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Summer: I'm glad that you liked it! This chapter is officially the last one for this book! Also don't jinx it last time someone told me that I update really fast, I couldn't update for over a month. Funny how that works. I'm glad that it didn't come off as weird as I thought it did! But you're right, considering the crazy stuff that happens in those three universes, anything could happen. I just find Quirrell super annoying and Voldemort probably wouldn't tolerate his annoying-ness for long either. The only reason he didn't abandon him right away was because he needed a vessel. And I can't believe that I didn't think of that! The cookies thing is pure genius! Voldemort's soul isn't completely gone, I'll tell you that much. Don't worry, it'll make a lot more sense as the story progresses. It won't be too different, but there will be a few changes. This story was mainly in the HP universe since nothing very important is happening in the PJO universe right now, and the Artemis Fowl books only begin once Artemis turns twelve. The rest of the books in this series will have a LOT more involvement from the other two universes. Hopefully this chapter is a worthy conclusion! That being said, thank you once again for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Dumbledore's eyes swept the room frantically before focusing on Nico and Harry.

He rushed over frantically.

"What happened to Harry?" he asked frantically.

Nico shrugged and tried not to look too laid back, "One minute he was turning Professor Quirrell to ashes, and then the next minute, BOOM, he's unconscious." he explained, making an explosion gesture with his hands.

"And you let him?"

"Hey, I wasn't going to get in the way of an epic battle between Potter and his worst enemy."

Dumbledore frowned, " I see." he said, his voice dripping with disappointment, "We'll have to talk about that unconcerned attitude of yours later, but for now, I want you to head to the hospital wing. I'll come along with Harry in a moment."

Nico's brain focused on the words 'hospital wing', "Wait, hospital wing? Like an infirmary? Nuh-uh, no way. I'm perfectly fine! I am not going to another infirmary." Nico hadn't exactly had the best experiences with infirmaries, and tended to avoid them, especially after the last time he had visited the Camp Half-Blood Infirmary upon the insistence of an incredibly stubborn boy from the Apollo Cabin, whose name he couldn't quite remember.

Dumbledore gave him an odd look, "Mr. di Angelo, there is a ginormous cut on you forehead."

Nico instinctively raised his hand and touched his forehead. When he removed his hand, he realized that his fingers were covered with bright red blood.

"Huh. Well, what do you know? I hadn't even noticed that until now." Noticing the disbelieving look Dumbledore was sending his way, he added hastily, "Must have been adrenaline, or something."

Dumbledore nodded, still regarding him with suspicion, "Well my boy, you had best be on your way to get that checked out. Off you pop!"

"Uh.. how? The exit is blocked, remember?"

Dumbledore thought about that for a minute, "It is, isn't it? Well then, grab on." he said, extending his arm.

Nico reluctantly grabbed on to Dumbledore's arm and watched warily as Dumbledore attempted to grab on to Harry without dropping his wand. He'd much rather shadow-travel back, but he could tell that the headmaster already regarded him with more that a little suspicion, and the least he could do was make sure that it didn't get worse.

Dumbledore swished his wand and twirled on the spot, before disappearing with a 'pop!' and taking the two boys with him.

****Line Break****

If someone asked him to rate Dumbledore Teleportation™, he would give it a 3/10. Sure, it got the job done, but it felt like you were spinning around and around and made you feel like you were being spaghettified. Nico wondered if this was what other people felt like when he shadow-travelled. To him, shadow-travelling was peaceful and familiar, even if it was a bit tiring. It definitely did not make him want to puke his guts out. Yep, he'd choose shadow-travelling over whatever weird teleportation thing Dumbledore did any day.

"What. was . that?" He gasped, doubling over as he felt solid ground under his feet again.

"Apparating" Dumbledore answered calmly as he straightened up, calling for Madam Pomfrey.

"Poppy! I've got two more children here who require your assistance."

A bustling woman with a strict expression and graying woman appeared from behind a privacy screen from another one of the beds.

"Albus!" she cried, "Two more? Why are there so many injured children today? Did you know that I've already had four children come to me with a broken leg and a concussion?" she shrieked.

Dumbledore chuckled, "As a matter of fact, I do. I sent them here as well. I have two more patients here who require your immediate attention, so if you don't mind..."

Madam Pomfrey seemed to finally notice the two boys.

Nico waved meekly, "Hi again Madam Pomfrey."

"Mr. di Angelo," she said, crossing her arms, " You again? I thought I told you that I didn't want to see you here again for a long time! And yet, here you are again."

Nico smiled meekly, "I didn't want to be here, believe me."

She snorted, "That, I can believe." she said, dragging him over to a bed while flicking here wand and levitating Harry onto another bed a bit further away.

Nico remained silent as Madam Pomfrey treated the cut, which was taking a very long time, since his body didn't seem to react to magical remedies.

"Now, you need to get some much needed sleep young man." she ordered, "When was the last time you got a good night's rest?"

"Uh..."

"Hmm." she gave him a disapproving glare, "Hopefully sleeping draughts work on you."

"Wait, what?"

"Open wide."

Nico felt himself open his mouth and gulp down the 'sleeping draught' without protest, which was unlike him. Maybe doctors possessed a special branch of magic that made their patients do whatever they were told without complaint.

He barely heard what Madam Pomfrey said next as his vision gradually faded to black, his eyelids heavy.

Finally. Sleep.

****Line Break****

"But Professor!" Harry exclaimed, waving his arms wildly, "It's true!"

"I trust you completely Harry," Dumbledore assured, "But are you absolutely sure that Nico di Angelo started insulting Lord Voldemort, refused to join him, 'sassed him' as you call it, and then punched him in the nose and absorbed his face with a mysterious black sword?"

"Yes!" Harry said in exasperation, "That's the fifth time I've had to confirm it!"

"Yes," Dumbledore said absent-mindedly, "Perhaps it's about time I pay Mr. di Angelo a visit. Enjoy the rest of your time in the hospital wing Harry."

And Harry was left staring at the retreating figure of Professor Dumbledore.

****Line Break****

When Nico woke up, the first thing he saw was a book floating above his face.

He also realized that he couldn't read the title, meaning that either his contact lens had been removed, or they had been damaged.

"Whaaat?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Artemis' face came into view.

"Hello there." he said calmly, "It appears that you are awake."

"You don't say." he said, rolling his eyes stiffly, "Help me sit up."

Once Nico was sitting up right again, he felt a lot more alert than he had been a minute ago.

"So," he began, stretching his stiff arms and legs, "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Three days." Artemis said calmly, not even looking up from his book.

Nico choked on his own spit, "What?"

"You heard me. You've been out for three whole days."

"No, not that." Nico dismissed, "I've passed out for longer periods of time before. What I meant was, you've been sitting in that chair for three whole days?"

"Well not in this chair specifically," he said, "I've been sitting in a lot chairs over the past few days. I spent a while with Draco, Hermione and, well... not really much time with Weasley, but you get the idea. They all had to leave about two days ago, no matter how much Draco tried to convince Madam Pomfrey that his leg was still injured."

"Then how are you still here? You were barely even injured at all!"

"I convinced the headmaster to let me catch up on the classes I'm missing from here, because we all know that I have absolutely no need for them." he said, sounding rather proud of himself, "He couldn't argue with that. Speaking of the headmaster, he'll probably want to interrogate you about what happened. He's interrogating Potter right now. Okay, I've got a cover story ready so just follow my lead and-"

Before Artemis could finish giving Nico his instructions, the devil himself, Professor Albus Dumbledore decided to barge in.

"Awake, are we Nico?" he asked cheerfully, immediately putting Nico on guard. Teachers using your first name while talking to you was never a good omen.

"Kind of obvious, isn't it?"

Dumbledore chuckled good-naturedly, "Yes, yes, of course. Now, would you mind telling me your version of what happened when you and Harry were fighting against Quirrell?"

"You mean, when Harry was fighting Quirrell." Nico corrected automatically, remembering his cover story from that night, "I was just watching."

"That's what I assumed as well, before-"

"Oh, so it really was Quirrell then? Of course, was there ever really a doubt?" Artemis asked, looking up from his book, appearing mildly interested, but Nico was willing to bet that Artemis was placing his full focus on their conversation.

Dumbledore shot Artemis an annoyed glance, "Mr. Fowl, this is a private conversation between me and Mr. di Angelo. Perhaps it would be best if you leave."

"No!" Nico said quickly, "Artemis can stay, this probably won't take long anyway. Besides, I need someone to keep me company." Artemis had said that he had a plan, and any plan would be better than his plan, which was basically to bluff his way out of this.

"Quite right," Artemis agreed, "I'll just be minding my own business." he said, burying his nose in his book.

Dumbledore glanced at him uncomfortably but cleared his throat and began, "As I was saying, Harry's version of the events that took place do not match up with your claim that you were 'just watching'."

Nico remained silent.

"According to Mr. Potter, You were wielding a pitch black sword, taunting Lord Voldemort, engaging in combat with him and remaining incredibly calm in the face of danger." he listed, "Care to explain yourself?"

"Uh..."

"Headmaster, if I may," Artemis interrupted before Nico could think of an excuse, "With all due respect, are you completely sure that what Harry said is... reliable?"

"Are you implying that Harry is a liar?" Dumbledore asked, his voice dangerously cold.

"Not at all headmaster," Artemis answered smoothly, "It's just that you interrogated the poor boy before he could even get his bearings, it's possible that he wasn't fully coherent. He might have mixed the truth with hallucinations."

"Be that as it may, do you really find it probable that Nico here didn't do any of the things I mentioned, Mr. Fowl?"

"Of course not, but is it possible that you took Harry's words too literally? Insulting Voldemort probably meant that Nico tried to distract him to give Harry a moment to get himself together, or something similar. This 'engaging in combat' and 'remaining calm in the face of danger', how is that even considered suspicious? I'd say that it's more admirable and heroic than suspicious, and forgive me, but it would be rather hypocritical of you to regard Nico's conduct with suspicion, when I'm sure that you didn't do the same to Harry." Artemis said, still not acting even slightly frazzled.

Nico watched the two geniuses with bated breath. He could tell that Artemis was treading in very dangerous waters here, by accusing the famous Albus Dumbledore of being a hypocrite.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed, "Your argument is sound, Mr. Fowl, but not sound enough I'm afraid. You see, Harry Potter was not the only one who saw Mr. di Angelo with a mysterious black sword. Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy all saw Mr. di Angelo wield a black sword. Their descriptions make it sound suspiciously like a dark artifact, and in that case, I have no choice but to confiscate it."

Nico felt his heart sink. Confiscate his sword? He'd be completely defenseless! But he couldn't see how he could get out of this one, four people, five if you count Artemis, had seen him use his sword. The odds were not in his favor.

And then Artemis surprised him.

He reached into his bag, which was a lot more full than usual, and pulled out... Nico's sword?

What in Tartarus was that idiot doing? The whole point of this was to prove that Nico was innocent , not that he was carrying a creepy sword around!

"You mean this sword?" Artemis asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before Dumbledore could do more than widen his eyes in disbelief, Artemis brought down the sword on the palm of his hand.

*****There is absolutely no need for this line break but I wanted to be dramatic so MWAHAHA*****

Nico watched in horror as the sword was about to cut Artemis' hand and most probably absorb his soul, which would kill him slowly. If he hadn't been in bed, he would've stopped the sword before it made contact with his skin, but as it was, he could do nothing but watch as the sword...

Did absolutely nothing?

The sword did nothing other than make an odd 'thump' as it hit Artemis' palm.

"This sword is absolutely harmless," he revealed, running his palm along the edge carelessly, "Although the craftsmanship is marvelous, if I do say so myself."

Dumbledore looked like he was trying not to gape, "You mean that-"

"Yes." Artemis confirmed, "This 'dangerous dark artifact' is nothing more than a piece of wood, enchanted to look dark and mysterious."

Dumbledore gazed at him sceptically, "Why would Mr. di Angelo enchant a piece of wood to look like a sword, Mr. Fowl? You seem to be grasping at straws here."

"Nico didn't enchant it." Artemis said, " I did. Nico told me how he used to take sword-fighting lessons back in America and so I bought a wooden toy sword and enchanted it to look dark and mysterious, and well, emo, just like Nico. It was a Christmas present."

Dumbledore's eyebrows disappeared above his hairline, "Mr. di Angelo, is this true?"

Nico felt both pairs of eyes on him, "Of course it is." he lied smoothly. Huh, he was getting a bit too good at lying for his own comfort. He met Artemis' eyes for a second. They betrayed no worry, fear or uncertainty. Either Artemis was really confident in his plan, or he was an even better liar than Nico himself. Nico hoped that it was the first one.

Dumbledore's frown deepened, "But the witnesses claim that the sword took out a fully grown mountain troll. A piece of wood is incapable of doing that."

"On the contrary Professor, it is entirely possible, if one targets sensitive spots. This sword may not be very sharp, but it still packs quite a punch."

Triumph flared in Dumbledore's eyes, "In that case, it is still dangerous and I should at least... examine it before returning it to Mr. di Angelo." he said, a hungry gleam in his eye as he held out his hand for the sword.

Artemis held it tighter, "Professor, for your argument to be valid you would have to confiscate almost everything in this school. A sharp quill could be dangerous if you poke someone hard enough, a bag could be dangerous if used the right way, and you'd probably have to confiscate the entire forest as well. Because, with all due respect, you seem to insist upon making the learning environment as dangerous as possible."

Dumbledore turned to Nico, ignoring Artemis for the moment, "Nico, my boy, what I don't understand now is how you got past the black flames. Harry assured me that he had finished the potion, and only a very powerful dark wizard would be able to get past the flames unaided." he explained, eyeing Nico with suspicion.

"There were a few drops left." Nico said, "I drank the few drops that were left and ran through the flames before the effect could wear off."

"But why did you follow Harry in the first place? Everyone else left."

Nico shrugged, "I was the last one to leave. After Artemis left, I heard Harry yelling at Quirrell, and thought that he needed help. So I gulped down what was left and the rest is history." Yep, he was getting way too good at lying.

Dumbledore gave him a disapproving look, "Why, pray tell, didn't you let Harry handle the situation? It is his destiny-"

"Headmaster," Artemis interjected, "It seems as though you're implying that you aren't glad that Nico was able to help Harry defeat Voldemort."

"Not at all," Dumbledore backtracked hastily, "It's just that, if Harry is to face Voldemort one day, he must learn to stand on his own feet and-"

"So he can't ask his friends for help?" Artemis interrupted again, "He needs to face every obstacle by himself? Is that what you're implying professor?" Artemis asked innocently.

"Of course not!"

"Then why are you so upset about Nico helping Harry defeat Voldemort? You seem quite eager to accuse him of anything possible."

Dumbledore sighed in defeat, "I can see that this isn't going to get us anywhere." he said, "But before I leave, Harry told me something a bit disturbing." his clear blue eyes met Nico's dark brown ones, "He said that Lord Voldemort tried recruit you."

Nico gulped, he could feel Artemis' stare boring into him, "Well, yeah. He did."

"Do you have any idea why?"

Nico gave a casual shrug, "He said something about having potential for dark magic, and he seemed pretty interested in me once he found out that I was in Slytherin."

"I see." Dumbledore said thoughtfully, stroking his beard, "Well, I'll leave you two in peace." he said, rising from his chair, "But boys? Be more careful next time. You won't always be able to talk your way out of a problem. It will come back to bite you, sooner or later."

With that ominous warning, Albus Dumbledore left the hospital wing.

****Line Break****

"You're welcome." Artemis said, as soon as Dumbledore had left.

"I didn't even say thank you." Nico pointed out.

"You were going to."

"True." Nico admitted, "I owe you one."

"That you do." he said smugly, tossing him his ring, "Here's your sword back. The real one."

"Speaking of that, how did you manage the sword thing?" Nico asked, his eyes fixed on the sword that looked identical to his own, "It should have absorbed your soul."

"I wasn't lying when I said that it was a fake."

"How did you get this done so quickly?" Nico asked incredulously.

"You can get a lot done in three days." Artemis said smugly.

Nico grabbed the sword from Artemis and ran his finger along the edge. Just like Artemis had said, it looked like his sword, but felt like a regular piece of wood.

"How did you make this? I didn't know that you could make carvings out of wood."

"I can't." Artemis shrugged, "I called in a favor from the Weasley twins, who unlike their brother, make decent company."

"Do I even want to know why the Weasley twins owe you?"

"No, no you do not."

Artemis hesitated, "Is it true that Voldemort tried to recruit you?"

Nico eyed him warily, "Yes, why?"

Artemis got out of his chair and began to pace, "That's not good Nico, not at all. From what I know of him so far, he isn't one to gracefully accept rejection."

"So?" Nico demanded, "I took care of that guy and sent him packing."

"But for how long?" Artemis wondered, "I'll try and do more research on him during the holidays."

"You really think that he'll be back?"

"Trust me. He will."

"Well, it's like they say, never bet against a genius."

Artemis put on one of his famous vampire grins "That, my friend, is a wise choice."

Nico raised an eyebrow, "Is that creepy grin meant to scare me? Because if it is, it's not working."

Artemis blinked in genuine confusion, "Really? That's odd, my vampire grin is usually quite effective."

"Not on me Fowl. I'm the king of glares and creepy expressions." Nico boasted.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Oh it is on Fowl."

And that is how Artemis Fowl and Nico di Angelo almost gave Madam Pomfrey a heart attack by staring at each other with creepy expressions on their faces for almost an hour.

****Line Break****

"To Mr. Ronald Weasley, for the most brilliantly played game of chess Hogwarts has ever seen, I award Gryffindor 50 points!"

"Most well-played game of chess?" Draco snorted, "That idiot would've given all of us a concussion if it wasn't for Artemis."

Nico had to agree, it didn't make sense that Dumbledore hadn't mentioned Artemis' involvement, seeing as he had played half of the game for him.

In the end, Gryffindor won by 10 points. Draco was absolutely furious.

"Can you believe the nerve of that guy? He made it sound as though we weren't there at all! Granger didn't use 'cool logic' , I did! My father will here about this! Wait, why aren't you guys more upset?" he asked as they exited the hall after the feast.

Nico shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I can live with it. I'm used to people ignoring my involvement. But why aren't you more annoyed Artemis? I thought you'd be more, you know, insulted."

"Why would I be? I'm the one who asked Professor Dumbledore to ignore our involvement." Artemis explained casually.

"What?" Draco shrieked, "Why would you do that? We could've been famous like Potter and his cronies, or we could have at least won the cup!"

"That's precisely why I didn't want anyone to know."

"You didn't want us to win the cup?" Nico asked, sending him a questioning glance.

Artemis shook his head, "Not that, I didn't want to make it public knowledge that we were involved in this incident."

"Why wouldn't you want that?" Draco asked, flabbergasted.

"Sometimes, anonymity is better. We wouldn't be able to do anything without being watched if people knew we were involved. Didn't you see how people were standing on their seats just to take a look at Harry? Do you really want that? People watching you wherever you go?"

"I guess not." Draco said hesitantly while Nico shuddered. The very idea of being watched all the time gave him goosebumps.

"Thought so." Artemis said triumphantly.

As Nico walked down the staircase to the Slytherin common room with two of the only people he could call his friends, it occurred to him that he might not see them ever again. Percy would turn 16 in August, and unless they won the war...

"Nico! Artemis! Malfoy! Wait up!"

The three boys turned around to see the Golden Trio chasing after them.

"What do you want?" Nico asked, his voice chilly.

"I have a name you know! It's Draco!" Malfoy said at the same time.

"We want to apologize." Harry panted, doubling over and clutching his side.

"Again?" Nico asked, unimpressed.

Hermione nodded, "We owe you all an apology for all the stuff we said about Slytherins being untrustworthy, and how we said we could do everything by ourselves. We wouldn't have been able to get past all of those obstacles if it wasn't for you." she said, staring at her shoes.

"Yeah, you saved our butts out there." Ron admitted grumpily.

"We still have no idea what to think about Artemis stealing the Stone and then helping us stop someone else from stealing it, but we're willing to let bygones be bygones if you are." Harry offered, "So.. friends again?" he extended a hand towards them.

Nico and Artemis exchanged a glance.

"We accept your apology." Artemis declared.

"But we're not really ready to go back to the way we used to be." Nico added, "I think that things are better off the way they are now." he said with a smile.

"So, acquaintances?"

Harry beamed, "Good enough for us."

"You know," Draco said, "I'm not going to stop hating you just because those two are being all sappy and forgiving."

Harry gave him a slightly exasperated grin, "Wouldn't have it any other way Malfoy."

"And while we're on the topic, I still don't like you three much." Ron added helpfully.

"Once again, the feeling is mutual Weasley" Nico grumbled.

"You know Ronald," Artemis said with a dangerous glint in his eye, "You're not too bad at chess, I'll admit. But do you think you're good enough to put up a half-decent fight against a real chess champion."

Ron glared at him, "Oh you're just asking for it now Fowl. Bring it on!"

****5 minutes later****

"I don't understand! I've never lost so quickly!" Ron cried, burying his head in his hands.

"And that," Artemis said smugly, twirling a chess piece on his index finger, "Is why you don't mess with Artemis Fowl."

****Yet another line break****

Nico had almost forgotten that their exam results hadn't arrived yet, but come they did, and oddly enough, he hadn't failed in anything.

His highest grade was, ironically, in History of Magic, the one subject he hadn't even bothered studying for. It pays to be your teacher's boss.

His other grades weren't perfect, but he could live with it.

Unsurprisingly, Artemis aced all of his exams with flying colors. In fact, he didn't get anything less than 100%, which was a lot less astonishing than it should have been.

Even Draco had done pretty well, especially in Potions, and had spent a good hour boasting and showing off his report card before someone shoved Artemis' perfect scores in his face, which shut him up pretty quickly.

Hermione had received the second highest marks, and the fact that that she had been beaten by Artemis of all people, irritated her to no end.

Soon, Nico found himself floundering in the chaos of end-of-term packing, with long-lost books, socks and knick-knacks showing up at last.

Were all boarding schools this... excitable?

****Line Break****

After an eventful train ride involving exploding snap, a missing tarantula, and Artemis' new-found talent for making things blow up, Nico was ready to kiss the ground once they finally got to Kings Cross Station alive.

Nico, Draco and Artemis got off the train with pale faces, chattering teeth and haunted looks.

"That," Draco said after a moment of silence, "was the most horrifying thing I have ever witnessed."

"It wasn't that bad!" Artemis protested weakly making the other two stare at him like he was crazy.

"Artemis," Nico said slowly, as though he was talking to a toddler, "You almost blew us up."

"Blame the owner of that tarantula! I was acting in self-defense!"

"Artemis, blowing up half of the compartment to try and kill a tarantula is not self-defense!" Nico argued.

"Artemis!" someone called.

Artemis turned around and smiled at a giant of a man wearing a black suit.

"Butler." he greeted with a grin, "Good to see you."

Butler stared at Artemis in shock, "You-you grinned! A genuine grin!"

"I suppose I did, didn't I?"

"We have got a lot to talk about." Butler decided.

"I'll be along in a moment old friend," Artemis said before turning to them.

"Well, have a good summer then." he said formally.

Nico winced, his summer would be the farthest thing from good, and apparently he wasn't even allowed to use magic outside school, so he couldn't use it to help the war efforts, which was a bit of a problem.

"About that..." he began, "I might not come back next year."

Artemis frowned, "Why not?"

"Family issues. I may not be able to come back to Hogwarts." It was no use telling them that he'd probably be dead by the end of the summer, after all.

Artemis nodded, "In that case, I hope we'll see you again."

"Yeah," Draco piped up, "It would be annoying having to deal with Mr. Trigger-happy all by myself."

"Mr. Trigger-happy?" Artemis raised an eyebrow, "Is that supposed to refer to me?"

"Obviously "

"Artemis!" Butler called again, "We really need to get going if we want to get to Ireland by nightfall."

"Coming!" Artemis called, shoving a piece of paper into Nico's palm, "My address. Owl me."

"What about me?" Draco complained.

"Just ask your parents!" he called before heading towards Butler and waving goodbye before disappearing through the barrier to the muggle world.

Nico awkwardly gave Draco an odd pat on the back.

"Well, I'd better get going too." he said.

"Where are your parents?" Draco asked with a frown, "Aren't they coming to pick you up?"

Nico cringed, "No, my dad's too busy."

Draco nodded, "I feel ya. I'll probably be here for another hour or so because my dad forgot to come and pick me up."

"That sucks."

"Yep."

With that, Nico waved goodbye before taking one last look at Platform 9 3/4 before heading back to the world of gods and monsters.

MANDATORY AFTER CREDITS SCENES!

Dumbledore sighed as he shuffled the numerous papers on his desks.

The school was empty, apart from him and a few teachers, and it was odd, not being able to hear the chatter of students all day.

He decided to use the peace and quiet to think about two enigmas that had been troubling him all year.

Nico di Angelo and Artemis Fowl.

Artemis Fowl, well, everything about that boy made his blood curl. His cold, piercing eyes, his unnerving grin and his above-average intelligence all made him a dangerous opponent, but also a dangerous ally. The boy reminded him a bit too much of Tom Riddle, and Dumbledore had no assurance that Hogwarts' resident genius wouldn't turn out the same way. He didn't need to worry about him joining Voldemort, the Dark Lord would never allow someone so similar to himself join his ranks. He'd probably kill the boy as soon as possible. Even if he did let the boy live, Artemis Fowl was not a follower. That much was clear. If Artemis ever chose the path of evil, he wouldn't join Lord Voldemort, no, he'd probably become the next Dark Lord.

Nico di Angelo... Dumbledore wasn't sure what to think of that boy. Dumbledore could clearly see the aura of dark magic that cloaked the boy, and to be frank, it scared him. Nico was extraordinarily powerful, whether he was aware of it or not, which would make him a valuable tool for Voldemort. And although he couldn't prove it, he was certain that Nico did possess a black sword, not just the one that Artemis had tricked him with. The boy was no ordinary wizard, perhaps not even a wizard at all! But if he wasn't a wizard, what was he? I all his years, Dumbledore had never come across anyone as puzzling as Nico di Angelo, except perhaps his friend, Artemis Fowl. Whatever the case, there was certainly something... un-earthly about him, and Dumbledore would find out what. Eventually. He always did.

Just then, someone interrupted his musings by knocking on his door.

"Excuse me." came a rough voice.

A group of 4 huge people, who seemed to have one eye if Dumbledore squinted, entered the room. They were wearing yellow jumpsuits with the words 'Tartarus Humane Society' stitched on the pockets.

"We're looking for a Mr. Nico di Angelo regarding the cruel treatment of a three-headed hellhound named Fluffy. Is he here?" one of them asked.

"You just missed him." Dumbledore grumbled.

****Line Break****

"You made friends?" Butler asked incredulously as he drove them to a private airport.

"Yes Butler." Artemis said with a sigh, "Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yes."

Artemis groaned, "Can we please focus? I was trying to ask you if you got the books from Egypt that I asked for. You know, the ones I was going to use to find another lead about the fairies?"

"I'm afraid not." Butler said, "But I did get those. Look in the boot."

Artemis turned around and pulled out two hardbound novels.

"The Tale of Hades and Persephone: A romance for the ages?" he asked in disgust, reading the title of the first book, "Butler, I already know that story. Why did you get it for me? I need to focus on finding more clues that will lead us closer to the fairies! I can't waste my time on myths."

"You need to relax." Butler said firmly, "You can't spend your whole summer break doing research. So I got you a few Greek mythology based stories for you to read. A friend recommended them to me, said that they would keep you away from your computer for a while."

"Tales of Greek Heroes?" Artemis said, "Butler you can't-"

"I can and I am." Butler stated, "And don't pretend that you won't enjoy reading that romance novel. I know that you're secretly a romance author, Violet Tsir Blue."

Artemis blushed in embarrassment. This would be a long summer.

****Line Break****

"Father," Nico said, "I'm back."

Hades looked up from the stack of paperwork on his lap, "Oh." he said simply, before focusing on the paperwork once more.

Nico tried to hide his annoyance at his father's one word greeting, "So, I know that I just got back, but it's been a whole year since I last bugged you about mama, so... could you tell me more about her? Something? Anything?"

Hades groaned and cradled his head in his arms, "I already told you to learn about your family's heritage at Hogwarts! Didn't those books have enough information about your ancestors for you? What else do you want from me?"

Nico was rooted to the spot, "Uh..."

Hades looked straight at him for the first time since he'd come home, "You forgot all about that, didn't you?"

Nico nodded silently as Hades facepalmed.

"Very well," he said after a moment, "Seeing as you're obviously not competent enough to do it by yourself, I'll tell you about your mother. On one condition."

Nico eyed his father warily, "What is it?"

"You're planning on bringing Percy Jackson down here to bathe in the Styx, correct?"

"W-what?" Nico stuttered, "How did you know?"

"I'm a god, boy." Hades said, sitting up straight, "When you come down here, I want you to bring him to me so that I can have a little... chat with him."

"How do I know that you won't hurt him?"

"You have my word."

Nico hesitated, "Alright." he said finally, "I'll do it."

Hades gave him a small smile, "Atta boy."

Nico sighed as he left the throne room, thinking about what he had just agreed to. He had barely been home for more than an hour, and he'd already got himself in trouble.

This summer was going to be an absolute nightmare.

A.N:

And that's a wrap people!

The first book in the series is officially COMPLETE!

That was the longest chapter I've written so far, 5663 words, which is pretty long, if I do say so myself.

Hopefully I gave this a worthy ending. Let me know what you thought of the Dumbledore-Artemis thing! I just have a feeling that they wouldn't get along, you know? And both Artemis and Nico prefer to operate from the shadows, unlike Harry and Percy, who are always in the middle of things, so hopefully that made sense. And no, I did NOT completely forget about Nico's letter to Tartarus Humane Society:) Also Dumbledore's not really evil, just a bit more crooked than he is in canon.

I seriously can't thank you guys enough for all of the support you've given me! You're spoiling me;) I know that I probably sound super sappy right now, but I'm honestly flattered that so many people stuck around this long.

Alright, the sequel is called 'An Unlikely Duo: The Chamber of Secrets' (not very original, I know) .

EDIT(26/12/21): The sequel is now out! The link is given below:

s/14011038/1/An-Unlikely-Duo-The-Chamber-of-Secrets

As usual, reviews are appreciated! By the way, I'll reply to reviews on this chapter in the first chapter of the sequel.

-Keera(ﾉヮ)ﾉ*:･ﾟ