Magical Betrayal

Chapter 6

Percy's POV

**DUMBLEDORE IS ALIVE!**

We used floo powder (Oh, wonderful) to get back and we arrived in the Great Hall, where the sorting was just taking place. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco took their seats and told me to get in the line with the other first years.

I felt put of place, because I was, like, two heads taller than the first years. Dumbledore sat in his place at the Professor's table, as he watched the sorting. His eyes seemed to travel across the room, and they miraculously landed on me. He seemed unhappy that I was here at Hogwarts, although I'm not sure how he knew me in the first place.

Every once in a while, Dumbledore would glance at the fireplace for a few seconds before observing the sorting. Harry, Ron, and Hermione always told me how great and powerful he is, even though he's over 200 years old.

"Jackson, Percy." McGonagall exclaimed. McGonagall held a scroll in front of her, imprinted with the names of all the first years. I walked up to the hat, taking a seat on the stool. McGonagall placed it gently onto my head, and I sat there in silence.

(Italics is the sorting hat)

Hmm... This is quite a hard one. I jumped as I heard the voice inside my head. I'm pretty sure Hermione, Harry, Draco and Ron didn't tell me that the sorting hat talks.

You are very kind and loyal. You'd make a great Hufflepuff! Quite smart as well. You'd do excellent in Ravenclaw... But you have the cunning of a Slytherin, I see. You could be in Slytherin. The hat pondered. Very brave as well, hmm... But which one? What do you think? I paused, wondering if it was talking to me.

My mom was a Hufflepuff, and I remembered that Stanley said that I would most likely be sorted in Hufflepuff. But did I really belong in Hufflepuff? Ah, I know!

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted. The Gryffindor table cheered, and I smiled as I took a seat next to Harry. The next first year sat in the stool, and the hat was placed on their head as well.

"Blimey, what took so long?" Ron whispered to me. I shrugged. It didn't seem to take a long time. "Does it normally, talk?" I asked. Hermione nodded. "Of course!" She stated, as if it was obvious.

Finally, the last student was sorted and the Ravenclaw table cheered. Dumbledore cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. Everyone instantly silenced themselves, fixing their eyes on Dumbledore.

"Welcome," Dumbledore greeted, opening his arms as a sign of welcoming. "To another year at Hogwarts!" The students applauded and cheered, before Dumbledore silenced them once again. "May I remind that no one-," He paused, staring in our direction. "-is allowed out of bed at night! In addition, the forbidden forest is forbidden for all the students..."

I quickly zoned out after that, the words spinning in my head before flying out, as if my brain couldn't acknowledge it's meaning.

"That is all. The feast shall now begin!" He finished. The students mumbled excitedly to each other, as platters of food distributed themselves evenly among the tables. I didn't realize I was hungry until I saw all this food. I grabbed a little bit of everything, stuffing my moyth until I could eat no more. Hermione stared in disgust, and Harry laughed. "Don't you know manners?! You eat just like Ron!" Hermione cried.

I grinned a sheepish smile at her before going back to my food.

Pop!

I glanced towards the location of the noise, as I noticed a boy, a little bit younger than me, jump out of the fireplace, covered in ash and soot.

I stared at his face in concentration. I knew that I knew who he was. I'd seen him before! It was the boy who saw me behind my cabin, and struck my leg with his spear. Could he possibly be wizard and a demigod as well?

He rushed over to Dumbledore, and whispered something in his ear. I could faintly make out
"–Golden–"
"–Guarded–"
"–Lost–"
"–Percy–"

I stared at them suspiciously. Were they talking about me?!

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