Smoke and Dust

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Fates and Prophecies

When the two wizards arrived back at the school, Percy half expected to find the castle in ruins, burned down to the ground. But everything looked normal, quiet, even, and Percy didn't trust the quiet one bit.

While Snape ignored him and stormed into the castle, his coat flying in the wind behind him (Drama Queen! ), Percy set off to look for his cousin. He expected to find her in the great hall holding a knife to Umbridge's throat, or in the great staircase tower, jumping from one moving staircase to another, maybe even arguing with a painting. He didn't expect to not find her at all.

Percy walked the whole school building, asked paintings for the girl, even went to the headmaster to ask if he had seen her, but no one could help. Panic settled in his chest as he stood in front of a wall of paintings, who were arguing among each other which direction the girl had gone in.

"No no, Sir Magnolius. I am fairly certain my eyes still work. I am sure I saw her run left towards the west tower," a small knight in one of the paintings exclaimed, while he nodded so much that Percy thought he ought to become dizzy.

Sir Magnolius, a fat wizard with a big moustache, shook his fat finger in the knight's face. "Lies!" He called with a red face from all the calling. "Never did she go anywhere in that direction!"

Percy gave up on the remains of wizards and witches caught in paint and walked off, much to their dismay.

Once again, he climbed the astronomy tower and watched over the school grounds. Of course, there was the possibility that his cousin had gone into the forest, but it was too big for even him to search. Percy scanned the trees, hoping for anything. But the wind swept over the leaves and needles and no whisper in the wind told him the location of the huntress.

When his eyes moved skywards, a bright point in the heavens caught his eyes. Just the sight of her, still so far away, was enough to let a part of the heavy panic in his heart loose.

Aria advanced quickly, and soon enough she landed beside him, shook her wings to straighten out the ruffled feathers, before transforming into a small girl with snow white, almost silver hair, bright blue, almost white eyes, and dark skin. Once again, she was wearing a white dress that flowed freely around her figure. Her beauty was as immortal as she was.

Her hands were on the enclosure that kept students from falling down to certain death. She was hardly tall enough to look over it. For a second, all Percy did was watch.

Then, "You have missed a lot," Percy stated.

Aria spoke quickly, her gaze fixed on the scene in front of them rather than on him. "I had to take care of a few things." Of course, Percy had no say over where she went. They were companions out of convenience. Both were lonely creatures that found each other and decided to accompany each other on the path of life. But they still had two different paths, and though they often aligned, Aria sometimes disappeared. Percy did not know where she went, but he did not ask.

"I hope you managed to do so?" It was hardly an inquiry into her doings, but more a question of whether she was done with them.

"Not as well as I had hoped," Aria replied, her face set in a slight frown. "But the future is out of my hands now, so no time to fret. Tell me about the last few weeks."

And Percy did.

With the recent events with Thalia, it was easy to forget that Mr. Weasley's injury was just over a week prior, that he had thought it possible for Harry to be a halfblood and that Calliopes had visited. A lot has happened in the last few weeks.

"You should decide soon what to do about the mind situation with Albus Dumbledore. His trust is essential for your stay here," stated Aria, as if Percy hadn't racked his brain over what to do for hours, as if it was easy to see the right path to walk down.