[1] New Beginnings: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher's Stone

18: bigoted authority figures

Hermione had tried to get Percy and Ron to do their homework once they got back to the common room, but Percy found he was too tense and worried to concentrate. He couldn't help but imagine all sorts of horrible scenarios in which Harry gets expelled and is forced to live with the Dursleys until he could legally move out, a fate Percy wouldn't wish on anyone.

"Percy, could you at least try and do your Transfiguration instead staring at the fire like the world is ending?"

"You know what Hermione? Why don't you just leave him alone? His bloody brother is most likely getting expelled and that cannot feel good. So why don't you just lay off?"

"Okay, I'm sorry, gosh."

Their little corner devolved into a tense silence full of Hermione's quill scratching on parchment and the conversations of other students around the room. The portrait hole opened and Percy immediately looked over. It was Harry.

"Harry! Can you stay?" Percy asked him as soon as he went over.

Harry looked extremely happy and not at all like as if he had been expelled. Ron and Hermione had crowded around him, waiting to hear the verdict.

"I didn't get expelled," Percy and Ron gave great whoops of joy, Hermione just smiled happily, "and I got on the quidditch team for Gryffindor. I'm seeker!"

"Bloody hell, Harry, you'll be the youngest seeker in a century!"

"This is awesome!"

"Congratulations, Harry."

****

The next morning, Percy was smiling as he walked down to breakfast with Harry and Ron. His brother was not expelled, he was not going to live with the Dursleys until he was of the legal age, and that was just stupendous.

As they walked through the doors to the Great Hall, they were confronted by Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "How are you still here? I thought that you would have been expelled!" The blond was obviously outraged.

"Well, Malfoy, maybe it's just because Harry's better than you," Percy smugly said.

"You know what, Potter," Malfoy said, "I want to have a duel with you. To see who really is better."

"Fine," Harry said, "when and where?"

Malfoy smirked. "Midnight, in the trophy room, next week, on Tuesday. Crabbe's my second. Who's yours?"

Ron interrupted. "Percy is, obviously."

"We'll see you there, Malfoy."

With a final smirk, Malfoy and his goonies walked off to the Slytherin table.

"I cannot believe you just did that," a voice said from behind them. The wheeled around and saw Hermione with a scornful look on her face.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ron spoke before Percy or Harry could get a word in.

"I'm just saying, it's obviously some sort of trick. Malfoy isn't the type to challenge someone to a duel and follow through with it." She said this in a "duh" tone of voice. "He's a Slytherin, isn't he?"

"Now that's stereotyping if I've ever seen it," Percy said.

Hermione rounded on him then. "What, you're saying he isn't a little sneak?"

Percy just held his hands up in surrender. Hermione's piercing gaze was starting to make him uncomfortable.

"Hey, Ron?" Harry seemed confused about something. "What exactly does that mean, 'Percy's my second'?"