Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

84) Zacharias Can't Shut His Mouth

The reaction happened nearly immediately, and I wasn't particularly surprised.

Marietta spilled butterbeer down her front. Terry twitched involuntarily. Padma shuddered. Neville yelped (and tried to cover it with a cough. Everyone looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"Well... that's the plan anyway," Hermione said. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" A Hufflepuff kid demanded. The most annoying Hufflepuff I knew, because he never seemed to make up his mind if he believed us or not.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —"

"You mean, Dumbledore believes them," He nodded at Harry and me.

"Who are you?" Ron questioned rudely, which was appreciated, because I wasn't a fan of this guy.

"Zacharias Smith," the boy said, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes them say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," Hermione quickly interjected, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about —"

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said lightly. He'd come to the same realization I had. Many of the kids here had showed up to get some sort of firsthand experience from us.

"What makes us say You-Know-Who's back?" Harry stared Zacharias dead in the face. "I saw him. We saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe us, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

The group had seemed to hold its breath. Even Aberforth was listening in.

Zacharias shook his head casually, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know —"

"If you came to figure out exactly what it's like when Voldemort murders somebody, I'd be happy to demonstrate," I glared at Zacharias. "I don't want to talk about Cedric, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

No one stood. Not even Zacharias.

"So," Hermione's voice had gone high-pitched again. "So... like I was saying... if you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet, and where we're going to —"

"Is it true," Susan interrupted, staring intently at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"

I shook my head lightly. What was with my Hufflepuff peers and interrupting the meeting?

"Yeah," Harry said a little defensively, thought the group seemed interested.

"A corporeal Patronus?"

Harry blinked twice, "Er — you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" He recalled the hearing.

Susan smiled, "She's my auntie. I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So — is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes," Harry said simply.

"Blimey, Harry!" Lee looked amazed. "I never knew that!"

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," Fred smirked at Harry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong," Harry muttered, and a few people laughed.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" Terry questioned. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year..."

"Er — yeah, I did, yeah," Harry said.

The group shared looks with their peers, some making sounds of amazement.

"And in our first year," Neville spoke up, "he and Percy saved that Sorcerous Stone —"

"Sorcerer's," Hermione corrected.

"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who," Neville beamed.

"And that's not to mention," Cho spoke up, and Harry's head whipped over to look at her, "all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year — getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things..."

There was a murmur of agreement — impressed and awed — from around the table. I smiled. Harry was shifting uncomfortably, tugging at his collar at the praise.

"Look," Harry said slowly, and everyone's attention snapped to him, "I... I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but... I had a lot of help with all that stuff..."

"Not with the dragon, you didn't," a Ravenclaw boy said. "That was a seriously cool bit of flying..."

"Yeah, well —" Harry flushed.

"And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer," Susan said.

"No," Harry said, "no, okay, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is —"

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" Zacharias spat.

"Here's an idea," I could feel my eye twitching, "why don't you shut your mouth?"

Zacharias flushed and shut his mouth. Then he opened it again, "Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it."

"That's not what he said," Fred scowled.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George asked, pulling out a large, metal instrument from one of their Zonko bags. I swear I've seen that thing used in torture, and the Weasley twins possessing it offered me no comfort.

"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick it," Fred grinned.

I guess it did offer me some comfort.

The thing my friend needed to talk to me about wasn't particularly serious. He said he might be going to a different camp than the one we had planned on attending together, and I said go for it, 'cause that stuff sounds nice. But he terrified me, and for that, I am angered. Not really, but I was worried. Awards ceremony was all right. On top of honor roll I also got Journalism 1. I'm quite proud, considering the fact that there are only four of us in that class. I am simply superior. Tomorrow is the last day for seniors, then I get to spend the rest of the year alone in a classroom with my teacher. I like this teacher though, she's chill, and she'll let me get on my phone. I also watch TV in there, so it's all good. I would have been stuck in study hall, where having nothing to do is a crime.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a sexy Tuesday, and I'll see you on Thursday CT. Love ya!