7: You're The Only One Playing Fair

On the Saturday before the first task, Hermione practically has to drag Harry down to Hogsmead with her. He's been in a foul mood for days because of that article Rita Seeker wrote about him. It also doesn't help that everyone has been taunting him about.

She's also certain his scar is still bothering him but he won't talk about it.

In the end he only agreed to come if he could hide under his invisibility cloak the whole time. It's a good thing he did come though because while they are in the Three Broomsticks, Hagrid finds them and tells Harry to meet him at midnight, something to do with the first trial he is ill prepared for.

After Hagrid has gone Hermione tries again to get him to take off the cloak.

"There's too many people in here," Harry grumbles. "They'll try to talk to me."

"You're acting like a child," she snaps. "You can't hide from everyone for the rest of you life."

"Not for the rest of my life, just until after the tournament. Maybe I'll get lucky and die in the first trial."

She smacks him, aiming blindly and hitting him in the chest. "Don't joke like that Harry, the tournament is very dangerous, students have died in it before."

"Sorry," he mumbles.

Looking around in the crowded room she spied Percy sitting at a booth next to Annabeth.

"Let's go talk to Percy."

"They look like they'd rather be alone, and I'm certain they're still cross with us after we bad mouthed Annabeth."

Hermione cringes at the memory. The entire encounter is a source of embarrassment for her. Since then she has observed them together and determined they are in fact very in love which leaves her with a deep shame for trying to tell Percy his own feelings.

"I want to see if Percy will join S.P.E.W. He is very popular among the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins right now."

"Yeah, popular as in everyone is wearing badges to support him and say I stink," Harry grumbles. "At least wait until he's alone, we don't want to start trouble with the Slytherin's. Snape's been itching to serve me detention."

"They're inseparable," Hermione counters. "Besides, I look foolish sitting here alone. Come on."

She hops off the bar stool and goes over to them, knowing Harry has reluctantly followed. Once she has approached the pair of them stop their conversation and stare at her blankly.

Gathering her courage, she smiles tightly. "Hello, may I sit? I'd like to talk to you about something, Percy."

Percy glanced at his girlfriend before nodding.

She waits a beat to allow Harry to slide in before she does the same. The pair watch her in silence as she digs through her bookbag and pulls out a S.P.E.W badge and slides it across in front of Percy.

"I wanted to ask if you would join the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." She hasn't spoken to them since their disagreement but she forges ahead with her pitch anyway.

For the elves, she tells herself.

After finishing her rehearsed recruitment speech Percy picks up the badge and says, "I had no idea the elves in the kitchen were slaves."

"According to most wizards, they aren't. The elves have been raised into thinking they should only live to serve their masters. Everyone says they like serving, that it's in their genes, but it's a load of hogwash!"

"I'll join," Percy decides, pinning the badge to his robes.

"That's wonderful, thank you so much! I'm hoping once other students see you in support of my organization they'll be open to the idea aswell. Here, I have a scroll for you to sign, to make it official." She is again digging through her bag and finally pulls out the list of member that as of now is a resounding five people, including herself.

She lays it out for him and Annabeth, who hasn't said a word this entire time, surprises her by asking, "And these house elves, they have no right at all?"

Hermione nods vigorously and sets off into a rant about all the ways the house elves are being oppressed and how hard it is to get people to join because they, like the house elves, think nothing is wrong. She goes on about it for a good ten minutes and is delighted to both Percy and Annabeth are actually interested, not just pretending to listen.

Once she stops to breath again, Annabeth looks down at the list and says, "I haven't seen anyone else wearing these badges, not even your fellow Gryffindor's."

"Well, it's a fairly new organization. I'll take time to gain traction," Hermione replies. "And as I said, most are hard to convince."

Annabeth nods and leans back, absently toying with the necklace she's wearing. "And what's your opinion about all of this, Harry?"

Hermione snaps her head to the space in the booth next to her, expecting to see Harry sitting there with his invisibility cloak discarded. The space is still empty and after a beat of silence, Harry says, utterly shocked, "How did you know I was here?"

Percy blinks, clearly confused by the disembodied voice but Annabeth merely shrugs.

"Hermione came in here talking to herself. She also snuck you a drink when she thought no one was looking. There was also the grounds keeper who is not very discreet. He was staring at the empty stool beside Hermione the whole time he was talking to her."

"Right . . ." Harry replies.

"He doesn't want to cause a scene," Hermione explains. "Trouble tends to follow him and with all that's been going on lately, he'd rather not press his lucky.

"Oh I heard that," Percy says, a grin breaking out.

"Your name is on the list but you don't wear the badge," Annabeth says, getting back on topic.

This is an argument Hermione and Harry have had many times before but she still twists her lips when Harry says, "I just think it's a little much to try and start a movement for something she may not know much about. Ron and the other wizards grew up in this world so I reckon they know what they're talking about."

"Just because you are wholly ignorant to matters not immediately concerning you doesn't me I am," Hermione replies, shooting a glare at the place she imagines his face to be.

"I'm not saying you're ignorant, I'm just saying they probably know more about it than--"

"I'll join," Annabeth says, shocking Harry into silence.

Hermione gapes at her. "You will?"

"I am a very firm believer no being can be free without knowledge."

Hermione isn't sure if Annabeth is making fun of her of not but she places another badge down on the table anyway.

Percy laughs, presumably at Hermione's expression. "Yeah, she's being dead serious. Annabeth is big on knowledge." He bumps her shoulders and says, "Go on Annabeth, I know you're dying to tell us your take on it."

Annabeth roll her eyes by says all the same, "The house elves deserve to learn of all the opportunities life can offer them. Even if they choose a life of servitude afterwards, you'll know they are truly free. Right now it sounds like the hostile rejection of anything alluding to freedom is irrational and conditioned--and thus not a choose at all. Those creatures are not born to serve. Anyone who says otherwise is either a liar, or a fool. Which makes your mission just the tip of the iceberg."

"How so?" Hermione asks, utterly intrigued.

"The elves are slaves because wizards fear them." Annabeth sets her wand on the table. "You need this stick to make magic but they can do it with a snap of their fingers. Wizards have a history of oppressing other magical beings time and time again. They did it with the dwarves, the goblins, the giants, the elves. The list goes on."

"Where does it say that?" Harry asks. "I've never heard it."

Percy jumps, forgetting Harry was here.

"It would require reading between the lines," Annabeth scolds, like a professor giving a lecture. "Wizards like to think they are the most powerful beings to walk this earth and whenever it proves untrue they do everything imaginable to make it seem so. They wage wars against them. They put restrictions on them, or drive them into hiding, or enslave them and trick them into thinking they were born for it." She put her wand away and adds, "But one day it won't be enough. One day wizards will meet a greater force they can't ever hope to compete with. And when try to destroyit, they'll find themselves decimated."

Hermione pulls back a little. Annabeth's stormy gray eyes, while always unnerving, have taken on a darker quality, something like fire and steel.

It's in the moment Hermione realizes she sorely misjudged this Slytherin. She thought her to be another Pansy Parkinson, leeching off of fame and power wherever she can get it. That's not right at all. Annabeth Chase is a true serpent. Cunning and unapologetic, with an ability for greatness all her own.

It's quite terrifying.

"Welp." Percy breaking the silence. "You got a pen so we can sign or . . .?"

"Right. Yes." She pulls out ink and a quill. Once Percy has signed his name he hands the quill to Annabeth. While she signs he proceeds to pin her S.P.E.W badge right next to her 'Potter Stinks' one.

Hermione feels an odd mix of pride and guilt at the sight.

oOoOo

"Hey Percy, can I talk to you a minute?"

The other Hufflepuff's in the courtyard look like they're envisioning Harry burning alive but Percy seems untroubled and extracts himself from them.

"What's up?"

"I just uh, I thought I should tell you about the first task. Apperantly we're meant to fight dragons. Everyone else already knows and I didn't want you to be the only one who didn't."

"Oh. Thanks." Percy runs the back of neck. "Listen, about what I--"

"With me, Potter."

They jump at the sight of Professor Moody. Neither of them heard him approach and he doesn't slow down as he passes them.

"I better go," Harry says, scrambling to keep up with the man. Once they reach his office he takes a drink from his hip flask and says, "That was Mr. Jackson you were talking to."

"It was . . .?"

"Telling him about the dragons was the wrong move, boy. This is a competition, if you hadn't noticed."

"I know that, but he's the only one who didn't know. It wouldn't have been fair--"

"Fair? Nothing's fair in the Tri-wizard Tournament. Fleur Delacour has been using her veela wiles to get every ounce of information about the tournament from the professors. Krum is about as smart as a bag of bricks but his mentor is a slipper fellow and you can bet he's already got every trial planned out to a T. As for Mr. Jackson, well people call me crazy for seeing enemies everywhere I go but even Dumbledore knows there's something off about that one."

Harry fidgets, deciding silence is his best response.

Moody fixes both eyes on him and says, "You're the only one trying to play fair and if you don't cut it out, you'll never live to see the end of this tournament."

oOoOo

That same night, Harry and Hermione sneak out past curfew to practice his summoning spell for the trial.

They decide the best place to it so is up on the astronomy tower which will give the broom plenty of room to reach him and puts a good amount of distance between him and the shed out on the quidditch field.

They've been at it for little over an hour (with no luck) when they hear voices coming up the stairs.

They share a look of worry and scramble to get under the invisibility cloak.

Annabeth and a chuckling Percy come into view. Annabeth shoves him and goes over to the railing. "Why is that funny?"

Beside Harry, Hermione gasps before slapping her hand over her mouth. Annabeth has jumped up onto the railing and is standing against the wind without her hands so much as resting on the columns to balance her.

"She's not exactly reliable," Percy replies, studying the armillary. "Half the time she's talking about things that have already happened and the half she's just not making any sense."

"But she is an Oracle," Annabeth insists. "Just today she stopped me in the hall and said 'To storm of fire the world must fall.' "

Bewildered, Harry watches Annabeth on the railing. She has started doing various flips with perfect balance, as if she were a gymnast on a beam.

"She was talking to me about seven half bloods the other day and then she lost her train of thought and started going on about how I'm going to drown in Alaska."

"Okay, so maybe she's a little out of her mind." Annabeth snorts but then turn serious. "We're two of the seven, you know that right?"

"I was actually hoping to just not think about it. The world isn't ending yet."

"And I was hoping Trelewaney would give us a prophecy so we can have idea of how this tournament will play out." Annabeth makes a face and does a back tuck.

"Yeah, no. She's way more into just telling me all the ways I coul--I'm sorry, but can you not do acrobatics on a thousand year old railing? It's a straight shot down to the courtyard from there."

"You just don't like being this high up."

"Kinda feels like I'm begging to get struck by lightning," he agrees.

Harry finds it an odd thing to say as there is not a cloud in the sky.

"Zeus doesn't hate you here," she reminds him. "We don't exist to him yet."

An even weirder thing to say. Harry sends Hermione a questioning look but she shrugs, looking as confused as him.

"Still, I would rather not tempt the Fates."

Percy reaches up for her and she jumps down, landing firmly in his embrace with her legs wrapped around his waist.

She runs her fingers through his hair in such an intimate manner Harry blushes and quickly turns away.

"Harry told me about the first trial," Percy says suddenly.

Annabeth squints at him. "Why are you thinking about Harry Potter when I'm about to kiss you?"

Percy snickers. "I'm not, it's just been nagging at me all day."

"You already knew about the dragons, they've been in the forbidden forest for a week."

"He though I didn't know. It was nice of him to tell me." Percy groans and throws his head back. "Now I feel bad for not telling him about the dragons."

"He's not your friend Percy, he's your competition," Annabeth replies. "Have you forgotten the multiple times he and Hermione have implied you're a weak-willed Hufflepuff? It's not just them either. Everyone thinks so."

"Actually I'm just upset everyone keeps trying to drag you because you're in Slytherin. Some of them are actually really nice. Draco gave me candy the other day."

"You like anyone who feeds you," she replies with an adoring smile. "Draco is not nice, he's just afraid of me."

"Well anyone with half a brain is afraid of you." He kisses her once and says, "I though we were friends with Harry and Hermione now. You joined S.P.E.W"

"Agreeing with a person's point of view on one subject doesn't make me like them. You're loosing focus. These people aren't our friends Percy. If they ever found out who we are they'd try and do to us what they've done to every other magical creature they've come across."

"I don't think they're like that. Also I want to point out that by joining Hermione's club you have also shown you're getting to involved too." Percy frowns, turning serious. "But you're right. For now let's just focus on the first trial."

Annabeth nods and adjusts herself in his grip. "I did some research on the dragons and by far the easiest one to face would be the Common Welsh Green. You definitely don't want the Hungarian Horntail. It's the most aggressive and its fire breath is a constant stream with a fifty foot range."

"I don't think they let you choose your dragon. Besides I'm not worried about which dragon I have to fight, I'm worried about the fact I'm only allowed a wand. My spells don't even work for me half the time!"

"Percy, I told you the plan last week. Weren't you paying attention?"

"Last week . . . Was it right after Cedric gave us those cupcakes his dad made? Because that blue frosting had all of my attention."

She tugs on his ear and says, "Use Riptide. Pretend to Transfiguration it in the arena. No one should know the difference. If anyone does question it, I'll handle them."

Harry is rather chillingly reminded of a knife he once saw her pull out when they were in the for forest and encountered a spider.

Percy however does not seem fazed by her mildly threatening comment and place a single kiss on her lips. "Sounds like a plan."

Harry feels like he is seeing Percy in a new light, talking about cheating during the tournament and maybe-probably threatening anyone who knows about it.

One can expect that sort of thing from the Slytherin but Percy always seemed a decent fellow.