When Myths Meet Magic || 5

4|| Percy

The train ride to Hogwarts was, to say the least, average. At least if you're comparing it to the second year, when Harry, Ron, and Piper flew in on a magic car, and the third year, when the dementors attacked. The hours were filled with chatter, mostly gaping at the fact that Ron was a prefect, and congratulating Piper being Slytherin Quidditch Captain and Frank and Hazel on being prefects. Well, they had to gape at Ron to themselves and talk about how proud they were of Frank and Hazel, since the prefects had to go down to the prefect compartment.

No one was really surprised Hermione was a prefect, but they were happy all the same. Harry was oddly subdued the entire time they were talking, casting dark glances at Piper every now and then. Annabeth, observant as she was, noticed this.

"I wonder why they didn't make Harry quidditch captain," she said over the undercurrent of chatter. "I mean, Wood's out of school, and so was Flint, but Angelina's captain instead this year. And it can't be seniority, otherwise Piper wouldn't be captain." Disapproval laced in her voice made Harry relax, and soon they were back to normal chatter.

"Remind me again, how long is this?" Leo groaned. "I'm starving. Is the food there good?"

Jason grinned. "Oh, just you wait."

"And there was dancing, which was completely awful, by the way-- I went with Thalia and she was like a walking cow-- Ow!" Nico, who was ranting to Will about the Yule Ball the previous year, suddenly got a heavy blow to the ribs, courtesy of the huntress. He punched back at her, but she dodged it, knocking over the warted cactus plant in Neville's hands (who had joined them at the start seeing there was no other space in the train). The warty cactus fell onto the floor and suddenly, all the pimple-like bumps seemed to explode with pus, shooting everywhere. Luna Lovegood, who was in the compartment before they joined but was so quiet as she read her Quibbler magazine, chose to lower the magazine at that exact moment, and got a face full of pus (or as Neville called it, Stinksap).

Harry spat out a mouthful of stinksap and gagged. "Oh yeah, Professor Sprout'll love this," he said sarcasatically, wiping his glasses.

"Oh..." A new voice came from the hallway, and everyone looked up to see Cho Chang at the doorway. (okay yeah I know she was dating Cedric then became available when he died but he didn't die in my story so just pretend they were never dating to begin with ok?) "Hello, Harry," she said awkwardly. "Um... bad time?" She closed the door, rather pink, and they could see her silhouette walking back down the hallway.

Harry put his hands in his face and groaned, smearing Stinksap all over him.

"Nevermind her," Ginny said rather acidly. "We can get rid of it all easily. Scourgify!"

The stinksap vanished. Rather late, Harry thought bitterly.

"Sorry," Neville said in a small voice.

Eventually, the prefects did show up. Ron, Hermione, Frank, and Hazel all squeezed through the hallway, bursting with news.

"Malfoy!" Ron spat as soon as they were in. "Slytherin prefect!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Of course he is," she muttered. "Who else?"

"That cow Pansy," said Hermione. Piper sighed.

"Ravenclaw is Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil," Frank supplied.

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma," a vague voice said. Everyone turned to look at Luna in the corner.

"Yeah, I did," said Harry.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," said Luna. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't know what she's complaining about," Luna added. "I don't like dancing. It's a good thing I didn't have to then."