𝕒𝕤𝕡í𝕕𝕒 | shield

IV. Be Damned

September 9th, 1994

As long as it wasn't Pina Colada, Percy actually held a great fondness for music. Somewhere in the back of his memory, he vaguely recalled music being a large part of his life: Lily would often sing him to sleep when he was a baby with James trying -and usually failing- to sing along. He remembered Sirius and James blasting Queen in the afternoons, only for Lily to rush down the stairs, covering his ears as she scolded the man-children.

Now, Percy wished technology worked at Hogwarts. It would make his life so much easier; he would simply start blasting Queen through a set of earphones and he would never again have to face the world. The whispers which followed him all over the castle would cease to exist and anyone whom he had a bad taste for would disappear.

Percy sighed loudly at the thought. It would be magical indeed.

Saskia meowed in his lap, calling for attention. Percy looked down, his eyes softening as the cat snuggled into his jersey, his claws kneading into his stomach painfully. Unfortunately, as a cat-lover, Percy couldn't find it within himself to shove her off his lap, let alone lightly bat her sooty paws back. In fact, he would have been content to fall asleep then and there had a phoenix not begun to insistantly tap its beak against the glass.

"Oh what now?" Percy said to himself as he stood up, cradling the cat in his arms as she mewed in protest. "Oh, hush," he muttered, chuckling as he moved to open the window, "you know you love it." Another mew was all he got as an answer so he took it as a yes.

Finally managing to open the latch with one hand, the phoenix handed him a letter in exchange for a chin scratch before it flew back to the castle's highest tower. Percy sighed as he stared at the letter. He'd been expecting this for a while now, surprised it had taken the old man so long. Still, he was dreading it. The last time they spoke... well, it was not the best conversation.

Letting out another groan of frustration, Percy set Saskia down on his bed where she curled into a ball, watching him with her green eyes. Percy muttered in irritation as pulled on his robes again and left the dungeons towards the Headmaster's Office.

"He is growing too wild, too curious."

"I know that! I can't stop it! He knows something is wrong. This is the man who killed our parents. He's never heard the full story, not like me. He doesn't know any better."

"Make him stop by whatever means necessary. If Sirius Black gets his hands on Harry-"

"I know what will happen! But I can't stop him! Besides, he'll know I'm lying to him if I try to stop him. I've got enough secrets as it is-"

"Enough! Your brother is your responsibility, Perseus. Keep him alive, or else."

"Is that a threat, Headmaster?"

"Yes. Yes, it is, Perseus."

All too soon, Percy had arrived in front of the headmaster's office. In all honesty, he hated this man more than he hated Zeus or Hades or Hera or even Gaia. That was saying something.

Shivering involuntarily, Percy muttered a few flavours of Berty Bott's Every Flavored Beans before watching the gargoyle shift to the side to reveal the staircase which Percy ascended, making certain to lift his chin high and proud.

When he got to the top, he walked through the already open door, not bothering to be civil about it. "You asked for me?"

Dumbledore looked up from his desk, lacking the twinkle in his eyes which he favored to Harry. "Ah," he said with a false tone of joy, "Perseus. It's been a long time."