When Myths Meet Magic || 2

17|| Jason

Jason, Percy, and Nico ran along the corridor, following everyone else.

"Who do you think it was?" Nico asked as they turned the corner to the sound of Peeves' shouting.

"Not sure," Percy replied back. "It could be anyone. I just hope that this one shows Harry's innocent."

"Fat chance of that. Wizards are stubborn," Jason added as they turned the corner. There was a hush.

"We need to get closer." Jason squeezed through the crowd and burst into the center, where there was a ten foot radius circle of space, clearly showing Harry, Piper, Professor McGonagall, and...

"No," Nico breathed and knelt next to them. Frank and Hazel lay on the ground, frozen, their eyes widened in shock. In Hazel's hand was a massive diamond.

Jason turned to Piper, the silent question on her lips. What happened?

Piper shook her head back at him, her eyes wide. I don't know.

>>>•O•<<<

"Piper, we were just wondering." Thalia cast her eyes around the rest of the group before continuing. They were in an empty classroom, away from the scene of the crime. "You don't happen to know if Draco is Slytherin's Heir, do you?"

Piper's jaw dropped open the slightest bit. "No, he's definitely not it" she said with certainty.

"Are you sure?" Nico pressed. "Because no one hurts Hazel and gets away with it." His eyes seemed darker, somehow. Even though they were jet black before, they seemed to suck light out of the surroundings.

Piper looked at them. "You don't believe me?" she asked calmly. "Draco isn't the heir. Sure, he's rude sometimes, but he wouldn't set a monster on people."

Percy frowned. "You're going soft on him," he stated bluntly. Piper shook her head in disgust.

"You guys don't know him," she insisted. "Like I said, he can be rude and mean, but he's just bitter. And his family is a huge influence. Trust me." She used no charmspeak.

Jason pursed his lips. "Piper, you heard what he said. 'Enemies of the Heir, beware, you'll be next, Mudbloods.' If that isn't a clue, I don't know what is."

Piper looked at Jason differently. "Draco is FINE. Jason, I thought you were more trusting than that."

Annabeth lowered her head, so shadows danced across it. "We're not sure, Piper. We think—" she hesitated. "—well, you might be a little biased towards the Slytherins, don't you think?"

Piper was speechless. "You, my friends. I thought you actually listened to me." she stared at all of them. "Trust me, it's not Draco."

The Gryffindors exchanged glances. Piper fumed. "Fine." she picked up her book bag. "Fine. Don't believe me. But don't do anything rash with the completely absurd idea that Draco's the Heir of Slytherin. Because he's not." she stormed out of the room.

Jason stared at everyone. "Did she just pick Draco over us?"

Annabeth rubbed her temples. "We were pretty blunt about it. And we were basically accusing her of lying to us. I can partially understand it."

Nico looked cautiously down the corridor. "We shouldn't hang around like this," he warned them. "We'll attract attention. Let's get back to the Gryffindor Common room."

>>>•O•<<<

The double attack on Frank and Hazel seemed to worry everyone even more. People would stop abruptly when they saw Harry coming down the halls and turn the other way. There was almost a mob of people crowding Professor McGonagall to go home for the holidays.