Percy wakes up from his nap feeling worse. He's drenched in sweat, and he feels so shaky he doesn't know if he can stand. He manages to get to his Vitamix potion. It's really not supposed to be used like this, but he can't think of anything else to do. As soon as he starts to drink, his stomach rolls and he vomits on the floor. Unfortunately, he hasn't actually eaten anything recently, and his stomach is empty. First, bile comes up. But his body won't stop, and now he's vomiting bile with unmistakable streaks of blood.
Finally, his body is done upchucking, and Percy trembles on all-fours, feeling impossibly weaker. He stumbles to the bathroom, drops into the tub fully-clothed, and turns on the water with a wave of his hand. At least he's the son of Poseidon, and the bathtub filling with cool water invigorates him. He's still weak, exhausted, and ill, but no longer in danger of fainting or vomiting.
He manages to bathe, change, and keep down the Vitamix as well as his medicinal potion. Percy checks the time. It's late afternoon, so he still has a while before he has to make it to the Halloween Party. Should he even go? He still feels like a wreck. He'll have to spend the entire evening trying to not look ill.
Yeah, he needs to go. It will be good for him to see his friends, and his cousin, and his girlfriend. Besides, they all just saw him. And Hermione saw him collapse earlier. If he disappears, she'll know for sure that something is wrong. That it wasn't low blood sugar.
Percy spends the next few hours combing through law books from the library in preparation for his Monday trial. He still hasn't figured out what his approach should be. Denial? Avoidance? For now, he's still just trying to educate himself on what laws they'll use against him, where he can slip through loopholes, and maybe even codes he can flip around against the Wizengamont. How is Percy meant to defend his Dark Magic if he doesn't even believe in his own innocence? He cannot definitively say he believes himself to be good--how can he hope to convince the Wizengamont then?
Later that evening, Percy walks to the seventh floor. He's just taken more Vitamix, but he still feels just as horrible as earlier. He's been getting progressively worse throughout the day, which is the opposite of how it should be. That thought stresses him out.
Shut it off. He pushes the worry from his mind.
His head pounds with every step, but Percy's too eager to see his friends to care. He paces in front, thinking hard of the party, and then slips inside the door that appears on the wall.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville are already there. Harry and Ron are wearing jeans and Gryffindor sweaters like normal, but Neville's actually dressed nice in a cream-colored shirt. Ginny's wearing flared jeans and a cheetah-print tube top. Luna's got on a combination of a light blue dress and a pink cardigan, and has some unidentified objects dangling from her ears. Percy's glad no one actually dressed up for Halloween--he totally forgot. He's got a black turtleneck tucked into his slacks--it's an outfit Ginny picked out for him a while back. He's hoping to employ the Lady Gaga technique--if he looks good and put together, perhaps they won't notice how sick he is.
"Percy's here!" Ron announces cheerily as the demigod ducks through the doorway. The room has dim lighting, and there are couches and cushions arranged in a circle. It's clear someone's raided the kitchens, because Percy immediately eyes a pile of snacks and drinks in the middle of the floor, where everyone is sitting.
He settles down next to Neville and pulls out his wand. "I've brought drinks," he says with a flick of his wand. A number of bottles of firewhiskey--and some other Muggle contraband--appears. Technically, they're all of age, so Minerva can't really be mad. His flask of purple medicinal potion is in the pile, and Percy pulls it to his side before anyone else mistakenly drinks it. He'll need to sip it throughout the night. The day of the spells is always the best for the medicine to work.
"Brilliant!" Harry exclaims. He reaches for a firewhiskey before hesitating. "We should wait for Hermione," he suggests, looking like he doesn't even want to follow his own suggestion.
"Where is she?" Percy asks. "I thought I was late."
Ginny shrugs and pulls a bag of chips over. "Library. I think she mentioned wanting to look up something."
That sounded about right.
"Well I'm not waiting. It's already eleven," Ron said, taking a bottle. Ginny rolls her eyes at her brother but also takes a firewhiskey.
"So how have classes been?" Percy inquirs casually.
Neville groans. "Jeez, Percy, you sound like my Gran!"
Ron nods. "Can we not talk about bloody class for one night? It's bad enough I've got Hermione around all the time."
"Excuse me?" An outraged voice demands from the door.
Ron's ears bloom red as Hermione comes into view, looking understandably pissed. Ron stammers. "That's not--I only meant--"
She stares at him expectantly, hands on her hips.
He tries a different tactic. "Look, you're taking this totally out of proportion. Don't be dramatic!"
Ginny scoff in outrage and Neville facepalms.
"Mate, really?" Harry shakes his head.
Hermione rolls her eyes at Ron's idiocy and plops down next to Percy, who has been ogling her since she came in. Can anyone blame him? The witch is wearing a burgundy jumpsuit and looks like a bajillion shining drachmas.
"Should we play a game?" Luna smiles at everyone, oblivious to the interaction. Or seemingly oblivious. Luna took in a lot more than she let on. She was probably psychoanalyzing everyone's responses.
Neville shrugs, and Ginny nods enthusiastically.
"Let's play Truth or Hex!" The redhead suggests.
Harry raises an eyebrow. "What the hell is that?" He looks at Hermione inquisitively, but she doesn't know. She is Muggle-Born.
"It's pretty much Truth or Dare, but wizard version," Neville explains. "You choose to tell a truth under Veritaserum, or you choose to get Hexed. But you don't get to know the Hex or question beforehand."
"That sounds like a horrible idea!" Hermione exclaims. "I don't want to hex anyone!"
"Oh you will," Ron reassures her. "Once other people get a go at you, you'll be one hair shy of casting the Killing Curse."
Percy, Ginny, Hermione, and Harry all wince in unison. Ron can really be an idiot sometimes. He really forgot his best friend, who was sitting right next to him, had received that curse twice? Maybe Percy should move Ron from his spot between Hermione and Harry, as he has already offended them both.
"Let's just start," Neville says hastily. "Does someone have Veritaserum, though?"
His heart races. Magic didn't work the same on him, but would the Veritaserum affect him? How much?
Ginny conjures the clear potion bottle. "I came prepared, folks."
Harry shakes his head, impressed.
"Alright, Ginny, start us off then," Luna instructs.
The Weasley girl grins mischievously. "Hmmm," she hums, looking around the circle for her first victim. "Ron, my dear brother. Truth or Hex?"
Ron groans. "Ugh, fine. Um...Truth."
Ginny hands him the Veritaserum eagerly, and Ron takes a small sip with trepidation. "Alright, here's your question: what's your biggest regret?"
Ron's face turns red, and he struggles with himself for a moment before saying: "Leaving."
While Ginny, Luna, and Neville look confused, Harry and Hermione glance at each other, knowing exactly what Ron was referencing.
Damn. This game is going to be intense.
Ron glowers. "My turn. Harry, Truth or Hex, mate?"
"Hex," the wizard replies instantly. Something about the timing was funny, and Neville, Ginny, and Hermione laugh.
Ron waves his wand, and Harry's eyes widen in alarm. At first, they can't tell what hex Ron had used. But then Harry jumps up with an alarmed yelp, revealing a long, winding tail emerging from his pants.
They fall back, roaring with laughter. Harry looks mortified, but Percy can't help but join in with the raucous laughter. It's too good. He gives Ron a fist-bump.
Harry finally stops blushing. "Neville, Truth or Hex?"
"Hex," Neville says, which is brave considering he'd just seen Harry get one.
The half-blood looks uncomfortable hexing his friend, but does so anyway. A few seconds later, Neville's ears are twitching uncontrollably.
"Seriously? That's the lamest hex I've ever seen," Ginny scoffs, crossing her arms.
Harry shrugs and takes a long swig of firewhiskey, clearly not liking the Hexing-friends part.
Neville turns to Percy, whose stomach flips nervously. "Alright Percy, Truth or Hex?"
"Hex."
"Wait, a hex won't even affect you much, will it?" Ron demands.
Percy's face pales and a wave of nausea comes over him. He feels awful. "I guess not."
"Then you have to do Truth," Luna says. "It's only fair."
Percy wanted to argue, but Ginny, Harry, Ron, Neville, and even Hermione were nodding in agreement.
"Fine," he sighed, slumping back. He took a sip of the Veritaserum and felt the potion take hold of his mind.
"What's the stupidest thing you've ever done?" Neville asked.
Gods, what a question. There are so many options to choose from. He knows the stupidest one, though, although he doesn't want to say it. But the Veritaserum is urging him to, and Percy feels too ill to fight it off. "Falling into Hell for a girl."
The others look at him curiously and Hermione looks down. She, Harry, and Ron know this story. It is awkward.
"Luna, Truth or Hex?" Percy asks the blonde quickly. He takes a sip of his medicinal potion nervously.
"Truth," she replies. "Okay, um, do you fancy anyone?" He asks, feeling like a young school girl with such a question.
She nods, unabashed. "Yes, Neville."
Percy stares at her. She hasn't even taken the Veritaserum.
Ginny rolls her eyes. "Percy, that's old news. Neville and Luna have been together since September."
This is certainly not old news to Percy. "Oh, right," he laughs, but inwardly feels oddly upset by this. Had he been so caught up in his own woes and self-pity that he hadn't even noticed two of his friends were together?
"Hermione, Truth or Hex?"
"Truth." She sips the potion.
"Can whoever's next to a Hex? I'm bored," Ginny grumbles.
"What's your boggart?" Luna ignores her.
Hermione frowns thoughtfully. "I supposed I'm not sure. In third year, it was failing...but, well, I suppose it's probably different now, isn't it?"
"Wait! I've an idea." Ron closes his eyes and scrunches his nose, looking constipated.
"What--?"
There is a loud POP! and a cupboard appears at the back of the room. It rattles. Hermione and Percy exchange looks. But the witch squares her shoulders, stands up, and draws her wand.
"Alohomora!" She cries, pointing her wand at the cabinet.
It bursts open, and a thin, slender hand grips the side of the wood. A black shoe steps onto the floor of the Room of Requirement as a dark figure emerged from the cupboard. The woman looks up, her black curls falling back from her face to reveal the manic face of Bellatrix Lestrange.
Hermione sucks in a shaky breath and staggers back a step, fear streaking her face. Percy puts a steadying hand on her back. She takes strength from the contact. "RIDIKKULUS!" Bellatrix explodes into confetti.
"Well done," Ginny comments, impressed.
Hermione nods and sits back down, looking frazzled. Neville also looks aloof. Percy guessed he and Hermione have the same boggart.
"Your turn to choose, Hermione," Harry reminds her gently.
"Oh, right. Erm...Ron, Truth or Hex?"
"Hex."
"Thank you!" Ginny mumbles, popping a chip into her mouth.
Hermione grins maliciously and waves her wand. Immediately, Ron's hair vanishes, leaving him bald. He screams, hands flying to his head. He screams again when they make contact with bare skin.
"Hermione!" He cries. Mean while, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Percy are doubled over in laughter. Tears stream from Harry's eyes, and his tail waves in time with his wheezing.
"Don't worry, you big baby, we'll cast finite on everyone once the party is over," Ginny assures her brother with a snort.
"It's an upgrade, honestly," says Percy. It isn't true, but he can fight with the Veritaserum enough to say it. Unfortunately, the effort makes him feel horribly ill. Spots dance in front of his eyes and he thinks he might faint.
Ron glares while everyone laughs harder at Percy's comment. "Fine. Percy, Truth or Truth? Truth. What's something you and McGonagall know that we aren't allowed to?"
No, no, no no no no no! The veins in his neck stand out as he tries to restrain himself, but he is too weak after the effort of his little jab. His head pounds and eyes water from straining against the magic. The words slip from his mouth. "The Wizengamont wants to put me in Azkaban for Dark Magic," he gasps.