HMMM Two chapters, in two days. I guess I just couldn't stop myself. AnyWHO, this chapter's gonna be realllly intersting, and it's the longest one so far. So...Yeah. I hope it's not too much to ask for like, ten reviews since my last chapter got like, 3. I'm lost without you guys, and I need to know if my writing's good or not. If not, then correct me. And if so, then I'll change. And I can't even pick who's choicing the 'change'! Lord, help me. (P.S do you like my new cover image? Nico looks sooo cute in it! You really gotta hand it to viria, that girl's talented!)
It was late afternoon on Saturday, when Hecate had decided to have a little chat with Nico. He was reading A Thousand Types Of Lycathrophy, just like she'd asked him to. He had wanted to to talk to Hermione Granger about yesterday's incidents, because after, she was smart. But he couldn't ever catch her. Not in the common room, not at the meals. She would always run off as quickly as possible when she had the time to, and Nico had had no chance to ask her anything.
So he decided to work on his camp's troubles instead, and half-way through the first page, Hecate had dropped it.
Nico, Hecate said quickly. Oh, Apollo will kill me for talking to you now.
After getting over his his slight surprise, Nico frowned. You're immortal.
Mortal Terms! Listen, your favourite cousin's going to drop in after a while. Probably a long while. But she'll give you something. Take it. And don't tell her I told you. Also, you need a prophecy.
Prophecy? What, do wizards have Oracles?
Nah. Or yeah. Depends on what you think an Oracle is. Start taking Divination.
Nico's mind raced. Dozens of questions floated around his mind. Wait? Why do I need a prophecy? Which cousin'll come? Why shouldn't I tell them?
No answer.
Hecate? Are you in there?
Again, Nico got no response. Figures. He made a mental note to ask her where Taylor Swift had her concert this time next time she popped up.
Nico closed his book shut, and got up. Nico looked around the library. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were sitting at a table, chit-chatting in low voices. Nico wondered why they were here. His fellow Gryffindors didnt usually come to the library.
Nico stood up, and made his way to them silently.
"Hey," he said from behind them. Parvati and Lavender jumped at the sound of his voice piercing their chatter.
"Oh," Lavender said, turning around to look at Nico. "It's you." She grinned up at him. Parvati Patil followed suit. Nico managed a smile at them. For some reason, Parvati giggled.
"Do you need anything?" Lavender asked, absentmindedly fingering her book and not looking up.
"Yeah, actually." Nico said shortly. "Who's the Divination teacher?"
"Oh! It's Professor Trelawney. We've got class with her tomorrow." Parvati Patil said knowingly.
"Have you seen Hermione lately?" Lavender interjected. "We've got a project for Transfiguration, and she's late."
Nico shrugged. "She's been busy latelty, I've noticed."
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Lou-Ellen hated just how unfair the demigod world was. Nico didn't deserve to die. Heck, that was an understatement in itself! But Hecate made it clear he was supposed to. What did that mean anyway?
Lou-Ellen was never one to ask for help. Never. But this wasn't a normal scenario. She needed her help. She was close to Nico, even closer than Lou-Ellen was to him, and he would trust her. So that day, Lou-Ellen IMed the last person she would have- Pallismera, daughter of Thanathos. And here she was, now. Standing in front of her, looking angry at being called. Lou-Ellen knew she didn't like how Hecate sent Nico to Hogwarts.
Wait until you find out the rest, Lou thought bitterly.
"So, why have you called me here? And why didn't you want to tell me that through the IM." Pallismera said, tapping her feet. She was a woman of about nineteen, with light-blonde and black shoulder-lenght hair. Her eyes were golden-gray, and she wore a ridiculously old-styled red cloak. She wore a white-and-black sleeved shirt that matcher her hair, and skinny jeans. She was pale, but not as pale as Nico was. Pallismera looked beautiful; in a literally deadly way.
Lou-Ellen pulled out a small flask of a strange colored potion. She muttered a quick spell, and then tipped the flask into the huge glass-case. "IM's can be spied on. Not to mention Iris and her little protege watch over them. I couldn't risk that information being wide-spread.
"Oh-kay... What does this have to do with Nico?" Pallismera asked, as she watched Lou-Ellen add a strange powder to her exotic mixture."
Lou-Ellen sighed. "Firstly, Mera, I need a part of you." Pallismera raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "A toe nail. A hair. Something with your death DNA in it." Lou-Ellen explained impatiently, which wasn't like her at all. But then again, as mentioned, desperate times called for weird actions.
Pallismera put her hands on her hips. "Now, see here, Ellen, I want to know why right now. I'd shave if it meant helping Nikki, but I want to know why the Hades am I here before anything happens."
"Is making sure Nico stays alive a good enough reason for you? Just give me the stupid DNA sample." Lou-Ellen snapped, suddenly, almost spilling a bottle of Bowtruckle saliva.
That got Pallismera's attention. She sighed through her nose, and then plucked a lock of her black and blonde hair, and grudgingly gave it to Lou-Ellen. Satisfied, Lou-Ellen threw it in to the glass-container.
"You're DNA literally contains death." Lou-Ellen told her. "With it, and the divination potions I've made, we should be able to look into the future."
Pallismera huffed. "Why? I never though you were much of a diviner, Ellen."
Lou-Ellen sighed. "It's LOU-Ellen. Or Lou if you must. And I'm not much of a diviner. But if we're going to save Nico from death, we'll need to take a few occasional measures."
At first Pallismera just nodded. Then, probaby realizing what Lou-Ellen had just said, her head snapped to look at her. Her mouth fell open, and her colorful eyes widened.
"What the Hades do you mean save him from death? I thought you were using metaphor!" Pallismera yelled, throwing her arms around in the air.
Lou-Ellen shook her head sadly. "I'm not. Mother told me it's unavoidable. But she said you can help. And...well, your dad's the god of death, so.." Lou-Ellen looked hopefully at Pallismera. Then, she felt guilty about expecting her to do something. She was probably just as confused and distraught as she was.
"Anyway." Lou-Ellen continued. "Right now, we'll see how Nico will die. But please, try not to freak, okay? Nico's my friend, too. You know I care about him. So does Will. And Percy, and Annabeth. And...everyone who knows him."
Pallismera stiffened. "For you," Pallismera stated, "he's a friend. As for me, he's my family. I've been an exile most of my life, Lou-Ellen. That's why no one knew of my existence for years. I understand Nico. And I will not let him suffer like I did. Even if I haven't been there for him most of his life." Pallismera stated this firmly, like no one could argue the point. Her golden-gray eyes glowered at the floor. "Let's see what we can do."
Lou-Ellen only nodded, feeling her throat tightening. Lou-Ellen muttered a quick spell, and stirred the mixture.
"This, will be like entering a pensive." Lou-Ellen explained. She realized her mistake when she saw the look on Pallismera's face. Obviously, she didn't even know what a Pensive was. "Just follow me, okay?"
Pallismera nodded. Lou-Ellen thrusted her face into the glass-cotainer, and in a swirl of color, she found herself surveying a foreign scene. Moments later, Pallismera ws beside her, looking impressed, but serious.
They were inside a tent. In it, was a boy Lou-Ellen recognized as Harry Potter, and brunette beside him. They looked tired, out of breath, as if they had run a marathon.
"Done having fun without me?" Nico asked, looking up innocently from a book in Ancient Runes. Hermione and Harry glowered at him, but mostly Harry.
"You weren't supposed to leave, Nico." Hermione pointed out.
Nico nodded. "I'm aware of that. And did I leave?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, quit acting innocent Di Angelo. It was you who cast that sheilding charm on us."
Nico raised an eyebrow. "Nope, I didn't. I last remember Hermione casting a Stinging charm here and threatning me." Nico recalled, calmly flipping a page.
"He's good at playing the innocent angel," Pallismera said proudly, although Lou-Ellen could clearly hear the worry in her voice.
Hermione paused for a while before saying, "You shadow-travelled." She snapped. "Admit it, Nico! We're a team, and we should listen to each other."
Nico shut the book at that, and glared at Hermione. She must have been used to that, because she didn't flinch.
"A team, wouldn't treat me like a kid." Nico said. Hermione huffed, then looked a little smug at figuring Nico out. "So you admit you cast that spell?"
"So what if I did, Hermione?" Nico snapped. "Is it wrong to try and be part of the team? Or would you rather have a giant snake eat you. I'm not just sitting around and doing nothing."
Harry sucked in a breath, then slowly let it out. "Nico, we're trying to keep you from killing yourself."
This time, the glare was directed at Harry. Nico was paler than usual. He was a bit taller, a little older, but definitely not as healthy as he was supposed to be. Nico stood up abruptly. Hermione looked ready to yell at him for that.
"Why is that so, Harry? Is it because I'm not a wizard, or because you think I'm not capable because I'm younger than you are?" Nico demanded.
"That's not what I meant!" Harry insisted. "You were hit by the bloody Avada Kedavra Nico, and you're obviously not alright. For all we know, you might be..."
"Dying." Nico said.
Harry looked like he was slapped across his face. "Wh-what?"
"I might be dying." Nico completed helpfully. "And maybe I am. In fact, I'm pretty sure I am dying. But if I am, I don't want to lay around and do nothing. I want to help you guys. And Harry, I'm supposed to be protecting you, not the other way around. My life doesn't really matterin the midst of the war."
"The hell it doesn't, Nico! I swear I'll get you for that!" Pallismera yelled.
"The hell it doesn't, Nico!" Harry said, regaining his stiff posture. "You say that again, I might just kill you before that curse does." Hermione added. "We'll find you a cure, Nico. And until then, you need to stay alive."
"There is no cure, antidote, countercurse, or anything that can stop the Avada Kedavra, Hermione." Nico said calmly.
Pallismera looked at Lou-Ellen. "Is that true?" She asked softly. Lou-Ellen nodded stiffly.
"And besides, and I'm fine for the time bei-" Suddenly, Nico fell to the ground. He started taking deep, rapid breaths, and it looked as if breathing itself hurt. Nico let out a barely audible moan.
Hermione and Harry rushed to Nico's aid.
"Okay, you seriously need medical attention now," Hermione said, helping Nico sit up, with Harry aiding her.
"I'm fine," Nico insisted again. Hermione scowled at him "Sure you are, and I'm Pansy Parkinson."
Their surroundings started to blur. Nico, Hermione, Harry, and everything around them started to disappate
Lou-Ellen tugged at Pallismera's cloak for her attention; she seemed to be in a trance of some sorts. "That's all we can see, Mera. Let's go. This potion's complicated, if we stay here too long, we might cause a...disorientation. We may even somehow mess with the order of time.
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Pallismera sat on Lou-Ellen's bed, thinking things through. "I can't believe this," she growled. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I won't let this happen, Lou. I won't. I'll do everything in my power to make sure Nico stays alive, even if I have to help him cheat dad."
Lou-Ellen smiled at her knowingly. "I know you will. And so will I. As long as I have magic in my blood, that boy will stay on his feet, whether he likes it or not."
"Yes," Pallismera said, sighing. "But we need help on this. We're risking something big here; it's Nico's life we're talking about."
Lou-Ellen brathed through her nose. "I know the risks, Mera. And we do need help on this. By some one skilled in prophecies and smart enough to know how to handle things right."
Pallismera raised her head. "You're not planning to tell Will Solace, are you?" She asked, frowning.
"What?!" Lou-Ellen shrieked in surprise. "No way in Tartarus! I'm not telling him, or Reyna, or Percy, or Hazel. Especially not them. We need Athena brains on this. And the child of Athena that's had to deal with prophecy's more than any, is Annabeth Chase. She'll freak, and she'll yell, but she'll keep herself together and work with us. Unlike Percy who'll probably blow up the Atlantic, or Hazel, who'll drown our camp in jewels in mere seconds."
Pallismera nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Our advantage with Annabeth is, a) she can't do any of the things you mentioned or worse, and b) she'll help us. I'm pretty sure you can't make a physician's cure here, huh?"
Lou-Ellen rolled her eyes, but didn't reply. "Annabeth's away to Camp Jupiter with Reyna. She'll be back in a few days, but we can't, like I said, tell her anything about this on your average Iris Message.''
Pallismera nodded, again. She stood up, and brushed her red-cloak. "Until she's back, then, I'll have some small talk with dad." Her lips curled into a smile. She walked to the corner of the Hecate cabin, and descended into the shadows.
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When Nico showed up at the astronomy tower that day, he was unpleasantly surprised to have Sybill Trelawney crying her eyes out every time she looked at him.
"Is she always like this?" Nico whispered to Harry, as Trelawney started to wipe her tears.
"She's been predicting Harry's death since third year." Ron said, frowning at his crystal ball. "I honestly don't know why you'r here. The only reason I didn't drop out is because from Hermione's lectures, Arithmancy's pure torture, and if I even though about taking Muggle Studies, my father will murder me with questions."
"Trust me," Nico muttered. "I don't know why I'm here either."
Trelawney seemed to control herself enough to walk up to Nico without exploding into a rain of tears that could dilute the River Styx.
She sniffed loudly. "I am afriad you will suffer a terrible death, my dear." She sobbed, right before the bell rang. All the students started filing out quickly, probably glad to be rid of Divination, excluding a few. (A.K.A Parvati and Lavender). Harry and Ron, who were just about to head out as well, froze in their place when Trelawney's eyes got misty. She fell into some sort of trance, and her already too-wide eyes widened even more.
She opened her mouth, and spoke in a voice that clearly wasn't her own.
"Hogwarts, Beware the curse of the desperate one.
For it will cause pain known by none,
A choice determines the known one's fate,
Albeit the chooser's path is dark.
Brave one, take heed of the Shadow's aim,
For that is whom the cloaked-one blames.
Poison shall flow through the blessed one's soul,
Despair to heal, excluding death's present, sole.
One shall die, and the other shall survive,
But with love, unknown, the previous one thrives."
Nico inhaled feeling excitement, and concern. He'd just gotten himself prophecy.
I swear by all the life in me you guys are NOT guessing this one! I swear! Predict all you want, and review to tell me what you think, but really, if you get it correct, or are even close to correct, I'll tell you. Let's see if you can guess at least a line or two. BRING IT ON!