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

10: dueling with snakes

The next morning, Madam Pomfrey let Percy and Harry leave with only a warning to stay out of trouble and a final potion for Percy's ribs, which he was to take during breakfast. Ron and Hermione had told them at breakfast that they had already started working on the potion and that it was all going according to plan.

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy," Ron said, "the better."

Percy tuned out the conversation, just noticing how odd everyone in the Great Hall was acting. Everyone was gathered in clumps of people and shiftily glancing over their shoulders as if watching for something. Over at the Hufflepuff table, what looked to be trinkets and talismans were quickly being traded, the traders discussing the transactions taking place in lowered voices. Since Hermione seemed to always know what was going on, Percy decided he would ask her about it. "Hey, Hermione?"

She stopped talking about the potion and turned to him. "Hm?"

"Why is everyone acting so weird?"

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Harry said.

Hermione put down her fork and leaned close to whisper. "You haven't heard?" They only gave her confused looks. "Someone else has been attacked. People are saying it's-"

"Colin Creevey," Percy guessed.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I saw him being brought into the Hospital Wing last night - he was petrified, just like Mrs. Norris."

Harry looked taken aback. "You were awake for that?"

"Yeah. You and Dobby weren't exactly quiet."

Now Ron was interested. "What does Dobby have to do with any of this?" he asked through a mouthful of food. Hermione shot him a disgusted look.

Harry glanced around to make sure no one was listening. "He came to the Hospital Wing last night - before Colin showed up - and warned me that something dangerous was in the school. He said that the Chamber had been opened before and that it didn't end well."

Ron furrowed his eyebrows. "Hang on, that sort of makes sense." They all leaned even closer - Ron had started speaking very fast and very hushed, eyes wide. "If Malfoy's the heir of Slytherin now, then his father could have been the one to open it before! It all fits! Malfoy's father is one of the biggest muggleborn haters in the world, and that's saying something. He probably wanted to continue what he had started when he was at school by making Malfoy open the Chamber."

Hermione leaned back just a little bit, thoughtful. "I guess that does make sense. If all goes well, then the potion should be done just in time for Christmas. We should take it then - I know for a fact that Malfoy has plans to stay at Hogwarts over break."

****

McGonagall took names of those who would be staying at Hogwarts over break a day after Hermione declared the potion half finished, about four weeks later. Percy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all put their names down immediately. They had all decided that the official plan was to get into the Slytherin common room on Christmas. It was made even better by the fact that almost no one was staying over break.

In order to actually do that, however, the rest of the ingredients needed to be stolen from Snape's storage. A few days later, the four of them were in Potions, waiting tensely for an opportunity for Harry to slip a Filibuster's Wet-Start No-Heat Firework into someone's cauldron. Finally, Snape was on the other side of the room, critiquing Lavender Brown's Swelling Solution. The poor girl looked to be near tears.

Percy shot the others a look. Luckily, they got the memo. Ron handed Harry the firework under the table and, while Snape's back was still turned, Harry chucked the thing as hard as he could across the room into Goyle's cauldron. Goyle didn't notice anything; he just continued to measure out Dried Nettle. A few seconds passed, and then BOOM! The firework exploded and smoke filled the air. Goyle's Swelling Solution had splashed out of his cauldron and the nearest people were completely covered in it. Immediate chaos ensued.