AN: A little warning: This chapter contains what some people consider underage drinking. That being said, here is chapter nine of 'Dark Phoenix.'
Chapter 9: Making Their Move
Albus Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully, popping a sherbet lemon into his mouth. "Are you certain of this, Severus?"
The Potions master nodded. "Positive, Headmaster. Nico di Angelo is not just a skilled Occlumens, but he is also well versed in the art of Legilimency as well. It took a lot of concentration on my part to look into his memories and blocking mine from him. And the few times I've succeeded, it was most likely because he let down his guard."
Next to him, Minerva McGonagall let out soft breath. "Umbrakinesis, Black Fire, Occlumency and now Legilimency as well; all at the mere age of fifteen years old. Had I not seen some of these things and witnessed his prodigious abilities in Transfiguration myself, I would have said your mouth was full of flies had you told me all this." Her gaze turned to the oldest wizard in the room. "But Albus, surely you can't think him responsible for the destruction of the Quidditch Pitch. Admittedly, we all found traces of Black Fire, but that is not proof he was behind it."
The aged wizard placed his fingers against each other, a smile on his face. "Not at all, dear Professor McGonagall. While I'm convinced he was there that night, as people who have knowledge and able to use Black Fire these days are rare, I do not think he was responsible. And if he was, I do not think he was alone, nor did he do it intentionally. My best guess is that a fight of sorts took place; a fight fought with the elements as weapons. The use of elements in their rawest form is difficult to master and frowned upon, but not unheard of. But much like the special abilities of the old families, the use of the elements' rawest forms can often be traced to certain bloodlines."
McGonagall frowned. "Are you saying you have found a possible clue to Nico's family?"
The Headmaster shook his head. "No, I've not. The families associated with the ability to use the raw forms are long gone. Today, most who master the ability to harness the elements' raw forms, have done so by researching ancient texts and via trial and error."
McGonagall sighed. "So we are no closer to finding any relatives of Nico's?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I'm afraid so. It appears that no one misses young Mr di Angelo. A shame, really. He is a very bright young man and very sympathetic once you get to know him. But he also appears to be a magnet for trouble." He turned to his Potions master. "Is there any development between Mr di Angelo and young Draco?"
Snape shook his head in the negative. "No Headmaster. From what Draco has told me, he and di Angelo has an agreement. Di Angelo is to spy on Potter and his friends, and in return, Draco will tell him some of the things Lucius tells Draco. In short, di Angelo has basically obtained a pipeline into the very heart of the Ministry, keeping track of their every movement through Draco."
Professor McGonagall was aghast. She might have grown to see him as one of her Gryffindors and a soft spot for him, but this revelation of disloyalty angered her. "Nico is spying on Harry and the House of Gryffindor?!"
Dumbledore smiled. They all knew that the Transfiguration teacher was only covering her hurt and concern. "There, there Professor McGonagall. I'm sure young Mr di Angelo doesn't have any ill intentions with it. He just found an alternative source of information and exploited it. No one can blame him for wanting information when he is in a strange world he knew nothing about." He frowned. "I'm, however, concerned about this information exchange. Tell me Severus, do you know anything about the information they have given each other?"
The Potions master nodded. "At their first meeting, Draco told di Angelo about the Ministry's plans of making Dolores Umbridge High Inquisitor. Di Angelo, in return, revealed the situation in Gryffindor Tower. It would appear your Gryffindors aren't as united as they once were, Professor McGonagall."
McGonagall glowered, but didn't say anything. United or not, they were her Gryffindors. Albus Dumbledore just hummed, frown on his face. "I see. Anything else?"
Snape shook his head. "No Headmaster. They have met a few times, but from what I can gather, they have only talked about the status in Gryffindor Tower and the Ministry. They have not talked about personally sensitive information yet. According to Draco, they have another meeting scheduled this Thursday night after curfew on the roof of the Astronomy Tower." He looked at the disapproving face of the Transfiguration teacher before addressing the Headmaster. "Do you want me to listen in on their meeting, Headmaster?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. In fact, I must ask you to do quite the contrary. You must ensure Draco gets to this meeting, like you have done the other nights the two boys have met. This meeting is essential, as it will be their last." Two quizzical looks from the younger teachers, and he continued. "I'm afraid we cannot allow them to continue meeting, for their own and Harry's safety."
McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. "How, exactly, is Harry's safety involved in this?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Draco Malfoy is playing a dangerous game, but he doesn't know the rules, or the players, as well as he thinks; nor does he see the bigger picture. He is also, like we were, underestimating Nico di Angelo's resourcefulness and capabilities. To young Draco, this is only about getting information he can use to get Harry in trouble, be it with Dolores or to get blackmail material. What he fails to realize, at this time at least, is that the information he tells his father is likely to reach Lord Voldemort's ears if Lucius deems it important enough. Lucius Malfoy, wanting to maintain his high standing in Lord Voldemort's inner circle, assuming that Nico di Angelo provides him something useful regarding Harry, might let something else than the plans of the Ministry slip to Draco who in turn will tell it to Nico in hopes of obtaining more information. Lord Voldemort, however, will sooner or later come to think of Draco and Nico as liabilities; they know too much to be left alive."
The aged wizard took a deep breath, before continuing. "Nico di Angelo, on the other hand, is well aware of the use of information he has given Draco so far. He, however, doesn't know of Draco's father's other affairs. He is possible well aware that Lucius has close connections in the top of the Ministry and is a high standing member in our society, but he doesn't know of him being in Lord Voldemort's inner circle. He might let something slip that would endanger Harry."
McGonagall frowned. "I was under the impression that he and Nico are friends?"
Dumbledore nodded. "They have started to develop a friendship. This leads me to believe that this agreement between our Slytherin prefect and new Gryffindor was made shortly after Nico's arrival… possibly on the first Monday of this semester. You saw them that morning, did you not Severus?"
Snape gave a curt nod. "Yes. Draco, accompanied by Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle confronted di Angelo that morning. Draco tried intimidating di Angelo, but failed, to be honest, miserably. Di Angelo even warned Draco that he was worse than he was." Snape shook his head. "And yet he agreed to di Angelo's deals and terms. He probably didn't want to lose face, should rumours about him being scared of a Gryffindor reach Slytherin House."
Dumbledore nodded sagely. "Pride can be a dangerous thing." Then he sighed. "Regardless, we have to interfere. See to it, will you, Severus?" The Potions master nodded and the Headmaster smiled. "Excellent. Now, I believe breakfast is about to be served."
With that the aged wizard stood up and he led the way out of the office. As such, they missed Fawkes chirping happily and the Sorting Hat's grumpy response.
"Yes, Bird-Brain, I know you won the bet about when young Nico would cause problems. But I won the bet about the manner of the problems he would make."
Fawkes squawked, though this time around, it had some indignation in it. The Sorting Hat gave a hasty reply. "Okay, okay, okay. Don't lose all your feathers. How about we play double or quits?" Fawkes chirped in agreement. "Bet accepted then, my old friend."
With that, the two friends fell into silence, greatly anticipating the fun Nico di Angelo would bring them next. It had been a long time since the two friends had had this much fun during a school year.
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Percy Jackson kicked an old newspaper away. He and his friends were searching London for clues about Nico's whereabouts, but like the last couple of weeks, no luck. There was no scent, nothing in the newspapers, TV, radio… nothing. It was driving him nuts. They had left Tyson with Festus just north of London, as they didn't want people asking question why a tall boy was carrying around a heavy suitcase. Plus, they needed to remove the salt from Festus after their trip, and Tyson rather liked working on their bronze dragon friend. Not to mention, Tyson didn't like big cities. He said it reminded him too of the time on his own. In addition, despite what some people might say, some of these Brits were exceptionally rude and their words coming out of their mouth made the Hudson and East Rivers clean in comparison. Percy would know, he had seen the rivers and now he had heard some of these Brits talk.
He slumped down in a chair, next to a shady pub called the Leaky Cauldron. The wind of the dying September was cold, but not yet unpleasantly so. But it would appear most people on the street didn't agree with him on that fact, as they simply passed him without a second glance, which was fine. He was not in the mood for company either way.
It was bad enough that they hadn't found any clues about where Nico was, but according to the Stolls, there was coming more and more of the foreign gold-weapon-wielding demigods in New York City, making the Stolls', eh, shopping, much harder. With the number of the purple clad demigods running around, it was starting to look a lot like an invasion force. Clarisse had suggested that Camp Half-Blood took the fight to them before the foreigners got too close to camp. But Chiron had said no, as they didn't know if the other demigods were hostiles; but no one really bought that.
No, Camp Half-Blood was preparing for battle. They were having battle formation drills, led by Clarisse and the rest of the Ares Cabin; the Hephaestus Cabin was working all around the clock on repairing old weapons, making new ones and the battle ship while the Athena Cabin was making battle strategies. The Hermes Cabin was keeping a constant look out in the city, running errands for both the Apollo and Demeter Cabins, making sure they had medicine and food, and all around maintaining Camp's economy. The Hecate Cabin was working on ways to reinforce Camp's borders and other nasty things. As if to underline how serious it was, even the Aphrodite Cabin was taking up their weapons and armour for formation drills.
Lastly, there was his latest dream. It troubled them all. The day after his dream, they had seen hurricanes, earthquakes and thunderstorms raging over most of the United States; the Big Three were flexing their muscles, causing great devastation in the process. What was, perhaps not quite as troubling, was the fact that they had no idea who Voldemort or Harry Potter was. None of them liked the fact that this Voldemort wanted someone Harry Potter dead, but what concerned them even more was the fact that Voldemort apparently was plotting to kill Nico as well. As for the lady: They were sure it was a goddess or another immortal the son of Hades had pissed off. But that didn't help them that much.
Persephone wasn't fond of Nico, but as go as far as to kill him? Not likely. Then there was Medea, one of the worst villains in Greek mythology. One year ago, Nico had been sent to investigate Chicago afters rumour had reached Camp Half-Blood a powerful sorceress and princess had moved to the city. Not to mention, known demigods had disappeared when they were in that area… some of the campers from Hecate Cabin had demanded to go, seeing how magic were their speciality, but after deducing that their enemy most likely would be Medea and her minions, they had second thoughts. Percy had volunteered for the mission, but one of Annabeth's brothers, Lucas, had pointed out that this mission would demand someone with power and subtlety. Thus Nico had been chosen. When Percy had asked who would be Nico's companions, Lucas had said that the more people went with Nico, the greater was the risk of detection and thus failure. Percy had been about to protest, but Annabeth had told him that Lucas had a point, even if she didn't like it. And as she said, Nico was one of the most powerful demigods out there… and probably one of the most cunning; a dangerous combination for his enemies.
Percy closed his eyes, thinking back. After Nico left for his mission, he had Annabeth tell him more about Medea and he did some digging around himself. When he found out who Medea was, he was furious. Sending Nico out on his own against her; it was a suicide mission. He had been well on his way to go and beat Lucas into the ground for suggesting Nico going alone, had it not been for Annabeth being able to calm him down, but only after she promised she would go with him if Nico wasn't back four days later.
The son of Poseidon sighed. Not only did Nico survive his suicide mission, he completed it successfully within forty-eight hours. He hadn't been able to kill Medea as she had fled, much to his regret, but he had destroyed her shop completely, saving several half-bloods and satyrs in the going, the newest daughter of Aphrodite, Piper McLean, among them.
When asked about how he destroyed the shop he just shrugged and said: "A little Greek fire bomb there, a little ball of Hellfire there. Don't try it in your cabin; it makes a terrible bang." That little remark in turn had given rise to the running joke and a bet about whom had the most pyromaniac traits and affinity for making things explode: Leo Valdez, Percy Jackson and Nico di Angelo. Or at least, it had been running till one evening when Leo had broken down crying without giving any reason as to why. Even now, he hadn't said why. Bottom line, they stopped making fun of it.
Percy ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't think of any woman aside those two that didn't like Nico and would be brave enough to make an attempt on his life. Well, the Aphrodite Cabin wasn't overly happy with him after his little prank. But hey, it was their own fault: After all, they painted Cabin Thirteen pink with hearts and rainbows, and gave the skull lipstick and curly golden hair. Nico's revenge: Once he had restored his cabin to its usual self, he caught a family of city raccoons and ten skunks and put them in a couple of bags. Then, in the middle of the night, he shadow-travelled into Cabin Ten and released the raccoon family and the skunks. After the raccoons had rummaged through the cabin for food, Nico made sure to wake Drew by holding a raccoon in her face. The scream and following noise scared the skunks and, yeah, you know what they do when they get scared and want to defend themselves. Result: A lot of Aphrodite girls in various forms of dress, or lack thereof, and one Nico di Angelo laughing his pants off.
The son of Poseidon chuckled. He doubted the daughters of Aphrodite would be out for his blood in the literal sense of the word. Besides, rumours had it Piper McLean had a crush on the son of Hades, but Percy was sure there was nothing to it. He sighed. That didn't bring him any closer to who it could be. Persephone wouldn't dare because of Hades' wrath. Medea… it was possible, but he doubted she would be bold enough to approach camp, even if was to get someone to do her dirty work.
"Pst, Percy. Hey, Percy. PERCY!"
The last one got his attention, and he almost fell out of his chair, clasping Riptide in pen form. "Wha…"
"Over here."
The demigod turned his head, and his eyes widened. There, shimmering in mid-air was the image of Thalia Grace. Percy quickly looked around, but no one seemed to notice, so he gave the Iris Message his full attention. "Pinecone Face… what's wrong? Do you need help? Where are you, we will get there as soon as we…"
"Shut up, Percy." Thalia scowled "And don't call me Pinecone Face, Kelp Head." Despite her scowl, Thalia wasn't mad. But then her face turned serious. "Percy, we've got a clue on Nico's whereabouts."
Now that definitely got Percy's attention. "You do? How? Where is…"
Thalia held up a hand in the image. "Yes. It was by pure chance. Phoebe found an article from some newspaper called the Daily Prophet. Yes, I know it is a weird name, but that is not important. In the article, it mentioned that a boy named Nico di Angelo appeared in a school called Hogwarts some weeks ago… 1st September to be exact. It also mentions that the Ministry is considering sending Dementors to guard this Hogwarts because their sports arena was destroyed." She smiled. "Seems like Nico tried to escape."
Percy frowned. Who would bring a prisoner to a school, much less send monsters to guard it? Those who kidnapped Nico were sick, even if the school had a hilarious name. No matter… now they knew the place they had to get to. "Alright. Where is this Hogwarts?"
Thalia sighed. "I'm not sure. We have tried asking around, but no one seems to know where it is. We found, however, another article from the Daily Prophet, but it was more a piece from an article. Anyways, it hinted that Hogwarts might be somewhere in Scotland. We are currently on a train to Edinburgh, and we will start searching from there."
Percy nodded. "Thanks for letting me know. We will be there soon. And, Thalia… be careful. They were powerful enough to stop Nico from leaving. If you think they are too strong for the Hunters to take, fall back and call us."
Thalia nodded then ended the message. Percy sighed. Now they had a clue to where Nico was. Now he just had to wait for Annabeth, Leo and Grover to return so they could go to Scotland, find this Hogwarts, and beat up some bad guys and free Nico. 'Hang in there Nico. Don't do anything stupid to get yourself killed. We are coming.'
00000
"Eh Potter… Harry, can we talk?"
Harry looked up from his food, surprise being replaced with weariness and a scowl. "What do you want Seamus?"
Seamus sucked in a deep breath, before exhaling slowly. "I want to apologize for my behaviour. I… I shouldn't have believed the Daily Prophet that easily." He looked over his shoulders at the Patil twins and Lavender Brown. "None of us should. We have known you for four years, and the image the Prophet is painting of you doesn't match with the Harry we know." He took a deep breath, eyes downcast. "I'm sorry Harry… we all are. I will understand it if you don't accept it, but I want you to know that we believe you."
Harry stared for a long time, not believing his ears. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why Seamus would suddenly change his mind like that. It sounded too good to be true. Seamus sighed and started to walk away with the girls, but his actions brought Harry out of his musings and he stood up "Seamus, wait." The Irish boy turned again. "Why the sudden change of mind?"
Seamus sighed, but there was a trace of a rueful smile. "Nico di Angelo talked some sense into me the other day when Parvati and Padma accompanied me to the Hospital Wing. He asked some questions that got me thinking and, well, basically look like an idiot. I'm just sorry I didn't think for myself to begin with."
Harry was silent for a few seconds. Then he held out his hand. "Apology accepted. It goes for all of you."
The girls gave relieved smiles, and Seamus smiled broadly as he shook Harry's hand. "So you aren't mad?"
Harry shrugged. "Nah, not really. I may not be too happy about how you acted when we started, but Hermione pretty much explained it. Besides, you weren't the only one. But you are one of the few who came to his senses, even if Nico had to help a little." He looked down the table, a frown settling on his face. "Speaking of Nico… where is he?"
Parvati sighed. "He and Hermione went to talk with McGonagall. Apparently, Nico wants to quit Divination to get more time to study and catch up." She sighed. "Such a shame really; Professor Trelawney says he has so much potential as a Seer."
Harry didn't say anything, just nodded as the girls and Seamus walked off. As far as he was concerned, Trelawney saying Nico had potential as a Seer was a glowing recommendation… please note sarcasm. Then he frowned as he mulled over the first part. Nico, wanting to catch up and study more? Harry didn't see why he would want that. He got respectable grades, minus Charms, was probably the best in Transfiguration and was done with his homework before the other Gryffindor fifth year boys. Admittedly his grades could be better in Potions and DADA, but considering the teachers in those subjects, and Nico's last clash with them, those grades weren't likely to change, no matter how much he studied. Shaking his head, the Boy-Who-Lived headed for Divination.
When he got there, he sat down beside Ron at their usual table. "Hi Ron."
The redhead nodded, but then frowned. "What got you in such an awful good mood today?"
Harry smiled. "Seamus, Parvati, Padma and Lavender came to me and apologized. Apparently Nico talked some sense into them. Guess he isn't a bad guy after all. I don't think… oh, not again."
The source of Harry's sudden change of moods was obvious: Professor Umbridge had just appeared in the classroom, her faithful note pad in hand. Trelawney cast the shorter woman a nervous looks, before addressing the class.
"Good afternoon class. Today we will continue with oneiromancy, or in common tongue, dream interpretation. Can anyone here tell me why oneiromancy was important in Ancient Greece? Yes, Miss Patil?"
Parvati took a deep breath. "Oneiromancy, or dream interpretation, is considered one of the oldest forms of divination. The Ancient Greeks, wizards and Muggles alike, believed that dreams held clues that could be used to predict or tell the future. However, because the clues often came in a hidden form, like riddles and other stuff, those of royalty would often hire dream interpreters to interpret their dreams."
Professor Trelawney nodded, and her voice regained a little of its misty and ethereal tones. "Correct, ten points to Gryffindor. Now, if you would please open 'The Dream Oracle' by Inigo Imago, chapter four to five, we can begin."
And so Harry and Ron started interpreting their last made up dreams, getting some interesting results: Ron would get eaten by big fluffy pink hat while Harry would drown in blue wine. This is in turn caused Parvati and Lavender to glare at them for making fun of the subject. Unfortunately, it had also gotten the attention of Professor Trelawney and she moved towards them, eyes blazing, Umbridge right behind her.
"Professor Trelawney, I must insist that you interpret my dreams."
The Divination teacher didn't react to the High Inquisitor. Instead, she stopped right in front of Harry and Ron. "Messrs Potter and Weasley, would you like to let the class in on your dreams?"
Harry shook his head. There was no need for that. He knew very well what his dreams meant and that wasn't going to change even if twenty fifteen-year-olds combined their skills at oneiromancy. "No, Professor Trelawney. Sorry, it won't happen again."
He nudged Ron with his foot. The redhead gave him a half-glare, but then he lowered his eyes dramatically. "Sorry Professor Trelawney."
The boys didn't like the Divination Professor, not by a long shot, but they still preferred her over Umbridge. And as such, they had agreed to be at their best behaviour in Trelawney's class, if only to annoy Umbridge.
Seemingly satisfied, Sybill Trelawney turned around and frowned when she saw the High Inquisitor. "Can I help you?"
The toad-like woman raised an eyebrow and scribbled something on her note pad. "I asked you to interpret my dreams. Or at least make a tiny little prophecy?"
Trelawney's face turned red, but her confidence was wavering again. "I… I-I-I've al-already told you. The Inner Eye does not See upon command."
Umbridge sighed, and if Harry didn't know better, he would have said she sounded disappointed. "I see. I would have thought that as the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated seer Cassandra Trelawney… well, in any case, you will receive the result of my evaluation tomorrow."
Trelawney paled. "N-n-no, wait I sense something around. Something dark…something sinister with…"
The Divination teacher went slack-jawed, her eyes having a faint green glow that, to Harry, was way too similar to the Killing Curse. Dolores Umbridge looked up from her note pad when the other woman had stopped speaking. Apparently, she didn't notice the glow, because she spoke in her usual sweet manner.
"I see. Well, I must confess I'm disappointed. I had expected a bit more…"
Dolores Jane Umbridge was cut off when Trelawney spoke again. But it wasn't her usual voice. Instead, it was deep and booming.
"The battle of the half-blood princes is nigh.
The waves of burning rage will go high.
Odds will be tipped for worse with a curse.
Caught in the middle, feud is adverse.
Balance obtained when boy's body is hit by chill.
A friend's water brings warmth will."
Sybill Trelawney coughed violently then blinked her eyes. "I-I think a violent storm is coming my dears. And we- we can't see the future with so much chaos in the air."
Nobody moved to pack their things. No one glanced out the window to see the blue sky and afternoon sun. Dolores Umbridge stood there, mouth open, her note pad on the floor. The students were gaping at their teacher, some shocked, some disbelieving, some impressed. Whether people liked or believed it or not, fact remained that Professor Sybill Trelawney had just given a prophecy.
00000
The wind was blowing, hitting his face and playing with his hair. It was growing a bit too long for Nico's taste. It was around midnight, and Nico was in a good mood. With Hermione's help, he had gotten out of Divination, giving him extra time to work on his new weapon and train. He was not sure McGonagall believed his reasons for wanting to quit the subject. His grades, in general were good for the most part, so the Head of Gryffindor House couldn't quite see why he would want to quite. Perhaps the son of Hades had imagined it, but the elderly witch had seemed a bit colder towards him than usual. And he really hated to lie to her when he said he felt the other subjects, Potions and Charms were catching up with him. But in the end, she had allowed him to drop the subject. He just had to promise her to raise his grades in Charms to minimum an A. And much to Nico shock, he had also volunteered to become a Transfiguration tutor for the younger Gryffindors once his grade in Charms was acceptable.
The Ghost King sighed. He had still no idea where the change in him was coming from. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the school? The fact that no one knew he was a son of the god of the Underworld? Nico didn't really care. Hogwarts and her inhabitants had grown on him more than he thought possible. He liked it here. His fellow Gryffindors, or at least most of them, would tease him without showing any sign of fear, especially after he fell on his face. Hogwarts was feeling like home, and Gryffindor House like family and friends. And he had to admit, much to his shock and surprise, he had checked out a girl or two. Something he hadn't done at either of the two camps. Oh, he knew of the rumour about him and Piper being a couple, no matter how many times both the daughter of Aphrodite and he told them that the hug was just between friends and her showing her gratitude after that nasty mess with Medea.
Nico sighed. He couldn't lie to himself. He did miss a few campers… Leo, the Stolls, Piper and Percy. But fact remained that some campers had attacked him and that the Hunters of Artemis and Annabeth and some others had attacked his sister. He couldn't and wouldn't allow himself to think fondly of the ones he once called friends; if he did, he wouldn't be able to fight to his fullest, should they get in his way when he went for Annabeth. And knowing Percy, he most definitely would get in between.
But the son of Hades hadn't just been meditating for the fights he was sure to come. He had also been researching on spells and runes that might help him with his weapon now that he no longer had a son or daughter of Hephaestus/Vulcan at hand. And he had found that, in theory at least, would speed up his process. Then again, one thing was theory, another was practise.
Nico heard the door open behind him, bringing him back to the present. "You are late again, Draco. I was under the impression you would use your Prefect schedule to plan this meeting."
Draco scowled. "Well excuse me that your so-called friends, Granger and Weasley, saw fit to delay me and my partner by reminding us of our patrol next week. Had it not been for Professor Snape coming by, there is no telling how long those two would have kept talking." He glared at Nico. As Malfoy found on their second meeting, he had better watch his mouth. Nico did not take kindly to words such as blood traitor and Mudblood. "Di Angelo, this time, it was you who called this meeting. What do you have to tell me? It is your turn to begin, after all."
Nico sighed. That much was true. It was his turn to start with sharing information, as per their agreement. But it was also his intention to end it tonight. Draco's information on Umbridge and Ministry had been… insufficient to say the least. He knew that the Ministry was still trying to find a way to remove him from Hogwarts, but so far, they hadn't found any loopholes. And frankly, Nico had no interest in how the political climate was among the pro-pureblood fanatics.
As a result, Nico had been feeding Draco the same kind of useless information. But that was not the only reason. Harry and his friends had grown on Nico and he was starting to think of them as his friends as well. He didn't want to lose that if, and it was big if, it got out he had been exchanging information with their school rival. He signed internally. He was growing into a softie. Hoping that Draco had something useful, Nico spoke.
"Hermione is trying to get some club or something going. I don't know the details, but it is a study club of sorts. As far as I know, it is still in the planning phase. As for Harry and Ron?" He shrugged. "They have been acting strange since I quit Divination. The gossip mill has it that Professor Trelawney gave a prophecy, but I don't know if that part is true. Gossip has a tendency to spread faster than fire." Unsaid was another reason for him quitting Divination. Prophecies had had a way too big impact on his life. If someone spoke another prophecy to him, even a fake one, sooner or later he was to going to snap. He moved on. "Harry has made peace with Seamus Finnigan, the Patil twins and Lavender Brown after Finnigan apologized in the Great Hall, meaning that most of the Gryffindor Fifth years stand united." He turned his gaze. "Your turn."
Nico had sensed that the pureblood was different tonight, more confident. So he wasn't really surprised when the Slytherin smirked and drew his wand. "Sorry, di Angelo, but our arrangement ends tonight. I have all the information I need. That is the information I have for you." Nico raised an eyebrow, but then he started laughing as Malfoy pointed his wand at his face. Draco frowned, bewildered. "What is so funny?"
Nico's laughter subsided to a quiet chuckle. When he spoke, he still sounded amused. "It's just that I too planned on ending our agreement tonight. Though, I'm surprised you have the nerve to draw your wand at me; do you honestly believe I'm afraid of you and that you can take me on?" Nico chuckled, and he saw Draco's eyes widen when Hellfire started coiling around Nico's fingertips. "Draco, hit him three times, and even Buddha gets mad. This is your second warning. Draw your wand at me again, and I will not let you off so easily. Now, please go, while I'm still in a good mood."
Draco could feel pearls of cold sweat running down his neck. Snape, after getting Granger and Weasley to leave, had told him to end his arrangement with Nico because he was out of his league and that he didn't know who he was dealing with. Now he understood what the Potions master meant. Even with a wand in his face, Nico didn't even blink. Scowling, Draco tucked his wand away and left without a word. But if Nico thought he had heard the last to Draco Malfoy, he was wrong. He would get even with him.
The son of Hades chuckled, extinguishing the Hellfire from his fingers. It was regrettably that he had lost a source of information, but he knew from the beginning that their agreement wouldn't last long, and as such, he had mostly offered relatively harmless information. He was just sorry it had to be on the expense of spying on Harry and his friends, but at the time, it had seemed as the right thing. Nico hadn't expected to make friends with anyone while on Hogwarts or that he would come to think of Hogwarts as a home, and yet he had. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Most likely, Draco would try to use the information he had been given to get Harry in trouble, possibly even blackmail him.
'Well, in that case, I guess I will just have to try and counteract. It is the least I can do after making a mistake like this.'
With that, Nico headed for bed, pondering what making friends here at Hogwarts and his now cancelled bargain with Draco Malfoy would bring him further down the road.
00000
"Remind me again: Why do I've to come as well?"
Harry grunted. "Hey, don't complain. This is what you get for not trying to talk Hermione out of it."
Hermione shot the two boys an affronted look. "Nico, having you there will give Harry more credibility. Many still sees you as an, sorry, outsider. If an outsider supports Harry over the Ministry, it might get some more people to listen. After all, you made Seamus, Parvati, Padma and Lavender change their mind, right?" She lowered her voice. "Besides, it was clear from our talk that night that you have experience with fighting as well, even if it isn't our way of duelling. People might be interested in learning things from you as well."
Nico hadn't really wanted to go to this Hogsmeade village the rest of the Gryffindors were so excited to go to. He had planned on spending the day in his forge without anyone questioning him where he disappeared off to, but Hermione had insisted he came as well. So he had grudgingly approached his Head of House, and she and the headmaster had signed some slip, just for appearances' sake, even when he explained that his parents emancipated him when he was eleven.
So Nico found himself walking towards Hogsmeade with the Golden Trio to meet up with the people Hermione thought would be interested in learning how to defend themselves and hear what Harry had to say. But he did not approve of the meeting place Hermione had picked, the Hog's Head Inn. From what Nico could understand, it was a shady place off the main street and not frequented that much by the students of Hogwarts. And as far Nico was concerned, that was the main problem. The more noise the better, as it would be harder for people to eavesdrop on them. And he thought Harry was taking the episode with Filch too lightly. To Nico, it was obvious someone at Hogwarts was interested in the letters Harry might send or receive, most likely Umbridge. He sighed, having turned out on their conversation some time ago. There was nothing they could do about it now.
He was brought out of his musings when Hermione announced they were there and Harry led the way in.
The son of Hades' first impression of the Hog's Head: Dirty, smelled of goat and its clientele were the type of people with shady motives and background like thieves, handlers of stolen goods and other small-time criminals. In other words, it was a paradise and unappreciated source for information… if you had your act and savoir-faire down to the bone, that is. And Nico did. This was just his sort of place for information gathering.
Nico did a quick scan of the room. Big windows that were so dirty that little sunlight streamed in; good, it would lower the risks of Umbridge from seeing them if she happened to walk by. On the downside, that also meant they couldn't see out. The floor was stone, but it was covered in filth. There were only five other people. The bartender and a man at the bar covered in grey bandages that needed to be changed, drinking some steaming drink. Then there were two figures with cloaks, having an animated talk with strong accents and finally, in a dark corner, was a witch covered in veils from top to toe.
"I'm not sure this is such a good idea, Hermione." Harry mumbled, glancing at the witch with all the veils. "Have you considered it easily could be Umbridge underneath all those clothes?"
Nico shook his head, beating Hermione to the punch. "Unlikely. Umbridge isn't that tall. And even it is, there is nothing she can do about us meeting here."
Hermione nodded. "I double- and triple-checked the school rules, and we aren't outside the allowed area. I even asked Flitwick if students were allowed here and he said we are, but he would recommend us to bring our own glasses. I even checked up on all the rules regarding study clubs and all of it is allowed. But that doesn't mean we have to go advertising about it."
"No we don't." Harry added dryly. "Especially because it isn't exactly are reading club you have in mind."
The son of Hades pretty much tuned them out after that. He regarded the barman as he came over. He was a tall and thin old man with long and stringy hair. And behind his dirty lenses, piercing blue eyes gazed right back at Nico, and the son of Hades immediately put up his mental defences. The bartender in turn just raised an eyebrow and asked in a gruff voice.
"What?"
"Four Butterbeers please." Hermione said.
Nico raised an eyebrow an inch. When the bartender's eyes landed on Harry, who had offered to pay, the old man's eyes stopped for the fraction of a second at Harry's scar. The son of Hades tuned out the other teenagers' talk again as he took small sips of the Butterbeer. It was quite good, but Nico would prefer a cold normal beer any day. He smiled behind his flask when Ron remarked that he had always wanted to try Firewhiskey and Hermione's rebuke about Ron being a Prefect. But he thought Ron had point: The bartender most likely would sell them anything.
He looked up when the door into the pub opened, casting a fat ray of daylight across the room, before it was blocked by the flock of people coming in. First entered Neville with Dean, Lavender, Padma, Parvati and Seamus. Then came a lot of people Nico didn't recognize, but he did recognize Cho Chang, the girl Harry obviously had a crush on. Nico raised his eyebrows. It was definitely more than a couple of people, something Harry made clear to Hermione under his breath.
"Hey Nico." The boy in question looked up to see Neville smiling at him. "Mind if I sit?"
Nico just shrugged and took another sip of Butterbeer. "Suit yourself."
Neville just kept smiling and sat down. Once everyone was seated and had something to drink, the meeting began. Nico, for the most part, turned it out, only paying slight attention when Harry's accomplishments were brought up, choosing to focus on the inn's other customers instead. He narrowed his eyes. The mummy man was taking an awful lot of time finishing the drink brought to him when they first got there, and the witch in the corner just sat there. He would eat the Sorting Hat if those two weren't listening in. Not to mention the bartender. This was not the ideal place for having a secret group this large meet, but there was nothing he could do about it now.
"Are you trying to get out of it because you and di Angelo aren't any good at all?"
Nico looked up at that, his eyes settling on a tall boy skinny blond boy with an upturned nose. He had apparently not paid good enough attention to the conversation around him, because it was clear his name had been up a few times when Ron responded angrily.
"You know what you should? You should just shut up!"
The boy's face got red as he protested. "But we are all here because we are interested in learning from the two of them, and now he says he can't do anything. And what about di Angelo? He doesn't even try to back up Potter or defend himself!"
Fred Weasley snarled. "He didn't say that."
At the same time, his brother got up a murderous looking instrument up from his bag from Zonko's. "Shall we clear your ears for you?"
"Or what about any other part of your body? We are not…"
Fred trailed off, cold sweat running down his spine. The room seemed to have grown darker and colder and the air was heavy. It felt life was being squeezed out of his body. Then his heart was gripped with fear. Fear for his life. It felt like if he made a single move, he would die. He looked around. No one of the gathered kids seemed to be faring any better. Some were openly crying, others were looking around wildly, others were gripping their chairs and the table so hard their knuckles turned white.
Harry Potter couldn't breathe. The air was suffocating. He only felt like this when in the presence of Voldemort and Dementors… like he was one inch away from dying. The fear taking hold of him was so intense that he looked around for Voldemort and Dementors, even if he knew it was impossible. He would know if either had entered the pub. He didn't see Voldemort, nor did he see any Dementors. But the witch in the corner had fallen from her chair, while the man in the bandages was steadying himself by the counter. The two figures who had talked with a strong Yorkshire accent had stopped talking and was shifting in their seats, while the bartender looked like he was relieving something painful, but he seemed to be the less affected in the room as he was just staring at their group.
Harry looked at his friends. Most of them had gone deadly pale and shaking while some were crying, Ginny, Cho and Cho's friend to name a few. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the feeling of death and fear subsided, the room regaining its warmth and light again. But the after effects were still there as most of the occupants were still trembling. 'What the…'
Harry's thoughts were cut short by laughter. Someone in the room was laughing. Turning his head, Harry was shocked to see it was Nico. Then he realized that the fear who had taken hold of him, his friends, the other customers and the bartender had been generated by Nico. Their new friend had radiated fear and death so intense that he brought the entire room into silence. Somehow, that scared Harry much more than Nico's control of the shadows and black fire. Then, Nico's laughter subsided to a chuckle before stopping completely. When he spoke, his voice held a cold edge in it.
"Now that I've your attention, let me ask all you a simple question: Do you lot even know how to fight?" A few gave tentative nods, causing Nico to smile. But every one seeing it was reminded of predator stalking its prey; dangerous and deadly "Really? Let me hear. You," he pointed at the boy who had angered the Weasley twins. "Let's hear it then."
Zacharias Smith took a few breaths before speaking, regaining his composure. "My father has taught me how to duel since I was eleven."
Nico refrained from snorting and pointed at a girl. "You, miss Ravenclaw. What can you say about fighting?"
Marietta Edgecombe went rigid before straightening up. "My mother has taken me to several duel championships since I was six. I've seen some of the most skilled duellists and…"
"And most likely, none of them was fighting to kill the other." Nico cut in, his voice cold as ice. "Tell me, have any of you ever been near a duel when a life was on the line?" Silence and nobody nodded this time around, they just stared at him. "Just as I thought. None of you, with the possible exception of Harry, has any idea of what true combat is like. You," he pointed at Marietta, "have only watched duels in a competition held under controlled circumstances, where both participants lived and probably shook hands afterwards as friends or rivals. And you," he said, pointing at Zacharias, "have only trained with your father who has no interest in harming you whatsoever."
Nico shook his head. All of them were now listening with rapt attention. Good, he hated having to repeat himself. His voice was deadly whisper, but it cut through the silent group like a hot knife through butter.
"You want to know the truth about duels and battle? They are horrible. Look to your left and then look to your right. In all likelihood, it is your best friends sitting next to you. The truth of combat is that your friends are dying and screaming all around you, but you can't let your guard down or you will join them. You have to keep fighting and not lose your composure. If you do, you are just as likely to harm your friends as your enemies." He took a deep breath, meeting all of their individually. "I was eleven when I took part in a large scale battle for the first time. So, is there anyone else who wants to tell me they know how to fight and what real combat is like?"
Nobody said anything. How could they? Then, someone clapped. It was low and slow, but it was still there. Nico, confused for a moment, looked around at the gathered students, but it wasn't any of them. But he did notice that Neville had stayed pale, and the other boy's gaze was focused on the door. Before the son of Hades could ask what was wrong, an all too familiar voice spoke from the door, making the Ghost King freeze and stare the doorway, not believing his bad luck.
"Well said, Nico, well said."
00000
If someone had told Remus Lupin how his day would go when he got out of bed that morning, he would have gone to bed again. It was bad enough the full moon was the next day, putting the otherwise easy-going man in a tense mood, so all he had wanted to do that Saturday morning was to enjoy a cup of coffee on a street café in Edinburgh before he had to go back to his cottage to prepare himself for the upcoming transformation. So why was it that he was currently dodging arrows fired by a bunch of trigger-happy pubescent girls? It was not the usual reaction from people their age who figured out he was werewolf, that was for sure. Remus had never hit a girl before, but his mood had gone from bad to worse since he woke up, and them shooting arrows at him was not helping, so he was beginning to consider it. Catching and tossing another arrow away, Remus thought back on just how he got into this situation.
-Flashback start-
Remus sipped his coffee, the Daily Prophet spread out before him, the citizens of Edinburgh slowly awakening from their sleep. He had heard from Sirius about the boy who had appeared on Hogwarts the 1st September, and he was curious about the teenager Harry and the Prophet mentioned. The only thing the two agreed on was the skillset this Nico di Angelo possessed. His friend's son was slightly suspicious and was trying to find out more, but from what Sirius could gather from his last talk with Harry, even if didn't end on good notes, was that Harry and his friends were starting to warm up to Nico. The Daily Prophet, on the other hand, was trying to paint things in the darkest colours. Not that that concerned Remus overly so. As one most people saw as a creature of darkness, he was no stranger to prejudice. He would like to talk with this Nico di Angelo one day. His musing was cut short when someone blocked the sun. Looking up, his gaze settled on two teenage girls who had some sort of glow in their skin.
One was in punk clothes and had short spiky black hair. The other was just as tall as the other girl with blond hair and green eyes and she was wearing a white shirt, silver jacket, silvery camo pants and black combat boots. Perhaps it was just because of the full moon being the next day, or perhaps it was experience or paranoia born from the last war, but Remus did a quick scan of the street, spotting several girls with the same clothes as the second in several places, and all of them were glancing their way every-so-often, making it clear to him that two girls in front of him were the leaders.
Schooling his face into a polite smile, he asked in a calm voice. "Good morning. How can I help you?"
The one with spiky black hair spoke first, a polite smile on her face. "Good morning. May I see your newspaper? I missed the one yesterday."
Raising his eyebrow, Remus handed over his newspaper, keeping an eye on the other girl. She was looking him over with distaste and suspicion. That did not exactly help his mood, so he felt his hand inching to his wand, just in case. He gave the two girls another wary glance. They were definitely not Muggles, or they would have reacted to moving pictures in the newspaper. He frowned slightly. They were old enough to be in Harry's year, so why weren't they in school? He was brought out by his musings when the girl with punk clothes gave him back his newspaper.
"Thank you sir." She turned her head to the other girl. "No mention of Nico or where Hogwarts might be."
Remus was about to ask them a lot of questions like: who they were, their relation to Nico and why they weren't in school, when he rolled off the chair and got back on his feet in one fluid movement… or as fluid as it could be with his bones hurting in anticipation for the next full moon. The other girl had just tried slicing his throat with a knife.
"What the hell Erica?!" The girl with the spiky hair screamed. "Why would you do that?!"
Erica, as the girl apparently was named, glared at him before glancing at the other girl. "You have grown soft and dull, Thalia. He is a lycanthrope!"
The other girl, Thalia, stiffened, then turned to look at him. "Is that true, sir?"
Remus glowered and a small growl escaped his lips. "Yes. But even so, that is no reason to try and kill me on the spot. I've never harmed anyone, much less done anything to you. Now, I've some questions for you: Who are you? Why aren't you in school? Where did that knife come from? And what is your relation to Nico?"
The girl with the tiara opened her mouth to speak, but the other girl cut in. "None of your concern, werewolf! You are prey, we the hunters!"
Another three girls had come running over, all of them with bows. Remus heard people yelling about girl gangs and calling the police, but none of that mattered. This place was too crowded with Muggles to fight, but after the first arrow, which he barely dodged, he realized numbers and place was against him. So he took off in a run down an alley.
-Flashback end.-
"You are mine!"
He looked up, just as the girl named Erica fired an arrow. This one caught him in the left shoulder and he cried out in pain. In the next second, someone grabbed him from behind. Their chase had been on for five minutes, and Remus hadn't drawn his wand at any time… something he was starting to regret. Glancing over his shoulder, he took in appearance of the girl holding him. She was beefy and big, but other than that, he couldn't see much more. Instead, he chose to glare the girl named Thalia who was approaching. He hissed when the girl behind him twisted the arrow.
"What do you want with me?"
Thalia looked at the girl over the shoulder. "That is enough, Phoebe. I think he will talk." Then her electric blue eyes bore into Lupin's. "Who are you?"
Remus just glared. "Remus John Lupin. And I would like to know who you girls are and what you want."
Thalia narrowed her gaze. "My name is Thalia. The one who shut you is Erica, and the one holding you is Phoebe." Her gaze hardened. "As to who we are… you should know by now. We are the Hunters of Artemis. As for what we want: Information. I saw your reactions to when I mentioned Nico and Hogwarts… you obviously know where both are. Tell us, and I promise we will make your passing quick and painless."
Remus stared for a moment, shocked that some girls would talk about killing him. "I have no idea who you girls are or why you would name your gang the Hunters of Artemis. And I honestly don't care." He went silent, his muscles tensing up. "As to where Nico and Hogwarts are… I would have told you if you had just asked politely. But considering how you just attacked me, I won't help you."
The girl, Erica, snarled. "You are in no position to-"
Remus, deciding that enough was enough, made good use of his enhanced strength. Being so close to the full moon, the strength and senses of the wolf was stronger than any other time and for the first time in sixteen years, he made use of it. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Remus grabbed hold of Phoebe and taking advantage of his strength and height, flipped her over his shoulder and into the girl named Erica and both of them tumbled to the ground in a big mass. The girl named Thalia lunged and Remus reacted purely on instinct. His right fist connected with Thalia's face, sending her to the ground. Before any of the girls could regain their bearings, and still ignoring his burning shoulder, Remus Disapparated away from there and appeared at headquarters.
He didn't know why those girls were interested in Nico di Angelo, nor did he care, but he needed to tell Dumbledore of this so he could pass on the warning to Nico.
00000
"Well said, Nico, well said."
Neville couldn't believe it. He had sensed the person shortly after Nico unleashed that wave of fear and death, but surely, their luck couldn't be that rotten for said person to enter the same pub as them. As it would turn out, it was. And one look at Nico told him that shit very well might hit the fan right before their eyes. A feeling that only amplified when Nico spoke.
"Jason… what are you doing here?"
The son of Jupiter raised his hands, doing a quick scan of the room. All the people around Nico was looking at him with a mix of confusion, angst and curiosity. He met their stares head-on, making many of the boys look down and the girls blush. Well, if Reyna was there, she would probably tell the girls to back off, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
"Relax cousin. I did not come in here to fight with you. But I would like to have a little chat with you, alone, if that is okay with you and your friends."
Nico gave a long look at the son of Jupiter before standing and turning his head to look at Neville. "Neville, move."
The other boy instantly complied. He hadn't sensed any of the others, and the other boy, Jason, had said he didn't come to fight, but be that as it might, Neville had no wish to be near should it come to a fight.
Harry frowned. Had Nico's little trick affected Neville that much? And how could this boy claim to be Nico's cousin? They didn't look alike. Then again, neither did him and Dudley. The blonde might have said he didn't come to fight, but he had caused Nico to tense much more than Umbridge or any teacher. So when Nico approached Jason warily, Harry stood. "Nico, do you need any help?"
The son of Hades shook his head, but did give the other boy a small smile. "Thanks Harry, but don't worry, I've got this." Then he turned to Jason. "Shall we?"
Jason nodded. "Just a moment." Then he walked over to the bartender and spoke in a low voice. "A bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, please. No questions asked." The bartender raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything when Jason showed him several nuggets of gold, and pulled up a bottle of red-golden liquid that he gave to Jason who put it in his cloak. "Thank you." He walked back to Nico. "Let's go. I think the three redheaded boys saw and I think they might catch flies if they don't close their mouths."
Nico nodded and as they left, he heard Ron say. "Bloody hell. He just bought a bottle of Firewhiskey! I told you Hermione…"
He didn't hear the rest of or Hermione's response as Jason closed the door behind him. Nico glanced at the older boy as they walked back towards the main street of Hogsmeade, still wary. "Okay Jason, the obvious question first: Where has the rest of your team set up the ambush?"
Jason glanced at Nico before running a hand through his hair. "They are still in the forest where we fought." He sat down outside a shop and pulled out the bottle and two glasses that he instantly filled. Then he pushed one towards Nico, gesturing that the son of Hades should take a teat which he did hesitantly. "Marcus has made a full recovery and is itching for a rematch while Mariana is tending to Frank who is down with flu."
Nico took his glass and took a sip of the drink, filling his body with warmth and courage. A bit bitter perhaps, but it was quite good. He took a gulp before looking at the boy across from him. "I see. But I doubt that is the reason you are here, Jason, to tell me how your team is doing. Why are you here?"
Jason took a swallow of alcoholic beverage. "To tell you the truth? Looking for an apartment or two." He smiled ruefully at the disbelieving look his cousin shot him. "What? You didn't think we would stay camped in forest once winter come, did you? I would have thought you smarter than that. Speaking of which, seems like quite a rookie mistake on your part to pick that kind of place to meet if you people to stay ignorant of whatever you and the others are up to."
Nico stared, then he snorted. "Not only do you want some place warm to stay during the winter, but you also want somewhere your reinforcements can stay for when you choose to make another attempt at taking me captive." He took one look at the older boy's face and knew he had guessed the reason. "And I didn't pick the place, one of the girls did. Believe me, I would have picked a more frequented place to meet. Not that this street is much better."
Jason shrugged. "True enough. But I figured you would be more likely to follow me here than down some dark alley. Besides, considering all those kids looking at you, I would guess you are their source of envy and can now be considered one of the 'cool kids' Besides, if anyone ask, I will just tell them that you are with me." He sighed, took another sip, and then continued. "So… a world filled with people calling themselves witches and wizards, huh? Wouldn't have believed it if we weren't sitting in the middle of it." He emptied his glass, then poured himself another one. "Tell me, Nico, did you know of this world beforehand? After all, wouldn't be the first time you kept something from Camp Jupiter, now would it?"
Nico sighed, then downed his own drink and he too poured himself another one. "I didn't. I wouldn't be here if someone from Camp Half-Blood didn't attack me and a hellhound didn't try to chase me while I tried shadow-travelling." He frowned at the older boy. "Who told you about the Wizarding world?"
Jason just chuckled and his hand disappeared in his cloak, causing Nico to tense up, but instead of his coin, Jason threw an example of the Daily Prophet in front of him. "Newspapers with moving photos are weird, even by a demigod's standard. You caused quite the uproar with your appearance at this Hogwarts, which I guess the castle we saw that night, is called, in the beginning of September." He looked at him. "I thought you might want to know, but Camp Jupiter is done searching through New York City and a have clue on to where this Camp Half-Blood is located. They know that someone that isn't a monster is watching them." He took a sip of his Firewhiskey. "Wouldn't happen to know who they might be, would you?"
Nico looked long and hard, then he let out a sigh. "I have an idea, but I can't say for sure. But I can tell you this much: I didn't alert them to the Legion's presence. I cut my ties with Camp Half-Blood after their attack on me and after you showed me those weapons that night. They are just as much my enemy as I'm an enemy to Camp Jupiter. I have my own score to settle with some of the Greeks, but once I've had my justice, I won't come near them again. What the Camps decide do to each other is no longer my concern."
Jason sighed and took another drink. "I figured that was the case. But tell me this: All of these witches and wizards: Are they descendants of Trivia or blessed by her?"
Nico shook his head. "No. According to my sources, the wizards and witches have existed alongside demigods for millennia. A guess could be that the wizards are a result of a genetic mutation, but I haven't looked further into it. And before you ask: My sources are the ghosts of the castle." Then he frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Jason shook his head. "Because Camp Jupiter is now aware of their existence and is considering them a threat." His gaze darkened. "Nico, you know how the Romans back in the day dealt with the ones they saw as threats and enemies. We will attack the Greeks and perhaps even those wizards and witches. So whether you fight for the Greeks, yourself or the wizards, battle will find you. It would be wiser to surrender now."
Nico gave him a long look, then he shook his head. "I already gave you my answer to that, Jason. I do not fear the Romans. As I said, numbers won't matter against me. And I don't think the Romans have anything to fear from most of the wizards. They are blissfully ignorant of our existence. But let me tell you this: Declaring war against the wizards would be foolish. They vastly outnumber you and most of them are more powerful than your average half-blood. That combined with their mid- and long-range fighting style make them about the worst opponent for you to face." He took another drink, his gaze hardening. "Since you have been honest with me, and since I'm no longer trying to keep the camps apart, I don't see any point in hiding this from you: Your sister, Thalia Grace, is alive."
Jason sat there, shell-shocked. But then he got out of his stupor and grabbed Nico by the front of his cloak. "How dare you… how dare you mention my sister in front of me?! I have searched everywhere for her! If you have known where she was all this time, why didn't you tell me?! Even if you were trying to stop a war, what gave you the right to keep my sister from me?!"
Nico raised an eyebrow at the praetor's outburst, then slowly took of the older boy's wrist and started prying his hands off. "I didn't tell you for several reasons. As you pointed out, I was trying to prevent a war. But I was also trying to protect the both of you. If I told either of you the other was alive, but was a child of the other form of the same god, you would go on rampage trying to find each other, thus leading the camps together. Not only that, but in the Romans case, you would be branded as an outcast for being in family with a Greek demigod."
He sighed, eyes locked with Jason's. "You are not like me, Jason. Camp Jupiter is all you have known. You wouldn't have survived on your own as you wouldn't have a place to go." He let out weary sigh. "And there is a simple reason I haven't told you where you can find her: Because I don't know where she is. Jason, Thalia joined the Hunters of Artemis five years ago and is now the lieutenant of Artemis, her right hand so to speak. They travel all the around the States and the world. You don't find them, they find you. And most of the time, that is only a coincidence."
Jason glared for a few moments, but when Nico mentioned the Hunters of Artemis, his eyes widened in shock. "The Hunters of Artemis… but that means…"
Nico nodded and took a drink, almost emptying his glass. His voice was cold, but he controlled his anger bubbling beneath the surface "Yes. In all likelihood, Thalia was there to attack my sister Hazel that night. Hazel was your friend, Jason. Now tell me… knowing your sister attacked your friend, will you be able to let justice be done?"
Jason leaned in and snarled. "If you as much as touch my sister…"
Nico cut him off and stood, downing the rest of his drink. "She will have brought it upon herself." He looked down at Jason. "Thalia once saved my life, but I repaid that debt some time ago. But out of respect for you, I will tell you this: Camp Half-Blood is likely to have tracked me to Britain by now, and they are likely to have enlisted the aid of the Hunters of Artemis; pray to your father that you encounter them before I do. But if not, I promise I will at least take your love for your sister into consideration before I will deal out justice as I see fit."
Before Jason could open his mouth to say anything more, Nico vanished into the shadows, taking the Firewhiskey with him. The son of Jupiter couldn't really believe what he had heard: His sister was alive, but was most likely one of those who attacked Hazel. He was in quite in the dilemma now. One part of him wanted to protect his sister with every fibre of his being, but another knew that Frank wouldn't let this slide. Jason sighed. Reyna would throw a fit if she knew he had been drinking, but right now, a drink, or ten, was what he needed right now. He would be nursing a hangover tomorrow, but he didn't care about that. He cared about his sister, but he also cared about Hazel. He needed to find a solution that everybody would accept without any killing. The praetor stood and left his seat, cursing Nico di Angelo for having put him in this situation.
End chapter 9.
AN: Strange… started writing on this chapter to try and get some flow in my other story, but seems I focused on this one instead. Oh well. I've decided on what girl I want Nico to date for some months (story time) and it will be revealed in next chapter. And no, it won't be Piper, you all have my word on that.
Oh, and to answer why that little bit with Fawkes and Sorting Hat. I think it was Ron who once remarked what the Hat possibly could be doing all year long, so I decided to play around a bit, just for fun.
Time for the anonymous reviews:
AMAZING 5/19/13 . chapter 8
what will happen when camp half blood finds Nico!? I have a suggestion for you story;
maybe Percy should first find Nico, because he's looking for him separately, or something.
I love your story!
Response: Thanks for the compliment and the suggestion. I've however already decided on when and how Percy and co are going to find Nico. But thanks for the suggestion
Bos primigenius 5/13/13 . chapter 8
This story is the one of the best I have read so far. Could you please update faster I cant wait for the next chapter.
Response: Thank you for the praise. But I'm afraid I can't do anything about the rate/pace of my updating.
PLEASE UPDATE 5/2/13 . chapter 8
PLEASE UPDATE!
OR I WILL GET NICO TO CHASE YOU AROUND WITH HIS STAFF!
AND I WILL TELL CAMP JUPITER THAT YOU KILLED HAZEL!
Response: Well, technically, they already know I had Hazel attacked. But she isn't dead… yet.
Random Person 4/22/13 . chapter 8
Haaaaaaaahhh! This story is soooo freakin' awesome...! Please update soon!
And so, the plot thickens where thalia discovered and about to search hogwarts where nico is staying and is also about to inform percy and the others... Hmmmmm hmmmmmmm...
And now: Must. Be. Patient. To. Wait. For. Next. Freakin'. Chapter...
Response: Thank you for the praise. I hope this chapter was enough to satisfy your thirst, because I don't know when I will update again.
AlysSa 4/10/13 . chapter 8
Great Chapter! I agree with you that Seamus should have not been so eager to turn against Harry. I absolutely LOVED Nico and Umbridge's interaction and Madam Pomfrey's declaration. I think you are an AWESOME Author!
Response: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed that little scene in the hospital wing and approved of me having Seamus see some sense. And thanks for the praise.
Ame Deri-chan 4/8/13 . chapter 8
Sry, i couldnt log in
Can u explain wat happened to hazel to me? Was she being attacked and tot that HOA was enemy so hazel attacked the HOA? Why was annabeth there? Who threw the greek fire? Erica, one of the HOA or the unknown enemy?
Im sorry for the questions...i just wanna double check im reading everything correctly:) but ur a really gd writer and ur plot is really nice:) pls continue ur gd work:)
Again sorry for being so...er, you know wat...
Im hungry...
Response: Tried getting this to your inbox, but will put it here as well.
What happened was that Hazel was out on the Field of Mars, waiting (at least so she claims) for Frank to arrive. There, she spotted Annabeth and her team, and not recognizing them, called them, demanding that they tell her who they were and their reason for being there. Annabeth and her team tried manipulating her with the Mist, mistaking her for a normal mortal. That didn't work, and then Annabeth and her team tried knocking her unconscious, but that didn't work out either. It came to a fight, where Hazel at some point got a sword from one on Annabeth's team. Then she was about to drop a huge and heavy piece of rock on Annabeth, prompting Thalia to fire at Hazel, alerting her to the HOA's presence. From there, it became HOA + Annabeth's team vs. Hazel. The fight ended when Annabeth put on her cap and managed to stab Hazel. But then someone from Annabeth's team threw a pouch with Greek fire.
Hope that cleared it up for you. And don't worry about asking questions. :) If you still don't understand, please let me know, and I will try again :)
I'm glad you are enjoying the story.
Yours sincerely,
Lightningscar
Alpha33 chapter 8, 4/7/13
Response: Damn, that was quite a round you gave me there. Next time (assuming you keep reading and reviewing), please log in. Makes it much easier to respond to you. But to address a few of your main concerns.
I've already decided on a pairing that will be revealed in next chapter.
I have already decided on a weapon as well and I can't say it won't be dual swords for the reason that it takes a long time to master to fight effectively with them. I won't reveal too much about it, but it will be somewhat of a multi-weapon, kinda like those multi-tools with knives, screwdrivers and stuff like that in the sense that it will be three weapons in one form that Nico can choose and change between as he masters it.
If you need to flame me because you don't approve of my decisions on pairing or choice of weaponry, feel free to do so. I will use them to roast my food over.
Yours sincerely,
Lightningscar.
Reviewer 4/7/13 . chapter 8
I'm very glad you updated. I have been checking every two days for a new update - as you can see, I kinda got obsessed with your story xD. That aside, I think this is one of the best HP/PJO crossovers simply because it is so realistically written, something I really appreciate. Most crossovers just wind up being more or less ridiculous either in details or in narration. I love all the hints you've been dropping - it builds up more believability. And I loved that bit about Poppy remarking she would have recognized the difference between a dog bite and a dragon bite - it just proves that the members of staff weren't the oblivious fools they ended up being in canon, something that infuriated me to no end. For the same reason, I'm relieved it turned out that Dumbledore doesn't know about the existence of gods. In most crossovers, he acts as some sort of deux ex machina - providing cover for the kids, being acquaintances with Chiron and such, and so I would really like to see him having to figure out Nico for himself, for a change. Though, I admit I'm a bit curious as to if Nico really speaks Parseltongue. Oh well, I guess I just have to wait xD. And of course, I look forward to everyone's reactions when the mystery unravels!
Anyway, sorry for a long review - I couldn't contain myself - and for any grammar mistakes, as English is not my first language. I know I shouldn't beg writers to hurry up with their updates... even though I'm literally dying for a new one :D. All I'll say is, I hope this story will be completed, and keep goin'! *thumbs up*
Response: Thank you for the reviews. But please, no begging. It makes me feel uncomfortable. But if you have been checking every two days, I would suggest you get an account. It is for free, and it makes it much easier to leave a review and get a response.
But I'm glad you are enjoying my story so much and that you approved of me having Poppy give that remark. Like you, it always infuriated me that Rowling made the Hogwarts staff look like complete fools. Most of the teachers and staff have worked there for decades and must have seen and heard thousands of injuries, excuses and explanations. So how on Earth could Harry and friends get around with some of the stunts they pulled?
Heh, you mentioned that scene with Poppy. In the book, I didn't know what the worst was: The lame explanation Ron gave or that Poppy seemly bought it.
As for Dumbledore not knowing of demigods: Yeah, that was basically just me changing my mind.
Once again, thank you for review and the compliments. Hope this satisfied your thirst a bit.
Yours sincerely,
Lightningscar
