NOW

Chapter Seventeen Part One

Because of the game they had skipped this night but in Sunday Percy was in the headmasters office again. During the week he had actually managed to lift one of the jinxes and was now working hard on the next one. They had managed to make him appear right before the Hog's Head and he didn't need to go all the way to Hogsmead first. Percy had brought a few books with him and was now sitting on the floor across the door with three books laid out before him.

His wand in hand he concentrated on one spell. In his mind he let all the others disappear and just looked at the light blue string of magic. His eyes followed its tuns and swirls. "Revelio" He pointed his wand at the magic string. It moved just that little bit away from the others and Percy quickly send a "Relashio" behind. The string began to unknot itself and Percy knew to be fast now before it would snap back into place.

"Arresto Momento Duo" It stopped and now hun in the air. Percy stood up and grabbed it. As soon as he did it wanted to snap back but he pulled hard and after a while he had it all out. The light blue string in his hand tried to wiggle out and he grabbed it harder. He pointed his wand at the spell "Surgito" and watched it dissolve.

Professor Dumbledore didn't see what exactly he was doing inside the memory and relied on Percy's descriptions. Percy was glad he didn't see it, he wasn't sure how to explain that he could see magic as if it was an object. If he couldn't, he probably would have never been able to do this. But he was and now he had gotten rid of two of the spells. It was a long and difficult task, every spell needed different spells to get it out, but it was possible and slowly but steady he got there.

Other things weren't going as smoothly. Draco was avoiding Percy and many who had been in the common room when it had happened whispered whenever he entered the room. Umbridge watched him like a hawk and he even noticed her following him sometimes. She had heard Blaise and Draco talk about Percy's absence every day to the same time and now tried to find out where he was going. On Monday it got as far as she followed him into the men's bathroom.

"Is there something you are searching for, professor?", asked Percy while he stood at the sink and washed his hands. He watched her come out of a stall in the mirror and raised a brow. "Isn't you being in here a violation to the school's rules?"

"I am allowed to enter all rooms as High Inquisitor.", she said harshly and was about to continue when he spoke again.

"Well, professor I see this as a simply violation of privacy. High Inquisitor or not, what if it had been a first year you had followed? Border to child abuse. That can't be legal, even for you." He fired his hands still looking at her through the mirror.

"You dare to accuse me of abuse?", her voice shaken. She dried to look as big as possible but he still looked down at her when he turned around.

"I dare", he began. "to accuse you of torture, Professor Umbridge." He spat out the professor. "Good night." He walked out and was around a corner and out of sight before she could hurry after him. That night he dissolved another spell of the barrier and felt a lot better afterwards.

The next day snow was still covering the ground when Percy made his way down to Hagrid's class. Umbridge was nowhere to be seen, which was good considering the teacher was standing beside the Forbidden Forest and looked like he wanted to head in. The half-giant was shouldering a dead cow and looked worse than on Saturday if that was even possible.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark..."

"What prefers the dark?" Draco said sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark - did you hear?"

"Ready?" said Hagrid happily, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y per- son in Britain who's managed ter train 'em -"