Perseus Potter

Chapter 15

When Percy found Harry, he was sitting in the Gryffindor commons with Nico, wringing his hands anxiously. When he saw Percy enter the room through the portrait hole, he bolted to his feet. “Percy!” he exclaimed, running over to the demigod, Nico trailing behind him at a reasonable pace.

Percy smiled at his brothers. “Hey, guys. Where are the others?”

Harry frowned in thought. He had been so worried for his twin that he hadn’t paid much attention when Hermione and Ron had left. “I don’t know.”

“Hermione said they were going to the library,” Nico said. The young witch had dragged Ron with her, despite his protests.

“Thanks Nico,” Percy said with a smile. “By the way, how did your talk go?” he asked. Since the demigods didn’t know they were attending the same school, they had to have their calls separate.

Nico brightened considerably. “Good. I told Jason, Hazel, and Reyna about Darren and they said they wanted to meet him sometime. And Will joined about halfway through. What about you? Who called?”

Percy grimaced slightly. “Annabeth, Piper, Thalia, and Calypso. They were upset that I disappeared on them like that. It didn’t help that I had to go before the hour we agreed on was up.”

Harry chuckled. “You’ve got to introduce me to them this summer.”

Percy stiffened. “We should get to dinner now.”

Harry frowned when his brother changed the subject so abruptly, but nodded in agreement. “Yeah, probably.”

As they started walking, Percy said, “Harry, I need you to promise me something.”

“Okay… what?” Harry asked.

“No matter what Umbridge says, you need to keep your mouth shut. Every time you lose your temper around her, you’re just giving her more power over you. She is baiting you. Don’t give her what she wants,” Percy said.

Harry looked at him incredulously. “No way! I am not going to just stand by and let her walk all over you!”

Percy sighed. “Harry, I’m not going to let her walk all over me.”

“But in class today, you did!”

“I didn’t. I stood up to her, just not in the way you did. By staying calm and collected, I proved to her that she can’t get to me,” Percy explained. “You let her under your skin. You let her win.”

“But she’s just so infuriating!” he groaned.

Chuckling, Percy threw his arm around Harry’s shoulders. “I know, but if you keep misbehaving, you’re going to end up in more trouble than she’s worth.”

“Percy’s right,” Nico chimed in. “She’ll get what’s coming to her, but we have to be patient. The best way to annoy her is to not let her get to us and to avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”

“Speaking of attention,” Percy gestured to Malfoy, who was staring at Harry from across the hall, “someone’s staring.”

Harry glanced over. The other boy was watching him, his face void of its usual sneer. Instead, there was a strange emotion that Harry couldn’t place. When he realized he had been caught, his face flushed and he hurried away.

“What was that about?” Harry asked, a confused frown adorning his lips as he watched the Slytherin rush away. “Do you think he’s okay?”

Percy smirked and shared a knowing glance with Nico. “I have no idea,” he drawled. “Are you wanting to ask him?”