To Drown or Burn... or Let it Get You

We Say 'Ello To Those British Blokes

'Where are they?' Percy thought, looking through the crowd for anyone who seemed out of place or bore the slightest resemblance to the photos Chiron had shown him. His cold eyes snapped to the doors from under his hood as a group of mismatched individuals rushed in. 'Ah. That would be them.' The group consisted of a man with a bowler hat and a wooden leg, a woman with bubblegum pink hair, a shaggy-looking black dog, and a boy that looks around 17 with spiky, untamable black hair much like Percy's and a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. Percy strides toward them, stopping in front of them.

"You must be who I'm looking for."

"Are you Perseus Jackson?" The man with the bowler hat answers. Percy nods, fighting off flashbacks at the name, as the man looks him up and down. He walks back toward the door, the small group chatting within themselves.

"Percy, to anyone who doesn't wish me dead." He smirks at them, concealing his sadness behind humor.

"Alright then. I'm Alastor Moody. This is Tonks," The man, Moody, gestures to the young woman. "Harry Potter," the boy, "and Sirius Black." He earns a questioning glance at this. "The dog. He's an animagus." Percy nods sharply, seemingly cutting off the conversation.

The strange group gets in a car, zooming through London's busy streets precariously until they reach an old, dilapidated one. Percy stumbles out of the car.

"You sure you have your license?" Moody barks out a laugh at that.

Percy looks up to see a building covered in so much mist, Percy can barely see through it. He has a feeling he isn't supposed to, so he doesn't mention it. Tonks hands him a paper.

"Here. Read it so you can see headquarters." Percy pretended to read the loopy handwriting, seeing the mist over the house get clearer as he does. they climb out of the car and he follows the foursome, Sirius having changed into a man, to the door of the house. they knock, and yelling can be heard from inside.

"How many times must I tell you not to knock?" breathed a plump, red-haired woman as she opens the door. She has what looks like a wand in her hand, and opens the door wider, inviting them in. The group heads inside, Percy hesitating at the threshold. when he does go in, his eyes dart around the room, analyzing it for possible exits.

"Welcome to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," Alastor says. "Although I don't really know if there's an Order now that Voldemort's dead."

"Don't be silly.  There will be an Order of the Phoenix as long there is dark magic to combat. Harry, dear, how are you? And I assume this is Perseus?" the woman asks. Percy gives her a terse nod, his hands twitching toward riptide.

"My name's Molly Weasley. Oh!" She turns to Moody. "There's another meeting tonight. I believe it's about the cleanup. Perseus, Dumbledore wants you there too." Percy stiffens at the sound of his full name, before nodding tersely.

"It's Percy." Alastor nods, turning toward the door and heading outside. Percy holds up his bag questioningly. Molly gets his unspoken query and replies.

"There's a room upstairs you can stay in with Ron and Harry, dear." Percy tenses at the affectionate term. It reminds him of his mother. 

He follows Harry up the stairs to the third floor, opening the door to a room ahead of them. There is a redheaded boy around the same age as Harry sitting in the huge area. There are four king-sized beds and several piles of clothes scattered throughout the room, along with a large window at one end that would serve as a suitable exit if needed.

"Harry, mate! You're back! Who's the creepy guy behind you?" The redhead asks.

"Did you forget the reason I went to the airport in the first place?"

"Oh, yeah... You must be Perseus! I'm Ron!" The boy comes toward him and sticks his hand out. Percy just stands there, and he eventually withdraws it.

"Perseus is going to be rooming with us." Harry comments. "And there's going to be another Order meeting tonight. He's allowed." He gestured toward Percy, and they both freeze when they see what he's doing. Percy is in the middle of getting his stuff out, laying it on the bed that looks unoccupied. He puts down his gladius and a few jars of greek fire, along with a xiphos. He's very careful with the greek fire, he doesn't want to burn the house down as ugly as it is. Harry and Ron are staring at him, mouths agape, as he counts the munitions.

"How many weapons can you have?" Ron muttered. The wizards watch as he pulls off the sweatshirt, revealing a orange shirt with burn marks all over it, and the initials CHB on it, along with a Pegasus.

The two boys gasp at his face. He looks to be only a year or two older than them, and his eyes are cold and hard, no emotion showing in them. He places the weapons and sweatshirt back in the bag. Taking a pillowcase from the bed, he wraps it around the greek fire before putting it with everything else. Percy sits on the empty bed, staring unnervingly at his onlookers, as they have been doing this whole time.

"Where's your wand, Perseus?" Harry asks.

"Don't have one."

"I don't think he has one," Ron says at the same time

"Why?"

"We learn how to use magic without the crutch of a wand back-" Percy's head snaps up, grasping something in his pocket with his hand while standing up. The young wizards' heads whip around, relaxing when they see Hermione standing in the doorway.

"Hey, 'Moine!" Ron exclaims while Hermione looks strangely at the intruder.

"Oh. Hermione, this is Perseus, he's going to be rooming with us. Perseus, this is Hermione, our friend." Hermione heads toward the other boys.

"Percy."

"What's up with him? He seems a bit dodgy."

"He's right here, why don't you ask him yourself?"

"He's got no wand, 'Mione!" Ron exclaims, causing Percy to roll his eyes.

"Ron, people who can harness magic without a wand are usually more powerful than those who are taught with one. Besides, we can get him one if he wants."

"That would be appreciated as I have no way of getting one without you."

"Mrs. Weasley told me he will be coming to school with us this year, as a transfer student from an American school. Oh! She sent me up here to tell you to come down to dinner." Percy gets up with everyone else, them rushing ahead of him down the stairs

edited