Percy Jackson and the Locket of Salazar [Book 6]

24)

"I'm starving," Harry announced as we stepped into the castle. "And I've got that detention with Snape tonight, I haven't got much time for dinner..."

"I could get detention with you," I offered. "I'm sure Snape would love it, and I've been wanting to try out that anti-drying charm, anyway. Imagine how he'd look if he stepped into class all soaked."

"No, it's all right." Harry sighed, but he seemed to appreciate the offer. He looked up as Cormac McLaggen slammed into one of the doors in his attempt to get into the Great Hall. Ron laughed loudly and kept moving while Harry stopped Hermione with a meaningful look.

"You did good today, Ron, and he may be a dick, but you can't be mean back." I backtracked at the unimpressed look Ron sent me. "I mean, you can, but you can be more tact about it. He ran into a door, and you're over here laughing like you didn't hit your head on the table in Slughorn's class when you spilled your quills everywhere. Don't throw the first punch, but throw the second one and throw it creatively. Like, if he harasses Harry again, enchant all his homework assignments so that when he turns them in, they say 'I've got the Hots for Harry Hotter!'"

"Harry Hotter?" Ron recoiled, disgusted with me.

"Yeah, the hots for him, it'd be the perfect revenge! Like when you like someone so much you start liking how writing their name feels, so you write it in the corner of the page and erase it then cringe because the name didn't erase fully, so now you've got to scribble over that spot, but it doesn't even really matter because McGonagall was standing behind you the whole time? It'd be so embarrassing."

"That was oddly specific, Percy." Ron smirked at me.

"Yeah, and? I'll admit my undying love for Draco to anyone who wants to hear it — and to those who don't want to hear it, mind you."

Ron looked over his shoulder, probably to get Harry and Hermione to agree I was weird, then stopped, realizing they hadn't followed us in.

"Where are they?"

"Pyongyang, perhaps? I hope not. Maybe they're in the bathroom. Both of them. Duty calls, you know? Maybe they're in our imaginations, and have never been a part of this reality — hey, where are you going?"

I trailed after Ron, pouting as he went to find our imaginary friends. He found them near the doorway of the Great Hall, Hermione looking sheepish while Harry smirked at her.

"What are you two doing?" Ron asked, disgruntled at being left out of the loop.

"Nothing," they said at the same time, not being suspicious at all. They marched determinedly into the Great Hall, and I sent Ron a bemused shrug, pretending I didn't know that they were talking about Hermione's bit of magic with McLaggen.

Unfortunately, we were not able to sit down to enjoy ourselves because Horace Slughorn decided he was more important than my food. "Ah, just the students I was hoping to see!" He jovially twisted the ends of his mustache, as that is what normal people do in the midst of conversation. "I was hoping to catch you before dinner! What do you say to a spot of supper tonight in my rooms instead? We're having a little party, just a few rising stars. I've got McLaggen coming, and Zabini, the charming Melinda Bobbin — I don't know whether you know her? Her family owns a large chain of apothecaries — and, of course, hope you three will favor me by coming, too." Ron's face turned red as he was left without an invite. In fact, Slughorn didn't so much as look at him, even as he bowed to the rest of us.

I was about to speak up, either praising Ron or saying something I would regret to Slughorn, I hadn't decided yet, but Harry responded first, weaponizing an excuse that Hermione and I did not have. "I can't come, Professor. I've got a detention with Professor Snape."