at Harry.

"Because of him," Percy said, as Harry's eyes widened by the sudden acknowledgment, "Whether he likes it or not. He's a public figure, a figure that's susceptible to any form of attack. Oclumency, Versatium, Legilimensy. Things Purebloods can do on a whim," Percy said as he leaned forward.

"And since we're close to him, there is a chance that someone will try something like that against us just to learn information about him," Percy said, looking at all of them with narrowed eyes. "So, I cannot take that chance. I hope you understand," Percy said as the group looked at the middle. Where the chalices and daggers were.

"And are you sure this bond can prevent that magic?" Ginny asked, and Percy looked at her. For a moment, there was a hidden curiosity behind Percy's eyes, Harry noticed. But it went away very quickly.

"Once the bond is made. Nothing will ever take it from you; it is unbreakable," he reassured her. Then, in a moment that shocked most of them, the Gryffindor redhead leaned forward and grabbed a dagger.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked as the youngest one there put the knife in the palm of her hand.

Ginny looked at the knife for a moment before glancing at Percy. "I want to know who I am." Before looking at the rest, she said, "Becoming brave is an easy decision." She said, cutting her palm up. Then, she did the same as Percy and dropped her blood on the golden chalice.

Harry smiled at her conviction and eagerness, so he followed her example and dropped blood on the chalice. Neville and Hermione followed his actions. Neville because he already knew what he was getting into, and Hermione because she trusted Harry and Percy.

Then, Tracey grabbed a dagger slowly and looked at Percy for a moment. "When you say that, we will become what we are meant to be. What do you mean by that?" she asked as Percy hummed for a bit.

"Have you ever felt like you were missing something?" Percy asked, tilting his head a bit as Tracey blinked a bit. "Like there's something just out of reach within you?" He asked as Tracey looked down.

"Yeah," She said as she cut her hand open and let the blood drip into the chalice. The Slytherin boys followed her example at the promise of unknown knowledge.

But Daphne hesitated. She had screwed up a lot with her friends and this seem to be a topic of huge importance to Percy and she didn't want to screw it up. And she definitely didn't want to be left out. So she joined the rest in hopes of growing closer to the ones she had let down.

The Ravenclaws didn't need much convincing to begin with. They were knowledge seekers, so the promise of something different intrigued them enough. And Padma, as well as Sue, had their own reasons to join, but preferred to keep them quiet.

And Luna was Luna, she didn't need convincing like the others. She was in from the start.

But the same couldn't be said for the redhead from Hufflepuff. You see, for her, loyalty meant everything. It wasn't something to give out that easily, so she was thinking it thoroughly. She knew she wanted to join, but it wasn't easy for her. But before she could voice her concerns, Hannah moved forward.

Susan looked at her in shock before speaking up. "Hannah?" Susan asked as Hannah looked down at the dagger in deep thought.

"I hate the magical world," Hannah admitted to the shock of almost everyone there. "Power means everything here, and for us who don't want it, we become scorned by them. Making us feel like we don't belong," Hannah said, placing the dagger up to her palm. "If this is a way for me to finally belong somewhere. Then I'll take it," She said, cutting her palm and letting the blood drop on the chalice.

Susan stared at Hannah in shock. She didn't realize that she was feeling that way, but she should've. She moved her hand forward and took Hannah's hand with her own. "I'm sorry," She said as Hannah gave her a small smile, clearly telling her it wasn't her fault.

Then the Hufflepuff redhead was the only one left. It still wasn't an easy decision for her. She was taught to always do things by the book and respect the law by her aunt, but more and more, she had realized how little the law had the power of corruption. And a part of her agreed with Hannah's statement.

But what secured her decision was something simpler. She looked up and saw his friends, closest friends, and people she wished to protect. So she knew that if she backed down now, if she chose not to be part of this, she knew she would never forgive herself.

So she did as the rest and cut her palm, letting the final drops of blood needed for the bond fall into the chalice.

After a few moments, Percy stood up and grabbed the chalice with his left hand. He closed his eyes as everyone stared at him, waiting to see what would happen. Then he started chanting something in a language no one recognized, but they could all feel the power coming from his voice.

They saw the chalice starting to boil the blood inside of it, and everyone stood ready for whatever Percy was doing. Some even stood up at the sudden showmanship of unknown magic. Then, black vapor started rising from the cup as everyone grew wary and confused.

Then, as Percy was finishing his chant, he opened his eyes, revealing his red and black eyes, his true eyes. Those who hadn't seen them were caught unaware and were so frightened that they had to stand up from the shock, except Luna, who was still in her seat, waiting patiently. But before they could voice anything about that shock, the black vapor turned into a cloud of black smoke before splitting into fourteen different parts, and then those streams of black vapor landed on their right forearms.

The black mist surrounded their arms for a bit, and they started feeling a small heat coming from there. Not enough to hurt, but enough to be noticed. Then, after a few moments, the black mist disappeared, revealing a black tattoo there in everyone's forearm.

The tattoo was an eye half closed with some stars around it, standing above an upside-down crescent moon filled with all the stages the moon goes through. This was the symbol of the Greek goddess of the night, Nyx, and the same symbol of Percy's family. A symbol of secrecy and mystery. One that will help them all to secure this bond between them.

"Follow me then," Percy said as his eyes turned back to normal. He started walking to the hallway leading to the rooms of the apartment.

"Wait!" Susan shouted, stopping him in his tracks. "How are we to explain the tattoo to our families!?" She said a bit angrily, because she knew her aunt would kill her if she saw this.

Percy looked back at her and offered her a small smirk before speaking up, "What tattoo?" He asked as everyone looked at their forearm and noticed the tattoo slowly fading away. Then he continued walking forward as Luna quickly caught up to him before the rest followed them.

He led all of them to a portrait at the end of the hallway. It was a portrait of a small one-floor house made out of wood. A house brought from the Dark Ages and surrounded by this home was a green open field.

He then turned around and faced all of them. "You guys go first, it's going to feel a bit weird, but it's perfectly safe," Percy said as the group looked at each other in confusion.

Then Harry stepped first and looked at Percy, a bit worried. "How does this work?" Harry asked as Percy looked at him before looking at the portrait.

"Place your hand on the portrait, then the portal will activate," Percy started explaining before he looked at Harry. "Then you will feel a strong pull. Do not fight it, otherwise you'll get stuck," Percy said as Harry gulped a bit but still moved his hand forward swallowing his fear.

Then his hand touched the portrait and suddenly his world changed in the blink of an eye. Brining him to another place all together.

Chapter Text

Harry's unhealthy relationship with magic transportation continued. Because as soon a she traveled to the other side of the portrait, he fell face first into the grass.

He groaned as he stood up and rubbed his face, trying to get rid of the pain on his face. He looked around, looking at the landscape around him.

He was on the back side of the little shed. The shed had a little opening like a backyard that was turned into a forge. He walked up there as the rest started to appear right where he appeared, one by one.

He looked around and noticed several weapons of every kind, some he recognized as the ones Percy had lent to him and Neville. He was about to pick up a dagger that caught his eye before he heard someone clearing his throat.

"It's rude to touch others' stuff without permission, Harry." He turned around and saw Percy standing there with a small smile on her face. The rest gathered around the forge, and Harry scratched the back of his head a bit sheepishly.

"What is this place?" Neville asked, looking around in wonder as Percy walked to a specific place in the forge.

"The best term to explain it would be a pocket dimension, like the ones of the expanding trunks," Percy said, pulling a huge trunk from a compartment space. "Magical caretakers use these spaces to keep their pets safe," He said, opening the trunk and taking a familiar sphere that Neville and Harry recognized immediately.

"How did you come by it?" Susan asked in curiosity as Percy placed the sphere on top of the table. Then he took a seat at the table before looking at them all.

"Don't know really, it was already here when I first got here," Percy said, looking at the landscape. "But that's not why you're here," Percy said, glancing at his hands and taking a deep breath.

"Does anyone know how magic was born?" Percy asked as the rest of the group looked a bit confused, but Hermione raised her hand vigorously. He nodded his head at her with an amused smile as some of them chuckled at her excitement.

"It wasn't born, it was always there," She started explaining as she dropped her hand. "It wasn't until Merlin and Morgana came along with the four founders that magic started being as we know it right now, controlled and teachable," She said, and Percy nodded his head.

"Then, are there other ways to practice magic?" Percy asked again, and the group looked a bit confused, wondering what he was getting at with this.

"Not really," Sue said, crossing her arms and looking a bit confused. "I mean, there are different branches of magic, but it all stems from the magic they teach us," She said as the group nodded their heads.

"Sounds a bit contradictory. How can't there be other ways to practice magic if magic is all around us?" Percy asked, and now no one had an answer. "That's because it can't," Percy said as everyone listened closely to what he was saying.

"We think of magic as the power that makes our spells work. The invisible hand that creates all the wonder of the world we live in. But that's wrong," Percy said, looking at all of them with seriousness. "The power behind it is called the Arcane." He explained much to everyone's confusion.

"The Arcane?" Padma asked as Percy nodded and stepped up from the table. Then he started making a circle with his right hand.

And soon enough, a sort of mist started to appear around them all. It was a gentle rainbow colored wind that hugged them, and they felt the warmth coming from the specter that surrounded them.

"This is the Arcane, the magical source every single creature taps into for using magic. This is its truest form." He said as he touched a part of the rainbow mist.

Everyone looked around in wonder, and some of them started to touch the mist as well, giggling when they felt the warm and comforting aura of the mist. "The wizard way that we've learn works a bit like this," Percy said, getting everyone's attention back to him.

"Our wand taps into the arcane, and with our movement, intent, and incantation, we will the arcane to our will," Percy said as he started making a circular motion with his wand, and they saw how the weave of the mist gathered around the tip of his wand. "Lumos," He said, and they saw the magic gathered around the wand light up immediately.

They watch in awe and wonder as the weave returned to the mist once Percy let go of the spell. "Pretty cool, isn't it?" Percy said as most of them looked at him with excited smiles on their faces.

"How did you find this? This is," Susan said, glancing at him for a bit before looking at the mist, not being able to take her eyes off something so beautiful.

"Childlike wonder and endless alone time can be a powerful team," Percy said cryptically and continued talking before anyone could ask what that meant. "Now, what would you say that there are other ways to tap into the arcane? Ways more suited to each individual?" Percy asked as Hannah looked at him, confused, and was the first to voice that confusion.

"How?" She asked, and Percy looked at her while tilting his head, thinking of an appropriate response.

"Well, you see how some of us are better in some subjects than others," Percy said as Hannah nodded her head a bit. "Like for example, Nev is a genius when it comes to herbology, but can't make a potion to save his life," Percy said as Nev flipped him off for that dig as some of them chuckled amused at it.

"It works similarly to magic, some people are not suited to be wizards, but there are other types of magic that best suit them, like myself," Percy said as they all grew confused once more.

"What?" Tracey asked, a bit surprised. He was one of the most intelligent students she knew from school. So to hear that he wasn't suited for wizarding magic shocked her a bit.

"Then what magic suits you the best? And what magics are there?" Ginny asked in curiosity, eager to find a magic that suited her best.

"There are a lot, but it would take hours for me to explain them," Percy said before putting his hand on top of the sphere. "So, I'll just explain yours. So, who would like to go first?" He asked and was met with a bunch of raised hands, but before he could choose one, a voice of skepticism spoke up.

"And how do we know what you're telling is real?" Theo asked, and Harry was about to argue for Percy's sake, but the white-haired teen stopped him with a shake of his head. "No offense, but not gonna believe it till I see it, you get me?" He said as Percy nodded his head.

He stepped off the table and took off his jacket, revealing a tight black top underneath it. And those who had a secret fancy for him couldn't help but blush a bit when they saw his defined arms, but that stopped when they saw him pull down a lever near the entrance of the forge.

Then, ahead of them in the green landscape, several targets made of straw appeared. They all saw Percy walk forward, and his hand started glowing red a bit.

Then, for those who hadn't seen his powers, it was a big surprise to see a medium-sized ball of fire appear on his hand without any incantation. Then he just chugged it forward, and a big stream of fire followed the ball forward before connecting with one of the targets.

And as soon as it connected, it exploded and surrounded the target in a huge ball of fire, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake before it started to repair itself magically. He turned around and looked at them with a bored look before speaking up, "Is that proof enough?" He asked as Theo gulped, feeling put on the spot.

"Yeah," He said simply as Percy patted his shoulder when he walked back. Easing his shock and nervousness, he stopped walking when Ginny took a step towards him with a clear intention on her face.

"So eager," He said with a small chuckle before grabbing the sphere and putting it on Ginny's hands. She grabbed it, a bit scared of dropping it, before looking at Percy with confusion on her face. "Send a bit of your magic into it, it will let me know what kind of Arcane magic is best for you," He said, and Ginny gulped but still nodded her head.

She closed her eyes a bit and let her magic flow into the sphere as the rest of the group looked at the process with eager curiosity. Then she opened her eyes and saw the sphere turn into a greyish blue color for a bit before changing into a deep purple one.

"Huh," Percy said, looking at the sphere in slight curiosity before taking it away from Ginny's hands, who had started to worry because of Percy's reaction.

"Did I break it or something?" She asked in worry, but Percy immediately eased her worries.

"No, not at all," Percy said, shaking his head before grabbing a sword that Harry recognized as the one he used on this exploration. "Mind if she uses this?" Percy asked Harry, who shook his head, telling him he didn't mind.

Ginny looked a bit confused as Percy put the sword forward for her to grab it. "You're a fighter, Ginny. It is a bit surprising if I'm being honest," He said as Ginny grabbed the sword, a bit confused. "Fighters are usually warriors of every kind, weapon masters that don't beat around the bush and go straight to the point. Which, considering your upbringing," He said with a slight shrug as Ginny blushed a little embarrassed, knowing he was right.

"Follow me, please," Percy said as he walked back to the target practice area, but then he backtracked and went back to grab the sphere, figuring that it would be easier to just explain things there.

"What surprised me was the type of fighter that you are," Percy said as they both got closer to a specific target. "Are you good with Occlumency?" Percy asked in wonder, and Ginny got frightened a bit.

She remembered the things that happened at the end of last year and the things she had to do to forget that. "Yeah, I had to learn at the end of last year," She said, not wanting to reveal much. "Why?" She asked a bit suspiciously as Percy looked ahead.

"Back then, a group of people created a fighting technique passed from generation to generation. They believed the mind could be connected to magic for a better and powerful way to practice Arcane magic." Percy started explaining as Ginny listened closely, "They were called Psi warriors, and you, Ginny, are one of them." Percy explained as her eyes widened.

"What? How? None of my family is a Psi warrior," She said with a stumble in her voice as Percy nodded his head.

"I know, but perhaps at some point you opened your mind to magic, do you remember when?" He asked, and Ginny looked away from him, a bit afraid.

Harry cleared his throat, and when Percy looked at him, he saw Harry shaking his head, telling him to drop the subject. "Well, however you did that, it is amazing anyway," He said as Ginny smiled a bit.

"So, how does it work?" She asked Percy to take a step toward her.

"First, let me explain how the sword works. See these gems on the handle?" He said as Ginny nodded her head. "Their elemental gems, fire, wind, and electricity ones respectively. Once activated, it creates an elemental, powerful slash. Why don't you try it?" He said as Ginny looked confused, but nodded nonetheless.

She grabbed the sword with her two hands and did a slash forward, and suddenly a red fire slash appeared, cutting the target in two with leaving flames behind the slash. "Woah," She said, looking at the sword in wonder.

"Good," Percy said, taking a step forward, having put himself behind her to stay clear of the slash. "Now, you see that part of the target," He said as Ginny nodded, looking at the upper part of the target. "I want you to lift it with your mind," He said, and Ginny looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

"What?" She asked, raising her voice in confusion, "That's impossible, there's no way I can do that," She said, and Percy stared right into her eyes.

"You'll find that things will no longer be impossible anymore, little Weasley," Percy said with seriousness in his voice, making her gulp a bit.

She looked back at the target and narrowed her eyes at it. She didn't know how she would do it, but she figured she should try nonetheless. She closed her eyes and instinctively moved her hand up. She started picturing the target floating in the air and then felt a string for her to grab.

She did, and then she heard a bit of a gasp going around. She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw the target floating in the air. "Good job, Ginny, now push it away," He said as Ginny imagined pushing the string out of her hand and the target went flying forward, crashing at a huge distance from them.

She gasped again and looked at her hand in wonder before she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Ginny holy shit, that was amazing!" Harry said, shaking her a bit, as the ones who knew her the most congratulated her at the showing of her magic.

Then Percy turned to the rest, wondering who should be next, but just like Ginny, Tracey was already on his face, ready to go. "Here you go," Percy said, dropping the sphere into her hands with a small chuckle in his voice.

Tracey wasted no time sending magic to the sphere, eager to learn what magic she could use. She saw the sphere turning dark green for a moment before changing into a deep cyan color.

She looked up, giving Percy the sphere back. "So, what am I?" She asked eagerly, and Percy dropped the sphere carefully on the ground.

"Annoying," He said, taking a bit of a dig at her, and she responded by slapping his arm with a roll of her eyes. "You're a ranger," He said, looking back at the forge.

"A ranger?" She asked in confusion as she saw him flicking his wrist, and a silver longbow appeared in his hand.

"Rangers are hunters basically, quick people that use their surroundings to hide and deal one single deadly blow," He explained as he handed her the bow. "Know how to use one?" Percy asked as Tracey grabbed it with her right hand.

"Yeah, dad taught me how to hunt a while ago," She said and tested the weight a bit. "It's a lot lighter than it seems." She said as Percy stepped behind her.

"It senses the user's strength and adapts to him or her," Percy said, and she blushed a bit when his voice hit the back of her ears. "Now try to draw an arrow," He said as Tracey looked back at him, confused. So, he decided to answer her unasked question. "See these symbols here?" He asked, leaning forward, and her breath hitched when he leaned over her.

"Touch them and then pull back as if you are holding an arrow," Percy explained, and Tracey nodded and did as she was told. Then a silver arrow appeared and she aimed at a target, she let loose, and the arrow flew with a swift speed and landed right into its head.

"Pretty cool, wasn't it?" Percy said, putting his hands on her shoulders as she looked back with a big smile on her face.

"Fuck yeah it was," Tracey said but then she starting feeling a bit dejected, while the bow and arrow was pretty cool, it was no telekinesis.

"Now, your magic doesn't end there," Percy said, cutting through her feeling of deject. "You're what I call Horizon Ranger, and it's pretty rare." He said as Tracey looked at him in confusion. "I could explain how it works, but it's better if you just see it," He said as Tracey grew a bit worried.

"Um, if you say so," Tracey said worried that she might screw up whatever he wanted her to do.

"See the forge, I want to picture you standing there," Percy said as Tracey looked at him confused. "Close your eyes and picture yourself in the middle of the forge," He said as Tracey closed her eyes.

She didn't know what he wanted, but she trusted him nonetheless. So she closed her eyes and focused on being in the middle of the forge. She felt the ground shift from under her, and she opened her eyes to see that she was in the middle of the forge.

She stumbled back a bit in surprise as she looked at where everyone was with shock in her eyes, just as same as the rest. "Now come back!" Percy shouted as she closed her eyes and tried to picture herself next to him.

This time it took less to do so, and once she opened her eyes, she found herself in front of him. She stumbled a bit forward, but he caught her pretty easily before she could fall. "How did that feel?" He asked as she glanced at him with an excited look on her face.

"What the fuck was that!?" Tracey said with a huge smile on her face. "I can teleport!?" She asked, and Percy hummed a bit.

"Sort of," Percy said. "But let's go with that for now, I fear you might hurt yourself if you try to see the limits of that power. So take it easy, okay?" He said as Tracey nodded, still with a smile on her face. "Keep practicing with the bow, though," He said as she nodded and went to get used to her new weapon.

He looked back at the rest, who all had expressions similar to Tracey's, eager to be next. All but one, Hannah, looked a bit afraid, so Percy decided to bring her out of her shelf. "Hannah, would you like to go?" He asked as Hannah looked up nervously.

"Um," she said, looking around. She met Susan's eyes, and she gave her a nod of encouragement. "Sure," She said, stepping up.

He handed her the sphere, and she gulped to try and ease her nervousness. She sent magic into it, and she saw it turn into a mix of bright green and brown colors before it turned into a deep blue color.

Hannah looked up in curiosity and saw Percy's thoughtful look. "Huh, interesting," Percy said, taking the sphere from her hands. And she grew a bit confused by that response. "Are you good at herbology?" He asked in curiosity, and Hannah blinked a bit.

"Um, a bit?" She asked as Neville and Susan snorted.

"She's selling herself short, she's amazing," Susan said as Neville nodded his head, feeling the same as Susan, when it came to Hannah, she was very good in herbology.

"This might explain it a bit," Percy said as a wooden staff appeared in his hands. It was as big as her and at the end, some green leaves were growing there. It also had some green symbols and drawings growing from the hook to the end. "You're a druid," He said, handing her the staff.

She grabbed it, and the symbols started glowing as she felt the power surging into her. "Woah," She said as she looked at him with curiosity in her eyes. But he had to take a moment as her green eyes started glowing even greener.

"Do you feel that?" He asked as Hannah nodded, feeling the power surging through her body. "That's nature's purest magic flowing through you. Druids have an incredible connection to nature, that's what powers their magic," he explained, and Hannah grew a bit excited. Magic didn't come easily to her because she felt like she lacked power.

But not with this, this just felt right to her. "Now, I want you to try something for me," Percy said as Hannah came back to earth and nodded at him. "See the target? I want you to just concentrate on this power you're feeling and throw it at it," he said, and Hannah nodded in understanding.

She looked ahead towards the straw target and pointed the staff at it. She concentrated the power into the staff, and then she just let it go. Then, from the ground, these green vines exploded toward the target, slicing and trapping it in one quick movement.

"Holy shit Hannah!" Susan said, amazed as Hannah looked at her with wide eyes, feeling shocked at her own power. She then turned to Percy, feeling there was more to her powers.

And she was right as Percy faced her again with a serious look. "Now, I'm gonna ask you to do something a bit risky, if you wish not to do it, I'll understand," He said with a bit of a warning, but Hannah didn't mind. With the power she was feeling, she felt like she could take on anything.

"Close your eyes and concentrate on the power you're feeling within you, try and grab it," Percy said as Hannah did as he said. "You have it?" He asked as Hannah nodded her head.

"Okay, Hannah, I want you to very slowly and carefully bring it out," Percy said as Hannah narrowed her eyes as if she was pulling something strong. "Pull as hard as you can," He said, and Hannah did so, pulling the power as much as she could, and then her vision changed.

Now she was looking at Percy from farther below than before, but she felt as if her senses had heightened themselves; her vision was better, even if she was looking in black and white, her hearing was sharper, she could hear the gasping breaths from everyone there. But her smell, her smell was ten times better, she could smell everything from everywhere with precise detail.

Then she heard Percy crouching down and saw him looking straight into her eyes, "Hannah?" He asked a bit warily, and she tilted her head, wondering why he was being so wary of her. "Want to see what happened?" He asked and she tried to speak but no words came out of her mouth, just a deep growl did which started to frighten her a bit.

Percy noticed it and made a small mirror appear on his hands to try and calm her down. Hannah looked into the mirror and her eyes widened in shock at what she saw, because she didn't see her normal reflection. No, what she saw there was a medium-sized black panther staring right back at her.

"Druids can tap into nature's primal force and change into different animals," Percy explained as Hannah looked up. "It's different from being an Animagus, as you have a wide variety of animals to choose from. But I wasn't expecting you to turn into a panther," He said in amazement. It was truly something impressive.

But his amazement was cut short when Neville cleared his throat. "How about you get amazed later and help her change back?" Neville said clearly, seeing the distraught in Hannah's eyes.

"Oh, that's right," Percy said as he stared at Hannah's eyes. "It is very simple, grab the power just as before, but this time push it instead of pulling it," He said as Hannah closed her eyes again and pushed the power forward.

Then her vision changed once more, and she opened her eyes to see her back in her normal body. She smiled in excitement at the new power she had found, but then she stumbled a bit forward, tired from using that power.

But Neville was there to catch her, and he helped her lean over him to take a breath. "Take a rest, you did good, Hannah," He said with a smile as Hannah looked up at him with a small smile on her face. This newfound power was just too great, for she didn't even realize that her crush was holding her.

Percy then left them alone and turned to the rest to continue with another person, and then just picked the one he saw first, not to play any favorites. "Sue, you're up," He said as Sue Li smiled a bit in excitement.

She walked up to him, and he handed her the sphere as soon as she stepped up to him. They watched the sphere change into a dark purple momentarily before turning into a greyish blue. She looked up in curiosity as he looked at her with a bit of a narrowed look.

"What?" She asked a bit confused, and Percy just gave her a small smile.

"Nothing, this just explains a lot," He said as Sue raised an eyebrow at him, warning him a bit. "You're a Rogue. Agile and deadly people that use their dexterity powers and magic to fool anyone they want, to get whatever they want," He said with a bit of a cheeky smile, and Sue just tilted her head at him.

"Sounds cool enough, what weapon do I get?" She asked, eager to see what he got for her. With Ginny, Tracey, and Hannah's weapons, she couldn't help but feel excited about what kind of weapon she would get.

"Well, most rogues use bows and daggers, but do you mind if we try something else? There's something I wanted to test out for a while," Percy said, and Sue nodded her head. It sounded intriguing, whatever he wanted to test out, and her eagerness just made her agree to it.

Then she saw him making a large black suitcase appear on the ground, and she looked at it in curiosity.

He started opening it, and from there, she saw a large golden rifle with silver highlights. She leaned down and touched it and saw the rifle glow blue on the chamber part of it.

She looked up at Percy in confusion, and he nodded, telling her to grab it. She did so and grabbed the rifle with care. "Do you know what that is?" He asked as Sue looked at him and shook her head no.

Percy then closed the suitcase before he stepped up to her. He then helped her to grab the rifle properly. "This is a Rifle, it is a Muggle invention." He said as Sue realized how close he was, and her breathing hitched a bit. "I modified it so it could work with magic, see this little button right next to the trigger?" He asked as Sue nodded in understanding.

"Press it and send a bit of magic into it," He said, and she did so and saw the blue parts glow a bit more than they were already. "Now aim and shoot the target," He said, pointing at the farthest target there. She nodded as she moved the gun up.

She saw the sights of the rifle appear for her to aim at the target. She focused and aimed at the target. "Take a deep breath in and release it just as you're about to shoot," Percy said as Sue took a deep breath in and closed the eye that wasn't looking through the scope.

Then she pulled the trigger, and a small ray of blue shot through the rifle and into the target. She got pushed back a bit by the recoil, but Percy put a hand on her back, stopping her from falling back. "You're okay?" He asked as Sue looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks," She said, moving away from his touch with a small blush on her face. "I just need to get used to the recoil," She said as Percy looked forward at the targets.

"So, how did it feel?" He asked while putting a hand forward as Sue Li looked down at the rifle.

"It has more power than I thought. It's pretty light, so it was surprising," She said, and Percy brought the target she shot towards them. Her eyes widened at what she saw, and the group gasped in shock when they saw the state of the target. It had a huge hole in the head part of it, and smoke was coming out of it. The shot Sue Li had done was deadly indeed. "Wait, the shot didn't feel that powerful," She said, surprised, and Percy gave her a small smirk.

"That was all you Sue," Percy said as the target disappeared. "You're an assassin type of rogue, so if the target is unaware of you, your attacks will do twice the damage. Pretty badass to be honest," He said as her eyes grew big and she blushed a bit from the praise he gave her.

"Um, thanks," She said as he nodded and looked back at the forge before glancing back at her.

"Do you want something to help you with the recoil? I might have something there?" He asked, but Sue just shook her head no. He nodded in understanding and looked back at the rest of the group. "Keep practicing then, but don't overextend yourself." He said as Sue Li nodded and stepped away to keep practicing her shots.

Then he grabbed the sphere and walked to the person closest to him. "Ready, Susan?" He asked as the redhead stepped forward with a proud smile.

"Born ready," She said, grabbing the sphere and sending magic into the sphere. Then the sphere turned into the same greyish blue color as Ginny's, but then it turned into a bright red one for a moment before turning into a violet color and settling on that one there. "Huh, three colors?" She asked confused, and Percy grabbed the sphere from her.

"It just means you're power is more specific," He said as Susan looked up in curiosity. "Give me your hands," He said, and she couldn't help herself.

"Not in front of everyone, dear," She said bit cheekily and flirty, and Percy snorted while looking at her in exasperation. She then put her hands forward, he grabbed her right hand and started wrapping it with a bandage that he made appear.

But this bandage was weird since it was grey instead of the normal white ones. "You're a fighter like Ginny, but you have a more direct approach to fighting than she does." Percy started explaining and changing hands in the process.

She noticed how callous his hands were when he wrapped the bandages around her hands. And she wondered how it would feel to have them hold hers, but she shook those thoughts away, not wanting to grow embarrassed in front of him.

"You're a battle master, it's a fancy way to say that your attacks can generate different effects on your opponents, we'll learn what they are soon enough, thanks to your fighting style," He said as he led her to a target.

"First of all, why don't you try and punch it?" He asked as Susan looked at him, a bit confused.

"You want me to punch it?" She asked in confusion, and he nodded his head. She wondered why he wanted her to do that, but she just shrugged and put her fists up. But before she hit the target, Percy stepped up and helped her fix her stance.

He gave her a nod, and she hit the target with her right fist, making the target stumble a bit back, but other than nothing happened. "Good, now I want you to concentrate magic on your fist, as much as you want," He said as Susan nodded in understanding.

She narrowed her eyes and focused, sending magic to her fist. Then she saw a violet flame appear on her knuckles. She got scared a bit, but Percy put a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her.

She took a deep breath in and sent a punch into the target. It connected, and the flames gathered around her knuckles, and immediately an explosion happened in front of her that sent the target flying away, exploding into pieces in the air.

She looked ahead of her in shock before looking at her hand in surprise. She looked at the rest of them, who had a frightened look on their faces, and Theo leaned towards Blaise out of her view. "Remind me not to piss her off," He whispered to Blaise as he nodded agreeing with him.

"What the," Susan said, shocked out of her mind while looking at her fist. She was just amazed at the power she had shown. She then looked at Percy, and her eyes grew wider when she saw the shock in his eyes.

"Oh wow, I wasn't expecting that kind of power," He said, surprising Susan a bit, and he walked up to her. "Your fist doesn't hurt?" He asked, and Susan looked at her hand and didn't feel any pain.

"No, it's all good," She said as he grabbed her fist and made sure everything was alright.

"The bandages worked then," Percy said, letting go of her hand. "Handling magic like that is risky, so these bandages serve as protection. How did it feel?" He asked, and Susan looked at her hands.

"I don't know, it just felt right," She said, and Percy gave her a soft smile. "Can I?" She asked and Percy nodded.

"Sure, just don't tire yourself out," He said as she ran forward and went to hit more targets to get the hang of her new abilities.

Then he started helping Padma as she grabbed the sphere with an eager curiosity expression on her face. She poured magic into the ball, and then it glowed golden and stayed that way and didn't change colors like the rest.

Percy leaned forward into the ball, and his eyes widened. Padma grew concerned, but then she saw his eyes turn into an excited expression. "Something wrong?" She asked a bit concerned, and Percy shook his head.

"No, it's just that," Percy said, grabbing the sphere from her hands. "Your powers are a bit difficult to explain," Percy said while dropping the sphere on the ground.

"What do you think about science?" He asked in curiosity, looking up at her. She looked at him a bit confused, but decided to answer his question nonetheless.

"Everything has its logic, even magic, science it's just a better way for us to understand that logic," She said, and Percy nodded his head as a crossbow and a pouch appeared next to him.

"That's what makes you and Artificer," Percy said as she narrowed her eyes and waited for him to explain what that was. "They are people that create devices that modify magic in different ways; they take a different approach to magic," Percy said, handing her the crossbow and the pouch.

"There's a centaur named Bill that has an items shop in the dark alley. He's an Artificer like you, remind me to take you to him later on," He said, rambling on as Padma grabbed the crossbow with her right hand and put the pouch around her waist.

"Cool, but how does this work?" She asked, bringing him back to the topic at hand.

"Right," Percy said, looking down at her pouch. "There you'll find several flasks that mimic some elemental magical spells," Percy said as she looked inside the pouch. "Why don't you grab one and load it into the crossbow?" He said, and she did so.

She grabbed a flask glowing white, and with the help of Percy, she loaded it into the crossbow. He gave her a nod, and she aimed the bow at one of the targets that were a bit far away from the group. She shot it, and it exploded near the target.

Then a small-sized tornado appeared, cutting the target into tiny pieces. Padma's eyes grew wide at the power she saw. She glanced back at Percy, who was looking at her with a small smile on his face. "What do you think?" He asked as she looked down at her weapon.

"It's impressive, where did you get this? Did you make it?" She asked as Percy scratched the back of his head.

"That's a bit complicated," He said a bit nervously before he made a silver bracelet appear on his right hand, one that Harry recognized. "You can also wear this for protection, Harry can show you how it works," He said as Harry looked at Percy a bit amused.

"You're leaving me without any items, huh?" He said as Padma walked up to him, and Percy looked at him a bit confused.

"You haven't realized it yet?" He asked as Harry shook his head, a bit confused. "I'm giving you my gloves," He said matter-of-factly, leaving Harry a bit shocked before Padma brought him back so he could help her with the item Percy had given her.

Percy then focused back on the rest of the group and decided to focus on the boys first, figuring that since he knew them the least, he needed to focus a bit harder on them. Blaise went first and started pouring magic into the sphere.

His turned first into the same dark purple color as Sue's, but then it stayed in that color before disappearing. Blaise looked at Percy in curiosity but didn't comment on it, figuring the white haired teen would explain things to him.

"You probably realized that you're a rogue, same as Sue," He said as Blaise nodded, having realized that. "But you're a bit different, focus on your magic, and concentrate it on your hand," He said as Blaise nodded and looked at his hand.

He concentrated his magic there, and soon enough, a silver dagger appeared, but this dagger had a violet hue glowing around it. Blaise's eyes widened a little at the sudden appearance of the weapon before he looked at Percy for an explanation.

"That's called a soul-knife, the type of rogue you are," He explained as Blaise nodded, taking the information in. "You can magically create these daggers that are very powerful, and you can stab foes with them, or" Percy said as he pointed at a target up ahead. "Or you can throw them and they'll return to you every time you will so," He said, inviting Blaise to test it out.

Blaise looked up ahead and threw the knife, connecting with the target's head. Then he flicked his right hand, and the blade returned to his hand once more. He smiled a bit, knowing he would get addicted to this.

"And use this as well," Percy said, handing him a pair of black vans. "Have you ever watched The Wizard of Oz?" He asked, and Blaise shook his head as he made the dagger disappear. "It's simple, just click your heels together with these shoes on and you'll teleport to a safe distance you can see, no farther than thirty meters though," He said, and Blaise nodded as he grabbed the shoes and walked away, ready to test the item out.

Then Percy looked at Theo and handed him the sphere. Theo eagerly sent magic into it, ready to find out the power he had, and the ball glowed the same color as Sue and Blaise before it turned into a golden hue.

"So, I'm a rogue as well?" Theo asked as Percy nodded his head. "What kind, though?" He asked as Percy made a silver dagger and a silver short bow appear.

"You're what we know as an Arcane trickster, like the name suggests, you use your powers to trick people to get your way," Percy said as Theo started smiling widely, and Percy walked a bit away from Theo. "Powers like illusions and charm spells, that sort of thing," Percy said as Theo nodded but wondered what Percy was doing.

"These weapons are simple in their handling, but they are powerful in their own ways," Percy said as he dropped them on the ground carefully. "I want you to grab them without moving from your spot." He said walking back to Theo.

Theo looked a bit confused, and Percy elaborated on what he wanted to do. "All tricksters know one similar spell, it's called Mage Hand. I want you to picture an invisible hand grabbing the objects, otherwise, you won't get them." He said it a bit seriously, but Theo just knew he was playing with him. Or at least he thought he was.

So Theo focused up ahead and tried to picture a hand grabbing the stuff on the floor. It took a moment, but then a blue hand appeared floating above the objects, and it almost disappeared when Theo lost focus due to his shock. He concentrated again and slowly grabbed the dagger and bow before bringing them to him.

He dropped them on the ground with a gasp before he stared at the hand in shock. "Good work, man," Percy said, slapping his back before turning to the girls. Leaving him to process his new powers.

"Want to go next, Luna?" He asked, putting his eyes on the platinum blond girl for a moment. But he regretted it a bit when she gave him a mischievous look only he noticed.

"Um, that would be nice," Luna said with a thoughtful look on her face before placing her eyes on the forge. "But I like to discover my powers on my own, mind if I just scour your forge?" She asked, and Percy just knew there was something behind that, but nodded nonetheless.

"Sure," Percy said as Luna smiled and walked to the forge, skipping a bit on the way. He then turned to Daphne and Hermione, who were just as confused as him. "Any one of you would like to go first?" He asked, and both girls looked at each other for a moment.

Right now, the trio was on their own since the rest of the group had gone away to practice their newfound powers and were having fun testing them. It was as if they were in their own little bubble.

Daphne gave Hermione an encouraging smile and nodded, telling her to go ahead. Hermione nodded and took a step towards Percy, who smiled softly at her as he handed her the sphere.

Hermione repeated the same process as the rest and her color turned out to be a dark blue almost navy colored but then it started chaining into a silver one and Percy did his best to hide his shock. "So, what does blue mean?" She asked in wonder. Everything that was happening was frying her brain.

So much new information and knowledge. It was like heaven for her and she vowed to make questions about all of this when it was her turn so she couldn't help herself and asked what came first in her mind.

"You're a wizard, true and though," He said, and that stopped her eagerness a bit. She felt a bit dejected that she didn't have these new abilities like the rest, but it seemed that Percy had noticed her train of thought, so he placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up. "But there are other ways to be a wizard than the one we are used to," He said, reading her mind a bit.

Hermione looked up in curiosity, wondering what kind of way he was referring to. "I'm a big fan of The Lord of the Rings, so I've always wondered why no wizard had a spell book or a staff. It was kind of disappointing," Percy started explaining as he made three things appear on the ground. "So, I took matters into my own hands and created a way similar to them, but they don't work on me unfortunately," Percy said with a sheepish smile.

"What are those?" She asked as Percy stood up and looked at Hermione for a second.

"Items that will help you with your magic, but I wanted to speak about that for a second," Percy said, separating him and her from Daphne a bit as the conversation turned a bit private. "How are you handling your device?" He asked, pointing at her chest as Hermione looked down and caught a glimpse of the device that led her to take multiple classes at once.

"Um," she said after a bit of thought and before she glanced back at him. "It's been a bit complicated, getting used to it, it's still a challenge, but I'm managing." She said as Percy crossed his arms and nodded. "Why?" She asked in curiosity, and Percy scratched his ear.

"Well, Wizards have specializations, magic they spend their lives studying and being proficient with," Percy started explaining before looking at Hermione with a serious look. "And I'm spitballing here, but you spent a lot of time practicing and studying the artifact, haven't you?" He asked as Hermione blinked and gulped at the fact that she had been found out.

"Yes, how did you know?" She asked a bit nervously.

"Because of your specialization," Percy said, looking at Hermione with eyes so serious that they frightened her a bit. "Chrono magic, the ability to manipulate time. I don't need to tell you how powerful and dangerous that is, right?" He said, and Hermione nodded, still a bit scared; she didn't know if she wanted this power or not.

But then he placed his hand on her shoulder and looked at her with a pair of kind eyes. "I do not wish to scare you, Hermione, I just want you to be careful," He said as she nodded her head in understanding. "Okay then, let me show you a new way of wizarding," He said, changing topics and bringing the excitement out of her once more.

"Hogwarts uses practicality more than studying, that's their kind of way of teaching," He said, grabbing a silver diadem and a huge leather book from the ground. "Like, for example, what would be the best offensive spell to stop an incoming foe?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, showing his curiosity.

"Well," She hummed a bit. "Maybe incendio or the expelliarmus charm," She said, and Percy smiled while nodding his head.

"Good, five points to you then," He said, not being able to resist saying that. "Now put this on," He said, handing her a silver diadem for her to wear.

She looked at it, noticing the silver metal and design as well as the white gems that surrounded it. She placed it on her head and took a bit of fixing her hair before she was okay with the jewelry.

Then he gave her a holster belt for her to book, and she did before looking at him with curious eyes. "Before I explain how this works, why don't you show me the best way to stop someone from attacking you, don't tell me, just show me," He said, pointing at the target in front of them.

She grew confused, wondering what he wanted her to do, but then she looked at the target and she knew the answer. It was like a sudden thought invaded her mind, and she started making hand sings as the book on her hip glowed golden.

Then, from the book, she pulled a small fire bolt just as she finished the signs and threw it at the target, hitting it and wrapping its head with flames. And as the target hit the ground, she looked at Percy with a shocked expression.

"What do you think?" He asked, grabbing the silver staff from the floor. She grabbed the book and started reading it, trying to find answers before voicing her questions.

"What is this?" Hermione asked in curiosity and wonder as Percy stepped up to her.

"This is called a spellbook. It is a book containing a bunch of spells I've learn or found in my traveling years," Percy started explaining how the book worked. "It holds every spell's properties, and then if you put whatever spell you want on the index, you can use them without opening it thanks to the diadem," Percy said as Hermione looked at the book and started skimming through the pages.

"The power of magical reading, you could say," He said as he handed her the staff. "And this is an anchor for more potent spells, like a wand if you will," He said as she grabbed the staff.

"Um," She said and he realized that a million questions ran through her so he spoke up before she could.

"Why don't you read the book and get used to the spells, practice it a bit," He said, looking where the rest were. "I'll answer any questions that you have later on, 'kay?" He said as Hermione looked up and nodded before practically sprinting to read the book to the fullest.

Percy saw her run to the rest of the group with a small smile before glancing at the only person left. He placed his hands in his pockets before walking up to her and the sphere.

"Hey," He said as Daphne looked at him with a small smirk on her face while crossing her arms over her chest. "Sorry for leaving you till the end," He said as Daphne shook her head waving his concerns off.

"Best things come last, you could say," She said, getting a small chuckle out of him. Then she looked around with a wonder behind her eyes. "This is incredible. Why didn't you tell me about it earlier?" She asked in curiosity, and Percy held back a sigh.

"I was going to do it this summer, but," He said, scratching his head a bit as her eyes widened and she looked to the ground a bit ashamed. "But better late than never, right?" He asked rhetorically, and she smiled softly.

Then he handed her the sphere, and it took almost no time for her to send magic through it. It changed into a green emerald color before changing into a golden hue with white highlights around it.

She looked up, and her eyes grew a bit surprised by his reaction. You see, with everyone's power, he had shown either genuine curiosity or a look of excitement. But with her, his expression turned into a melancholic look before he looked at her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as Percy shook his head and grabbed the sphere, making it disappear in the process.

"No, nothing's wrong, I actually kind of expect it to be this," He said, and she knew he was lying and hiding something, but she didn't want to pry any further. If he wanted to talk to her she knew he would.

Then she watched a small golden box appear on his hands. He opened it, revealing a beautiful while necklace that had some snowflakes trapped inside some blue crystals here and there.

"It's gorgeous Percy," She said as she grabbed it and tested the weight of it with her hands. "Did you bought it?" She asked and Percy shook his head while making the box disappear.

"I found it, one of the first treasures I got," He said as she looked at him in confusion. "I'll tell all of you about it later, why don't you try it for now?" He said as Daphne looked down at the necklace.

"Um, can you?" She said as he nodded and grabbed the necklace. She moved her hair up as he stepped behind her and placed the necklace around her neck. She blushed a bit at his touch but maintained composure as best she could. "So, how do my powers work?" She asked, trying to get the conversation moving along.

"Your powers are the same as mine," He said as Daphne blinked before looking at him. "But before I explain them, answer me this. How did the ancient and noble families become that? When did they gain the ancient and noble status?" He asked as she narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"It's because of status," She said as Percy crossed his arms and listened closely. "Either you have enough money to buy the status like the Malfoys or you gain it by contributing something to the magical world like the Potters," She explained as Percy nodded his head. "But the twelve families? They have always been there, to my understanding," She said, and Percy kept nodding his head as she was telling the truth in those sentences.

"It is a combination of the two," He said as Daphne paid attention. "It's a huge contributing factor as well as a power backing them up. The Myrddins, Le Feys, or Peverells gained that because of their huge contributions to the magical world, whereas our families, the Nyx and Greengrass, while not that famous, came to the political landscape they created," Percy said as he looked ahead.

"Our ancestors created the magical world as we know it, while the rest of the families were busy revolutionizing the magical world, ours were modernizing it and making it contemporary," Percy said as Daphne listened closely to what he was saying. "But that's not why I'm asking you this. What I wonder is what kind of power these families had in common? What made them different from other people? Why were those twelve families the ones to evolve the magical world to that extent?" Percy asked as Daphne looked at the ground in deep thought.

She had never thought about that, and she didn't have a response, so she just gave him a slightly confused look. "It came from their connection to an ancient power." He said as Daphne blinked in confusion.

"Ancient powers?" She asked in confusion as he nodded his head. She wondered what he was referring to by that and kept quiet so he could carry on with his explanation.

"Ancient powers are something that people back then got thanks to an ancient being. The nature itself, fey creatures like a unicorn or a fairy. Deals with powerful beings that granted them powers beyond comprehension, and that were passed from generation to generation," Percy said before looking at her. "And that's where yours and mine come from, the power of an ancient being that passed throughout the history of our family," Percy explained as her eyes widened a bit.

It was something out of the ordinary for her, but it made sense, so she wondered what kind of being gave her family their powers. "What ancient being was ours?" She asked, and Percy took a moment to answer.

"A dragon," He said as Daphne blinked, not believing what Percy had said. "I know it sounds shocking, but back then, Dragons were wise and almost god-like in power. Time has changed them into nothing more than wild zoo animals, but back then, they were revered," Percy explained as Daphne nodded her head following his explanation closely.

"So, we are what it's known as Sorcerers, unlike the wizards, we don't need to study magic, because magic is what we are," He said as Daphne nodded understanding as he lifted his hand. "We don't need to study magic because the spells are already there, it's just a matter of time till our bodies adapt to that magic," He said, flicking his hand, wrapping it entirely in flames.

"My ancestry is a red dragon; that's why fire magic comes easily to me. And every draconic bloodline sorcerer has a certain type of dragon as its ancestor," Percy said, getting rid of the flames in his hands. "Yours is a white dragon," He said as Daphne looked at her hands in deep thought.

"Ice powers?" She asked, a bit amused, and Percy nodded his head at the irony of it all. "Guess I had to fit the part of ice queen at some point, didn't I?" She said as Percy snorted a bit at that comment. "So, how do I do this?" She asked as Percy grabbed her hand.

"Our powers are like a muscle; you need to train them to get used to them," Percy said as he pointed at her necklace. "If you try to use them now, they would probably affect you as well. That necklace gives you cold resistance so that you can handle the ice powers within you," He said as she looked down at her necklace. "Now, concentrate your magic on your hand, try to find that power within you, and bring it out," He said as Daphne nodded while he let go of her hand.

She took a deep breath and tried to focus within herself. It took some time, but then she felt it, a cold breeze. She brought it out and tried to concentrate that breeze on her hand, and soon enough it started materializing into a small ice dagger.

She almost lost the spell as her concentration almost broke in her surprise, but then she got it back and knew what she had to do. She looked at the target ahead of her and threw the dagger at it.

It connected with its head and exploded, creating a small glacier in there, making the target tumble down. She gasped at her power before looking at Percy with a wide smile on her face. "I know," He said patting her back as she laugh a bit, this was very exiting to her.

"This just feels right," Daphne said, looking at his hands with wide eyes. "Thank you," She said as Percy blinked in confusion and looked at her with that sentiment in his expression. "I don't know how long I would've live without knowing this power of mine, thank you," She said and Percy chuckled while putting his hands on his pockets.

"Of course," He said as Daphne glanced at the rest of the group. "Go on," He said, nodding at the group as Daphne looked at him a bit curios. "I should check on Luna, I fear what she'd done with my forge," He said, a bit amused, and she chuckled before walking away to the rest of the group.

Percy watched the group for a bit before walking to the forge. He got up there and looked a bit confused as he saw Luna wearing the black jacket he was wearing previously while looking at the weapons in front of her. "Did you finish with everyone?" She asked without turning around, and he walked up and stood next to her.

"Yeah, they're practicing as we speak," He said as he glanced down at her. "Can I ask why you are wearing my jacket?" He asked, and Luna glanced up at him with a bit of a mischievous look on her face.

"You told me I could grab anything from here, and the jacket was here," She said, and Percy knew better than to argue against that. "You've traveled a lot, haven't you?" She asked, looking at the multitude of items in front of her.

"I have," He said, looking ahead as well. "It's starting to get dangerous, though, so thanks for bringing them here." He said, and Lunna hummed while nodding her head.

"You were feeling down it was the least I could do," She said before giving him a look. "Still doesn't stop you from lying to them, am I right?" Luna said as Percy narrowed his eyes at her, confused about what she was saying.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, and Luna crossed her arms and narrowed her own eyes at him.

"I spoke to Harry a bit, and I overheard you and Daphne a bit," Luna said, leaning a bit towards him. "Why did you tell them your powers were from a Draconic bloodline when you know that's not true?" She asked as Percy grumbled and looked ahead, avoiding her eyes. "Is it because you're afraid to tell them what you are? You've already shown them your eyes," She said, and Percy crossed his arms, annoyed a bit.

"With blood magic is unavoidable," He said before looking at her. "And you're one to talk. I do not see you so eager to tell them about who you are, Fairy," He said as their eyes flashed and turned into their real ones for a brief moment, with their emotions running high before turning back to their usual ones.

"You're right," She said, rubbing her face a bit. "I just hate lying, that's all. And seeing you doing it triggers me a bit," She said with a sigh as he placed a hand on her back.

"I know," He said, rubbing circles on her back. "But you know how magical creatures are treated in the wizard world. Who knows how they would react if we tell them," He said. Luna sighed and leaned a bit closer to him, finding comfort in his touch.

"There's hope for this group. I can see it," She said, hugging herself closer, wrapping his jacket closer to her body and he glanced back a bit before looking down at her.

"I hope you're right," He said as he dopped his hand and removed from her body. Then he put it back on his pocket and let out a defeated sigh, he didn't like lying either but there was no other choice.

"You're going to bring them to a dungeon?" She asked, and he nodded his head. She gave him a curious look before speaking once more. "That could be a bit dangerous," She said, and Percy nodded once again.

"It can be, but if they are to have these powers, they need to be ready for the world that they bring with them," He said before turning around and looking at the group. They were having fun practicing their new powers, and Percy didn't blame them; finding new abilities was just an incredible surge of excitement. He sure hoped they were ready for what was to come.

Chapter Text

The Scandinavian mountains and forests were very vast and beautiful—endless landscapes of green and white surrounded by the tallest mountains you could possibly see.

But what mattered right now was a mountain that was surrounded by a white mist. It was as if the mist was guarding something and keeping something hidden. It was unnatural, you could even say it was magical.

It was an ideal location for a certain group of young explorers to visit. A certain white owl knew that as well, because it was already there waiting for the rest to get here. Waiting with a pair of judgmental eyes on itself.

And in no time, a bag and a black cat appeared in the area first. This was Kuro, Percy's companion and guide. It looked around, sniffing the ground for a bit before shaking its head, making the bell on its collar ring.

Suddenly, a chorus of apparating sounds popped throughout the field as fourteen young teenagers appeared there. Well, one of them fell right on his face while appearing there, but no one chose to comment on that. Harry must have had a curse on his magic transportation, as there was no other reason why he had such trouble with it.

Neville again put a hand to help him stand up, and he took it, groaning in annoyance while standing up. He looked around just as the same as the rest of them, noticing the green and slightly cold weather around them.

He wondered where they were and went to ask the one who knew, but he found Percy looking up at the white owl from earlier. "Something wrong?" Harry asked while walking up to him.

Percy looked down at him after a moment and shook his head. "No, I just had a weird deja vu," Percy said while bending down and grabbing the backpack. And soon the rest were starting to gather around both him and Percy, feeling the same as Harry, wondering where they were.

One of them even voiced that confusion. "Mate, where the fuck are we?" Theo asked, looking around as Percy looked up, still in his crouched position.

"The Scandinavian mountains, Norway to be precise," Percy said, taking a familiar necklace and tossing it to Neville. "News came out that a weird mist started appearing on the rural fields all of a sudden. They sent a team to explore it, but then they came back three days later with their belongings missing and no recollection of where they were." Percy said, pulling the handle of Neville's hammer for him to take while pulling something else from the box.

He had given them a quick brief on why they were here, and some of them were still hesitant to believe that these places that Percy spoke of existed, but with the powers they had found, they were ready to believe him. So they were here for proof of that.

"Now, a few things first," Percy said, throwing the gloves at Harry along with two blue gems as well. "These things can get a bit dangerous if things are treated without any responsibility, so please," Percy said, facing all the new people around. "No ego trips, no heroics, and if you need help with anything, feel free to ask either me or these lot," He said, pointing at Neville and Harry.

"You all are a very capable lot," He said, placing his hands inside his pockets as some of the group smiled at that comment. "If you make sure you don't make stupid decisions, then you'll be fine," He said, and a voice broke out in amusement.

"Great speech, mate," Susan said as Percy rolled his eyes. "So, can we get going or what? I'm itching for a bit of action," She said as Percy knelt once again to grab something from the bag.

"We will, you'll get your action soon enough." He said as Susan smiled excitedly. "Just one more thing, if you get lost, Kuro here will come and find you." He said, taking out a deer skull from the bag that Harry and Neville recognized from their previous escapade.

He tied it to his waist before speaking again. "He's our guide today, don't hesitate to trust him," Percy said, giving Kuro a pet on the head before nodding his head. "Any questions?" He asked, and although some still had questions, they were more eager to get started, so they remained quiet.

Percy gave them one last moment before he nodded his head once more and started walking forward, following his small black companion. And some people's curiosity got the best of them, and they rushed to stay next to Percy so they could ask questions about all of this, those being Daphne, Hermione, Susan, and Sue.

"How long have you been going on these explorations?" Hermione asked as Percy looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, you sound so experienced with this," She said with a bit of a blush on her face.

Percy thought for a second, trying to find the best response to give her. "Four years now, I think," Percy said to the amazement of the four girls there. "There was a cave near the orphanage I lived in, me and a friend went exploring it and found that necklace," He said, pointing at Daphne's necklace.

"So, can you give us a hint of what we can expect up there?" Susan asked with genuine curiosity, and Percy hummed a bit, worrying the girls a bit. "That doesn't sound good." She said as Percy scratched the back of his head.

"Well, there's not a real way to figure out what's expecting us there," Percy said, looking ahead. "We'll know what we're dealing with once we get there. It is a guessing game to be honest," He said with a shrug as the girls looked at each other for a moment.

They wondered what drove him to do these things and what kind of places he had been to. So they voice those questions out loud. "What kind of places have you been to?" Sue asked as Percy looked at her for a moment.

"Well, the previous one we went to, the one where Nev joined us," He said, looking back for a moment. "There was this plant guarding a cave that led us to a sort of druid chamber where we found this," He said, pointing at the skull on his waist.

But the most important question remained: why did he still go to these things? What made him pursue these things even if it's dangerous? A question that Daphne ended up asking.

"Well," Percy said, answering after a bit. "I find the magical world a bit narrow, so I'm trying to find a more open-minded or another side to the magical world, you could say," Percy said as they got near the mountain. "I'm hoping to find a world where everyone can coexist freely, I suppose," He said, admitting his goal here, and the girls gave each other a look.

They found his comment admirable. It was a nice goal, and some of them found themselves willing to follow that goal as well.

Behind that group, Theo and Blaise were having a sort of private conversation. Well, as private as anything could be. They had pledged their alliance with Percy, sure, in hopes of discovering a power better than they knew already. And they had gotten that, but they weren't expecting anything like this.

It was both exciting and terrifying for them at the same time. They were eager to find more about this new world Percy had brought them to, but they were also a bit frightened because they knew now that Percy wasn't the type to sit still. He was going to make bigger waves than they had expected, and now they needed to discuss next steps.

Behind the Slytherin boys, Harry walked, adjusting his gloves and testing their fit on his hands while talking to Ginny and Padma. "We met before the start of the term, and he talked about these expeditions," Harry explained how he had gotten wrapped up in all of this to the two curious girls. "I was feeling trapped in diagon alley so I joined, and it was the best decision I've ever made," Harry said with a big smile on his face.

"Really?" Padma asked in curiosity as Harry nodded his head. "Don't get me wrong, Harry, but you don't seem like the type," Padma said, and Ginny nodded in agreement.

"What type?" Harry asked, not knowing what the girls were referring to.

"You're a pretty guarded Harry," Ginny said as Harry blinked a bit. "You changed a bit at the start of the term, but before you rarely spoke to anyone else, let alone join them in these escapades," Ginny explained as Harry nodded, now understanding what they meant.

"Fair enough," He said while looking ahead a bit. "I think he came at the right moment and time, and I'm glad because then I wouldn't have met you all, wouldn't I?" He said it was a bit cheeky, and Ginny blushed a lot in a show of embarrassment.

"How sweet, did you learn that from him as well?" Padma said as Harry smiled and shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Though I suppose I have to thank him, it is a nice community you and he brought together," She remarked, and Harry smiled. It was really nice to have met all these people.

Behind them, Tracey wasn't sharing the same excitement and eagerness as the rest. She was eager about this exploration, of course, but something was bothering her a bit. Something she had vowed herself to forget.

She was someone who connected with people a lot. When she grew to like someone, she dived deep into that bond. It was nothing she could do against it, and she didn't mind it at all.

But the problem was that the bond was starting to evolve into something scary—something frowned upon in this world, and a bond that could possibly break a friendship or two for her.

You see, she had known Percy and Daphne the longest, and the three of them had shared some things with one another. They had known and helped each other for a long time, so it was only natural that she started developing feelings for both of them. And it didn't help that she and Percy had spent more time together when Daphne distanced herself from them.

But she knew she could never act on those feelings. Hanging with the two of them, she knew that he and Daphne were meant to be; it was so obvious, and the fact that they didn't realize it frustrated her to no end. But also, she knew that if she told Daph her feelings, there was a big chance she would be ostracized. These kinds of feelings were frowned upon by the pureblood circle.

So it was a circle of hesitation and fear that she lived in, and she was content to live in denial just as long as she could stay by them. But with everything that was going on, that started to change, and now she wanted to go on and say it, but the fear remained.

She didn't know what to do, so that's why she was feeling a bit down, but it seems the person walking next to her had noticed her frustrated thoughts. She felt Luna grab her hand a bit, and she looked to her right to see her giving her a sweet, comforting smile.

"Trust in them. They'll never leave you, no matter what you say, they'll love you no matter what," She said a bit cryptically and practically reading her mind.

She wondered how she knew what she was feeling, but she didn't care for an answer; she was just glad to have some comfort, so she squeezed Luna's hand to show her appreciation for her comments.

And behind them, Neville and Hannah were walking at a slow pace, keeping guard while staying back. She was still feeling a bit nervous, so she asked Neville about his experiences to try to calm herself.

And Neville perfectly understood what she was feeling, and he talked about how confident he felt when he was tackling the challenges he encountered before. And both of them were so trapped in their conversation that they didn't even see when they crossed the mist. It wasn't until they saw a long entrance hallway made out of rocks that was surrounded by statues of a female warrior holding two daggers in front of her chest.

The group merged together once more as they looked at the statues before looking at Percy for an explanation. "I don't recognize her. Who is she?" Hermione asked as she noticed Percy looking at the statue with disdain.

"Shar, the lady of the night. A forgotten goddess, weird that some of her visages still remain," Percy said before walking forward. "Keep your guard up, her acolytes weren't the merciful kind," Percy said, walking forward, leaving a few of them confused.

"What was that all about?" Theo asked out loud as Luna broke through the middle of them all.

"He follows Selene and Nyx's teachings, and Shar has made it her mission to corrupt what those goddesses stand for," Luna said before giving them a small smile that didn't reach her cheeks. "It is a bit of a souring topic, so be careful," Luna said, walking ahead as the group nodded their heads in understanding and followed the two white-haired teens forward.

Except for two, as Daphne and Tracey gave each other a look of confusion. They were supposed to be the ones who knew Percy the longest. So why did Luna know all these things that they didn't?

They walked ahead with that on their minds and found the group close together, as Percy was bent down looking at a mosaic on the floor. It was a diagram of four circles showing the cycle that the moon went through.

"Who would have made this?" Hermione asked in wonder as she bent down and touched one of the circles. And when she did, it moved to the right in a circular motion.

"A puzzle, huh?" Harry said as Percy looked up at him from his position and nodded. "Have any idea of how to solve it?" He asked as Percy stood up and walked up to a statue.

"I do," He said, leaning his back on the statue before crossing his arms. "But I'll leave this to you guys," He said, looking over at the group, and Blaise gave him a raised eyebrow, showing his confusion.

"You're not helping? Didn't think you were that lazy," Blaise pointed out with a drawl as Percy snorted before looking at all of them.

"I believe that learning on the go is the best way to do things," Percy said with a drawl as well. "And I believe you lot can solve this simple puzzle," he pointed out, but Blaise sighed and looked at the mosaic in the end, just like the rest.

It took some thought, but then Sue pointed out how the sunlight was only hitting one of the four circles. Perhaps it was simply a matter of moving the circles around to fit a pattern.

Then Susan remembered what Percy had said, that the statues were created for the lady of the night. So when she saw the black spots that signified the darkness hiding the moon, she figured they should move those spots to the same place.

They went with Susan's suggestion, and Hermione rearranged the tiles, placing the black spots in the mosaic that received the sunlight. At first, nothing happened, and they thought they had gotten it wrong, but then they heard something click in the mountain ahead of them.

They saw a huge circular door form and rolled to the side, revealing a passage into the mountain. Percy was the first one to walk into it, leaving the group a bit behind as they felt proud of their small accomplishment. "He seems a bit different, doesn't he?" Neville pointed to Harry as they looked ahead, and the walk where Percy had gone through.

"He's more focused and serious, isn't he?" Harry wondered if their previous experiences with him in these explorations were quite different than how he was behaving right now. But they didn't have time to think about that because of what they saw on the other side of the entrance.

It was a large cave with a huge lift device located at the other side, which was lit thanks to a crack at the top of the mountain. There were also several crates, boxes, and containers filled with colorful rocks of every kind. They all looked around in wonder, trying to figure out what this place was.

"What is this place?" Padma asked everyone to be there, as they all had a location to investigate what exactly this was.

"A mine," Percy said as everyone looked at him as he was close to the lift device, investigating it thoroughly. "I've seen these devices before, Selunites used mechanisms like this, but then why were Shar statues outside?" Percy wandered out loud to himself, and Susan, being the closest to him, walked up to him to get a good look at the mechanism as well.

"Selunites? Who were they?" She asked in curiosity, and Percy was about to respond, but then his eyes grew big and he grabbed Susan's arm, pulling her close to him. She blushed hard, wondering why he was suddenly hugging her, but then he heard a swish on the back of her head, and she glanced back to see Percy holding an arrow in his hand.

"The fuck was that?" Theo asked, looking in the direction from which the arrow had come, and from the shadows, four figures began approaching the group.

These figures were walking and living skeletons wearing dark purple armor with a symbol in the middle that was most recognizable as the same as the one on the statues outside, which they also carried. And as the skeletons growled and hissed at them, Percy made sure Susan was okay before walking to stand in front of the group.

"Seems death isn't the end of your duty, Sharrans," Percy said as one of the skeletons readied its bow to strike once again. And then the group blinked as they saw Percy disappear and reappear in front of the skeleton that held the bow. "But you're trespassing on sacred grounds," He said, grabbing the skeleton's face and wrapping it in flames.

Then Harry and Neville got out of the stupor, being the ones who were a bit more experienced, and rushed to help Percy, who had dropped another skeleton by stabbing its skull.

Harry sent out a gust of wind at one skeleton from his left hand, cutting the skeleton's head from its neck as Neville dropped his hammer on top of the other skeleton's head, breaking it apart in one swing.

The new members of the group stared at the trio in a bit of shock at how they easily took care of things, and some started walking up to them in curiosity. "What are these things?" Padma asked as they watched how Nev and Harry shrugged their shoulders while Percy knelt to rummage through the skeletons' armors.

"Skeletons," Percy explained as he looked at the armor of the skeletons. "Some acolytes of Shar gave their bow to protect the night mistress even in death. This is such a case," He explained as the group looked down at the skeletons in mild surprise and interest.

"This is crazy, skeletons?" Theo mumbled to himself before noticing that Percy kept checking the armor of these creatures too much. "What are you looking for?" Theo asked in curiosity as Percy looked up for a moment.

"Their armor is broken and rusty, but not from the passage of time," Percy said, showing them the gashes and broken pieces in the creatures' armor.

"They fought someone," Daphne pointed out, kneeling right next to Percy. "There was a battle here, you can even see how they were killed," She said, pointing at the cracks in the armor. "But who did this?" She asked as everyone looked at Percy, who had a hand under his chin.

"Probably Selune's acolytes," Percy said, standing up before offering a hand to Daphne so she could stand as well. "This is a Selunite temple, and Shar disciples tended to invade these places, an endless war of equals, you could say," Percy said as everyone nodded in understanding.

"Well, I think we are in the clear for now," Harry said, adjusting his gloves a bit. "What should we do now?" He asked as everyone once again fell in line behind the de facto leader and looked at Percy once more.

"Have a look around, try to see if you can find something of interest," Percy said before his eyes settled on the lift behind them. "I'm gonna see if I can get the lift working again," Percy said, walking to the lift, leaving the group a bit confused before they started searching the area for anything interesting.

All except for one, as Susan wanted to thank him for saving her, so she walked up to him and kneeled next to him while he was inspecting the mechanisms on the lift. "Hey," She said as he glanced back at her, a bit curious. "Thanks for what you did back then, you know, saving me and that," She said a bit sheepishly, blushing a bit.

"Oh," Percy said, blinking a bit. "It was nothing, there's no need to thank me," Percy said as Susan got closer to him a bit. "Are you okay, though? That must've been quite a shock," Percy said, a bit worried, but she reassured him with a soft smile on her face.

"It was, not gonna lie," Susan said with a nervous chuckle before looking at him a bit curios. "But you seem to be handling it well. Just how experienced are you?" Susan wondered as she saw him grab a couple of gears that were lying on the floor in front of him.

"Well," Percy said, placing the gears behind him. "It's not so much about experience, is rather about instincts and how well you listen to them," Percy said before standing up and offering a hand so she could as well. "Mind giving me a hand?" He asked, changing the topic a bit as he nodded at one of the gears.

Susan looked a bit confused, but went to grab the gear nonetheless. She helped him put the gears into place, knowing now that he was fixing the broken elevator. She wondered where he had gained that mechanical fixing skill, but she was too stunned to ask anything, so she decided to quietly help him instead.

And soon enough, he was able to put the gears back into place, and now they all had a semi-functional lift, which begs the question, how was it here? And Hermione ended up being the one who brought that to light, asking how something this man made could be in such a place.

"Don't know to be honest," Percy said as the group managed to climb up the man-made lift. "It's one of the reasons I come to these places, because they are too man-made for them to be products of magic," Percy said as he pulled up a lever that activated the lift, and it slowly started to pull them upwards.

"Someone built this, that's for sure," Daphne said, pointing out the obvious, but her mind was racing a bit too fast as she put a curious look on Percy, trying to get her thoughts clear. "Have you found any clues about who might have done so?" She asked as Percy shook his head.

"Not really," Percy said as he looked up. "These places, while rich in man-made technology, are also a bit too random in it's architecture," Percy said, looking around. "Take this place, for example, the architecture belongs to the old European ways," Percy said as the group nodded in understanding, having caught a glimpse of the castle's infrastructure.

"But last dungeon had Greek statues, and I once ended up in an Egyptian tomb," Percy said, and you could almost hear the frustration coming out of his voice. "The only thing that is sort of common in these places is this white oak three symbol I keep running into," Percy explained, and Hermione's eyes widened, remembering something very quickly.

"The logo you showed me?" Hermione asked just as she remembered that moment between the two of them, and everyone looked at her a bit curiously and confused, making her a bit self-conscious from the stares.

"Yes," Percy answered her as the others directed their confused stares at him. "You'll probably see it soon enough," Percy said as he looked up, noticing the lift was slowing down. "But first things first, a bit of a history lesson," Percy said before looking at the rest of them. "Selune's and Shar's feud is cruel and unyielding, mostly thanks to Shar, but I digress," Percy said, scratching the back of his head a bit sheepishly.

"Anyhow, Shar's disciples share their goddess rage, and they used to take it upon themselves to destroy and ransack Selune's holy grounds, and I believe this castle suffered the same fate as well," Percy said as Sue Li cleared her throat a bit before speaking up.

"Is it because of the skeletons we found?" Sue Li asked in curiosity, and Percy nodded his head a bit.

"Mostly," Percy said before looking down. "But also the entrance we took, it was built as a secret passage into this castle, so not only were those disciples fighting, they were also breaking in," Percy said, and Theo frowned a bit, confused, wondering what Percy was trying to say.

"And this matters, why?" He asked as Percy looked at him a bit seriously.

"Well, since we entered that way as well, there's a high probability that whatever security measures remain in this castle will see us as intruders as well." Percy said as he crossed his arms, "So, a bit of a warning, keep your guard up." Percy said as the rest of them looked at each other, a bit nervous at how serious he was being.

"Well, we don't have to worry too much, right?" Susan said with a bit of a smile on her face. "If we run into trouble, you could jump in and take care of it, right?" She asked, and Percy just looked at them, a bit bored.

"No, I will not intervene from now on unless it becomes too dangerous for you," Percy said, crossing his arms as the ones who were experiencing this exploration looked at him, a bit worried. "All of this is for you to figure out what kind of power you have, so it wouldn't be fair for me to take care of everything," Percy said as he looked up, noticing that they were almost reaching their stop.

"Seriously?" Theo asked, a bit in shock, as Percy looked down once more and placed his eyes on him. "You must be joking, right? You expect us to deal with such an unknown by ourselves?" Theo's voice betrayed a hint of fear, and Percy sighed, knowing how frightening this could be for them.

But he needed to make a point; if he just decided to help them navigate all of this, then there was no point in them being here. "Like I'd said, you're all a very capable group, and I believe in facing these things head-on," Percy said as the lift stopped as they had reached the final stop. And even if he had said that he would not intervene, he was the first to leave the makeshift lift.

"Just trust your abilities and everything will be fucking grand," Percy said, walking off the lift, leaving them a bit shocked, to be honest. Not only was he throwing them all into the situation head-on, but he also seemed a bit impatient to get it done. To those who didn't know him that well, the sudden change of behavior weirded them out a bit.

But for those who did, it worried them as this kind of impatience and frustration was not something they were used to seeing from such a calm and collected person. So those who were closer to him felt like they should ask him what was wrong.

Hence why everyone, even Harry and Nev, who were a bit more experienced, were hesitating to leave the lift and follow Percy as they were out of their depths at what they were seeing. Well, all but one were, as Luna seemed not to care and was one of the first people to walk behind Percy, trailing just closely behind him.

Soon, everyone got out of their stupor and walked out of the lift, figuring that Percy would stay true to his statement on leaving this to them, and decided to get a move on.

Then they entered this dark, cave-like corridor that led to a pair of violet doors that were open a bit, as Percy and Luna had probably entered there already. They followed them inside and found this grandeur of a place that almost left everyone out of breath at how elegant and beautiful it all looked.

It was the main entrance of the castle; there was no doubt about it. There were marble structures and pillars all around, with grand staircases leading to upper floors. Portraits and silver decorations were made as an oath to a Silver lady; her face was hidden thanks to the shining of moonlight that was hitting her features. It almost felt like they had entered a temple dedicated to her and not a castle.

Then Tracey felt a breeze hitting her hair and looked around, noticing that the entrance doors of the castle were destroyed beyond repair. He walked over there, noticing the fallen soldiers and knights on the ground, and she tried very carefully not to step on their bones as she made her way to the entrance.

There she found out just exactly how far up they were, as she could almost see the clouds just a short distance ahead of her, almost as if she could touch them, and the land below her had become unrecognizable thanks to how far up they were.

"Be careful," She heard a voice behind her, and noticed that Sue had walked up to her before noticing how close to the edge she had gotten. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sue asked while looking ahead, putting herself next to Tracey. "Who would've thought of making a Castle this way up?" Sue Li wondered out loud, and Tracey hummed a bit before looking at Sue.

"I don't think they did," She said as Sue glanced at her, a bit confused. "If they had, they would've at least put an entrance here," Tracy said, pointing at where the cliff started just below them. "I think they built it on a hill, and thanks to the passage of time, that hill became this mountain," Tracey said as Sue looked down, wondering how Tracey knew that, and she voiced that curiosity.

"Maybe, but how can you be sure of that?" Sue asked in curiosity, and there was a hint of confusion behind Tracey's eyes for a moment as she too wondered how she knew that, but then the answer came into her mind.

"That's just how nature evolves," Tracey said as Sue blinked a bit in confusion. "Nature chapes itself as time passes, so it's not surprising that a small hill can become a mountain with the right type of conditions," Tracey said as Sue gave her a look of slight amazement after hearing such deep words.

"That was surprisingly deep," Sue said as Tracey chuckled a bit sheepishly before meeting Sue's black eyes with her own.

"I try," Tracey said a bit cheekily before feeling a bit bold and trying to make light of the situation. "Stick around, maybe I can show you other surprising things," She said with a half smile, getting a snort and a blush out of the Ravenclaw girl.

But much to the surprise of the Slytherin girl, Sue met her with her sense of boldness. "Maybe I will," She said, much to the amusement of Tracey, as both girls giggled, sharing a lighthearted moment between them.

And just a couple of steps behind them, a group was looking at the fallen knights and soldiers. Hermione, Daphne, Hannah, and Ginny, to be precise, were investigating what had happened around here.

"I don't think an infiltration is the best way to describe what happened here," Daphne said, taking a look at one fallen knight of the Sharran faction. "With these many bodies, and this many wound marks, this wasn't a simple infiltration procedure," She pointed out as Hermione nodded her head, agreeing with Daphne's thoughts.

"You're right, this was a fight, a proper one at that," Hermione said, looking at the armor of a fallen knight from the Selunite faction. "But why were they fighting? I don't think it was just about hatred and a feud. There's a bigger purpose here," Hermione said, wondering what had truly happened here. Noticing the pieces of information, but not being able to piece them all together.

But Hannah, surprisingly, could. As she noticed the pattern in which the Selunites were defeated. "They were protecting something," She said, almost in a whispering manner, but Daphne and Hermione heard her perfectly and looked up at her in curiosity, making her blush in embarrassment from the sudden stares. "I um, well, if you look at their position, doesn't it seem as if they were trying to push them away?" Hannah asked a bit shyly as Hermione and Daphne looked down once more, noticing what Hannah was pointing out.

"Yeah, you're right, the marks on the ground may indicate that," Hermione pointed out, noticing the marks that were lying on the ground. "But what were they protecting?" Hermione wondered out loud, not expecting an answer, but she got one from the young redhead who was near them.

"Perhaps they were protecting this," Ginny said, ripping a large silver key from the grip of a Selunite knight and showing them all the item. "What do you think this is for?" Ginny asked in curiosity as Hannah and Hermione shrugged their shoulders, not knowing, but Daphne was looking ahead at the staircase behind them.

"I think I have an idea," Daphne said, standing up and asking for the key before walking to the staircase, where Luna and Percy were sitting, just waiting and seeing what everyone was doing. It seemed that Percy was sticking to what he said and wasn't going to intervene as he was sitting with his back leaning into a pillar with his eyes closed while petting Kuro.

And Luna was sitting a few steps above him, tinkering with a violin, but where did she get that? Daphne didn't know. She had a lot she wanted to ask Percy, as seeing this side of him was a first for her, and it raised many questions. Things she wanted to clear out and, honestly, to see who Percy was, and why he was so keen on hiding things from her.

But that could be done once they finished here, so instead she focused on the idea she had right now and walked to the end of the staircase, where Susan and the rest of the boys were. They were inspecting the massive silver doors, trying to find a way in, but they didn't seem to be having any success.

"How is it going?" Daphne asked Susan a bit as she was standing a bit away from the boys, just watching what they were doing. Susan just gave her an exasperated look, and that told Daphne everything she needed to know.

"Did you guys find anything useful?" Susan asked as Daphne showed her the silver key in her hand. "Nice, those doors do have a keyhole, think we can use it there?" Susan asked, and Daphne shrugged her shoulders, figuring that they'd have to try to see if it would work.

"Should we tell them?" Daphne asked in curiosity as she saw them struggling a bit, and Susan gave her a cheeky smile in return.

"Maybe we should wait a bit longer, see if they figure something out," She said, a bit amused, getting a small giggle out of Daphne, but in the end, the blond Slytherin decided to help the boys and walk up to them as Harry and Theo were pushing the door trying to see if it would open.

"Having trouble, guys?" Daphne asked as the rest of the group, minus Percy and Luna, walked up to where they all were. Theo grumbled something about unwavering, stupid doors while Harry looked back at them.

"It doesn't move, we've tried everything," Harry said with a sigh of exasperation as Daphne walked closer to the doors. "Any bright ideas?" He asked as Daphne placed the key in one of the two keyholes.

"Maybe one," She said as the key fit perfectly in that keyhole, but the door still didn't open. "I think we need to find the missing key before we continue, but that's just my guess," Daphne said as the rest nodded, seeing her train of thought and agreeing with her.

"There's a corridor below behind the staircase, maybe we can find something there," Neville said, pointing at the corridor below the staircase, before his eyes noticed Percy and Luna. "Um, should we tell them to follow us?" He asked, and Padma, who was nearby, going through the backpack, looked at him before speaking up.

"If they want to, they will, but I think we should leave them be," She said as she walked to the corridor. "He did tell us it was our job to go forward," She said, and was the first one to walk into the corridor.

Then the rest of the group walked behind her, except Luna and Percy, who remained seated in their previous positions. And soon, the sound of the main lobby found itself feeling a bit quiet. As the entrance was surrounded by this comfortable silence, which was accompanied by a sweet, soft melody from Luna's violin.

But it didn't take long for Percy to break the silence because as soon as Luna ended her first song, he spoke u not opening his eyes. "As lovely as your music always is, can you be straight and say what you want to say, Luna," Percy said as Luna hummed and looked at him with her eyes colored in a rainbow.

"Melancholy doesn't suit you, my love," She said as Pery opened his eyes and red iris met her eyes immediately. "Has the rage become unbearable?" She asked in curiosity as he sighed and looked ahead.

"It always has," Percy said before looking at the mural on the roof. "Like a raging conglomerate of waves that serve to put pressure on an already broken dam," Percy said as his eyes and expression betrayed how much tension he was feeling. "Managing it is something that I'm used to, but the dementors threw my progress out the window," He admitted before returning his eyes at Luna, who looked at him with a bit of empathy but didn't offer any comforting words.

"Is this why you have chosen to come to this castle?" She asked as he raised an eyebrow at her, showing his curiosity. "I am no fool, Perseus, you've been here before." She said as a matter of fact, and he just gave her a small, soft smile in return. "This wasn't an arbitrary choice; there wasn't any news about the sudden appearance of this dungeon, you chose this one specifically. Why?" She asked out of confusion and curiosity as his smile widened a bit.

"A lot can be said about the silver lady," He said, looking back at the mural above them. "But one lesson I always go back to, and funny enough, is also my family motto, holds true everywhere I go," Percy said before looking back at her. "The moonlight always reveals who we truly are," He said as Luna narrowed her eyes.

"I know that, as I followed those words myself as well," Luna said, but her confusion still remained in her expression. "But that doesn't answer me why you brought us here," She said as he nodded while reaching into his pocket.

"Remember how you told me how keen I am on running away from my fate?" He asked as Luna raised an eyebrow, but offered no retort. "You were right, I've been running from my duty for far too long now," He said, pulling a similar silver key as the one Daphne had put on the door out of his pocket. "And I don't want to do that any longer," He said as Luna's eyes widened, but not because she saw the key, but at what he said.

Then she sat there a bit out of words, watching how he stood up and walked up the staircase. "But for now, I want to let loose of this rage and be myself under her moonlight for once," He said, inserting his key in the remaining keyhole.

Luna looked back at him, a bit amazed, before she smiled, her expression turning into a kind and happy one, noticing how he was rising to be who he was meant to be for once. But then her eyes widened when he turned back at her with a soft smile on his face. "Would you like to join me, Lady Nyx?" He asked as she took a moment to process what he was saying before giggling and standing up and walking to catch up with him.

"Kuro," Percy said as the black kneezle looked at them in curiosity. "Stay here. Someone will find out that the key is missing and they'll come back soon, if that happens, lead them to us," He said as Kuro looked at them before nodding its head.

"It'll be done, Perseus," Kuro said, thinking only Percy would understand him, but then the little cat widened in surprise when Luna looked at him with kind eyes.

"Thanks a lot, Kuro, stay safe," She said as both teens walked through the doors, leaving a slightly surprised magical familiar behind.

Both of them walked into what seemed to be a throne room, where commoners could gather for meetings with the king. To share their desires and grievances with the royalty. Luna looked around, not hiding her amazement under her rainbowed colored eyes as Percy kept walking forward.

"Whoever built this truly captured our lady's beauty in this architecture," Luna said, looking at the architecture around her before glancing back at Percy, who had a small smile on his face.

"Silver truly is a comforting color, is it not?" He said rhetorically, and Luna smiled, agreeing with him before stopping as she noticed something ahead of them. "When I discovered this place, I also realized that I wasn't strong enough to clear this dungeon, and soon this castle entered the farthest parts of my mind, till I was reminded of it when the dementors struck," Percy said, grabbing the skull mask from his waist. "Because I knew I wasn't strong enough to defeat him," Percy said as Luna narrowed her eyes at the figure ahead of them.

There stood an enormous-sized knight, wearing dark, silver colored heavy armor, kneeling in front of an empty throne while two silver swords stood in his gripping hands, as a white cape ruffled behind him as wind came through the broken walls of the castle.

"I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't know you could do it, but," Percy said, placing the mask on his face before raising his right arm as black mist started forming around his arm and concentrating on his hand. "Would you help me release an old soldier from his duty, my fair lady?" He asked a black bladed sword appeared from the mist in his hand, and he gripped the dark red handle of the blade, ready for a fight.

Then, as Luna saw the knight standing up and turning around, ready to face them, she moved to stand on Percy's right, strapping her violin to her waist before turning her violin's bow into a silver-colored rapier with a shake of her hand.

"You didn't have to ask my lord. I'll be by your side till the end of my days, thought I had made that clear already," She said, a bit cheeky looking ahead with a bit of a smirk despite the situation before pointing her rapier at the knight and glancing at him for a moment "I would prefer that our second date has a more peaceful setting though," She said and he snorted a bit before narrowing his dark red eyes at the night as black scales started to appeared around his neck and arms.

"Dully noted," He said, moving his black blade behind his back and creating a black flame on his left hand before pointing it at the knight, making his stance and waiting to see what the kingless knight would do.

Back with the rest of the group, they had traversed around the corridor, finding a multitude of rooms, which ranged from an armory and a soldier-type barracks. But they hadn't found anything out of the ordinary.

It wasn't till they found an enormous library with an odd mechanism in the middle, it screamed puzzle room everywhere you look, and that's what they were doing right now, while also experimenting with their newfound powers.

And the best example was Theo, who was busy exploiting his magical hand to grab any book they needed, much to Tracey's annoyance. "Seriously, Nott, can you be careful with the books!?" She shouted after almost being hit with another book again.

"Sorry, but you had to admit this is pretty addicting," Theo said with a chuckle as she passed another book to Blaise, who inspected it for a moment.

"What are we supposed to be lookin' for again?" He asked, skimming through the book before handing it to Daphne as she answered his question.

"Percy said this was the home of the silver lady, so anything related to that or anything that mentions moonlight," She said before looking down at the middle part of the library. "Try putting the word breeze," She said as Hermione, who was tinkering with the lock mechanism on the middle, tried it, but nothing happened.

"Nothing, there has to be another way around this," She said to herself as Sue gave the mechanism a look, trying to see if she could bypass it. "You have any idea?" Hermione asked her, but Sue shook her head, not seeing a way inside.

"Wait a minute, guys, I think I have it!" Harry's voice broke out into the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him as he had a journal in his hands. "Percy said that he found a strange language every time he visited these places, so," Harry said, holding the Journal to Padma, who was closest to him as she skimmed through the journal a bit.

"You think the keyword could be here?" Padma asked as Harry shrugged his shoulders, feeling it might work. "It can be, but how could we decipher what it says here?2 She asked out loud, and Hermione stood up abruptly.

"Maybe we don't have to," She said, walking up to them and putting her hand forward. "Can I?" She asked as Padma nodded her head and gave Hermione the journal, and soon the Gryffindor girl started mumbling without anyone being able to clearly understand what she was saying.

"Does she usually become like this with a puzzle?" Padma asked in curiosity to Harry as he sighed, but a smile still formed on his face, a nervous one at that.

"Yeah, it's just how she is," Harry said a bit fondly, and then a voice meddled in between them, making them both look to the left.

"I think is cute," Susan pointed out before looking at them with a cheeky smile on her face and a little color on her cheeks. "That's just how she is, and it's cute, isn't it?" She said, tilting her head a bit, challenging both of them, and they blushed a bit in embarrassment, noticing that it may have sounded a bit judgmental.

"Right, sorry about that," Padma said, apologizing for both of them, but before Susan could say anything else, Hermione's voice rang out.

"Erueka!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air before noticing that everyone was starting a bit in confusion at her sudden exclamation, and she coughed into her fist, a bit embarrassed, and it showed thanks to her colored cheeks. "I mean, I got it opened," She said as the group fell in to see what she had accomplished.

"How did you do it?" Daphne was the first to ask, as her mind was craving a bit of an answer to this puzzle, and watched as a pillar was rising right in the middle where the mechanism used to be.

"Well, Harry was onto something with the language part," Hermione said as Harry beamed at his idea being right. "But deciphering it would've taken longer than we would've wanted, so I searched for a pattern," Hermione said, turning the journal around for all to see. "And I found this symbol repeating itself time and time again, so I took a gamble," She said with a sheepish smile, and Tracey giggled a bit.

"You took a gamble?" Tracey repeated a bit a mused before crossing her arms, "Don't put yourself down, Hermione. I don't think any of us would've thought of that," Tracey said with a small smile on her face, getting a blush and a shy smile in return from the brown-haired girl.

"Trace is right, Hermione, that was a well done job," Daphne said as Hermione felt embarrassed under the appreciation, not very used to such praise when it came to her work.

"Um, guys," Hannah said, breaking the focus of everyone and bringing it back to the pillar. "There's nothing here," Hannah said, and everyone looked there in shock, seeing that the container on top of the pillar was empty.

"What?" Hermione asked, being the most shocked out of them all, seeing the empty container that clearly had traces of a key being there. "But who could've taken it?" Hermione wondered out loud, but before anyone could say anything, a booming sound rang just at the entrance of the library, and the floor and everything started shaking, thanks to the rumblings of the explosion that had just occurred outside.

"What was that!?" Theo exclaimed in shock once the rumbling settled in, as the rest took a moment to stabilize themselves a bit. Except for Neville, who rushed immediately to the exit of the library.

"Wait, Nev, what's wrong?" Harry asked, seeing his friend's sudden rush. And Neville just looked at them with a worried look.

"Luna and Percy were out there; something could've happened to them," Neville said, and that woke everyone up and rushed to leave the library as well.

They ran through the corridor and into the main entrance, but stopped abruptly as the previously fallen Sharran knights were up and vigilant, looking around for any threat. "Shit," Harry exclaimed as the group stopped and hid from the skeletons' view.

"Percy and Luna aren't there anymore. Where are they?" Ginny pointed out, looking at the staircase as everyone looked there, noticing the empty staircase, as only the backpack remained.

Then she felt a weight landing on her shoulder and looked to see Kuro sitting on her lap. She her him meowing and nodding its head to the staircase.

"I think we found who took the key," Daphne said, looking at the open doors. "I think Perseus had it with him all along; the only matter is why, though?" Daphne said, not hiding her frustration one bit. This type of manipulation didn't sit right with her at all.

"We can ask him later," Blaise said before looking at the skeletons. "How are we getting past them?" He asked in confusion and slight panic as Hermione narrowed her eyes at them for a bit.

"There are five of them, but we shouldn't risk an open fight," Hermione said before looking back at Sue and Tracey. "Do you guys think you can take them? Quietly," Hermione asked as Sue Li and Tracey looked at each other in confusion.

"I mean, maybe three of them perhaps?" Tracey said, getting her bow ready. "But once we do, the rest will react," Tracey said, and Daphne cleared her throat.

"I'll deal with the rest myself," Daphne said with a seriousness that surprised a lot of them there except Tracey, who just became as serious as her and aimed her bow at a skeleton.

Sue looked at them both for a moment before drawing confidence from both Slytherin and taking aim at a skeleton. Then both girls shoot out their projectiles at the same time as a blue ray struck one Skeleton's head, while two arrows hit two skeletons on their heads respectively, before blowing up in smoke.

Then, as the remaining Skeletons turned their bodies to where they were, they found themselves wrapped in a tight constricting ice formation that grew under their fists. Everyone looked at Daphne in slight amazement as blue vapor came from her hand a bit.

"All yours, Susan," Daphne said as Susan smirked and rushed forward, striking the ice structures in a swift combo of punches, destroying them immediately as ice pieces fell behind them.

"Solid job, ice princess, you were stunning there," Susan said cheekily, sending Daphne a thumbs up as Daphne exasperated a bit before walking forward with the rest of them.

"It's Ice Queen, actually, not that it matters, of course," Daphne said with a bit of an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "But thanks either way, Susan," She said as Susan's smile grew a bit at Daphne's retort.

Then they joined the rest of the group as Harry led the charge, and the worries for Percy and Luna's safety started settling in, but then it dissipated by the sweet melody of a violin that they started to hear.

Then, as they entered the throne room, the first thing they saw was a headless armor on the ground wrapped in red flames as the fire seemed set to consume the armor and leave nothing but ashes in its wake.

And just ahead of the armor, they found the trace back to the melody as Luna was sitting comfortably on the throne, playing a melody on her violin. It was an entrancing sight that brought a bit of blushing for some people there. And some of them even got goosebumps when they saw Luna's grey eyes settle on them.

"Oh, guys, you made it. Took you longer than we thought it would," She said once she caught their sights. "Are you guys okay?" She asked, tilting her head a bit as Ginny cleared her throat, showing her confusion.

"Shouldn't we be asking that? What happened here?" Ginny asked out of concern for her friend as Luna looked over at the armor.

"Oh well, that's just a sign of Perseus's lack of self-control," Luna said with a sweet smile on her face. "Shame you guys missed it, it was an exhilarating show," Luna said with a small smirk on her face as the rest of them didn't know what to say.

"Um, Luna," Neville said, finding his voice before the rest of them. "Why are you sitting on a throne?" He asked out of confusion as Luna looked down and patted the throne's stone below her.

"Well, it looked a bit lonely and I wanted to give it some warmth," Luna said before stepping out of the throne. "But alas, this throne shall remain empty from now on, as the owner has long moved into the edges of our realm," Luna said, giving the throne one final melancholy-filled look before looking back at the rest of the group.

"Luan, where's Percy?" Daphne asked in concern and tried to avoid the knowing look that Luna was giving her, or hide the desperation she was feeling when Luna took her time to walk up to them before giving her a straight answer.

"He went up ahead, this way if you will," Luna said as she led a confused group around the throne where a smaller door lay open. They could very well feel the breeze of the air before they even got to the door and saw that it led to a sort of balcony of the castle.

One that Percy was on as he sat with his feet dangling in the air, looking at the clouds ahead. "Quite a magnificent view, wouldn't you agree?" He said as they noticed that he was sitting on the guard rail of the balcony without care.

"Um, sure thing mate, but why are you dangling yourself like that?" Harry asked out of concern as Percy looked over at him with the skull mask still on, but now fully red with blood all over it.

"It's all part of the adventure, my dear Harrold," Percy said, and Harry grumbled under the nickname as Percy removed his mask to reveal a small cut that was healing over his right eye. "Did you guys have trouble with the puzzle?" Percy asked in curiosity and tilting his head a bit.

"It was fine, Hermione figured out quite easily," Daphne said, taking a step forward as Percy looked at Hermione with impressed eyes.

"Really?" Percy asked as Hermione nodded a bit shyly. "That's quite impressive, I never could figure it out. It bothered me so much that I thought of just burning the whole thing to find what was there," Percy said as Hermione felt proud of her achievement, and Percy looked at Blaise as he had asked how he had taken the key back then, not noticing that Daphne had walked up to him.

"There was a lever on the right corner of the library, I just pulled it and the pillar revealed itself," Percy said as the group sweat dropped at missing something so visible. "It was quite hidden, so I was glad to see," He started saying, but stopped when he saw Daphne standing right before him, looking down at him with an annoyed look on her face.

"You could've told us that you've been here before," Daphne said as Percy looked up at her with narrowed eyes. "Could've saved us a lot of trouble if you had told us you already gotten the key before," She said, crossing her arms, and he tilted his head.

"I could've, but the point of this was for you to understand your abilities," Percy argued back, but she didn't let go of her narrowed expression. "Me interfering would've gotten in the way of that," He explained his reasoning, but Daphne wasn't over.

"But clearing up that knight was part of that as well? Putting yourself and Luna in danger was?" Daphne asked as Percy looked at her, a bit confused. "What possessed you to move forward without us there, Perseus?" Daphne said as Percy looked at her, trying to see why she was mad, really, and found it inside the concern her eyes had that betrayed her frustration.

"It was just an unfinished business, to be honest, Daph," Percy said as Daphne grew curious. "That knight was far too strong when I first got here two years ago. I just wanted to settle things, that's all," Percy said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, that knight was far too strong for you, and there was no way I would've put any of you in danger like that," Percy said as Daphne glanced at the silver-haired girl before looking back at Percy.

"What about Luna, huh?" Daphne asked as Percy looked at Luna for a moment, and only he noticed the cheeky look that Luna was giving him for a brief moment before it returned to her usual aloof look. "You took her inside, did you fear for her health as well?" She asked, confronting him as a bit of jealousy slipped through her voice, and he sighed, deciding to be honest with Daphne.

"No, I did not," Percy said as Daphne's and everyone else's eyes widened a bit at his words. Then he took advantage of the shock of everyone as they were staring at Luna a bit in surprise, and he leaned forward to whisper something to Daphne. "It wasn't like I wanted to ignore you, Daph, but I would never put you in danger like that, and you know it," He said as Daphne's eyes softened a bit and she placed a hand on his shoulder a bit.

"I just don't like not knowing what's going on with you, that's all," She said as he grabbed her hand and squeezed it, trying to reassure her without any words.

"So, um, did you find the treasure room?" Harry asked, cutting through the silence as Daphne let go of Percy's shoulder, but didn't move from her spot, and the rest of them looked at Harry, a bit confused, wondering what he was talking about.

"I might've," Percy said before throwing something to Neville, who managed to catch it easily and noticed it was the missing helmet of the burning armor. "That's for you, Nev, we'll make a knight of you soon," Percy said with a small smile on his face as Neville looked up, a bit confused and grateful for the sudden gift.

"Now, would you all do me a favor, and walk on the clouds with me?" Percy said a bit cryptically before jumping off the rail, frightening all of them immediately as they all rushed to try and save him. Except Luna, who just watched with a small smirk on her face as Percy landed safely on an invisible floor right in front of all of them. And saw how everyone calmed themselves off and looked at Percy in confusion.

"You're all people of little faith, aren't ya'?" Percy said with a bit of a chuckle before turning around and walking forward. "This way, if you will," He said as he walked forward and disappeared between clouds.

Luna was the first one to follow him as she jumped over the railing and walked with her hands on her back, and that served to wake everyone up as they jumped and walked through the invisible flooring with a bit of hesitation.

They walked along the path that Percy and Luna had walked, and as the clouds split open for them, they found this incredible and beautiful-looking silver and purple observatory at the end of the path. They caught up with the two white-haired individuals just as they were about to open the doors.

They did, and the first thing that the group noticed was the piles of gold and jewelry that were surrounding this gigantic mural sculpture of the same white oak that Percy had referred to before. It was like a rock cut out that was placed in the middle of the room deliberately.

"It's quite spectacular, isn't it?" Percy said, leaning on the entrance wall as the rest of them looked around with amazement in their eyes. "It's all yours, guy, don't be shy," He said with a small smile, and that was enough for Theo to throw himself into a pile, followed by Harry, who grabbed some gold coins with excitement.

"It all went well, all things considered," Luna said, sharing a glance with Percy, who shrugged his shoulders and looked down at her. "But soon you'll have to let them face things on their own, you know that, right?" She said as he sighed, but nodded his head nonetheless.

"I know, but I believe they'll be capable of doing so," Percy said as Luna smiled and bumped arms with him before walking a bit forward.

"You're a big softie, you know that?" She said with a cheeky smile on her face before walking up to Ginny, who had a set of jewelry wrapped around her waist and neck.

He watched as how everyone was celebrating the findings of this treasure with a soft smile on his face, betraying how good he felt at having this small community around him, and he was about to join them but then he heard a flapping of wings just a few steps behind him and he turned around to see the origin of that sound.

There, just two steps ahead of him, he found a white feather with blue highlights on it lying there on the ground. He bent down to pick it up, and just as he did, a sense of familiarity invaded his systems. As if the thing he was searching for was just on the tip of his fingers.

He looked up to see if he caught a glimpse of anything around, but he didn't find anything. Just a sense of belonging that was slowly slipping away as the feather flew out of his hands and into the sea of clouds.

Chapter Text

The end of term was fast approaching, and the decoration around Hogwarts had begun to change into a more festive holiday one. It was as if the whole Castle was getting ready to receive the winter holidays.

Things had turned back somewhat to normal, all things considered. It seems that the Dementors incident was well behind people's minds, and Percy's mood had lifted a bit after that whole escapade with the rest.

But not everything was all sunshine and rainbows between Harry and Percy. Because if there was one thing that Harry hated the most, it was when people kept things from him. Especially when it came from his loved ones.

So after that whole escapade to the Selunite castle, Harry noticed that Percy was keeping things secret for him. And he knew that everyone deserves to have their secrets; he, of all people, knew what that was like.

But what he didn't like was this feeling of being pushed away, of being thought of as an afterthought. And maybe Percy wasn't doing that, but it still felt like it a bit. So things were a bit awkward between them, or at least that was what he thought, as they hadn't had a proper private conversation between them since that exploration.

And it didn't help that Ron was continuing his campaign of badmouthing Percy and the rest of the Slytherins he was friends with. It had calmed down a bit, but Ron was nothing if not stubborn, and his comments were nonstop.

And he had grown used to just ignoring them, but then he made a good point in one of his multiple comments. Why had he approached him in the first place? Because as he kept thinking about that day, he met Percy, and even if he found him in the entrance, he had started to question himself why he had talked to him in the first place.

Because, as he got to know Percy, he had realized that the white-haired teen wasn't that outspoken. So to approach him out of the blue was not in character for Percy, unless he wanted something from Harry. And knowing that bothered Harry more than he would've wanted.

So after he had a chat with Professor Lupin about what he could do not to be affected so much by the dementors, he went on a tour of the castle to try and find him. He ended up doing just that as he saw him chatting at the central fountain with Professor Vector. He couldn't help but overhear a bit, and he picked up something about dementors, but before he could hear better, it seems Professor Vector saw him.

"Oh, Mr. Potter, good morrow to you," Professor Vector said, giving him a soft smile as Percy looked at him in curiosity. Then the professor looked back at Percy for a moment. "Take care, Percy, we'll talk later," She said, walking away as Percy nodded before looking at Harry, who was looking at the Professor in confusion.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked as Percy hummed a bit and scratched his chin.

"She's helping me with a spell," He said as Harry looked at him in confusion. "To fight the dementors, you know?" He said, and Harry nodded in understanding, It seems he had the same idea as him, but decided to ask a different professor. "Were you looking for me?" Percy asked in curiosity, and Harry nodded before looking at Percy.

But whatever he wanted to say died on his lips when he saw Percy's ears, for he had two sets of earrings there. The one on his right ear was a small red pentagram, barely noticeable, on his earlobe, and the other was a silver circle split by a line right down the middle, with a triangle around both shapes.

Harry was looking at them in shock, wondering where he had the idea of wearing such jewelry, and it seemed Percy noticed his slight loss of words as he looked at Harry in confusion.

"Something wrong?" Percy asked, tilting his head a bit, and Harry blinked a bit before finally being able to gather his thoughts.

"You have earrings, where did that come from?" Harry asked as Percy's eyes grew big for a moment and grabbed one of the earrings before answering.

"Right, these," He said before looking at Harry. "I'm trying something new. They don't look good?" He asked a bit self-consciously, and Harry quickly shook his head.

"No, no, they look good, just a bit surprising, that's all," Harry said before rubbing his nose a bit, bringing the conversation back to what he wanted to talk about. "Um, can we talk a bit?" Harry said, noticing there were a few people around here. "Alone?" He said as Percy looked at him in confusion, but nodded nonetheless.

"Come on then," Percy said as he led Harry to the bridge leading to the school's Quidditch pitch, as no student came around these parts this early in the day. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Percy asked in curiosity, leaning his back on the rail of the bridge as Harry leaned his arms there and let out a sigh.

"So, um, Ron had another of his usual rants about you," Harry said, and before Percy could tell that he was sorry to put him in that position, but Harry shook his head and carried on. "And it's mostly bull, but he said something that got me thinking," He said as he looked up at Percy. "Why did you approach me back then, in the dark alley?" He asked as Percy tilted his head in confusion, and Harry stopped leaning his arms a bit.

"I've gotten to know you pretty well, Percy; you don't do things without thinking about them first," Harry said as Percy looked away for a moment, narrowing his eyes in deep thought. "You must've had a reason for approaching me, please don't lie," He said, fearing that Percy might be thinking of a lie, and Percy sighed and got off the rail.

"Yes, I had a reason for approaching you, but it's not what you think," Percy said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Come on, I'll show you," Percy said as he started walking away, and Harry blinked in confusion before rushing to catch up with Percy.

"Before Snape became the Head of Slytherin, there were other professors in charge of it, nothing noticeable, of course," Percy said as he led Harry to the main entrance of the school. "But there was one who did a decent enough job, Professor Horace Slughorn," Percy said, looking back at Harry, who was looking at him with a curious look.

"Back then, Slytherin was less evil and more about the connections one could make, like a networking conglomerate, you know?" Percy explained, and Harry nodded, following along. "And Professor Slughorn was at the head of it, using his connections to gain prestige and propelling his students upwards," Percy said, scratching the back of his head.

"But he didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart; it was a means to an end." He said as Harry looked at him, confused. "He propelled and took bright students under his wing to gain the connection he needed. I mean, if one of his students became prime minister in the future, then he had a way in to getting what he wanted, thanks to 'helping' the student in his or her school years," Percy explained, and Harry blinked a bit.

"That sounds very slimy," Harry said as they made their way down, and Percy snorted and nodded, agreeing with Harry.

"I would call it cunning, but yeah, you're probably right," Percy said, a bit amused, before glancing back at him. "So, um, he gathered all of those promising students in an elitist club, he called it the Slug Club," Percy said, and Harry looked at him in amusement. "I know, but maybe subtly wasn't his first priority." He said as they reached the school's main lobby, where all the trophy showcases were.

"But, even if he was from Slytherin, he didn't judge any student's background whatsoever. If you were bright, had an exceptional academic progress, or had a renowned name, you could get in the club," He explained as Harry paid close attention to what Percy was saying. "So it was a club where students from all the houses could get in. And it didn't matter if you were Muggleborn, Half-Blood, or Pureblood. You have the potential to be someone? You got in." He said as Percy led Harry to a showcase on the right side of the lobby.

He pointed at a photo of a couple of students gathered around an older professor, and he looked at Harry for a moment. "This was the last Slug Club before Professor Slughorn left Hogwarts," He said as Harry looked at the photo in curiosity. "Recognize anyone?" Percy asked, and Harry looked closer, and his eyes grew wide when he saw a familiar redhead in the photo, one who had bright green eyes.

"Mom?" Harry asked out loud as Percy nodded and crossed his arms. "She was part of it?" Harry asked in surprise and curiosity while looking at Percy.

"Well, everybody does say she was very bright and clever in her school years," Percy said, scratching the back of his head. "And being a prefect and Head Girl sure does help your chances," Percy said with a shrug, and Harry smiled a bit, knowing that his mother was ahead of her student peers made him feel proud a bit.

"But um, I didn't exactly bring you here to share things about your mother," Percy said, gulping a bit, and Harry saw him getting a bit nervous. "See the woman next to her? The one who has her arm crossed with your mother's?" Percy asked as Harry looked at the photo once again.

And saw a woman with dark, long hair and skin as white as the snow, but what caught his attention was her eyes. Her eyes were purple, a lilac color he recognized easily, for the teen next to him had eyes identical to the woman in front of him.

"Her name is Emilia Nyx," Percy said, looking at the photo with a melancholic look on his face. "My mother, and your mother's best friend," Percy said as Harry looked at him in slight surprise.

"Back before this year started, and before I met you at the entrance of the Dark Alley, my mother's will came into effect when I turned sixteen," He said as Harry got reminded that he was a year older than him once more.

"It was mostly real estate stuff, and who should take care of me in case she dies, that sort of thing." Percy said, letting out a bit of a sigh, "She also left me a bunch of her stuff, research projects, an investigation she was making, and even a book of sorcery. A book that led me to find more about the arcane," Percy said as Harry looked at him in surprise.

"Your mother knew about those powers as well?" Harry asked, whispering a bit, and Percy nodded and gave Harry a small smile.

"Yeah, and your mother knew as well," Percy said as Harry's eyes grew wide. "Remember the journal I gave the twins?" Percy asked, and Harry nodded, remembering the conversation Percy had with the twins back at Leaky Cauldron. "Well, my mom and yours came up with that, and they used similar journals between the two since the start of their fifth year," Percy said as Harry listened to that information in surprise and shock.

"I've been reading some since the summer, especially the ones before she died, and um," Percy said, scratching the back of his head. "In some of them, they talk about us," Percy said as Harry listened closely.

"They were both excited to become moms, your mother more than mine," Percy explained, and Harry listened closely. "But the world was at war, and they had to go into hiding," Percy said, looking at the photo with sadness in his eyes.

"They talk about what they would do once the war was over, and they talked about wanting us to be friends, grow side by side. Like brothers or something," Percy said, rubbing his face a bit. "Another thing that the war took from us, I suppose," Percy said before looking at Harry.

"So, um, after I read some of those journals, I saw you on Diagon Alley, exploring and alone without Hermione and without Ron," Percy said, and Harry could see the bit of disgust behind Percy's eyes when he mentioned Ron's name. "And after reading how much your mom and mine wanted us to be friends, I figured I had to try at least," Percy said, crossing his arms.

"Though I didn't want to tell you because I wanted to be friends with you without anything in between," Percy said before smiling a bit sheepishly. "And it wasn't like I could go up to you and say, 'Hey Potter, your dead mom and mine wanted us to be friends, shall we give it a try?' Sounds mental just to think about it, doesn't it?" Percy said with a snort and a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I would've thought you were insane if you'd told me that," Harry said with a chuckle before getting a bit curious. "And the thing with the dungeons? Why did you decide to bring me there?" Harry asked in curiosity, and Percy scratched his head a bit sheepishly.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't really know how to make friends," Percy said as Harry snorted a bit, and Percy looked at him. "Sorry, I didn't tell you sooner, I just didn't know how," Percy said, and Harry shook his head a bit.

"No, it's okay, I was just paranoid that you were trying to get something out of me," Harry said as Percy looked at him in confusion. "Some people had tried before, so" Harry said, trying to explain his paranoia, and Percy nodded in understanding.

"I get it," Percy said, looking ahead. "And to be fair, I would've, but you don't really have anything to offer," Percy said, throwing a dig at Harry, who laughed and punched Percy's arm without any malice.

"Prick," He said as he looked ahead before glancing at Percy with a bit of uncertainty. "Hey, think you could lend me those journals?" Harry asked as Percy glanced down at him. "I mean," Harry said, trying to find a reason, and Percy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course. But when the school year ends," Percy said as Harry looked at him, a bit confused. "Those Journals are very precious to me, and I don't like taking them out of my home," He said as Harry nodded in understanding.

Then, before anyone could say anything, they were suddenly wrapped around someone's arm as Harry saw the Weasley twins wrapping their arms around both of them, with one Twin grabbing one younger teen each.

"Bingo, we found our targets, George," Fred said as George smiled and tightened his hold on Harry.

"Little younglings, we have grave things we have to discuss," Gorge said as Fred nodded, hummed, and tapped Percy's behind. "Onwards, my little friends!" George said, pushing Harry forward as Percy let himself be led by Fred.

"Don't we have a say in this?" Harry asked as the twins laughed a bit, and Percy looked at him, a bit exasperated.

"I don't believe we do, but I'm a bit curious to be honest," Percy said as Harry sighed a bit. "Whatever this is, it will at least be fun, it always is with these two," Percy said as Harry sighed and nodded, fully agreeing with Percy's statement.

"Well, put my dear Albine friend," Fred said, as both twins pulled them into an empty classroom and let go of their hold, making sure no one was listening in. "We thought about your proposal," Fred said with a seriousness that surprised Harry as Percy hummed and crossed his arms.

"Oh? I hadn't heard from you since, thought you maybe weren't keen on it," Percy said, and George sat on a desk and looked at Percy.

"If we're being honest, sticking it to those cunts from Slytherin is always enticing," George said as Fred took a seat across from his brother.

"But we are no fools, there's more to this than you're letting on," Fred said as Percy took a seat and put a hand to his cheek, as Harry looked at the trio, not intervening for the moment. "And if there's one thing that we hate more, even if it involves messing with those arseholes," Fred said as Pery hummed and looked at George in curiosity, waiting for him to end the sentence.

"We don't like being played, so whatever it is that you want out of us, better tell us beforehand if you want our help," George said, and Percy put a leg over his other as he looked at the twins for a moment.

"To be honest, I don't really want anything out of you lot," Percy said, scathing his chin a bit. "Pardon the rudeness, but you two are a means to an end," Percy said as the twins narrowed their eyes at him.

"But in the effort to give you two a bit more clarity," Percy said, looking at Fred before turning his sight to George. "You guys bring chaos in your wake, and chaos is exactly the tool I need to lessen the Death Eater faction's hold within Slytherin," Percy said as Harry grew curious.

"Wait," Harry said, bringing their attention to him. "There are Death Eaters within Slytherin? Why isn't anyone doing anything about it?" Harry asked with a bit of concern, and Percy looked at him.

"The Death Eaters faction is just a sickness for a greater movement," Percy said with a sigh. "History has seen this type of political path, if you can even call it that," Percy said, pinching his nose a bit. "It dresses up as bigotry or prejudice, but at the end of the day, it's just fascism," Percy said as Harry paid close attention.

"Fascism?" George asked in curiosity as Fred nodded, wanting to ask the same, and Percy looked at them all.

"Fascism is a political, well, it's supposed to be political, but I digress. It's a political and ultranationalist view," Percy started explaining as the trio paid close attention. "It's often characterized by a central and dictatorial type of power, focused on the forcible suppression of opposition," Percy said as he changed his position, crossing his other leg above the other.

"It is often, if not always, followed by the ideology of a superior race, nation, or religious belief. And its main focus is to marginalize those who don't fit that ideology, sounds familiar?" Percy said as the Gryffindors looked at the floor, as Harry spoke for them all.

"Like when they call people Mudbloods?" He asked, and Percy nodded before letting out a sigh.

"It is a bleak and terrible movement, but it is also a very enticing one," Percy said as the Gryffindors looked up at him in confusion. "It is a very individualist-centered ideology, and it offers the illusion of achievable power and standings," Percy said, looking at the blackboard for a minute. "It's like a ladder. A ladder made out of the people that they have to step over to get what they want. A system forever fated to be destroyed within itself," Percy said, rubbing his face a bit in frustration.

"History has seen such movements time and time again—the Nazi movement in Germany and Europe. The Klhan back in America," Percy said, looking at the three Gryffindors. "And the Death Eater movement in the Magical World, and even if we believe we have stopped the movement, the ideology always remains," Percy said, leaning a bit forward.

"While the extremist side of things may have died down, the systematic ideology prevails. But to acknowledge it would mean to say that the movement didn't end fifteen years ago," Percy said, looking at Harry. "And say what you will about the Death Eaters, but they were never foolish people; they learned to adapt, to keep their fascist ideologies hidden from the public eye," Percy said as he took a sigh in the meantime.

"Extremist actions changed into passive-aggressive microaggressions," Percy said, looking at them all. "Back then, they liked to hunt muggleborns and kill them for sport; they've settled now for name-calling and disgust-filled glances," Percy said, crossing his arms a bit.

"But in the cloak of Slytherin, they have a freedom of expression, you could say," Percy said, scratching his chin. "And Snape is keen to favor it, the less work he has to do, then the better, I suppose," Percy said as they could all see the frustration behind his eyes.

"And that lack of oversight that grants them that freedom frightens me," Percy said, looking at them with a bit of a worried look on his face. "Because the more their ideology gets thrown around, the more of an opportunity it grants for a fool to get overzealous and start causing trouble for people of opposing ideology," Percy said as George leaned forward.

"Like yourself, am I correct?" George asked, and Percy nodded, confirming his question.

"Yes indeed," Percy said, putting his hands on his lap. "But it will soon spread into other houses, if it hasn't already, and this problem will not be only mine to deal with," Percy said as a warning to the three. "Now I have to strike while the wound is fresh, but I cannot do it so in the open, for it will turn the whole house against me," Percy explained as Fred hummed and looked at him in curiosity.

"That's why you need our smokescreen," Fred noted, and Percy nodded his head. "Well, we're keen to agree with it, but we were wondering what it is that you wanted out of us?" Fred asked as George took over.

"Because we know you don't want us just to cause chaos without a purpose," George said as Percy narrowed his eyes. "At least you don't seem to be the type to," He said, and Percy smiled a bit at that.

"Quite the fair assessment," Percy said with a chuckle before looking at the twins. "I just want you to focus your chaos on certain individuals," Percy said as the twins paid close attention to him. "Mainly the people who spew the Mudblood nonsense, and to leave those who are friendly to other houses alone," Percy said before leaning forward.

"And I want you to make a person's life a living hell," Percy said with a seriousness to him as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Who? Malfoy?" Harry asked as the twins shared that same sentiment, but Percy shook his head, confusing the three Gryffindors.

"No, Pansy Parkison," Percy said, much to the confusion of the three. "I would like you two to focus all of your energy on making her life a hell," Percy said, and Fred and George gave each other a look before glancing at Percy.

"Can we know what you plan to do with her?" They asked as Percy leaned back and narrowed his eyes a bit.

"No, you may not," Percy said as the twins sighed and nodded in understanding. "So, do we have an accord, gentlemen?" Percy asked as Fred and George shared a nod before looking at Percy.

"We're in," Fred said as Percy smiled, feeling glad at their decision. And the George carried on.

"We even brought a gift to celebrate this new partnership," George said, taking a small parchment from his pants. "If you youngsters would like to have a look," George said as Percy stood off from his seat and approached the twins alongside Harry.

They had a look at the blank parchment, and Harry ended up pointing it out, but the twins smirked at him. "Oh, but it isn't, you are just not seeing hard enough," George said as Fred placed his wand up to the blank parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," Fred said, and suddenly something started appearing on the parchment, and Percy, along with Harry, looked over to see a logo and a drawing of the Hogwarts castle appear in the front.

It read 'Messrs.' Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present: The Maruder's Map', and Harry looked at the twins in confusion. "This right here, it's our most prized possession, gentlemen," George said as he opened the parchment to reveal a map of Hogwarts.

But it wasn't a simple map, no; it also tracked, in real time, every person within the castle, with their name appearing right below them. And you could even see which steps they were taking and which direction they were heading.

"It has saved us a lot of trouble and avoided getting caught. And now it belongs to you two," Fred said as Harry looked at them in surprise.

"What?" Harry asked as Percy kept looking at the parchment in deep thought. "Are you sure about that? Wouldn't you guys need it?" Harry asked in confusion, and the twins shared a laugh.

"Sure, but it's been getting boring escaping every single prank," George said with a smirk on his face. "The chance of getting caught makes it more exciting," George said, and Fred continued for them.

"And consider it a passing of the torch, for a younger generation to carry on our work," Fred said, looking at both of them. "You can use it for whatever you like. You could even use it to sneak to Hogsmeade if you want," Fred said, giving Harry a knowing look.

"And just say mischief managed whenever you are done," George explained as the map disappeared and the parchment closed itself. "And it is secured once more, have fun, gentlemen," George said as both teens left the classroom, leaving Harry and Percy behind.

Harry smiled in excitement as an idea started forming in his mind. Then he turned to look at Percy, who was still looking at the parchment in deep thought. "Percy? Are you okay?" Harry asked as Percy blinked and finally stopped watching the parchment.

"Oh yes, I'm alright," Percy said, scratching his chin. "I was just wondering how such a contraption was made, and how I could replicate it. It is a marvelous work of magic," Percy said, holding a hand to his chin, and Harry looked at him in curiosity.

"You're a bit different," Harry said as Percy looked at him with a raised eyebrow, silently asking what he meant by that. "Your way of speaking is a bit more refined, and just back there with the Twins, you sound like a noble. Like the type Malfoy pretends to be," Harry said, and Percy snorted a bit before looking at Harry.

"I'll take that as a compliment, for your sake," Percy said as Harry laughed a bit, and Percy sighed and crossed his arms. "I've been reading a lot these past few weeks, and one does tend to pick up a few lexical improvements the more one reads," Percy said before looking at Harry with a smile.

"And I'm a pureblood that lives around other purebloods the majority of his time," Percy said, trying not to sound condescending. "Even if I don't agree with their way of thinking, if you spend a lot of time with noble-like speaking individuals, you end up picking up a thing or two," Percy said, laughing a bit, confusing Harry a little bit.

"Wondered what my friend from Ireland would think, probably would kick my arse for sounding so posh and refined," Percy said, mostly to himself, but Harry heard him and got his curiosity rising.

"Ireland? You have friends back there?" Harry asked and missed the look of melancholy that suddenly invaded Percy's eyes.

"We lost touch, so I don't think so anymore," Percy said with a slight smile on his face before tilting his head a bit, confused. "And didn't I tell you? I grew up in Ireland," Percy said as Harry blinked in confusion.

"But, you don't have an accent," He said, and Percy nodded, agreeing with him.

"I lost it because of how much time I spent with those posh people," Percy said sarcastically, getting a snort out of Harry, and then crossed his arms a bit. "Nowadays it only comes out when I'm pissed off," Percy said as Harry nodded before looking at the parchment. "I know that look," Percy said, giving Harry a knowing look.

"I'm just wondering. Do you have any plans for today?" Harry asked a bit cheekily, and Percy looked at him in curiosity.

"I have some business in Gringotts with Daphne's parents, but that's only after the Hogsmeade visit," Percy said, and Harry smiled wickedly at Percy.

"Then how about we go on a little trip?" Harry said with a massive smirk on his face, and Percy sighed, but answered back with a smile on his face, letting himself be dragged to whatever plan Harry was thinking of.

The rest of the study group was walking around Hogsmeade together. After what they had experienced, their bond grew a bit, and they unconsciously fell into a group, going to the same stores together.

And no one was more grateful for this than Neville. As sad as it sounds, he wasn't the best person when it came to making and having friends. Even at the start of the year, he didn't have many friends to begin with. Sure, he was friendly with a lot of people, but friends? No, he didn't have many of those.

But now? Now he was surrounded by people who actually considered him a friend, and he was grateful for how things turned out for him. He was looking at some candy, as the group had decided to go to Honeydukes, and the majority of the students had decided to go to the Three Broomsticks to have some drinks after the whole trip.

He was busy trying to figure out what sort of candy to buy Harry and Percy, and it seems some of the group had noticed him going a bit away as Hanna approached him and looked at him in curiosity. "Are you okay? You've been staring at the candy for a while now," She said in concern as Neville sighed a bit.

"I'm trying to find something for Harry and Percy," Neville said, crossing his arms a bit in frustration. "But I don't know which ones they would like," He said with a chuckle, and Hannah looked at the candy for a moment before glancing at Neville.

"We can ask the others," She said with a small smile. "Maybe Hermione and Daphne know better, since they've spent a lot of time with them," she said, tilting her head and smiling softly at him, and he nodded, finding logic in that idea.

"I'd probably buy a frog for Harry," Hermione said, approaching them, having overheard their conversation. "He's not like Ron, but he does eat a lot of everything, so you wouldn't get it wrong no matter what," She said with a smile as the group started gathering around them, and Neville glanced at Daphne.

"Don't look at me, I have never seen Percy eat candy," She said, and most of the group looked at her in slight surprise. "Junk food, sure. But I don't think he has a sweet tooth," She said as Tracey nodded, grabbing a box of chocolate for herself.

"Speaking of which, Daph," Theo said as she looked up at him. "What's up with his earrings? Where did that come from?" He asked curiously, and Sue Li looked up, confused.

"He has earrings? Since when?" She asked, curious, as Tracye leaned towards her.

"Two days ago, give or take," She said as Sue looked at her, tilting her head. "It is something, but somehow he pulls them off," She said as Susan leaned over the counter of candy and looked at them all.

"Pulls them off? That's putting it lightly," Susan said as everyone looked at her. "Don't tell him I told you this, but those earrings and the way he's speaking now make him hotter, to be honest," She said, grabbing some candy before a voice reached her ears.

"Do they? Well, I'm grateful for the compliment, Susan," She heard, not noticing how the group looked up and was staring at where she was in slight surprise.

"Don't worry about it, Percy," she said, grabbing another box of candy, before her mind caught up with what she was saying and she looked up to see Percy standing next to her, looking down at her with a soft smile. "Percy!?" Susan said, a bit startled and almost tripped by the sudden surprise she got, but he managed to put a hand on her back to stop her from falling.

"Careful there, love. Don't know if the owner would love it if you ruin her shop," He said as Susan started blushing purposely, not really sure if it was from the shock or because of his touch. Then he let go of her as she tried to calm her blush and looked at the counter of Candy. "And to be honest, I only like the boxes of beans. I'm not very keen on magical candy, too complicated for my tastes," He said, grabbing a box of Every Flavor Beans.

"Oh, Theo was right, your lexicon changed a bit," Sue Li said as he looked and glanced at her in curiosity, tilting his head a bit, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

"So I've been told. Do I sound weird by any chance?" He asked in curiosity, and she shook her head a bit, then looked at the candy for a moment.

"No, um, no, not at all," She said as Padma noticed her blushing and poked her stomach to make fun of her, as Sue Li glared at her, telling her to stop.

"Makes you sound a bit more condescending if we're being honest," Theo said as Percy glanced up at him. "Makes you seem like you know more than the rest of the people, which oddly enough, it kind of suits you," Theo said, and Percy hummed before a voice broke behind Theo.

"Makes him sound like a dick, no need to sugarcoat it," The voice, and after a bit of shifting, Harry appeared there with a smirk on his face to the shock of most of the group. "Told you they would freak out," Harry said, and Percy snorted and crossed his arms.

"And I'm supposed to be the dick?" Percy asked sarcastically, and Harry just shrugged his shoulders in good fun, wrapping his invisibility cloak around his pocket, not noticing that Padma was eyeing that item with curiosity in her eyes.

But before she could speak, Hermione cleared her throat and looked at them with a narrowed look. "Boys, would you mind explaining what you are doing here? Without permission?" Hermione asked, as both teens remained quiet, not speaking about it. "And how did you even get here?" She wondered as Harry looked up with a smirk on his face.

"Magic," He said sarcastically as Percy rolled his eyes in exasperation, and Hermione felt her eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Still, Daphne placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a look of sympathy.

"Don't bother too much with them, Mione," Daphen said as Hermione sighed and gave her a thankful look. "We'll get it out of them soon enough," Daphne said, smiling sweetly at the two as Harry felt a cold sweat run along his back.

And after feeling a bit threatened, the group bought their candy and made their way around Hogsmeade, as some wanted to see the Shrieking Shack. And while they were on their way, Percy pulled Tracey a bit away from the rest of the group.

"Hey, by any chance, did Daphne mention any plans we have after this? Anything revolving around her family or Gringotts?" He asked, and Tracey looked at him a bit confused, and she shook her head no.

"No, at least I don't remember her telling me about it," She said as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Is something wrong between you two?" She asked, and Percy shook his head.

"No, but it is about why she stopped talking to us," Percy said as both of them looked at Daphne. "It is mostly to resolve family inheritance bullshit, and a bad deal from the Greengrass family," He explained as Tracey snorted and looked at him.

"Pureblood nonsense then," She said with a smirk on her face, and he snorted while nodding his head, agreeing with her statement. "So, why are you telling me this?" Tracey asked in curiosity as Percy looked ahead, putting his hands in his pockets.

"The whole Greengrass family is going, and even if Astoria and Daphen are there, I think I'm feeling a bit outnumbered, you know?" Percy said as Tracey nodded, seeing how it could feel like that. "I wanted to ask if you didn't mind joining me there?" He asked, and Tracey blinked in confusion.

"You want me to go there with you?" She asked as Percy nodded, confirming her question. And she grew a bit mortified. "But, that's a family private matter, and a pureblood matter to be precise. I don't know if I'm suited to go there, especially since I'm a half blood," She said, rambling a bit about why she shouldn't go, but Percy placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It doesn't matter whether you should or should not be there, Trace, I'm asking because I want you there," Percy said, squeezing her shoulder a bit as she looked up at him, wordless. "Besides, Daph, you've always been there for me, so I could really use your support once more. But it's too much," He said, letting go of her shoulder, and she immediately shook her head.

"No, no, um, if you really want them to go with you so badly, I suppose I can clear a bit of my schedule," She said as he chuckled a bit before her eyes softened a bit. "Thank you for having such trust in me," She said, and he looked at her with a soft smile.

"Always," he said before someone out in front called out to them so they could hurry up.

"Hey, you lovebirds!" Theo shouted as Tracey and Percy looked up to see that they had arrived at the edges of the Shrieking Shack. "Come on, I'm this close to convincing Harry to go there," Theo said, and Harry scoffed while rolling his eyes.

"As if you've been trying to win at odds but haven't managed to do so yet," Harry explained as the group looked ahead, putting their eyes on the Shrieking Shack. "Wonder what causes the Shrieking to be honest," He wondered out loud as Neville walked up to him.

"Well, rumor is that a girl died there and now her spirit haunts the shaft as a warning for anyone who dares to get close," He said as Harry looked at him in confusion. "But the Twins told me that, so take that as you will," Neville said as Padma crossed her arms in curiosity.

"Maybe it's a creature trapped in there," Padma said, bringing a hand to her chin. "Wonder what kind though?" She said it out loud, and most of the group looked at Percy, expecting an answer.

"Why are you looking at me for?" He asked, confused, as the group just smiled sheepishly at him. "I haven't got a Scooby or anything like that. I'm not all-knowing," Percy said as Theo laughed and leaned a bit forward.

"Can't fault us for thinking like that," Theo said as Percy looked at him with a narrowed look. "When it comes to magical creatures, you and Luna seem to have a lot of knowledge," Theo said, and Susan nodded, agreeing with Theo.

"Doesn't help that you both give the same aloof and mysterious vibe," Susan said, taking a step towards Percy. "Wonder what it would take to get you to spill your secrets, eh?" She said, poking his stomach a bit before receiving a poke to her forehead in response, courtesy of Percy.

"You guys are overthinking it. I like to read, that's all," Percy said as Susan rubbed her forehead in pain. "And as much as people like to poke fun at it, the Quibbler is a good source material for studying magical creatures," Percy said, looking at the shack ahead without saying anything.

"There it is again, the aloof vibe," Blaise said as the group laughed while Percy's eyebrow twitched a bit in annoyance, but he sighed and then smiled at the whole group. He knew there was a lot he kept from them, and someday he would have to tell them. But for now, he would live in this blissful ignorance for a bit longer.

Then, as the group was laughing, a sound of an owl flapping its wings interrupted them as a brown, almost black owl flew towards them, perching itself on Daphne's shoulder. "Hyde?" Daphne wondered what the owl was doing here, and the animal put its leg forward, offering Daphne a small piece of paper.

She read it, and everyone saw her look turn severe all of a sudden, and Daphne had disappeared in an instant, and only the infamous Ice Queen remained, and she glanced at Percy with icy cold eyes. "Father called, meeting has been moved forward," She said as Percy narrowed his eyes and gave Tracey a nod.

"Sorry, guys, duty calls. Have fun for the rest of us," Percy said, putting his hands in his pockets and walking away to the nearest store to use their Floo Network, trying hard to fight back the glare that was threatening to appear on his face while Daphne and Tracey walked behind him.

"What was all that about?" Hermione asked as the group looked at the leaving trio with concern in their eyes, but Theo quickly broke the quiet.

"They're probably going somewhere to snog, don't bother too much about it," Theo said before slapping Harry's shoulder. "Let's go, golden boy, I'm dying for a butterbeer," He said before walking towards the Three Broomsticks as everyone gave a worrying glance to the trio before making their way to have some drinks.

Daphne couldn't help but feel a bit nervous at the moment. She had forgotten a bit how imposing Gringotts could be. The trio of young students arrived a bit early, and they were led to a waiting area, like a small lobby outside of the solicitor goblin's office. And she was getting more and more nervous by the moment.

She knew what was going to happen in this meeting; how could she not feel nervous when her life was about to be decided in a simple meeting? She couldn't stop her nerves.

Then she felt someone grabbing her hand as she must've been showing her nerves out in the open. "You okay there, Daph?" Tracey asked as Daphne looked up at her, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm just," Daphne said while smiling softly at her. "I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed," She said as Tracey hummed while squeezing her hand.

"I get it, truly," Tracey said as Daphne tilted her head a bit. "I mean, I don't really know what this meeting is about, but I have a good idea, and I know it involves you," Tracye said before looking at Daphne's eyes. "But I mean, it's just another pureblood bullshit, you'll see, it will be over before you know it," She said as Daphne sighed and chuckled a bit.

"Right," She said, squeezing Tracey's hand a bit. "I'm glad you came, sorry I didn't ask you, but you know," She said, a bit nervous, and Tracey just shook her head.

"It's okay, I get it, you don't need to explain yourself," She said before looking away and smiling a bit. "At least you're better than him," Tracey said as Daphne looked up and saw Percy standing to the side, looking at the decorations on the wall with his hands behind his back.

He hadn't said a word since they got here, and he hadn't moved from the spot in all the time they've been here. It was surprising to be honest, but also a bit unsettling since it seems something was worrying Percy even more than what was worrying Daphne.

Then the doors to the entrance opened as Daphne's family walked into the lobby, and Tracey and Daphne immediately stood up. "Father, Mother," Daphne said, nodding as her mother approached the girls.

"You guys have been waiting long?" She asked, giving a hug to Daphne, who shook her head, easing her mother's worries. Then the dark-haired, older woman looked at Tracey, tilting her head. "Tracey? I didn't know you would be joining us." She said as Tracey hugged Daphne's mother.

"I came for moral support, Lady Greengrass," Tracey said as Daphne's mother smiled and put a hand on Tracey's head.

"Haven't I told you already? Call me Clea," She said as Tracey chuckled a bit before looking back a bit. "Come on, Astoria, it's rude not to say hello," she said as Daphne's sister walked up to them and, without saying anything to Daphne, hugged Tracey.

"I apologize as well for taking too long. Getting Tory out of Hogwarts took longer than expected," Cyrus said, putting a hand on Clea's shoulder before looking around, resting his eyes on Percy. "Any progress so far?" He asked, and Daphne shook her head.

"None so far, we're still waiting for Ragnok," She said as Cyrus nodded and Astoria poked Tracey a bit to get her attention.

"Hey, is he okay?" Astoria sked in concern, and Tracey looked down at her and shrugged her shoulders. "I wanted to say hello, but I felt like he didn't want to be bothered," Astoria said as the others overheard it and looked at Percy for a moment.

But then the doors of the office opened up, and from there an old goblin with a scar over his right eye appeared and gave each a look before his eyes settled on Percy, more specifically, his ears, looking at his earrings with a bit of surprise.

"You redecorated. These animal skins are new," Percy said, looking at the wall as the goblin hummed and narrowed his eyes at Percy.

"I don't like to spend my days trapped in here," Ragnok said, looking at him for a bit. "Seems you finally grew a pair," Ragnok said as Percy hummed and looked at him with a cold look, and the whole group, along with the goblin, felt a cold sweat run down their backs.

"The trail of fate can never be outrun; we can only choose to walk it or not. Am I correct, Ragnok?" Percy said as the goblin grumbled and looked ahead with a narrow look. "And quell your excitement, I can smell it from here; it is beneath you." Percy aid looked back at the wall as Cyrus stepped forward.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Ragnok?" He asked, worried about the current interaction, as the goblin shook his head and looked at the group of wizards.

"No, it's all okay, my lord, just a slight disagreement between creatures," Ragnok said before turning around and walking to his office. "This way, time is golden," Ragnok said as the group followed him, and Percy gave one final look at the decorations before entering the office.

The Greengrass family had decided to take a seat on the couches on the left side of Ragnok's desk. Both Patriarch and Matriarch had taken a sofa with their youngest, while Tracey and Daphen took the one next to them.

And Percy made his way to the couch on the right, taking a seat and crossing his right leg over his left one. "So, where do you like to begin, my lord?" Ragnok asked as Cyrus cleared his throat to speak, but Ragnok interrupted him. "Wasn't talking to you, Lord Greengrass," He said as the group looked at Percy, who had a narrowed look on his face while looking at Ragnok.

"Did you confirm what we talked about?" Percy asked as Ragnok nodded and grabbed a few files from his tables. "I need to hear it before we do anything else." He said, as Ragnok nodded, looking at the Greengrass family.

"Are you sure you want them to hear?" Ragnok asked, and Percy just narrowed his eyes, and the goblin sighed. "As you know, right before the war erupted, the black Family started crumbling apart," Ragnok said as Cyrus leaned back and listened carefully to what Ragnok was saying.

"Andromeda married the Muggleborn and was exiled from the family. Narcissa married Malfoy, and at least one part of the family was secured there," Ragnok said before pinching his nose. "And the less we say about Lestrange, the better," Ragnok said before looking over at the group of wizards.

"Then we have the crux of why we are here, Regulus and Sirus black," Ragnok said, putting his hands over the table. "Sirius, as you know, left his family on his last year of school to go live with the Potters. Kicked out of his home by his mother with the promise of exile," He said as the wizards paid close attention.

"But not even two months later, Regulus decides to join the Death Eater faction, and then war broke out," Ragnok said, looking at a file for a moment. "So Arcturus got left with a decision, since one of his sons was bound to die from the war, as they were on opposing sides, and he would die before letting a Malfoy or a Lestrange as the heir to his family," Ragnok said, leaning forward as Clea paid close attention, picking up what Ragnok was trying to say.

"So he ignored his daughter's whining and decided not to remove Sirius from the inheritance process, and left the fate of his family to luck," Ragnok said before leaning back into his chair.

"Didn't go as he would've wanted since Regulus died without an heir to his name," Ragnok said, looking ahead. "And after the war, Sirius left only one heir to his name," Ragnok said, and was immediately interrupted by Daphne.

"Black had a child?" Daphne asked as Ragnok nodded his head. "That can't be, even if he was on the light side, he was still a pureblood. Anyone from that circle would've heard from him," Daphne said as Clea put a hand on her shoulder.

"The child's mother kept him a secret; only a select few knew about him," Clea said as Cyrus nodded a bit and carried on for her.

"The war was on it's crucial point when he was born, she was a afraid they would use him as bait to get Black to join the Death Eaters and use that status for the war," Cyrus said as he rubbed his chin and looked at Clea. "Your mother knew about him, but she swore never to reveal who he was," Cyrus said as Daphne nodded in understanding and missed the look of frustration that appeared on Percy for a moment.

"It didn't work in the end. Sirius ended up betraying the Potters and was thrown into Azkaban," Daphne said, looking at Ragnok a bit. "Whoever this heir is has no chance at the Black family name since his father lost it once he was convicted," She said, reminding everyone how the law worked within the magical world.

But she grew confused when Ragnok looked at her with a smirk on his face. "Well, that's the thing, young wizard. Sirius Black was never convicted," He said as Daphne, Tracey, and Astoria looked at Ragnok in shock. "You can't be convicted when you aren't given a trial, so whether he's guilty of such crimes, it doesn't matter to the heritance line," Ragnok said as Astoria blinked, realizing something.

"And even if it did, since he didn't get a trial, whether he committed the crimes or not, the magical ministry will be forced to pardon him for the mistrial," Astoria said as Ragnok nodded, confirming her statement.

"That means," Daphne said as she looked at her father with a bit of hope mixed with confusion in her eyes.

"Yes, there's another prospect other than Draco, and since we put that you will marry the Black Heir in the marriage contract. There is a way for you to avoid marrying Draco," Cyrus said as Daphne looked at the ground, a small smile starting to appear on her face at the relief of having an opportunity to escape her fate.

"Marriage contract?" Tracey asked as Daphne looked at her and sighed, not wanting to explain it, and thankfully, she didn't have to.

"A bullshit thing if you ask me," Astoria said as Tracey looked at her in confusion. "Since the family is losing standing in the council and my dear moronic parents are too afraid of my disease, they made a deal with Lucius to get a slight chance to look at the Black Families' library," Astoria said, and Tracey could hear the frustration coming out of the young Greengrass.

"And you agreed to it!?" Tracey asked Daphne, who nodded, and while she could understand why she had done so, she couldn't help but be annoyed at it. "So, who is this Heir then? So I can fuck him up to get him to turn this deal down," Tracey said, annoyed, getting a snort out of Ragnok and a slight, amused smile from Percy.

"First of all, the contract is iron-clad and sealed with blood. Nothing can break it, and there are no loopholes to end it as well," Ragnok said as Cyrus sighed and looked at Tracey for a moment.

"Lucius is a greedy fool, but when it comes to this, he makes sure he doesn't get screwed," Cyrus said before looking at Percy. "But he is known for making slight oversights thanks to his ego," He said as Tracey looked confused, but then Ragnok cleared his throat a bit.

"And you don't have to look far to find Sirius' son, for he is sitting right in front of you," Ragnok said, directing his eyes to Percy as he pulled up a paper. "Perseus Nyx, born from Emilia Nyx and one Sirius Black on July 13th, 1999," Ragnok said as the young students in front of him looked at him in shock, as he was avoiding their looks by looking at Ragnok.

"Is it foolproof?" Percy asked bout the veracity of Ragnok's proof, and the goblin huts gave him the birth certificate. "He really is my father, huh?" Percy said to himself while looking at his father's name and rubbing his nose a bit.

But Cyrus carried on with the business matters and looked at Ragnok. "So it is secured? He's the Heir of House Black, not Malfoy?" Cyrus asked as Ragnok put his hands together and grumbled a bit.

"Not quite, he has the best qualifications you could say, and he is first in line to inherit that title," Ragnok said before looking at Cyrus. "But the Malfoys have a leeway where if they convince a majority of the ministry, they could overrule Perseus' inheritance," Ragnok said as the Greengrass family looked a bit worried.

"But there is a silver lining here," Ragnok said while snapping his fingers as a small black ring box appeared in front of Percy. "If the Family's magic acknowledges him, then there's no argument that the Malfoys could make to get the inheritance back," Ragnok said as Percy grabbed the box a bit, and Clea looked a bit mortified.

"Wait, blood test and Magical test are always too risky, and especially with dark families," Clea said before looking at Percy. "There have been cases where heirs died because of it. We can think of something else instead of risking your life," Clea said as Percy opened the box and grabbed the Black family's ring while looking at it in silent contemplation.

"Sure, we can, but this is the most secure route we have," Ragnok said before giving Percy a smirk. "And besides, it's not like it's his," He started saying, but Percy glared at him, telling him to be quiet, and the goblin complied immediately.

"Percy," Daphne said as he grabbed the ring with his left hand. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you don't need to risk your life for it," Daphne said as Percy looked up at her.

"And leave you with a life of torment by Malfoy's side?" Percy asked sarcastically as Daphen grew a bit mortified. "Rather die than see that to be honest," Percy said, placing the ring on his right hand's middle finger and flexing his hand a bit.

Everyone looked at Percy, a bit scared of what was going to happen, but then nothing happened, and they thought Percy had gotten out of danger. Still, then Percy started coughing as if someone was squeezing his throat, and then they heard Percy's neck snap, and his head and body fell to the side, lifeless, as his head hung on the armrest of the sofa, with his hair hiding his lifeless eyes.

"Percy?" Daphen asked in concern, starting to stand up, but Ragnok cleared his throat, stopping her on her tracks.

"Don't, he's being judged at the moment," Ragnok said, taking a giant hourglass and putting it on the table, starting the countdown. "It is up to him now," Ragnok said as everyone looked at the lifeless body of Percy, hoping for something to happen.

A coughing sound could be heard around as Percy woke up and sat up, coughing and holding his neck in slight discomfort, wondering where he was. Then he felt it. The cold, moist fog around him, a fog that surrounded everything and everywhere so much that it blocked his full view.

He stood up and looked around in confusion, trying to get his bearings, but as soon as he took a step forward, he felt the ground beneath him disappear, and he started free-falling without an end.

Then he started hearing voices calling his name —voices from those he held dear, his friends and loved ones, and ending with Daphne's and Luna's voices asking him to wake up and power through. Then those voices gather around the fog, creating a figure within the mist of the white oak he had been chasing for a massive chunk of his life.

And he saw lights of different colors appearing on the three, breaking out of the fog, with a bright green and a bright black light at the very top of the tree.

Then the scene changed, and he suddenly landed in an open circular space surrounded by stone pillars. It looked like a type of garden or a gathering place, and it felt familiar somehow, but Percy couldn't place why it did.

He looked up to see the pillars connecting to a roof that had a mosaic picture of the same white oak tree, with the same lights as before, but this time he had a good view of it and could count at least fourteen lights; but he also saw four more spots that didn't have any lights on them yet.

He started wondering what it all meant, but then the fog started gathering around the center of the circle. Percy took a step back and saw the mist forming a dining table —a very large one at that —and counted at least fifteen chairs around it, all leading to the head of the table.

And that seat was different from the rest, because while the other seats were ordinary and everyday at best, this seat was one fitting for a royal, extravagant at best, and imposing as it could be.

He walked to that seat and found an old, frail man, tired and melancholy. And Percy didn't have to wonder why he had such a look because, as imposing as he was, the table was empty with chairs breaking apart and even some falling apart.

"It's time to rest, great-grandfather. You've done well holding the family, let me take this burden from your shoulders and carry it from now on," Percy said, placing a hand on the old man's shoulder as the fragile person smiled and disappeared into the fog, leaving the chair empty.

Percy looked down at the seat and sighed while grabbing the top part of it, pulling it back a bit before gathering the conviction and bravery to take a seat where the previous head of the Black family had been sitting.

And then after a few moments of contemplation, he took a seat and settled in the head of the table position, waiting for something to happen. Then the fog started wrapping all around the dinner table, fixing the broken chairs, and cleaning everything to pristine conditions.

It was still a dinner table, but when it was once a ruin of a table, it had become something presentable, something for people to gather around and finally start building something new.

Then, after a while, on the other side of the table, far away from Percy but, oddly enough, still within perfect view of the white-haired teen, a shadowy figure wearing a sort of astral cloak around him took a seat right in front of Percy. Even if the shadowy figure was supposed to be out of reach and far from view, it still felt like he was seeing it right in front of him.

The shadow figure placed one of his hands into his cloak and pulled out a deck of tarot cards from it. He started shuffling and moving them around on the table as Percy grew confused, then the figure pulled two cards from the deck and, with a flick of his fingers, he threw them in front of Percy.

The cards landed facing upwards, and they were the Major Arcana cards of Death and the Fool. He looked at them in confusion and looked up at the figure ahead of him, and he moved his hand forward, asking Percy to choose.

Percy looked at the cards for a moment, contemplating a bit before he moved his hand towards the Death card, but then his hand froze, and a huge flaming itch started wrapping around it, and he had to move his hand away from the pain, and he looked up, seeing a smirk behind the cloak.

And Percy narrowed his eyes. He didn't have a choice; he only had the illusion of choice, but if this was the fate he was meant to walk, then so be it. So he moved his right hand forward, graving the fool card and bringing it, showing it to the figure while covering his right eye.

Then the figure pulled the remaining card back and laughed a bit before looking straight into Percy's eyes as red glowing orbs met Percy's stare. "He who hides the truth with lies is often called a Fool," The figure whispered before the fog consumed everything around Percy; even the shadow figure was consumed by it.

Then Percy began falling again, but this time it lasted less than before as he leaned on a cobblestone corridor that led to a stone gate just a few feet in front of him. This gate had the very same symbol of that oak white tree, but this time, in each of its branches, there were fifteen square slots for something to be put in, and he pulled his tarot card and moved in front of his eyes as he found out that the slots were the same size as the card.

Then, with the card right over his right eye, he looked down at the symbols he could never decipher and saw that he could understand the language through it, as it had become transparent. Once a foreign language to him became normal — and, more importantly, understandable.

And the motto beneath the three read 'Well stand tall and proud, forever in the shadow of the Evernight.' And Percy didn't recognize any family that carried that motto, but before he could, he wondered what that meant. The gate crumbled down and was eaten by the fog.

Then a bright yellow light struck his back, and he turned to see it break through the fog, revealing a massive, broken, transparent clock and a woman with a godly presence emerging from its center.

And Percy was no moron. Going by the white and blue Greek armor that protected a white robe, the Spartan-like helmet with a blue crest to it, and the massive silver spear in her right hand, he knew who he was looking at—the Goddess of Wisdom herself.

"This endeavor of yours is moronic at best, but plain stupid. I condemn the bravery to protect your loved ones. Still, one must always search all different possibilities, instead of going for the easiest and most convenient, especially if it leads to your possible death," the Goddess said. Percy felt reprimanded and could only look down in shame. "But you're young and with much to learn still, we shall meet soon enough, my Fool of a Champion," She said as Percy looked up with wide eyes, wondering what she meant by that.

"Make sure you don't die in the meantime," She said before snapping her fingers, and suddenly the fog wrapped itself around him, and he tried to say something, but in an instant, he found his vision turned dark.

He woke up with a gasp, coughing from the discomfort in his throat before noticing that some strands of his hair were blocking his vision, and that was weird since his hair wasn't long enough for that. He passed his left hand through his hair, and instead of feeling the spikiness and roughness he was used to, it felt smoother, with a wavy sort of feel.

Then he looked at his hand as a few strands of his hair fell into it, but what was weird was that a strand of black hair fell along the white ones. "You succeeded Perseus, the Black family's magic acknowledged you, here," Ragnok said, snapping his fingers and making a mirror appear in front of him.

He looked at his reflection, and his eyes widened at the change in his hair and his features. His skin grew paler, even if that were possible, and his eyes were dull and serious, still violet. His hair had grown a bit as it wanted an undercut style, instead, he now had a wavy short style of hair, maintaining its white color, but beneath it, gathered at the center, hidden by the whiteness of his hair, he could see black roots of hair getting a hold and when he ran his left hand along his hair he reveal the ghost black roots underneath his hair combined with the white ones. It was a split mess of black and white, with the whiteness hiding the black unless someone paid close attention.

Then he grabbed the mirror to see if any of his real features had changed, but stopped when he saw what he now had on his right hand. Because the Black family ring had disappeared, and instead, the whole back of his hand was covered by this black tattoo of a skull breaking out from a dark fog with a string wrapped around it, with the motto 'Toujours Pur' written in it, wrapping itself around the skull and coming out of its eyes. Then he flexed his hand a bit, and the string with the motto disappeared, leaving only the skull tattoo in there.

He placed the mirror back on the table and glanced at Ragnok with a narrowed look. "You'd said that the changes would be minimal," Percy said, holding his right hand a bit as the tattoo was still burning a bit, and Ragnok leaned back a bit.

"I said that they could be minimal, but with a powerful house like the Black one, you got lucky with only those changes," Ragnok said before leaning a bit forward. "I'd be more worried about attitude changes if I were you, Perseus. Every Black member has been known for being emotional at best," Ragnok said as Percy grumbled as the pain in his hand subsided.

"Nothing I haven't experienced yet," Percy said as he looked ahead at the worrying people in front of him. "So, is the contract secure?" Percy asked, glancing back at Ragnok, who snapped his fingers, and a massive chunk of paper appeared on the table between the two groups.

And the contract's letters were glowing gold for a moment before settling into a red color that seemed to be unbreakable and unable to be erased. "It sealed tight. Daphne Greengrass, first of her name, Heir to the Most Noble and Most Ancient Family Greengrass, agrees to become betrothed to the Heir of the Most Noble and Most Ancient Black Family. This being Perseus Nyx-Black, Heir to the Most Noble and Most Ancient Black Family," Ragnok said, going over the contract's contents for those who had no knowledge of it and needed a refreshment of it.

"After this, the Heir Greengrass acknowledges to forgo her title and pass it to her next of kin, this being the witch by the name Astoria Greengrass," Ragnok continued as Tracey looked at Daphne with a concerned look, as Daphne had a serious look fixated on the contract "And promises to abide by the Black Family rules and all her loyalties are to be in favor to the Black Heir and the Black Family, even if it causes detriment to her family," Ragnok continued as Percy pinched his nose in annoyance as Atoria glared at her father who avoided her look.

"She may keep her family name for the time being, but after the wedding, she will take the Black family's name and will be integrated into the Black Family," Ragnok said as the contract moved forward a few pages.

"The Black Heir promises to share the Black family library, vaults, and future knowledge as long as it doesn't involve any monetary value," Ragnok continued as Cyrus narrowed his eyes in serious and contempt-filled focus. "The Black heir promises also to respect and to never abuse the Greengrass Heir in any shape or form imaginable, and if this transpires, the Black Heir will immediately lose his magic if found guilty by the Greengrass party," Ragnok said as Percy glanced at Clea, who smiled softly at him, seeming this was her clause to threaten the Malfoys in the only way she could.

"The wedding will come to effect once the betrothed is of magical age at seventeen, and the Black Family demands an heir within the twenty-one-year age limit of the Greengrass heir," Ragnok said as Percy gave Daphen an apologetic look. Still, she shook her head and smiled at him, telling him not to worry.

"Failing to do so will rid the Greengrass heir's magic, and she will be exiled from the magical world," Ragnok said, looking at the whole somber group before clearing his throat. "Any questions?" Ragnok asked as the group remained silent, and Percy glanced at the Goblin.

"Will the Malfoys be notified since the contract has gone into effect?" Percy asked, and Ragnok shook his head a bit.

"We only needed to notify the parties involved, both Heirs in this case, and since they are both here," Ragnok said as Percy nodded in understanding.

"And since the Malfoys are too scared to try the heir's magical test, they will wait till Daphne is seventeen to revisit the contract," Percy said, rubbing his chin. "Three years to secure our position still," Percy said as Astoria raised an eyebrow at him.

"Isn't it secure already with what you just did?" Astoria asked in confusion, and Daphne answered.

"Technically yes, at least on the magical side of things," Daphne said, crossing her arms a bit. "But they still could pull strings within the ministry to put them over Percy," Daphne said while looking at Percy with a suspicious look. "But you have an idea for this, don't you?" Daphne asked as Percy nodded and rubbed his face.

"I do, but there are too many people here for me to share," Percy said, looking at Cyrus. "Lord Greengrass, I promise to always have your daughter's interest and welfare in anything I do, as I do care for her a lot," Percy said as Cyrus nodded in thanks but looked at Percy in confusion, wondering where he was going with this.

"But what will be discussed next involves only the Black Family," Percy said, glaring a bit at Cyrus. "So you will understand why I need some privacy to discuss matters with my witness and my fiancée," Percy said, trying to hold his anger as best he could as Daphne and Tracey shared a look before looking at Daphne's family.

This was the mess Cyrus had created; now he had to lie with it. Cyrus narrowed his eyes a bit, frustrated with the treatment, but with one touch from his wife, he calmed down and nodded, looking at Astoria.

"Very well then, and it will help to get Astoria back to Hogwarts; she's been out of school long enough." He said as the Greengrass family stood up and bid their goodbyes. And Astoria said goodbye to Percy and Treacye by hugging them. Daphne was used to her cold shoulder, so she wasn't expecting anything from her, but then she was surprised when Astoria wrapped her hands around her older sister.

"Stay strong, big sister," She whispered in Daphne's ear before leaving, and Daphne looked at her little sister in awe and surprise at the care she received, as it had been a long time since she had done so since learning of the contract. And Tracey saw that and grabbed her shoulder, smiling at her, knowing how much that meant to Daphne.

"Want me to stay for this next part, Perseus?" Ragnok asked as Percy was looking at his right hand before shaking his head.

"No, it's best if they hear it from me," Percy said before glancing at Ragnok a bit. "Can you gather a list of my real estate properties from the four families. I could use the information," Percy said as Ragnok nodded and walked out of the office, leaving the trio of teens alone, and Daphne had picked up on what he had said.

"Four families?" She asked, and Percy nodded while looking at her.

"I'll explain that later, figure we could all use a moment to process what just happened," Percy said before looking at his hand. "Gives me a time to think about how I'm going to explain this to everyone now," Percy said, looking at his tattoo, and Tracey leaned forward.

"Well, we always talked about getting a tattoo; we could also get some as well to help you hide the true meaning behind it," Tracye said, looking at Daphne, who shrugged, thinking it was a good idea. "And besides, you're a sixteen-year-old British bloke, everyone is just going to think you wanted to be a bit edgy," Tracey said as Percy snorted, rubbing his nose in amusement a bit.

Then Tracey glared at both her friends, looking at Daphen first. "A marriage contract!? You must fucking mental, Daph! Why didn't you tell me!?" Tracey asked, frustrated, as Daphne looked down, a bit ashamed.

"I thought that I was going to be betrothed to Malfoy. I wanted to protect you both, so that's why I didn't tell you. I made a mistake. I'm sorry." Daphne said as Tracey sighed in frustration, but brought Daphne close in a hug before glaring at Percy.

"And you!" She said as Percy looked at her, a bit ashamed as well. "The Heir to the Black Family!? Sirius son!? How long have you known about this!?" She asked as Percy ran a hand through his hair.

"Three weeks before the term started," Percy said as Tracey and Daphne looked at him with wide eyes. "After I turned sixteen, Ragnok called me into his office as my mother's will about me came into effect," Percy said, rubbing her face a bit.

"She talked about him under a pseudonym. Padfoot, she called him. She never called him by his real name, even on the will itself," Percy said as both Slytherin girls looked at him in confusion. "I'll explain in a bit what that nickname means. Still, overall, the will made me both his and her heir to both their families, but Padfoot, I mean Sirius, didn't think he had much to give. As he still believed he was exiled from his family," Percy said, looking at Daphne a bit.

"That's when you learned about the contract," Daphne said, piecing the clues together. "Since you were in fact a potential Heir to the Black family, you were privy to the contract contents," Daphne said, and Percy did a so-so sign.

"Kind of, I just knew about the contract; this was my first time learning all the basics of the contract," Percy said as he rubbed his neck. "Anyhow, that contract gave us a big clue, Ragnok and I, that is, as to who my father could be. And it narrowed it down to Regulus and Sirius, since they were the ones without a sire to their name, but Ragnok confirmed it was Sirius just now, so yeah," Percy said, looking down a bit as Tracey gave him a look of empathy.

"So you're the son of a serial killer, huh? I'm sorry, Percy," She said, feeling genuinely sorry for the white-haired teen in front of her. Daphne looked at Percy in concern as the male teen scratched the back of his head while humming a bit.

"Well, not quite actually," Percy said, putting his hand on one of the pockets on his jacket and pulling two things out in confusion.

"What is it?" Daphne asked, noticing his confusion, and it was because Percy had pulled the same Tarot card he had seen in the fog while he was being tested. Still, he placed it back in his pocket before Tracey or Daphne could see it, then took a piece of paper and put it on the table in front of the two girls.

"So, this is how Harry and I managed to slip by to Hogsmeade without anyone noticing. I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," He said while placing his wand into the parchment, and the girls saw something appear on the parchment. "The twins gave it to us, well, not this one, but something just like his. This was with my mother's stuff I got on my sixteenth birthday; I couldn't figure out how to open it before. Recognize any names?" Percy asked as Tracey looked up at him.

"Padfoot? Sirius Black made this?" Tracey asked as Percy nodded, then she looked down. "Then who are the rest of the marauders?" She asked, and Percy leaned a bit forward.

"Well, normally we would have to search who they wore, but luckily my mother and Harry's mother speak plenty about them in the journals they shared at the end of the war," Percy said as both girls looked at him in confusion, and he swore to explain about those later. "Sirius Black, in his school years, always hung around the same group of four; they were pretty infamous pranksters. These were Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, and Sirius Black himself," Percy said before looking back at the parchment.

"And in the conversation Lily and my Mother have had, they used the same nicknames here to refer to those four. Remus is Moony, Peter is Wormtail, James was Prongs, and Sirius is Padfoot," He said as the girls looked at the parchment with wide eyes.

"So they were the marauders. So what makes this map so special?" Daphne asked in curiosity, and Percy nodded, telling her to open it. And then they saw the map of Hogwarts that Percy and Harry had seen before, and a tracking system that it had about every single living creature within the castle. "Impressive piece of magical work," Daphne couldn't help but note, and Percy nodded.

"Yes, it is, but look at the Gryffindor dorm, what do you see?" Percy said rhetorically, and both of them looked at the dorm to see, but only one name was in there.

"Peter Petigrew?" Daphne asked, reading the name before looking up at Percy. "But how? Isn't he supposed to be dead?" Daphne asked, and Percy shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on his sofa.

"Reports said they only found his middle finger; he must've escaped somehow," Percy said, rubbing his chin a bit. "I saw that this morning, but I don't understand why he's in Hogwarts. Has he been hiding there for the past fourteen years? And why there? I know Hogwarts is the safest place in the magical world, but still. Fourteen years there? And how is he hiding so well?" Percy asked, and Tracey suddenly gasped, while the other two looked at him in confusion.

"The rat," Tracey said as the others looked at her in confusion. "Ron's pet, he has boasted about how that rat has been in his family for over thirteen years, and I just ignore it as another one of his annoying boasts, but isn't that rat missing a finger?" Tracey said as Percy narrowed his eyes in deep thought, and Daphne crossed her arms.

"Fourteen years is a long time span for a household rat; they usually don't live that long. Something's off here," Daphne said as Percy's eyes widened.

"They are Animagus," Percy said as the girls looked at him. "Think about it, with Lupin's condition, and it will explain how Sirius managed to escape Azkaban since Dementors don't target animals. So that means," Percy said as Daphne put it all together.

"That Sirius didn't kill Pettigrew all those years back, and he's innocent," Daphne said before her eyes grew big a bit. "And didn't the Weasleys have their photo in the paper at the start of the year from their trip to Egypt? And if the rumors are to be believed, that the Minister went to Azkaban to gloat on Sirius' face," Daphne said before looking up at both of them. "He didn't escape prison to kill Harry, but to kill Pettigrew instead," Daphne said as they all crossed their arms and started thinking hard for a bit.

"I mean, it's all speculation at best. What we do know is that Petr is alive and hiding in the Gryffindor dorm," Tracey said before looking at both of them. "Should we tell those guys about it?" Tracey asked, and Daphne immediately shook her head.

"No," She said as Tracey looked at her in confusion. "Like you said, it's just speculation at best for now," Daphne said, pinching her nose a bit. "We need actual tangible proof before we bring this topic to anyone," Daphne said as Percy sighed but agreed with her.

"As much as I hate hiding these things from Harry and the others from Gryffindor," Percy said, rubbing his hair a bit. "We would only sound mental by telling them. And also, I hate myself just by saying this, but" Percy said, looking at them both. "There's going to be a point where Harry meets Sirius and Peter, going by his previous bad luck, I have no doubt about it, and that gives us the perfect window to catch both Marauders and make sure our needs are safe," Percy said as Tracey narrowed her eyes in frustration a bit.

"We're going to be manipulating them in the end, though," Tracey said as Daphne and Percy looked away in shame. "I get it, I know why we have to. But the moment it gets too dangerous for them, we intervene," She said, and they both agreed to do so, and then Percy put the parchment away as Daphne remembered something else he needed to explain.

"You talked about four families with Ragnok, and also. You were very confident you would succeed that magical test," Daphne said as Percy looked at her, grabbing every single conviction he had on his body. "What else do you need to tell us, Percy?" She asked, and he sighed and brought a silver collar from under his shirt with a half-moon at the end of it.

"So, um, after we learned about my inheritance for the Nyx and potential Black families, Ragnok spoke about how I became a primal candidate for the protection of dying houses program," Percy said as the girls settled back on their seats, and Percy started explaining things.

"The Protection of Dying Houses program, or PDH for short, is a simple one to be honest," Percy said, rubbing his palms together. "If a house has no heirs left to exist, to carry on with their legacy, or the line of succession is as weak as it can be, then these houses enter this program. And then the Goblins, Ragnok in this case, look for potential candidates that could fit the criteria of Heir to those houses," Percy said as the girls narrowed their eyes.

"Be it because they are a distant relative of the family, or because their ancestors were squibs who continued the line of non-magical people till several generations later, or, like my case, they have the capabilities and moral allegiances to pass their Heir inheritance test," Percy said, ribbing his face a bit.

"So after I became the Heir to the Nyx family officially," Percy said, grabbing his collar a bit. "Ragnok talked about me being potentially an heir to the other three families," Percy said before looking up and moving his hand upwards.

"The Black Family thanks to my father," He said before touching his silver earring. "The Peverel Family, because I'm on a far-off branch of the main family," Percy said as the girl's eyes grew wide, but he wasn't done as he grabbed his red earring. "And the Le Fey family, because my mother was also part of a far-off branch," Percy said, giving them a moment to process what he had just said.

"So that makes you," Daphne started saying as Percy sighed a bit and finished the sentence for her.

"I'm Heir to four houses as we speak, House Nyx, House Peverell, House Le Fey, and House Black," Percy said, rubbing his face a bit. "And with it I inherited all its complicated bullcrap as well," He said as Tracey grew a bit confused.

"How so? And why would you agree to become an heir to four different houses? For power?" She asked, and he scoffed and snorted a bit.

"No god, no, the last thing I wanted was the political power," Percy said, grumbling a bit. "But Ragnok warned me that if I refuse, this offer could go to another potential candidate, with the obvious choice being the next Heir to the Black Family, Draco," Percy said as Tracey made a face of disgust at the thought of Malfoy gaining this kind of power. "And it was the only choice I could think of that would help me protect Daph from the contract. I just had to do it," Percy explained his reasoning, and Tracey nodded, understanding why he did so in the end.

"And when you talk about complications, you're referring to the fact that the four houses are predominantly dark families, correct?" Daphen asked, and Percy nodded, looking at his tattoo.

"Each house demands a certain aspect from its heirs, a way to behave or do things, you could say," Percy said before rubbing his neck a bit. "Hence the sudden mood shifts and physical changes as well, among other things," Percy said, blushing a bit and looking away as Tracey grew confused.

"What do you mean by other things?" Tracey asked in confusion as Daphne gasped a bit before pinching her nose in annoyance and looking at Percy with slight pity.

"Oh, Perseus, you incredible fool," Daphne said as Percy looked away while Tracey looked at her for answers. "Those houses have contradictory beliefs and ways to operate, and sure in their desperation, they can agree to put their fate on one wizard, but they won't agree to have their following inheritance line cross between other houses. Furthermore," Daphne said as Tracey grew more confused.

"Meaning?" She asked, confused, as Daphne looked at Percy with a deep, serious look.

"Meaning that Percy needs a different wife for each of the houses he inherits, am I correct?" Daphen asked as Percy looked at them and nodded.

"Yes. One of the major rules of the PDH program is that the line of inheritance has to start anew, and in an effort to avoid any more extinction, the houses demand a single heir to avoid potential conflicts within heirs of one singular Wife," Percy said, looking at the floor a bit.

"It is a political polygamy strategy, think of it this way. A king rules over five kingdoms, and he is indeed in need of an heir. But he knows that if he ends up having two or more kids, there is a potential for internal conflict within the kingdom." Percy said, looking up as both girls looked at him, listening carefully. "So to avoid that, he marries one girl from each kingdom, and that heir would rule over one single kingdom, distributing the shared inheritance fairly," Percy said, rubbing his nose a bit.

"Now, most of the time this doesn't work, as the heirs end up fighting for the larger piece of the kingdom," Percy said while looking at Daphne a bit apologetically. "So there is a failsafe clause built within this program," Percy said as Tracey grew confused, but Daphne figured it out quickly.

"No one other than you can hold that many tiles as well, right?" She asked as Percy nodded. "What would happen if they tried?" She wondered as Percy leaned back and hummed a bit.

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that," Percy said, looking at her for a moment. "The contract specifies it a bit, but in the end, you're a Black now, same as me," Percy said as she raised an eyebrow in curiosity, asking what he meant by that. "First of all, the house has to acknowledge as a potential suitor, it kind of has a judgment of its own, and if you're not suited, it would tell me to look for someone else, or in the worst case, try to kill the potential suitor," Percy explained as Daphne leaned forward and looked at him in curiosity.

"Well, since I'm now your fiancé and I'm not dead, I guess I made the cut. But why?" She asked, and Percy looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Because you're a pureblood," Percy said as Daphne narrowed her eyes a bit. "A smart, cunning, and very deadly pureblood. I know this and the Black House knows it now," Percy said as Daphen blushed a bit at the compliments, but continued to listen. "And as awful as it sounds, the Black Family cares a lot about purity and status. If the suitor had been any other than you, Daph, this contract would've gone up in flames." Percy said as Daphne smiled a bit softly at him. But she still had a question in her mind.

"You said that I'm a Black now. There's more to it, isn't there?" She asked, and he nodded, sighing a bit.

"It's a bit complicated to explain, but bear with me," Percy said as Daphne nodded while Tracey just listened with a deep, thoughtful look, as she had much to think about right now. "Right now there's nothing set in stone, because we're just starting whatever relationship we have, which, a bit of a side note here," Percy said, blushing up a bit.

"I know we are kind of force here, for marriage and such, but um," Percy said, a bit embarrassed as Daphne looked at him in confusion. "I really like you, I've always had, and I know the situation is not ideal, but I would like to see if something real can happen between us, as if the marriage contract didn't exist," Percy said as Daphne's and Tracey's eyes grew wide but for entirely different reasons.

"Oh," Daphne said, looking at Percy a bit embarrassed. "Like dating and such?" Daphne asked, and Percy nodded his head. "I um, I would love to, Percy. Yes, the situation is not ideal, but I don't want us to pretend. I would much like to be able to fall in love with you." Daphne said, as Percy smiled and looked into her eyes, losing his words a bit at how content he was, till Tracey cleared her throat.

"Sorry to interrupt this magical moment, and you guys can snog each other later, but you were saying," Tracey said, looking at Percy, who nodded and cleared his throat.

"Right, um, where was I?" He said, picking up where he left off. "The more progression our relationship has, the more intertwined our magic would become," Percy said as Daphne tilted her head a bit. "Certain aspects of you would change, nothing major, as the houses want people with independence, but the magic within the houses is rare and strong at best, and the Black family magic is known for its dark properties," Percy said as Daphne crossed her arms.

"So my magical core will change to adapt itself to the house's family magic," She noted, and he nodded, agreeing with her statement. "What sort of changes are we talking about?" She asked, and he shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"I don't know for certain, this program hasn't happened in a while, but Ragnok and I have a few theories as to what could happen," Percy said, crossing his arms. "There may be some physical changes, maybe a change of hair color, like how Narcissa has now blond hair thanks to being married to Malfoy," Percy said as Daphne looked at her hair a bit.

"I don't really think I can pull the white hair," She noted, a bit amused, and the other teens chuckled as Tracey looked over at Daphne.

"Don't know, it would kind of look good on you," She said, and Daphne snorted and rolled her eyes at her friend before looking back at Percy.

"But your guess as to what could happen is as good as mine. Ragnok at least said nothing major would happen," Percy said, scratching his chin a bit. "Just that the more progression this relationship has, the more of a synergistic team it will become, in efforts to protect and serve the black house," Percy said as Daphne nodded in understanding.

"And that also applies to the other houses as well?" Daphne asked as he nodded once more. "Do you have a plan to tackle that as well?" She asked, and he snorted and shook his head

"No," Percy said, a bit exasperated and groaning a bit. "How would you go about it? Go to the first girl I find and tell her, 'Hey, want to be in a relationship with me, ah, and also do you mind that I have a relationship with three other girls?' I don't know where to start, to be honest." Percy said as Daphne frowned in deep thought.

"Well, I think it matters on which individual we ask," She said, and Percy realized right there and then that she was going all in with him; she didn't care about the other suitors, and he could tell she wanted to do this for contract sake, but because she did care about him. "It's not that very uncommon reasoning, and if we can explain it well, I think we could find people who would agree to be part of this weird relationship we have, while we find some equal footing between each member of this, I think the word would be polyamorous relationship," Daphne said. Percy sighed and leaned back a bit.

"And where do you think we could find people like that?" Percy asked, and Daphne hummed before looking at Tracey, whose eyes widened a bit.

"Well, I do have one in mind," She said as Tracey pointed at herself, a bit confused, as Daphne nodded. "You've learned a lot of why Percy must do what he needs to, and the three of us have always been together for a huge part of our lives; it is the obvious choice," Daphne said, but Percy narrowed his eyes a bit.

"It's still her choice at the end, Daph," He said, and Daphne looked at him for a bit, but before anyone could talk, Tracey cleared her throat a bit and stood up, feeling a bit nervous.

"Okay, please listen to what I have to say before you keep throwing plans out in the open," Tracey said before taking a breath and mumbling to herself. "Come on, Tracey, you can do this," She said as Daphne and Percy remained quiet.

"First of all, under normal circumstances, I would agree with Daphne, I'm an obvious choice and I would've agreed immediately," Tracey said before placing a hand upwards, stopping whatever the others wanted to say. "And one of the reasons I would is because I like you," Tracey said, looking at the ground in embarrassment as Percy blinked a bit.

"You like me?" He asked, a bit surprised, as Tracey nodded her head before glancing at Daphne.

"And I like you as well, Daph," She said as Daphne's eyes grew wide and she didn't know what to say at that. "And I know it's weird and that it doesn't make sense, but every time I think of you both, my heart flutters, and every time I spend time with you is the best part of my day, but now I'm feeling like I'm losing you," She said and carried on before anyone could contradict her.

"So I wanted to ask you a hypothetical question," She said, looking at both of them. "Let's pretend there is no marriage contract, there are no multiple houses to discuss. We're just plain normal, Tracey, Percy, and Daphne," She said as the others nodded, going along with her hypothetical. "Is there any chance that the three of us, and I know how weird it sounds, but is there a possibility of something happening between us?" She asked with hopeful fear in her voice as Percy crossed his arms and looked at the floor in deep thought, and Daphne crossed her leg a bit. Thinking as well about Daphne's question.

But in the end, both of them ended up answering at the same time. "Yes/of course," Percy and Daphne said respectively as Tracey looked up with a shocked smile on her face. And Percy let Daphne speak first.

"I mean, sure, by social standards it may be weird, but," Daphne said, looking at them both. "I don't really care about the social standards anymore, and I've given enough to this world already. I won't give it my relationship with you two, and I would be lying if I said I hadn't given this scenario any thought before," Daphne said with a small blush on her face as Tracey looked at her with small tears in her eyes, as Percy cleared his throat.

"I don't have anything deep to say, to be honest," Percy said as Tracey looked at him. "I just thought we would always be together, the three of us, and if our relationship can grow to a more intimate one, then I'm all for it. I care for you enough to at least try." He said with a soft smile as Tracey chuckled and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"Then can you forgive me for being a little selfish here?" She said as the other two looked at her, confused. "I want to say yes to be part of one of your houses, Percy, but I can't," She said as Percy grew a bit concerned. "My family, the Davis family, has been through the ringer for a while now, and I cannot let it disappear, not now. I need to build it back up. I need to carry their legacy to a reasonable standing," She said as both of them nodded, understanding her desires very well.

"But I also don't want to let you go, so I'm asking you both if you could date me as I am, as Davis, and if a potential marriage is in our fate, to let me keep my name." She said as Percy and Daphne shared a look, and Daphne gave her a concerned look.

"Society will see you as a concubine, even if we know better. Are you sure you are okay with that?" Daphne asked, placing the obvious societal problems, but Tracey nodded, not giving a damn about it. "Then I have no reason not to agree to it, Percy?" She asked as Percy hummed a bit.

"We're already in a weird and fucked up situation, might as well take advantage of it to get what we want and stay with who we want," He said as Tracy sniffed a bit before walking forward and grabbing each one by their hands, pulling them up and into a hug as she placed her head on their shoulders.

"Oh, thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," She said as both Percy and Daphne were a bit surprised before Daphne chuckled a bit and planted a hand on Tracey's head, comforting her a bit. "I promise to be the best girlfriend you guys could ever have, I won't leave your side, and I," She said, rambling a bit, and Percy decided to poke fun at her a bit.

"I'm regretting this already," He said with a chuckle, but Daphne moved her hand forward, and he winced as she squeezed his cheek.

"Don't be mean, Perseus," She said while resting her hand on his cheek as Tracey moved her head towards Daphne's shoulder a bit more. Daphne then rubbed circles around Tracey's head before looking at Percy, a bit preoccupied. "I guess we still have to find you three more potential suitors, don't we?" She said, and Percy sighed a bit and grabbed his collar, rubbing his finger on the moon emblem.

"Not quite," Percy said as Tracey moved her head up and both girls looked at him in confusion. "Just two more technically,"

Night at Hogwarts was very peaceful, the moving paintings always took the night to sleep the day off, and the only activity around the castle at these hours was Filch making his rounds to catch anyone outside of their dorms.

But this night was different because a sort of humming melody could be heard making its way to the top of the castle, to the observatory, to be precise. And the owner of this humming was the resident Ravenclaw, who was used to trek along the castle at this late hour of the night, one Luna Lovegood.

She strolled, feeling the cold of the castle floor beneath her shoeless feet, humming a melody as she played with a silver chain around her neck that had the figure of a new moon at its end.

She arrived at the observatory as she finished her melody and found someone there reading and looking at the stars above. "Thought I would find you here, my love," She said as she approached the figure, as Percy looked back at her with a smile on his face.

"Shouldn't you be in your dorm?" He asked as she sat next to him, gracefully pulling her legs close to her and making sure her shoulder was touching his.

"I took a late-night stroll," She said as she glanced at the papers in front of him. "Charting the stars?" She asked, and he nodded, looking ahead.

"Just something to quell my running thoughts," He said as she placed her head on his shoulder, looking up at him.

"How did it go?" She asked, a bit concerned, as he showed her his tattoo and revealed the motto on the string. She grabbed his hand while running a hand through his long hair. "So not only did your hair change then. At least you look as handsome as always," She said with a soft smile as he chuckled a bit before taking a deep breath in.

"That wasn't the only thing that changed." He said as she looked at him in curiosity, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Luna started to see his scales appear along his arms and face.

But while they were more like marks before, now they were more prominent, darker, and covering a lot more than before; even his pointy elf-like ears had scales covering the top parts of them. But the true and most noticeable change was his eyes, for instead of the usual flaming red irises, he now had white flaming ones instead that glowed with a lot more power than before.

She moved forward, passing a hand along his rough scales and noticing that he had also grown animalistic kind of nails, and she couldn't help but glance at him with a bit of pity. "I know how you're feeling, and I hate that you had to go through all these changes, but make no mistake, my love," She said as her eyes changed and she placed her forehead to his. As both chins tapped each other, forming a full moon in the process.

"You are perfect just the way you are; you are not a monster. You're just a beautiful creature this world and the moon goddess decided to give us," Luna said as Percy smiled and looked into her rainbow colored eyes. "Never doubt that Perseus," She said as he moved a hand upwards, touching and caressing her skin.

"I know that, and if I ever forget about it, I'm sure you'll be there to remind me," He said as she smiled a bit softly. "And there's no one around here, you don't need to hide as well," He said as she took a breath, closing her eyes before her features changed as well.

And lines started appearing along her face, in a star-like pattern covering the spaces below her eyes, her cheeks, and even her forehead, all painted with a black and white color. Then two small deer-like horns grew within the top edges of her forehead and disappeared into her hair as it was no longer platinum blond, but now it was glowing and changing colors while having a magical float wave to it. And when she opened her eyes, they were still rainbow colored ones, but now it filled her entire eyeball, not only her irises, and the color changed, going from one color of the rainbow to the other.

"You're breathtaking," He said as she smiled and looked into his white eyes before leaning forward and capturing his lips with her own as he wrapped his hands behind her hair and waist. Taking a moment to just have her in his arms, tasting her as much as he could.

She broke the kiss first as she lay her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck as he kept his hold on her, bringing her close before speaking once more. "I also think I found a lead on the tree," He said as Luna looked up and stared at him in curiosity. "I still don't know what it all means. I'm still processing, but I think these may be a key to finding what we're after," He said, pulling the tarot card out of his jacket and showing it to Luna.

And once she saw the Fool arcana, she gasped a bit and moved away from Percy just a bit. "What's wrong?" He asked, his white eyes showered in worry. A Luna looked at the card and touched it, feeling it to see if it was real.

"After my mother died, I didn't go to her funeral because I refused to believe she had died," Luna said before looking up at Percy, who was looking at her in worry. "After a week, I managed to face it and went to her tombstone alone to say goodbye, and I found this," She said, flicking her left hand a bit as a tarot card appeared on her hand after a ray of green.

She showed it to Percy, and he saw it was the Major Arcana card of The Moon, and he placed his card right next to hers. "I don't know where it came from, and Dad doesn't as well. I always thought it was a gift from my mother, and I've always carried it close, but now," Luna said as Percy looked at the cards in deep thought.

"In my vision, these were keys to finding that kingdom I've been looking for my whole life now," Percy said before looking into her hopeful-filled eyes. "We're close, I can feel it. If we can find where these lead, we won't have to hide anymore," He said as Luna fell into his chest and started smiling and crying happy tears.

"We will find it, my love," She said as he wrapped his hands around her, as the cards lay on the floor right next to each other, while the rays of the moon wrapped its glow around the two cards, making them shine in all their splendor.

End of Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Daphne Greengrass was not one to go exploring the school grounds that often, if ever, to be honest. But Percy wanted to show her something, and he was very excited and adamant, so she was keen to join him as her curiosity got the better of her.

She was following him through the castle grounds, and thankfully, it was still pretty early in the morning on a weekend, so no one was out of the castle at this time of day. So they gave them a chance to act like a couple out in the open, as they held hands and she rested her hand on his arm, staying close.

"How much longer, Percy?" She asked as Percy glanced at her with a soft smile on his face.

"Not much longer, love," Percy said, as Daphne blushed at the name she was called. "Come now, when will your sense of adventure emerge, my dear?" Percy remarked, with a chuckle, as Daphne narrowed her eyes at him before leaning towards him.

"I would have more of a sense if you didn't drag me out of the dorm without telling me anything at five in the morning," Daphne said as he chuckled a bit. "Percy, I love you, but a girl has her limits," She said, and he hummed before looking ahead.

"I assure you, it will be worthwhile; just a bit further," he stated as they proceeded toward the schoolyard, situated at the periphery of the Forbidden Forest. "Please be cautious; while Hagrid is an excellent animal caretaker, gardening may not be his strongest suit," Percy remarked, prompting Daphne to cast her gaze downward to avoid stepping on the burgeoning vines.

"Of course, he hasn't, poor man hasn't been the same since the whole deal with the Malfoys and Buckbeak," Daphne said as Percy looked down, worried about the half-giant. "Mione and Harry haven't spoken to you about it?" She asked, and Percy shook his head.

"No, not yet. I can see it weighing on them, but they are stubborn, and it will take a while before they ask for any help," Percy said before looking back at her with a soft smile on his face. "And Mione? When did that closeness develop? He asked as Daphne hummed, looking ahead a bit.

"She devoted herself to try and help restore our friendship," Daphne said as Percy looked at her in curiosity. "Her plans were clever but a bit hopeful, but at that time, I took anything I could have to spend time with you and Tracey," Daphne said as they continued walking forward. "And the more time we spent together, the more I saw how smart she is, and how stubborn she is," Daphne said as he stopped and looked back at her.

"And to be honest, I never thought I would be friends with someone like her. I thought her a know-it-all and annoying Gryffindor; how wrong was I," Daphne said, moving a bit of her blond hair off her face. "And then I found her to be caring and with a big heart, and I don't know, maybe she pulled me into a connection, but I don't really care, I'm glad I have someone like her as a friend," Daphne said as Percy smiled and looked up at her.

"Me too, I'm glad you are finding such friendship outside me and Trace, you have to admit we were quite secluded, were we not? Percy said with a chuckle. And Daphne giggled a bit while nodding her head.

"Yeah, we were, to be honest, I'm quite surprised we didn't start a relationship earlier because of how much time we spent together," She said, and Percy hummed a bit while looking upwards a bit.

"Because we are also sociable messes?" He asked a bit cheekily, and Daphne laughed a bit and nodded, agreeing with Percy a bit before looking at him with a bit of a serious look under her blue eyes.

"Hey Percy, what do you think about her?" She asked as Percy blinked in confusion a bit while he tilted his head.

"About Hermione?" He asked, and Daphne nodded her head. Um, well, I do agree with what you said. I see her as a clever and brilliant person—so logical and insightful. It's a bit sad how much she puts herself down, not realizing just how beautiful she truly is." Percy said, giving Daphne a look of suspicion. "Why are you asking me this?" Percy asked, and Daphne looked at the ground a bit and moved her thumb along his knuckles.

"She could make a great wife," Daphne said with a shrug before looking up at him, whose eyes grew big and wide. "She's clever, and she learns very fast, so she could be a good lady of an ancient house, Daphne said as he stood quiet, letting her speak her peace.

"Good head on her shoulders, able to plan ahead, and she could hold a financial and home stability to a magical house finances," Daphne said before looking into his eyes. "And she's gorgeous, had a different point of view than most, if not every, pureblood. And I can tell that you like her, and so do I in a sense, so that she could be a good choice," Daphne said, and Percy sighed a bit and looked at her a bit frustrated.

"What are you trying to do here, Daph?" He asked as Daphne narrowed her eyes. "Trying to find potential suitors for the other houses? That it?" He asked, and Daphne nodded while looking at him with seriousness in her eyes.

"It is something we must discuss, Percy," Daphne said, looking straight at him. "If you fail to find suitable suitors, there is a chance those houses' magic could affect in ways we won't be able to stop or avoid," Daphne said as Percy looked at her with a bit of a frustrated look.

"I understand that love, but we have time—time to cherish whatever modest normalcy remains left," Percy said as Daphne narrowed her eyes a bit more. "Why should we waste it trying to pursue something that would take a lot of complicated effort and time to explain?" He asked as she took a step forward and squeezed his hand.

"Because time is a luxury we cannot afford to waste," Daphne said as Percy looked into her concerned and frustrated eyes. "I thought I had the time of my life with you and Tracey, and one single mistake almost took that away from me," Daphne said as Percy grumbled and looked away. "We don't know what tomorrow brings, so we must plan ahead to stay above ground." She said. And he let out a sigh, knowing she had a point.

"I see your point, but as much as I agree that Hermione would be an excellent choice, conveying this to her would be problematic at best, and I am especially hesitant to jeopardize her friendship." He said as Daphne scoffed a bit and scrunched her nose.

"You're underestimating Mione a lot here, Perseus," Daphne said as Percy narrowed his eyes. "Just because she's a Muggle doesn't mean she won't understand this. She is a logical and capable person, and she will understand," Daphne said before narrowing her eyes at him.

"And if you're so afraid of losing friendships by explaining it, then how weren't you afraid when you asked Luna?" Daphne asked, and Percy looked away. "You didn't show any hesitation in that regard." She said as he looked down with a troubled look.

"That's different," Percy said, trying to deflect a bit, but Daphne pressed on.

"How so?" She asked, but Percy remained, not wanting to reveal his or Luna's secrets. Then she let out a sigh and moved a hand to his cheek.

"I know you are still hiding things, and I wonder when the day will be when you finally open yourself up to me," She said, and he sighed and gave her a look filled with sadness.

"I want to, Daph, I truly do, but I'm not ready, I'm still too afraid," Percy said, being honest for once, and she looked at his eyes, wondering what was the thing that stopped him from being open.

"Then I'll wait as long as I have to, to get to know the real you," She said as Percy looked up into her eyes. "And if the connection you have with Luna, even if I don't understand it, brings you joy, then I'm okay with waiting," She said as Percy gave her a thankful look in return. "But that's what I'm asking you to do," She said as he looked up in confusion.

"I'm not asking you to whore yourself, I'm just asking to look for connections," She said, rubbing her thumb along his cheeks. "Meaningful and long-lasting connections, because I don't want you to settle for the easiest option once you're forced to choose a wife," She said as he sighed and looked into her eyes.

"I'll try, that's the only thing I can promise," He said, and she looked into his eyes, smiling softly.

"That's all I'm asking," She said before her gaze softened a bit. "I'm sorry I'm being too stubborn, but this is our future here, and I just don't want it to be ignored and thrown out without a care." She said, looking at him as he squeezed her hand.

"Don't apologize," He said, looking down at her. "That's the way you are, the way we both are. We wouldn't care and love each other if we were any other way," He said as she smiled and leaned forward, giving him a small kiss in return for such words, before squeezing his hand and looking forward.

"So, shall we continue? I really want to see what you want to show me," Daphne said, and Percy hummed and tilted his head.

"Well, I'm not really sure you'll be able to see it, but I promise it'll be just as fascinating," Percy said as he led her forward, confusing her a bit. "Just a few more steps ahead," He said. She walked alongside quietly, just taking in the scenery a bit before they got to a small clearing that had patches of grass and a small pond. Nothing out of the ordinary, so she wondered why she was brought here.

"So do you see anything?" He asked, and she shook her head. "No matter, just here," Percy said, taking a small apple from his pocket and giving it to Daphne. "Just place it on your palm and don't move, otherwise you will scare them." He said as she looked at him, confused.

"Scare who?" She asked, but then she felt a breath on her fingers as if something were sniffing her hand, before she felt something grab the apple, and she saw the apple being eaten in the air by something she couldn't see. She gasped and almost tipped as she took a step back in surprise, but Percy put a hand on her back, holding her steady.

"Hey girl, sorry I didn't come here sooner, it has been a busy year," Percy said to whatever Daphne had in front of her, and she saw him move his hand forward, touching something in front of him. "Come give me your hand," Percy said as Daphne took his hand once more, and he moved it forward very slowly and gently.

Then she felt it, the bridge of a nose of what she could feel to be of that of a horse, but the skin was rough, and she could feel the bones through it very easily, and then she also felt that whatever she was touching was leaning into her touch. She looked at Percy, out of breath, wondering what was going on, as he looked at her with a smile.

"They are called Thestrals, magical creatures that look like a black skinny horse with wings and grey eyes. They are beautiful and majestic. Truly a wonder of this beautiful world," Percy said while looking forward. "This one is Mia, I met her in my first year when she was but a babe, Hagrid even let me name her when he caught me wandering around these woods," Percy said, moving along and scratching the neck of the creature.

"She's all grown now, she will be pulling the carriages in no time soon, she will," Percy said as Daphne's eyes widened as she thought the carriages were pulled by themselves with the use of magic. "She also likes it when people scratch above her nose, try it," Percy said as Daphne looked forward and started scratching what she was touching, and she could hear the happy squeals coming from the animal in front of her.

She gasped a bit as she smiled at what she was feeling and hearing, and she looked at Percy with a bit of excitement in her eyes. "This is," She said, not knowing what to say, before a thought crossed her mind. "But why can't I see them, but you can?" She asked as Percy took on a look of sorrow for a brief moment.

"Only people who have witnessed death can see them," Percy said, rubbing his hand along the feathers of the creature. "It makes people wary of them, and they think of them as omens of death, misjudging the entire beauty of it all," Percy said, scratching the neck of the creature again. "There are no omens, they are a comforting sign for the grief of us humans, nothing more, nothing less," Percy said as Daphne looked at him in worry, wondering what he had experienced to be able to see them, but she held her questions back, not wanting to push it.

Then, after a few moments of quiet while they pet Mia, Percy spoke up once more. "Hey Daph, may I ask you a question?" Percy asked, and Daphne looked up at him, nodding. "What do you think about magical creatures?" He asked without looking at her, as she hummed and kept looking ahead.

"Magical creatures in what sense?" She asked for a bit of clarification, and he looked down for a moment.

"Well, take these creatures for example, wizards think they represent death and shun them as much as they can out of fear," Percy said, scratching the creature a bit. "House elves are treated like slaves by most of the pureblood faction, and werewolves, along with veelas, are seen as dangerous or exotic, but no one actually sees the individuality behind these creatures." He said as Daphne narrowed her eyes in deep thought.

"Well, you know how judgmental the wizarding world is, but personally, I don't think it matters what someone is," Daphne said before looking at him. "You said it best, it doesn't matter what you bring to the table, it only matters what you do when you're there," Daphne said, scratching the nose of the creature. "Everyone, every single creature has something to offer; otherwise, they wouldn't be here," She said, missing how Percy was looking at her with relief and love in his eyes. Glad that at least she had an open mind for magical creatures.

Harry was pissed, and it usually didn't take much to get him pissed off, but usually it would be Malfoy, Snape, or any other asshole who spewed nonsense at him, and sometimes even Ron nowadays. But he never thought he would've been pissed off at Hermione.

Ron's friendship with him had steadied a bit. Ron had stopped bad-mouthing Percy and Harry's other friends and instead focused his energy on Harry's Quidditch season, and it was nice to have his older friend back.

So, back yesterday on Christmas, he had received a gift with no name attached, and it turned out to be the brand new Firebolt, and Harry and Ron couldn't be more excited. He had a chance to win the next Quidditch match, and they wanted to test it as soon as they could. But his wish didn't get to come true as McGonagall came quickly to take it away and check it for curses and spells, worried that Sirius might use it to harm Harry, and someone had raised those same concerns before, Hermione.

So he lost it —sure, it wasn't his best behavior —but he couldn't believe she had gone and done such a thing behind his back. He, along with Ron, argued against Hermione about what happened to the point of almost name-calling, and he didn't know if he would've stopped himself from doing so if Hermione hadn't gone away with tears in her eyes.

But something she had said bothered him a bit; she had yelled at him about always siding with Ron and always having her around till she wasn't useful anymore, like their friendship was more one-sided than he believed it was.

And that struck a chord with him because while he didn't believe he was taking her for granted, he had to admit that sometimes he preferred to spend time with Ron and Percy more than spending time with Hermione. He liked her a lot, but spending time with the others was more fun and exciting, while spending time with Hermione was sometimes more fun and exciting. But was he taking her for granted by doing so? He didn't know.

So here he was, on the edges of the lake, throwing stones into it, trying to get to skip but failing miserably, contemplating and trying to process his anger-ridden thoughts.

"You suck, you know," He heard someone say, and he turned around to see Ginny walking up to him, holding her coat close to her chest. "Can even get one skip?" She said, making fun of him as he scoffed and looked ahead.

"Try it then if you are so sure of yourself," Harry said, a bit frustrated, and Ginny stood next to him and grabbed a rock. Then she threw it hard, flicking her wrist at the end, and the rock skipped five times before sinking into the lake. "Show off," Harry said with a snort as Ginny giggled and looked at him a bit.

"Try and live with six brothers, you find yourself being very competitive at a lot of things," She said before putting her hands back on her coat. "So, care to tell me why you are here freezing your balls off?" She asked as he sighed and looked ahead.

"You probably know already," He said while glancing at her. "Lavender and Parvati are probably already gossiping about it," Harry said as Ginny hummed a bit.

"Oh, they are," She said as Harry groaned. He had his suspicion, but hearing it was true annoyed him even more. "But I think it's healthier if you let it out yourself," She said, and he snorted and looked ahead.

"When did you get so wise and philosophical?" He asked, amused, and Ginny snorted.

"Are you saying I'm not wise, you prat?" She asked as Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, fyi, we hang out a lot with smart and wise people, we tend to pick up some things along the way," She said, and Harry hummed in agreement. "Now stop being an arse and just tell me why there's a stick up your butt right now," She said, and Harry laughed a bit at her foul language, but that's what you get when you were raised with six older brothers.

He took a moment as he stopped throwing rocks for a bit. "You probably heard about the whole broom thing, and I get why she did it, but I just can't help but feel mad she went behind my back and did that," Harry said, narrowing his eyes a bit at the lake.

"So what bothers you more? The broom being taken? Or the going behind your back?" She asked in curiosity, and Harry sighed a bit.

"Both, I mean, it is a sick ass broom," Harry said as Ginny snorted a bit. "But I guess I'm bothered more because of the going behind my back thing. After everything we've been through, I thought she would ask me at least," Harry said, and Ginny mused, biting her lip a little.

"Well, I um, I'm not trying to pick sides here, but um," Ginny said as Harry looked at her a bit under his peripheral vision. "You are known to be quite stubborn, Harry," Ginny said as Harry grumbled, not disagreeing with her. "Not saying that what she wasn't wrong, but she did it out of care for you, and I think you know full well that you took things a bit too far, you and Ron, I mean," Ginny said, and Harry crossed his arms a bit and looked away.

"I know, I know," Harry said, scratching his neck a bit. "But I just was so angry, I'm still am, so I just couldn't help myself," He said as Ginny hummed and looked ahead to the lake.

"Did I ever tell you that Luna is my neighbor?" She asked as Harry looked at her in curiosity, wondering why she was telling him this, and he shook his head, No, telling her that she hadn't. "Well, she lives in the same village as me, so technically she's not like my neighbor, but he was always around when my brothers didn't want to play with me," She said as Harry remained quiet, listening to Ginny's tale.

"And my childhood memories are filled with times I spent beside her, chasing butterflies across our village's fields," Ginny said, looking at the grown with a sad and frustrated look. "Mom didn't like me playing with her. Then again, my mom doesn't like much of what I do. Anyway, fast forward a couple of years, and we're both entering Hogwarts in the same year," Ginny said as Harry cringed at remembering how her first year went.

"Not the best years one can have, to be honest. I was feeling lonely, and didn't have many friends, and my siblings were off doing their own thing," Ginny said, sighing a bit. "But Luna was there for me, trying to keep me company as always," Ginny said, scratching the back of her neck a bit.

"But you know how eccentric Luna can be sometimes, and I love that about her, being able to be who she is without a care. I wish I had that same bravery," Ginny said as that same look of sadness worsened a bit. "But not many from Hogwarts understand or like those quirks, so they made fun of her, threw names at her, and that sort of thing," Ginny explained as Harry's eyes grew wide in concern.

"She gets bullied?" Harry asked in concern as Ginny gave him a slight, sad smile in return.

"Do you really think Nargles are taking her shoes every night?" She asked sarcastically before looking back at the lake. "Wizards make fun of or shun what they don't understand, and they just don't understand how bright and wonderful Luna is," Ginny said before letting out a defeated sigh.

"And back then, when I was trying to make friends and fit in, I fell into the same attitudes as them," Ginny said, holding her elbow a bit. "She just wanted to be there for me, and I called her weird, stupid, and loony," Ginny said, sniffing a bit, trying to hold back her tears.

"And I could see how hurt she was by it, and I got what I wanted," Ginny said, rubbing her nose a bit. "She didn't speak to me till the end of the year when she came to visit in the infirmary after everything that happened, and I almost ruined a great friendship just because I wanted to fit in," Ginny said, crossing her arms a bit.

"It is normal to have arguments with friends, and there are times when friends will even forgive you, no matter how much of an asshole you are," Ginny said before looking at them. "But sometimes you have to ask yourself if what you are doing, if the reason you are made, is really enough to end that friendship? Is this hill of pettiness something you want to die on?" Ginny asked as Harry put his hands in his pockets.

"Do you really want to throw away three years of friendship for a broom? For an oversight born out of worry for you?" Ginny asked, and Harry grumbled a bit while looking ahead.

"You're right," Harry said before grabbing another rock. "Though I want to stay pissed for a bit longer," He said as Ginny snorted and took a step towards him.

"Fair enough," She said before grabbing his arm. "Then at least let me show you how it's done before you hurt yourself by how much you suck at this," Ginny said, and he laughed as he paid attention to Ginny's advice, as the anger he was feeling started to fade away slowly.

These past days weren't the best for Hermione, with the constant arguments she had with Ron and now with Harry. The number of classes she's on has been weighing on her, as using the time turner has made her a bit cranky and tired.

So, to relax and forget everything that was bothering her, she asked Percy if they could spend some time together. He joked that she was asking him on a date, to which she blushed purposefully and denied it as best she could, but she couldn't deny that spending time with him was something that spent a lot of time looking forward to.

But at the moment she was regretting it all because he had beaten her in chess for the third time in a row. "How are you doing this!?" She asked, a bit frustrated, holding a hand on her hair as Percy laughed while he set up the board again.

"Maybe I'm just really good at the game," Percy said as she narrowed her eyes at him, not believing him one bit. "You're playing the game, Mione, you should be playing the person in front of you," Percy said as she looked up at him. "Anticipating their moves, and forcing them to do what you want, that's the key here," He said with a slight smile on his face before looking up at her. "Want to go again?" He asked, smirking a bit, and she sighed, shaking her head.

"No, don't want you getting more smug by beating me again," She said with a sigh before standing up and stretching her arms a bit as the winter air hit her neck.

Both of them were hanging around the edges of the school, around the fountain and central area, on a bench where no one was walking by, a bit secluded but not too much. She stopped stretching herself and took a seat right next to him.

"You know, I, much as I was mortified at first, I really like your new image," Hermione said as he raised an eyebrow in amusement as she looked at his hair. "Though did you have to put such a tattoo on your hand?" She asked, grabbing his hand, showing him the tattooed skull while raising her eyebrow at him.

"Were you going for a punk rebel vibe or what?" She asked, a bit sarcastically, as he hummed and shrugged.

"Well, I do like to think that I have the heart of a rebel, as corny as it sounds," He said as she smiled a little. "But you're right, it may have been too much, doesn't it?" He asked, and she hummed a bit.

"It may, but somehow they fit you," She said while looking into his eyes. "They really make your looks stand out even more," She said, and he tilted his head a bit in curiosity.

"How so?" He asked as a slight smirk betrayed his intentions, and he couldn't stop the smugness in his voice.

A thing that Hermione noticed immediately as she rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, Percy, they make you look pretty handsome, that's what you wanted to hear?" She said, exasperated, as he chuckled a bit before looking back at her.

"Sorry, it's just that I found out I'm a bit of a sucker for having pretty and smart girls complimenting me," He said as she blushed a bit. "Especially as they have a hold of my hand," he said with a chuckle as she looked down and blushed immediately as she let go of his hand.

"Sorry about that, I didn't notice," Hermione said as Percy laughed a bit, looking at her with a smile on his face.

"It's okay, Hermione, I don't mind. You are hands are very soft, you know that?" Percy said, moving her hair around a bit to hide her embarrassment, and looking at him in confusion. "I wouldn't mind holding your hands more, to be honest. They felt really nice," He said with a smile as she slapped his arm playfully a few times.

"You, prat, don't joke around like that," she said as he laughed and put a hand on the bench just behind her.

"Sorry, but I just want to lighten you up a bit, get rid of that dark cloud that's hanging around you," Percy said as his eyes turned soft and kind. Hermione sighed and leaned back a bit. "Want to talk about it?" He asked as she looked at him for a bit.

"Can I? I don't really want to bother you too much about my issues." She said, and Percy shook his head a bit.

"You won't, come on, what's on your mind?" He asked as she sighed and put her hands on her lap, moving the fabric of her skirt around a bit.

"You know how we talked about what a friendship is, a while ago now?" She asked as he nodded. "I think that I don't know how to be a good friend," She said as he looked at her in concern.

"What makes you say that?" He asked, then leaned forward a bit. "Is it because of what happened with Harry and the broom?" He asked, and she nodded.

"A bit, yeah, kind of screw there big time, shouldn't have gone behind his back," She said, rubbing her forehead. "But I don't know, I get the feeling that I'm been taken for granted, you know?" Hermione said as Percy tilted his head.

"And I get it, I'm not the normal person to have a friendship," Hermione said as Percy narrowed his eyes a bit. "I'm not fun, I would rather spend my days reading and in the library, and I don't like doing conventional fun things," Hermione said, rubbing her hands together. "So I don't judge people for not wanting my friendship that much, but I just cannot help but feel ignored, you could say," Hermione said before she saw Percy's tattooed hand grabbing hers.

"I really hate it when you speak of yourself like this, you know that?" Percy said as Hermione looked up at him, a bit confused. "Just because you don't like the same things as others doesn't make you any less important. So what if you don't like Quidditch or running around playing pranks? You have much more to offer Hermione," He said, glaring a bit. "Friendship is not something born out of necessity, you are friends with people just because, I am not a friend of you because you like the same things as me or because we hang out a lot, I am friends with you because I like you, I like who you are," Percy said as Hermione got stunned and could only blink at what he was saying.

"I like how stubborn you are, how smart you are, and even if you think it's annoying, your bookworm tendencies? I find them endearing," Percy said before glaring a bit harder. "But I fucking hate how easy you seem to put yourself, not realizing how fucking amazing you truly are, Mione," He said as she smiled, laughing softly a bit before looking into his eyes.

"You are truly something else, aren't you?" She said before moving forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him as she placed her head under the crook of his neck. "Thank you," She said simply as he smiled and put a hand on her back before he looked down with a troubled look, trying to push complicated feelings down as best as he could.

Then Hermione, without letting go of the hug, looked up as her eyes caught a glimpse of Hagrid's hut. "Hey, can I ask you something?" She said, moving back a bit but leaving her arms around his neck. He hummed as he looked down at her, as she met his eyes, not realizing how close she was. "How good are you at wizarding politics?" She asked, and he looked at her eyes, blushing a bit at how close she was.

"I have a good understanding of them. Daphne's mom taught me all she knew, and she's a very clever politician," He said as Hermione let go of his neck. "Why the question?" He asked as she grabbed his hand and stood up.

"Come with me, I could use your help with something," Hermione said, and his curiosity got the better of him, so he let himself be dragged towards Hagrid's hut.

And he should've seen what she wanted out of him. A new perspective on Hagrid and his pet, Buckbeak. And it was worse than Percy had thought. Hagrid had become drunk to the point of barely functioning, and he wept and wept at the thought of losing one of his magical friends.

And Percy was no fool, at least not when it came to this. He saw right through what Hermione was trying to do. "Emotional manipulation, huh? Are you sure you're a Gryffindor?" He asked while placing his arms on the guard rail of the bridge connecting the Hogwarts grounds to the castle itself.

"If it gets a point across, I can resort to anything," She said while crossing her arms a bit. "So, what do you think?' How can we get Buckbeak out of trouble?" She asked as he groaned and stretched a bit, looking down, hanging his head low.

"Want me to be honest or nice?" Percy said while glancing back at her, and by her look, he knew what she wanted. "Honestly, there's nothing much he can do," Percy said as Hermione walked to be next to him.

"How so?" She asked, and she looked up a bit before glancing at her.

"Well, for starters, he can't really make a case for himself or Buckbeak, at least not by himself," Percy said as Hermione raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, noticing the slight glare that formed around Percy as he tapped the guardrail in frustration.

"He's a half-giant," Percy said as Hermione narrowed her eyes a bit. "And under the bylaws of the ministry, any magical creature can't have a voice on Ministry matters, no matter how lesser they are," he said as Hermione blinked in slight shock and disgust.

"That can't be true," She said as he shrugged and offered no response. "But why? That's just so disgusting. Segregating a population like that because of what?" She asked as Percy turned around, leaning his back on the guardrail.

"Because to the magical ministry, they are not considered people, just pets, or creatures, as the name suggests," Percy said, scratching his chin. "Veela, giants, werewolves, all of those intelligent creatures don't have a voice in our world," He said as Hermione narrowed her eyes and looked ahead.

"Fucking pureblood purist," Hermione said, but then got confused when Percy hummed a bit in disagreement.

"Not quite right, Hermione," Percy said as she looked at him in confusion. "Those bylaws were brought up and accepted by the majority of light families. Sure, it was a long time ago, but there have been plenty of opportunities for them to overrule those bylaws, but they haven't," Percy said before looking at Hermione. "It's just bigotry from both sides," Percy said, and Hermione sighed before leaning into the guardrail.

"So this world is also as corrupt as the Muggle one?" Hermione said, as Percy looked at her with pity. "Is there any way to change it?" She asked a bit defeated, and Percy hummed a bit.

"Best bet would be to tear and build it apart," Percy said, rubbing his nose a bit. "But the last wizard to try that had evil intentions, so any talk about changing the ministry is frowned upon," Percy said with a sigh as Hermione scrunched her nose a bit.

"So there's really nothing he can do about it?" She asked as Percy hummed a bit.

"Well, maybe there is," Percy said as hope came back into Hermione's eyes. "Though like I said, there's little chance of him working things out, so I don't want to get your hope up," He said as Hermione leaned towards him a bit.

"It's okay, I'll take anything at this point," She said as Percy sighed and crossed his arms a bit.

"Well, in cases like this, usually you need to hire a solicitor," Percy said as Hermione blinked in confusion a bit. "Like a magical lawyer, but he or she also has a good sense of your financials, goals, and real estate properties, basically a spokesperson with a ton of knowledge about their client," Percy said as Hermione nodded, understanding what he was explaining.

"But those are rare and very expensive, and I don't really think his salary as the school's groundkeeper cuts it," Percy said with a defeated tone. "And there are not many solicitors that would take on a magical creature as a client," Percy said as Hermione sighed in frustration.

"And also since the trial is already underway, it is complicated to get a solicitor at this stage of it," Percy said as Hermione grew worried by the second. "So even if that route can work, it is too tricky to bet on it," Percy said as Hermione sighed and looked at him, frustrated.

"You'd better be getting to a viable solution here, Percy," Hermione said as he smiled softly and looked ahead a bit. "So if he can defend himself, what can he do then?" She asked, and Percy scratched his chin.

"Well, do you think he would be open to letting go of his professor position?" he asked as Hermione blinked in confusion a bit. "I mean, if he forgives that, Lucius might see it as a win and let Buckbeak go," he said as Hermione shook her head with a glare on her face.

"No, I don't think he will," Hermione said before narrowing her eyes at him. "And he shouldn't have to quit his job to please Malfoy, so no, that's not a viable option," she said as he nodded in understanding.

"Very well, then his only viable option is to attempt to persuade the members of the ministry and seek assistance from the council members," Percy stated before narrowing his eyes as a perplexing notion entered his mind. "This raises the question: why has Dumbledore not intervened?" Percy inquired aloud, pondering the reason for his absence, while Hermione blinked slightly in confusion.

"He can't, can he? I mean, he doesn't have any power over the ministry, does he?" she asked, and he looked at her with a bit of a narrowed look on his face.

"Technically, he does not hold a conventional power; he is merely the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, a title that can be interpreted as a formal designation for a mediator in council debates. However, in practice, politics does not operate in this manner. That title bears significant influence, and his reputation and legacy hold considerable meaning and weight among the Light families, he explained before directing his gaze forward.

"Therefore, in theory, with a single word, he could influence and undermine this campaign from Malfoy; thus, the question arises as to why he has not yet done so," Percy inquired, while Hermione responded with a slight hum.

"Maybe he's busy taking care of the dementors' business," she said gently, and he sighed softly, nodding in agreement with her thoughts a little.

"Perhaps," Percy said, as Hermione could tell he had some thoughts about the Headmaster that he did not want to throw into the air too easily. She wondered what was going through his mind.

"In either case, if he wishes to free Buckbeak, that is the appropriate course of action," Percy stated as Hermione tilted her head slightly. "If he can establish some connections within the council to assist in blocking Malfoy's campaign," he added, while Hermione appeared slightly restless and looked forward.

"Easier said than done," she said as he raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity. "Where could we find these connections, though?" she asked, and he hummed a bit.

"Well, I can assist with that," he remarked as she gazed at him with wide eyes. "I can inquire with Daphne's father to see if he can help, and I am confident that Nev and Susan can also offer assistance if we seek their help, as they also have connections within the council," he stated, leaving her speechless for a bit.

"Really? Will you be willing to do that?" she asked as Percy nodded, and she blinked at him, a bit confused. "Why?" she asked, and he looked at her, a bit confused.

"Um, because you're my friend?" he asked, a bit confused as she looked at him speechless. "And I can see how much this is affecting you, so if I can help, then I might as well try," he said as she smiled and immediately rushed forward, throwing herself into his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck again.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Percy," she said as he laughed a bit, putting a hand on her back. Then he tightened the hug a little and couldn't help himself, wrapping his arms around her a bit, feeling comforted by her heartwarming touch and actions.

Then she moved back a bit before placing a hand on her cheek. "You know, you like to give this mysterious and dark vibe to the rest of the world, but I can see the real you," she said as he raised an eyebrow at her in confusion. "You have the biggest and softest heart I've ever met," she said, leaning forward a bit and planting a small kiss on his cheek, leaving him speechless for a moment.

"Thanks again," she said, pulling away from the hug and placing her hands behind her back as a slight blush spread across her cheeks. "I should head back to my dorm and tell the others," she added, hesitating slightly and nervously locking eyes with him. "I, um, I had a lot of fun today. We should do this more often," she said before quickly walking away before he could say anything.

He watched her skip away into the castle, not knowing what to say or do, as he brought a hand to his cheek, feeling the warmth there. And he cursed mentally because he knew right then and there that he had fallen for her, very hard.

Winter had ended, and spring was on the rise, which meant that plants were growing again—perfect time for a couple of Herbology enthusiasts to get ahead and take care of their plants.

And that was precisely what Neville and Hannah were doing as they helped Ms. Sprout move some plants into the greenhouse. "Sure, you don't need help?" Hannah asked, seeing Neville carrying four plants at once while she carried two.

"No, I got it, don't you worry," Neville said with a soft smile as they both got to their destination and set the plants on the ground. "See, I told you?" He asked a bit cheekily as she threw dust off the pots.

"Sure thing," She said with a giggle before looking up at him. "I see that Percy and Harry are rubbing off on you," She said as he blinked in confusion.

"How so?" He asked, a bit curious, as Hannah hummed.

"I don't know, you're a bit more confident? You weren't one for throwing jokes around, and now you do it once in a while," Hannah said before blinking, feeling a bit more mortified. "Not that you weren't before, I'm just saying, um," Hannah said, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden, and Neville chuckled a bit while looking at the plants.

"You can say it, I don't mind," Neville said with a soft smile on his face. "I was a lot more shy before, wasn't I?" He asked, and she only smiled softly in return. "I guess you're right, these past few months I've been feeling more, I don't know, happy with myself, I guess?" He said, and Hannah hummed while nodding a bit.

"Beats staying alone away from those prying eyes, am I right?" Hannah asked, and Neville snorted while nodding his head. "Can I tell you something, just between us?" She asked, and he looked at her, a bit concerned.

"Sure," He said as Hanna touched one of the leaves in the plants for a brief moment.

"I love Susan, I do with all my heart," She said as Neville listened closely. "But sometimes I hate how much she smothers me and worries about me, you know?" Hannah said as Neville watched her with silent concern.

"And I can sort of understand, you know, and she means well, she wears her heart on her sleeve, and she's not afraid to back those whom she loves," Hannah said, moving her fingers along the leaf. "But sometimes I just want to be left alone, you know? Try and I at least face this awful world on my own," She said as Neville hummed and looked at the plan ahead.

"I get it," He said as Hannah looked at him in curiosity. "My gran's the same, she always has to know where I'm going, what I'm doing, and if I'm okay, it's like they don't trust us to be on our own." He said, as Hannah nodded in agreement.

"Have you talked to her?" Neville asked as Hannah shook her head immediately. "Why not?" He asked, and she grumbled a bit before looking back at the plant.

"She will take it the wrong way, and I don't really want to lose her friendship," Hannah said before rubbing the back of her neck. "I just don't know how to explain it," Hannah said as Neville narrowed his eyes in deep thought, a bit before humming and getting her attention.

"Perhaps you could explain it with an example, by means of an allegory," Neville said as she looked at him with confusion, as he cleared his throat a bit. "You can maybe help her explain how plants often need to be left alone to be able to grow. If you smother too much with water, you run the risk of them not fully developing, as they need to burst to their roots on their own to be the things they are meant to be, you know?" Neville said as she played with a leaf, taking it in and smiling softly.

"Yeah, that could work," She said before feeling a bit bold and moved her hand forward, touching Neville's fingers as the blond boy blushed but didn't move his hand. "I could also tell her that while they should always be left alone, there's no harm in giving them a little push," She said as Neville saw her using a bit of her druid magic to help the plant grow a little bit. "Am I right?" She said, smiling softly at him as he gulped and nodded a bit.

"Yeah, um, totally," he said as she giggled a bit, but neither of them moved their hand one bit content on feeling the closeness they had in that moment.

April had come fast, and some people were already preparing for final-term projects and exams, including Padma herself. And she didn't want to fail that much on Arithmancy, so she had dragged Harry, the poor sucker, to the library to do some preliminary research for their project.

"Hey, are you sure we should start this early?" Harry asked, of course, as he wasn't one for doing extra work, and he would much rather be training for Quidditch matches since the season was about to return. "And shouldn't we wait for Hannah?" he asked as they both sat on an empty table side by side.

"Hannah is busy, and I don't really want to bother her," she said with a slight blush on her face as Harry was about to argue, but Padma placed a book on the table with a resounding sound. "Sorry about that, and she is genuinely busy, and you are just going to play Quidditch, aren't you?" She asked knowingly, and he sighed but nodded nevertheless. "Look, this won't take long, and the sooner we start, the sooner we will end," She said with a soft smile on her face, and Harry sighed before looking at some of the books in front of him.

Some time passed, and they worked quickly; in the middle of it, they decided to take a break, and Harry immediately groaned and put his head on the table. "I feel like my head is going to explode," he said as Padma giggled a little and gave him a glass of water.

"Here, it should quell your headache a bit," she said as Harry sighed in thanks before taking a big gulp from the glass. "You know, you're quite smarter than you think, Harry. I don't know why you always second-guess yourself," she said as Harry looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked as she hummed a bit and brought a notebook closer to him.

"Take a look at this," she said as Harry examined the notebook more closely. "You took care of these five exercises, and in each one you asked me to check for mistakes. I added notes on what to fix. Have a look," she said as Harry looked at them, and his eyes widened a bit when he saw she had only made corrections on one of them, and what she did was so minimal that it didn't really matter.

"You had them all correct, and you knew that," Padma said, looking at him with a mix of confusion and concern in her eyes. "But yet you second-guess and put your work down, almost unconsciously, as if it were a normal occurrence for you." She said as Harry blinked a bit, mortified at what she might have deduced.

"Um, I don't particularly like to talk about it," he said, and she blinked, a bit shocked, and immediately shook her head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I push a bit too much, right?" she asked, immediately backtracking and looking a bit apologetic. "I tend to do that when I want to learn something. Parvati tells me it can be annoying. I'm sorry," she said, and Harry shook his head a bit.

"No, no, it's okay. You're just curious, that's all," Harry said before scratching his head a bit. "Look, back home I live with a very competitive cousin," he said, stretching the truth a little to avoid revealing too much. "And with two relatives who are very proud of him, and let's just say that every time I outshone him just a little bit, he would throw a huge fit," he said as Padma hummed a bit, looking confused.

"Sounds like a pretentious git, your cousin," she said with a deep, narrow look, and he snorted while nodding his head.

Yeah, that he is," Harry said with a chuckle. "And I think I just started underperforming to avoid those tantrums. Guess I developed a weird habit, I guess." Harry said a bit sheepishly as Padma hummed and looked at the books for a moment.

"I get it," she said, and he blinked, a bit confused. "You know how extroverted Parvati is, always the life of the party, you could say," she said, playing with a strand of her hair. "And my parents kind of favor her a little bit," Padma said as Harry looked at her in concern. "They are still good to me, and I love them, but, um, when it comes to social gatherings, they always prefer to introduce their exceptional, friendly, and outspoken daughter rather than the shy, quiet one, you know?" Padma said, and Harry nodded in understanding.

"Is that why you take a lot of pride in your school work?" he asked, and Padma nodded, looking at a book on the table below her.

"She has her gossip and her parties. And I like to solve puzzles and figure out things," Padma said before pulling a book a bit closer to her. "And sometimes books are easier to understand; people are too illogical for me, you know?" she said as Harry hummed a bit, looking ahead with a thought on his mind.

"You know, as much as I make fun of it, I actually like to spend time in a quiet and alone manner," He said as Padma looked up at him in curiosity. "Sure, I like to play Quidditch and all, but that spotlight? That popularity? And being gossiped about all the time? Yeah, fucking hate that," Harry said as Padma giggled a bit before looking into his eyes.

"You mean like spending time with me doing homework?" She asked, not really buying his statement, and he shrugged his shoulders a bit.

"Well, it all depends on whether I'm spending time with the right person," Harry said as Padma's eyes widened a bit before he clapped his hands a bit. "So, shall we continue with this project?" He asked, and she blinked before blushing a little bit.

"Right," she said before looking back at the books. Smiling a bit, he may not realize it, but his comments really stuck with her, as it was one of the few times someone wanted to spend time with her just because.

Susan was bored, bored out of her freaking mind. Hannah had abandoned her to go and help Neville with a herbology project, and she had nothing to do in the Hufflepuff common room, and Zacarias was there with his friends, so she went out of there as fast as she could.

And in her path around the castle, she ended up bumping into Percy, who was carrying a bag filled with stuff he didn't want anyone to see. And, feeling curious, she decided to join him to see what he was doing, so they entered an empty classroom, and Susan watched, confused, as Percy worked on something.

So much so that she ended up asking him. "So, what is this all for?" She asked as he saw him fixing what appeared to be an exoskeleton of a hand, with a sphere-shaped opening where the top of the palm should be.

"Thought you did not wish to know," Percy said a bit sarcastically as Susan grumbled and looked at him, a bit annoyed. "This is for you, as a matter of fact." He said as Susan blinked a bit, confused.

"For me?" She asked, confused, as he nodded. Then she blinked before leaning forward a bit with a slight smirk on her face. "Oh, I'm intrigued now. What is it then?" She asked as Percy stopped working on the exoskeleton and rubbed the sweat off his forehead.

"Remember the little spheres Harry uses on his gloves for sorcery?" he asked as Susan nodded, recalling Harry's gloves. "So, this is supposed to work a bit like that," he said, leaning back a bit. "Currently, you utilize your innate magic to energize your punches; I wish to explore whether you could also harness elemental forces." He said as Susan looked at him, a bit surprised.

"Wow, that means I'm going to be able to throw fire punches?" Susan asked, looking at him with a bit of amusement in his violet eyes.

"Yes, that's what I'm trying to get here," Percy said a bit sarcastically. "Trying to get you to throw fire punches," He said with a chuckle as Susan smiled softly at him. "I have brought it here to assess whether it can withstand the substantial magical energies within the castle. Given that it is not exhibiting any signs of malfunction, I am considering this a positive indication." He said, as Susan chuckled a bit, looking at her, a bit confused.

"Sorry, sorry, sometimes your formal way of speaking catches me off guard," she said, as he blinked a bit, feeling self-conscious. "Don't be ashamed, Percy," she said quickly, noticing his shame right away. "I know you think it's a bit too much, but if I'm being honest, it kind of does it for me," She said, smirking at him for a bit as he looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked in confusion, and she snorted while tilting her head a bit.

"Oh, don't play fool, Percy, you know what I'm talking about," Susan said as Percy blinked a bit. "It turns me on, that's what you wanted to hear?" She said, with a flirtatious smile, as he choked a bit and coughed, blushing.

"Right, that's what I was thinking," He said, rubbing the back of his neck a bit. "Sometimes I forget how forward you are, and to be honest, it kind of does it for me as well," he said with a small, embarrassed smile, and she laughed a bit as a bit of redness appeared on her cheeks.

"I mean, life is too short to let it go by you know?" Susan said before rubbing something off her knee. "You probably know this already, but I lost my parents right as the war ended," Susan said as he nodded, telling her he knew, but let her say what she wanted to say.

"And since then, I knew that life could be very short and finite," She said before looking right into his eyes. "And when I turned sixteen back in October, I just decided to stop letting life pass me by, you know?" Susan said, and Percy nodded immediately.

"Yeah, I agree," Percy said, looking into her eyes as well. "Nothing worse than letting others dictate your life, isn't there?" He said as she smiled and nodded.

"Letting others tell you how to behave, judging your actions," Susan said before looking at the ground. "Stopping yourself from taking action, pursuing what you want, whoever you fancy as well, that just doesn't suit me," Susan said as Percy chuckled a bit.

"I envy your boldness a bit, you know," He said honestly as she tilted her head in curiosity. "I'm afraid that sometimes I let fear get in the way of what I truly want to do," He said as she moved a bit closer to him, sitting right next to him.

"Well, that's normal. Fear is just a natural reaction anyone can have; it keeps us safe from danger, you know?" Susan said before looking up at him. "What I do in those cases is just take a deep breath before going all in, screw the consequences," she said as he snorted and hummed a bit.

"Sound logic," He said with a chuckle, concentrating back on his work as Susan looked at him, biting her lip a bit.

"Hey," She said as he glanced up at her a bit. "Wanna have a snog?" She asked as he choked on his saliva at the sudden question, and he coughed while glancing at her, wondering if she was joking.

But by the looks of it, she wasn't, but he had to ask anyway. "Are you being serious?" He asked, and she nodded at him, not breaking her stare. "Why?" He asked, blinking in confusion, and Susan hummed a bit.

"To be honest, I kind of want to see how it feels," Susan said as Percy tilted his head a bit. "And I like you enough, and you're smart and emotionally stable to keep things casual, so do you want to or not?" She asked, and Percy wanted to say no, but then stared at her green eyes, and his resolve crumbled right in front of him.

"Yes, I do want to," He said as she smiled a bit wide and leaned forward a bit, but before they could, he carried on talking. "But can I ask, what are you looking out of this?" He asked, glancing at his tattooed hand for a second out of her view, with Daphne's words from that moment back with the thestrals suddenly coming into mind.

She hummed a bit before looking into his eyes. "Other than a good snog? Nothing much, really," Susan said as he blinked a bit, confused. "Sure, there's a part of me that likes you, and the thought of having you as my boyfriend is really enticing, but school year is ending and I don't know if I will see you in the summer, and I would like to get to know you better before I decide to see if I really fancy you or not," She said with a soft smile on her face.

He snorted a bit and rubbed his nose before looking at her in amusement. "But kissing me is okay?" He asked, and she snorted a bit before shrugging.

"Well, I don't want a bad kisser for a boyfriend, so consider this your first test," She said a bit cheekily, and he chuckled a bit.

"Right," He said before feeling a bit nervous and glancing at her for a moment. "Can I ask you something else?" He asked as she narrowed her eyes playfully.

"Just one more question, though, because you're killing the mood here, Perseus," She said as he chuckled and nodded after she said that.

"Fair, fair," He said before taking a deep breath and looking at her. "I'm just wondering, what are your thoughts on dating multiple people at the same time? Like a poly relationship," He said, and she blinked a bit before crossing her arms and humming.

"Quite the specific question," She said, putting her hands on the floor just a bit behind her. "I suppose I could consider it, depending on whether the right persons are involved," She said as he pressed on a bit with a different question.

"Like, for example, the members of our little study group?" He asked, and she snorted immediately.

"No god no, I think the fourteen of us would be overkill to be honest," Susan said before glancing at him. "And to be frank, out of all the boys, only you fit my fancying criteria. Your hair and eyes really do it for me, you know?" She said as he snorted before tilting his head.

"And what about the girls?" He asked a bit curiously and flirtatiously, hiding his bit of desperation for trying to build something here for his magical houses.

She hummed as he bit her lower lip. "Well, that is difficult indeed, as many in our group are hot as they come," Susan said, looking up a bit. Maybe with Daphne or Tracey —if I'm being sincere —and throw Luna and Sue in there as well; they are gorgeous and serious, the lot, and it seems to do it for me. Fuck, now that I think about it, maybe I should go and ask them to have a snog with me, that would be fun," Susan said with a bit of a blush on her cheeks and with a tone of amusement in her voice.

"Maybe you should, I know some of them would agree," He said as Susan giggled a bit. "Unless my questions haven't soured your mood and you still wish to, for lack of a better word, snog," He said with the same tone of amusement in his voice.

"It hasn't, not yet at least," Susan said, smiling softly at him. "But if you keep avoiding it and asking me more questions, it will, so will you shut up and kiss me already, you fool?" She said as he chuckled a bit before leaning toward her, placing his hands just right next to hers on the floor, and moving his face closer to hers.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked one final question, and she groaned and rolled her eyes a bit.

"You're taking too long, just get to it, Percy," She said, and he snorted before moving a hand to her cheek, leaning forward as he started slowly kissing her lips. She then moved her hands around his neck as he moved his to her back, and both teens deepened the kiss as day turned into night, sharing the first of many very close and intimate moments.

Sue Li was many things. Quiet, focused, and to the point kind of person. She didn't like bullshit, and she wasn't keen on people being taken advantage of. And, being a Ravenclaw, she had a perfect view of the mistreatment Luna was receiving from her dormmates.

She thought about telling Professor Flitwick for a moment, but her faith in the Hogwarts faculty about taking matters into their own hands about these issues was flaky at best. But she did know of someone who could do something.

She had spent a lot of time with Tracey as the Slytherin witch had stuck to her like glue, and Sue Li was particularly fond of her. Turns out, hearing her gossip and complain about most of her classmates amused Sue a bit. And Tracey had confided in her about how she had gotten into the Slytherin team and the hand Percy had in it, so here she was trying to find the white-haired teen to see if both of them could come up with something to help Luna.

Took a bit, but she ended up finding him just on the outskirts of the school, sitting near a tree on the path to the Quidditch pit, with his back leaning on the roots of it while fixing the strings of a lute beneath the shadow of the tree.

"Didn't know you had a liking for music," She said as he looked up and smiled, a bit embarrassed.

"I don't like to speak about it a lot, so would you mind keeping it a secret?" He asked as she crossed her arms, and it seemed Tracey was rubbing, unable to help herself, and she smiled softly at him.

"Maybe if you play a song for me, I will consider it," she said, and he snorted, looking up at her.

"I would love to, but it will have to be on a different occasion," Percy said as a string on the lute broke, almost cutting into Percy's finger. "As you see, this bloody piece of shit is refusing to cooperate at the moment," He said with a frustrated sigh as Sue hummed and took a seat right next to him.

"Here, let me have a look," She said as he looked at her in confusion, and he gave her the lute and his spare new strings. "You aren't the only one who has their secrets," She said with a chuckle as he smiled while looking at her, a bit amused.

"Thanks," He said as she smiled a little bit, focusing on fixing the lute. "So, were you looking for me, or was it just a coincidence you found me out here?" He asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Well, you aren't hard to find. You do have a very distinct presence that is easy to spot," She said with a giggle before looking back at him. "But I was looking for you, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said, her eyes turning serious, and he narrowed his eyes a bit at her tone.

"Sounds serious," he said as she sighed and nodded.

"Marietta and her group did it again, they threw Luna's footwear out of the common room," She said as Percy grumbled and narrowed her eyes ahead. "I had to go at night since she went into the castle trying to find them," She said as he sighed and scratched his chin a bit. "I thought about talking to a professor," She said as he huffed and rolled his eyes.

"So that they can take points from them and pretend like everything's fixed?" He said sarcastically, and she remained quiet. "You know that won't help one fucking bit," he said, and she sighed a bit.

"I know," She said as he glanced at her. "That's why I came to you, actually," She said as she looked down at the lute. "Tracey told me what you did for her back when she got into the Quidditch team, and I was wondering," She said as he hummed and crossed his arms a bit.

"Ah, I see, want me to threaten them to stop messing with Luna?" He asked, and Sue nodded. "I could, but I also asked her if she wanted me to do something, and she told me not to bother." He said as her eyes widened and she looked at him, a bit surprised.

"She did?" She asked, and he nodded. "Why would she do such a thing?" She wondered out loud, and Percy felt a bit conflicted before letting out a sigh.

"Because she doesn't care," He said as Sue looked at him, confused. "Luna's different and she knows it, and she knows that people tend to shun and judge those whom they can't comprehend," He said as Sue narrowed her eyes a bit. "And she told me that it doesn't matter what they do, as long as she's not alone, it doesn't bother her at all," He said as she grumbled in frustration.

"I get it, I can understand it even," Sue said before hardening her gaze. "Doesn't mean I have to like it," She said as he smiled softly at her.

"Neither do I, Sue, and I intend to do something next year, if I can convince Luna that's it," He said before looking into her eyes. "For the time being, I would advise you to use that anger to stay close and support her as best as you can," He said, and she sighed and nodded.

"I'll try my best," Sue said before giving Percy the now fixed lute. "Here, brand new," She said as Percy smiled at her in thanks before putting it next to him, leaning it against the three. She started thinking their conversation was good as finished, but then she felt him grab her hand before she could fully stand up.

"Wait, stay a bit longer?" He asked as she glanced at him in confusion. "Sun is about to set, and the view from here is truly breathtaking," He said as she shrugged her shoulders and took a seat once more.

She felt a bit bold and moved a bit closer to him, but then she blushed, noticing he hadn't let go of her hand. "Thank you for worrying about Luna. Not many people do that," He said as she shook her head.

"She's my friend, of course, I'm going to worry about her," She said before looking at him. "Just like you do for her as well," She said as he smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Right," He said before looking ahead as the sun started to set, and she looked down at their joint hands before smiling a bit as she interlocked her fingers with his, rubbing her thumb on his hand. "What did I say? Breathtaking or not?" He said while looking ahead, and she did glance at the sunset a bit, but her eyes were fixated on his face as the sunlight set on his violet eyes.

"Yes, totally,"

Pansy Parkinson's year was frustrating, to put it lightly. First of all, Malfoy suddenly started pursuing Daphne, leaving her a bit behind, and that stung—two years of loyalty, and to be cast aside so easily, it disgusted her a bit.

Mainly because she, and everyone in Slytherin, knew for a fact how pointless that endeavor was. Daphne spent all her time around Tracey and Percy, and even if she wasn't talking to them, it was just a matter of time before they kissed and made up.

But she wasn't prepared for what happened when they did; no one was. Seeing Percy just throwing Cassius around like nothing frightened her, and most of her circle, to the point where Malfoy decided to stop his antics — at least when Percy was around.

But seeing that also made her think about her standing; she was a Pureblood who ran around with Malfoy, but unlike him, she wasn't a moron. No, she could clearly tell that whatever standing Malfoy had on Slytherin was dwindling bit by bit, and he just refused to see it. Or rather, he was unable to do so thanks to his spoiled background.

And it all started when the Twins, somehow, had gotten into the Slytherin common room and had pranked the whole pureblood supremacist faction till no end, leaving those who were friendly to other houses and wizards alone.

And bit by bit, Pansy could see that students from the first year and second year had started following Percy's actions of befriending friends from other houses in hopes of avoiding the Weasley's pranks, and it had worked as the twins had left those students alone.

No one knew who was giving them the password every single time, and most people blamed Crabbe or Goyle, since sometimes they weren't targets of the pranksters. Many believed that, in their stupidity, they might have put the passwords on paper, and the Twins could've stolen them.

But if there was one person who was suffering the most, it was her, as the Twins apparently made her their personal target, going well beyond to try and make her life a living hell, and they were succeeding. Just take tonight, for example, she was just ready to get to bed, but as soon as she touched her pillow, her hair started being covered with pieces of gum.

Thankfully, no one was around to see her go running to the old women's bathroom to get rid of the gums, as she would've been so embarrassed if that happened. She was almost done taking off the pieces of gum as she looked at her reflection, wondering if her loyalty to Malfoy's faction was even worth it at this point.

"You missed one," she heard someone say from the restroom entrance, and she looked up to see Percy leaning in the doorway. "May I come in? Don't know the proper etiquette in this particular scenario," He said as Pansy narrowed her eyes, wondering what he was doing here.

"Don't think my answer really matters, but go ahead. If you decide to do something to me, at least it can be worse than what I'm going through right now," She said, looking at her hair, noticing the gum he had pointed out.

"You must be confusing me for Malfoy," He said while leaning on the sink next to her. "If I wanted to do something to you, I would do so when you are at your best, not in this pathetic state." He said as she scoffed and threw another gum at the dumpster.

"So why are you here then?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Or you just came to make fun of my 'pathetic' state," She said as he crossed his arms a bit.

"Well, making fun of you is always a bonus, but I came here in peace," He said as she narrowed her eyes. "Look, Pansy, I don't like you," he said, as she scoffed and looked into the mirror ahead.

"Goes but ways, Perseus," She said, and he snorted before carrying on.

"But I also respect you, you're ambitious," He said as she glanced at him in curiosity. "And as much as you like to pretend that you are, you're not a moron. And you can see this loyalty you have for Draco is one-sided at best," He said as Pansy listened to what he had to say.

"I get it, you want safety beneath someone of a powerful standing," Percy said as he looked ahead. "But you've got to see that sooner or later, Malfoy will be crushed under the weight of his own ambition," He said, and Pansy sighed and grabbed the sink.

"I know, but what other choice do I have?" She said before glancing back up at him. "He carries all the wealth in his name, that means something here, Percy," She said, and he leaned towards her a bit.

"It means something if you know how to use it, which he doesn't. And you know that," He said as she narrowed her eyes a bit. "He's spoiled and hasn't been taught how to win. The moment he has a bit of power, he loses it right away and goes crying to his father," He said as she crossed her arms a bit.

"And what do you offer in return then?" She asked as he hardened his gaze.

"I offer cleverness and cunning here, Pansy, as cunning as Slytherin is supposed to be," Percy said as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Malfoy is keen on alienating himself, instead of taking advantage of the moronic state of this world and creating connections that would propel you forward, from whichever house you chose," He said as she scoffed.

"Right, making friends with those mudbloods and half-blood traitors," She said, missing his look of disgust. "That sort of connection?" She asked as he sighed.

"Yes, you fucking moron," He said before pointing at the bucket of gums. "That happens because of how much of a cunt you're trying to be, but if you were a little bit smart, and pretended just to ignore Muggleborns and at least pretended to be friendly, the Twins would've left you alone," He said, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"You have to ask yourself here? Is your pride really above your comfort and safety here, Pansy?" He asked as she sighed and looked at her reflection.

"What is it that you want me to do then?" She asked, knowing full well that Percy had come here to ask something from her.

"Information," He said as she looked at him in curiosity. "I want you to be my eyes within Malfoy's circle," He said as her eyes widened a bit. "Do that and I'll tell the Twins to stop pranking you," He said as Pansy hummed, looking to Percy's violet eyes.

"And what's stopping me from telling Malfoy that you're giving them the password?" She asked, having clearly figured out he was their inside source.

"You're not that stupid," He said, challenging, and he was right, as fun as it would be to see the Slytherin house turned on Percy, his possible retribution scared her enough not to try. "So, do we have an agreement?" He asked as she fixed her hair while looking at her reflection in deep thought.

"Can I think about it?" She asked, and he smiled a bit and nodded.

"Would be disappointed if you didn't, take the summer to think about it, let me know before the next term starts," He said as he stopped leaning into the sink. "And also," He said as she looked at him in confusion, but she gasped a little as he moved forward in a blink, grabbing her cheeks with a bit of force, and she grabbed his arm to try and get him to let go, but his hold was firm as it got.

"Whether you agree or not, you'd best start getting rid of the word Mudblood out of your vocabulary, especially in front of me," Percy said, bringing her closer while glaring right into her eyes. "Or you will find out that I'm less merciful than the circle you're so keen on getting in," He said before pushing her off as she coughed in discomfort, rubbing the pain away from her cheeks.

"Make sure to choose correctly here, Pansy," He said, walking to the exit of the restroom before glancing back at Pansy. "Would hate to see a clever flame be snuffed out so early," He said before leaving the restroom and Pansy behind, leaving her with much to ponder through the summer.

"You know, Percy," Tracey said as Percy was leading her through the castle, holding her hand all the way. "If you wanted to make out, you didn't have to bring me all the way here," She said, and he chuckled a bit as they got to the bridge that connected the castle to the grounds.

"I didn't bring you here for that," He said, stopping in the middle of it as the setting sun wrapped its light around them. "I wanted to give you something, actually," He said as Tracey blinked a bit and leaned with excitement.

"What is it?" She asked, but before he took it out, he rubbed his thumb on her knuckles and cleared his throat a bit.

"I um, I wanted to say something first," He said as Tracey blinked a bit in confusion. "This past year has been such a roller coaster, Daphne not speaking to us, making friends in the dozen, the dungeons, and all," Percy said, feeling a bit nervous, and she tilted her head a bit, confused.

"And um, through all of that, you've always been there for me," Percy said, reaching for his pocket. "And I guess that I wanted to say how much that meant to me, and I just wanted to say that I love you, and to thank you for being the one constant presence in my life," He said as Tracey blinked, starting to get teary eyes as she saw him taking something from his pocket.

"Wait, Percy, are you proposing? We've been dating for only five months," She said as she blinked and immediately just shook his head.

"What? No, no, it's not that," He said, taking a small red box from his pocket. "I was talking to Luna and Daphne about what happened back at Gringotts and realized that we all agreed to be in a relationship quite quickly, and while I don't mind it, I um," He said before looking into her eyes a bit. "I realize that I needed to ask you directly, so um. Tracey, would you be my girlfriend?" He asked nervously, and she laughed.

"Oh, Percy, you fool, of course I will," he said, moving word and kissing him, planting several kisses on his cheek, as well, before wrapping her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. "You don't need to ask that, I'm yours now and forever, you moron," She said, and he smiled, kissing her cheek. "So, what's in the box then?" She asked, and he smiled a bit before stepping away from the hug.

"Turn around a bit," he said as she did, and then felt a necklace being placed around her neck —a beautiful silver one with a small violet gemstone at the end.

"Oh, Percy, it's beautiful," She said, holding the gemstone a bit before turning around and giving him another kiss as thanks. "Thank you," She said, and he smiled before looking at the necklace a bit.

"It's a bit more than that," He said before taking a step back and looking into her eyes. "Concentrate your magic on the stone, and say Protect," He said, and she did so as a see-through violet shield appeared around her, and she saw Percy knocking into it.

"I have a feeling that next year Malfoy will get bolder against us, and I don't want to take any chances," Percy said as he looked at her. "You're a very capable witch, but just thinking of something happening to you didn't let me sleep a lot," He said as she touched the shield. "Consider it extra protection if you will, it will protect you from most spells, I didn't test it against the unforgivable, but I don't think it will handle itself well against those," He said as she looked at him with a small smile.

"This is wonderful, Percy, thank you so much," She said before the shield disappeared from her eyes, and she looked at him, confused.

"It lasts about fifteen seconds, and it takes a five-second time to recharge," He said as she looked at the gemstone again before jumping into his arms and kissing his cheek over and over again.

"You're the best boyfriend ever," She said before planting a kiss on his lips and taking a step back after that was done. "Can I go show it to Daph?" She asked in excitement, and he nodded as he watched her sprint back into the castle.

He placed his hands inside the pockets of his pants, smiling at the moment he had with Tracey before clearing his throat a bit. "You could've joined us, you know?" He said as footsteps approached him, and he turned around to meet Luna's rainbow-colored eyes head-on.

"I didn't want to spoil your moment with her," She said, grabbing his hand and interlocking her fingers with his. "She seems really happy with that gift," she said, smiling happily. "You've been busy this past few months," She said, and he looked away with a bit of a blush.

"Don't know what you're talking about," He said as she giggled a bit and looked ahead at the Whomping Willow tree.

"Well, they always did say that your dad was a bit of a playboy," She said as he rolled his eyes a bit. "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree now, does it?" She said as he sighed, grumbled a bit, and refused to answer. "It's okay, Percy, you're not taking advantage of them," She said, squeezing his hand as he sighed and looked at the ground.

"But I'm lying to them," Percy said, pinching his nose. "And I'm hiding you, Daph's, Tracey's, and my relationship altogether, while I try to flirt with others for the sake of my houses and my duty as heir," He said, and she put her head on his shoulder.

"You said it yourself. Duty is the death of desire," Luna said as he grumbled a bit. "Just take it one day at a time, and explain it to them when you're ready, you'll see that they'll understand. Trust me," She said as her rainbow eyes were full of conviction.

"I always do, my love," he said, pressing his forehead to hers, just as they heard screams and rumbling from the Whomping Willow.

"Speaking of duty," She said as he turned around to see Harry and Hermione being thrown into the tree, followed closely by Professor Lupin, just a few minutes after the teens had entered. "Time has come, Percy, you'd best go before your chances at peace slip away from your hands," She said as he sighed and squeezed her hand a bit.

"Stay close to Daph and Tracey in case things go south," He said before grabbing her chin and planting a small kiss on her lips. "See you soon, my shining moon," He said as he let go of her hand.

"Good luck, my beautiful fool," She said as she smiled softly at him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Say hi to your father for me," She said, and he chuckled before rushing away to catch the rest that went into the tree as he managed to avoid Snape's gaze as he followed the professor inside the tree without much complications.

Luna watches him enter with a worried look before glancing at the ray of moonlight that hits her eyes. "Please keep him safe, my silver lady," She said as the moon glowed a bit before settling back into a mountain ahead, keeping a watchful eye on the events inside the tree.

End of Chapter 11

Chapter Text

In the end, it had happened; there was no other way around. The minister had come and had decided to forgo Hagrid's hearing, and Buckbeak was to be executed. A bullshit decision if you ask Harry, but here they were, looking at Hagrid's hut from the hill above it, watching as the executioner went into business.

Hermione and Ron joined him, as the trio had gone to try to support Hagrid in this awful time. Ron and Hermione had gone back to speaking on friendly terms, at least when Harry was around. But with how Hagrid was at the moment, it seems whatever issues the trio were having were forgotten in this moment to support Hagrid.

Hermione hugged Harry as he comforted her as they avoided their gaze away from the execution, as Ron hugged Scabbers, who Hagrid had found, and he tried to comfort himself with the help of his pet rat.

"Percy must be hating himself right now," Hermione said as Harry nodded while rubbing circles on her back, and Ron narrowed his eyes a bit.

"What does that git have to do with any of this?" He asked, and before Hermione could curse him off, Harry spoke, intervening a bit.

"He tried to help and stop this," He said as Ron huffed and rolled his eyes. "Though he was right, Fudge is too much of a morn to listen to reason," He said as Ron snorted and nodded.

"At least he's right about that," Ron said as the trio prepared to leave and go back into the castle, but before they could, Scabbers bit Ron's fingers, and he exclaimed in pain as the rat bolted and started running away. "He bit me! Scabbers!" Ron said, rushing towards the rat.

"Ron, wait!" Harry said he was afraid the minister or anyone would see them as both he and Harry, and Hermione ran to catch Ron, who had managed to catch a squealing and restless rat.

Harry was about to rush forward, but Hermione grabbed his hand and looked ahead in fear. "Wait, look," She said as both of them noticed that Ron was just under the branches of the Whomping Willow.

"Ron! Run!" Harry shouted, but Ron looked behind him, and his face grew pale with fear as he pointed behind them.

"Hermione Harry, the Grimm!" He shouted as both Gryffindors heard a growling from behind them, and a pale-eyed, jet black dog was looking at them, bearing its teeth at them, the same dog that Harry had seen when Vernon had kicked him out of his home.

The dog continued to growl at them as it slowly moved towards them, and then it jumped, using Harry's chest as a base, and jumped past them, pushing Harry aside and grabbing Ron's arm before it started dragging Ron into the tree.

Harry ignored what sense of fear he had for the tree and ran to stop the dog from dragging Ron inside of it, as his leg had gotten trapped within some vines of the tree, but before Harry could get close, a branch ended up striking his chest and sending him flying away.

Hermione helped him stand up just in time to hear a snap as they saw Ron's legs snapping and breaking free from the vine just as the dog managed to drag him inside the tree.

"Harry, we should go for help," She said as Harry's hand sparked a little with lightning.

"You saw that dog, it's big enough to eat Ron," He said as Hermione grumbled, knowing he was right. "Come on, we faced worse than a tree," Harry said, rushing forward as another branch came rushing towards him, but he quickly sent a bolt of lightning at it, sending it back in the process.

"Of all the mad things we've done," Hermione said, creating a golden shield between them, one of the few spells she had memorized since she didn't have her spellbook with her. "This has to be up there, " She said as Harry snorted and saw a glimpse in the opening of the tree.

"How long can you hold your shield?" He asked as a branch struck her shield, but it held firm nonetheless.

"About a few more seconds, why?" She asked with a pained look as Harry started thinking of something.

"Have an idea, when I tell you to, drop the shield, got it?" He said, and she nodded in understanding as lightning started appearing from his hands. He waited a bit for the branches to clear before he narrowed his eyes a bit. "Now!" He shouted as she let go of the shield, and lightning exploded from his hands, hitting the tree and stunning it a bit as both of them immediately rushed into the opening, sliding into a dark cave.

They managed to land on their feet as darkness closed in around them. Hermione flicked her hand a bit as a blue flame appeared on her hand, and Harry recognized those movements immediately. "You been practicing with Percy?" He asked with a snort as she took a breath and smiled, a bit embarrassed.

"Well, even if he says he isn't. He is really a good teacher," She said with a blush on her cheeks, but then they heard Ron's wails of pain. "Come on," Hermione said as they trekked forward, and the cave suddenly turned into a house that kept moving and shrieking a bit. "Where are we?" She asked, killing the flame as light from within the shack washed over her.

"We're inside the Shrieking Shack," Harry noted, recognizing the materials of the shack as they went up to the second floor, finding Ron on a corner holding Scabbers close to his chest. "Ron! Are you alright?" Harry asked, rushing towards him and looking at his broken leg, as Hermione placed a hand on Ron's shoulder, looking at him in worry.

"Harry, don't! It's a trap," Ron said, pointing behind Harry. "He's an animagus," He said in fear as Harry turned around to see dog footprints turn into a person's footprints, and at the end, it stood the man who had escaped from Azkaban with the sole purpose of killing him, Sirius Black himself.

Hermione, feeling the adrenaline from before, felt a bit brave and put herself in front of Harry. "You'll have to go through all of us to kill Harry," She said, narrowing her eyes at Sirius, who smirked a bit.

"Quite the brave friends you have, Harry, just like your father, I suppose," Sirius said before narrowing his eyes. "Thankfully, you didn't call for help, which makes what I have to do easier," He said. Harry broke free from Hermione's and rushed towards Sirius, who was surprised by the action as Harry managed to tackle him to the ground and moved a hand upwards, filling it with lightning as his eyes were filled with rage.

"You will fail as the only one who would die tonight will be you," he said, but got a bit confused when, instead of fear or any expression like that, Sirius looked rather sorrowful and looked at his hand with eyes filled with melancholy.

"Lighting sorcery, huh?" Sirius said as slight tears appeared beneath his eyes. "You're truly your father's son, aren't you?" He said as Harry hardened his eyes.

"Don't you dare speak of him! You killed them!" He said as Sirius gulped a bit and looked into his green eyes.

"I don't deny it, but you don't understand the whole picture. Let me explain," Sirius said, almost pleading and sounding a bit defeated, and Harry narrowed his eyes even further.

"I understand plenty! My mother pleaded for my life, asking Voldemort to kill her instead!" Harry said as Sirius and the rest of them widened a bit at that revelation. "All because you sold them to him!" Harry shouted in his face, and Sirius let out a defeated sigh and looked into Harry's eyes.

"Very well then," He said, laying his arms to the side and stopping struggling. "Do what you have to do then," He said, closing his eyes a bit as Harry pointed his lightning-filled hand at his face, and a voice inside his head was telling him to go through it, but before he could, a black shadow jumped in front of him, pulling his hand away from Sirius.

Harry looked down in confusion and saw a black kneazle lying on Sirius's chest, who was trying to get it off without much success. "Kuro?" Harry asked in confusion as the black cat looked at Harry with a hard look that made the raven head take a couple of steps back.

Harry looked at the cat, wondering why he was protecting Sirius, but before he could process everything, they heard some footsteps on the floor below. "Up here! Sirius Black is here!" Hermione shouted, and soon enough Professor Lupin appeared, and he immediately went to Harry.

"You alright, Harry?" He asked as Harry nodded, and he pushed him into his friends, as Hermione pulled him back into her and Ron. He hadn't done it, he hadn't gone through with it, and now Sirius' fate will belong to the Dementors.

"Sirius," Lupin said, pointing his wand at Black. "You don't look so good, finally the madness within shows on the flesh?" He asked, smiling a bit as Black snorted and smirked at him.

"You tell me, you're the expert when it comes to that," Sirius said as Harry looked at them, confused. It didn't seem like a professor apprehending a criminal, but rather two old friends catching up after a long time apart.

"You changed, didn't you? Swapped places with him without telling me?" Lupin said as Harry grew more confused, and Sirius nodded his head. "Where is he?" Lupin asked once again as the cat looked at Ron, and Sirius pointed his finger at where Ron was.

The trio grew confused, wondering what was happening, but then Harry's stomach dropped, and his world shattered as he watched Lupin lower his wand and put a hand in front of Sirius.

He watched in silent shock as Sirius took it and stood up as both of them hugged like old friends and brothers, as Kuro positioned itself on Sirius's shoulder, much to the older man's annoyance.

"No, it can't be, I can't believe it!" Hermione said, standing up and pointing at Remus. "You, and him! You've been his friend this whole time!" She said as Remus let go of Sirius and looked at Hermione, a bit worried.

"No, let me explain," Remus said, trying to reason with Hermione, but Harry's shock had turned into complete anger.

"I trusted you!" Harry shouted at Lupin, who took a step back, a bit afraid of Harry. "And all this time you've been his friend!" Harry shouted, looking at him with hatred.

"No, Harry, it's not like that," He said, but Hermione interrupted him, pulling Harry back a bit.

"Don't listen to him, Harty, he's a werewolf!" She said as Lupin's eyes grew wide in shock and fear. "He's been helping Sirius get into the castle, and he wants you dead as well!" She said as Remus sighed and looked at her with a bit of a hardened gaze.

"One out of three, Hermione, not to your usual standard," He said as Harry looked at him, confused, noticing how restless Sirius was becoming and how Kuro was trying his best to calm him down. "I haven't been friends with Sirius for a while, and I don't want to kill Harry, but I don't deny that I'm a werewolf, though I have to ask, when did you find out?" He asked in curiosity.

"Ages ago," She said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Since Professor Snape's assignment," She said as Remus chuckled a bit.

"How bright of you. Seems his intent ended up working at the end," He said, looking at the ground a bit disgusted. "He assigned that in hopes that someone would find out about it. Did you see the charts and realize that I was always ill for the full month? Or was it because of the boggart?" Lupin asked as Hermione looked at him in anger.

"Both," She said as he chuckled a bit.

"You are really the brightest witch of your year," Lupin said, and was about to say something more, but Sirius interrupted.

"Oh, enough of this!" Sirius shouted as Remus looked back. "Either you are with me or not, but I'm killing him right now!" Sirius exclaimed, scaring the trio of Gryffindors, as Kuro looked up, hearing something.

"Sirius, wait," Remus said, almost pleading a bit, but Sirius couldn't take it anymore.

"I did my waiting!" Sirius shouted, shutting up Remus immediately. "Fourteen years I waited! In Azkaban! And only the thought that I could have the chance of killing him kept me sane!" Sirius said, glaring at where Ron was not noticing that Kuro was hissing at the entrance. "I'm not waiting any longer!" He shouted, but then he felt a bandage appear on his wrists, and then his arms were pulled back, tying them there and sending him to the floor as Kuro jumped and landed on the piano next to them.

Remus looked at Sirius, confused at what had happened before he fell into the same fate as Sirius, with his hands tied behind his back and falling to the floor. Both Sirius and Remus managed to straighten themselves up, kneeling on the floor to see Severus Snape standing tall ahead of them. "Snivellius," Sirius said with hatred as Snape pointed his wand at them.

"I have dreamt of this exact moment, time and time again, ever since my first years at Hogwarts," Snape said, glaring at the two as Harry looked at the potions professor, confused and a bit afraid. "Oh, how I longed for such an occasion, and when I heard you had escaped, I realized my dream was at the tip of my fingers," Snape said as Sirius scoffed and Lupin leaned forward.

"Severus, please," He said, but Sirius snorted, not backing down one bit.

"Oh, let him gloat, Remus," Sirius said, smirking at Snape. "As always, little Snivy, putting his brilliant mind to use and always failing short of everything, ain't that right Snivellius?" Sirius said as Snape lounged forward, lacing his wand around Sirius ' neck.

"Go on, keep on talking," Snape said, moving his wand up as Sirius groaned a bit and Harry took a step forward, but Hermione pulled him back once more. "Give me a good reason, I'm begging you," He said, and instead of fear, Sirius only laughed at him.

"Go on then, or did you lose your balls in these past few years?" Sirius said, glaring at Snape. "What's one more death right?" Sirius said with a narrowed look as Snape growled at him.

"I could, nothing's stopping me, but why deny the Dementors their prey?" He said, and for the first time, Sirius's eyes got a glimpse of fear. "It is said to be unbearable to watch, but I will try my very best not to look away." He said as Sirius huffed and looked down in defeat, knowing his fate was sealed. But then, as he looked up, he saw Snape's eyes become glazed a bit as he slurred the words he was trying to say.

Everyone looks confused to see Snape wobbling around before falling to the ground, unconscious. Everyone there just watched in shock and confusion as to what had happened before they heard a knock coming from the doorway.

Harry was the first one to look there, and his eyes grew wide to find Percy there, leaning forward a bit while putting his hands behind his back. "Evening folks, may I come in, or is this still a private party?" Percy said a bit cheekily, and Remus found himself reacting first as he put himself in front of Sirius, protecting him from the white-haired teen.

"Calm yourself, little wolf, I'm not here for him," Percy said, much to Remus's shock, taking a step forward and moving between the shadows faster than anyone could keep up with, and moving Remus away with a wave of his hand.

He crouched in front of Sirius, with the shadows of the shack and his hair hiding Percy's eye color from the older man. Sirius looked at the teen, a bit confused about who the kid was and what he wanted.

"I kind of imagine you more frightening to be honest, your wanted poster leaves a lot to be desired," Percy said as Sirius looked up at him and snorted a bit, amused.

"What can I say?" Sirius said with a shrug. "They didn't take it from my good side," Sirius said as Percy chuckled a bit, rubbing his nose.

"Right of course," Percy said, smiling a bit. "Then again, failing to kill a rat for an entire year, you really suck as a serial killer," He said as Sirius nodded and laughed, agreeing with the teen in front of him. "I do have to apologize a bit here for crashing your moment. I need some answers out of him, pressing answers," Percy said, straightening himself up. "Who knows? Maybe you'll get a chance to kill him if I find the answers unsatisfying," He said, looking at the trio as Harry had a grip on his wand and was looking at Percy with a narrowed look.

"Go ahead, kid, it's not like I can do much about it," Sirius said, pointing at his little predicament, and Percy hummed and glanced down at him.

"That you don't," Percy said, taking a step towards Harry, who moved his wand upwards a bit, stopping Percy in his tracks. "May I ask why you are pointing your wand at me, Harry?" Percy asked, tilting his head a bit as Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"Are you working with him? With Sirius?" Harry asked in suspicion, and Percy couldn't stop himself and actually laughed out loud at that question.

"Am I working with Sirius? No fuck no," Percy said, laughing a bit before taking a breath, quelling his laughter a bit. "Though our motives do align at the moment, no, I'm not working with Sirius," Percy said as Harry narrowed his eyes, noticing how Kuro jumped back on Sirius's shoulder.

"Don't listen to him, Harry," Ron said as Harry glanced at him. "He's lying to you; he's a snake. He probably got closer to you to deliver you in a silver plate to Sirius," Ron said as Percy tilted his head a bit.

"Do you truly believe that?" He asked with a bit of a smirk as Harry just narrowed his eyes, and Percy glanced at Hermione. "What about you, Mione? Do you believe that as well?" He asked as Hermione crossed her arms a bit and looked at him, confused and afraid.

"We don't know what to believe here, Percy," Harry said as he tightened his fist around his wand, and Percy raised his hands in peace. "Our Professor started helping Sirius, so you have to forgive us for not being very trusting right now." Harry said as Percy hummed and glanced back at Remus and Sirius.

"You haven't explained to him what's going on?" Percy asked as Remus looked down, and Sirius shook his head. "Very well then, how about this, Harry?" He said as Harry narrowed his eyes at him, waiting to see what he would say. "Let me tell you a tale, and at the end of it, if you still decide not to trust me, you're well within your rights to try and fight me," Percy said before taking a step towards him. "Sounds fair?" Percy asked, and Harry nodded, but didn't let go of his stance.

Percy moved his hands down and placed them behind his back. "This tale begins a while back, well before our time began. I call it the sad tragedy of The Marauders," He said as Remus and Sirius immediately looked up in confusion. "It begins when four students took their first step into Hogwarts. These were, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," He said as Harry grew a bit confused.

"The ones who made the map?" He asked, and Percy nodded his head.

"The very same, though at the start of this tale, they haven't become such renowned figures, that would happen later on, but I'm getting ahead of myself," Percy said as he started pacing side to side as Harry kept his wand on him. "Prongs and Padfoot met first on the train, a friendship born out of their common sense of humor, which turned out to be messing with people," Percy said as Sirius smiled a bit fondly, though only Remus saw it.

"Fortunately for them, their friendship could blossom as they both were selected into Gryffindor," He said as he looked at Harry for a moment. "It was there when they met two other boys. A witty and smart individual by the name Moony, and a shy, quiet boy who always trailed behind him as Moony had taken pity on him, Wormtail," Percy said as Harry saw Sirius and Remus glare at that name.

"Prongs and Padfoot took a liking to Moony immediately as his witty sense of humor matched perfectly with theirs, and Wormtail, afraid of being alone, stuck by them, and they became such close friends, and a bit of a rowdy group as they pranked and messed with people as they pleased," Percy said as Sirius cleared his throat a bit.

"Or perhaps they were just having fun?" Sirius said a bit cheekily, as Percy looked at him while humming a bit.

"Snivellius would disagree," Percy said, and Sirius chuckled and nodded, agreeing with him. "Anyhow, the four were inseparable, but you see," Percy said, leaning into Harry with a smirk on his face. "Little Moony had a secret," Percy said as Hermione was frowning in deep thought as she was starting to piece together what Percy was saying between the lines of his tale.

"A secret that would come out now and then under the shadow of the full moon," Percy said as Sirius looked at Remus in slight worry, as the DADA Professor was looking at the floor with sadness in his eyes. "And he was afraid that his friends would find out, shun him as the rest of the world had. So he made excuses, telling them that his mother was very ill and he had to leave every other day to take care of her," Percy said as Remus looked up at him, a bit shocked and confused.

"But he underestimated the smartness of his friends, for they ended up finding his secret," Percy said as he moved forward a bit. "For you see, little Moony was a werewolf," Percy said as Hermione gasped, having figured out something from his tale, but remained quiet as Harry kept looking at Percy with narrowed eyes.

"But instead of shunning him or breaking their friendship with him, they accepted him for who he was. And try to find ways to be with him in those awful days," Percy said, moving his hands to the side. "And it all culminated in their fifth year, where Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail became illegal Animagus to join Moony on his days of pain and suffering," Percy said before pacing once more.

"Prongs became a noble stag, Padfoot a shaggy black dog with fleas to him for what it seems," Percy said as Sirius smirked at him, a bit amused, as Harry was now starting to pierce it as well as Percy looked back at him. "And Wormtail became a common house rat," Percy said with a glint of anger in his eyes as Harry missed who he glanced at Scabbers.

"That was the birth of the Marauders," Percy said before taking a somber look on his face. "But our tale doesn't end there, for our story has a twist," Percy said, looking at Harry as the black-haired teen started moving his wand down a bit.

"They left Hogwarts brand new men, and Padfoot, along with Prongs, fell in love," Percy said before Sirius cleared his throat a bit. "Not with each other, of course. And they ended up having a family of their own, but war started growing in the background, and it was in full effect once Padfoot and Prong's children were born," Percy said as Harry listened closely to his tale.

"Fearing the worst, they sent their loved ones into hiding as they were known supporters against the dark forces of the Dark Lord," Percy said as Sirius and Remus looked down, hating remembering those times. "Prongs went into hiding with his love, but Padfoot had a different idea," Percy said, moving his finger up. "He may be a dog, but he was a clever one," Percy said as Sirius snorted a bit.

"A ruse needed to be set, a magical protection sort to speak, and one where only one person would know the locations of those loved ones," Percy said, putting his hands behind his back. "Progs came with the idea of having Padfoot knowing that secret location, while Padfoot will run around buying time for protection," He said as Sirius looked up, steeling himself for what was to come.

"But Padfoot thought otherwise, for Prongs and he were like brothers, and the love he had for the mother of his child made him an obvious target, so they needed someone else to keep that secret," Percy explained as Harry listened closely. "Prongs offered Moony, but he was out of town, and Padfoot had grown to distrust him because of the war," Percy said as Harry looked confused, but Percy answered his unasked question.

"They had a mole in their side, and Padfoot was certain it was Moony," Percy said as Sirius looked at Remus a bit apologetically. "So instead of him, Padfoot came with another one. One that no one would think to go after, because how weak, pathetic, and plain stupid he was," Percy said, unable to hide his disdain at the end. "And Wormtail became the holder of that secret location," Percy said before his eyes turned into sorrow-filled ones.

"Then one Halloween night of 2001, Padfoot was making his rounds and a growing sense of dread filled him, and he went to check on Wormtail's hiding spot, only to find it empty," Percy said as Harry's eyes widened as he heard Sirius growling in anger. "And once he left, he found nothing but pain as his lover and child were burned to ashes and his brother in all but blood was killed by the very man they were hiding from," Percy said as Harry's arm fell to his side, stopping the hold he had on his wand.

"And instead of sorrow, he felt nothing but rage as he knew the man responsible for this, Wormtail himself," Percy explained as Sirius' eyes filled with hatred all of a sudden. "And he found him cornering him on a busy Muggle street. But you cannot underestimate a coward's resourcefulness," Percy said as he moved his hand forward.

"He shopped his middle finger and exploded the street, killing twelve Muggles in the process, leaving Padfoot stunned and unable to defend himself from the aurors that came soon after," Percy said while placing his hands behind his back once more. "And off to Azkaban he was thrown, leaving but one Marauder remaining, thinking two of his friends had just died, and the remaining one branded as a traitor," Percy said before taking a slight bow. "And that's the tragic tale of The Marauders," Percy said before looking up and smirking at Harry a bit. "Or so we thought, for you see, fourteen years later, the three remaining Marauders all came together, in the same haunting place that their bond was born, the Shrieking Shack," Percy said as Harry looked at him in confusion.

"Meaning?" Harry said he had a sense of what Percy was trying to say, but he needed confirmation. But it came from Hermione, not him.

"They are here, the Marauders aren't they?" She asked, and Percy glared at her and nodded before walking up to Sirius.

"Padfoot," Percy said as Sirius, even with all the anger he was feeling, was a prankster at heart, so he bowed his head to his introduction as Percy walked to Lupin. "Moony," Percy said as Remus gave Harry a smile of shame and nervousness.

"Your father James was Prongs," Percy said as he walked back to Harry before pointing at Ron a bit. "And Wormtail is right there," Percy said with a smirk as Ron scoffed at him.

"Me? You are truly mental, I'm telling you, Harry, you can't trust him," Ron said as Sirius had had enough and scoffed.

"No, you moron, the rat," He said as Ron looked up at them, scoffing at them.

"You're mental, Scabbers has been in my family for ages, in fact, he's been in it for the past," He said as Percy finished that sentence.

"Fourteen years, am I right?" Percy said as Ron's words died on his mouth. "Quite the unusual life for a common house rat, and he's missing a finger, isn't he?" Percy said as Harry looked at the rat suspiciously. "And he started getting sick at the start of the year, it was because of his fear-induced stress of Black coming to kill him," Percy explained as Harry narrowed his eyes even more as Percy looked back at him. "Is that enough for you, Harry?" He asked as Harry directed his narrowed look at him.

"It is," Harry said as Percy smiled a bit, content with driving his point across. "But we will have a chat about this, about you keeping secrets after all this is over," He said as Percy met his green eyes head-on with his violet ones.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," He said as Harry nodded, pocketing his wand away. "Now, Peter," Percy said, looking at Ron, who held Scabbers closely. "You have two choices here. You can come out now on your own free will and answer a few questions I have, and I will do my very best to avoid your death tonight," Percy said as Sirius made a noise of disagreement, but Remus quieted him down.

"Or don't, and I drag you and the answers either way, but if I do, you will lose more than your finger tonight, Peter," Percy said, narrowing his eyes at the rat. "So, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?" Percy asked, moving his hands to the side as the rat wrestled against Ron's hand before biting it and being able to escape.

Harry moved his wand in fear that the rat would escape, but Scabbers moved closer to Percy, and soon the rat started changing forms. Then in front of Percy appeared a very short man, he didn't even beat Percy's height by that much, he had lost a lot of weight, perhaps from the stress he was on, and his hair was long and thin like a mullet style, but it was falling off from the top. But his most prominent feature was his rat-like teeth and the way his eyes darted around like a rat or a mouse, even as he sniffed the whole area around.

"I-I came out, just like you said, please save me, please," Peter said, bowing to Percy's feet as the white-haired teen crouched in front of him.

"Oh, you fucking pathetic coward! When I'm freed from these bindings, I swear to god I will murder you!" Sirius said, wrestling with his bidding as Peter gasped in fear and made himself smaller, but Percy put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't listen to him, Azkaban hasn't been kind to him, and the years haven't been kind to you as well, my dear Peter, haven't they?" Percy said as Peter shook his head and trembled in fear. "Don't worry, it will all be over very soon. You need to answer my questions truthfully, okay?" Percy said as Peter looked up at him, as Harry and Hermione moved closer to him, wondering what he was doing.

"Of course, ask me anything, just keep me safe, please," He said as Percy let go of his shoulder, and Harry saw how Percy rubbed his hand on his pants, a bit disgusted.

"First of all, can you lend me your arm?" Percy said as Peter raised his right arm. "The other one, Peter," he said as Peter hesitated a bit and wound himself up, but did so when Percy hardened his eyes at him.

Percy garbed and pulled Peter's clothing upwards as Harry and Hermione saw a mark there, a mark of a skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth. "Take a look, this is the Death Eater mark, all of Voldemort's loyals wore it with pride," Percy said before looking at Peter with slight disgust. "Well, almost all of them," Percy said, letting go of his hand as Harry narrowed his eyes in anger and disgust.

"You sold out my parents to Voldemort!?" Harry asked, angry, as Peter cowered a bit while Sirius kept wrestling with his bindings.

"Answer his question, Peter," Percy said, looking at Peter without any emotion.

"I had to, Voldemort was powerful, he would've killed me, I had no choice," Peter said before Percy narrowed his eyes at him.

"I told you not to lie, Peter," Percy said, squealing in fear. "I let this one go, but next time you lie to me, I'll cut Sirius' bindings," Percy said before looking at Harry, who was looking at Peter in hatred. "To have a mark means eternal loyalty to Voldemort. Several Death Eaters describe it as a rite of passage; they had to hunt a Muggle or a Muggleborn down, and either rape, torture, or kill them in front of their lord to receive a mark," Percy said before looking back at Peter. "Guessing it was the latter for you, wasn't it?" Percy said, nodding as Peter still felt very afraid.

Harry felt disgusted and looked away as Hermione's breath caught, then put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "But you went far and beyond for him, didn't you? Selling your mates from the Order? Becoming a spy for him?" Percy said as Peter nodded and looked up at him in fear. "Whatever you needed to do to survive, am I right?" He asked sarcastically, but Peter nodded nonetheless.

"Now, I have good judgment when it comes to people like you," Percy said, placing a finger on Peter's forehead. "Information gathering, that's how you survive. You make yourself invaluable by gathering so much information that Voldemort had no choice but to keep you around, am I correct?" Percy asked, pushing Peter back a bit while chuckling a little, and Peter nodded.

"Yes, I listen carefully and I maintain myself next to him at all times," Peter said, and Percy's smile grew a bit wider.

"Excellent, then you have exactly the information I need. Now, remember, answer truthfully, okay?" Percy said, turning up the charm a bit, and Peter nodded, reassured. "Let's go back to that night, October 31st, 2001," Percy said as Peter nodded, but looked at Percy a bit afraid.

"We all know what happened that night, the Potters died at the hand of Voldemort, leaving him an orphan as Voldemort disappeared and was presumed dead that night, correct?" Percy said, and Peter nodded. "But that's not all that happened that night, am I correct?" Percy asked as Peter's eyes widened in shock, freezing in fear.

"The wizarding world wanted to move from the Magical war, and they tried to focus on the celebration of Voldemort, making the Potters martyrs and heroes while shoving everything that happened that night away, but they weren't very successful," Percy said as Hermione and Harry looked at him in curiosity and confusion.

"Roman and Dorea Bones, mauled by Greyback and his pack of werewolves in the middle of Diagon Alley, just three hours before the Potters were killed," Percy said as Peter started growing short of breath because of his fear, as Hermione gasped, knowing those were Susan's parents.

"Frank and Alicia Longbottom, kidnapped by Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange alongside Barty Crouch Jr., who then proceeded to torture them into insanity for over the span of two weeks," Percy said as it was Harry's turn to gasp. Is that why Neville was who he was now? "That happened just an hour before the Potters died," Percy said as he moved his hands forward, letting them hang on his knees.

"Now I don't know about you, Peter, but I'm not a believer in coincidences. Especially in cases like this," Percy said, rubbing his fingers together a bit. "This was a planned and coordinated attack. Why?" Percy asked, and Peter shook his head.

"I don't know," Peter said as Percy groaned and was about to ask again, but Peter carried on, "I swear I don't know! The Dark lord only told his inner circle; only Lucius, Snape, and Bellatrix knew why! The rest of us thought it was to send a message and to win the war, I swear!" Peter said as Percy rubbed his face in annoyance.

"I'm starting to believe you were not as useful as I thought you were; might as well kill you here if you have nothing for me," Percy said, standing up, but Peter grabbed his feet.

"No, no, please, I have information, I promise," Peter said, crying and whimpering in fear as Percy looked down at him in disgust. "Please, ask me anything, just don't kill me, I beg you," He said as Percy moved his feet away and kneeled in front of the cowering man.

"There was another incident that day, one that happened minutes before the Potters were killed. One the Ministry made sure everyone forgot," Percy said as Peter looked up at him, a bit afraid and confused. "Emilia Nyx died while being burnt to death by four Death Eaters," As Harry gasped and looked at Percy a bit in shock, but not only did he do so, but Sirius and Remus did as well, looking at Percy in confusion.

"They didn't find out who did it; there were only reports of people seeing four shadowy figures watching a house burn to ashes as the screams of a woman filled the streets," Percy said as Sirius tightened his fist in anger, and Remus looked at him in concern.

"Who were those four Death Eaters?" Percy asked as Peter's breath hitched in fear and glanced at Sirius.

"Please don't, he will kill me," Peter said as Percy grabbed Peter by his collar and brought him closer.

"A lot worse will happen if you don't answer me. Now I'll ask again," Percy said, narrowing his eyes at Peter. "Who killed Emilia Nyx?" He asked a bit forcefully as Peter gulped his fear down and stared at Percy's violet eyes.

"Igor Karkaroff," Peter said as Percy listened closely. "Antonin Dolohov," Peter listed the second name as Percy's eyes were shadowed by his hair, and Harry took a step forward, looking at Percy in concern. "Lucius Malfoy," Peter said, and felt Percy's hand tighten around his collar, and glanced at Sirius, who was looking at the floor with dead and broken eyes.

"And!?" Percy asked, moving Peter around a bit forcefully. "Who was the last one there!?" Percy asked as Peter whimpered in fear before screaming the final name.

"Severus, Severus Snape!" Peter said as he was let go immediately because of Percy's shock, and he wasn't the only one, as the room suddenly grew quiet, as Peter's revelation had silenced them all in shock.

A silence that ended up being broken by Sirius himself as he started laughing like a maniac before staring his eyes on Snape with hatred behind them, and he took a step forward, but Remus took action and quickly jumped on top of him, stopping him as best he could. "Get off me, Remus! Let me kill him! I swear to fucking god if you don't let me go and let me kill Snivellius, I will kill you as well!" Sirius said with tears in his eyes as he tried to wrestle off Remus' hold.

"Harry, Hermione! Help me hold him down!" Remus shouted as Hermione rushed towards them, helping Lupin hold down Sirius.

"Let go of me! I have to kill him! Let me kill that fucking cunt!" Sirius said as Hermione pushed down as she and Remus grabbed a hold of Sirius as best they could, and then she looked up at Harry and Ron. "Guys, come on, give us a hand!" She shouted, and Ron managed to crawl toward them, helping them hold Sirius in place as he cried and screamed about killing Snape.

But not Harry, no, he knew better than to move as he was still watching Percy with concern as the white-haired teen had grown eerily quiet. Peter looked up and bowed his head to Percy. "Please I answered your questions. Let me leave, please grant me mercy," He said as Harry heard Percy snort, and then he started laughing, and soon the room was filled with a maniacal laugh coming from the white-haired teen, one that even surprised Sirius as he stopped trashing around and looked there in confusion.

"Mercy?" Percy said, moving his hand forward, as Harry saw black smoke coming from his hands and shoulders. "You're begging for Mercy!?" Percy said, with a dry chuckle, as Harry saw the smoke growing stronger. And before Peter or Harry could do anything, Percy lounged forward, grabbing Peter by the throat and pushing the older man to the floor.

"You pathetic worm of a man, you have run out of fucking mercy to ask! And I have none to give to a piece of dirt like you!" Percy said, squeezing a bit as Peter coughed and grabbed Percy's hand with pleading eyes. "I should kill you, god knows I fucking want to you fucking coward!" Percy said, as everyone stared at him in fear for some and worry for others, only seeing him towering over Peter.

He brought his face closer to Peter as they saw Peter's eyes grew wide in fear, and he started whimpering with fear, trying to escape Percy's hold. "But I still have a use out of you, and as luck will have it, that usefulness has given you another chance of continuing to breathe, you fucking coward. And I'm a man of my word, you will not die today," He said while looking down at Peter with a glare on his face.

"But tomorrow? Tomorrow I get a front seat to watch the Dementors rip your soul apart piece by fucking piece, and while you die, I can only hope that the voices of those who died by your hand haunt you even in the next life, you fucking weasel!" Percy said, letting go of Peter and standing up as Peter grabbed his feet again.

"Please, show mercy," Peter tried once more, but Percy growled and put his feet on top of Peter's head before stomping it, knocking the man out cold on the floor.

"Ugh fucking shut up, you pathetic piece of shit!" Percy said as Harry moved to the side, putting himself between Percy and Snape. "Of course it had to be him, it can never be that easy," Percy started mumbling to himself as Harry saw the smoke gathering around Percy's right hand.

"I should've known, he never liked me, goddammit, what do I do?" Percy kept mumbling as Harry watched the smoke materialize in Percy's hand, and soon he was holding something there. A silver gun — no, a glowing silver pepperbox with a black handle and several violet patterns plastered around the handle and muzzle of it — and Harry could've sworn that the names Peter had just said started engraving themselves into the pepperbox in the muzzle.

"Fuck this, it doesn't matter who he is." He heard Percy mumble once more, and that brought Harry back as he looked up as Percy was turning around. And he gasped a little bit as Percy's eyes had changed, and he was no longer seeing his violet eyes; now, black eyes with a pair of white glowing irises were staring back into Harry's emerald eyes. "Get out of my way, Harry," Percy said as Harry took a step back but held his ground.

"What are you planning on doing, Percy?" Harry asked as Percy snorted and brought the gun upwards, as smoke wrapped itself around his hands and eyes.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Percy asked a bit sarcastically before narrowing his eyes at Harry. "I'm going to kill that fucker behind you," Percy said as Harry moved his hands forward a bit.

"Wait," Harry said, but was immediately interrupted by Percy.

"Wait!? You're asking me to wait!?" Percy asked as the smoke grew stronger and Harry took another step back. "I've been waiting fourteen years of my life for this! I have done plenty of waiting!" Percy said, mirroring Sirius' desperation from before.

"Now, I love you, Harry, more than I do myself," Percy said as he knocked the barrel of the pepperbox back a bit. "But if you don't get out of my way, I will go through you," he said with a growl in his voice as the rest of the group looked at the pair in slight fear and concern. "Now please, don't make me hurt you and just move aside," Percy said, moving the gun upwards a bit but not aiming it at Harry.

"I'm just asking you to think this through," Harry said as Percy narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm not against you killing him, god knows you'll be doing me a favor here. But think about it," Harry said as Percy narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"If you kill him here, you will have no alibi, no scapegoat, you'll become a target as you'll have killed a faculty member and a well-respected wizard," Harry said as Percy's hand started going downwards. "You'll become a fugitive at best and a convicted criminal at worst. And what about Daphne or Luna?" Harry asked as Percy's eyes widened for a moment.

"I know that they care for you a lot. How do you think they will react when they hear you've been sent to Azkaban, huh?" Harry asked as Percy's hand trembled and the smoke started to die down. "All I'm asking is that you think this through, like you always ask me to," He said as the smoke and the gun disappeared and Percy fell to the ground, taking a seat while placing his arms on his knees.

Harry sighed in relief as he shared a concerned look with Hermione, but then he started hearing laughter coming from Percy, and he looked at him, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw Percy beginning to tear up a bit.

Harry took a step toward Percy and crouched in front of him. "Percy?" Harry asked in concern as Percy moved his hands forward and grabbed Harry's shirt before placing his head into Harry's chest as he started crying, tears filled with pain.

Harry looked down at him, a bit out of his depth, but then he wrapped his arms around Percy, bringing him close, giving him the only comfort he could think about in that moment.

Things had settled down a bit as the group started leaving the Shrieking Shack the way they came in. And in an effort to apologize for how they'd behaved, both Sirius and Percy had offered to carry Ron out of the shack and out of the tree.

And now the group was taking a moment to breathe as Sirius was ahead a few steps from the group, looking at the castle ahead, and Percy was sitting on one of the tree's vines, looking at the sky in silent contemplation.

Harry went after Sirius with the nod of Hermione, and after she had made sure Ron was okay, she walked up to Percy and took a seat next to her. "Hey," She said, going to touch his shoulder, but hesitated at the last moment. "So, um, what happened back there?" She asked with concern and curiosity, but he just drew his knees up to his chest and remained quiet, so she took another approach. "Emilia was your mother then?" Hermione said, trying to push a bit, but stopped when he sighed and looked up.

"As long as I can remember, I always had the same recurrent nightmare," Percy said as Hermione listened closely. "A house, wrapped in bright reddish orange flames, and followed by the screams of a woman calling my name," Percy said as Hermione brought her knees closer to her. "It wasn't till I learn about the wizarding world that I knew that those screams were my mother's," Percy said before letting a dry chuckle out. "And the fucked up thing here is that that's the only memory I have of my mother. Her screams," Percy said as Hermione stopped hesitating and moved closer to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"I'm sorry for what you saw back there," Percy said, rubbing his face a bit. "Magic is all about the wizard's intent and feelings, and I guess I let my anger and hatred slip through me," He said as Hermione wrapped her arm around him.

"It is okay, it's human to feel like that," Hermione said as he looked up at her with sadness in her eyes. "And we will find you justice, I promise you," Hermione said as Percy snorted, and he looked at her with sorrow in his eyes.

"That's the thing, Mione," Percy said as she looked into his eyes. "I don't want justice, I want them dead," Percy said with a conviction that almost scared Hermione, but she steeled herself and brought him closer. She didn't know what he had been through, so she knew not to place her ideals above him. This was a path only he could walk through; she could only offer a shoulder to support him.

Then he felt the rays of the moon hit his face as he settled his head on Hermione's shoulder, but then he gasped, realizing something, and he looked ahead to see the full moon coming around the mountains.

"Fuck," Percy said as he stood up immediately and put Hermione behind him as he watched Remus being transfixed by the moon as Peter, who was in front of him, being held at wand point, took a step back in fear.

"Remus! Remus, my friend!" Sirius said, rushing towards Remus and grabbing a hold of him as Remus started screaming in pain, and in the process, Kuro jumped from Sirius's shoulder and into Percy's as Harry got to them and put Ron behind him. "Remus, did you forget your potions!?" Sirius asked in fear, but it was too late as Remus had shaken Sirius away and started bending to his knees as fur started growing around him.

And in the middle of that confusion, Peter had grabbed Remus's wand and turned himself into a rat once more, not before smirking at Percy and Harry. But Percy wasn't going to let him go that easily as he looked at Kuro with a serious look. "Don't let him escape," he said, thoughtfully, and Kuro jumped forward, rushing after the rat at incredible speed.

Then everything became a blur to Harry as Remus, in complete wolf form, tried to attack them, but Sirius, in his dog form, tried to protect them. Remus was stronger, and he ended up throwing Sirius around like he was nothing.

And both Percy and Harry ran forward to try to save Sirius. Still, only Percy managed to get past the wolf as Remus was glaring down at Harry, but then a howling was heard from the woods. Remus rushed to the sound, giving Harry an open path to Percy and Sirius, and he found them near a small lake in the woods as Percy was trying to carry Sirius out of there.

"Harry, come on, give me a hand," Percy said as Harry rushed forward and noticed the blood on Sirius's arm and forehead. "You'll be okay, old man, just hang in there," Percy said as Sirius met his violet eyes with a groggy stare, and they seemed to be recognizing something.

"Emi?" Sirius asked before falling to the ground, as both teens did because of his weight.

"Shit, Harry said, being the first to stand up, but then he started feeling cold as he noticed the lake turning into ice. "Percy, we need to run!" Harry said, knowing what was coming, but it was too late, for a Dementor came swooping towards Percy, sucking his soul rapidly, sending the white-haired teen to the ground.

Harry brought Percy closer, who had passed out immediately, and could only watch in horror as a sea of Dementors came rushing towards them. He stood up and tried to throw the Patronum at them, but he failed to do so, and he could only watch helplessly as the dementors sucked the trio's souls bit by bit out of them. And Harry was losing consciousness, knowing full well that if he didn't do something, the three would die. But then he saw a bright white light ahead of him as a noble stag made out of light stared right at Harry, and then a wave of light coursed through the sea of Dementors, burning the cloaks of some and sending the others flying away in fear. And as Harry felt darkness closing on him, he saw the stag bowing his head at him as a fatherly love aura washed over him, helping him fall unconscious.

End of Chapter 12.