A Half Blood Against Time | A Percy Jackson AU

34: "News flash Brad, punk died."

The corridors of Hogwarts were silent as Professor Perseus Jackson made his way to Professor Dolores Umbridge's office. The walls, steeped in centuries of magic and mystery, seemed to hum faintly around him. But tonight, there was something different in the air—something oppressive. The torches flickered weakly as if the very magic within them was fading under the heavy hand of the Ministry. Percy knew what this meeting was about. It had been decided upon earlier in the week—a thinly disguised "friendly chat" with Umbridge to discuss the Ministry's new regulations. But Percy figured that Umbridge, the ministry's herald at Hogwarts, would want to sway him away from Dumbledore and Harry. She would have him believe that Voldemort has not risen yet and having a man present for Voldemort's rise tell all that he was still dead would be a Herculean feat.

As he approached the witch's office, he noticed the empty portraits around her door. It seemed that even the portraits had been introduced to Umbridge and had decided to bunk with their friends rather than hearing the shrill voice of her's.

Percy sighed, he would much rather be spending this evening with Fleur. Now that the school year had began, his duties as a teacher were taking much of his time and he was slightly regretting not taking that job at Beauxbatons, where teachers were allowed to live off campus and basically had day jobs. The demigod smiled fondly as he remembered how excited Fleur had been to celebrate Percy's eighteenth birthday. After the extravagant party Percy had thrown for her, she had been keen to repay the favour. But even those sweet memories could do nothing to lift his spirits as he knocked on the door of Umbridge's office.

He had no doubt she would try her usual tricks—honeyed words hiding threats, all delivered with that saccharine smile.

"Come in," He pushed open the door, taking in the sight of her office, which was as garishly pink as the rumors suggested. Plates adorned with images of kittens meowed softly from the walls, their large, innocent eyes seeming out of place in the room's otherwise sinister atmosphere. The fireplace crackled weakly, casting a faint orange glow that did little to warm the space. Sitting at her desk, Umbridge wore a smile so wide it looked as if it might crack her face.

"Professor Jackson," she said, her voice syrupy and high-pitched. "Do come in. I've been expecting you."

Percy stepped into the room, his gaze sweeping across the walls. It was almost suffocating in its artifice, the forced smiles and coziness seemed to obviously mask something worse. Percy had to control his laughter as he paid attention to Umbridge's face which looked strikingly like the toad Gordon had. "Professor Umbridge," he greeted, inclining his head slightly.

"I appreciate you making the time for this discussion seeing you're so busy with the first years that you're teaching." Even her thanking him to finally meet had a jab. Percy gave her a strained smile,"Of course,"

Umbridge finally stopped smiling and motioned toward the chair opposite her desk. "Please, have a seat. We have much to talk about, don't we?"

The demigod sat down, keeping his expression neutral. The air between them was thick with unspoken tension, but Percy had no intention of letting her control the conversation, he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

Umbridge leaned forward slightly, her hands clasped on her desk, her smile still firmly in place. "It's always such a pleasure to speak with members of the staff, especially those who are new to Hogwarts. We must ensure that everyone is on the same page, don't you think?"

Percy nodded, though he sensed the loaded meaning behind her words. "Absolutely. A unified faculty is essential for the well-being of the students."

"Precisely," she chirped. "The Ministry, as I'm sure you're aware, has taken a... keen interest in ensuring that Hogwarts continues to maintain the highest standards. There are, of course, certain guidelines that we must all follow to ensure that the school remains a safe and controlled environment." Umbridge's rattle of memorized words was much too obvious.