Percy Jackson: Grandson of Voldemort

Chapter Thirty

Hermione's POV

"Hey," Percy greeted Lavender Brown as she passed him in the hallways. He received nothing but a stern glare from the girl, who rushed towards the dungeons for her Potions class. The Son of Poseidon was completely unfazed by the other students shunning him until he reached Neville, who didn't say anything back.

He turned to me, extremely confused. "Hermione?" he asked slowly, "Does anything seem off to you?" I rolled my eyes. I knew he could be oblivious, but this was a whole new low for him. "You mean the fact that everybody is ignoring or glaring at you?" I asked him innocently, "No."

He bit his lip. "I need to ask someone." He caught up to Neville, who was going to Transfiguration a couple steps in front of us. "Neville?" he asked, tentatively touching the other boy's shoulder, "Is everything alright?" Neville gave an uncharacteristically bitter laugh.

"You think that I don't know you killed Trevor?" he asked angrily, "I was waiting until after classes to confront you about it because I didn't want to make a scene, but apparently we're doing this now." He spun around, his face a complete mask of anger. "I've had Trevor since my first year! Granted, he was always getting lost, but he was my first friend. You don't see me killing your blue elephant! How would you feel waking up in the middle of the night and seeing a glowing sword hacking off the head of your pet? Now back off, Percy. Harry was right about you."

Percy was so taken aback that he didn't defend himself or stop Neville from stomping down the hall. He stood there, as still as a statue. I waved a hand in front of his face, and he blinked once before looking at me again, his mouth agape and even more confused than last time. He couldn't get any comprehensible words out of his mouth, finally setting on, "Huh?"

I gently pushed his jaw closed with a hand and smiled. "Get to History of Magic, Percy. I'll figure out what's up with Neville." I left him in the hallway, not even bothering to look back and make sure he was following me. I was sure he wasn't, and frankly, it was probably better that he was as far away from Neville as he could be while I talked to him.

"So," I started, drawing the attention of the Gryffindor boy, "Percy killed Trevor, huh?" Neville nodded stiffly, saying nothing. "And you're sure it was him?" He nodded again, this time letting out a furious torrent of words. "It was definitely him," Neville spat, "I saw it as plain as day... er, night, you know, since it was night time. Moonlight was on him and everything. His sword, his hair, his eyes. I would know them anywhere. Not to mention after he was done, he went straight back to his bed."

I opened my mouth to speak again, but he cut me off. "I can't believe you're still friends with him, Hermione. Harry was right! If you don't trust your best friend since first year, then I don't expect to be able to change your mind. But Percy means trouble, and right now you're throwing away all of your oldest friends for him. I hope you understand that."

I probably looked exactly the same as Percy had only a few moments ago. He was really serious about this. Percy didn't even have his sword anymore. The thief. The thief apparently looks exactly like Percy. As much as it could have easily been Polyjuice Potion, Harry also saw Percy's name on the Marauder's Map, something that can't be tampered with.

I decided to talk to Harry during History of Magic. Percy would understand if I didn't sit next to him for one day. And besides, he usually slept through it all anyway.

"Harry," I whispered as Professor Binn droned on about the Pixie-Nymph war, "Did you hear that Percy killed Trevor?" Worried that Harry might yell in anger, I quickly continued. "But Neville said that he killed him with Riptide. Percy doesn't have Riptide anymore.

"That's what he wants us to think, Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, "Just get off that Death Eater's side and accept it. I know that you don't believe me because of earlier this year, but what about Neville? What about Dean? Even Lavender, for god's sake!" I pursed my lips, trying to think of a solution.