Percy Jackson and the Heir of Slytherin [Book 2]

52) Flying With Fawkes

The tunnel was longer than I expected.

It was long, dark, cold, slimy, and I couldn't light anything because I had to use my hands to crawl. I couldn't have turned back if I wanted to. The tunnel was that small.

After what seemed like hours of crawling, when my muscles seemed to be screaming with exhaustion, the tunnel opened into a large room. There were strange books all over the place. There was a large bed and a desk. There was a suit of dark armor on the wall, and a black sword. I recognized the Slytherin symbol above the wall. There were several other doors, too.

I walked into one of them, and the last thing I expected to see was a leathery bag of a woman glaring at me. Her eyes glowed like coal on a fire. Her mouth was filled with yellow fangs.

"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," the lady said, her wings helping her hover above the ground slightly. I held my sword at the ready. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."

I stared blankly at her.

"Well?" She demanded, glowing eyes glaring at me.

"I don't..."

"Your time is up," she hissed.

I held my sword up, yelping as the monster lunged at me. I didn't have time to raise my sword, so I dodged her claws. The next time she flew at me, I had time to swing Riptide.

It passed through her body as if it were water, and a loud hisss! rang though the air. Yellow powder showered over me, smelling like sulfur. Her dying screech littered the air, and I could almost feel her red eyes glaring at me.

I was alone.

The powder covered the floor, and I wished my friends were behind me. I wished that I hadn't been alone for that moment, wondering fearfully how a monster could get into Hogwarts. Scared about how the anger had been directed at me with so much more force than normal for a monster. It wasn't just hatred towards demigods in general, it was the pure hatred of someone who took everything from you, even though I had never done anything to the monster before.

I recognized the monster after a long moment of standing as a Fury. One of the Kindly Ones. They serve Hades.

I had thought we'd been on good terms. Apparently, sending evil grandmother's with talons was good terms to Hades.

I stood there for a while longer, staring at the Golden dust still on the floor, then promptly turned, walking out of that room. I made my way back to the tunnel, and started crawling again. That place was a no-go.

The crawl through the tunnel a second time was worse. I could feel the monster dust biting against my arms and neck. I couldn't wipe it off. I could still feel the Kindly One's glare on me, even though I had already dispersed her.

The small walls of the tunnel seemed to close in on me, and I was thankful to finally crawl out of the tunnel. Ron looked at me with surprise, "What happened?"

"Yes, what happened?" Lockhart asked happily, sitting on the floor with a smile.

"Shut up," I snapped at Lockhart. He didn't look crestfallen at all, instead nodding agreement.

I looked at Ron, and almost told him everything, but the glowing red eyes filled my mind, and I just shook my head. He nodded, and went back to pulling out rocks. I helped him.

"Guys!" I heard Harry shout, and looked through the hole we had made. "Ginny's OK! I've got her!"

Ron gave a whoop and I smiled at him.

"Ginny!" Ron shot his arm through the hole and pulled her in. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened?"

Ron tried to hug her, but Ginny pushed him away, sobbing. "But you're okay, Ginny. It's over now, it's — where did that bird come from?"

A Phoenix swooped through the gap.

"He's Dumbledore's," Harry said, climbing through the hole.

"How come you've got a sword?" I asked, staring at the weapon in Harry's hand.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," Harry said, glancing at Ginny.

"But—"

"Later," Harry said hurriedly. "Where's Lockhart?"

"Back there," Ron said, grinning. He'd moved up the pipe awhile back. "He's in a bad way. Come and see."

Fawkes, the Phoenix, led us up the tunnel, his feathers emitting a warm glow. At the mouth of the tunnel, Lockhart was sitting on the ground, humming a tune I didn't recognize.

"His memory's gone," Ron said. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hadn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

Lockhart peered up at us, smiling happily, "Hello. Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," Ron said, eyebrows raised.

Harry grinned, then bent down to look up the long, dark pipe we had used to slide down here.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" Harry asked us.

We shook our head, but Fawkes fluttered in front of Harry.

"He looks like he wants you to grab hold..." Ron said, looking confused. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there."

Harry smiled, "Fawkes isn't an ordinary bird." He turned towards us, "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Lockhart—"

"He means you," Ron told Lockhart.

"You hold Ginny's other hand. Percy, you'll take the rear."

I grabbed Lockhart's hand, and he grinned happily down at me, "You're a short fellow, aren't you!"

I frowned, "I want to switch hands."

Harry laughed, and next thing I know, we're flying through the pipes and up towards the surface again. Beats any rollercoaster I've ever ridden.

Next thing I know, we're standing on the ground in front of the sink, watching it roll back and cover the hole behind us.

"You're alive," Myrtle said to Harry, goggling.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Harry wiped his glasses clean.

"Oh, well... I'd just been thinking. If you had died, been welcome to share my toilet," Myrtle said, turning silver.

"Urgh," Ron groaned as we stepped out of the bathroom. "Harry! I think Myrtle's got fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

Ginny was still crying.

"Where now?" Ron asked, worriedly staring at Ginny.

Fawkes flew down the corridor, and we followed him. We were just outside of McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked, then pushed the door open.

I really felt like Harry killing the basilisk and facing Voldemort was something that needed to be done, and we all know Percy would've taken over. He would have killed the snake and told Voldemort to shut up, and that would have been that. So he got a tunnel.

Also, I came out to Kadee last night. It was terrifying. I thought coming-out was supposed to be the most relieving thing ever, but it really wasn't. Maybe because I didn't really want to do it. Not then, anyway. I just brought up something mean A said about it, and Kadee pushed, and I told her. She doesn't really seem to care, but she might care, and I'm still scared. I felt all sick and my breathing was weird for like, three hours. Maybe not. I don't know. But it's so much easier to talk about it when you want to talk about it, I didn't think it'd have been that much of a problem. I found out I was asexual a little over a year ago, and I had only told one member of my family, and she had shot me down immediately. Maybe that's why it was so terrifying. But I can't take it back now, and it's gonna have to be fine.

I hope you all have a super Saturday, and I will see you on Monday. I love you!