A Friend of Percy’s

Lirum paced angrily around their dorm. Their argument with Percy still replayed in their mind like it had for hours. It was dark out and they'd definitely missed dinner. There was no chance they’d sleep though. Their book on native serpents laid open on their desk annoyed by the thought of how unhelpful it had been they slammed it shut, receiving grunts and moans from very unhappy dorm mates.

They slid the book off the table, and left the common room. Hopeful there might be any book they hadn’t noticed before. Combing through the shelves that held nothing useful to them they sighed. The library could provide the books they needed, but attempting to read them while the boys were present opened the door for arguments Lirum didn’t have the energy for.

So as Lirum slipped down the spiral stairs of ravenclaw tower and into the main castle. For the first time they made it to the library with ease. No teachers, or prefects they’d run into, no twins or troublesome trios. Just a trip to the library. They dig through the shelves looking once more for anything that could give them more information on whatever it was plaguing their school. The few books they’d found, cross referencing it against the information they already had.

“I knew I was right! You can’t just engorgio a boomslang to fifty feet their body’s won’t be able to function! I mean it’s been alive for hundreds of years at this point though so I guess anything would be possible, but The only naturally born serpent it could be would be a goat horned serpent but they only get to thirty five feet max! This is impossible!” Lirum said to themself lying on the floor of the library surrounded by books. Before suddenly they gasped as an idea struck them “Unless he used engorgio on a horned serpent! It would be impossible to grow a regular snake to that length but not a massive serpent! I should have known; giant serpent, water everywhere, no one knows exactly what all their magical properties were; anymore they’ve been extinct so long! They could have the ability to petrify people and no one would even know!”

Lirum scrambled off the floor, stumbling as they pushed off the bookshelves almost tripping on the books they left behind them. they needed to tell professor McGonagall or Flitwick as soon as they could. They ran for the door and shuffled up the stairs. As they made it to the fifth floor they found Flitwick's office door locked.

“I guess I’ll have to try and find one of you in the facility tower.” Lirum said to themselves dripping the door handle. “And hope I don’t run into Percy or Snape on the way. Merlin I’m going to have to pass the Gryffindor common room aren’t I?”

Lirum rushed up the stairs in the dark as quickly as they could. Their wand, the only source of light besides the faint moonlight through the windows. Once on the landing they began to run again when they stepped on something with a wet crunch, that caused them to slip. From the ground they looked back to see the scurrying of legs. Tens of spiders dashed for the window, completely ignoring Lirum. Despite the fact they’d run through their trail and crushed one of them.

And then they heard it. The sounds of scales scraping against stone echoed through the corridor. The spiders were running from the serpent. That’s why they’d been there in the morning. Immediately they stumbled forward, and off the floor. In the empty corridor it sounded like the serpent was all around them. Scaled grinding as it slithered past.

Then the noise stopped, all at once it ceased. Lirum turned to see at the end of the hall the serpent coiling itself backwards too large to simply turn around in the narrow halls. It was massive, green and sharper than they expected. They took a step back looking for any classroom to duck into before it could get its large head back enough to go down their hall. Breath quick as the rear snakes giant head came into view

No horns.

Lirum panicked and slammed their eyes shut. A whimper escaped them, feeling themself snatched away.

“You have a terrible pension for sneaking out after arguments, you know that!” Fred said, slamming the door to the classroom behind them.

“Fred!” Lirum said, opening their eyes again to see an angry Fred and George Weasley standing arms crossed. In that moment though, Lirum couldn’t have cared less how angry the twins were with them. They were so unbelievably relieved to see them. “George!”

They ran forward pulling the two of them into a big hug, crying. The boys froze, by that alone Lirum could tell they hadn’t seen what was waiting on the other side of that door.

“Oh boys, I couldn’t begin to tell you how thankful I am to see you right now!” Lirum said still not letting go.

“Lirum what’s going on?” George asked, looking at them in between him and his brother.

“I snuck out to find more information on the serpent! I thought I found the answer, but I was so wrong!” Lirum stressed holding them tightly.

“Ok enough with this. Lirum as much as I would love to have your undivided attention and gratitude. We need to get you back to your common room before something actually happens.” Fred said, attempting to pull open the door.

“No!” Lirum shrieked, letting go of George to push the door closed. effectively pinning Fred against the door in an attempt to keep it closed. One hand on the foot, the other still wrapped around his shoulder. “Don’t open that door!”

“Lirum!” He shouted startled blush evident even with only the moonlight illuminating the classroom.

“While I’m right here to watch love? Bold! I like it!” George joked, cutting the tension in the room.

“George! This is no time for jokes! It’s out there!” Lirum snapped, pulling away from Fred.

“Haha, very funny, it was a good act. I believed it there for a second.” Fred grumbled reaching for the door again only to be pushed back by Lirum.

“Would you stop that! You’re going to get us all killed!” Lirum said, pushing him away from the door. “That thing was turning around to eat me!”

“Wouldn’t be the only one that wants to eat you.” George laughed under his breath, by Fred’s reaction not meant for Lirum to hear, but they were not in the mood for jokes.

“You’re telling me there's a fifty foot snake in that hallway right now and it doesn’t appear on the map! Rubbish!” Fred argued, pulling out the map.

“Does the map normally show animal’s?” Lirum asked, knowing the answer.

“No but I think a fifty foot snake with a name like ‘the serpent of Slytherin’ would be an exception.” Fred retorted in a snarky tone.

“Rowena’s grave, why couldn’t it have been Percy that pulled me out of the hallway! He would have been mad, but at least he would have listened!” Lirum said, rubbing their face in exhaustion.

“Percy? Percy Weasley? Our brother?Listen? After you petrified him? You think he’d still listen and not just berate you? Have we met the same Percy?” George cut in shocked.

“You know what? Maybe I’ll take my chances with the snake in the hall, alone!” Lirum said, reaching for the door this time. Only for George to stop them this time.

“No, if there’s really a giant snake out there we can’t just let you go!” George said not letting Lirum leave.

“There’s nothing on the map! You’re clearly pulling one over on us!” Fred said angrily, crossing his arms again.

“Well, we can’t just stay in here all night. If the snake is waiting out there it hasn’t gone for the door yet. Let’s just all go back out together, alright?” George insisted, ready to open the door.

“Fine but we’re going straight to the common room.” Fred grumbled as George slowly opened the door.

“Hey guys, before we go just remember, if you see spiders, run.” Lirum said as they made their way into the dark hallway together, one after the other. George led the way back towards the stairs and away from where they’d first seen the snake.

Lirum followed between the boy's eyes and ears peeled for the first sign of the snake when they heard it.

The dragging and scraping of scales against scales. It was coiling back to turn down one of the halls. Lirum panicked as the large split tongue flicked at the end of the wall. They saw George in front of them go ridged and pale. Grabbing both brothers, they pulled in the opposite direction. And ran as fast as they could. Hearing a hiss behind them as they came to the end of the hall.

The sound of scales on cobblestone grew louder behind the three pairs of footsteps bounding down the empty corridor. As they reached the end they felt a hand grab theirs and pull them around the corner. The serpent must have lunged after them when they heard something hit the wall hard. They couldn’t bring themself to look back.

“I never knew you were afraid of snakes Georgie!” Fred joked stumbling up stairs.

“Right now? Really?” Lirum shouted, grabbing his hand attempting to pull him up, no idea where they where going besides away from the snake chasing them.

“I’m sorry I never thought to mention it! Especially given it only applies to snakes big enough to eat me!” George joked back catching Lirum as they tripped on the next step going too fast to be safe. “What about you Mr. A snake that big would show up on the map!”

“I swear if we get eaten Because you two can’t stop bantering for five minutes I will curse you in the after life!” Lirum shouted as they stumbled onto the landing.

“In my defense, why doesn’t that thing show up on the map?” Fred spat back at George.

“Maybe because like I said it doesn’t show bloody animals!” Lirum said, jerking Fred onto the landing behind them.

“By godric! if it’s big enough to eat us in one bite I think it’s big enough to be on the Bloody map!“ Fred defended before he started shouting “Wattlebird! Wattlebird! Wattlebird!”

““Wattlebird! Please! Wattlebird!” George joined as the three stumbled in the dark towards a large portrait.

“What is the password?” The fat lady sang, as the trio approached. Lirum caught on in that moment what they’d been shouting.

““Wattlebird!” The Three Said together crashing through is the portrait hole swung open.

The three barreled through the tunnel an awkward pile of limbs tripping and rolling into the carpet of the Gryffindor common room landing messily. But none of them cared all too happy to have made it safely and without being eaten. That was until they realized who was in the common room.

“Whit are ye doin oot o bed” Wood bellowed from the couch at his two beaters. “An who are ye?”

“I’m uhh, a friend of Percy’s?” Lirum answered, looking up at the older brunette boy.

“Lirum? What are you doing here! How could you even-” Percy shouted out, seemingly from across the room in a part Lirum couldn’t quite see from their place on the floor. They could hear the padding of his feet hitting the floor as he rushed to the door. Then silence for a second, before he started again much softer. “What happened?”

“The serpent is out there! We saw it, I swear! It lunged at us and we ran! There's no way I could have made it back to-“ They were cut off by being scooped up into a hug.

“It’s ok, everything’s gonna be ok.” Percy whispered softly into their hair. “You’ll be safe here.”

“Percy I-“ they started again, tears welling up before they could stop.

“I know, we can talk about everything later. For now everything’s going to be fine.”