SEA GREEN [PERCY JACKSON X HARRY POTTER]

#28

"We couldn't find him anywhere!" Percy groaned.

"Neither could we," Annabeth said, glancing at Travis. "No one's seen him."

Katie's eyes widened. "If no one's seen him all day... doesn't that mean he was somewhere no one else would go?"

"His office! Katie, you're a genius!" Annabeth cried.

"Thanks, but not only his office. He could've been in the Forbidden Forest, an empty classroom, anywhere," Katie said.

"We'll stick to his office for now. Let's go!"

Nico was not in his office.

When the four demigods arrived, they found the office empty. Nico was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey guys, take a look at this..." Travis called out. The demigods had scattered to search the office. When Percy, Annabeth and Katie went over to the Son of Hermes, he was pointing at a rope that was snaked up a table leg.

"A binding spell?" Percy suggested.

Annabeth nodded. "Possibly."

"And this," Katie said, moving over to where the wallpaper of the wall was ripped. "Maybe Nico sliced his sword through the wallpaper."

"He missed," Travis guessed. "Someone was attacking him, and he tried to stab the person, but the person dodged and the sword hit the wall instead."

"Good thinking. But who was the attacker?"

Percy blinked. "Woah. I'm getting some Sherlock vibes right now, but maybe it was Malfoy?"

"Draco Malfoy?"

"When I saw him this morning," Percy explained, recounting the day's events, "he was awfully pale. It seems far fetched, but maybe he knew that something would happen to Nico, and that's why he seemed so scared."

"Or he could've just been terrified to go back home," Katie said.

"Or that," Percy agreed. "But at least we have a lead, right?"

"A very unreliable one, but sure," Annabeth mumbled. She placed her hand on the walls, noticing a charred mark on it. "This over here... someone tried to use the Cruciatus Curse."

"Someone tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on Nico?" Katie gasped, horrified. Annabeth nodded solemnly.

"Percy... you're right," Annabeth said in a low voice. Her fingers brushed past the mark, and she saw a 'M' burned onto the carpeted floor. "The chances of this 'M' being 'Malfoy' is almost a hundred percent. That means..."

"It's a trap," Percy finished. "We're supposed to find Nico, and then whoever is attacking will have an army on us that will try to kill us."

Travis wiped his sweaty palms on his robes. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go pay a visit to the Malfoys'."

"One problem," Annabeth chimed in. She looked out of the window in Nico's office, and she could make out the faint outline of the Hogwarts Express making its way out of Hogsmeade Station. "The train just left, which means we can't go anywhere. None of us know how to apparate, and Nico can't shadow-travel us."

Percy grinned. "I think it's time to call on our Pegasi friends."

"Sup, boss," Blackjack greeted, landing before Percy outside the castle, three other Pegasi behind him.

"Hey, Blackjack. Could you do us a favour and bring us to-" Percy's voice wavered. He turned to Annabeth, Katie and Travis. "Hold on. Where does Malfoy even live?"