Percy's fingers tightened around the parchment as he read the words again.
"Stay away, Jackson."
The ink was fresh. Too fresh. Whoever had left the note had done so moments before he arrived.
His instincts screamed at him. This wasn't a joke. This wasn't a prank by Fred and George. This was a warning—deliberate, calculated.
Someone knew about him.
And they were watching.
His heart pounded as he scanned the common room. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting long shadows across the room, but there was no sign of movement. The staircase leading to the dormitories remained undisturbed.
Then—
A creak.
Percy's head snapped toward the portrait hole just in time to see it swing slightly, as if someone had just passed through.
His first instinct was to follow. Whoever had left the note couldn't have gone far. But as he took a step forward, the words on the parchment burned into his mind again.
"Stay away."
His jaw tightened. No. He wasn't going to let some shadowy figure dictate what he could and couldn't do. He had spent years relying on himself, and he wasn't about to start running scared now.
Shoving the note into his robe pocket, he slipped through the portrait hole and into the dimly lit corridor beyond.
The hall was silent. The torches flickered along the stone walls, their light barely pushing back the darkness that seemed thicker at this late hour.
Percy moved cautiously, his steps light. If there was someone out here, he didn't want to alert them.
He listened.
A faint sound—almost like the rustling of robes—came from around the corner.
Slowly, he crept forward, keeping his back to the wall.
Then, just as he turned the corner—
A shadow moved.
Percy's breath hitched.
A hooded figure, barely visible in the darkness, was gliding down the hallway, their steps eerily silent.
They weren't running. They weren't sneaking. They were simply moving—deliberate, purposeful.
Percy's gut twisted. This wasn't a student sneaking to the kitchens for a midnight snack. Whoever this was, they weren't afraid of being caught.
Percy hesitated for only a second before following.
The figure moved swiftly, turning down another corridor. Percy quickened his pace, trying to stay close without being noticed.
Then, the figure stopped.
Percy barely managed to duck behind a suit of armor before they turned their head slightly, as if sensing something.
The silence stretched.
Percy held his breath.
Then, the figure raised a hand—long, pale fingers peeking from the folds of their robe. A wand.
Percy's heart pounded.
The figure muttered something under their breath—too soft for Percy to hear. But whatever it was, the air around them seemed to shimmer for a moment before—
They vanished.
Percy blinked. One second, they had been there. The next—gone.
He swallowed hard.
Disillusionment Charm? No—he would have seen some kind of shimmer. This was different. Stronger.
His fists clenched.
Someone was hiding something at Hogwarts.
And Percy was going to find out what.
The next morning, Percy could barely focus through breakfast. His mind replayed the events of the night over and over.
Harry and Ron were arguing about Quidditch (Ron was convinced Wood was going to push Harry until he passed out from exhaustion). Hermione was reading a ridiculously thick book about magical law. But Percy could barely taste his food.
The note in his pocket felt like it was burning against his skin.
He had to tell someone.
And he knew exactly who.
After breakfast, he caught up with Hermione as they left the Great Hall.
"Hermione," he said, voice low. "I need to talk to you."
She frowned, shutting her book. "What's wrong?"
"Not here," he muttered. "Somewhere private."
Her brows furrowed in concern, but she nodded. They found an empty classroom nearby, and Percy shut the door behind them.
Hermione crossed her arms. "Alright, what's going on?"
Percy hesitated only for a second before pulling the note from his pocket and handing it to her.
She read it, her eyes narrowing.
"Where did you get this?"
"It was in the common room. Someone left it for me."
Hermione's expression turned sharp. "Someone knows about you."
Percy nodded grimly. "And that's not all. I saw someone last night. A hooded figure, sneaking through the castle. They disappeared before I could follow."
Hermione bit her lip. "It could've been a professor."
"Then why would they be sneaking around in the middle of the night? And why leave this?" He gestured to the note. "Someone is watching me, Hermione. And they don't want me asking questions."
She took a deep breath. "Okay. Then we have to find out why."
Percy studied her. "You believe me?"
"Of course I do," she said firmly. "I knew there was something strange about your magic. This just proves it. If someone wants you to stay away from something, that means we're onto something important."
For the first time that morning, Percy felt a flicker of relief.
He wasn't alone in this.
Over the next few days, Percy and Hermione kept their eyes open. They looked for anything unusual—students acting suspiciously, professors disappearing at odd times. But whoever had left the note wasn't showing themselves again.
Until one night.
Percy was in the library, searching through old books, when he found it.
A single page, torn from an ancient text, stuffed between the pages of another book.
He pulled it out carefully, unfolding it.
The parchment was yellowed with age, the ink faded. But the words were clear.
"Beware the One Who Walks Between."
Percy's stomach dropped.
The One Who Walks Between.
That name sent a cold shiver through him.
Somehow, he knew—deep in his bones—that this wasn't just a warning.
It was a threat.
And whoever this "One" was…
They were coming for him.
To Be Continued... Next week!
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