A Life Changing Story "Harry Potter and Percy Jackson

Part 4

Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Percy's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. He internally snorted. Please he fought the God of War two years ago.
"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"
"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. ButPercy saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.
"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly.
Percy scowled at the Potions master. He had always favoured his own house students than others.
They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution.Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Harry and Ron so thatthey were preparing their ingredients on the same table. It seems that he was going to make Harry's and Ron's life as miserable as possible.
"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisyroots, because of my arm —"
"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape withoutlooking up.
Ron went brick red.
"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy.
Malfoy smirked across the table.
"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."
Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly so that they were all different sizes.
"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."
Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.
"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."
"But, sir — !"
Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces.
"Now, " said Snape in his most dangerous voice.
Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again.
"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.
"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape standing up. He was now striding forwards and criticising everyones except the Slytherins and those who were doing it properly.
"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing it to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see."Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one ratspleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juicewould suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand,Longbottom?"
Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was onthe verge of tears.
"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put itright —"
"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," saidSnape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potionto your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourageyou to do it properly."
Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear
"Help me!" he moaned to Hermione.
"Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrowHarry's brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning —they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."
"Where?" said Harry and Ron quickly. On the other side of thetable, Malfoy looked up, listening closely.
"Seriously?" Percy asked who was working with Seamus
"Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited. "Itwas a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand.The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? Soshe phoned the telephone hotline. By the time the Ministry ofMagic got there, he was gone."
"Not too far from here . . . ," Ron repeated, looking significantlyat Harry.
Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?" Malfoy said. His eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixedon Harry.
"Yeah, that's right," said Harry offhandedly.
Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile.
"Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy,I'd be out there looking for him."
"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Percy.
"Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed.
"Know what?"
Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh.
"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leaveit to the dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'dhunt him down myself."
"What are you talking about?" said Harry angrily, but at thatmoment Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can bedrunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's. . . ."
Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as hestirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was muttering instructionsto him out of the corner of her mouth so that Snape wouldn't see.
"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering,"and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managedto produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as Idon't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."
The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dippeda small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. Hetrickled a few drops down Trevor's throat.
There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped;then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling inSnape's palm.
The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulleda small bottle from the pocket of his robe poured a few drops ontop of Trevor and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.
"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped thesmiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger.Class dismissed."
Harry, Percy, Ron, and Hermione climbed the steps to the entrancehall. Harry was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, whileRon was seething about Snape."Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it allby himself!"
Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around.
"Where is she?"
"Wasn't she right beside us?" Percy asked
Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. Hesmirked at Harry and disappeared.
"There she is," said Harry.Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one handclutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something downthe front of her robes.
"How did you do that?" said Ron.
"What?" said Hermione, joining them.
"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, youwere back at the bottom of the stairs again."
"What?" Hermione looked slightly confused. "Oh — I had togo back for something. Oh no —"
A seam had split on Hermione's bag.
."Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Percy askedher.
"You know how many subjects I'm taking," said Hermionebreathlessly. "Couldn't hold these for me, could you?"
"But —" Percy was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. "You haven't got any of these subjects today.It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."
"Oh yes," said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the booksback into her bag just the same. "I hope there's something good forlunch, I'm starving," she added, and she marched off toward theGreat Hall.
"D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?"Ron asked Percy and Harry.
Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first DefenseAgainst the Dark Arts lesson. But the desks were pushed to the walls so they ended up splitting between Griffyndors and Slytherins their books in their arms. They were all in their own discussions when Lupin finally entered the room. He smiled vaguely and placed his tatty oldbriefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but lookedhealthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a fewsquare meals.
"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all yourbooks back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You willneed only your wands."
A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away theirbooks. They had never had a proper practical Defense Against the DarkArts
"Now can anyone tell me what's in there," Lupin asked pointing to the rattling wardrobe?
"That's a boggart, that is," said, Percy
"Very good, Percy. Now, can anybody tell me what is a boggart?"
Hermione raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss. . . "
"Granger sir," Hermione said. "Boggarts are shape-shifters. They can take the shape of whateverit thinks will frighten us most."
"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, andHermione glowed. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness withinhas not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what willfrighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knowswhat a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out,he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville'ssmall sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over theboggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"
Trying to answer a question with Hermione next to him, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air was very off-putting, but Harry had a go.
"Er — because there are so many of us, it won't know whatshape it should be?
"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her handdown, looking a little disappointed. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused.Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug?I once saw a boggart make that very mistake — tried to frightentwo people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.
"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires forceof mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter.What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you findamusing.
"We will practise the charm without wands first. After me,please . . . riddikulus!"
"Riddikulus!" said the class together.
"Very good. A little louder and very clear.
"Riddikulus!"
"This class is ridiculous," Malfoy complained.
"Your face is ridiculous." Percy hissed barely turning around. He heard Daphne Greengrass snigger.
"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easypart, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this iswhere you come in, anyone wants to volunteer. Yes how about you Neville? Come on, don't be shy. Come on. Come on."
Neville reluctantly strode forward.
"Hello. Neville, what frightens you most of all?"
Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.
"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.
Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "ProfessorSnape."
Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically.Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful.
"Professor Snape . . . hmmm . . . Neville, I believe you live withyour grandmother?"
"Er — yes," said Neville nervously. "But — I don't want theboggart to turn into her either."
"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, nowsmiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes yourgrandmother usually wears?"
Neville looked startled, but said, "Well . . . always the same hat.
A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress . . . green,normally . . . and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."
"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin.
"A big red one," said Neville.
"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture thoseclothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"
"Yes," said Neville uncertainly, plainly wondering what wascoming next.
"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and seesyou, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "Andyou will raise your wand — thus — and cry ' Riddikulus' — andconcentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well,Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-toppedhat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."
There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbledmore violently.
"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like al of youto take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most,and imagine how you might force it to look comical. . . ."
"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin.
The room went quiet. Percy thought . . . What scared himmost in the world?
His first thought was the great prophecy but it can't just turn into a piece of parchment.
The second could be Kronos himself but he doesn't know what he looks like.
The third. . . well he rather not talk about it. The thought of that gives him the shivers.
They all nodded. Percy's phoenix feathered wand out of his robes.
"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Letyou have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward. . . . Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot —"
They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Nevillealone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but hehad pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wandready.
"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One —two-three — now!"
A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand andhit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed andmenacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snapewas bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.
"R — r — riddikulus!" squeaked Neville
There was a roar of laughter; Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with amoth-eaten vulture and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.
Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"
Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her.There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvatiand it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, itsstiff arms rising —
"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.A bandage unravelled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled,fell face forward, and its head rolled off.
"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.
Seamus darted past Parvati.Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face — a banshee.She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled theroom, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Percy's headstand on end —
"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; hervoice was gone.Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in acircle, then — crack! — became a rattlesnake, which slithered andwrithed before — crack! — becoming a single, bloody eyeball.
"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"
Dean hurried forward.Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped overand began to creep along the floor like a crab.
"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean.
There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.
"Excellent! Ron, you next!"
Ron leapt forward.Crack!Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then —"Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; itrolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way.
"Wonderful, Percy!"
then it was Percy's and it was something that made quite a few people scream.
It was a large man reaching the top of the class. He had curly black hair and brutal gold eyes and an unnerving, long pointy beard.
"PERSEUS JACKSON." the deity that Percy guessed was Kronos. "I WILL DESTROY YOUR WIZARDING WORLD AND I WILL. . ."
Riddikulus." Percy yelled and he burst into tiny pieces and scattered. The same way Zeus destroyed his father, by scattering his remains. Then Harry came forward. He raised his wand, ready,but —
"Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward.
Crack!
All the pieces formed together into a silvery-white orbhanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily.
Crack!
"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggartlanded on the floor like a cockroach. Crack! Snape was back. Thistime Neville charged forward-looking determined.
"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke intoapplause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. . . . Let mesee . . . five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart — ten for Neville because he did it twice . . . and five each toHermione, Percy and Harry."
"But I didn't do anything," said Harry.
"You three answered my questions correctly at the startof the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts andsummarize it for me . . . to be handed in on Monday. That will beall."
Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom.
"Did you see me take that banshee?" shouted Seamus.
"And the hand!" said Dean, waving his own around.
"And Snape in that hat!"
"And my mummy!"
"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls?" saidLavender thoughtfully.
"And I didn't understand your boggart Percy," Parvati asked abruptly
"Huh?" He asked confused. 'Ohh... that was a. . . villain from a muggle movie called. . . Heracles?" it seemed like a question to him though.
"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we'veever had, wasn't it?" said Ron excitedly as they made their way backto the classroom to get their bags.
"He seems like a very good teacher," said Hermione approvingly.
"I told you," said Percy grinning.
"But I wish I could have had a turn with the boggart —"
"What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "Apiece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"
"Definitely," said Percy