Percy Jackson at.... Hogwarts?

18.) Percy

Soon after I released McGonagall, the students started to leave. Once they were all gone, I ran over to Blackjack.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly. He had a couple of scraped on his sides from the window glass. He stood up, his legs wobbly from his crash.

I'm fine. But you guys need to be watching your backs. He glanced it the window. There's this really nasty storm coming. Looks like a bunch of shadowy things are coming, too. That made me cursed under my breath.

"Venti." I said grimly. Blackjack looked offended.

Pfft. I know what venti are, you idiot! No, these were something different. Strange, vaguely human-shaped. Shadows without a source. I started to speak, but he cut me off. No. Don't even say it. They weren't Eidolons, either. He snorted. Hey, by the way, boss... Got any doughnuts?

"You know, I have the feeling that doughnuts might not be the most important thing right now. If those things are coming, and so is a storm, we need to seal up that window before-" multiple shadowy forms leapt through the window, along with sheets of rain. "Well, before that happens. Welp, too late now." All of a sudden, I felt a strange tugging sensation at my body. Strange voices wispered commands in my ears, and my vision blurred. I had the strangest urge to let them take control. That it would be easier that way. I shook my head, knowing that I needed to go. I started to sprint as fast as I could, running to get the shadows out of my head. Each step away from them was painful. When I was halfway to the doors, Blackjack flew over to me, bit my shirt, and threw me on his back. He flew out the window, into the swarm of creatures.

Blackjack flew as close to the castle walls as he could, almost crashing into the walls multiple times. After what seemed like ages, he reached the greenhouses. He landed, and I quickly hopped off. We ran straight inside, and watched as the creatures swarmed against the glass.

"Holy Hera, what are those things?" I muttered as one opened it's mouth and tried to bite through the walls. It had teeth that reminded me of sharks; they were long and hooked, and many rows of them filled the thing's mouth.

"I-I-I dunno." A high-pitched voice said shakily. "It b-bit me." I turned and saw one of the first years sitting in the corner, crying and clutching her arm. Blood seeped between her fingers and around her hand. I ran over to her, and sat in front of her.

"Can you show me your arm?" I asked gently. "I might be able to help, but not unless I can see the injury." As she removed her hand, she wispered:

"It was cool how you helped the horse thing."

"It's called a pegasus. His name is Blackjack." I said. "What's your name?"

"Molly." She wispered between sobs. "And be careful. They can hear you through the glass if you speak normally. I don't think they have eyes. Maybe if we're quiet, they'll go away." I nodded.

"Do you know what they are?" I asked quietly. She shook her head.

"All I know is that after breakfast, I came here for herbology, and nobody was here. It bit me when I was walking to the door. I shook it off and ran in here. Then you came with your pegasus." She looked at me with her wide brown eyes. "Can you heal it?"

"I don't know." I responded. The bite looked like a ring of puncture wounds, with a smaller one inside of it. It was gushing blood. "Only if you know which of these plants are healing herbs. Otherwise, all I can do is wrap it with a strip of cloth."

The girl shrugged. "Before you came, I ate a leaf from that fern over there. It tried to slice my finger off, but once I broke the leaf off, it fell limp. I assume it isn't poisonous, 'cause I'm not dead yet." She watched me as I tried to pull a leaf off. All that happened was it cutting me. "Since you're the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, can't you just kill it with a spell and be over with it?" I shrugged.

"This way is much more interesting." I said distantly, trying to focus on getting a leaf. Molly scrunched up her nose.

"Watching your hand get mutilated is interesting to you? You're even crazier than I thought."

"Well, sometimes you have to be a little bit crazy to get things done." I responded. "Kind of like authors. All of them are a bit crazy, and nobody cares. Ugh, stupid plant! Why the Hades won't it just give me a leaf?!"

"That's kind of like someone saying 'gee, why won't you just let me cut your hand off?!' " She pointed out.

"Not really. The plant grows it back. People don't." I finally pulled a leaf off. "Haha! Who's winning now, you damn plant?" It sliced a chunk out of my finger. "What the Hades?! What'd I ever do to you?" I walked over to Molly. "I got your leaf!" I said cheerily. "What did you need it for?"

"I never said I needed it."

"I asked you about the- oh, never mind. Just take it." I pressed it onto her her bite wound, and ripped a strip of fabric off my robe. I wrapped the strip around the leaf, and tied it to her arm. "Now, all we have to do is hope these guys leave. I'm assuming that these... things will leave with the storm. We'll have to wait them out." I stared grimly at the cloud of creatures outside. "I just hope this place is shadow-creature proof."