All four of them strode towards the Great Hall, Percy, Harry, Professor McGonagall and Neville. Harry, Neville and Professor McGonagall looked grim and furious. Percy looked slightly confused. He could understand that something very serious was going on. Someone had betrayed the school and his inhabitants. In Camp Half Blood a betrayal was considered to be a very grave thing. He could not imagine which of the teachers or the students could betray the school. It was a marvelous place. In the few hours that he had known Hogwarts he had come to respect it and its inhabitants. From what Harry had spoken about the school, it was like a second home to its teachers and students. And yet someone had betrayed it.
“We shall have to check the wand of every teacher or student who is old enough to disable the defensive charms. We will need to divide, obviously. Also all the exits from the school must be closed. No one should be able to escape.” Said Harry. Neville and McGonagall walked away as soon as Harry finished speaking. “Percy, you come with me.” He said in a serious voice. Harry walked into the great hall, Percy followed him without saying anything. In the great hall the 17 year old students were talking nervously. The younger students had been sent to bed. All the students present were wounded in some way or the other. The giants had been extremely vicious. They all looked very haggard.
As soon as Harry entered the room, the students stopped talking. Somehow the students seemed to respect Harry as much as the teachers. Briefly Harry explained to them why he needed to check their wands. There were shocked gasps from everyone when they heard that someone among them had betrayed the school. No one objected to their wand being checked. Percy and Harry were almost through the first group of students when Professor McGonagall entered the hall levitating a stunned man behind her. When they came nearer, Percy saw that it was the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher Professor Arnold. All the students hated him and people were not surprised to see him being levitated by Professor McGonagall. He had gat into her bad books as soon as he entered the school. “Harry, he wouldn’t let me check his wand” said Professor McGonagall. “He tied to curse me when I insisted. That’s why I had to stun him and bring him here in this manner. We have to check his wand.” Professor McGonagall held out Professor Arnold’s wand. Harry took his wand and pointed his own wand at it. “Priori Incantatem” he murmured. At once a hazy spell came out from the wand. Percy assumed it was the spell that had been used to disable the security charms of the school since Harry looked so grim. The other students were looking furious. “Neville” Harry called and Neville was by his side in a moment. “Bring the strongest truth potion from the school stores.” Neville went and was back in a few minutes. He handed a vial full of some kind of clear liquid to Harry who forced Professor Arnold’s mouth open and poured the whole thing into it. He then pointed his wand at the stunned man’s chest and muttered “Rennerevate” The man’s eyelids fluttered open. “Why did you disable the security charms of the school?” Harry asked coldly. “The Dark Lord was killed but I will continue his work. I will not let his efforts be wasted” the man replied in a defiant tone. It was enough for Harry. Percy could see it in his eyes. “Take him to the minister of magic. Tell him to send this death eater to Azkaban as soon as possible.” Saying this he swept out of the room. Percy followed him out of the room. “come I’ll take you to the station. You will need to get back to the muggle world.” Said Harry. “I will contact you later to give you the details.”
From the station Percy went straight to Annabeth’s house. “Hi Percy” Annabeth said as soon as she opened the door for Percy. “where were you all day? I tried to call you but your phone was out of reach.” She pulled him closer and kissed him. Percy felt a lot more relaxed after the kiss. He couldn’t wait to tell Annabeth all that had happened. He followed her inside the house. Harry’s last words rang in his head, I will contact you later.
THE END
