[3] Reconciliation: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and the Prisoner of Azkaban

9: pegasus knock-offs

There was only one thing running through Percy's mind as he bolted down the North Tower stairs to meet up with his friends: what the hell was that what the hell was that whatthehellwasthat. His breathing was still erratic and his eyes were still wide when he reached the bottom of the long staircase. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all waiting for him there.

"You alright, Percy?" Ron asked as they set off for Transfiguration.

Percy took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He most definitely was not fine. Percy had just been contacted by Hecate, the goddess of magic, and Trelawney had gone all wonky on him, spouting what sounded like several prophecies at him in a very odd voice. How was Percy supposed to be fine? When Trelawney had first started speaking, he had recognized the first few lines. It was the prophecy he had been given by the Oracle of Delphi when he had embarked on his quest to rescue Zeus's master bolt last summer. But he had never heard the other prophecies before. As they entered McGonagall's class and chose their seats, Percy came to a conclusion. Dumbledore. He had to go see Dumbledore.

After a lesson full of Animagi and cats, they were off to Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid was waiting for them by his hut as they made their way out onto the grounds, joined by the Slytherins.

Hagrid waved them down as they got near. "You four alright?" They made noncommittal noises of assent. "Today's gonna be a great lesson, jus' you wait." Grinning broadly, he turned to the others in that class, who were just arriving. "Right," he said, clapping his large hands together, "we'll be goin' near the forest today, so I don' want no foolin' around, yeh hear?" He glanced pointedly at Malfoy, who was whispering disdainfully behind his hand to Blaise Zabini. To his credit, Zabini looked very bored with whatever Malfoy was muttering. Hagrid grinned again, apparently satisfied that Malfoy and his friends would not be causing any trouble that class. "Alright, let's get goin'."

Hagrid led their group along a path very much so near the edge of the forest. Percy had had some interesting experiences inside that forest and he couldn't say he was very eager to venture back inside. Luckily, they only followed a path past the outermost trees to a large, empty paddock in a sunlit clearing. Hagrid stepped over the fence and the rest of them gathered just behind it.

"Yeh'll want ter take out yer books now, yeh'll be needin' them."

"And how the hell are we supposed to open them?" Malfoy drawled from the back. When Percy looked, Malfoy was holding his copy of the monstrous book, bound by a belt. Percy and the others were in a similar predicament. Some people had used belts to bind their books closed, others used rope. One girl had even used chains. It was probably best to not ask where she had found them.

Hagrid chuckled. As if the answer had been obvious all along, he said, "Well, stroke the spine, o' course."

"Yes, of course," Malfoy said, "why didn't I think of that?" Pansy Parkinson shrieked with laughter.

Hagrid furrowed his brows, suddenly unsure of himself. "I thought they were funny."

"Oh yes, very funny. Hilarious when my hand almost got bitten off trying to open my textbook for the first time."

Stroking the spine of his book, Percy called, "Oh, shut up, Malfoy. You're not being funny." Malfoy gave him a dirty look and shut up, if only for the time being.

Hagrid nodded thankfully in Percy's direction. He clapped his hands, seemingly to get back on track. "Right. You lot wait here, I'll be back in only a mo'." He turns and grabs a few dead ferrets that had been hanging from a tree branch, slinging them over his shoulder.

As soon as Hagrid had disappeared among the trees, Malfoy started complaining loudly. "Oh, this is just lovely, isn't it. Now that we've got that oaf teaching us, I wouldn't be surprised if we all died within the hour."