Author Notes

Okay, so this chapter is sort of a filler before the good part. Obviously I'm basing off the movie, if you couldn't tell already. I haven't seen it since August so bear with me when I get some things wrong.

This isn't the best chapter, but trust me, the best is coming. :)

"Nico. Nico? We need to get to Hogwarts." Luna was shaking his shoulders. He unwillingly opened his eyes. She was dressed and completely ready to go. He, on the other hand, was none of those things. He sat up and rubbed his sleep-crusted eyes.

"Right now?" He croaked, slipping out of bed to pull some clothes on. When his jeans were buttoned he turned around to face her.

"Yes, Nico. We need to get there before. . . just come." She sounded stressed, an odd combination with the dreamy quality her voice usually had. He slipped a shirt on over his head and walked over to her, wrapping her in a hug. She pulled away from him. "Not now." She ducked under his arms, leaving Nico to hug empty air. She took his hand, and Nico thought it was a way of making up for not hugging him (selfish thought, he knew), but he was sucked into that odd way of traveling wizards had. When they arrived and their feet stood on solid ground again, they were in a street. Luna's hand grasped his wrist now as she pulled him inside what looked like an old tavern. Some sort of alarm was going off, and Nico heard people thundering past outside, yelling. No one had the smarts to check this place, apparently, though.

As he looked around, Nico noticed a pig's head hanging over the blazing fireplace. He had somehow managed to keep himself from getting sick once again, though he was certain he looked particularly green.

"Aberforth?" Luna called. A man with long grey-white hair and a beard of the same mixed color walked toward them from out behind the counter. He stared at Nico, studying him up and down.

"Who's your friend?" He asked gruffly after a moment of silence.

"Nico di Angelo." She told him, as if he should know who he was. "Can Ariana take us to Hogwarts? That's why I am here." She was straight to the point. Aberforth's expression softened at the mention of that name, but only for a brief moment.

"I don't know why you're still trying. You-Know-Who's obviously won. There ain't much we can do. Might as well surrender."

"Negativity is what will make us lose, Aberforth. The future is never decided." Luna said matter-of-factly. She strolled voer to a picture of a young girl who looked a bit like Luna herself. They had the same look in their eyes, they both just wanted to help. To Nico's surprise, the girl nodded at Luna and walked down the path behind her, disppearing. The picture opened to reveal a secret passageway. Picture move? He couldn't help but think.

Luna climbed up into the tunnel after stepping on a chair. She looked back and Nico realized that he should probably follow her. He scrambled up there and Aberforth gave him a latern to them. Nico nodded in thanks, and the picture closed in on them.

"Off to Hogwarts." Luna hummed a spooky little tune to herself as they walked. Nico deliberately stayed behind her, wondering what this famous Hogwarts would actually be like.

However, his thoughts eventually strayed to the night before. He could only smile.

Why was Luna so distant with him now?

Luna flipped open another picture, and Nico saw that they were inside what looked like some sort of infirmary. Luna scurried down onto another chair - why were these pictures so high? - and Nico followed. She got a few sounds of recognition and some clapping as she climbed, but when Nico came into sight, all of it stopped and turned into suspicious looks.

"Luna, I thought you were on our side." Someone he didn't know exclaimed indignantly in an Irish accent. "Why'd you bring a Death Eater to Hogwarts?" At this, nearly everyone pulled out their wands.

"Calm down, Seamus." She smiled. "Nico here in a very valuable weapon against You-Know-Who. We need him." Her tone was final. "He may dress like one, but - " she grabbed his left arm and yanked his sleeve up. Clear, pale skin made the young men and women sigh in relief. "See? He isn't." She let go, and Nico took his arm back and pulled the cloth back to cover his skin again. The guy called Seamus held his hand out to Nico.

"Glad you picked the right side, mate." Nico cautiously shook his hand. Many of the others followed his example and shook Nico's hand as well.

All of a sudden, the portrait swung open again, and out tumbled Harry, Ron, Hermione, and some other guy that Nico had noticed left earlier.

"Harry!" "Harry!" "Potter! You're back!" Choruses like this rang about the whole room.

Nico was barely listening as Harry explained why they'd come back. He was too engrossed in all the new things and people surrounding him.

"Well, there's the lost diadem," Luna piped up, jarring Nico out of his zone out. When the others looked at her for an explanation, she continued. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Surely you've heard of it?"

"That sounds about right!" Ron exclaimed.

"But, Luna, that's the thing. . . it's lost. No one alive has seen it." An Asian girl said. The others continued talking back and forth, debating about where this diadem might be, and making plans. Harry was pulling on Hogwarts robes. Luna held one out to him as well.

"It's your disguise. You need to stand and walk in the lines with everyone else." Nico gave her a questioning look. "So the others know for sure you're on their side," she whispered so only he could hear. "they still doubt you. Lie low. I'll tell them again and again, you're needed."

"But not the reason." he said, alarmed. She couldn't let everyone know that.

"Of course not. Nico, do you believe I'm dumb? I am a Ravenclaw." she smiled in a sort of proud way, as if that meant something. "Now, according to your robe, you're a Gryffindor, like Harry is. Just follow him, and you'll be fine." Nico nodded, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. Besides her blushing slightly, it didn't seem to affect her at all. "Harry's leaving. Now go." She gave him a slight push, and he and Harry slipped out and barely noticeable door in the wall. When he looked back, it was no longer visible. Harry led the way silently, and Nico just followed him as he had been told. They blended in with the other students easily. No one seemed to notice their presence. They were all looking to the ground as they marched quietly. There was barely a hint of joy in the entire group.

They came to a huge room, and stopped in front of a sallow, greasy haired man. Nico stared at him and was reminded of Hades.

"I have received intelligence that Harry Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade earlier this evening." He paused as his sentence was punctuated with gasps. "It is believed he is heading for Hogwarts. If any of you, student or staff, has any knowledge about this, I invite you to step forward." There was silence. "Now."

Nico stared at the unruly mess of black hair in front of him. He wondered why Harry was out here if he was being searched for. He really should have listened to the planning.

"You need some better defenses, Professor." Harry said loudly, stepping out of the line. Everyone seemed too shocked to say a word. The door to the Great Hall opened, and some tough looking people, plus the other kids Nico had just met earlier came in. "Tell them how it happened that night! How you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him!" Nico could only stare at Harry, wondering what he could be talking about. He raised his wand, but before he could do a thing an older woman stepped in and shot fire out of the end of her wand. Another collective gasp broke the silence. She and and the man proceeded to duel, and it ended when he turned into something like black smoke and flew out the window. The sound of glass breaking reverberated through the entire hall.

Suddenly, two young girls started to scream. Everyone else had their hands over their ears. Nico looked around but couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

There was some whispered in his ear that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. He couldn't make any of it out. It was too quiet.

"Bring me. . . Harry Potter. . ." That was what he thought it said at one point. Everybody else could obviously hear it perfectly. Maybe it didn't transmit to half bloods like him as well? The sound stopped.

"Well? Somebody grab him!" Some girl said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, while pointing at Harry. Nico felt like he could slice the tension in the air with a knife.

Hermione and Ron stepped in front and beside Harry, in a protective gesture. Many others Nico didn't reconize also did. When Luna followed suit, he did also.

"Any who won't fight or are too young will be sent home." The older woman had taken charge. "Slytherins as well! Man the boundaries! Protect us!" The students cheered, except for the so-called Slytherins.

Everyone seemed to disperse at once. Nico lost track of Luna in the blink of an eye.

Without being told, Nico knew that the battle of Hogwarts had begun.