Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

76) I Really Like The Name Grubbly-Plank

I had hoped I wouldn't see Umbridge again that day, but she was waiting for us at Care of Magical Creatures. I was momentarily thankful that it was Grubbly-Plank here instead of Hagrid, because he had a habit of saying things that would get him in trouble.

"You do not usually take this class, is that correct?" Umbridge asked as everyone arrived at the table with the bowtruckles.

"Quite correct," Professor Grubbly-Plank answered, her hands behind her back as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "I am a substitute teacher standing in for Hagrid."

"Hmm," Umbridge dropped her voice, but it still seemed to pierce the air, "I wonder — the headmaster seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter — can you tell me what is causing Professor Hagrid's very extended leave of absence?"

I was vaguely distracted by the Professor Hagrid combo, but I did see Draco look up at that.

"'Fraid I can't," Grubbly-Plank said smoothly. "Don't know anything more about it than you do. Got an owl from Dumbledore, would I like a couple of weeks teaching work, accepted — that's as much as I know. Well... shall I get started then?"

"Yes, please do," Umbridge was scribbling on her clipboard again.

She continued to scribble as she wandered around our class, questioning people on different magical creatures. I was proud to see that everyone answered well, not letting Hagrid down.

"Overall," Umbridge walked back over to Grubbly-Plank after an extensive interrogation of Dean's knowledge of animals, "how do you, as a temporary member of staff — an objective outsider, I suppose you might say — how do you find Hogwarts? Do you feel you receive enough support from the school management?"

"Oh, yes, Dumbledore's excellent," Grubbly-Plank answered happily. "No, I'm very happy with the way things are run, very happy indeed."

Umbridge made a very short note on her clipboard and continued, "And what are you planning to cover with this class this year — assuming, of course, that Professor Hagrid does not return?"

"Oh, I'll take them through the creatures that most often come up in O.W.L.," Grubbly-Plank said. "Bit much left to do — they've studied unicorns and nifflers, I thought we'd cover porlocks and kneazles, make sure they can recognize crups and knarles, you know..."

"Well, you seem to know what you're doing, at any rate," Umbridge put a tick on her clipboard. I didn't really like where this whole thing seemed to be going, and I especially didn't like it when Umbridge posed her next question to Goyle. "Now, I hear there have been injuries in this class?"

Goyle just smiled goofily and pointed at Draco, who sighed loudly, "That was me. I was slashed by a hippogriff, but it —"

"A hippogriff?" Umbridge started scribbling madly.

"Yeah, but —"

"It was only because he was too stupid to listen to what Hagrid told him to do," Harry said hotly.

I muttered a curse beneath my breath, and Ron and Hermione both groaned. Umbridge turned to look at Harry, and spoke softly, "Another night's detention, I think." She turned away. "Well, thank you very much, Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think that's all I need here. You will be receiving the results of your inspection within ten days."

"Jolly good," Grubbly-Plank said, and Umbridge set off for the castle.

Once she was out of ear shot, Draco spoke in Greek, "Fucking bitch." Grubbly-Plank must have known Greek, because she lightly hit Draco on the back of the head with a rolled up copy of her lesson notes.

***

Hermione found me after classes, and pulled me aside after looking around for any spies, "Percy."

"Hermione."

Hermione sort of laughed nervously, "I've been, um, thinking, and we aren't learning anything in DADA."

"You had to think to figure that out?"

Hermione flushed, "No, um, it's just... maybe, we should do it ourselves?"

"Learn Defense ourselves?" I blinked.

"Yes, it's like you said, we've got to be prepared to defend ourselves. We've got to learn or —"

"I don't know how much we're going to be able to learn from practicing jinxes we look up in the library, but I suppose —"

"No, no, it's not just jinxes from a book," Hermione said, and I got the feeling that this was a lot more of a deal than simply learning defensive spells. "That's not good enough. We need a teacher, someone to teach us how to do the spells and maneuvers and correct us when we're wrong."

"Who would you have teaching us?" As I said it, the us seemed bigger than our circle of friends. It felt like everyone.

"Well... Harry, for some of it, and um... you."

I stared for a moment, Hermione looking nervously back up at me.

"When did I get taller than you?" I muttered distractedly.

"Percy, this is serious!" Hermione scolded.

"Yeah, but, uh, Hermione, I don't know if I'm the best choice. I can perform magic, sure, but the majority of what I do is entirely without thought. I don't really plan well."

"I know," Hermione said. "That's why I really want you to teach. I could get any camper to teach how to fight without spells — to dodge and to look for weaknesses — but you improvise. You get caught up in bad situations all the time, and you come out okay. You've got this way of figuring it out that others don't, and I'm hoping you could teach that."

"I — 'Mione, it's easier to teach demigods who have that built in, that figuring-it-out already inside them, than to teach people who have never really faced that kind of situation."

"Yeah... but you have faced that situation. You're the closest thing we can get to them facing something new and unpredictable. You're an amazing fighter, too.... You already train campers, Percy. Why not try to train some others?"

I let out a breath and closed my eyes for a moment, thinking. I could try to teach my peers to apply the knowledge, to prepare them to face danger. I wasn't sure how well it would work, but I figured that at least I would have tried.

"Okay, Hermione. But only if you can get Harry to teach everyone, too."

As Hermione beamed up at me, I knew I'd made the right call.

Percy's growing up. He's getting taller. I never planned for him to be a tall guy, but so far I've had him as ridiculously short. I decided that he needed to grow some, as his character grows and his role in the wars grow. He's becoming a warrior, and his height reflects that. He's still shorter than Draco though. I had a plan in Hogwarts Mystery. I saved up 300 pages for the Animagus quest because I ran out of time the first time. I saved up a bunch of energy because every day of April we get twenty. It was going well. So we'll, in fact, I finished the quest in less than a day. The problem is, I didn't realize another quest would come right after it, this one to befriend the lovely animagus, Talbott. I'm very glad it is an extra long weekend, because I've got three days to complete the quest, but I was not emotionally prepared for the terror in the slightest. But I believe I've already finished the first part of it, which is a good sign. I also chose not to obliviate Merula, because I think she's the best thing to walk the halls of this mobile game. I love her. She's great. She's problematic but she also joined me for Christmas at the Weasley's, and I sacrificed my spot in the Frog Choir for her, and I like her boots. I wonder if she's a date option... I haven't unlocked that yet, but if she is one, I'm shooting my shot for that girl with the random bit of orange hair. Love her. So hot.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a Merulastic Friday, and I'll see you on Sunday CT. Love ya!

PS. Happy Good Friday to those who celebrate!