Nexus (The Demigod Wizard)

St. Mungo's

"I carried him to St. Mungo's," Percy said lowly to Dumbledore, crossing over to the old wizard. "He looks bad, Albus—"

"Minerva, warn Molly. Although Molly may already know with that excellent clock of hers..."

"PHINEAS!" Dumbledore suddenly bellowed, making everyone jump.

An old wizard who was still pretending to sleep jumped in his portrait. "Yes?"

"Your other portrait. Warn Sirius. You are to tell him that Arthur is gravely injured and the children will be at his house momentarily."

"Sirius?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

Percy leaned over and grabbed a random tea kettle. He pointed his wand at it and it glowed blue. Then he tossed the object to Dumbledore.

"You will be taking this Portkey," the old man informed the children, handing it to Ron. "We are just waiting for Phineas—"

There was a flash of flame right in the middle of the office, and a single Phoenix feather floated to the floor.

Dumbledore started. "Fawkes's warning. She must know you're out of your beds...Perseus, go and head her off—tell her any story—"

Percy nodded. He cast his wand over himself, temporarily transforming his bloody sweatpants and chest into a night robe, and swept hastily from the room.

"He says he'll be delighted for the company," Phineas said in a bored voice as he reentered the portrait.

"Good," Dumbledore murmured. "Come to the Portkey then," he instructed the group as they huddled around Ron. "Quickly, in case Perseus cannot stop Umbridge...Good. Three, two, one."

Harry felt a hook jerk behind his navel and he was tugged forward. Solid ground was swept from beneath him and he tumbled in a rush of sounds and sights until he slammed into the old carpet of Sirius's home.

"Back again, the blood traitor brats, is it true their father's dying—?"

"OUT!" Sirius roared.

Harry staggered time his feet, the four Weasleys beside him doing the same. Sirius hurried around helping them settle into chairs. He brought five butterbeers from the kitchen and handed them to the kids.

"What's going on? Phineas said that Arthur's injured—"

"Ask Harry," Fred grumbled.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," added George.

Harry recounted what had happened once again. He told them about his dream and how Percy had immediately taken him to see Dumbledore.

"Where's Percy?" Sirius asked, rubbing his arms. "Dumbledore said you lot were not to go anywhere without his protection."

This was news to Harry. Since when has Percy, a simple seventeen year old boy, been assigned bodyguard?

"He took Dad to St. Mungo's and then Dumbledore asked him to go stop a woman..."

"Umbridge, probably."

"Is Mum here?" Fred asked.

"She likely doesn't know yet. The important thing was to get you away from Umbridge, but I expect—" Sirius began.

They were cut off by a loud crack in the hallway. The group jumped up, Harry's hand flying to his wand.

The floorboard creaked and Percy came into view. At some point, he had washed the blood of his arms and hands. He also wore black pants and a dark green sweater, having changed from his bloodied sleepwear at some point.

"Percy," Sirius breathed, stepping forward to help the boy. "What happened?"

"I'm only here for a bit," Percy warned, grabbing Sirius's butterbeer and taking a long swig. He looked exhausted, dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and doing...whatever he had been doing for Dumbledore.

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," Ginny said urgently.

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off!" Protested Sirius.

"Course we can go to St. Mungo's if we want, he's our dad!" Fred said indignantly.

"And how are you going to explain how you knew he was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?" Percy demanded, his face hardening.

"What does it matter?" George cried.

"It matters because we cannot draw attention to the fact that Harry is seizing visions!" Percy said angrily. "Have you any idea the risk that would put Harry in with the Ministry?" The Weasleys fell silent, debating whether to proceed or fall back. Percy sighed. "Listen, your father has been injured on duty for the Order and circumstances are risky enough without his children knowing about it seconds after—"

"We don't care about the damn Order!" Fred shouted.

"This is our dad dying we're talking about!" George yelled.

"Your father knew what he was getting into," Sirius told them.

"He never signed up to die—!"

"Yes he did!" Percy yelled. "He knew the risks, he knew exactly what might happen. We all knew when we joined what the outcome might be! This is how it is—this is why you're not in the Order—you don't understand—there are things worth dying for!"

"Easy for you to say!" Fred bellowed. "I don't see you risking your neck! You don't even know what you're talking about—you're seventeen!"

"You're right, I wasn't on duty like your father," Percy replied, deathly quiet. "I was at Hogwarts, watching you. Protecting all of you day and night. You think I haven't been working with the Order while you all are in class? Do you think I'm not protecting you lot every day when I'm sitting in class by your side?"

Harry suddenly remembered how Percy always seemed to pick a fight with Umbridge when he, Harry, began to talk back. He realized that Percy wasn't doing that to be insubordinate but to draw the professor's attention to Percy instead. And he was often not in class or missing during the evenings. Harry has just thought Percy odd, but what if he was actually working on Order business all that time?

"Don't question Percy, guys," Sirius told them. "Dumbledore has a purpose for every person in the Order."

"Oh yeah?" Ginny snapped. "What's his?"

"I don't know," Sirius admitted. "It's classified. Whatever Percy does is so important that only he and Dumbledore know. So you all had better learn to respect that."

Percy stood. "I think I've said enough here. Molly's headed to St. Mungo's now," he told Sirius. "I'm going to head to the Ministry. Dumbledore's already there, trying to smooth things over with Fudge on Arthur and the kids leaving school early." He cast a charm over himself so he was wearing his traditional black trousers and white button down, the blood disguised. And then Percy disapparated with a crack.

They spent the next number of hours waiting and waiting for news. They heard nothing from Dumbledore or Percy or Molly but simply sat in silence. All of them stared blankly, immersed in their own thoughts.

Around five in the morning, Molly came in through the kitchen.

"He's going to be alright," she told them. "He's sleeping. Percy and Bill are with him now. We can go see him in the morning, but you all need to sleep."

Hugs were exchanged, tears of relief and cries of joy. They clung to each other and laughed, and then went to bed as Molly asked.