Percy's New Adventures

Percy Flies On a Piece of Wood

For a good hour, Percy and Ron talked. At least, Percy did almost all the talking while Ron kept interrupting every thirty seconds. By the end of the session, Percy felt like he had taken another dose of the Phlegethon. Percy was careful, however, about not mentioning cellphones and other twenty-first century regulars that weren't even made in the '90s, and he avoided questions about his parents and family.

As Ron interrupted for what felt like the millionth time, Percy was saved as the door slammed open, causing both of them to jump.

"Oh, it's you two," said Ron, slumping back on the bed.

Fred and George didn't look noticeably abashed, despite the fact that they had endured a hour's scolding by a woman Percy wouldn't like to see in one of her worse moods.

"Hey, didn't you receive an earful from your mother just now," Percy began, "shouldn't you be-"

"Ah, that. We get that all the time, you see. You get used to it after a while," said Fred.

Percy wasn't sure what to say. His own mother didn't scold him much, so he didn't have much experience with raging mums. "Okay... I guess?" he said and the twins and Ron broke into laughter.

Percy joined in after a while. Eventually, the four boys calmed down and George asked Percy eagerly, "Hey, do you remember how you landed up here tonight? Because-"

"No idea," said Percy, shrugging. His story was that his father had walked out on him, and after that, everything had been a blank until he appeared literally out of thin air near The Burrow, and he sure was going to stick to it. George and his twin looked disappointed and Ron looked surprised and curious.

"Oh, well, we thought you might have Apparated," said Fred, "and-"

"Wait, what's Appar-thing," interrupted Percy.

"Oh, didn't you know, it's when you travel from one place to another-"said George.

"Just like that-"said Fred, snapping his fingers.

"But you need to be of age to do it-"

"And that's four years away," finished Fred.

Of age... but wait, they're only thirteen, aren't they? They can't be eighteen in four years! Percy said cautiously," But aren't you two only thirteen. You can't be-"

"Oh no, we come of age at seventeen in the wizarding world. Everyone knows that!" cut in Ron, looking incredulous.

Seventeen, huh? Okay. This world is weird, that's for sure.

"Hey Percy, were your parents magical?" asked George, looking a little hesitant. "I mean- did they have magic?" he said.

"Not that it matters either way," interrupted Ron, "plenty of witches and wizard come from Muggle families and they get along great." Thankfully, Percy didn't have to embarrass himself by asking what 'Muggle' meant- a person who wasn't a witch or wizard. It was one of the few things the Fates had told him about the other world.

"Well," Percy racked his brains for a convincing story. Think, man, think! ... oh Ron told me just now! Magical people can have non-wizarding parents! "Well, my dad was a Muggle, and since my mom died when I was um, three, I don't know whether she was a witch or not."

"I see," said the twins together.

"So," continued George, "what do you get up to? Like, what do you do in your off time?" he asked Percy.

"Well," Percy deliberated, "I like playing jokes on unsuspecting guys and playing video- and just messing around, you know, though I'm nothing on the Stoll twins, all things considered. Man, those two sure know how to prank someone," he said, ending with a fond grin, remembering those twins' exploits, though indeed some of them were definitely not safe.