Disclaimer: I don't Own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.

A.N. I think I made a mistake a couple of chapters back. I said Piper would be going into her sixth month at the end of May, which I added it up wrong, she would be going into her seventh month. Going by when Piper got pregnant. She would be due somewhere at the end of July. So it shouldn't be too much longer till she has it.

Chapter 8: We take a useless detour.

Nico's P.O.V.

I shadow traveled everyone to a hillside, Percy immediately went to work on Annabeth's leg. Piper and Hazel rushed to him with the first aid bag, and he reached in it and dug out everything. Annabeth looked really pale and sick, her leg had stopped bleeding, but the bite marks around it were turning blue. She didn't even have the strength to sit up. Harry knelt next to her and took Annabeth' hand in his. I could swear I heard a hissing sound.

"Don't worry, Beth." He said. "Percy will fix you up. You know he won't let anything happen to you." Annabeth looked up at Harry and tried to give a weak smile. Her face was so pale now it made her storm gray eyes almost look black.

Percy pulled out a flask of nectar and pulled it in her wound. She flinched and Harry squeezed her hand in comfort.

"Damn it." Percy cried. "I don't think it's brining the poison out." He tossed it down. "Fuck it." he lowered his head to Annabeth's leg and sucked on it. He then raised up spit some nasty yellow stuff out, then put his lips back to her leg. He did that four or five times, before he stopped. And picked the nectar back up and poured it in her wound. Then Hazel wrapped bandages around it. When he was down he looked up at me. Asking me a question with his eyes.

"She's not dying." I assured him.

"Thank the gods." Percy mumbled. Once Harry knew Annabeth was going to be okay, he turned her hand over to Percy and stood up, he pulled out his wand and started to cast protective charms around us. Piper left Annabeth's side and walked over to Harry. I decided to set up the tent and Hazel came over to help me as Percy crawled up behind Annabeth's head and laid it in his lap as he ran his hand through her curls and her eyes closed. Her breathing was uneven and I could tell by the look on her face she was in pain. But I had told the truth Annabeth isn't dying. I would know.

After I got the tent up Percy carried Annabeth in it and laid her down on one of the bottom bunks. He sat down next to her, then leaned up against the wall of the tent, stretched his legs out and held Annabeth's hand as he watched her sleep with a frown on his face and I could swear he had tears in his eyes. I looked away, and thought about my girlfriend Luna. And wondered if I would ever love her like Percy loves Annabeth or how Harry loves Piper. I wondered if I was able to love anyone at all. I did miss Luna I know that. If she was here I bet she could tell where the last Horcrux was.

Harry didn't cook dinner that night. None of us felt like eating anyway, it was a sober mood. Percy never left Annabeth's side, she never woke up and Hazel just crawled into bed and went to sleep. We had been in the tent for a while and Harry and Piper never came in, so I went to the door of the tent and looked out to see Harry and Piper sitting a little ways away, Piper had her arm around Harry and he was crying into her shoulder. I guess over his two friends: Charlie and Hagrid. I stood there a moment watching, five minutes or so past when Harry raised up and wiped his eyes. He reached up his sleeve and pulled something out I couldn't see what, but he showed it to Piper who jerked back away from him.

"Harry, why the hell did you bring one those with us?" She demanded. I frowned and headed over to see what Harry had and when I got to them I saw Harry holding a snake that was half-a foot long. It didn't look like Nagini, it was a bit different, but I knew it was one from Diagon Ally. It was green with gray diamond shapes going down its back. And had these greenish-yellow eyes.

"Come on, Piper, she's friendly." Harry said, he held out his arm and let the little snake slither up it. Piper just shook her head.

"You do realize if Percy sees that snake he'll kill it." I spoke up, making both Piper and Harry jump.

"But she's not the one that bit Annabeth." Harry protested.

"Would that matter to you if it had been Piper bit?" I asked. Harry sighed. Which I took as a no.

"She's nice. " Harry said. "And her sisters and brothers made fun of her because she's so small." My eyebrows rose.

"How do you..." I shook my head. "Never mind."

"She doesn't have a name yet." Harry said. "Hey, Baby, do you want to give her one." He laughed a little when the snake made its way back down his arm. Piper gave him a weird look.

"No, you can do that." Piper said. "I'm going to go check on Annabeth." She stood up, kissed Harry's cheek, and for some reason gave the little snake a dirty look, then headed into the tent.

"I can't believe you kept that snake." I said.

"She can't help who her mother is, Nico." Harry snapped. I rolled my eyes.

"If I were you I would get rid of that before Percy sees it." I told him. "What did you do with the Horcrux?"

"It's in the bag with the locket." Harry said, he watched as the snake wrapped herself around his wrist like some kind of weird living bracelet. It hissed and Harry hissed back at it.

"I was thinking, Nico." Harry looked up at me after two-minutes of talking to the snake in Parsletonuge. "I think we should let Percy destroy the cup. He deserves it after what happen to Beth."

"Fine with me." I said. "I don't care who does it as long as it gets done." Harry nodded. He pulled a hoodie on over his head, then allowed the snake to slither into the pocket.

"Don't tell me you are going to walk around wearing that in this heat just to hide that snake from Percy?" I demanded. Harry gave me a grin, but I saw sadness in his eyes. He still was upset over his friends.

"Only until Annabeth gets better." He said. "I'm going to go tell Percy he can destroy the cup." He headed toward the tent and I shook my head, sometimes I really don't understand Harry. And people thought I was weird.

Five minutes passed and Harry and Percy came walking out of the tent. Percy carried the Blade of Olympus in one hand and the cup in the other.

"He wanted to do it now." Harry said, when they walked up to me. I nodded.

"Good, the faster the better." I said. We walked a few feet from the tent and Percy laid the cup on a rock. He raised the sword with both hands and right before he stabbed it a green light shot up, and suddenly a ghostly looking Athena appeared.

"You are not good enough for my daughter, Percy Jackson." She cried, Percy stumbled back. "No son of Poseidon has a right to touch my daughter. You got her hurt, she almost got killed because of you."

A ghostly looking Poseidon raised up like to Athena. "How dare you fall for a daughter of Athena! You are a disgrace to me! You won't be able to beat Gaea or Voldemort! You're too weak, they will win and that will be the end of us gods and it will be all your fault, Percy Jackson. You will have to watch as one by one all your friends die. Your girlfriend and your new brother. It'll all be your fault. Triton is a better son than you. You're worthless, useless."

"Your fault Percy Jackson!" Athena repeated. "Your friends, your family, they'll all die. My daughter is going to die and it will be your fault!"

"Annabeth isn't going to die." Percy growled, anger flashed in his eyes and he raised the sword ignoring the yells from Fake Poseidon and Fake Athena and stabbed the cup. Breaking it in two pieces. It let out this awful scream. Percy took a step back. Then took a deep breath and handed Harry back his sword.

"My dad would never tell me I was a disgrace." he said. " I could care less if Athena likes me being with Annabeth. She's my girl and nothing can change that." He kicked one of the pieces and turned without another word headed toward the tent. Harry and I looked at each other, then down at the Horcrux. That was one more Horcrux down.

Four days after our trip to Diagon Ally, Percy finally found Harry's new little pet, he had gotten hot and taken off the hoodie, and the snake slithered out of it, and Percy tried to kill it. When Harry had stopped him, they got in this big argument. Annabeth had started moving about at that time. And had pulled Percy over to a corner and explained something to him. I don't know what, but Percy soon gave in and said Harry could keep it as log as it stayed away from Annabeth. I noticed Piper didn't seem too happy about that and every time Harry brought the snake out and let it slither up and down his arms while he talked to it in Parsletongue, Piper gave the poor little snake dirty looks. Like she would like nothing more than to wring its neck. Harry had named it Wendelin: After some witch named Wendelin the Weird, he had to do an essay on her in his third year at Hogwarts. I wondered if Harry hadn't lost his mind.

We didn't leave the hillside until two weeks later, Percy wanted to make sure Annabeth was back to her old self before we moved on. We had spent the time talking over where the last Horcrux could be and who Voldemort might have watching it.

The morning of the day we were moving on I got up before everyone else; the sun was just rising and Harry was sitting outside the tent. There was somewhere I wanted to go. And I was going to talk to Harry about going there, because he was the only one that would listen to reason.

So, while everyone was still asleep I got up and I went to the bathroom, yes this tent has a bathroom. Something we all were thankful for. I changed my clothes, putting on a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt with the words: Zombie Killer across the front, along with pictures o zombies all over it. I then slipped on my black boots. Then went outside to talk to Harry. Something I barely do anymore.

When I got outside Harry was sitting a little ways from the tent, his legs folded in front of him and one arm up and his head lying in his hand. I could tell by the way his shoulders shook, he was crying. He didn't know, but the last two weeks I could hear him crying over his two friends. Mostly that Hagrid guy. And I felt bad for him. Even if we were still mad at each other. He only cried when he thought no one was awake or around him to hear. Piper was the only one he cried in front of.

Even though I wasn't making noise. Harry still somehow realized I was there, he raised his head real fast and looked my way. He then wiped his eyes. I walked on over to him, his light green eyes watching me. When I was right up on him he frowned searching my face.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked. He wiped his eyes again. Then frowned even more when he saw my hand on my sword. And his hand went to his sword. I hadn't even realized I had my hand there and Harry relaxed and let go of his when I took my hand from mine. Wendelin was curling her whole body lightly around his neck.

I knew Harry didn't fully trust me like he use to. Me going behind his back to talk to Lily and James ruined the trust he had in me. And I doubted very much that I would ever get it back fully. That hurt. He was the first person to trust me. And I had to break that trust. But war can take more than your life. It ruins it. If you survived it, you couldn't really call yourself lucky, because your life will forever be changed. The way you look at things, the way you trust people. Guilt over the people you killed and things you had to do to win. The loss of friends and family. Yeah war is ugly and when the battle is over, the war stays with you. Me having to go to James and Lily behind Harry's back and forever running the close friendship we had is proof of that. Because of war I lost the trust of the greatest friend I ever had.

"I've been thinking about the Elder Wand." I said. As Wendelin left Harry's neck and crawled down his front. "And I think you might be right about Voldemort wanting it. And since we have no idea yet where to find the Horcrux." I took a deep breath. "I want to go to Luna's."

"Luna's?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "What does she have to do with the Elder Wand, and didn't she go back to Hogwarts?" Wendelin now slithered down his arm and around his wrist.

"Not yet, she decided to wait until the start of next year. Dumbledore told her if she comes in and does the End of year test and pass with a high enough grade that'll let her go on to sixth year. But Luna isn't who I want to see. I want to talk to her dad Xenophilius Lovegood."

Harry laughed a little. "You're not going to ask for Luna's hand are you?" He asked in a teasing voice. I rolled my eyes. Wendelin left Harry's wrist and went back into the pouch Harry was no wearing around his neck for her to stay in. She poked her little head up and stuck her forked tongue out at me.

"No, idiot." I said, Harry snickered. "Marrying someone is the last thing I would do. I want to ask him about the Deathly Hollows. After you and I had that...fight. I stayed at Luna's for a while." Harry's eyebrow went up. "Don't go thinking anything, we've never...Anyway, Xeno knows the Tale of the Three Brothers by heart. The Wizard Version anyway. I know it's a long shot, but I want to see if he knows any myths or stories of wizards who has supposedly used it at one time. If I could find that out. Maybe we can follow the trail and find out who has it now or the last person known to have it. "

"I guess we can go. We don't have anything else to do. Until we find out where the last Horcrux is." Harry smirked. "You know Percy is going to tease you and say you just want to see Luna." I rolled my eyes. Harry was probably right.

"Percy's an idiot." I said.

"I heard that." Percy said, as he walked up to us. "Shorty, why are you out here? You should be inside cooking breakfast." At the sound of Percy's voice Wendelin ducked her head down in the pouch. She was afraid of Percy, ever since he tried to kill her.

"Oh, Nico and I are just talking about you." Harry smirked at him.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Percy said. "So any idea where we're going from here? I think we've cheek where ever they was left to check for the last Horcrux."

"Nico had an idea about finding some information out about the Elder wand." Harry told him. "Since our Horcrux hunting is hitting nothing but dead ends. I think we should go there."

Percy shrugged. "Fine by me, as long as it gives us something to do." He looked at me. "So, Mr. Grumpy, where are we going?"

"Don't call me that." I snapped at him. "And I want to go talk to Luna's dad."

Percy started laughing, making me want to smack him, then Harry for being right. I knew when he opened his mouth what was coming out of it.

"You just want to see Luna." Percy laughed some more, then yelped when a skeleton hand reached up out of the ground and grabbed his ankle. I smirked at him. And he glared back at me as he kicked the hand off.

"Why the girly yelp, Sea Monkey?" Harry asked, laughing. Percy glared, then jumped back when I made the hand crawl back over to him. He yelped more as he began to run around us being chased by the skeleton hand that was crawling behind him. Harry was dying over laughing as he watched Percy.

"Come on, Nico, cut it out." Percy said, he had stopped running only to have the hand crawl up his leg. "Come on man, it's creepy."

Harry and I left Percy being chased by the skeleton hand, as we headed toward the tent to see if the others had got up yet, so we could eat breakfast then leave.

After packing everything up, we all gathered around and I shadow traveled us right in front of Luna's. I always thought it was a strange little house: A great black cylinder. It somewhat reminded me of a castle tower without the castle.

"I thought it looked like a giant rook, when I first visited here." Hazel said.

"It looks nothing like a bird." Annabeth said.

"She's talking about the chess piece." I explained, then led them up the hill toward the house. I opened the broken down gate that had three signs hanging on it and led them up the zigzag path up to the house. When everyone was standing behind me I reached a hand up and knocked on the thick black door. It had a door knocker shaped like an eagle, but I knocked on the door with my fist instead of using it.

It took a moment, but then Xenophilius Lovegood flung open the door. I frowned at his appearance. He wore a stained nightshirt. His long white hair was dirty and unkempt. He looked nothing like the weird cheerful guy he was one I stayed here.

"What? What is it? Who are...Nico?" Xeno's eyes saw me. "What...I don't understand. Why...?"

"Hi, Xeno." I greeted him. "Mind if we come in. I have something I liked to..." I trailed off when he turned from me to Harry and his eyes widened, before going to all the others.

"So, can we come in?" I asked. Xeno's eyes came back to me after what seemed like a very long moment.

"Sorry, Nico, but I don't think that's advisable." Xenophilius whispered. He then looked all around the garden. "Rather a shock. I didn't suspect you to... My word I'm afraid I don't really think I ought to-"

"It won't take long, Mr. Lovegood." Hazel spoke up. Xenophilius' eye went to her.

"Hazel, I'm sorry, honey, but I don't..."

"Where's Luna?" I asked. Trying to look past him into the house. But I did not see my girlfriend anywhere. I frowned at that. I figured when she heard my voice she would come to the door to greet me.

"Luna?" Xeno looked surprised at the question, then blinked a few times. "I-oh, all right then. Come in, quickly. Quickly."

We barely got into the door when Xeno slammed it closed. We were standing in the kitchen. It was a perfectly circular room, everything was curved to fit the walls-the stove, the sink and the cupboard-and all of it was painted with flowers, insects, and birds in bright primary colors. All Luna's doings. She was good with a paint brush. But I always found this room a bit too cheerful and bright plus it reminded me too much of my step-mom, Persephone. Because it looked too much like spring.

In the middle of the floor, a wrought-iron spiral staircase led to the upper levels. There was a great deal of clattering and banging. I knew it was Xeno's press printing out Quibblers, after staying here for a while I kind of got use to the noise.

"You better come up." Xeno said. He led us up the staircase, the room above was a combination of living room/ workplace, and was even more cluttered than the kitchen. There were piles of books and papers on every surface. Delicately made models of creatures I still don't know what they were suppose to be. They hung from the ceiling snapping jaws and flapping wings.

Luna was not here: That made me feel a little uneasy, I didn't like it. Or the way her dad was acting or looked for that matter. The others were looking around with different looks on their faces. Piper was looking up at the creatures hanging on the wall. One hand on her stomach the other holding on to Harry's arm; Harry himself was looking around almost panicky. Too small of a room for him I guess. Annabeth was looking around at the piles of books and papers with a look that said she would love to take a look at them. Hazel was looking around the room as if she was looking for someone and Percy was staring at Xeno's printing press as it banged.

"Excuse me," Xeno squeezed past all of us, strode over to the machine, sized a grubby tablecloth from beneath an immense number of books and papers, which all tumbled to the floor, and threw it over the press, somewhat muffling the loud bangs and clatter. I frowned at that. I never know of Xeno covering up the press like that. He always let me read one right after it was printed. Not that I liked the magazine, but he insisted and well, I didn't want to hurt Luna's feelings by refusing to read her dad's magazine.

When he was done Xeno looked at me. "Why have you come here?"

I narrowed my eyes at his tone for a moment, but then let it go. I couldn't lose my temper when I need information from him. I guess his friendliness from before was all an act for Luna.

"Xeno, I need...Harry and I need a little help with something." I said. I put Harry in, because he's the one Xeno was willing to help. And he seemed to have grown cold toward me since Luna wasn't here.

"Help." Xeno said. "Yes, but the thing is...helping Harry Potter...rather dangerous."

"Hey!" Both Piper and Percy cried, they went to say more but Harry put his hand over Piper's mouth and Annabeth grabbed Percy arm and shook her head.

"Aren't you the one who keeps telling everyone it's their first duty to help Harry!" Hazel said. "In those magazines of yours!"

Xenophilius glanced behind him at the press, before turning back toward us. He looked from Hazel to Percy, Annabeth, me, Harry, then Piper, where his eyes dropped to her pregnant belly with a frown. It was the beginning of June, and Piper had gotten a lot bigger since Jason left and there was no hiding her belly now. She was wearing Harry's T-shirts, because her belly has gotten too big for her's. It was a good thing that the pants she brought with her had all been scratchy pants. Right now she was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants she had cut off to make shorts.

"Er-yes, I have expressed that view. However-"

"That's for everyone else but you." I snapped. "Fine, if you don't want to help Harry, I was the one that really wanted to come here and ask you about something. So, will you help me?"

"About that...it really isn't a good idea to help any of you at the moment." Xeno said.

"Where's Luna?" Hazel asked. "Let's see what she thinks."

Xeno's eyes snapped toward Hazel at the question, he glanced around the room at all of us, like he was undergoing a painful internal struggle. His eyes once again went to Piper's stomach and what looked suspiciously like quilt crossed his face. He swallowed, his eyes glanced to me, then back to Hazel.

"Luna is...down by the stream..." I frowned it sounded more like a question than an answer. "Yes! That's it, she's down by the stream."

"You don't sound so sure." Percy spoke my thoughts out loud. Xeno looked at him.

"Of course I am sure." He snapped. "I should know where my daughter...Yes, Luna is down by the stream. Fishing, that's it. My Luna is fishing for Freshwater Plimipies. She...she will like to see all of you. Mostly you, Nico. I shall go call her and then-yes I will try to help." He disappeared down the spiral staircase and they heard the front door open and close. We looked at each other, then Percy looked to Harry.

"What the hell is Freshwater Plimipies?" He demanded. Harry frowned at him. As he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Don't look at me, mate." Harry said. "You're the one with the sea-god daddy."

"What a cowardly old wart." Hazel cried. "Luna's got ten times the guts he has." I smiled a little at her.

"He's probably just scared about what could happen to him and Luna if The Death Eaters or Riddle found out I...we were here." Harry said, now rubbing his arms.

"I agree with Hazel." Piper said. "Awful old hypocrite telling everyone else to help Harry and trying to worm out of it himself."

"Something isn't right here." Annabeth said. "He's lying about where Luna is."

"What the hell is that?" Percy demanded, pointing at a stone bust of a woman wearing the most bizarre-looking headdress. Two objects that resembled golden ear trumpets stuck out from the sides. A tiny pair of glittering blue wings was stuck to a leather strap that ran over the top of her head.

"Fetching." Piper snickered. "Surprised he didn't wear that to the wedding." Harry frowned at her a moment then went over and removed some books from one of the armchairs.

"Piper, baby, come sit down." Harry said. "You shouldn't stand too long. You don't want your feet to get all swollen again." Piper listened and sat down in the chair Harry had cleaned out for her. Harry sat on the arm and Piper laid her arm in his lap and leaned into him. Wendelin popped her little snake head out of the pouch and flicked her tongue with a hiss. Piper glared at her.

Just then we heard the front door slam and Xenophilius came walking back up the stairs, carrying a tray of ill-assorted teacups and steaming teapot.

"Ah, you spotted my pet invention." He cried, shoving the tray in Hazel hands and joining Percy and Annabeth at the statue's side.

"Modeled, fitting enough, upon the beautiful Rowena Ravenclaw. 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!" He indicated the objects like ear trumpets. "These are the Wrackspurt siphons-to remove all sources of distraction from the thinker's immediate area. Here." He pointed out the tiny wing, "a billywig propeller, to induce an elevated frame of mind. Finally," he pointed to two orange radish things, "the Dirigible Plum, to enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary."

"What?" Percy demanded, giving him a confused look. Annabeth rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm.

"Never mind, Seaweed Brian." Annabeth said, pulling him away from the statue as if it insulted her and over to the side of the room Piper and Harry sat at. Wendelin ducked her head back in the pouch.

Xeno turned from the statue himself and strode over to the tray, which Hazel had sat on one of the side tables.

"May I offer you all infusion of Grudyroots?" He asked, he carried the tray to a small round table surround by three chairs. I took a set in one, Hazel sat next to me, then Annabeth, Percy leaned up against the wall behind her with his hands jammed in his pockets. Harry and Piper stayed in the armchair.

"We make it ourselves." Xeno said. As he started pouring us all a drink. "Luna is down beyond the Bottom Bridge, she is most excited that you are here. She shouldn't be too long, she has caught nearly enough Plimpies to make soup for us all." He sat a teacup in front me, Hazel then Annabeth. He then carried the others each one, before cleaning out another armchair and sat down with his own teacup. None of us touched ours. Me, Annabeth, and Hazel just let it sit on the table in front of us. Percy sat his down on top of a shelf after giving it a nasty look, and Piper and Harry, sat there's on the table next to their chair.

"Now, how may I help you, Mr. Potter, and you Nico?" Xeno asked, taking a ship from his teacup.

"Well, it's about the Deathly Hollows." I began.

"The Deathly Hollows?" Xeno asked, looking quite shocked.

"Well, yeah, Harry and I have been studying about them a lot lately, the wand mostly and we were wondering if you can help us out a bit."

"Oh, yes the Deathly Hollows, one of my most favorite tales." Xeno said. "As I'm sure you demigods know, that the wizard tale is not the real tale." Xeno looked at me. "As a son of Hades, I'm sure you are most familiar with the story, after all the three brothers would be your brothers."

"Wait, you know the demigod version of the story?" Harry demanded.

"Shouldn't be too shocking to you, Mr. Potter." Xeno said. "After all my Luna is a demigod herself, and we are descendants of Apollo. I knew about your demigod world all my life."

"Harry is a descendant of the youngest brother." I told him. "So, he knows the story pretty well, and we told the others."

"Oh, yes. Ingortus." Xeno said. "He was favored by both their mortal mother and Hades. Which left the two eldest brothers bitter and jealous, the reason for them tricking Thanatos in the first place."

"How do you know all that?" Harry demanded.

"Luna's Mother of course." Xeno said. "She knew how I loved the tale and told me the real one. She knew it by heart, because she was...well never mind about that. It was the gods you know, that changes the story, and gave it to the wizard world for a fairy tale. They didn't want anyone else to get any ideas."

"Yes, well. Since you know a lot about it." I said. "Can you tell us anything useful about the wand. Like any other name it might have went by or any who might have held it in their hands?"

Xeno frowned, glanced out the window, then back at all of us and for the third time he looked to Piper's pregnant stomach with guilt on his face. I was starting to believe coming here might have been a bad idea.

"Nico, my friends, if you and Mr. Potter wish to seek the Hollows, thinking their power will help you get rid of You-Know-Who. I do not believe your father would like it very much if you were to become the Master Of Death."

I frowned. "The what? Hang on here when you say Mister of Death..."

"Conqueror. Vanquisher. Whichever term you prefer." Xeno waved his hand airy.

"Master of Death." I repeated. "There's no such thing, the only one who could be considered master of death would be the god of death himself."

"Yes, and where did the Hollows come from?" Xeno asked. He glanced out the window again.

"But they didn't belong to him." I said. "He made them, all but the cloak. No human could be the Master Of Death."..."

"This from the boy who calls himself The Ghost King." Xeno said.

"That is way different from calling yourself the Master of Death." I said. "Besides, wouldn't you need all three and my father has already destroyed the stone."

"Really, how interesting." Xeno said. "Luna's Mother once wished to get her hands on all three hollows did you know. She wanted to...well that doesn't matter. She no longer seeks them." He waved his hand and looked out the window again. "Anyway, haven't you ever asked yourself why your father wants so desperately to destroy the Hollows?"

"You're wrong." I said. "No one can master death. Besides my father doesn't want to destroy them all. He's leaving the cloak alone."

Xeno snorted. "With the two most powerful gone the cloak is useless all but to hide yourself under. Besides Mr. Potter here is the owner the cloak if the tale of being passed to child to child it true. You said yourself he was a descendant of Hades. He seems to favor. If Mr. Jackson here was the owner of the cloak do you think your father would be so keen to allow him to keep it?"

"Can you just tell us about the wand?" Harry spoke up, cutting off my argument with Xeno. "That's what we need to know."

Xeno glanced out the window then Harry. "Well, Mr. Potter, I should not be surprised you would be wondering about the wand. It has been a part of many tales. The wand happens to be the most easily traced, because of the way it is passed hand to hand."

"Which is?" Percy asked.

"The possessor of the wand most capture it from its previous owner, if he is to be truly master of it," said Xenophilius. "Surly, you have heard of the way the wand came to Egbert the Egregious, after his slaughter of Emeric the Evil? Or how Godelot died in his own cellar after his son, Hereward, took the wand from him? Of Loxias, who took the wand from Barnabas Deverill, whom he had killed? The Bloody trail of Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of Wizarding History."

"I know all about them." I said. "I have spoken to every single one in the Underworld, they're all in the Fields of Punishment. But do you have any idea where the wand could be now?"

"Alas, no one knows as far as I can tell." Xeno said. "The trail grows cold with Gregorovitch." Harry who had stopped listening and had his head down looked up at Xeno.

"You know who Gregorovitch is?" He demanded. If you looked closely enough you could see the pouch moving like it was breathing. From Wendelin wiggling around in it.

"Yes, he is a retired Bulgarian wand maker." Xeno said.

"That's why I thought Quidditch." Harry cried, smacking himself on the forehead. "He made Krum's wand."

"So, you have no idea where it went from there?" I demanded. Xeno shook his head. He glanced back out the window. "What about any other names the wand could be called?"

"Oh, it has been called all kinds of things, Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick." Xeno suddenly jumped to his feet. Picked up the tray and headed for the stairs. "You will stay for dinner." He left the room and I sat back with a frown.

"I think we should just leave now." Annabeth said. "Before he comes back." I frowned at her as Harry stood and started pacing.

"No one can master death." I said. "This was a waste of time. I should have just stuck with trying to find the Horcrux." I slammed my fist on the table.

"Calm down, Nico." Hazel said. "That's probably just one of the make-believe part of the three brothers tale. Xeno just believes it. Which is one of the reasons our dad wants them. We can't have mortals running around believing they can beat death. Think of the trouble it would cause. Wizards might even of added that themselves. Most wizards believe that is just a tale anyway. It's why wizards believe Elder wands are unlucky."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, Harry too glanced at Hazel. Wendelin slithered out of her pouch and up Harry's arm, then curled herself around Harry's neck.

"It's a wizard superstition." Hazel said. "My Mom was a witch remember. She had an elder wand once. She never used it because she believed it to be unlucky. My mom was a very superstitious person. She could go on and on: May-born witches marry muggles. Jinx by twilight undone by midnight."

"Um...twilight is the same as midnight." Percy said. "Isn't it? So how could a jinx...?"

"It's just a saying." Hazel said. I turned out her and Percy bricking as I watched Harry pace he suddenly stopped and looked up another set of stairs, that led to Luna's room. He frowned, then headed up that way.

"Harry, I don't think you should be going up there." Annabeth said. He ignored her and kept on going. I didn't like the idea of Harry being nosy in my girlfriend's bedroom, so got up and followed.

Luna had decorated her bedroom ceiling with ten beautifully painted faces, which is what caught Harry's eye downstairs and why he made his way up here.

The faces were of: Harry, Piper, Leo, Hermione, Annabeth, Percy, Hazel, Ron, Jason, and Ginny. All around the faces in what looked like gold frames was just one word over and over: Friends.

I was on Luna's wall too, but my painting was different. It was painted right above her bed on the wall. It was a painting of Luna and me kissing outside by the pound, Xeno had claimed Luna was at now. The gold frame around it was: Love over and over.

I walked over and traced the word love with my finger and smiled a little. Luna has told me over and over she loved me. But I have never told her I loved her. I cared about her, but didn't know if love would be the word to use. I didn't even know if I could love someone. It was all just so confusing. Which is one of the reasons Luna and I never went passed kissing and touching. We've never made love. I was afraid to get that close to someone.

"You really love her don't you?" Harry asked. I turned from my face and looked at him.

"I care about her." I said. "But I don't know rather or not I love her."

Harry smiled at me a little. "You do. I can tell."

I didn't have anything to say to that so I just glanced down at the picture of Luna and her Aunt that sat on her bedside table. I picked it up.

"Who's that?" Harry asked.

"It was Luna's aunt." I told him. "Xeno's sister. She use to live here with them. She helped to take care of Luna, but when she was eight she died in a potions accident. Luna saw it. Which is why she can see Theastrals." I sat the picture back down.

"Picture is a bit dusty isn't it?" Harry asked. I frowned, he was right. The picture was dusty. I looked around and noticed the whole room was dusty. And her bed was perfectly made. It gave off the sense of not being slept in for weeks.

"I don't like this." I said. "Luna is no where as near as bad as you, but she did keep her room clean."

"Did you get the sense Xeno was lying about where Luna was?" Harry asked. "And don't you think she should have been home by now."

"I think it's time we go find out where Luna really is." I said, and turned and headed down the stairs Harry right behind me.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked, seeing our faces. Xenophilius came walking in the room at that time carrying a tray laden with bowls.

"Mr. Lovegood." Harry asked. "Where's Luna?" He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Excuse me?" He asked. "I already told you Luna's down..." I rushed forward grabbed Xeno by the collar of his nightshirt and slammed him against the wall, making him drop his tray, the bowls fell to the floor, spilling gross looking soup everywhere, and a couple of the bowls broke.

"Nico." Hazel cried. I Ignored her.

"I'm sick of your lying." I said. "Which is something you've done since we set foot in your house. I want answers. If Luna was here then why was that tray only sit for eight? Why hasn't she got back by now? Why hasn't her bed been slept in in weeks? And why is her room so dusty?"

"And why do you keep looking out the window?" Percy demanded.

"I...I.." Xeno stumbled, he looked scared, as his hands shook. Just then the printing press gave a big bang and many Quibblers came streaming across the floor under the tablecloth; the press fall silent at last. Piper who had stood along with the others when I slammed Xeno against the wall bent down and picked one up. She gasped.

"Harry, look at this."

Harry walked over to her and took the magazine out of her hand, he frowned then held it up.

"Changed your mind about me have you?" Harry asked. I turned and looked at the Magazine the front of the Quibbler was taken up by Harry's face and the words ndesirable Number one, along with the reward money, which had went up to 150,000 Galleons.

"Is that what you were doing when you were in the garden?" Annabeth demanded. "Sending an owl to the Ministry?"

Piper gasped and grabbed Harry's left arm with both her hands. Wendelin slithered down Harry's other arm, and wrapped herself around it.

"They took my Luna." Xenophilius said. I let go of him and stumbled back, in fear and shock. My chest suddenly felt as if someone took a hammer to it. "Because of what I've written. They took her at the wedding, right after you left. I don't know where she is or what they've done with her or... or to her. But they might give her back to me if I...I."

"Hand over Harry." I said in an almost whisper. Piper whimpered and now wrapped her arms around Harry's arm, while shaking her head. Xeno moved back over to the doorway to block it. Since I no longer had him held against the wall.

"No deal." Percy said, pulling his pen from his pocket, but he did not uncap it yet. "Get out of the way. We are leaving." Xeno's lips drawn into a dreadful leer.

"They will be here in a minute." Xeno said. "I must save Luna. I cannot lose Luna. You must not leave."

I looked from the others to Xeno, a part of me wanted to help him, to grab Harry and keep him here to hand over and get my Luna back. But I also knew it would do no good. They would just kill us all, besides mad at him or not. I couldn't do that to Harry.

"Don't make us hurt you, Mr. Lovegood." Percy said, uncapping Riptid. "You might as well move now. Because there is no way you're handing my step-brother to anyone."

"PERCY!" Annabeth suddenly cried, we all turned to look as two figures on broomsticks went flying past the window. But look away from Xeno had been a mistake, He had pulled his wand out and pointed it toward Harry, he drove sideways, knocking Piper to the ground and covering her. Xenophilius' spell hit the weird horn thing that was hanging on the back of the wall. There was a colossal explosion. The sound of it seemed to blow the room apart: Fragments of wood and paper and rubble flew in all directions, along with an impenetrable cloud of dust. We were blasted through the air, thrown hitting against the wall, then crashed to the floor. All but Harry and Piper since they were already on the floor, Harry still covering Piper, protecting her from the blast and stuff flying everywhere. I heard Hazel scream, Annabeth cry out. Percy yell out Annabeth. And loud thuds that told me Xeno had been blasted down the stairs.

I got back to my feet with everyone else. Harry helped Piper up and checked her over. Percy did the same with Annabeth and I went over and checked on my sister. Luckily no one had more than scratches and bruises on them. It was hard to breath from all the dust.

The door downstairs crashed open.

"Didn't I tell you, Travers?" said a rough voice. "Didn't I tell you this nutter was just raving as usual?' There was a bang then a scream from Xenophilius.

"No...no...upstairs...Potter!"

"I told you last week, Lovegood, we weren't coming back for anything less than solid information." There was another bang, then another scream.

"Let's get out of here." Hazel said. Harry nodded and shadows trailed around us, but I rushed forward and grabbed Harry's arm. Wendelin hissed at me in what I guessed was a warning hiss.

"No wait." I said, and the shadow disappeared. Harry looked at me shocked.

"You're...you're stopping me from controlling the shadows." He said. I nodded.

"I have more power over them than you do." I said."So, I can stop them from obeying you if I want to."

"No-no-I beg you!" Xenophilius said. "It really is Potter and the others!"

"Come on, Nico!" Piper cried. "We have to go!"

"Nico, you can't be thinking of trying to turn Harry over to them or us." Percy said. "They won't give you Luna back, they'll just kill us all."

"Nico wouldn't do that." Harry said, but he had a doubtful tone in his voice, which made me flinch a little.

There was more bangs and yells from downstairs, some arguing, Xeno pleading, then one of the Death Eaters said a spell.

"Homenum revelio."

Next to me Harry gasped and looked fearfully to Piper who was still holding on to his other arm.

"What?" Annabeth cried. "What does that spell do?"

"It's a spell that reveals human presence." Percy said. We looked at him.

"What?" he demanded. "Whenever we would go out somewhere together as a family, Sirius did that when we got home to make sure no one was in our place."

"Fine if Nico isn't going to let us go, then we'll fight." Annabeth pulled out her dagger, as the death eater cried about there really being someone upstairs.

Percy held up Riptide, Harry gently got his arm away from Piper and pulled out his wand, Piper got out her dagger and Hazel got out her spear. I didn't draw my sword, I just waited and listened as two sets of footsteps came walking up the stairs.

"Come on, come on." I thought, and then they were there, two ugly big Death Eaters. They looked at us wide-eyed shocked for a moment. Then raised their wands. I gave them my worse glared, then let the shadows lose just as they cast a spell, but before it hit any of us I allowed the shadows to carry us away.

A.N. Sorry not much happened in this chapter, but the next will be more exciting. I hope it was good though. When I thought of Harry keeping one of the snakes, I thought it would be funny if Piper was jealous of the attention he gave it. And when Xenophilius mentioned the Master Of Death, Nico acted they way he did because I thought with him being a son of Hades and all that he wouldn't like the idea of someone calling themselves the Master Of Death. Hope Percy and the Horcrux thing was alright. Oh and I've finally decided who Luna's mother is going to be. And it's neither Aphrodite or Athena. But something she would be able to do with her as her mother would come in handy in a battle.