A/N: Warning, this chapter contains some rather dark flashbacks.
The train was rapidly filling up now. Soon, Neville came to Nico and Hermione's compartment. "Hello. How was…" He trailed off, giving Nico a worried look. "I was going to say 'how was your summer', but just by looking at you I can guess the answer is 'horrible'."
"Sounds about right," Nico agreed. "Having a pretty good morning so far, though."
"Well that's good." Neville stowed his trunk and turned to Hermione. "You?"
"Pretty good. Took a long vacation to France. They have some very interesting history of witchcraft, and I ended up rewriting my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I learned. I hope it's not too long, it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for."
Nico rolled his eyes and turned to Neville. "Can you believe I had to talk her out of taking all the electives at once?"
Neville snorted. "Yeah, I can believe it."
Someone knocked on the open door of their compartment. "May I join you?" Luna asked brightly.
"Sure," Nico said with a shrug.
Luna stowed her trunk and sat down. "You look terrible, Nico, when did you last drain a life force?"
Neville and Hermione both stared at her. "Drain a life force?" Neville said blankly.
"Inside joke," Nico muttered. "I'm fine, really." The train began moving.
Luna eyed him critically. "How long has it been since you last returned from the Land of the Dead?"
Nico blinked, then shrugged. "Over two months."
Hermione leaned over to whisper to Nico. "She knows?!"
"No, she thinks I'm a very strange kind of ghost and I saw little point in trying to convince her otherwise," Nico whispered back.
Neville gave Nico a thoughtful look. "You do look kinda like you took a trip through the Land of the Dead."
At that moment, Ginny flounced into the compartment and sat by Luna. "May I sit here, or are you going to tell me to go away too?"
"Uh…by all means, sit here," Neville said, sounding slightly confused.
"Thank you. Apparently, Harry and Ron have private boy things to discuss," Ginny grumbled. Nico made a funny face at that.
"How was Egypt?" Neville asked.
"Egypt?" Nico repeated, confused.
"You haven't seen the Prophet?" Neville said, surprised. "The Weasleys won the Grand Prize Galleon Draw and took a trip to Egypt."
"My brother Bill works as a curse-breaker for Gringotts there," Ginny explained. "The ancient Egyptians put all sorts of curses on their tombs to protect their treasure. Mum wouldn't even let me in some of the tombs. Ron said there were mutant skeletons with extra heads and things like that."
"Interesting." Nico wondered what it would be like to raise legions of two-headed skeletons to fight for him. A voice in his head that sounded very much like Will told him not to try it.
Hermione started. "Wait, Nico, did I ever tell you about Sirius Black?"
"No?"
"Oh boy," Neville muttered. "How much do you know about Black?"
"Absolutely nothing. Never heard of him."
"He was You-Know-Who's right-hand man. The day after You-Know-Who disappeared, another wizard cornered Black in the street, and Black blew him up. The wizard, and twelve nearby Muggles."
Hermione shuddered. "Thirteen people with one curse."
"Ah." That wasn't exactly the most disturbing story Nico had ever heard, but he supposed he ought to react somehow. "If that was back when You-Know-Who first disappeared, why is it a big deal now?"
"Because Black broke out of Azkaban," Ginny explained, looking slightly unnerved. "He's the first person ever to break out, and no one knows how he did it. It's been a month now, and they still haven't caught him. Dad's been pulled off his regular job at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office to help with the search."
"They even warned the Muggles about him," Neville added.
"Father thinks Black is innocent," Luna said suddenly.
Three heads turned to gape at her. "What?" Hermione said succinctly.
"He was the first Black in centuries not to be sorted into Slytherin," Luna continued. "Why would he be You-Know-Who's right-hand man?"
"Luna, there were witnesses," Ginny said flatly.
"Hallucinations," Luna said blandly.
"People don't always see what they think they see," Nico mused.
"Tell that to the families of the thirteen people," Neville grumbled. "I heard that the wizard was an old school friend of Black's. Didn't even make him hesitate."
Nico shrugged. It still wasn't the worst story he'd ever heard.
"Oh my goodness, Crookshanks!" Hermione said suddenly. She stood up and undid the straps on Crookshanks' basket. "You poor thing, I didn't mean to keep you cooped up so long."
Crookshanks purred at her, then narrowed his eyes at Nico and Vescia. Vescia bounded over to sniff him, eliciting a hiss from Crookshanks.
"Crookshanks, be nice," Hermione scolded.
Vescia cocked her head and meowed. Crookshanks growled.
"Uh…shouldn't we separate them before there's a cat fight?" Ginny said nervously.
Nico shrugged. "Eh. Vescia's pretty much indestructible, and if she hasn't attacked Crookshanks already, she's not going to hurt him."
As if to prove his point, Vescia licked Crookshanks' cheek. Crookshanks leaped away and clung to Luna, staring at Vescia.
"Aren't you a handsome fellow," Luna cooed, petting Crookshanks.
Crookshanks settled down somewhat, still looking disconcerted. Vescia whined, apparently disappointed that Crookshanks wouldn't make friends with her.
Conversation continued, occasionally punctuated with laughter at Vescia's attempts to befriend Crookshanks. After the witch with the sweet cart stopped by, rain began to fall. It grew heavier as the afternoon wore on, until it was nearly impossible for anyone but Nico to see out the window.
Eventually, conversation turned to Hogsmeade village. "So, are you guys excited to visit Hogsmeade this year?" Neville asked Hermione and Nico.
"We get to visit Hogsmeade this year?" Nico said, surprised.
Neville stared at him, then shook his head. "Don't you get any mail over the summer?"
"There was something else with my booklist, but I didn't really look at it," Nico admitted.
"Third years and up can visit Hogsmeade village on select weekends," Hermione explained. "That is, if a parent or guardian signs your permission slip. I, uh…don't suppose you got permission."
"Never asked. I suppose I could try asking Chi—er, the camp director. He's about the closest thing I have to a legal guardian." Nico opened his trunk and dug through it. Then he pulled out a piece of parchment, and his face went slack.
"Something wrong?" Ginny asked, concerned.
"My…my dad signed this," Nico said, stunned. "What…when…why…huh?!"
"Why are you so surprised?" Luna asked curiously. "Doesn't your father love you?"
Nico sat back down again. "We have a very complicated relationship…"
Neville frowned. "Clearly, if he's not your legal guardian."
"I hope Dumbledore doesn't actually look at these," Nico muttered under his breath. He didn't fancy explaining why his form was signed by 'Hades' in Ancient Greek. His father had said he wanted Nico to be happy, but Nico had never expected him to make any effort to actually help with that.
At that moment, the train began slowing down. Hermione frowned and checked her watch. "We can't be there yet."
"So why're we stopping?" Neville wondered.
"Maybe we hit a nest of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks," Luna suggested.
"I don't think so, somehow," Hermione grumbled. She stood up and opened the door to look into the corridor. At that moment, the train jolted to a stop. Luna's trunk fell off the rack and nearly hit Neville on the head. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out, plunging the train into total darkness.
"What's happening?" Ginny asked, sounding frightened.
"Maybe we've broken down?" Neville suggested.
"Nico, are you doing this?" Hermione whispered.
"No," Nico whispered back. "At least, I don't think so…oh no." He pressed his face to the window. "Oh no, there are creatures coming on board…"
"Creatures?" Ginny repeated in a high-pitched voice.
"Should have realized the train wasn't safe," Nico muttered. He stood up and headed to the door.
"Where are you going?" Neville hissed.
"They're probably coming for me," Nico replied.
Luna tugged him back into his seat. "So don't go looking for them! Stay where we can protect you!"
"I'm trying to protect you!"
"By sacrificing yourself?" Ginny said, sounding hurt. "Please don't. Besides, what makes you so sure they're coming for you?"
"Monsters usually do…"
Nico trailed off as the door slid open. A cloaked figure hovered in the doorway, its face completely hidden underneath its hood. The only part of the creature that was visible was its hand—a glistening, grayish, dead-looking appendage that would not have been out of place among the security ghouls of Erebus.
Moments later, the hand retracted into the folds of the black cloak. The creature drew a long, slow, rattling breath that sucked the warmth from the room. For a moment, Hermione faintly heard a taunt from one of her old Muggle classmates, but then another voice replaced it. A young, American, and very familiar voice…
"You promised you would protect her," Nico said stiffly.
"Nico," an older boy said, sounding upset. "I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But she—"
"You promised!" Nico shouted. His voice broke. "I shouldn't have trusted you. You lied to me. My nightmares were right!"
"Wait. What nightmares?"
"I hate you!"
"She might be alive," the other boy said desperately. "I don't know for sure—"
"She's dead." Nico spoke with a finality born of utter certainty.
A silver light came rushing down the corridor and pushed the creature away, ending the voices from the past. Moments later, a tired-looking man appeared in the doorway, holding a handful of flames. "Is everyone all right?"
"I-I think so," Neville stammered. "What was that?"
"A dementor," the man answered. "One of the guards of Azkaban. It was searching the train for Sirius Black."
"So, not looking for Nico…oh no." Luna trailed off as the lights came back on to reveal Nico lying on the floor, unconscious. Despite the bright light overhead, he seemed to be enveloped in shadows.
"Did anyone else hear that?" Ginny asked uncertainly. "Those…those voices?"
"Dementors force us to relive our worst memories," the man said gently, shooting a worried look at Nico.
Ginny shook her head. "But that wasn't my memory. That…that was Nico's."
Neville nodded. "I heard it too."
"And me," Luna chimed in.
"All of us," Hermione said worriedly. "Is that…is that normal?"
The man frowned. "No, it is not. I have never heard of dementors forcing people to relive the memories of the people around them."
"Bianca…that was his sister's name, wasn't it?" Neville mused.
"Yes," Hermione confirmed, kneeling at Nico's side. She tried to shake him awake, but found herself plunged into another memory instead.
"I—I wasn't in love with Annabeth," Nico admitted, the confession tearing something deep within him.
"You were jealous of her," Jason stated. "That's why you didn't want to be around her. Especially why you didn't want to be around…him. It makes total sense."
Nico finally let the skeletons crumble, knowing they could not fight this battle for him. "I hated myself. I hated Percy Jackson."
Cupid became visible—a harsh-looking man whose red eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"I had a crush on Percy," Nico spat. "That's the truth. That's the big secret." He glared at Cupid. "Happy now?"
Hermione jerked back to the train, shaken. Even after what had happened that morning, she felt as if she'd just intruded on something very private.
"Did…did you guys see that?" Neville asked uncertainly.
Hermione froze. Had Nico's secret just been revealed to the entire compartment?
"I knew he should have drained some life forces," Luna said worriedly. "He's losing his physical form."
Oh. Hermione looked back at Nico and suddenly registered that her hand had passed right through him. She could faintly see the floor underneath him.
The man was staring at Nico. "I…I have never heard of this happening. Ever."
"He's fading," Hermione realized. "Will warned me about this." She stood up and accidentally nudged Nico with her foot.
Nico came to again, now down to one pomegranate seed. One more day, and then there would be nothing to stop him from suffocating. He reached for his sword to scratch another mark on the inside of the jar, then realized his sword was missing. Where had it gone?
Nothing he could do about that now. He forced himself to pop the last seed in his mouth. It tasted sour, just like the others. He wondered if it was really worth the trouble. How would anyone find him, if Hazel couldn't track his sword? It would be quicker just to die now…
But he couldn't afford to do that. He had to tell someone about the Doors. He had to hold on for as long as possible.
He wondered if it would hurt. Out of all the ways he'd imagined dying, suffocation had never made the list.
Hermione jerked back to the present, swallowing. "Right. Nobody touch him, understand? I've got something that might help…"
The others watched in what seemed to be horrified fascination as Hermione dug through her trunk for the bottle of Gatorade. Once she'd retrieved it, she sat at Nico's side and opened the bottle. Try as she might, no amount of nudging with the bottle would get him to open his mouth. She reluctantly steeled herself and tried to use her hand to force it open; luckily, it worked.
"Why…why don't you just kill me?" Nico asked hoarsely, trying to ignore the ropes digging into his arms and the heartbeat of Tartarus under his feet.
The giant smirked. "Now, that would be too easy. You're on your third incarnation, did you know that? Can't have you going to the Isles of the Blessed before Alcyoneus has a chance to make his modifications."
Nico had no idea whether he had really been reborn twice. He decided not to dwell on that. "Hazel will defeat Alcyoneus."
"Oh, I doubt that, boy. He's had many years to plot his vengeance against your wayward sister. He has devised so many exquisite tortures for her…perhaps we'll make you watch. And your father too, of course. He can deny it to the other gods, but I think we both know he arranged for you to bring Hazel back to the mortal world." The giant tutted. "Naughty, naughty, Hades. Defying your own laws. The three of you will be the first souls condemned to the new Fields of Punishment."
"All I did was give Hazel a second chance," Nico rasped defiantly. "It's not like we chained Thanatos and forced open the Doors of Death."
The giant shook his head. "You know the rules, child of Hades. You will pay dearly for your crime. After all, our armies need entertainment while they await their chance to go through the Doors. And after that…well, your other friends will require bait. You can get them all killed. Won't that be fun?"
Nico glared at the giant, hoping to kill him with pure hatred. Sadly, it didn't work.
The giant suddenly clapped his hands. "I have an idea!" he said, sounding delighted. "Let's build his prison in the Cocytus!"
Nico suddenly found himself hauled to his feet and then tossed into a river of glittering black liquid. Hopelessness flooded through him. He couldn't breathe, but that hardly seemed to matter. Why should he bother getting air? It would just mean he'd live longer so the giants could devise new ways to torment him. Better to end it now…
Something hauled him upright so that his face was out of the water. Against his will, he took in great gulps of air. Even the sweet escape of drowning was not permitted him. He was doomed to an eternity of suffering…
Hermione finally snapped out of it. Nico seemed to be fully solid again; she could no longer see the floor underneath him. She capped the bottle of Gatorade and just barely had time to turn away before she vomited.
A/N: Just in case anyone's wondering why the dementors made Nico start fading...their powers are extraordinarily similar to Nico's. They suck all the light and warmth out of the area, just like Nico does when he's upset. For Nico, being around a dementor is rather similar to suffering an overload of his own power.