When Myths meet Magic || 3

23|| Percy

"No! You can't kill him!" Harry stood between the wands, hands spread out.

"The Hades, Harry?" Percy muttered. "You were about to kill Black a few minutes ago for him killing your parents, but now that you meet the guy who actually did, you want to spare him?"

But Percy was drowned out by Pettigrew's sobs of relief as he curled on the floor.

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you don't have parents," Black snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your entire family."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll turn him over to the dementors, he can go to Azkaban."

"Harry!" Pettigrew gasped, flinging his arms around Harry's knees. "Thank you! It's more than I deserve-- thank you--"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew off himself. "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it because I don't think my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers-- just for you."

Lupin and Sirius hesitated, then with one movement, lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," Black said reluctantly. "But think... think what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does."

"Very well," Lupin said. And he flicked his wand, black cords shooting out of the tip. Harry stepped to the side as the cords wrapped themselves around Pettigrew, binding and gagging him.

"But if you transform," Black growled. "We will kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry nodded.

"Right," Lupin said, suddenly businesslike. "I can't mend bones like Madam Pomfrey, so it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing--"

"Can he take ambrosia?" Hermione asked to the demigods. They looked at each other.

"I don't think we should risk it," Annabeth said. "I mean, too much of the stuff can even burn us up. And I dunno if Ron can take it, since he's not descended from-- well, you know."

Ron nodded as he stood up, his leg in a splint that Lupin had conjured. "That's fine," he said. "I can make it back to the castle."

A loud metallic clang rang through the room, and all eyes turned to Percy, who had just bashed Riptide against Snape's head. "He was waking up again," Percy said. "What do we do with him?"

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," Nico said. "He's just unconscious. Not dead. Unfortunately," He muttered the last word, but everyone heard him nonetheless.

"We'll just take him to the castle too, but we won't revive him until then. Mobilicorpus." Lupin raised his wand, and Snape's limbs were suddenly jerked into a standing position like a puppet, his head rolling unpleasantly.

"That's gross," Annabeth decided as she picked up the invisibility cloak. "And we should be chained to this thing," She added, nodding to Peter. "Just to be sure."

"I'll do it," Lupin said.

"Me too," Jason agreed as he stepped forward. "I can always electrocute him if necessary."

Pettigrew's face paled at the idea of being electrocuted, and stood obediently as Black fastened chains around him, connecting Jason and Lupin to Peter. And the group started back down the low, dark tunnel to Hogwarts.

Nico walked in the back, next to Sirius and Harry. He half listened as they talked, but was mainly focusing on not braining himself on the rocks protruding from the ceiling. But when he turned to them, he saw that Sirius had on the widest and truest smile Nico had ever seen. On Black, at least.