A Life Changing Story "Harry Potter and Percy Jackson

Part 8

It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that neither Harry nor Percy couldn't see how they'd ever makeup.
Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks'sattempts to eat Scabbers seriously hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers.
But when Harry tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she lost her temper with Harry too.
"Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!" she said shrilly. "First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everything's my fault, isn't it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I've got a lot of work to do!"
Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.
"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabberswas," said Fred bracingly "And he's been off-colour for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly —one swallow — he probably didn't feel a thing."
"Fred!" said Ginny indignantly.
"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," said George.
"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"
"Yeah, that's true," said Harry.
"His finest hour," said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stands as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy anew rat, what's the point of moaning?"
In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers fora moment.
Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before take-off and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.
"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end — you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Clean sweep, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows — a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too. . . ."
She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, "Er — Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice. . . ."
"Oh — right — here you are, then, Potter," said MadamHooch. "I'll sit over here with Weasley . . ."
She and Ron left the field to sit in the stadium and the Gryffindor team gathered around Wood for his final instructions for tomorrow's match."Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's the fourth year, and she's pretty good. . . . I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries. . . ." Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, "On the other hand, she rides aComet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the firebolt." He gave Harry's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go —"
Percy saw how fast the firebolt was. Harry caught the snitch in ten seconds. The team cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute's head start, then toreafter it, weaving in and out of the others; he spotted it lurking near Percy's knee, looped hereasily, and caught it again.
It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst,performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didn'thave a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first.
"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" said Wood. "Not unless — Harry, you've sorted out your dementor problem, haven't you?"
"Yeah," said Harry
"The dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently.
"Well, let's hope not," said Wood. "Anyway — good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower . . . turn in early —"
I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt, "Harry told Wood, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Ron tried the firebolt.
The next morning, Percy went down to breakfast wearing his scarlet robes. When Harry came, it seemed that the firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honour. As Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt and there was a good deal of excited muttering. The Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.
"Did you see his face?" said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"
Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.
"Put it here, Harry," he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt
"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"
Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table.
"Harry — make sure you win," said Percy, in an urgent whisper.
"I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustled off.
"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" said a cold, drawling voice. Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.
"Yeah, reckon so," said Harry casually.
"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute — in the case you get too near a dementor."
Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.
"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," said Harry."Then it could catch the Snitch for you."
The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together asking Malfoy whether Harry's broom really was a Firebolt.
At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond.
"You know what we've got to do," said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just — just fly as you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"
They walked out onto the field with tumultuous applause. Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. Percy remembers her from their charms class and they get along pretty well.
"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.
"Mount your brooms . . . on my whistle . . . three — two —one —"
Percy kicked off into the air and grabbed the quaffle.
"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to WhichBroomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship —"
"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background
information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —"
"Jordan!"
"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Percy Jackson of Gryffindorheading for goal . . ."
He scored. Along with fellow chasers Spinnet and Johnson, they kept on piling up until...
Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt'sprecision-balanced is really noticeable in these long —"
"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"
Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead — if Cho got the snitch before Harry, Ravenclaw would win.
"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"
As the match went on, Percy noticed three hooded figures three tall, black, hooded dementors, were looking up at Harry.
Harry whipped out his wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.
Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him.
That's my boy!" Wood kept yelling. Alicia and Angelina had all kissed Harry; Percy gave him a fist bump instead.
Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. Before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd.
"Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking Harry's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"
"Well done, Harry!" said Percy, looking delighted. "Ten Galleonsto me! Must find Penelope, excuse me —"
"Good for you, Harry!" roared Seamus Finnigan.
"Ruddy brilliant!" boomed Hagrid over the heads of the millingGryffindors.
Percy went to the fallen dementors. Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were actually Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle'sshoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.
"An unworthy trick!" she was shouting. "A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to ProfessorDumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!"
If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor's victory, it was this.
"Come on, Harry!" said George, fighting his way over. "Party!Gryffindor common room, now!"
"Right," said Harry, and feeling happier than he had in ages.
It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full ofHoneydukes sweets.
"How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.
Only one person wasn't joining in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. Percy and Harry.
Did you even come to the match?" Harry asked her.
"Of course I did," said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. "And I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."
"Or else the world would end," Percy whispered. Hermione heard him and closing the book, hit him on the head.
"Ow." He complained rubbing his head.
"Oh don't cry you, big baby," Harry said trying not to roll down laughing.
"Come on, Hermione, come and have some food," Harry said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.
"I can't, Harry. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Anyway . . ." She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."
Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them —"
Hermione burst into tears. Before they could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight.
"Can't you give her a break?" Harry asked Ron quietly.
"No," said Ron flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry — but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."
"But it wasn't her fault Ronald," Percy said rubbing his forehead. "So you better apologize quickly or you may regret it."
The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Exhausted, Percy climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of his four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleep
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Percy woke with a start. He grabbed riptide and ran to the direction of the sound. "What's going on?"
He burst to Harry's dormitory. The lamp was on and he could see Ron sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face.
"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"
"What?"
"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"
"You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" said Dean.
"Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!"They all scrambled out of bed; Harry reached the dormitory door first, and they sprinted back down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them. But Percy stayed behind to check the curtains.
"Who shouted?"
"What're you doing?"
The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"
"I'm telling you, I saw him!"
"What's all the noise?"
"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"
A few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.
"Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred Weasley brightly.
"Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the
common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pyjamas as he spoke.
"Perce — Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory!With a knife! Woke me up!"
"Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare —"
"I'm telling you —"
"Now, really, enough's enough!"Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiouslyaround.
"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"
"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffinghimself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back tobed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare —"
"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, IWOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVERME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"
Professor McGonagall stared at him.
"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"
"He's right professor." A voice said and Percy came back holding Ron's curtains. He dropped them to show his evidence and everyone looked at it with fear. On them were slash marks that could've been done with a knife. "But the question is how did he get in?"
"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of SirCadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw —"
Glaring suspiciously at Ron and Percy, Professor McGonagall pushed theportrait back open and went outside.
"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"
"Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan. There was a stunned silence.
"You — you did?" said Professor McGonagall. "But — but thepassword!"
"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the wholeweek's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"
Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portraithole to face the stunned crowd.
"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmallyfoolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left themlying around?"
There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrifiedsqueaks. A trembling Neville Longbottom raised his hand slowly into the air.