Chapter 17

Nico

The Slytherins were nuts!

I have never seen a group of people so determined to win a competition. And they aren't even the ones competing.

The Slytherins from my year, along with a hand full of the seventh years, were keeping me on my toes. They had manage to ask permission from Professor Snape to use some of the old non potions classrooms in the dungeon. They taught me spells and charms that i have never even heard of.

Thankfully they had finally became human and instead of the drills they've been submitting me to for the past few hours, my yearmates and I now sat in the same classroom with food and sweets from the kitchen as well as books were scattered around us. The older housemates had left to return to study for their NEWTs.

"So how did the other demigods take the whole 'son of death' is the champion thing?"

"Surprisingly, well." I replied "only the non Slytherin wizards seem to have a problem with me being the Greek demigod champion"

"Well you have the advantage," Millicent said "You're probably the only demigod who had wizard powers."

"What about Potter?" Pansy sneered "I saw him talking to that Percy kid. Who knows what they'd teach him."

"It doesn't matter." Draco responded "Potter is just all words and rumors, I haven't actually seen him done anything truly heroic."

"I wouldn't underestimate, Potter though." I said. "He can be pretty tough if he wants to be. Besides it's the nice ones you have to look out for. They are usually the ones that are most powerful when they are mad. All you need is a trigger."

"Speaking of which did they ever tell you what is the first task?"Draco asked

"Nope." I said "They refuse to tell us anything. But I am sure that they would tell us. Or someone would get a leak at some point."

"You are not at all worried?"

"The worse that could happen is dying." I said. "There is nothing to fear of death. You reap what you sow. As they say. Unless you have done truly terrible acts, that is."

"That and the fact that your father is the one who actually judges."

"The thing with death. There is no Mercy. Only Justice."

"As much as I would hate to end this sob session, why don't we finish our reviewing here? Unlike some of you people, some of us want to finish our homework."

"I don't have homework." I commented.

"But you have training." Millicent said. "So shoo. This is enough training for today. WE can continue the spell training tomorrow."

"Sure." I said. "You guys are coming later right?"

"And miss an opportunity to see how you've lived for the past few years?" Nico said. "Of course, we're going."

"I'm just curious on how you guys are going to pull this off." Blaise said. "The party was announced this morning. And according to you, this was planned like late last night."

I smirked. "We have our ways. It's going to be great!"

~()~

What I didn't mention to my crazed friends was the fact that there was no afternoon training. So I spent most of the time in my own room in our cabin. I stared at the ceiling of my room reminding me of how my cabin started like. I swear. I can't believe some of the Hephaestus cabin thought I was a vampire. I am the child of the Underworld. I'm not undead.

My room is dark grey, the sheets were forest green and the furniture was black. It's dark but it's a home-y dark not demonic dark.

"What in the world are you doing now?"

I turned my head towards the door and found everyone's favorite Praetor.

"What does it look like?" I said. "I'm trying to stare at the ceiling and dissolve into my sheets."

"Isn't it a bit early to be doing that?" Reyna said with a smile. "Anyways, the others need your opinion on the design. Since we came here at the thirtieth and Halloween just past recently. Unanimously, we all thought it would be good to bring them a Smuggle version of Halloween."

"Don't you mean Muggle?"

"Yeah that" Reyna said. "Though we are going to make it a bit more interesting, we have torches pumpkins and all that."

"So I'm guessing I'm in charge with the scare factor." I said with a smirk.

"Yes, if you're up for it." She said.

"Perhaps." I said with a smirk. "Do you think they can handle a few walking skeletons?"

"Well they do have ghosts."

"I meant the demigods."

"As longs as you don't make them attack people. I'm sure they can handle it."

"Is this like the Halloween Party last year?" I asked "Like costume and everything?"

"Of course." Reyna said. "What is a Halloween Party without Costumes."

"Awesome." I said jumping to my feet. "This is going to be great!"

"I have never seen you so excited on a Holiday." Reyna said with a raised eyebrow.

"You know how everyone is so happy in Christmas." I commented. "Well this is like my version. It is when the Underworldly spirits and strengths are the strongest. Hence when I am least tired, I'm like a ghost. I have these moments where I do rely on Underworldly powers."

"So are you helping or not?"

"Let's go then."

Reyna brought me to the large clearing where we usually have our campfires. The place was full of working teens. The other campers were climbing trees and standing on each other's shoulders decorating stands and poles with torches, pumpkins and what looks like deformed skulls. Which I was guessing were made from paper mache.

"So, what do you need?"

"What do you suggest?" Reyna asked.

"Are the torches going to be lit?"

"Of course."

"With what?"

"Fire?"

"I may have a better idea." I said. "Are the torches ready?"

Reyna called Jake Mason over and repeated the question.

"For now. Yeah. We are trying to put up the bones. On the top of the torches."

"Try hot glue." I said "It should help"

"Nico!" a familiar voice called. I couldn't help groan. Drew, two other girls and my friends Lou and Cecil were coming towards us. They did this last year too. I was just waiting for impact…

I felt hands grab my arms and I was being dragged away. Reyna just stood there laughing at my expense.

"Come on, Death boy! What took you so long! We need your help." Rachel, the daughter of Athena said. "Do you have any idea how long we need to make up four hundred kids."

"Four hun…What do you need me for!"

"Well, you are the death expert here." Drew said. "And we feel that you'd be the best to ask for zombie designs."

"Why don't you ask Hazel, then?" I exclaimed as the girls dragged me, my feet were already sliding on the mud and the girls were practically carrying my body weight, which isnt much because, unfortunately, I am mostly skin and bone. "I'm not the only Death kid."

"She's already there." Lou said. "We need your help more at this point. Come on!"

The girls dragged me to one of the cabins, where the Aphrodite kids were stationed. Inside the cabin looked like a Hollywood make up set, rows of mirrors and make up pallets, chairs and counters. Nearly a hundred kids were already pilled in the cabin. They were already starting on most of the make-up and the costumes. One of them was dressed with bandages and had half a make up on.

I groaned but rolled up the sleeves of my sweater to my elbows and cracked my knuckles.

"Let's get this over with."

~()~

I don't know how we managed it but with around three hours, the entire Aphrodite cabin and half of the Athena cabin, we managed to dress up more than half our 'undead' demigods. The demigods were absolutely determined to shake the wizards to their magical core with fear.

I am no Aphrodite kid. Or a girl for that matter, but I do know how use a brush. It was a lot like painting with Will and the other Apollo campers back at camp. And I have to admit they didn't look that terrible.

Hey, it's Halloween season, I am in no mood to fight with anyone. Or to be in a bad mood. So I simply went with it.

Besides, I am the Ambassador of Pluto; I can like summon zombies and all that. They wouldn't dare fight with me.

So halfway through the last few demigods, Drew, who was dressed up like a broken porcelain doll, pushed me down a seat and started to smother a large amount of what looked like a large white lipstick on my face.

"What…"

"You still haven't dressed up!" she scolded. "But don't worry we got you covered."

After the other girls finished on their demigod, they started to come over and help Drew.

They had my eyes closed the whole time, and I could feel brushes smudge all over my eyeballs. And the other girls were brushing over my arms which weren't covered by my shirt.

"Alright you can open them." Drew ordered.

I opened them and I couldn't believe what these girls can do. I learned my lesson never underestimate an Aphrodite girl with make-up.

I was like a living and breathing skeleton. My face was paler than my usual skin tone making me bone white and they had traced my skill with black and grey. And my arms, looked like actual bones. Even my hands.

"And of course we can't forget the costume." Cecil said. He showed me a long cloak and a scythe. And another hand held up a…

"No. You couldn't have."

"Yes, we did!" Lou said happily.

I had lost one of my favorite skull t-shirts. It was from way back when I was ten. It lost it during the Parthenos Statue adventure. It was torn to shreds. And I couldn't find a replacement. It was a gift from Bianca way back when I was a kid. It was big then so it fit by the time I reached fourteen.

It had this sleeping skeleton on the front saying "I sleep like the dead." Bianca found it cute and bought it for me for Halloween that year when we were trick or treating inside the Lotus Casino.

"Surprise!" Rachel said happily.

"How did you?"

"We have our ways." Cecil said with a smirk. "Now put it on, we have wizards to scare and a party to attend."

Typical, son of Hermes, jumping at the thought of scaring someone.

Which gave me an idea.

"Come on, we have one last touch to make this party memorable."

Okay, That was fun :) HAPPY HALLOW'S EVE.