When Myths Meet Magic || 2

14|| Harry

Jason refused to talk to the wizards the next day, and the day after that.

"He can hold a grudge for a long time," Annabeth said quietly to them at breakfast the next day. "His entire life was built off of a broken promise from his mother."

Harry winced and glanced sideways to Jason, who was sitting on the opposite side of them, closest to the Slytherin table.

"He might get over it though," Percy said brightly through a mouthful of potatoes. "You never know, he didn't really know his mom, but he knows you."

Harry looked at his toast doubtfully.

>>>•O•<<<

In the library, they took the moldy book from Madam Pince and walked away quickly, trying not to look guilty.

"Right," Harry muttered as they speed walked to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "We have the book. Now what?"

"You get the ingredients, make the potion ASAP, then turn into Slytherins," A voice said behind them. Harry turned sharply and spotted Percy behind them, moving as silently as if he wasn't walking at all.

Ron scowled. "What are you doing here?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Well, I thought you might want help for the potion. I am, after all, the potions master."

"Hermione can help us just fine."

"Don't be salty, Ron," Percy said, sounding hurt. "I'm not the one who yelled at you. Although it was a bit unnecessary, calling Jason's girlfriend evil."

"Well—" Ron bit back a retort as they turned the corner and slipped into the bathroom.

"A stall won't fit everyone," Harry said, eyeing the dimensions. "Maybe if we did it in the sink—"

Percy walked in and shoved his shoulder against the wood that blocked one stall from the next. It shattered under him but expanded the space.

"Or we could do that," Harry said. Percy grinned at him and did an overly dramatic bow, gesturing them in.

Hermione held the book out gingerly in front of her. "Well, brace yourselves. This wasn't in the restricted section for nothing."

They peered over the damp, moldy pages of the book.

"Ugh." Harry winced at the graphic pictures. "That one has arms coming out of her head."

"I wonder if she's related to Medusa," Percy said, grimacing.

"Here it is." Hermione pointed to a very detailed potion recipe. "Wow, I've never seen a potion so complex," she muttered, her brow furrowing. "Most of these we can get in the student cupboard, but the rest... Skin of a boomslang, that'll have to be from Snape's private cupboard... Ooh, I don't know where we can get the powdered horn of a bicorn, and not to mention a bit of whoever we're changing into—"

"Excuse me?" Ron looked disgusted. "What do you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it—"

"—We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last—"

Ron turned to Harry, flabbergasted. "D'you realize how much we're going to steal? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the student's cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is such a good idea...."

Hermione snapped the book shut sharply. "Well, if you three are going to chicken out, fine," she said, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I don't want to break the rules, you know. I think threatening Muggleborns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in—"