The Adventure That Lies Ahead | PJO x HP

CHAPTER 56

Summer was creeping over the grounds and around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers as large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to Isa; no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong.

On top of that Isa was getting more anxious and nervous as summer crept closer. Summer equals camp. Camp equals Luke. Luke equals Kronos. Kronos equals bad. And Annabeth had been keeping Isa updated. Apparently, they found a labyrinth and Chiron needs the help of the daughter of Poseidon in navigating it. Annabeth sent her some architectural and information about Daedalus and the labyrinth itself and Isa has been studying it: its structure, built, and patterns.

Isa tried visiting Hermione along with Harry and Ron, but Madam Pomfrey was very strict.

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off..."

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.

Isa constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to herself. "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me", "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it, and I have faith in someone to keep Hogwarts safe while I am gone."

Isa knew that Dumbledore was referring to her in the last part. That someone, who will keep Hogwarts safe was her. It wasn't that she thought highly of herself, she just... knew. But Isa didn't know what Dumbledore was talking about in the first part.

'Who the heck am I supposed to ask?' Isa wondered.

Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand⎼the trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow. Isa looked everywhere she went, helped (rather reluctantly) by Ron and an eager Harry. They were hindered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own but had to move around the castle in a pack with their other housemates. Most of their fellow students seemed glad that they were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but Isa found it very irritating.

One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion. Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy. Isa didn't realize what he was so pleased about since Harry told her about the Potions lesson he had with Malfoy about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left. When he was sitting right behind Malfoy, Harry overheard him gloating to Crabbe and Goyle.

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, not troubling to keep his voice down. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in..."

"Sir," Malfoy said loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

"Now, now, Malfoy," Snape said, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right," Malfoy said, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job⎼I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir⎼"