A Life Changing Story "Harry Potter and Percy Jackson"

Part 13

when the daily prophet came,
I suppose I get my strength from my parents. Iknow they'd be very proud of me if they could seeme now. . . . Yes, sometimes at night I still cryabout them, I'm not ashamed to admit it. . . . Iknow nothing will hurt me during the tournament,because they're watching over me. . . .
Percy snorted. That lady!
Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His closefriend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seenout of the company of one Hermione Granger, astunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry,is one of the top students in the school.
Wait does Hermione have feelings for Harry? The demon in his chest was ordering him to use the cruciatus curse on Harry. But he remembered that Harry liked Cho. But then he realized that Rita had left Ron and himself out of the article. What the Hades?!
"Stunningly pretty? Her?" Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the firsttime she had come face-to-face with Hermione after Rita's articlehad appeared. "What was she judging against — a chipmunk?"
"Ignore it," Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her headin the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as thoughshe couldn't hear them. "Just ignore it, Harry."
"Yeah totally." gritted Percy glaring at Pansy Parkinson. "Ignore it."
"I didn't start this," Harry said stubbornly. "It's his problem."
"You miss him!" Hermione said impatiently. "And I know hemisses you —"
"Miss him?" said Harry. "I don't miss him. . . ."
Percy snorted. Something that didn't go unnoticed. Instead, Percy shifted the topic. "Let's just help you master the summoning charm. It's like this Accio Harry Potter's glasses" and instantly, his glasses went to Percy's hands.
Viktor Krum was in the library an awful lot too, and Percy wondered what he was up to. Was he studying, or was he looking for things to help him through the first task? Hermione often complained about Krum being there not that he ever bothered them — but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.
"He's not even good-looking!" she muttered angrily, glaring at Krum's sharp profile. "They only like him because he's famous!They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that WonkyFaint thing —"
"Wronski Feint," said Harry
On the Saturday before the first task, all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade.Hermione told both boys that it would do him good to get away fromthe castle for a bit and Harry didn't need much persuasion.
"What about Ron, though?" Harry said. "Don't you want to go withhim?"
"Oh . . . well . . ." Hermione went slightly pink. "I thought wemight meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks. . . ."
"No," said Harry flatly.
"Oh Harry, this is getting ridiculous—" Percy started.
"I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron, and I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak."
"Oh all right then . . ." Hermione snapped, "but I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I'm looking at you or not."
"Or kissing," Percy said snickering. But Hermione and Harry heard it and whacked him on the head. Twice for being a seaweed brain.
"People keep looking at us now," said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream-filled chocolates.
"Don't move your lips so much then."
"Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one's going to bother you here."
"Oh yeah?" said Harry. "Look behind you."
Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from the Three Broomsticks pub. Talking in low voices, they passedright by Hermione and Percy without looking at them. Harry backed into thewall of Honeydukes to stop Rita Skeeter from hitting him with hercrocodile-skin handbag. When they were gone, Harry said, "She'sstaying in the village. I bet she's coming to watch the first task."
"She's gone," said Hermione, looking right through Harry toward the end of the street. "Why don't we go and have a butterbeerin the Three Broomsticks, it's a bit cold, isn't it? You don't have totalk to Ron!" she added irritably, correctly interpreting his silence.
The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon, but also with a variety of magical people, Percy rarely saw anywhere else. He supposed that Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain. On his way through the pub, They spotted Ron, who was sitting with Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.
Percy went and ordered three butterbeers. And while drinking, Hermione pulled out a notebook in which she had been keeping a record of S.P.E.W. members. Percy saw his, Harry's and Ron's names at the top of the very shortlist.
"You know, maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.," Hermione said thoughtfully, looking around the pub.
"Goodluck with that," Percy said taking a swig of butterbeer. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?"
"When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" she hissed back. "You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action. I wonder how you get into the school kitchens?"
"No idea, ask Fred and George," said Harry.
Hermione lapsed into thoughtful silence, while Percy just played with his pen. Harry drank his butterbeer, watching the people in the pub. All of them looked cheerful and relaxed. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot were swapping Chocolate Frog cards at a nearby table; both of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory! badges on their cloaks.
"Look, it's Hagrid!" said Hermione.
Percy turned around and saw that Hagrid had been leaning low, talking to Professor Moody.
Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, but Moody was drinking from hiship flask. Madam Rosmerta, the pretty landlady, didn't seem tothink much of this; she was looking askance at Moody as she collected glasses from tables around them.
As Percywatched, he saw Hagrid and Moody get up to leave. Moody,however, paused his magical eye on the corner where Harry wasstanding. He tapped Hagrid in the small of the back, muttered something to him, and then thepair of them made their way back across the pub toward Harry andHermione's table.
"All right, Hermione, Percy?" said Hagrid loudly.
"Hello," said Hermione, smiling back.
"Hey, Hagrid." Percy greeted
Moody limped around the table and bent down and Percy swore he heard Moody mutter "Nicecloak, Potter."
Percy's eyes widened. "Can your eye — I mean, can you —?
"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you."
Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn't see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there. Hagrid now bent down on the pretext of reading theS.P.E.W. notebook as well and said in a whisper so low that only harry can hear him.
Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice ter see yeh, both." winked, and departed. Moody followed him.
"Why does Hagrid want me to meet me at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.
"Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled. "I wonder what he's up to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry. . . ." She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for Sirius."
"But it might be related to the tournament," Percy said.