Nexus (The Demigod Wizard) Part 2

The Locket

Percy

A few days later, Harry was sitting at the kitchen table, playing chess with Ron. Hermione was sitting in her bunk a few feet away, reading the book Dumbledore had left her. Harry still didn't really know what Beadle was, but Ron seemed truly horrified and determined that he read the stories.

They had been combing books for days and trying various methods to try and destroy the locket, but nothing seemed to work. Percy had insisted on wearing it whenever they weren't actively trying to destroy it. He'd barely taken it off.

The bathroom door opened and Percy came out, wearing nothing but a towel and the locket, which bounced on his chest as he walked.

"Yo, Ron, can I get a shirt?" He asked.

The demigod had not come prepared to go on the hunt with them, so he'd had to borrow Ron's clothes. They mostly fit him length-wise but were often stretched tight.

Ron sighed and got up from the table. He went over to his trunk and started rummaging inside. Then he pulled out a bundle of clothes and tossed them over.

"Thanks." Percy went back into the bathroom to change. He emerged a few moments later in jeans and a black long-sleeve rolled up to his elbows. It was weird for him to be in Ron's clothes, as Percy had previously only ever worn black slacks and a white button down. He'd also occasionally wear his Weasley sweater, which Hermione had decided to pack, coincidentally.

Percy crossed his arms and stared down at Harry and Ron. "Are you two seriously playing chess right now?"

Harry frowned. "We worked all day, mate. Just taking the night off."

Percy was irritated. "Do you think You-Know-Who is taking the night off, Harry?"

Ron looked at Harry like what is his deal?

"Percy, it's just one evening. He's not going to destroy the Wizarding World tonight," Harry laughed.

Percy snarled and slammed his hands on the table, making the chess pieces rattle and fall over. "Do you think this is a joke?!" He yelled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ron cried, jumping up. "Chill, mate!"

Suddenly, Hermione was behind Percy, her hands on his shoulder. "Take it off," she said quietly.

Percy glared at her. "What?"

"Take it off. The locket. Now."

The demigod continued to glare at Hermione for a few moments. Then he finally reached up and pulled the locket over his head and handed it to her.

"Better?" Hermione asked.

Percy nodded. "Sorry. That thing--"

"It's not your fault," Harry said, taking the locket from Hermione and putting it round his neck. "It's a horcrux, that's what it does. It'll do anything to make us reliant on it, to keep us alive. We ought to take turns wearing it."

"Especially you, Percy," Ron added jokingly. "We don't want you going all demigod-crazy on us."

Percy was about to tell them that they had never seen him "demigod-crazy" when he realized they had. That night at the Ministry, they'd seen him smile and laugh and relish the fight with Voldemort.

That was a side to him that he didn't know how to feel about. On the one hand, he felt ashamed and mortified when that happened. How sick did it make him to enjoy the kill? During the Battle of Manhattan, Percy liked slicing his blade through those monsters. He'd enjoyed fighting the giants. He'd relished drowning Voldemort. He knew his old friends were scared of that part of him. He'd seen how Leo had recoiled, how Piper had flinched from him once. And he knew Annabeth had been scared of him.

At the same time, that Percy was powerful Percy. He was strongest then, best able to protect his friends. So maybe it wasn't entirely a bad thing.

"I'll take first watch," Harry suggested, standing up and drawing his wand.

"Alright," Percy agreed, knowing he would be shoddy at watch from the locket. "I'm going to lay down and then I can take second."

Harry nodded and ducked out of the tent.

Percy jumped onto his bed on the bottom bunk and went to sleep.

His dreams were horrible. Demigod dreams often seemed to be. That was how he had known to come back--he'd had a dream about the Death Eaters crashing the wedding.

Voldemort flew forward, pinning the old man against the bookshelves with his wand.

"Tell me where it is, Gregorovitch!"

"I don't know, I don't know!" The old man cried, looking petrified.

"Lies! CRUCIO!"

The man shrieked and writhed horribly. "I do not know! It was a boy! A boy stole the wand!"

The dream shifted.

Voldemort was pacing in Malfoy Manor. "Any progress, Lucius?"

The blonde man nodded. "Yes, my Lord. We are close to translating the spells to ancient Greek."

Voldemort gripped his wand. "Good. Then, all is left is for me to learn them. And finally Perseus Jackson can be killed."

Ron took shift with the locket that evening, trading off for Percy. They spent the next day reading more and trying to find out how to destroy the horcrux. Towards later that evening, Hermione sat down Harry and Percy and insisted they needed their hair cut. Ron was laying on his bunk, fiddling with a radio as he had been for the past couple weeks.

Percy crossed his arms, watching Hermione quietly snip away at Harry's hair. He couldn't help but find himself watching her, even though he knew she didn't return his affections anymore. Unbeknownst to Percy, Ron was laying in his bed glaring at Percy, staring at Hermione.

"Oh my god," Hermione exclaimed randomly.

Harry's hand flew to the back of his neck, frantically checking his hair. "What?"

Hermione dropped the scissors and ran over to the kitchen table, combing through one of the books they'd left out. "I'll tell you in a minute," she said distractedly.

"Maybe you could tell me right now," Percy suggested, jumping up from his chair and jogging over to join her.

"The sword of Gryffindor," Hermione said, her eyes bright. "It's goblin made! It only takes in that which makes it stronger."

"I don't--" Harry started, walking forward.

"Harry's already killed a horcrux, remember?" She told Percy, grabbing his arm. "In the Chamber of Secrets. He stabbed the diary with a basilisk fang. And then he stabbed the basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor. It's blade is impregnated with basilisk venom."

"It only takes in that which makes it stronger," Percy repeated, amazed.

"Which is why--"

"It can destroy horcruxes," Percy finished.

"And that's why Dumbledore left it to me in his will!" Harry exclaimed.

"You are brilliant, Hermione!" Percy cried, wrapping his arms around the witch and spinning her around, laughing. They laughed in glee for a moment before he set her back down, arms still around her.

"Actually, I'm just highly logical," Hermione blushed. "Allowing me to see extraneous detail that others overlook."

Percy stared at her in amazement and extreme admiration. The tension between them was thick. He started to lean in and--

With a whoosh, the lights blinked out in the tent.