Harry saw Percy walk into the room with two other guys and one girl beside him. He recognized the girl as Navja Jennings, they had talked about twice in the entirety of them studying at Hogwarts. Harry wondered how he had made friends so fast. After all, they had only had the chance to talk for about an hour before the feast ended.
Hermione noticed him staring, and tapped on his shoulder, "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," he replied quickly, turning back to his breakfast.
She cast him a concerned look before looking back to Ginny, who had said that she found Nico attractive. She had pointed out that he was a year younger than them and that she had a crush on Harry.
Ginny sighed and said 'It's not impossible to have a crush on two guys'
Hermione had no idea why she hadn't told her that he was gay, but she was in too deep now. There was no way she'd believe that she actually talked to him. He was much too unapproachable for that.
"I don't see how you're in love with him," she stated quietly so that he couldn't hear, "He's kind of stupid sometimes,"
Ginny's eyes narrowed, "You seem pretty fond of Ron,"
Hermione leaned back, "What makes you think that?"
"You haven't said one bad thing about him for the entire summer. You looked rather... smiley, when he was around. I couldn't help but think..." she trailed off with a triumphant smirk on her face.
"He's my friend Ginny," the brunette said sternly, "And that reminds me, don't you have yours to talk to?"
~
When Percy got his schedule he stared at it for about three seconds before realizing there was absolutely no way he was going to understand the cursive that looked like a black mush of spaghetti. It wasn't like he was still trying to get better at reading, but it was kind of hard to stay motivated when he knew that he was probably destined to forever be that one kid in the grade that had the reading level of someone half his age.
Navja looked up from hers and noticed his Percy's frustrated expression. She got up and sat down beside him and tapped on his shoulder. He let his eyes leave the paper and they landed on her brown ones.
She kept her voice quiet when she asked, "Is English not your first language,"
Percy felt a slight blush spread on his cheeks. He cursed at how easy it was it to happen to him. Like, Thalia's never blushed for as long as they've known each other even when she's embarrassed.
"No, I have dyslexia,"
Navja didn't seem to know what that meant but she just went with it, "Do you want me to read it?"
Percy sighed and handed her the paper and watched her read it, "So you have Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, you can follow me if you don't know the way. After that you have to get to Herbology with Gryffindors, then we have Charms with the Slytherins, and then... oh, we have to do Potions with the Ravenclaws, and then it's Lunch," she looked up, "Everything after that you'd have to choose personally. I'd recommend Flying - "
"No!" he yelped interrupting her.
She cast him a curious look along with others, but let it go, "That's fine, um... you could Divination, Muggle Studies, Study of Ancient Runes... that's fun. Are you listening?"
Percy's eyes snapped back to hers, "I'm sor - "
"You're like Roman," Navja remarked with a thoughtful expression on her face, "Do you have ADHD?"
He didn't know how she figured it out so quickly, but he was also felt bad that he wasn't listening to her, "Yeah, Roman - he has it too?"
"Yes," she stopped and met his green eyes and asked, "You know Roman?"
"We met on the carriages," he explained offhandedly, "But - Roman has it right?:
"He does," she confirmed, "I think he also has Dysl - Dyselc - sorry, he has your thing too,"
Percy laughed under his breath, "No it's fine. The only reason I know how to say it is because of all the mor - muggle schools that I've been to,"
~
He got lost the second he left the hall. No he had not been paying attention when he went to sleep. Who the heck would be paying attention? Certainly not him.
There were paintings that moved and doors that had the biggest ego ever. He had never expected to have an argument with a piece of wood before, but the entire thing was very passionate. The door seemed to think that he was a troll and thought that they were an actual wizard.
The only reason he made it to Transfiguration on time was because of Nearly Headless Nick that had taken to following him around. It was kind of unsettling because he was everywhere.
The class was fine, but the Ravenclaws made Percy feel stupid. Not that they weren't nice, most of them were, but they looked like they made everything look way too easy. Like, turning that jar into a cat? How the heck did they do that? It took him the entire class to make a kitten, and some of them were making pigs.
He didn't like that that much.
Navja and a Ravenclaw girl named Shanthi tried to help him but he was hopeless. This one time, he managed to make some sort of horse-cat hybrid which caused a lot of panic.
He was probably one of the worst students in that class, but hey, what's one more thing he sucks at gonna do to him?
~
Herbology was different.
They went to Greenhouse Four because a random group third year made a mess and there was some sort of dog plant that had to be put down. It was bigger and had much more variety, Harry noticed. Of course, he wouldn't have seen it last year because of the Horcrux Hunting. There was one that he recognized as Mimbulus Mimbletonia that gave him some bad memories from his fourth year.
There were different ones, Alihotsys and Glumbulbumbles. They were all labeled with very strange names. Percy had no idea how to pronounce half of them. Alihotsys was murder for his Dyslexia.
They looked at Mandrakes to start but it was kind of hard for everyone to listen when Estelle (who had joined them for this class because Thalia and Nico were just not having it) was playing with one of them. Who knew deadly mud babies made for such good play pals. Harry winced as he remembered that they'd probably be cut up at the end of the year.
Percy had been taught how to handle Mandrakes, but he hadn't actually seen one before. Chiron called them 'Gaea's Babies' which was a pretty good sign that they were probably not the most attractive. Now, as he looked into their earthy brown eyes that were the exact same color as their body he couldn't help but think that he was right.
Thalia and Nico were both in the fifth year, so they weren't in his class, but he wondered what would happen when they do this class.
Thalia was probably the worst at taking care of plants. She had a temper and very small patience which wasn't the best combination when dealing with screaming babies. Especially screaming mud babies. No one would actually hear her yelling at the thing, but it wasn't like she took care to do it secretly.
Nico would have killed all of them.
There was no beating around the bush. Nico was terrible with plants... and people... and animals - well, normal animals. They were pretty scared of him.
After Herbology they made their way inside the castle for a small break, well, most of them did. Percy took his wand out of his pocket and studied at, only loosesly paying attention to where he was going.
The wan was nothing intricate, but he wasn't that disappointed seeing as everyone else got a wand like his, maybe a different length, a different wood, but essentially it served the same purpose, magic. Estelle was in his right arm sleeping soundly into his shoulder.
That didn't mean that he was surprised at how normal it looked. In the stories he had heard from his younger years, wands were beautifully detailed wood that channeled energy from your innermost thoughts. Of course, he didn't understand what any of that meant, but his wand was normal. Just like the ones you'd buy at the store for Halloween.
While he walked further and further away from the group, Navja didn't fail to notice that he wasn't coming with them. Curious, she slowed down so that the other students passed her. She couldn't see his face, but he was easily one of the tallest in their year, and the ones that were close to his height were blonde or brunet. That made it easy to differentiate between him and others.
She decided to follow him, because hey, she was like that. Always up for a mystery, but it did earn her the title of nosy, which she didn't really like. Pulling her hood over her black hair, she ducked away and into the forest that bordered the lake.
What she didn't know, was that a certain blonde haired boy was looking at her from the astronomy tower.
Roman was curious. Curious and a little suspicious of her.
-
Roman was just minding his own business at his astronomy class, but it was kind of hard to concentrate when his old best friend was following his new friend with a cloak at a safe distance. He looked around him, everyone was looking into their telescope or at their paper. They probably wouldn't notice if he were gone. It wouldn't be the first time someone flaked off of astronomy. It was one of those classes that needed patience and lucky for Roman, he had none of that.
He reached into the pocket of his robe and fingered a potion is his hand. The bottle was small, but it was definitely a potion. He couldn't see it, but he knew it was a lilac colour since he used it so much.
It was called 'Tormented Spirit' which sounds bad, but it was just the creator being dramatic. Or he could have literally had a Tormented Spirit in his body, but that wasn't what Roman had. He had a will to get the hell out of the Slytherin common room.
Who had the idea to put kids into a room in the dungeons?
Why does the school even have a dungeon?
It was cold.
The potion worked in a very simple way. Once you drink it, no one would be able to recognize you, not even your closest friends, but you get to look the same.
That was the awesome part.
The not so awesome part is that no one recognizes you until the potion wears off. No one would be able to say, "Oh hey, it's Roman! Get inside you idiot, it's cold enough down here,"
So he had to strategically plan out when he used it for that to not happen. The potion had effect for three hours, in this time period, he could do whatever he wanted, and no one would know it was him.
Sneak into the kitchen? Who was that? I haven't seen him around before.
Do cartwheels in the hall? Hey! Um - Young man! Get down here this instant! Who is that guy?
Save someones life? It was a miracle! That could've been my guardian angel!
No, Timmy, that was a sixth year that didn't want to see you fall down fourteen flights of stairs.
"Mr. Athernon!"
Roman's eyes snapped back to reality, he had just realized that he had zoned out thinking about all the things he wanted to do.
He smiled nervously and put his hands in his pockets, something he did a lot when he was nervous, "Yes Professor?"
"I see you've already fallen back into your habits. It's the first day of classes, try to focus!"
He could feel eyes on him and felt blood rush up to his face, "Sorry Professor,"
She studied him with a suspicious look on his face before nodding, "I better not see you slacking off again," And with that she turned back to her telescope.
Roman rolled his eyes the second she looked away muttering to himself about how there had to be one student with ADHD before him. He glanced back over to Navja, who was no where to be found again. His eyes trailed back over to Professor Sinistra.
Sure, he tried to keep Astoria from starting fights on a regular basis, so you'd think that he'd be better at keeping his anger in check, but he really wasn't. He knew that glaring at a teacher wasn't the best thing to do, especially since it was the first day of classes, but he clenched the bottle in his pocket, making a decision.
Roman took the bottle out quickly, the purple liquid sloshing around inside. He uncorked it and just as fast as he had his mood shift, he downed it in one go.
Astoria looked to her right and her face fell, "What the hell are you doing?"
He looked back at her and faked an innocent look, "I'm not doing anything," A few seconds passed before he said something again, "I'm sorry, but do I know you?"
She opened her mouth, but a look of confusion fell over her face, "Oh, I - I actually don't. That's weird..."
"Yeah, it is," he told her, before walking backwards toward the door.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving," he winked before running down the weird bridge thing that led to the door.
Astoria watched dumbfounded at how confident he was of himself, she looked at Professor Sinistra, who hadn't noticed anything, then back at the telescope.
Well then, back to Pluto
~
Being disobedient was in Roman's nature. He loved the thrill of it. Of course, he didn't do anything illegal. Well, not that illegal, but there were a lot of weird things that were illegal that really shouldn't be in the Ministry. For example, you can't wear a fur coat during the first week of September, so, just out of spite, he wore one. A lot of people thought he was a girl, but he still did it.
Roman skipped cheerfully down the halls, trying not to make noise. He turned the corner with his eyes closed and made his way to the stairs. Happily, he went down three stairs at the time.
You know what he felt like? The main character.
He grinned and before he knew it, he was in front of the doors. Roman pushed it open and was immediately got hit in the face with a snowball. It wasn't even completely snowy, there was still water in it.
It slowly fell off and he looked up, with a very annoyed expression on his face. There, standing a good twenty feet away from him was Percy, Navja, and the baby, Estelle. Navja was the one holding snow in her hand, but the boy watched with amusement as Estelle giggled in his arms.
But she didn't look happy, or even amused, she looked confused. Extremely confused, Because, she knew who that guy was. Well, she didn't know who he was, she just knew who he was but she had seen him around before.
She was the person who gave him the potion first.
Obviously, Roman recognized her as Navja, and so they stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before she slowly walked off to the right, away from the doors, and out of his sight. The two boys watched her leave, and then, it was silent.
They looked at each other, and nodded in a way that signaled that they both had no idea what was happening. Percy kept his gaze on him as he made his way inside.
Roman stood there for a moment before he went down the steps to find her because he was curious on why they were together, and since she already knows how the potion works, he wouldn't have to explain how he was Roman but not Roman.
It's confusing when you try to explain it too.
He made his way to the right of the castle where she had gone and when he turned the corner he found someone he really wasn't expecting.
"Cleo?"
It wasn't Cleo, well, Cleo didn't exist per say, you needed a name to give people when no one could recognize you and Navja's was Cleo. Short for Cleopatra. Here's something you should know, when I say no one can recognize you, I mean no one can. Not even if the other person has also drank the potion.
She looked up, her black hair whipping around in the wind, an empty vial in her hand, "Why'd you drink the potion Julius?"
"Well," he stalked forward, slurring the word as he approached, "I was bored and I saw someone following my friend so I decided to go see what was happening,"
"Following you friend?" she asked worriedly, "Are you talking about Percy Goldcrest?"
"Yes!" he confirmed with a bright smile on his face, "You know him too?"
"He's in - " she stopped herself, "Yeah, I know him. He was a pretty big deal at the Sorting Ceremony,"
Roman grinned, "I bet you like him,"
Navja scowled for a second before laughing quietly, "Absolutely not, he's not my type,"
"So who is your type?" he asked stepping even closer.
She placed her finger on his nose and pushed him away, "I prefer the intellectuals, you know, the ones with at least two brain cells. I'm afraid you didn't make the list,"
He pouted before sighing in a dramatic way, "I see, this is - what? The thirty fifth time you said you weren't interested?"
"I'll stop rejecting you if you stop trying to flirt with me Julius,"
"But you're so nice," he complained, "And pretty and - "
"Ok loverboy, I get it. I'm simply too irresistible for you,"
Roman couldn't help but smile, "You're absolutely correct,"
"Oh shut up, will you?"
"I'll never stop talking,"
"How do your friends put up with you?"
"Well most of the time I'm trying to keep her from beating someone up so I don't have that much time to annoy her,"
"Stop her from..." Navja trailed off asif remembering something.
He cast her a concerned look, "You okay?"
"Yeah I'm just - "
She didn't get to finish because her eyes rolled over in her head and her knees crumpled, falling to her knees.
"CLEO!"
-
Navja thought she was awake, turns out she was definitely not.
She had to applaud her head for coming up with such a terrifying nightmare though. It was simply horrifying in every possible way. In fact, she was kind of offended.
But, you know, seeing your dead girlfriend is not cool. Especially when you know that said girlfriend is most definitely dead and that she isn't coming back anytime soon.
To put it simply, Navja had a girlfriend. One she liked, a lot, and her name was Darcy. Darcy had short brown hair and pretty green eyes, and she was simple and kind. That was what Navja needed at the time, with the whole war going on.
Of course, since life was an asshole, she died. Right in front of her eyes.
She had never been in her dreams before though, which she was grateful for, but today it was both of them at edge of the Great Lake.
No one was talking at first, completely silent, but then Darcy opened her mouth, "You miss her, don't you?"
Navja turned her head, "Her?"
"Your girlfriend. Darcy. Lovely name, I must say. She's rather pretty too,"
Navja scooted away a little, her eyes raking over the girl. She looked the exact same. Her body, her hair, her clothes. This was Darcy, but then why was she talking like they were two different people?
The girl chuckled lightly, "You're confused, I get it. I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not your girlfriend. She's dead - "
"Who are you?" Navja asked, her voice shaking slightly, "Why are you - How - ?"
"Be calm, child," she said in a soothing voice, "My name Lamia, pleasure to meet you,"
Navja didn't say anything in return. She didn't move either. She simply stared, frozen in either shock or fear, she didn't really know.
Lamia smiled in what was obviously what she thought to be a warm smile, but there was something off about it. It was pained, and slightly unnerving if she was being completely honest, "I need your help,"
"You're a dream," Navja stated, getting up without looking at her, "Just a dream. A sick, terrible dream, but just a dream. Hey, I know I'm dreaming. I can control you,"
She turned her brown eyes to her, "Dream. You. Are. A. Dream,"
Lamia simply stared back with the same unsettling smile on her face, "I need your help Navja. You must help me,"
"No you don't," She corrected her, turning her back and facing the forest, "I need to wake up. Maybe Julius can get me some food from the kitchens,"
"NAVJA JENNINGS,"
She froze. The sky changed from a clear blue day to a strange apocalyptic colour, orange, red, grey, nothing natural. The forest, that usually had tall thick trees, was on fire. Smoke clouding above. She could hear the screams of terror in the distance.
And she was stuck. Unable to move.
Navja looked down at her feet. She wanted to move, but she couldn't get them to move. They wouldn't cooperate with her.
She felt a thin bony hand warp around her neck, and whispered in her ear, "You will help me do what I failed to do when I was young like you,"
She couldn't speak, she couldn't leave, but she sure as hell wanted to.
"I was talented, beautiful, powerful, and magical,"
The woman paused briefly,
"And then I died. All because of a god's temper, her jealousy. Because she knew she could never be half the woman I was,"
"God?" Navja breathed
Lamia smiled and cupper her cheek, turning her face around so that she could see her fully, "Yes my dear. A God,"
"I - "
"Shh," she interrupted, "Now listen to me Navja, we're not too different, are we?"
"What - "
"You have a wonderful life, a loving grandmother, friends, talent,"
Navja stared, her eyes wide with fear. She fell silent, a hundred different thoughts running rampant in her mind.
"You will help me," Lamia told her, "And after that, I could bring back your love,"
Her face was no longer the one that belonged to Darcy. It was hollow and bony, her skin was gaunt and bloodless, her black hair stringy and thin, and her eyes... They looked hazel, but they were unnaturally large and prominent, and her lower eyelids were watery... or, if she looked close enough, bloody.
Lamia chuckled, "You see?"
A drop of the red liquid fell down her face. Navja staggered back making a strange squeaking noise.
"My children, they're dead,"
Her unnerving laughter filled the dreadful area, "I died. We were all taken by the hands of Thanatos,"
"What - ?"
"My eyes are gone!" She screamed, her kind demeanor disappearing, "I can no longer see in my own body, you idiot!"
Lamia approached, the blood still dripping down her face, "Wake up Navja Jennings!" She laughed, her voice hysterical, "Wake up and bring me back!"
She could hear shouting in the distance, they weren't calling her real name.
Cleo! Wake up!
Navja felt the sole of her shoes hit a rock, and then a tree, they was no where to go other than the forest, and there was no way she was going in there.
But she didn't have to because her head shot up as she felt cold water splash onto her face.
She wasn't outside anymore, she was in the hospital wing and right beside her was Julius, his face concerned.
He reached out to try and put a hand on her shoulder but she shifted away, slapping it away. Julius retracted it, his eyebrows furrowing even further, "Are... Are you okay?"
Navja couldn't talk, she couldn't form the words of how absolutely terrified she was. Her hair was damp and cold, splattered onto her face.
Julius was holding an empty bucket in his hands.
"I..." Navja finally said, "I..."
"No," she admitted, "I am very much not okay,"
~
How sad.