Percy Jackson Arrives: Hogwarts is Doomed

Chapter 5

~*~*~*<Hermione>*~*~*~

"Ron! Harry!" I called.

"Hermione!" they yelled in perfect harmony. The two of them weaved through the crowd towards me, Ginny trailing at their heels. Ron wrapped his arms around me and gave me a massive bear-hug.

"How are you?"

"What did you do over the summer?"

"Have you read the daily prophet?"

The three of them bombarded me with too many questions to answer at once.

"Jeez guys! Calm down! Let's go and start shopping and catch up while we're at it. We have so much to do!" It was true. Last year, a lot of our school stuff had either been lost or destroyed while we were out hunting for horcruxes. "Let's start with Flourish and Blotts to get our books."

We walked through Diagonal Alley, trying to keep our heads down. Since defeating Voldemort, Harry had become even more famous. He was all over the Daily Prophet, and he wasn't the only one: Ron and I had been mentioned in almost every issue for helping to defeat the Dark Lord.

Our attempts at traveling unnoticed failed. One little girl, who couldn't have been more than five, called, "Mummy! That's Harry Potter!" Heads snapped in our direction and everyone started muttering about us. Ron had gone as red as a tomato. "You didn't happen to bring your cloak, did you Harry?" he murmured. Harry shook his head.

We kept walking towards the bookshop, hoping that the crowd would eventually get bored of watching some teenagers stroll down a road. Apparently, we were very interesting when we strolled down a road.

"Blimey! Wo's goin' on ov'r 'ere? Go on! Back to yer shoppin'!" a familiar voice boomed. I scanned the crowd and easily located it's source.

"Hagrid!"

Seemingly reluctantly, most of the crowd slowly dispersed and we were able to continue our shopping in peace. Hagrid lumbered over to us, easily parting the few remaining spectators.

"Alright 'Arry? Ron? 'Ermione? Ginny?" he called.

"Hi, Hagrid!" I replied happily, "How come you're here?"

"Yer know, the usual. Got ter get some karpoi food and such."

"Karpoi?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, grain spirits. We're gonna learn about them in Care of Magical Creatures, then give 'um to Professor Sprout to use in herbology," Hagrid replied.

"Cool!" I exclaimed, "I've not read much about them at all! This will be interesting!"

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.

"Must be goin' though. See yer at 'Ogwarts!" Hagrid slowly lumbered away from us.

"Bye Hagrid!" we chorused.

Finally, we had made it to Flourish and Blotts. The second I stepped in the doorway, I heard the death threats.

"What do you think you're doing, you idiot!" a voice that I knew all too well sneered.

"Minding my own business. You?" a boy of about seventeen that I had never seen before replied calmly. He had startling electric blue eyes and pale blonde hair. He held himself with confidence. The only thing ruining the perfect regal look was the small scar in the corner of his lip.

"Wasting my time on some dumb jerk, who couldn't watch where he's going if his life depended on it, apparently," Malfoy mocked. The boy raised an eyebrow. Then he shook his head.

"You have no idea," he said simply. His previously calm expression had hardened.

"I have no idea? Who do you think you're talking to? I'm a Malfoy! You just wait until my father hears about this! He has more influence than a puny mudblood like you could possibly imagine. He'll make your life hell." Now, bare this in mind: anybody else would be cowering in fear at a threat like that. The unknown boy, on the other hand just grinned.