NOW

Chapter Twenty-Five Part One

"You sure are wishing to have taken Divination now.", said Pansy a a few days after the incident during breakfast. It would be the first day for them to have the lesson and everyone was excited.

"Not really. Never liked the creatures.", scarred Draco, nose buried in the papers. The centaur had been the talk of the last days even though nobody saw him again after the notice of his new status. Percy himself dreaded the moment he would notice who he was. Centaurs are intelligent creatures, even the party ponies, and they were greek.

"But he is gorgeous, not Percy gorgeous, but normal standard gorgeous." Said Pansy popping a fruit in her mouth, Percy just shook his head at her comment. She made them often, reminding him every time that he wasn't normal.

"He still lives in a forrest, dirty creature.", spat back Draco. After breakfast he and Percy made their way to Arithmancy class while the others made their way to classroom eleven were the lessons wound now be taken.

It appeared Percy didn't had to attend the lesson to know exactly and in every detail what happened. Pansy had been -erm- kind enough to tell him and Draco all about it. It seemed the other centaurs had not been kind to the new teacher for helping Dumbledore out and kicked him out. She also told him about what he had seen in the sky.

"And then he said in his deep voice 'Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must break out again soon.' It was so creepy, but at the same time..." Percy faded out her voice and concentrated on what she had said. That centaur read the future out of the stars, the same stars Percy thought he knew all about. The same stars he would go to when the time was right. It appeared there may be still something to learn for him.

The next weeks Umbridge seemed to watch him even more carefully now that he had stood up against her once more. She even gotten as far as disrupting his studies in the library. But Percy had two things two look forward to. One, the next day he could finally get rid of the leaf in his mouth and two, the DA meetings.

That day was the last meeting before easter and they were doing Patronuses. Percy went through the rows and corrected students here and there, he himself didn't try the charm. It required a strong happy memory and Percy knew all of those who came into question were shadowed by her death. Harry had tried to get him to at least give it a try but he refused. If he ever would meet a Dementor he would have his sword to defend himself.

While he walked through the room a few silvery creatures flew over his head or jumped beside him. He had to move out of the way several times so Hermione's otter or Ginny's horse wouldn't crash into him and dissolve. The creatures were beautiful, spun off silver strings of magic and Percy had to tear his eyes from them more than once.

The idyll broke when the door opened. Dobby, the house elf who had brought him and Lady Artemis food while Thalia was in the hospital wing, came in and headed straight for Harry. He was still wearing his eight hats and Percy smiled at the sight, but then he saw his face expression. He was worried, panicked even.

"Hi, Dobby!", said Harry looking down at the elf. "What are you — what's wrong?" Percy moved closer and he could see the terror in Dobby's eyes and he was shaking. The members of the D.A. had fallen silent now. Everybody in the room was watching the house elf. The few Patronuses people had managed to conjure faded away into silver mist, leaving the room looking much darker than before.

"Harry Potter, sir ...", squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot. Percy had stepped to Harry's side. "Percy Jackson, sir ... Dobby has come to warn you ... but the house-elves have been warned not to tell ..." He ran headfirst at the wall, but merely bounced off the stone, cushioned by his eight hats. Still Percy grabbed him before he could do it again. He had crouched to be eyes to eye with the creature.