Nico POV
"What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, who had also been given detention asks.
"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch, and Miss Williams." Professor McGonagall tells them. "And no magic- elbow grease."
Ron gulps, while Kat just rolled her eyes.
She has had detention more days than not.
"And Potter and Di Angelo, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail." She tells us.
Fan mail? I'd rather gouge my eyes out.
"Oh n- Professor, can't I go and do the trophy room, too?" asks Harry desperately.
"Certainly not." McGonagall tells us, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you particularly, and I believe it would be best to separate those two." She tells him, glaring between me and Kat. "Undercover teenager girl in muggle high school indeed." She mutters, making them laugh and me glare.
"I can't believe you said that." I hiss.
"Eight o'clock sharp, all of you." She tells us.
After dinner Harry and I make our way to Lockhart's room where he is waiting for us.
"Ah Harry- and Nico?" he asks, clearly not expecting me.
"Apparently I'm a bad influence on Kat." I shrug, inviting myself inside.
Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles are countless framed photographs of Lockhart. Some even signed. Another large pile lay on his desk.
"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart us, as though this is a huge treat.
"This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her - huge fan of mine-"
The minutes went by excruciatingly slowly. Thankfully Lockhart paid me no attention, instead deciding to lecture Harry on the price of stardom with a strange look on his face.
When it was almost time to leave Harry jumps next to me
"What?" Harry asks loudly.
"Are you alright?" I whisper to him.
"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!" Lockhart brags.
"No." Harry says frantically. "That voice!"
"What voice?" I ask curiously.
"Sorry?" Lockhart asks, looking puzzled, before repeating my question. "What voice?"
"That - that voice that said - didn't you hear it?" Harry stutters.
"I didn't hear anything." I tell him, looking at him curiously.
"What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott - look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it - the time's flown, hasn't it?"
As we left Harry ignored my questions, storming back to Gryffindor tower.
Maybe he really didn't hear anything.
It quickly became October. I have visited Hazel several times, but only for a few hours in the weekends, not being able to risk disappearing for too long.
One afternoon on my way to History of Magic, pillow and blanket in tow, the ghost sir Nicolas approaches me.
"Your majesty." He greets. "I would like to invite you to my five hundredth death day this Halloween." The ghosts asks nervously, as if expecting me to banish him at any moment.
I hadn't been to a death day in a while… "I would be honoured, may I bring friends?" I ask, instantly cheering the previously gloomy ghost.
"Of course! It will be a great honour! Just wait until the headless hunt hear I got the ghost king to attend my party!" he cheers.
I almost smile. "Remember not to mention that little title around anyone, alright?"
He nods. "Of course."
I dismiss him and make my way to class, wondering how my friends would react to attending a ghost's party.
When I told Kat and Will of Sir Nicolas's death day they both agreed immediately.
"A GHOST PARTY? THAT'S SO COOL! Do you think it would be rude to cover myself in a white sheet?" Kat asks.
"Yes." I answer instantly, glaring at her.
"I would love to go, but are you sure it's wise?" Will asks, clearly meaning Kat around the spirits.
"I'm sure it will be fine." I lie, giving the pouting Kat a glare.
When Halloween (which Will recently told me is also Kat's birthday) arrives it once again seems Kat had not grown out of costumes.
I walked downstairs to see Kat wearing a long ice blue dress and a long transparent cape, with her white blonde hair in a messy braid
"Wearing the same consume again, Nico? How drab!" Kat declares, smirking at me.
"Hi Elsa." Will greets, with a grin "You're late for your fifth birthday party." He tells her, making her pout.
"Excuse you, I'm twelve." She huffs.
"What is she wearing?" I ask, making them both groan.
"You're probably the only person on this planet who's never had that song stuck in their head." Wil groans.
"Now come on, Puffins I have Halloween and to a lesser extend a birthday to celebrate, and if anyone gives me a present or even says Happy Birthday I will freeze you." She warns us before skipping off, singing. "LET IT GO!"
"What in Merlin's name are you wearing, you filthy mudblood?" Draco sneers when we arrive in DADA, looking as if he didn't get any sleep.
"It's called a costume, Malfoy." She glares.
"You still look ridiculous celebrating that pathetic muggle tradition." He sneers, saying muggle as if it is a curse word.
"What a beautiful gown!" Lockhart declares. "I do love Halloween! 20 points to Hufflepuff for style." Lockhart awards, making us all raise our eyebrows.
Malfoy glares at him, before muttering. "Filthy mudblood lovers."
"Wow you're even more of an asshole than usual." Kat says.
He turns to sneer at her, clenching his fists as if he's considering a rematch from the fight last year.
Will pulls Kat toward her seat, the peacemaker as always.
At 7 O'clock we made our way down to the dungeons, bumping into the golden trio.
"What are you doing here? Should you be at the feast?" I ask.
"I wish." Ron mutters, before being elbowed in the ribs by Hermione.
"We were invited to Nearly headless Nick's death day." Harry explains solemnly.
"So were we." Kat grins.
"You're not even Gryffindors." Ron points out.
"No, but Nico's really creepy so the ghosts love him." Kat shrugs.
I glare at her. "Let's go, or we'll be late."
The passage to Sir Nicolas's party had been traditionally lined with candles. As we stepped inside the temperature drops.
"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispers.
I glare at him.
They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing in the doorway hung with black velvet drapes.
"My dear friends," he says mournfully. "Welcome, welcome... so pleased you could come..."
He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.
It's an incredible sight. The dungeon's full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people. I do love death days, one rarely sees this many ghosts together except in the underworld.
"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggests before him and his friends walk off.
"This is so cool!" Kat hisses to me.
All the ghosts turn to us, bursting into fits if whispers.
"It's the king! How did Nick manage that?" One lady whispers.
"Do you think he'll banish us?" Another replies, looking terrified.
"I KNOW HE WON'T NOTICE ME! WHO WOULD? I'M JUST MOPING MOANING MERTYL!" A teenager girl moans before bursting into fits of tears.
Subtle.
"Can you get them to calm down?" Will whispers. "And what do they mean king?"
I glare at him, deciding not to answer.
I spend the rest of the party being approached by my father's people, most of which forcing me to shake their hands before squealing that they can touch me, some even going so far as to hug me.
An hour into the party the miserable looking girl who had been crying earlier approaches me.
"H-hello..." she sniffs.
"Hello." I greet, hoping she doesn't burst into tears again.
"You wouldn't know who I am-"
"Mertyl." I answer, remembering her moaning from earlier.
"WHO'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT ME!?" She whines. "THEY SAID I WAS WHINY AND FAT, DIDN'T THEY?"
"No no." I tell her. "You really shouldn't pay attention to the mean people."
"I'M NOT INSECURE!"
"I know." I lie. "But those people aren't deserving of your time."
She nods, thankfully believing me. "But what else to do with my time? I'M DEAD!"
"There are plenty of things for a ghost to do." I tell her before noticing Kat about to eat some cake.
"I'll be right back." I tell her before going after Kat to stop her from eating the rotten food.
Once the party is over, I am very disappointed. I barely got to celebrate at all, with all the ghosts hugging me.
"I think Moaing Mertyl has a thing for you, Nico." Will chuckles, making me glare at him.
"All the ghosts have a thing for him. They're his bloody stalkers." Kat points out.
I glare at her. "I have to go." I tell her.
I love the underworld on Halloween, the barrier between life and death is so weak.
I had just found a shadowy corner to leave from, when I hear a scream coming from down the hall.
"You filthy mudblood!" Malfoy's all too familiar voice hisses.
I groan and follow his voice, hoping be able to beat the snot out of Malfoy quickly.
When I finally see Malfoy, his cronies have a first year Gryffindor boy against a wall, beating him.
"Beating up a kid? How muggle of you." I tell him, preparing to beat the crap out of him.
He sneers at me. "Go away you filthy blood-traitor."
I kick him in the stomach before turning to his gorillas, punching one in the face while the other ran away screaming.
"You alright, kid?" I ask him.
"I-I'm fine." He stutters before picking his camera off the ground. "I'm Colin Creevy."
"Nico." I tell him, before taking Malfoy in a chokehold, pushing him against the wall.
"Who gave you the right to touch me? you filthy mudblood lover." Draco hisses.
"Who gave me the right?! Who gave you the right to tell others how to live their lives? And beat up little kids? Muggleborns never did anything to you!" I yell.
Thankfully Colin had already run away.
Draco turns red. "They did everything to me." He hisses, not seeming bothered by me choking him. "You all act so holier than thou, when they're all just as fucked up as death eaters."
"I don't see any muggle-borns walking around in masks killing innocent people." I reply, shocked by his outburst.
Malfoy never fights back, he's all for insulting and beating people who can't fight back but as soon as it's someone who can, he goes running to his Daddy.
"That's where you're wrong." He growls. "They killed my sister in cold blood seven years ago today, WE WERE FIVE YEARS OLD! As revenge against my father. What did Elladora ever do?"
So that's why Malfoy is so prejudice, his sister was killed by a muggleborn. For once I actually feel bad for Malfoy, no one deserves to lose their sister.
Before I could say anything a loud shuffling comes from the hallway.
Draco pushes me away, storming into the hall where the sound had come from.
I follow after him to see half the school gathered in the hallway.
"THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE" has been written on the wall in blood with something hanging underneath.
I push forward to see Mrs Norris, the caretaker's cat hanging from the ceiling.
"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" Draco exclaims, grinning.
Any pity I felt for him suddenly vanished.
What's going on here? What's going on?" Filch asks, pushing his way through the crows. He falls back, clutching his face in horror when he sees Mrs. Norris.
"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?!" he shrieks, before his eyes land on Harry.
"You!" he screeches. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll-"
"Argus!"
Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and Hermione and detaches Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.
"Come with me, Argus." He says to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."
Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.
"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free-"
"Thank you, Gilderoy," Dumbledore says, before leading the others to Lockhart's office.
I turn to see Kat and Will by my side.
"What's the chamber of secrets?" Will asks.
That name sounds familiar, I don't know why.
"Just shows how ignorant you mudbloods are." Malfoy sneers.
"Oy pea-brain! Can you stop with the racism for five minutes?" Kat sneers, which made her oddly resemble Malfoy.
He hisses at her, before storming off, his bodyguards once again at his side.
I could swear I heard Kat mutter. "Happy birthday to me."
"Why don't we go by the kitchens and get you a cake." Will suggests.
Kat goes to argue, but I interrupt her. "I'll even watch whatever film that outfit is from."
She gives us a small smile. "It's called a movie, dumbass."
I'll have to visit the underworld another Halloween.