Chaos Rising |BOOK 2| Harry Potter x PJO |Alexandra Marine|

PERCY JACKSON

"I invited dear Tonks to come along today," said Molly, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur the next morning. "But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"

"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much," said Lupin. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"

"Hmmm," said Will. "Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually."

Molly gave Lupin an annoyed look, as though it was all his fault she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks.

"Tonks's Patronus has changed its form," he told him. "Snape said so anyway. I didn't know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?"

Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly, "Sometimes... a great shock... an emotional upheaval..."

"Please elaborate emotional upheaval," Will said, smirking knowingly.

Remus did not elaborate, but turned a slight peach. It was a very good morning, considering that it would be Nico's last with us for a while.

He had decided that he wouldn't be attending Hogwarts due to the fact that the Underworld needed his help, and we couldn't deny Hades.

He would go missing that very day, with a bit of help from Frank Zhang, who will be arriving as a flock of bees. (School of bees?- whatever) Hades will do us a favor with some Mist magic.

"It looked big, and it had four legs," said Harry. "Hey... it couldn't be--?"

"Arthur!" said Molly suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. "Arthur--it's Percy!"

"What?"

"Are you talking about me?" I asked, dumbstruck.

Arthur looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.

"Arthur, he's--he's with the Minister!"

And sure enough, the man I had seen in the Daily Prophet was following along in Percy's wake, limping slightly, his mane of graying hair and his black cloak flecked with snow. Before any of us could say anything, before the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy.

There was a moment's painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, "Merry Christmas, Mother."

"Oh, Percy!" said Molly, and she threw herself into his arms.

Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.

"You must forgive this intrusion," he said, when Molly looked around at him, beaming and wiping her eyes. "Percy and I were in the vicinity--working, you know -- and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."

But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else's heads. Arthur, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced.

"Please, come in, sit down, Minister!" fluttered Molly, straightening her hat. "Have a little purkey, or some tooding... I mean --"

"No, no, my dear Molly," said Scrimgeour. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly..."