Percy Jackson and the Order of the Phoenix (SEQUEL)

Chapter 10: Eavesdropping with the Weasleys

"Well schist..."

A certain son of Hades had mumbled, after noticing the vast murky water. What demigod's luck, that the most vibrant, strongest smell of death in the entire cave was smack-dab in the middle of the lake.

And there was no way in Hades that Nico was going to get wet, especially after going through so much effort to keep his jacket dry this far.

So, puzzled by the situation, he stood there and waited; thinking... thinking for a solution.

And then he looked down again at the water, sensing the mass of rotting corpses just waiting to drown their next victim. Only one problem, nobody drowns the Ghost King.

A smile on his lips, a small laugh, and Nico took a step forward into the water.

But before he sunk, a skeletal hand lifted itself onto the surface to keep him elevated. And then another, and another, and another,... until the corpses formed a bridge for the son of Hades.

"Not much of a challenge, eh, Riddle?" he scoffed, walking deeper inside.

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"Stupid cat," Percy grumbled, as Crookshanks walked off with the Extendable Ear, ruining everyone's fun.

Hermione glanced towards him, "He's just playful! How can you hate such an innocent little creature?" Just as she spoke, Crookshanks jumped onto her back (all of the currently laying on their stomachs in the second floor hallway as they eavesdropped), and hissed right into the son of Poseidon's face. Again.

And Percy had to hiss back. Again.

"Well, at least we heard a little bit, right?" Hazel replied, but Ginny, who was crouched beside her and poking her head through the stairs' banister, was displeased.

That's when Mrs. Weasley walked upstairs, a scolding look on her face as Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Percy, Annabeth, and Hazel all scrambled onto their feet, cramped together all in the hallway hovering over the stairs, "And what are all of you doing?"

"Err-"

"Well-"

"Exploding Snaps?"

"Playing Twister?"

"What's Twister?"

"It's a muggle game, Ronald."

"I'm hungry!"

Mrs. Weasley perked up at the last comment, coming from Percy, "Oh, you must be one of the new American students Dumbledore was talking about! Percy, right? Well, let's make sure you're fed... my goodness, all of you must be starving after traveling such a long way..."

As she began mothering over the 18-year old, the rest simply followed, quite surprised at the turn of events from getting in trouble, to being rewards with food. Nobody seemed to complain however, as they all follow downstairs in a large swarm into the kitchen.

Except for the Weasley twins, of course, who apparated downstairs with a simple 'crack.'

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