AN: WWS: YOU ROCK. Huge applause for an awesome reviewer!

Another random point is, I have got no idea why people just insist that I was wrong, putting Nico in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. I'm not doing it because I'm trying to make him more 'hero-y'. And I've really got nothing wrong with Slytherin. (The talents, I mean. Not the attitude). He is NOT cunning. Nico is not even ambitious. The guy just wants to get through life without dying a horrible death (does this statement make me a hypocrite :P), and the only time he's ever show signs of cunning, was in LO when he sorta tricked Percy. But then Percy can get 'cunning' too, if that's what it means. He bribed Charon, almost killed Akhalis (did I spell that right?) etc. The only demigods I know that fit in Slytherin are Octavian and Bryce Lawrence, and if anyone even DARES compare them to Nico, I'll make sure you get it GOOD! (P.S, sorry, I just can't help but change the cover image every five seconds! Viria's pics of Nico are SO adorable!

Nico's first thought as soon as he'd entered the room of requirment? Annabeth would love this place.

They say that the demigods at Camp Half-Blood and/or Camp Jupiter are never safe as long as the mentioned daugther of Athena held a book in her hands. The last time Nico had tried to call her for Capture-The-Flag while she was reading, she threw her dagger at him and pinned his shirt to the wall. Pity, really. Nico really liked that shirt.

But here, anyone who wanted to get away could always shelter. Here, anyone could some alone tiWell,' said Harry, slightly nervously. This is the place we've found for practice sessions, and you've - er - obviously found it OK.'

''It's fantastic!'' said Cho, and several people murmured their agreement.

''It's bizarre,' said Fred, frowning around at it. ''We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then. And that was just what they needed."

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and - er - " He noticed a raised hand. "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader," said Hermione.

"Harry's leader," said Cho at once, looking at Hermione as though she were mad.

Harry's stomach did yet another back-flip.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly,' said Hermione, unperturbed. "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So - everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Nico, along with everyone else, put up his hand up. Even Zacharias Smith, though he did it very half-heartedly.

"Er - right, thanks" said Harry, and Nico could see his face burning red."'And - what, Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name,' she said brightly, her hand still in the air. 'It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Angelina hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.

Nico thought both names sounded very tempting. But Hermione refused at once.

"We need a name that can allow us to refer to it without giving us away."

"The Defense Association?" said Cho. |The DA for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the DA's good,' said Ginny. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

There was a good deal of appreciative murmuring and laughter at this.

"All in favor of the DA?" said Hermione bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority - motion passed!"

She pinned the piece of parchment with all of their signatures on it on to the wall and wrote across the top in large letters:

DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY

"Right,"' said Harry, when she had sat down again, "shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful -"

"Oh, please," said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

Nico frowned. He was liking Zacharias less and less. He had that sort of I'm-too-good-to-do-this children of Ares kind of attitude.

"The way you say it, it's as if you dueled him," Nico snapped. Zacharias turned to him, scowling. "I never said-"

"Then shut up and let Harry complete a sentence for Olympus' sake." Zacharias frowned, but didn't argue anymore.

"OK," said Harry, looking slightly more nervous with all these eyes upon him, "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

Everyone started partnering with their friends. Nico ended up with Neville.

The room was suddenly full of shouts of Expelliarmus. Wands flew in all directions; missed spells hit books on shelves and sent them flying into the air.

"Expelliarmus!" Nico tried, pointing his wand at Neville. Neville's wand flew out of his hand...and flew straight at Nico's right eye. With his demigod reflexes, Nico managed to catch it before it blinded him.

"Oops?" Neville said, rubbing the back of his neck. Nico half-smiled and threw him back his wand.

They went back and forth this way until Neville finally managed to get the spell right, and Nico's wand jumped straight out of his palm.

"I DID IT!" Neville yelled triumphantly. "I ACTUALLY DID IT! I NEVER DID IT BEFORE!"

"Good job," Nico said, picking up his wand.

If he was being honest with himself, Nico was kind of glad Harry started with a simple spell. Nico had gotten poked by stray wands at least five or six times, and he was glad it was only a disarming spell, not something else.

A couple times, Harry would walk past them and start inspecting how the wand-work was going. Nico had to admit, it was better than all the Defense classes he'd had with that pink frog. Nico wondered how the Aphrodite Cabin would react to Dumbridge.

While distracted, Neville managed to make Nico's wand fly out of his hand again and rock off a foe-glass.

Neville looked at Nico apologetically. Nico shrugged. He went to retrieve his wand, but couldn't help a glance at the foe-glass. A figure floated inside it, someone Nico couldn't recognize. Nico squinted. It was a young man...He had black eyes, and red hair. Literally red- not red, like Fred and George. The sort of apple-crimson. His hair seemed to move and flicker like fire. He had a muscular built, Nico noticed. But his eyes were cold and uncaring.

Before Nico could notice anymore, he heard a loud, piercing whistle. It was Harry, announcing they were done with today's DA meeting.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

"So...it's all over?" Lou-Ellen said, doubtfully, staring Pallismera in the eyes. The daughter of Thanatos shrugged.

"I guess." She said. "Nico's not dying, so...I'm pretty sure it's all over."

Lou-Ellen frowned. She sat on her bunk and started glaring at the floor. It seemed impossible that after owrrying at this for almost two months, it was all going to be okay after all. Nico was not dying. That was really good. Great, even. But why, oh why, did Lou-Ellen feel like it was all far from done.

"Why do I still have a bad feeling about this?" Lou-Ellen muttered, looking up.

Pallismera exhaled. "Dunno. I just feel like...The Fates can't have just made things this easy, huh?"

Lou-Ellen snorted. "You bet. But he's okay now, right?"

Mera nodded. "Last I checked, yeah." She stood up again, then started dusting her cloak. Lou-Ellen knew that meant she was ready for dispersal.

"I wish you would tell me about this quest you're going on," Lou-Ellen groaned. "All you've told me is that you're stalking some shadow guy."

Pallismera shrugged. "I can't say anymore. I'm three days away from completing this stupid quest, anyway. Then maybe I can tell you. But for now, I'm incognito."

"Fine," Lou-Ellen grumbled. "Be that way. Now go dramatically descend into the shadows and swish your cloak or something."

Pallismera smirked at Lou-Ellen. "You know what?" she said, walking towards the darkness. "I like that idea. Not bad, Ellen." As Lou had suggested, Pallismera swished her cloak in a to-be dramatic way, and disappeared.

"You call me Ellen," Lou-Ellen muttered to no one in particular, "After two months of work." She rolled her eyes. Either Mera really was impossible, or she was just trying to support her 'drama-queen-exit'. Lou-Ellen liked the second option better.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

(P.S, should Lou-Ellen have a prophecy? It'll be related slightly to Nico's one, if yes)

Which insult to Voldemort do you prefer?

1) Voldy Von Vomitface

2) Moldyshorts

3) Moldywarts

4) Tom Riddle

None of these are original, but I don't know which one I'd prefer!

-We have something Voldemort doesn't have.

-What?

-Noses.