Secrets of Hogwarts and the Slytherin Prince

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"Meet me in the passageways." Percy whispered in Annabeth's ear at the end of the Feast. She caught his wrist.

"They closed them off, Percy." She whispered. "Sealed them. With magic and everything..."

"But-"

"I'll see you on the train!" She promised, being pulled away from him by the other, still cheering, Gryffindors. Percy frowned, trying to keep up. He got left behind quickly, and was nearly pushed down the by Ravenclaw house and Hufflepuff house. Nobody paid him any attention, simply swerving around him like water around a rock.

He looked around him, and his eyes landed on a figure standing behind a statue, in front of a passageway entrance. They lifted their head and smiled. The not-so ghostly figure smile. Percy moved forward, towards her, determined to reach her.

Her eyes widened and she ducked behind the statue, into the passages. Percy reached the wall as Piper reached him. "Come on, Percy! Let's go get ready!"

"But-" He cut off for the second time that night. "My mom... I saw her..." He mumbled.

Piper didn't hear him, pulling him away from the passage door. He reached out for it, but didn't fight her. Was that really her? Was that really his mom?

***

Percy sat down with Annabeth and Piper on the train, smiling at them. "Hercules is mad."

"When isn't he?" Piper snickered. "Hercules has anger issues, Percy. We all know this."

Annabeth was nose deep in a muggle book, laying on the seat, head on her bag. Percy reached out his foot and nudged her hand. She lifted her head up to give him a look, before laying her head back down. "Leave me alone."

"What are you reading?"

"None of your business, Seaweed Brain." She huffed, rolling onto her other side so her back was to Piper and him. Piper and Percy shared a grin before they reached out and pulled Annabeth onto the ground. She hit the floor of the train compartment and looked up at them with wild eyes. "That's it!"

She stood, wand in hand, a jinx on her lips. Percy reacted quickly, whipping out his own wand. "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand flew out of her hand and she stared at him with wide eyes. "H-How? We haven't even-"

"You're not the only one who reads, Wise Girl," Percy smirked. Annabeth grabbed for her wand, and he stood, holding it up as high as he could. He'd grown to her height over the school year, taller by at least 2 inches, and she clearly hated it. He had long arms. She... Not so much. He had no problem keeping her wand out of her reach.

"Okay, cool it, love birds." Piper was laughing. Percy and Annabeth both froze, realizing they were chest to chest, very close to each other's faces. Percy's hand dropped, and she grabbed her wand, laying back on the seat and pulling her book very close to her face. Percy felt the heat creep up in his cheeks as he slowly sat down, Piper's loud guffawing not helping with his embarrassment.

***

"I think we're almost there," Piper said softly, frowning. Percy knew she was feeling upset. He was too, but for different reasons. He wouldn't see his best friend again until school started up again. But he'd get to see Marielle, and tell her all the wonderful things he'd learned, and the things he'd done, and the friends he'd made. Piper, for the first time in... Ever, wouldn't be with her father for several months. She wondered what his problem was. Why wouldn't he let her go back? What was so bad about Hogwarts, that he wouldn't let her go back if she came home?

It made him angry... But the thought of seeing her at school was enough for him to fine without her for a few months. Plus, he could send letters. What was the point in having a pet owl trained to deliver letters, if you didn't let it deliver letters?

There wasn't one.

"Oh, Piper, you're gonna love it! We live out in the country, and no muggles can find the house unless we let them. Like, if we order pizza, my dad has to take the wards down or meet them at the mailbox, and frankly, walking down that long drive is not worth pizza. It'd get cold on the hike back. It's so beautiful, too! The architecture is just... Ah, I love it!"

Percy watched Annabeth as she talked about her home. Her hair flew around her face as she spoke, her hands moving about wildly. She could talk for hours, and he would watch her the whole time without needing to stop.

But she stopped, and his disappointment was immediate.

"You'd probably love my house, too." Piper smiled. "I'm gonna miss it."

"What about me?" Percy joked, nudging her shoulder. She smiled.

"Yes, I will miss you too, Percy." She hugged him, and he sighed, losing his smile. He was going to be alone for a while. He could feel it deep inside.

***

"Are you sure you don't want to come to stay with us, Percy?" Frederick called. "It's the least I can do after you saved my daughter. You won't be able to reach us once we leave London. Maybe on the Knight Bus, but you'll need our address."

"I'm good. Thanks, Mr. Chase." Percy smiled, shaking Annabeth's father's hand. Piper waved to him, and Annabeth hugged him tightly. He almost leaped backward in surprise, but slowly hugged her back, smiling.

"If you need too, send Hercules to me, and I'll send our address back, okay?" She said, looking up at him.

"Annabeth, I-"

"Promise you will."

"I will." He laughed softly, smiling. "Promise.

"Good." She hugged him tighter.

"T-thanks, Annabeth." He stuttered at the tight hug and tried very hard to not think too much into it. She didn't like him. Not possible.

She smiled at him as she pulled away from the hug, blushing, cheeks a light shade of pink as she hid her face in her hair. Percy picked up Hercules' cage and started towards the doors of the station, getting looks as he passed through the crowd of muggles. He saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione-Hermione with her parents, Ron with his large red-haired family, and Harry walking a few feet behind 3, impossible to miss people. A twig, a pig, and a troll with a wig.

***

Percy took a deep breath, stepping off the knight bus a block from the orphanage. He was antsy. He hadn't gotten word from Marielle about him coming home, instead of doing what Piper was doing. Hercules hooted from his cage, ruffling his feathers before hiding his face under his wing, almost as if he were ashamed. Percy couldn't imagine why.

He walked down the street, taking note of the odd smell in the air. It was tangy, like wood smoke. But nobody on the street had a wood stove, fireplace, fire pit, or wood grill. Maybe the idiot kids had started a fire.

Percy turned onto his street and stopped dead in his tracks. The orphanage.

It was gone.