[2] Diverging Paths: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Chamber of Secrets

3: questionable professors

A bit more than a week after Percy and Harry had arrived at the burrow, the Hogwarts letters came. When they came, Percy, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny were all playing quidditch near the house. Ginny made a surprisingly good chaser, and Fred and George had said that Percy needed to practice as much as possible if he planned on trying out for the team when school started up again.

Percy Weasley was the one to retrieve the six of them and bring them back inside. Harry had told his brother that he had started thinking of Ron's brother Percy as Perry, so as to not mix the two of them up. When they got inside, Mrs. Weasley handed them their letters. George (or was it Fred?) took one look at his letter and sighed, shaking his head. "This lot won't be cheap, mum. The new Defense teacher wants us to get the entire collection of this Lockhart guy's books."

"Oh, it's no matter," Mrs. Weasley said, "Ginny can borrow some of your old books. That'll make everything less expensive." She turned to address the lot of them. "I was thinking that we should go get everything today - it would be better than waiting, and there'll be fewer people."

It was decided. A few hours later everyone was gathered in front of the large fireplace, ready to go. Percy expected them all to walk out the front door and go in the car, but instead, Mrs. Weasley had reached for a pot of what looked like ashes on the mantle. "We'll be traveling by floo powder; you lot aren't old enough for even alongside apparition yet. Harry, you go first."

Harry gave the woman a blank look. Percy snickered.

Ron stepped forward. "Mum, Harry's never traveled by floo before, and neither has Percy. They live with muggles, remember?"

"Oh, silly me." She gestured towards her son instead. "Percy, you show them how it's done."

With a superior expression, Percy stepped forward and took some of the ashes that Mrs. Weasley held out to him. He stepped into the fireplace, having to stoop a little as he was too tall, confidently said, "Diagon Alley!" and threw the ashes down. He disappeared with a spin, bright green flames enveloping his form.

Percy's mouth dropped open. Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry. "Alright, now that you've seen how it's done, you give it a go." Visibly nervous, Harry stepped forward, taking some of the ashes. "And make sure to speak very, very clearly. We don't want you ending up in another grate."

Harry nodded, swallowed, and said, "Diagonally!" and threw the ashes down, disappearing into the fire.

Mrs. Weasley furrowed her brows. "What did he say?"

Her husband answered her. "Diagonally."

"I thought he did. Ron, you next, and then Percy. Look for Harry when you get there."

Ron stepped forward and flooed away, actually pronouncing it properly, unlike Harry. And then it was Percy's turn. He took some of the powder, trying not to let too much of it fall from his hand, stepped into the fireplace, said, "Diagon Alley!" making sure to pronounce it correctly, and threw the ashes down, enveloping himself with the green fire.

He was spinning, spinning away, spinning so fast; he couldn't keep his eyes open. The fire was all around him, it didn't hurt like normal fire, it just sort of tickled. Through his narrowed eyes he caught glimpses of other places with wizards through other fireplaces. His elbows kept knocking into the sides, he would definitely have bruises later. And then he was out, stumbling forward into the street, Ron catching him by the shoulders before he actually fell.

Percy shook his head, trying to clear it. "Do you see Harry anywhere?"

"No," Ron said, "I think he may have gone too far, maybe not far enough. He definitely didn't end up here."