Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

127) Insert Sirius Pun Here

We found Ron and Hermione in the library, working on Umbridge's homework (too many pages to be due tomorrow, naturally). Several other students scribbled at their work, and by the panicked way they looked, I figured they were also working on Umbridge's homework. Personally, I had decided not to do a bit of work for her. I knew the material, and didn't really care to prove it to her.

I felt like ants were crawling all over me — something about the mind invasion had me itching to move. Sitting down beside the others didn't help, but they were kind enough to not ask me to stop tapping.

"How did it go?" Hermione whispered, then took a look at us. Me and my jumpy glory, and Harry embracing his heritage as a sheet of paper (pale and flat). I wasn't surprised by her concern. "Are you all right."

"Fo' sho'," I said, making the 'ok' sign with my fingers. I pretended my hand wasn't shaking. Hermione stared at it for a moment, then turned to Harry.

"Yeah... fine... I dunno," Harry said, rubbing at his scar. "Listen... I've just realized something..." He told them what he'd figured out about the Department of Mysteries.

"So... so, are you saying..." Ron whispered as Madame Pince shuffled by, "that the weapon — the thing You-Know-Who's after — is in the Ministry of Magic?"

"In the Department of Mysteries, it's got to be," Harry nodded. "I saw that door when your dad took us down to the courtrooms for my hearing and it's definitely the same one he was guarding when the snake bit him."

Hermione let out a long sigh, "Of course."

"Of course what?" Ron questioned.

"Ron, think about it.... Sturgis Podmore was trying to get through a door at the Ministry of Magic.... It must have been that one, it's too much of a coincidence!"

"How come Sturgis was trying to break in when he's on our side?" I asked, leaning back a little too far in my chair, nearly falling over.

"Well, I don't know," Hermione admitted, steadying my chair. "That is a bit odd..."

"So what's in the Department of Mysteries?" Harry turned to Ron. "Has your dad ever mentioned anything about it?"

"I know they call people who work in there 'Unspeakables,'" Ron shrugged. "Because no one really seems to know what they do in there.... Weird place to have a weapon..."

"It's not weird at all, it makes perfect sense," Hermione said. "It will be something top secret that the Ministry has been developing, I expect.... Harry, are you sure you're all right?" He had just rubbed both hands over his head as if flattening it would somehow help with the headache.

"Yeah... fine..." Harry pulled his hands away from his face. "I just feel a bit... I don't like Occulemency much..."

"If you'd prefer, Draco could teach you," I said, watching Harry's face grow even more pained.

"Malfoy knows Occulemency?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, Snape taught him when he was little, I think. Learned it before he even came to camp."

"Why did Snape teach him?" Harry asked.

The answer was so he could avoid getting trouble from his father, but I figured I shouldn't share that, so, "He asked. He'd read about it in some book and thought it a good a idea to learn, and Sevy knew how."

"Why don't you have Malfoy teach you?" Ron blinked.

"'Cause he learned from Snape. Why study the student when you could study the master. Plus, Sevy will respect my privacy, no secrets spilled. To be fair, he did see an Ethan thing, so I'd bet he doesn't want to talk about my thoughts at all."