When Myths Meet Magic || 5

34|| Percy

The History of Magic exam passed much faster when you were asleep, something Percy learned firsthand. He opened his eyes sleepily to find he wasn't the only one; next to him, Nico had pulled the hood of his robes over his head and Harry's face was buried in his hands.

Percy let his eyes drift open and shut lazily as he stared at his parchment from the side, then to Harry who was sitting next to him.

Suddenly, his head snapped off the desk.

Harry's fingers were white as they clutched his face... No, his head... His scar... He was trembling slightly, his hair ruffling side to side and not just from the open window....

"Harry?" Percy breathed.

"Please, sir, this is an examination," Professor Tofty said rigidly, as if afraid another scene like the previous night would happen again.

"But sir, I think Harry—"

The words never finished as Harry suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream and jerked; if he had not been sitting in his desk the momentum might have thrown him into a backflip. His desk tipped to the side and table, parchment, quill, ink, and Harry sprawled out onto the floor. His glasses shattered and the lenses mixed with the shards of ink bottle. His eyes snapped open and he was pale and shaking, ink staining his cheeks like tears.

Harry was still babbling, "I'm fine, sir," to Professor Tofty as he was led out of the room. The gaze he cut around to first Ron and Hermione, then Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Thalia, and Jason, sent the unmistakable message that something bad was happening. As if they couldn't tell themselves.

"Five minutes to go," Professor Marchbanks said, her voice unmistakably miffed. Two exams in a row that were disturbed by loud scenes wouldn't be good for her record.

Percy stared down at his paper and tried to read question 39 (aweio quqfze mnanwefph, tthbkmgnr sdelolt 1402-1405, xrrpht merpj klyzze?) before scribbling down his answer: ??? ;~; ;) XD :'( :P :3 (to be fair, he didn't try hard to decrypt it) in the blank beneath.

As soon as the hourglass emptied, the seven were out of their chairs to find Harry. He was on his way back as they turned the corner, nearly crashing into them.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "What happened? Are you ill?"

"Come with me," Harry responded urgently. Half his face was still ink-stained. "Come on, I've got to tell you something."

Percy was pretty sure he broke his mile record in the speed they went to find an empty classroom. They finally located one and Harry nearly dragged them all in before slamming the door, whirling on them, and spitting, "Voldemort's got Sirius."

"Voldemort's gotten serious?" Thalia repeated, her lips twitching. "With who?"

"Shut up," Harry snarled. "He's got him in the Department of Mysteries."

"What?"

"How d'you—"

"I saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."

"But where? How?" Hermione stammered.

"I dunno how," Harry said. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven... He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there.... He's torturing him... Says he'll end by killing him..."

Suddenly the door opened, and everyone turned sharply as Piper walked in.

"Oh," she said, noticing Harry's pale face and Ron's sudden glare directed at her. "I just... felt some really powerful emotions coming from this room... Should I leave?"