Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

143) I'm Gonna Let Harry Make A Mistake

^^^ Present my sister, Sam, made for me. It's also got tridents on the back, but Wattpad wouldn't let me put a second picture. It's pretty sick. Ignore the Patrick socks and the backpack jacket pile by my bed. Also, hand reveal?? Enjoy my mole.

George explained, "It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?"

"What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?" Fred continued. "No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's studying too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do." Hermione looked pleased at that. "But it's business as usual from tomorrow. And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"

"Even if you do cause a distraction, how is Harry meant to talk to him?" I questioned.

"Umbridge's office," Harry said lowly.

There was one fireplace in the entirety of Hogwarts that wasn't being monitored by the Ministry. The one in Umbridge's office.

"Are — you — insane?" Hermione leaned forward, eyes wide.

"I don't think so," Harry shrugged.

"If you're not sure if you're insane or not, then you probably are," I pointed out. "How do you plan on getting in there?"

"Sirius's knife," Harry said. "Christmas before last he gave me a knife that'll open any lock. So even if she's bewitched the door so Alohamora won't work, which I bet she has —"

"What do you think about this?" Hermione turned to Ron.

"I dunno," Ron looked at Harry. "If Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?" True. Even if I thought it wasn't a great idea, a terrible one, even, it was Harry's call.

"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley," Fred clapped his little brother on the back. "Right, then. We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridors — Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office — I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?"

"Easy," George agreed.

"What sort of diversion is it?" Ron asked.

"You'll see, little bro," Fred grinned. "At least, you will if you trot along Gregory the Smarmy's corridor round about five o'clock tomorrow."

***

I'd known the morning was going to be an annoying one, because when I'd looked out the window, Hagrid was limping out of the Forbidden Forest. I didn't ask what had happened, but seeing someone you cared about hurt was enough to occupy your mind for the day.

What's worse was Hermione. She didn't share the same belief as I did that while Harry was doing the wrong thing, it was still up to him to do it. She spent the entirety of Binns' class whispering warnings beneath her breath, and was practically hissing by the time we got to Potions (Seamus thought his cauldron had a leak because of her).

Snape had also smashed Harry's flask in Potions. Hermione had cleaned out Harry's cauldron at the end of class, so Harry ended up getting a zero.

Then, of course, my career meeting.

Professor Sprout was sitting behind her desk, staring at a file in her hands. I figured it was probably mine.

"Hello, Mr. Jackson," she smiled kindly as I took my seat. "As you well know, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into sixth and seventh years. Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"Not die," I said. "But career wise, no, not really."

Professor Sprout nodded sadly, "Well, you've excelled in every class you've taken. You could be anything you wanted to be. Did you look at the pamphlets?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about fungus deliveries," I shook my head.

"What would you like to spend the rest of your life doing, Percy?" Professor Sprout asked smoothly, as if that weren't one of the hardest questions I'd ever been faced with.

The real answer: nothing. I didn't want to be stuck doing one thing for the rest of my life. My ADHD wouldn't be able to handle it. I'd need something that was different every day, all sorts of new challenges. Something that didn't suck.

"I don't know," I said instead. "Nothing to do in the Ministry. I don't plan on becoming corrupt any time soon."

"Not every person in the Ministry is corrupt, but that's understandable. Government jobs are difficult and often uncomfortable."

"And I think I'd like to go to college," I said. "Maybe Muggle college, maybe not. I like school, though. And it'd be nice to look at all the people who called me stupid and rub my diploma in their face." Also, I just liked school.

"Muggle school? Are there any Muggle jobs you'd be interested in? Or maybe working at Camp Half-blood?" Sprout looked surprised, like people didn't consider Muggle jobs all that often. They probably didn't.

"Not really," I shrugged.

"Well, what sorts of things are you interested in?"

"Uh, blue, sword fighting, Potions, boats, love boats, uhhh..."

"Oh, yes, Potions," Sprout looked down at her folder. "You were in the midst of developing your own potion, yes? What if you worked in Potions?"

"That... could be interesting," I said. Dealing with interesting people, probable explosions, and weird smells. I didn't end up developing my own potions as a job, but I did end up working with all of the above. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like that, if I don't end up dying this summer."

"We'll take steps as if there's no risk of death at all, Mr. Jackson. Now..."

Happy holidays, friends! I hope you guys have had a merry day, full of family and cheer. What sorts of gifts have you guys gotten? I got a blob fish thing that I LOVE, a lego mug, a rock, a Percy Jackson cup (pictured above, possibly, I haven't decided yet), a shirt, some pajamas, a balloon ornament, a book with a shark bookmark, and some candy. Kadee made me a Percy Jackson ornament, and Sam made the cup. Also, I did not mean to publish yet. Whoops. It's all good though, there's a handy dandy unpublish button. My sister told my family and my boyfriend's family about the baby. Everyone was ecstatic, happy tears and everything. They're going to name him Roman, I think. And my brother's going to name his daughter Everly, possibly? That's what I overheard. I'm really looking forward to all the babies. I love babies. My cousin's got an electric guitar. It's really sick. He's playing it right now. And yesterday my cousin's son got this rideable tractor. It was awesome, he loved it. I love him. He's a baby, too.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a wonderful time, and have enjoyed the holiday season. See you soon! Love ya!