Written on 25th Nov, 2021. 11:15 PM.

Percy's P.O.V.

The hat suddenly sprang up surprising almost all the first years. And it started singing. 'Okay. A singing hat. This is not weird at all' Percy muttered under his breath. And the sorting hat started singing.

"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers  black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

'Cool' Percy thought. 

McGonagall started calling out names of the students, as they came and sat on the stool. She placed the hat on top of their hats one by one.

Then the Sorting ceremony started. Few people who Percy had come to know of were sorted into different houses. Draco Malfoy and his little minions went to Slytherin. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sorted in Gryffindor. Well, Harry took a longer time to be sorted, and he was an instant all-popular in Hogwarts. The boy who lived. Percy was sure that some were even eager to get his autograph.

'Johnson, Peter.' Professor McGonagall called out. That was Percy's fake name in Hogwarts. Well it wasn't his idea to have that name. Hecate had picked that specific name, and didn't even ask for Percy's consent before entering it to Hogwarts. Percy walked to the stool, and sat down. The sorting hat was put on his head. Percy closed his eyes, and used a trick Chiron taught him once to close his mind. 

'Trying to close your mind. Huh? What do you have in that mind of yours?' The hat whispered inside his head.

'That's none of your business. Just sort me. Try Gryffindor. Okay?' Percy replied. He manipulated the mist to make people think he took little time, but it was a long time, the hat was trying to break into his mind.

It was strong. Really strong. The hat's powers had almost broken Percy's mind barrier. 

'Open your mind, oh young one. Where did you learn this trick? Even my masters could not do this. Open your mind. Else, you won't be sorted.' 

'Just sort me. Whatever you want. I can't open my mind.' 

The hat, then took it as a challenge to see inside Percy's mind. It used every last bit of its strength to force Percy's barrier to break. And Percy struggled to keep it intact.

'You will be in Slytherin then. You have secrets to protect. And you protect them at any cost.' 

The hat then poured its last strength into Percy's mind, and made a crack into his mind barrier.

'You are strong. Really really strong.'  It whispered into Percy's mind. A few of Percy's memories passed through that crack. And it included the moment, Percy hated and regretted the most. The moment he gave the knife to Luke. 

'What? Oh No. I can't look any further. You would make the best Slytherin. But you have already a lifetime of struggle. And you made it through it. Beware. You also have another lifetime before you. You will be sorted into- 

GRYFFINDOR'

Percy looked at Dumbledore. He was the only one not effected by the mist. As he was also a demigod. Dumbledore looked at Percy curiously. His small eyes twinkling. Percy was one boy, he had no idea about. 

Percy walked to the Gryffindor table and sat beside a boy named Neville Longbottom, and focused on his meal. 

The Gryffindor students started talking about themselves. Percy camouflaged himself again, and looked at them talking. 

"What's your name again?" Someone asked. Percy noticed it was the girl named Hermione. She was the first to notice him. 

"Peter. Peter Johnson." Percy said. 

"Where are you from?" she asked. Percy hid his smirk.

"I am from Manhattan." Percy said. 

"Manhattan?" Ron asked curiously. "Where's that?" 

"You are coming from America?" Hermione asked wide-eyed. Percy just shrugged. "Isn't there a wizarding school there already? Illvernorny?" 

"Yeah. But my parents thought it would be good for me to come to Hogwarts." 

"Are you a pure blood? Or half blood?" 

"Half Blood." He said, and then went on to eating his dinner. Percy was a half-blood after all. Just a different kind. Half Blood, and Half ichor, instead of Wizard blood. 

The dinner was delicious. But Percy did not eat much. He ate just enough and took out his wand, as he started twirling it in the air. 

"Okay. Now, Good night. Prefects will show you to your dormitories." Dumbledore announced. He gave Percy one last long glance and left. Percy followed the prefect whose name also happened to be Percy. 

The prefects lead the newly sorted Gryffindors up a huge marble staircase. Even Percy was amazed by it. And Percy was even more shocked to see that the staircases moved, connecting from one point to another. Percy immediately knew that it would be a trouble moving from one place to another, especially if the staircases moved suddenly without warning, leading the one on the stairs to fall a great height. 

The students walked towards a small door with the picture of a fat lady on it. Percy had noticed another strange thing all around Hogwarts. 

The pictures were real. And they moved. 

Similar to those pictures, this picture of a great lady was alive. 

"Password!" It said with an over-excited mood. 

Percy Weasley walked towards the front with authority and spoke up loud and clear "Caput Draconis". In his mind, Percy Jackson immediately converted it to 'The Dragon's head'. He wondered why would they set that as a password. 

The dormitory was cozy. His dormitory was luckily with Harry's one. Just his bed was at the end of the dormitory. Percy walked out to the balcony, but did not let himself break down like that day.

He just removed his façade of happiness, and innocence after a long day to keeping it up in front of the other students.

XXX

Percy's classes were going nicely. He was a somewhat nice transfigurer but always sat at the end of the row. He was a born natural potion maker, although he always added something wrong on purpose, to not draw attention. He realized that Severus Snape, like him, had lost someone he loved, just by looking at his eyes. And he also respected him a lot. He also, grew suspicious of Quirrell. Flying was not his job. He simply sucked at it. And he did not even try much of it. Cause that would notify Zeus of his presence. 

Charms was another of his somewhat nice point. At least he could raise that dam feather, instead of bursting it. And even if Percy could raise it higher and higher, he stopped after a certain point to not draw the attention to himself. 

Percy always slept through history of Magic lessons, at the last bench. He was surprised to see a ghost teaching class. 'Another report for Uncle Hades' Percy thought the first time he attended the class. Herbology was enjoyable. Percy was the expert in plants near the water. But he did not use any of his water powers. Astronomy was boring. And all that Percy did in that class, was look at Zoe's constellation remembering her sacrifice, or scowl at Heracles or Orion, and etc. He already knew a lot of those constellations. After all he was a Greek demigod, and the Greeks were literally masters of constellations.

The month quickly went by, and Percy did not have a single friend. Because whenever the others in his dormitory woke up, they would always fin Peter already out of bed, and when they came to sleep, Percy was not there. He was a loner, and he knew, that he will remain one forever. He just did not want any friends. He attended every class, and kept an eye on Harry constantly. 

Worst of all, Percy had suddenly growing feelings for some else. He had sworn to Bachelorhood for his life, because he did not believe in love. But he couldn't bottle his feelings. And he was getting seriously irritated. However much he convinced himself that those feelings will never be returned, the feelings never lessened. 

Soon Halloween came, and Percy had a really really bad feeling about it. 

Percy's diary from the day before Halloween-

30th October, 20**

Dear, best and only friend,

I am currently in Hogwarts living a life of, - well, unhappiness and normalcy. I have no friends, and I don't intend to have one. Cause, I once believed in things like 'friends, love, blah blah blah blah'. I know better now. It is only in fairy tales. Love is not for a person like me. A doomed, wanting-to-die person like me. I still just want to go to my Uncle's realm and live there for eternity. 

Sorry. ADHD off-track. Anyway, Harry's got a lot of friends now. Although he doesn't really know about me. Good thing. I think that there might be something important hidden in Hogwarts. Don't really know. But still. Instincts. And I felt the presence of something evil near the Forbidden forest. Something's staying there, for sure. Not as evil as Krony or Dirt Face though. They were off the charts evil.

Tomorrow's Halloween. And I got a bad feeling about that. Is that weird? This castle is full of weirdness though. Talking portraits, ghosts flying, broomsticks, moving staircases, and what not. Even weirder than CHB or C. Jupiter. Yes. Take it. I agreed to it. And you wouldn't believe it, if I say that there are half-giants in this school, and some people of my kind too. Dumbledore, is one of them. I like the name Dumb Door too. But he is NOT dumb. Too intelligent actually.

I like this Severus Snape guy. He seems to have lost someone too. Like me. Dunno why he has such a hatred to Harry. Hates all students except Slytherin. But on seeing through those dangerous eyes, you can see eyes of sorrow. He also stares longingly at Harry's eyes whenever no-one's looking. And it honestly feels weird. You know? Gives me this pedophile vibes.

Other than that everything's going on fine. Just simply fine. With me leading a somewhat monster-free, weirdness filled month. And I still miss them. You know who. 

And the worst thing. I am growing feelings about someone. Someone who is off-limits, and would kill me on sight. I don't even know how it's happening. It's just that the more days I spend alone, I just keep feeling attracted to that person. And I haven't even seen her for a dam long time.

Logging Off

Percy Jackson. 

Originally published: 26th November 2021

Edited: 15th May, 2023