February 1993, The Great Hall
Perci entered the Great Hall still wondering if she had come to the right place seeing the lurid pink flowers. She continued her way to the Gryffindor table horrified by the confetti falling from the sky and the same lurid pink flowers here and there. It looked like someone had tried remake the Aphrodite cabin.
She sat at her usual place in between the twins, in front of the Golden trio.
"Never once in my life, I thought I would be living this nightmare," she said dead serious while the twins bobbed their heads up and down.
"Come on Perci, this is awesome!" said Hermione super excited.
Perci and the twins whipped their heads toward her looking as if she had murdered their puppy.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You guys are overreacting."
"Holy Hades, Hermione! You've-" Perci started.
"-officially lost-"
"-your mind!"
Harry who had been watching this whole thing decided to voice his question atlast. "What is going on?"
Ron pointed to the teachers' table, apparently too disgusted to speak. There was Lockhart smiling widely wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, waving his hand for attention. The teachers either side of him were stony faced. He could see a muscle going in McGonagall's face and Snape looked like he was just fed a large beaker of skele-gro.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!" To which the troublemaker trio gave eye rolls."Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"
"Yay! That's awesome!" Perci said while looking like she was disgusted and bored out of her mind.
Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.
"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart.
"Oh! The cupids will kill Lockhart," Percy muttered.
"They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!"
"Oh! Thank you Professor Lockhart for your world's worst idea that will result in our deaths by Snape force feeding poison to you but however we would all be happy to stay alive!" Perci was smiling like she really meant it. Few people cracked up hearing this.
Lockhart wasn't finished. "And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"
"Ofcouse Professor Lockhart, if a vampire shows up in our face, we'll just enchant it! A brilliant idea! You must put that in your very helpful book of yours!" was Percy's sarcastic response.
Few people cracked up again. Okay, a lot of people laughed. A few teachers smiled too hearing her. Even Snape had a smile which disappeared as quickly as it had come. Either Lockhart didn't hear it or care it.
The day was painfully slow for some (like Perci) and for some it was amazing like a dream come true (like Hermione). The 'cupids' were keep on interrupting the classes in the name of delivering letters which led the teachers mad. It was a quite eventful day.
Atlast it was lunch. Harry, Ron and Hermione were seated in their usual places when Perci came storming in with the twins following.
"What happened?" Harry asked worried why his sister was so irritated.
"This is the worst day ever at Hogwarts," she answered pouring some water into her goblet.
He raised a questioning eyebrow at Fred and George who were as usual seated either side of her.
"She got around 300 cards," One of the twins answered.
"Why is she like that for getting cards?" asked Lavender Brown who was across the table.
"Are you kidding me?! It is so embarrassing!" Percy answered exasperated.
A cupid approached the Gryffindor table or more specifically Percy. Great timing....he's going to get an earful.
"Here we go again," Percy threw her hands up in frustration.
"Is 'Perci Jackson here? She has a card-" The dwarf spoke in a gruff voice attracting the attention of other tables but he was cut off by the said person.
"Please before you start just stop!" She practically yelled at him. "Gods! This is so embarrassing!" She whispered to herself. She spoke aloud again. "Please do me a favour, will ya? Just throw away the cards, burn them or whatever, please don't read those and tell them I am not interested," she said sternly not leaving him to object. She reminded few of McGonagall.
The dwarf just went away, too scared to face this girl even though he will not admit it aloud.
This commotion attracted Lockhart to the place. "Why, Ms.Jackson are you turning down everyone again? How many cards did you get that you are this irritated?"
"Lost count after 73," Percy answered shrugging.
"286," Fred answered for which he got a glare from the said person. He mouthed 'sorry' to her to which she just shrugged.
"286 Ms.Jackson?! Do you have someone in your heart? I'm sorry Ms.Jackson I can't-" Lockhart shouted that someone other than him got that many cards.
"No Professor Lockhart, I don't have anyone 'in my heart'," She said before he could make anymore stories. She put air quotes which showed that she didn't care a bit.
"Mmh, if you don't like the cards Ms.Jackson I am sure you would've enjoyed in making the love potion and doing the Entrancing Enchantments!"
"Oh! Yes ofcouse Professor Lockhart, I really enjoyed making love potions and learning the Entrancing Enchantments that I could use to escape from a vampire or a rogue werewolf. You should really put that in your extremely useful books!" Percy's sarcasm as usual made everyone laugh. Lockhart however was elated, the 'praises' took him away from her sarcasm.
Lockhart just smiled stupidly and went to Professor McGonagall to tell her how his 'morale-booster' has helped everyone.
"But seriously Percy, you have someone in your mind?" Alicia asked her.
"No," Percy replied bluntly.
"Is there someone in that magical camp of yours?" Hermione asked her.
"No," yet again she answered bluntly.
"Perci, are you gay?" Lavender asked all of a sudden.
Percy sighed in exasperation. "Why does everyone always think that?"
"Always?"
"In camp, there are like twenty to thirty girls and boys shipping me and my best friend. But she is just my best friend, ok she is like a sister to me for Hades's sake! This same thing happens there but I just ten or some cards everyday not two hundred!" Percy started ranting on in Ancient Greek. The others around her just stared at her blankly. The Weasley twins however knew greek as sometimes it always came handy at pranks and to confuse people or just if they are talking something confidential. They quickly calmed her down.
After Perci calmed down, she noticed everyone staring at her weirdly. "What?! Is there something on my face?" The twins shook their heads smiling.
She rubbed the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I just switch to greek if I am really frustrated."
Everyone returned to their food.
"Sorry for that Fred. I was just frustrated and fed up with this stuffc" She said to him softly in greek laying hand on his back. She knew her glare was scary and that he didn't do anything.
Fred just smiled back reassuringly. Even though her glare was scary, he knew his best friend.
Perci smiled at him. She took her schedule as she was finished with her lunch. "Oh! There is another Potions after lunch," she said to Fred.
"Do you think that Melissa will ask for the love potion again to Snape?" He asked laughing slightly.
Perci started laughing too remembering how Snape was ready to poison the poor girl for asking the love potion. "Holy Hades! No—if only she wants poison!"
They were full blow on laughing. People looked at them. George was talking to Lee ignoring them as if this happened everyday. People couldn't help but wonder that Perci was a bit closer to one Weasley twin than the other, looking at them supporting on each other to avoid falling down as they were laughing so hard.