Heroes at Hogwarts

twenty-eight | quaffles and attacks

harry

Tonight? Harry wrote on the parchment. After dinner?

He attached the small note to the quaffle the Gryffindors kept to run notes to other houses. He muttered, "Percy Jackson, Slytherin," and released the odd ball. It fluttered up and out the common room door.

This was how he and Percy communicated. For the last week they'd been sending the snitch that the Slytherin had and the quaffle from Gryffindor back and forth between the common rooms. Harry would just talk to him, but if Percy wasn't in the common room, he was with Annabeth. The Gryffindor just couldn't catch him alone, and it didn't seem he wanted to be caught. Harry was sure Percy was avoiding him in public, but the last Tuesday, when the two had first met at the lake, Percy had seemed perfectly normal. It was when they were in large groups that he got all distant and quiet again.

Harry had also been spending some time with the new Americans. Rachel Dare, who was also a Gryffindor, was great. Her and Ginny had become fast friends. Piper McLean, a Slytherin, Reyna- who didn't like using her full name-, a Hufflepuff, and Annabeth, who was a Ravenclaw, actually all made friends quickly. Annabeth joined right up with Beckendorf, Luna, and Cho. Reyna was rarely seen without one of the Americans, but there was a small group of Hufflepuffs that also followed her around. Harry didn't think she as much of a Hufflepuff, but she seemed to fit in fine. Piper McLean, Hermione, Ginny, and Annabeth were the perfect storm. Piper was really good with her words, too. Somehow she had talked McGonagall, Snape, Hooch, Flitch even Dumbledore out of punishing the group.

The quaffle flitted back into the room. They were on their break- both Slytherins and Gryffindors had one today- so Percy had answered quickly.

Sure, see you then. May be a little late. I'm showing Annabeth something after dinner, but shouldn't take long, was his answer. Harry smiled.

Hermione came into the room and set down her ever-so-heavy book bag on the table next to Harry. "Hey," she said.

Harry hid the note. "Hi. Lunch?"

Hermione nodded and patted her stomach. "Ronald and Rachel have already set off for the great hall. Ginny?"

Harry glanced up the stairs. "She wasn't in the dormitories?"

Hermione shrugged. "Not in mine, and I didn't check her years. I can?"

Harry shook his head. Ginny had had Astronomy the night before, she was probably sleeping. She didn't eat much at lunch anyway. "No, she'll be fine. Let's go."

The two wizards set off out the common room door. Hermione was going on about something in Runes, but Harry wasn't following.

All week he'd felt like there were eyes on him. Like earlier in the year, with the winds. Something was definitely watching him. The portraits on the walls seemed to be the culprits, their eyes followed him everywhere he went and they'd dash into other frames to whisper as he walked, but this was something else. The eyes followed him outside.

As they rounded the corner, they ran into Silena, Zoe, Nico di Angelo, and Hazel. The girls smiled, but Nico just looked on. He crossed his arms.

Hermione smiled back, sort of strained when she saw Nico, but happily. "Heading to lunch?"

Zoe nodded. "We were, but these portraits are talking about you, Harry."

Harry glanced at the two paintings. It was a cluster of house elves and a fancy witch Harry had never seen before. "Um, hi?"

The house elf painting began spouting out nonsense while the witch stared at him.  "You can't trust the green eyes!" One house elf screamed. Another stifled a cough and, with his mouth still covered, said, "The scars!" The lady elves all yelled at once, "Eidolons!" More nonsense spewed out all at once, and Harry only caught a little of it: "Beware the water, Harry Potter!", and "Harry Potter, sir, do not trust the myths!"