When Myths meet Magic || 3

14|| Percy

Percy was now worried about two people- Buckbeak and Harry. At least Harry was worried about Buckbeak too, and his mind wavered from Sirius Black for the time being. Unfortunately, that also meant he was off his guard.

"Check it out!" Harry said in awe as the Firebolt rolled onto his bed. Percy, who had never been fond of things that could launch him high in the air, looked at it skeptically. It seemed exactly like Harry's old Nimbus, but a lighter brown. Annabeth was as awed as Harry and Ron, but she instantly saw what the others saw (besides Harry and Ron).

"Don't!" Annabeth yelped as Harry prepared to climb out of the portrait hole for a test ride on the Firebolt. She walked over in two long strides and snatched it out of his hands.

"Hey!" Harry looked at her, stunned. "Give me my broom!"

"Oh no. Not yet. You said there wasn't a card or any indication of who gave it to you?" Annabeth said warily.

Harry swiped for it again, but Annabeth twirled it above her head expertly.

"Yeah, but last time that happened it was Dumbledore!"

"But what if it's not, this time?" Nico said.

"What do you mean?"

"We're saying that anyone could give you an unnamed parcel and now you'll always assume it's Dumbledore, when chances are it's not" Thalia said.

"Well then it might be Lupin!" Ron defended.

"If Lupin had the cash for this, he'd get himself some proper robes." Jason said.

"So who do you think it is?" Harry asked.

Hermione and the demigods didn't even have to look at each other.

"Sirius Black," they all said.

Harry gave off a harsh laugh. "Do you really think Black could just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broom? Get real, guys."

"Look, Harry, if it isn't Black, we'll apologize," Annabeth said. "But right now, we can't take any chances. We're your friends, we don't want to see you get killed."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he lunged for the broom, but Annabeth was faster. She thrust it towards Nico, who vanished, broom and all. Harry grasped at nothing but air.

"Annabeth!" Harry yelled, turning to the daughter of Athena. "Why?"

"Harry, you can never be too careful!" Annabeth said back. Hermione nodded from behind her.

"If you think about the facts, there's a higher chance it was Black than anyone else!" she added.

Harry looked to the spot where Nico vanished and he frowned. "I guess I'm forever stuck with the primitive log for a broom then," he said. "Thanks a lot, guys," Harry said with some venom.

"I get it, you hate us for this," Jason said, his hands up slightly in an unmistakable gesture of peace. "We're just trying to help you."

"Maybe it would be nice if you asked me first!"

"Oh, so if we said, 'hey Harry, your old broom got smashed to pieces and you just got a new one, and an upgrade at that-- do you mind if we take it away and give it to Professor McGonagall for it to be stripped down?'"

"Stripped down?" Ron asked, aghast. "It's a bloody Firebolt! AND HERMIONE GET YOUR BLOODY CAT AWAY FROM HERE!" he roared as Crookshanks, who had been crouched in one of the boxes that contained Hermione's christmas present, lunged once again for Scabbers.

>>>•O•<<<

Harry, who was angry at the demigods, and Ron, who was angry at Hermione, weren't as friendly for the next few days of break. But when term started again, Harry sought out Percy.