The picture above: why Percy Jackson is a Hufflepuff

Previously:
"We're going to do everything we can to convince him he needs to come home." Thalia said determined.

"No." Grover said, standing up. "I don't care what you say, but I think I agree with Penny and Luna. He deserves to stay with the happiness he's made for himself. I'm going to support him in that even if it means I'm going to miss him terribly." He then followed Luna out.

Leo suddenly shot up and ran out, "Wait, Grover, me too!"

Nico, the Stolls, Frank, and Hazel followed without a word. Leaving Thalia, Clarisse, Piper, and Jason glaring at their backs.

I walked to the lake at a pace that rivaled Snape's "I'm going to kill Potter" march. Perhaps that's why every one enjoying the sun up until then had run the other way when I came near.

Why were the campers so contradictory? One day they loved the wizarding world and could see why I'd stayed so long. The next day, they say I don't belong here and should abandon the family I found and come "home" with them.

What was wrong with living in England for the rest of my life? I won't be staying at camp forever even of I did come back now. Eventually I'd need to move out, get my own place, and get a job at one point. I already have all of those right now. I don't want to start over....again.

As I cooled down, I became more aware of my surroundings. Hardly anyone was on this side of the lake except for one person. Harry.

He seemed to be brooding like I was and since I never thought that was a healthy thing to do alone, I walked over to join him.

"Hiya, Harry!" I said as cheerfully as I could. I took a seat right next to him on the grass overlooking the Great Lake. "What's got you caught in the slums?"

"I was thinking," he started after a long while of silence. "that-"

"A dangerous past time," I interrupted. That cracked a smile out of him.

"About if you hadn't come to teach at Hogwarts." he continued. "I wouldn't have properly learned Occlumency, Umbridge would have still been here, a few teachers might have been sacked because of her, and I would have believed the vision Voldemort sent me and gone off to the Ministry without a plan. Sirius would have... He would have..." Harry suddenly found it hard to speak. "He would have died."'

I slowly put my arm around his shoulder. Since my initial observation of him two years ago, I have seen a few more things in his behavior that added to my assumption of his home life. He hid this part very well. He was rather touch starved but didn't trust it at the same time.

"It's not good to think of what might have been, Harry," I said softly. "You start living in the past and wondering what you could have done differently. You're growing, changing. You need to remember what you learned, yes. But forget the rest. You made it to this side of the obstacle. That's a win."

Harry smiled again before growing solemn. "Did you know everything that Dumbledore told me?" He asked.

"I don't know all of which Professor Dumbledore told you but if it is what I suspect, yes I did." I answered.

"The prophecy is about me and Voldemort." Harry said as he stared into the lake. "Either I need to kill him, or he needs to kill me or it won't ever be over. I am marked by death for death."

I sat thinking about that for a while. Neither of us spoke. I had a feeling he hadn't voiced this thought or his conversation with Dumbledore with anyone else. Feeling honored, I looked out across the lake at the castle. Then I remembered something.

"The school year is almost over." I started. Leaning back on my hands in the cool grass, I watched the 15 year old carefully.

He visibly sank. "Yeah, " he said gloomily. "Back to Privet Drive for the summer."

"No, Harry," I laughed, sitting up. "Sirius is free now, you can go home with him. Legally, no one can tell you to do otherwise."

"But Dumbledore-"

"Oh, who gives a fig what Dumbledore says about this?" I interrupted. "The man can be wrong about things sometimes."

"Like the Occlumency lessons?"

"Exactly," I said, satisfied. "I know loads more about that too."

He laughed lightly and went back to staring into the lake. I let the light moment just exist for a while longer but I know I had to say something else.

"Listen, Harry," I put my elbows on my knees and fixed my eyes onto the grass. "Penny made me talk to the demigods that were looking for me. "

Instantly, I felt his eyes on me. "And?"

I ripped some grass up and threw it into the water. "They tried getting me to go back with them."

"What did you say?" He sounded strained. It made me think that he would miss me. That made me smile.

"I wasn't going to go," I started. "But this conversation got me thinking of something and I need to check some of camp's resources. It would help a lot as we fight Voldemort."

"So you are leaving." He said, not bothering to hide the sadness.

"Only for a short time." I assured him. "I've made a life here that I'd never want to leave. Besides," I sent him a smirk. "I'm going to be the Latin teacher next year."

"What, really?" Harry, to be sure, was surprised.

"Yeah, the Minister still wanted an eye on Dumbledore for some reason so I volunteered my abilities in a different subject. All the spells we do are
Latin anyways, imagine the possibilities if we know how to create them because we know the language." I laughed at his face. "And Medusa is going to teach Mythology. Actually, that's another reason I need to go back." I stopped talking to think about that before shaking my head to clear it. I keep getting sidetracked.

"Are any of the demigods going to come back next year?" Harry asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but listen," I said, getting serious again. "If you and Sirius decide to go off to live together, don't go to Grimmauld Place—at least not the way it is now—and come see me before the Express leaves. In fact, come see me either way. I'll have something for you."

Harry nodded.

I smiled. "Great, thank you, Harry. Now," I stood and extended my hand to him "Let's go have dinner."

-            -            -

"You're going back?" Penny did not like my decision. "After how they treated you yesterday?"

"Penny, I'm not going back forever," I said, trying to appease her.

"How do you know that?" Her voice broke and a tear ran down her cheek.

"Oh, Penny," I reached out to pull her in my arms. She came reluctantly and even then she didn't hug me back. "I'm teaching again next year, remember?"

I heard a sniff and knew that wouldn't help nearly as much as I'd hoped it would. "I also need to talk to a few people about finding a way to help Medusa."

Somehow that helped. She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my neck. "Ok." I heard her mumble. "I'm coming."

"Oh, good." I said, actually feeling more relieved. "I was afraid you wouldn't come and I'd get no work done."

She laughed and took a step back to recompose.

As she was whipping at her tears, we heard a soft knock at the door to my office.

I was confused until I opened the door to see Harry standing there nervously. He wrung the cloak he was carrying in his hands. His eyes glanced frequently down the hall. It was after curfew, he must be looking for prefects or teachers patrolling the halls.

"Is now a good time?" he asked awkwardly.

"Of course, Harry, come in." I pulled the door more open and glanced down the hall after he entered. He was making me feel anxious. "Have you decided?"

Harry made a frustrated sound. "Yes." His answer was curt and more than a little annoyed. "I would pick going to stay with Sirius for the whole summer in a heartbeat but he wants me to stay at Privet Drive for at least a week before going with him. Tell me, Percy," he looked at me, every picture of peeved. "Do you really believe in the protection my mother put on me when she died that Dumbledore keeps talking about?"

I didn't answer right away. "I think that there is a protection on you put there by your mother," I answered slowly. "I'm not sure it's connected to her blood in you and Petunia like Dumbledore seems to believe. That's actually something that Hecate is researching in Athena's library at the moment. That and a few other things."

He visibly relaxed at that. "What am I going to do?"

"I'll tell you what," I started, going over to my packed bag and pulling something out. "Take this," I handed it to him "and go to Privet Drive for a day or how ever long you think it will take to make Sirius happy. Or how ever long it will take for you to be done with the Dursleys. When you've reached that point, make a rainbow, say, 'Oh Fleecy do me a solid and show me Percy Jackson.' Then throw this into the rainbow. I'll come get you."

Harry made the most disbelieving look I have ever seen. He sent an uncertain look towards Penny, who was on the verge of laughing.

"Trust him," she said. "It sounds bonkers but it will work."

"Okay, " he said slowly. "If this doesn't work I'll send Hedwig."

I shrugged. "That will take much longer since she could be going to New York but okay."

Harry sighed in resignation and pocketed the drachma I gave him.

It was another week before the Express was going to leave for London. I had never been on the Hogwarts Express so Penny decided we were going to go that way.

It was going to be an uneventful ride on the train but Malfoy and his two meatlugs decided to attack Harry on his way past our compartment. Penny and I only noticed when one of them was knocked against our door by a member of the DA. A group of Hufflepuffs had seen it start to happen and came to Harry's aid. They were using skills that Harry taught them in their secret meetings and the skills I taught them.

I was too proud to say or do anything but watch but Penny insisted I act the part of a responsible teacher and pushed me to go out.

Sighing, I slid open the door to our compartment. "Harry, remind me to take 300 points from Slytherin next year, give 600 points to Hufflepuff, and 100 points to Gryffindor."

"Percy!" Almost immediately, Penny whacked me across the head and pushed me aside roughly only to stop short when she saw who it was that now looked like slugs in Hogwarts robes. "Oh, it's just you three."

"Well done, everyone." I said, clapping my hands together. "Put them in the luggage rack and you can head back to your own compartments." Once they were stuffed inside there, I turned to Harry with a grin. "Looks like your secret club paid off, huh Harry?"

Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones all looked at me, horrified. Harry just sighed in resignation.

"How did you find out?"

I just laughed as Penny hit her forehead with her palm. "Percy, they weren't supposed to know we knew!"

"Well, now they know we know and we knew all along." I said shrugging.

"And you never told Fudge?" Susan Bones asked incredulously.

"No, no," I said quickly. "Why would I do that? What you were doing wasn't illegal."

"They called it Dumbledore's Army, Percy." Penny said flatly.

"I suppose he would have seen that as a bit of a problem, wouldn't he?" I said thoughtfully. "Oh, well, he doesn't need to know now, he's not going to be Minister much longer is he? "

"Alright, Percy," Penny said gently, trying to push me into our compartment. "I think you've broken them enough for today."

I took a glance at the six Hufflepuffs standing in shocked silence and smirked. "Then it would really surprise them to know I've quit my job at the Ministry and will be teaching again next year."

Justin just about fainted and Harry laughed freely before leaving to join his friends at their compartment.

Penny and I were among the first people off the train. We made our way to where Molly and Arthur were waiting with Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Remus, and Sirius.

"You're looking good, Sirius," I said casually after Molly's customary squeeze.

"No thanks to you," Sirius replied, slapping me on the back. "Remus is helping me find a flat somewhere in London so we can spend some time remodeling Grimmauld Place."

"Is that so you can take Harry in next summer with out him going to the Dursleys?" I asked seriously.

Sirius adopted a pained look. "I would, Percy, but Dumbledore says-"

I scoffed. "Dumbledore is not right in this." I said firmly.

"How would you know that, boy?" Moody grunted.

"Because he's human," I answered sharply. "Something you wizards seem to forget. And I'm friends with Lady Magic."

"Why did you say 'you wizards?'" Tonks asked. "Is what happed at the Ministry real? Are you not really Percy Weasley?"

"There never was a Percy Weasley," I confirmed. "I'm like them," I gestured to the group of campers that were walking by. Clarisse with her siblings were glaring at my family. "Demigods."

"Bloody hell, she's got a scary glare." Sirius muttered.

"What are you looking at, La Rue?" I shouted. "Keep moving!"

"Shut up, Punk!"

"Do they not know you're going back this summer?" Molly asked, concerned.

"Nope," I said cheerfully. "It's going to be such a fun surprise."

Penny rolled her eyes with Molly and Sirius laughed with Remus.

"Ron, Ginny!" Molly's sudden shout surprised me and I hadn't had enough time to prepare my ears so I winced and covered them. "Oh, and Harry dear--how are you?"

"Fine, " he said just before Molly pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Hi, Harry," Sirius said softly.

"Hi," Harry looked shocked. "I didn't expect...what are you all doing here?"

"Well," Remus started. "We thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."

"I dunno if that's a good idea," Harry said quickly.

"Oh, I think it is," Moody growled. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?"

The group looked where he was pointing over his shoulder, his magical eye was looking through the back of his head. Harry peeked around Moody at the three Dursleys who looked horrified at Harry's friends. I glanced around at everyone. We did seem like a rather strange bunch, didn't we? Tonks especially with her 'Weird Sisters' t-shirt.

"Ah, Harry!" Arthur turned from whom I assumed to be Hermione's parents. "Well—shall we do it, then?"

"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur," said Moody.

I sighed but followed the large group to the muggles to apparently hold some intervention. Whatever good that'll do.

"Good afternoon," Arther said happily. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."

I bit my up to keep myself from laughing. I'd forgotten the story of how most of the Weasley clan had come through the fireplace and exploded the Dursley's living room two years ago. It became harder to not laugh as Vernon Dursley slowly turned purple. Petunia looked an interesting mix of frightened and embarrassed. And Dudley was...trying to squish into himself somehow. He looked very strange.

"We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry," Arthur said easily. He was smiling, obviously trying to be as pleasant as possible.

"Yeah, and how he's treated when he's at your place," Moody was not pleasant.

Vernon's mustache did the thing where it twitched. I thought that only happened in cartoons. "I am not aware that his any of your business what goes one is my house—"

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," Moody's growl grew in intensity.

"Oh, this is getting no where," Sirius shouldered his way to the front of the group, "if I hear you've done one thing wrong in treating my godson as anything less—"

"—And make no mistake, we'll hear about it," Remus threw in.

"—I will personally come to retrieve him," I said calmly, looking at the trident that I summoned while they'd been talking. "And you will not like how I do it."

"Are you threatening me, sir?" he said so loudly, that passerby actually turned to stare.

"Yes, we are," Moody said, looking pleased that Vernon had grasped this fact so quickly.

"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" He barked.

"Well..." Moody pushed back his hat to show his scary looking eye. I took a step forward and easily jobbed the trident into the cement between his feet. It's foot-long prongs sunk all the way down.

The three mortals yelped and left back, and colliding into a luggage trolley in the case of the walrus of a man.

"Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley." Moody finished. "So, Potter, give us a shout of you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send Percy here, who seems intent on being the one to pick you up."

Petunia's grumbling about neighbors went ignored.

Everyone slowly gave Harry their good-byes, from Sirius's apologetic one to Hermione's and Molly's concerned ones.

I waited to be the last one so I could say, "Seriously, I'll come get you. I might even come get you in a week anyways and take you to camp with me."

Harry's smile was worth all the trouble I could get in for that. "Thanks, Percy."

I pat his shoulder and glared down Vernon as Penny and I walked away. The man might have needed new pants when I yanked my trident smoothly out of the ground without showing any strained effort.

"C'mon Penny," I said, linking my arm with her's. "I need to spend some time at home before heading to camp."