Chapter 9: Bad Influences
The day Percy Jackson met the friends he would have for his whole life, he wasn't expecting to choose such bad influences.
It was the 1st of September, and Percy was in Platform 9¾ , preparing to board the big, scarlet train in front of him.
Sadly, Harry couldn't be there. After the conversation a few days back, it was decided that the best thing to do was to keep him unnoticed, at least until the right time came.
However, because of that, they had to say goodbye in the house, promising to write each other once or twice a week.
He didn't know how he was going to survive in a new place, without needing to take care of his brother or worrying about his well-being.
He also parted from Moony after receiving a suffocating hug and having to go through the embarassment of an overpotective godfather. Percy won't ever tell him that, but it made him really happy to be taken care of like he did. After all those years of abuse, it was an awesome feeling.
The difficult thing about boarding the train was to actually get inside. With all the kids and his heavy baggage, being able to reach the empty wagon could be considered as an unbelievable deed.
After being pushed multiple times, he finally found a wagon and sat there, alone, with a book on his hand and his black cat, Tyche, resting in his lap, until two red heads entered between fits of laughter.
Upon seeing him the identical boys shared a brief look, and then took a sit without bothering to ask first. After that, they introduced themselves.
"I'm Fred" said the one in the left.
"And I'm George" exclaimed his brother.
"And we" said Fred.
"Are" continued George.
"The Weasley twins!" They exclaimed in unison.
They meant trouble. Percy knew it from the mischievous glint in their eyes and that synchronized presentation. But, surprisingly, he didn't mind, thinking that it'd be good if he befriended extrovert people like them.
It was the right choice, for years after that their friendship perdured.
After waiting for Percy's reaction toward their little presentation, the boys let their shoulders fall. They didn't know that, of all things Percy had seen, that was in the category of the normal ones, so they couldn't expect him being shocked or impressed by it.
"Cool. My name's Perseus Jackson, but you can just call me Percy" he said with a grin.
When Moony asked him about which would be his new lastname to hide the whole "I'm the other chosen one", they'd had some problems on which lastname to choose. Percy thought about going by 'Evans', his mother's maiden name, but Moony soon disregarded that idea. After all, there were still people who could make the connection.
Therefore, after remembering that his real father was from USA, he decided to go by a usal american lastname... It just happened that Jackson had a ring to it, nothing more.
Recovering from the lack of reaction Percy showed, the twins started talking with him excitedly about all sorts of stuff, going from Quidditch to the Hogwarts houses and the sorting.
"Which house do you want to be in?" asked Fred...or George. He couldn't tell.
"Well, I don't really know. My mom was in Gryffindor, but I don't have preferences" he answered.
"You know?" started one of them.
"We think" said the other. Fred, he guessed.
"You would fit" continued George.
"In Gryffindor" Fred said.
"With us!" They both exclaimed. Percy smiled at this.
Even if it was a bit annoying, Percy got used to the way the twins talked fairly quickly. And he was beginning to differentiate one from another.
After talking some more with the twins, and getting to know them a little bit more, someone else knocked on the compartment door.
"Hey, can I sit with you guys? The ones in my wagon turned out to be brats" said the new boy. When they let him in, he introduced himself "I'm Lee Jordan, by the way"
This way, a beautiful pranking friendship started.
***
Percy regretted the choice of befriending the twins pretty quickly.
"We are almost there, Perce" said Lee, desperate, trying to look through the fog "just a bit more until we reach the shore"
Upon arriving to the castle, the four boys had been totally mesmerized by the view. There were no words to describe the magnificent structure.
It was the first time they saw what would become his home in the following years.
However, Percy and Lee made the terrible mistake of boarding the boat with the twins, that took advantage of the situation to torment them with their pranks. Lee was getting dizzy from the shaking of the boat, and Percy had suffered from a spell which changed his hair color to blue.
He didn't really mind it, but, for Lee's sake, Percy decided to make the twins stop.
Thinking about the spells he learned from Moony, he chose to try and make them stay still with a Petrificus Totalus.
Taking out his wand, he pointed it at the twins, who didn't take his threat too seriously (because, really, what could an 11 year old do?), and shot them the spell. Satisfied at his success, even if he liked it, he decided to also try to return his hair back to normal. He didn't want a lot of attention.
Suddenly hearing the silence, Lee Jordan turned around. His eyes almost out of his sockets at what he saw.
It seems like Percy wasn't just a regular Half-blood wizard.
After reaching shore and giving some explanations about the twins' state to Hagrid, the four boys followed together the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall.
While making their way to the Great Hall, his new friends praised him profusely, declaring him a "dam good wizard". Percy, of course, not being used to receiving compliments, was as red as the Weasleys' hair.
It couldn't be that impressive, right?
"The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses" Mcgonagall suddenly started talking, making everyone quiet down at once
"The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.
The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting" she finished, entering the Great Hall, not before spotting Percy in the crowd and giving him a little smile.
(Fragment taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
"She is scary... The perfect subject for our pranks!" George told his brother. Percy finally felt that he recognized them, feeling proud for that.
"I know! And with the four of us, there's no way we can be defeated!" Exclaimed Fred.
The two of them continued talking excitedly, while Percy was taking in his surroundings. There were a lot of portraits in the halls, all of them moving and talking with each other, and Percy could swear he even saw a ghost roaming around the castle.
After waiting for some time, they finally entered the Great Hall.
Four tables, each one with a different color, where students from all ages were seated. There were candles floating around, iluminating the room, and the ceiling portrayed a clear night. For what he read in Hogwarts: A History, it was enchanted to look like the real one.
In the back there was a big table, which he guessed was for the Professors. In the middle of it was an old man, with a beard as long as Percy's heigh and as white as snow. For what he had heard, that was Albus Dumbledore, the man that made him and his brother live in that hellhole.
In front of him was a stool, with what seemed like an ancient hat on the top. Professor Mcgonagall was standing beside it, with a piece of parchment. She proceeded to tell them the indications of the sorting, and then started shouting names in alphabetical order.
And with that, the sorting began.