Chapter 5 – Shadows and Starlight
(Block 2)
The days after Halloween slipped into a rhythm both ordinary and charged. For most of the castle, life continued—classes, homework, Quidditch practices, gossip. But for Harry, and for those who watched closely, nothing felt quite the same.
The memory of Nyxios lingered. At meals in the Great Hall, heads still tilted instinctively upward, half-expecting to see vast wings unfurling against the enchanted ceiling. In the library, students whispered about whether the creature could be summoned again, or whether it had vanished forever like a dream.
But for Percy, Artemis, and Athena, Nyxios was no dream.
Quidditch Pitch
A cold November wind swept the Quidditch pitch as Harry climbed nervously onto his Nimbus 2000. The broom was beautiful—sleek, fast, shining in the low autumn light. But nerves coiled in Harry's stomach all the same.
Percy leaned against the railing of the stands, arms folded, watching with his calm intensity. Artemis stood beside him, silver hair tugged by the wind, her eyes following Harry's every movement. Athena held a notebook, analyzing the Gryffindor team's coordination with sharp, efficient notes.
"Potter looks nervous," Oliver Wood muttered, standing near Percy. "He'll be fine once he's in the air."
"He's not nervous," Percy replied softly. "He's focused. But he's too aware of eyes on him. Give him a moment alone, and he'll shine."
Wood blinked at Percy, who hadn't even glanced away from Harry. "You speak as though you've trained Seekers before."
Percy only smiled faintly. "Let's just say I've seen young champions learn to fly."
When Harry finally kicked off, rising into the air, the nerves melted away. Percy could see it instantly—the boy's joy, the way he leaned naturally into the broom's motion. Harry was made for the skies.
But he was not alone in them.
A flash of green and silver robes caught Percy's eye. Draco Malfoy and a group of Slytherins lounged at the far end of the pitch, watching with smirks. They weren't supposed to be there, but Draco thrived on being where he shouldn't.
"Look at Potter!" Draco jeered as Harry looped around the pitch. "Flying like a baby bird. Careful you don't fall off!"
Harry ignored him, but Percy felt Artemis shift beside him, annoyance flickering across her features.
"Shall we silence him?" she murmured.
"Not yet," Percy said quietly. "Harry needs to learn which voices matter."
But Draco wasn't done. As Harry looped higher, Malfoy pulled something from his pocket—a small, glittering ball. Not the Snitch, but a crude hexed marble, charmed to explode in sparks. He flicked it into the air with a laugh.
The marble shot toward Harry's broom, a streak of green fire.
Gasps rose from the Gryffindor team, but before Harry could even register danger, the air above the pitch shifted.
A cry split the sky—deep, resonant, like the tolling of celestial bells. Shadows and starlight folded together, and Nyxios appeared. His vast wings blocked the sun for a heartbeat, his feathers shimmering like a galaxy in motion.
The marble disintegrated before it touched Harry, vaporized in a surge of silver flame. Nyxios wheeled once, his eyes locking on Draco. The boy stumbled back, face drained of color, as the beast's starlight gaze bore into him.
Then, as suddenly as he had come, Nyxios soared upward, fading into the ether, leaving only the echo of his cry behind.
The pitch fell silent.
Harry, wide-eyed but unshaken, steadied his broom and looked toward Percy. Percy only inclined his head, calm as ever.
Wood exhaled shakily. "What in Merlin's name was that?"
"Protection," Percy said simply.
Jealousy Grows
By evening, the story had spread through the castle. Students spoke in awed tones of the star-beast that had appeared again, protecting Harry Potter from harm.
But admiration was laced with resentment.
"He doesn't even need to protect himself," a Ravenclaw boy grumbled in the library. "That fourth-year and his… whatever that thing is… does it all for him."
"Potter's just lucky," a Hufflepuff muttered. "If I had a creature like that, I'd win every match too."
The most bitter were the Slytherins. Draco, humiliated and pale, spun lies about how Percy had cursed the beast into existence, controlling it like a puppet. His cronies echoed the tale, though their voices shook when Nyxios' name was mentioned.
But even in Gryffindor, admiration was tangled with envy. Dean muttered about how Percy always seemed one step ahead. Ron couldn't help glaring when Artemis or Athena brushed Percy's hand in the corridors, their open affection more visible now than ever.
"They act like they're above everyone else," Ron said darkly. "And now he's got that—thing—watching over him too."
Hermione bristled. "They saved Harry's life. Twice. Maybe you should be grateful instead of jealous."
But Ron turned away, jaw tight.
After Curfew
That night, the trio returned to their hidden chamber. Artemis shed her robes, settling beside Percy with her head against his chest. Athena stretched across the couch, her legs draped comfortably over his lap, a book still in hand.
"They're growing restless," Athena murmured without looking up. "The students. Dumbledore. Even Snape. Nyxios unsettles them more than us."
Percy stroked Artemis's hair absently, his other hand resting on Athena's knee. "That's the point. Voldemort feels the pressure too. As long as Nyxios watches, Harry has a chance to grow without constant threats."
Artemis tilted her face toward him, her lips brushing lightly against his collarbone. "And what about us? How long before Dumbledore demands answers we cannot give?"
Percy sighed softly. "Then we give him what we always do—half-truths. Enough to keep him guessing. Enough to keep him from interfering."
Athena finally closed her book, turning her sharp gaze on him. "And Harry? You've seen it, haven't you? The way fate pulls at him."
Percy nodded slowly. "He'll face things no child should. But he won't face them alone. Not while we're here."
For a long while, the three of them simply rested together, the warmth of the chamber a shield against the world beyond. Outside, unseen yet always near, Nyxios soared along the battlements, his starlight wings brushing against the night.