"Hermione? Hermione? Hey, 'Mione, what in Merlin's wrong with you?" Ron said, waving a hand in front of Hermione's face.
The latter blinked several times them turned to Ron. The Trio were seated at the back of the History of Magic class, their first period, and Ron had been trying to get Hermione's attention for the past minute.
"What?" she said, confused. "Oh, sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me, honestly. Yes- what did you want to tell me?"
Harry sighed. "I told you that I was worried about Nico- remember? He said something about protecting Hogwarts- Professor Dumbledore even asked him to come with him. And he called him an ally of war. He said it would be too dangerous to stay here- what d'you think's up?"
Hermione frowned, as if trying really, really, really, hard to concentrate on something, which wasn't like her at all. "I don't know- well, Nico's school is trained in combat, isn't it? We know that. They might have sent him here to report about the war, maybe even help in it if need be, or maybe just to alert the older students that there's battle so they can know and come help us." Hermione said thoughtfully. "And of course, being an 'ally of war', with a Ministry like ours that doesn't even believe there's a war, they would think he came here to destabilize the Ministry, and it will probably end up being a huge political mess after that." she continued.
"Makes sense," Ron muttered. "But why'd you think they'd send a kid...If I didn't know better, I'd say Nico was a third year." He looked at Nico, who was sitting at the back of the classroom, arguing with Dean Thomas about something.
Hermione shrugged, then turned to stare at nothing again, which really wasn't like her- she paid attention in every class, even History of magic.
"Hermione, are you feeling all right?" Harry asked worriedly, but Hermione didn't respond. "Should you go to Madam Pomfrey?" That seemed to wake Hermione up a bit.
"No..I'm fine."
But Hermione was not fine. After History of Magic, they had Charms, and Hermione had graciously forgotten her wand, and claimed that she couldn't remember where she left it. Since they didn't exactly know where it was,Professor Flitwick suggested using a tracking charm before summoning it in case it was concealed beneath a hard surface. Hermione agreed, cast the charm (which was NEWT level, of course) and came back five minutes later, declaring to have found her wand in the girl's lavatory.
"How'd it get there?" Ron wondered. Hermione got a strange, dazed look on her face, as if trying very hard to remember something she just couldn't grasp.
"I don't know." she decided. "I don't even remember going to the loo, in fact." Ron and Harry were trying to revive Hermione's memory as they walked to Defense, but nothing could help her figure out why her wand was under a sink in the sixth-floor Girl's Bathroom.
The Trio settled in at Defense Against the Dark Arts, fully expecting the worst, when Harry gaped at someone at the end of the very back of the classroom.
"What's he doing here?" Harry hissed to his friends. "Nico never attends Defense. Never." And not only that- Nico was looking slightly pale- not as in, scared of something, but as if gone white from sick anticipation, which had Harry worrying even more. Even Neville, who had placed himself next to Nico (looking surprised at his presence, too) seemed concerned about his fellow Gryffindor's health. He struck up a conversation with him, which Nico was absentmindedly following.
"Well, considering Umbridge's the Headmistress now..." Hermione trailed off, as the big cheese herself strolled into the classroom, with a sick grin on her face that Harry knew brought trouble. He just couldn't tell what was worse- her staring at Nico, or Nico glaring at her defiantly. The entire class was tense, looking at the exchange between the two of them, but no one dared to interrupt the staring match between student and pink-toad, should they accidentally involve themselves in something they wouldn't find pleasant.
"Good Morning, class." said Umbridge, finally, breaking eye contact with Nico. The class drawled out a hollow greeting, with the exception of Nico, who remained dead silent.
"Today's lesson will be a tad more practical, you see." she smiled sickly at them.
The entire class gaped at her with wide eyes and stutters of disbelief. A practical Defense class? Harry was growing more and more suspicious by the second- and the sick satisfied smirk on Umbridge's face proved his uneasiness in its place. Umbridge held her hands behind her back and started pacing
"Throughout this year, we have been learning about safe Defense techniques and how to abide by the law by using them. But it has come to my notice, that we have not discussed the consequences of who do not follow the law that our Ministry puts up."
The class was silent as she paused for effect, and stopped pacing about. It was s silent that you could hear the rustling of the wind and the hitched breath of everyone- even the shuffling of a few nervous students in their seats was audible. Umbridge continued.
"Our Ministry takes extreme measures to ensure your safety, and I am very sorry to admit that there are some people who are not showing gratitude to our efforts. Your Headmaster, is a good example."
"Professor Dumbledore did everything to ensure our safety." growled Harry. The scar on his hand seemed to tingle- I must not tell lies. None of his friends knew this- but Umbridge had been giving Harry extra detentions, and when he had them alone, the quills actually did work.
"Like using you to form an army against the Ministry? Do you call that ensuring your safety, Potter?" she sneered.
"Professor Dumbledore- he-he-he didn't-"
"-know what is best for you." finished Umbridge. "We do. We take extreme measure- you may or may not approve of them now, but we assure you that it is for the best."
"What are you trying to do, now?" demanded Ron, glaring.
Umbridge only smiled in a direction- Harry turned to see she was looking at Nico, who was about five times paler than he usually was, but was still glaring at her.
Umbridge snapped her fingers- immediately, the door flew open. Drawlish and Kingsley emerged from the door, but with stern looks on their faces. Drawlish approached Nico, and Kingsley, in an attempt to keep his cover, followed unwillingly. Both men grabbed Nico by his arms- Harry could tell that by Nico's amazing reflexes, he would've have dodged them easily, but he didn't.
Hey gave an indignant, "Hey!", as the class was shocked in silence.
"Mr. Di Angelo,here," Umbridge said, strolling casually about as if she didn't notice two Aurors manhandling a student. "Is a fair example. When the Ministry detects danger- it exterminates it."
"WHAT?" Harry, Ron, Hermione, ad most of the class yelled in unison. Neville, backed away, but had a crazed look in his eyes, one Harry had never seen before.
"What's the meaning of this?" yelled Dean Thomas. "But 'im down! Nico didn't do anything!"
"He was a big part in plotting against the Ministry," said Umbridge calmly, with a mad look of glee on her face.
"HE WASN'T!" Seamus exploded. "WE WERE ALL PART OF IT! NICO WAS JUST AS INVOLVED AS ANY OF US!"
"I believe not." said Umbridge cheerfully- she was too happy to yell at him, or even take points from Gryffindor.
"Professor, what are you doing with him?" Parvati asked, her voice etched with fear. Nico himself, however, appeared to be calm, however annoyed and pale he was. Harry stood up abruptly, with so much force that his chair hit the floor.
"The right punishment." she smiled. "What every half-breed such as himself deserves. He poses a danger to all of you. This is for the best." Umbridge's smile grew and Kingsley and Drawlish shuffled, getting ready to move out, dragging Nico along.
"Half-breed? What in Merlin do you mean!"
"NO!" Half the class yelled.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
"LET HIM GO!" were shouted as loudly as possible, but Umbridge paid them no mind as the two Aurors pulled their classmate out of the class. The shadows started flickering-the lights were turning on and off, and a few desks had been overturned. Nico pulled his arms free of their grasp, glaring at the two Aurors so forcefully that they didn't attempt to hold him again.
Nico turned to his classmates. Harry had unconsciously drew his wand, along with (surprisingly) Neville, whose had was shaking, Hermione, and Ron. Dean Thomas and Seamus seemed like they were actually considering this idea.
Nico turned to his classmates at the last moment. He gave everyone with a wand in their had looks that clearly ordered them not to get themselves in trouble for something like this.
"I'll be back." he promised loudly enough for the entire class to hear- his words seemed to echo in every wizard and witch's mind- a confirmation that not matter what, Nico would always be coming back to Hogwarts.
His words from the night before replayed themselves in Harry's mind.
"I'll protect Hogwarts...Because...Because I feel like I have to."
The Aurors pushed Nico out of the classroom, leaving distraught students wondering about the fate of their classmate and friend.
It took a good five minutes after Nico's exit to get everyone to stop yelling curses, pointing wands, and destroying the class with accidental magic. It took quite a while to get everyone to sit, too, after having been convinced that they would only be digging Nico in deeper trouble, which none of them wanted. By the end of the day, the entire school knew about what had happened. Everyone was either scared, or outraged. Harry couldn't help but feel extremely sorry for the first-years. This was what their first experience in Hogwarts was like- the Headmaster going to god-knows-where, Dolores Umbridge taking over, and the last straw; a student probably shipped off to Azkaban. What would they think? DA members, and people from older years were absolutely out-raged with the news. Fred and George were especially devastated. Harry could hear them whispering and plotting something in the Gryffindor Common Room that night. They had unnaturally serious expressions on their faces, and mostly communicated with nods and looks, which made him even more flustered about what they were planning to do- he didn't what any of his friends getting in trouble any more. Ron and Hermione, and even Harry himself, talked less and cursed more, wishing they could do something. But they decided to wait- to trust Nico and wait for him. He said he would be back, and Harry had the strange feeling that he would. So they waited, and waited, and waited for Nico to come bolting into the Great Hall, and dramatically slamming the huge oak-doors, grabbing everyone's attention. They got more than they bargained for.
-O-
They threw Nico in Azkaban- without a trial. Dumbledore may have been given one because he was a well respected indivisual and Hogwarts' (ex-)Headmaster, but demigods like Nico were immediately guilty just because of what they were.
Well, he may have been given a trial...He honestly couldn't tell, because the dementors were sucking out all of his optmistic thoughts. Suddenly, everyone he loved was dead. The world was all black. Everyone he ever cared about was screaming, being tortured, and he could do nothing about it, because he was in Azkaban, locked in a cell without a trial. He wondered how long he'd been there- was it a year? A decade? Perhaps a century had gone. Had he grown a beard?
Nico had no way of knowing. All he knew was that he shouldn't have been there- he didn't do anything wrong, did he?
No...he did have a trial. It consisted of a lot of yelling, shouting, and arguing, and he remembered that he was barely allowed to finish a sentence. There were tall, stern-looking wizards, he remembered, including a slightly kind-face one named Madam Bones, who said Nico might as well have been thirteen. Then he remembered the Minister saying something, and the Wizengamot shutting up immediately...Then, he was...here. For days...for weeks. The dementors had sucked up all his optimism, and he knew he didn't have much of that in the first place- but he was still thinking, trying, and plotting ways to get out of there. It wasn't like he could actually plot prison-break, but he felt less hopeless trying.
Snap out of this, Nico. he scolded himself. Dementors are creatures of the Underworld...you control them, not the other way around.
He shakily got to his feet, trying to see if he could shadow-travel- but he was mentally too weak to even try. He was just about to slump on the floor and try to think of something else when he noticed something weird. The shadows near the walls were stranger- darker and thicker than they should have been. Nico frowned, remembering something he'd heard on Christmas...
Follow the shadows. This time, they will guide you.
He didn't know why he felt those words were so true, especially after their speaker slashed at him with a wand, but he could just tell-positively confirm in his mind, that that advice would somehow help him.
Nico inspected the unnaturally shaded area, moving his hand over it to see if that would darken the shadows, but instead- they did something even stranger. Nico's eyes widened as he witnessed the shadows dancing oddly, weaving their way higher accros the cold stone walls and twisting themselves, darkening until they became as dark as black ink, and moving beautifully to form words.
I am your guardian when all is dark,
When despair surrounds you I make my mark,
Pure light and delight is what had made I,
Just whisper and call me, into the night.
Nico only had to think about it for a few seconds- the answer was obvious, of course, but he couldn't help thinking it was too easy of an answer.
"Are you...a Patronus?" he whispered, struggling not to fall into despair again. The shadows turned and changed form again. But this time, a couple verses fading, leaving only one verse left.
Just whisper and call me, into the night.
But Nico didn't have his wand. Any hope left abandoning him, ico sighed deeply, wondering where he would be going from there.
Hecate? he tried to call in his mind. If you can hear me, then...I need help. Help me do wandless magic, will you? Please?
No response.
Nico sighed again. The shadows curled themselves into a fancier script, as if hinting at something.
Just whisper and call me, into the night.
Well, it was worth a try, wasn't it? Nico awkwardly raised his right hand- he closed his eyes, took a deep, hopefully calming breath, and let if out gradually.
"Expecto Patronum." he said dully, concentrating on his best memories. Nothing happened. Not even the tiniest silver wisp of smoke emerged. ico was frustrated.
Think, he told himself. Come on, you have to do this!
He thought of Umbridge- he thought about what she had nearly done to Harry, and what she would do to any of his friends if she stayed Headmistress. He even remember Filch the other day, running around wildly and kissing a paper that was apparently permission to literally whip students into shape. No. He couldn't let that happen.
"Expecto Patronum!" he half-yelled. A silver wolf burst of of the tip of his finger. Nico panted, feeling exhausted, but stood up and greeted his Patronus with a smile, thanking Hecate. His Patronus seemed very confused where to go, and which Dementor to charge first, but Nico didn't want that- that would attract too much attention he knew. "Lead me out of here," he whispered to his Patronus. The wolf gave a small wolf-ish howl of acceptance, and then, to Nico's surprise, it bolted toward the shadow-created letter, pacing around the area of the wall and ruffling its light-originated hair against the words as if to erase the words. The shadows took the shape of something- strange cylinder, Nico recognized. Then it started to change color- it turned a violent shade of auburn instead of shadow-black. The cylinder seemed to solidify, and then...
...it dropped onto Nico's lap, as solid as ever. Curiously, and thinking that nothing could honestly surprise him even more, he looked at his Patronus, which sided by him and gave a motion not unlike a shrug as if to say, 'Well...'
Nico touched the cylinder, and the top portion of it fell off, revealing a small interior with a letter stuffed inside. Curiously, and completely unaffected by the dementors now that his Patronus was beside him, Nico pulled it out of the cylinder. It read-
Keep this list with you no matter what- it will help you years from now.
Mauna Loa- The Sword of Hephaestus
Lacus lumine formas- The Javelin of Rhea
Nico frowned, slightly catching up with the Latin...The lake of Light-forms? Nico's Partronus nudged him. At first, he was distracted, but then, it clicked.
"The Lake of Patronuses?" ico whispered, slightly surprised. "Oh, well..." he continued reading the list.
Mt. Everest- The staff of Aeolus
Forges of the Underworld-Stygian Iron
Nico fingered that word, absently thinking of his sword.
-Presence of Four destroys what most should be.
Nico hurriedly stuffed the letter into his pocket, breathing heavily in excitement. Then, he looked curiously at the cylinder...but not too long, because he felt a tug, as if a hook was inserted into her collar-bone ad was pulling his through everywhere and nowhere, until he landed on the ground with a thud.
A portkey. A godsdamned portkey. Nico didn't know what would surprise him anymore, but he couldn't risk jinxing his luck. Nico made an effort to pull himself off the floor, and ended up thinking that he like the floor about ten times better than the scene that met his eyes-
Pallismera, the nineteen year-old daughter of Thanatos was slumped against a corner in what seemed to be a darker than the average dark cell (Nico could see through darkness, being a son of Hades ad all that, including the fact that he was in the cell). Her usually slick black platinum hair was darker and dirtier, and slightly longer. Her clothes, which were usually black and white, where a sick shade of red. The only thing that was perfectly unaffected was her trademark red cloak (AN: I know, I know. I said it was tattered. But I have a reason, be patient) which seemed like it was fresh out of the washing machine.
Her eyes were starting to blink open-Nico could see they were tired and bloody-shot. For a moment, there was only confusion in Mera's eyes- but then something else surfaced- terror. Fresh, concentrated terror.
She stood up abruptly, scaring Nico half out of his wits, and she gave a scream of protest, before her legs gave away.
"He sent you here." Mera whimpered, and Nico's declare that nothing in the world would surprise him anymore immediately vaporized.
"That's...that's it." Mera took off her red cloak, shocking Nico even further, and threw in onto the dirty cell-floor.
"For months," she cried. "I...I thought about it for months since I've been here. I won't let my emotions get in the way again. I won't!" she forced herself onto her feet, spat, and then stepped on the cloak as hard as she could.
"I'm sorry, Nico." she said, tears forming in her eyes. She fell to the floor, crawled into the corner, and hid her face in her crossed arms. Nico didn't know what to say- he didn't know what to do. Normally, he would have comforted anyone who needed it, but Mera was older, and...well, she didn't look like the kid to ever need comforting.
Nico looked at his feet, trying to decided what and and what not to do. He jumped when he realized he was bleeding- his shirt dark shirt was stained and wet and stuck to his chest. A few crimson droplets were hanging from him aviator jacket (which he had changed into since he didn't fancy wearing robes to a trial...too formal and respectful) Mera was still crying in the corner, and Nico's wound didn't hurt at all...That was unhealthy-he was getting way too many surprises in one year.
Ignoring the pain, or lack therof, he moved to try comforting Mera, but in that process, several drops of blood fell on the cloak, which Nico realized with yet another start, was now tattered and torn, unlike how it looked seconds ago. (AN: There! That's your explanation!)
Fusing with Nico's blood, the cloak shimmered, and disappeared. Mera raised her head all of a sudden, and Nico noticed it too- it was like a viel had been lifted away from the place, as if it hade became ten times brighter and the room was no longer dark.
Mera sniffed, and looked at Nico. "Can you shadow travel? Are you alright?"
Nico would have laughed had it not been a serious situation. He had somehow broken out of Azkaban, found a strange note in a cylinder which turned out to be a portkey and brought him to where Mera was. She was the one who was looking as though she had been tortured for months, and she was the one who had just broken down crying, yet she was asking him if he he was okay?
"I'm fine." he said, looking at his bleeding torso (which didn't even sting in the slightest) with a strange sort of fascination- what the Hades was going on?
"Good," Mera breathed, rubbing at her eyes. "I..I need to go do something. Will you be...?"
"I'll be all right. Will you?" Nico assured. He wanted to know where she was going- what was she going to do, even after her being hurt- what was so urgent that it needed her attention to that extent? But he didn't ask- Mera was mentally traumatized, and seemed to be desperate for something to an extent. He didn't pry because he shouldn't.
"I-I will be." she said. Her eyes hardened, and all former despair disappeared. Nico saw a crazed look in her eyes- a look of absolute coldness that he'd never seen on ehr face before.
"Stay safe." she pleaded as the shadows devoured her.
And as soon as she left, Nico felt stupid. His muscles relaxed, and threw himself backwards, laughing hollowly at Fate.
Tskia gave Nico some sort of curse wound. Nico got taken to Azkaban. Several weeks later, the shadows gave him a message. His patronus helped him unravel it, and he got another one of those mysterious you'll-know-later messages. The cylinder was a portkey. It transported Nico there- wherever they were. Mera was there- tormented and miserable. Nico's blood, from the curse wound that he'd gotten, which Tskia had given him, had undid some sort of spell or whatever that stopped them from shadow-travelling. Tskia had known this- he had known it all along, and had planned it bit by bit- he really did see the future. Now Mera was off to...gods know where. He was too exhausted to shadow travel, but he'd be damned if he stayed one more second there willingly.
ico lifted himself up, still laughing humorlessly, and wondering if things could be any more vague- the question was- who was an ally, and who was a foe? It seemed as thought things would never turn out easy in Nico's life.
If this works, Percy Nico thought. Then I owe you big time
Nico raised two fingers to his lips, put them in his mouth, and whistled loudly.
-The shadows around him rippled and moved, and he smiled, knowing it had worked. A dark figure emerged from the shadows, panting happily.
The figure licked Nico's face, probably noticing how exhausted he looked.
"Hey, Mrs. O'Leary." Nico said, as he hoisted himself onto the hellhound. Mrs. O'Leary jumped around gleefully, and this time, Nico laughed softly, with an actual amount of mirth as he held on tight. "Nice to see you too, girl. Let's go- I hope you don't mind shadow-travelling to Scotland."
I surprised myself after finishing this...like, really. So, I'm going to have to ask you guys for twenty reviews- hey, I bet my friend that I'd have 280 r. by the end of this (on a packet of Cheetos..Have some sympathy!) And by the looks of this, I'm going to be done with this story after like, two mega-chapters, which I can totally write! I'm so proud of myself! And I really should thank you guys for most of this- I appreciate it! When I couldn't find even ONE complete Nico-goes-to-HG. fanfic, or a complete one that includes Norse Gods, which is really freaking confusing, I decided I'd write one, ad swore I'd finish it. We're closing the end of year 5, and I'll be writing year six before you can recite the dictionary by heart! YAAAAYY!
As for the stuff in the cylinder- well, lake of Patronuses= water (kinda), Mauna Loa= Fire, Mt. Everest= air, and Forges of the Underworld= land (well, DUH!) I added all the elements of Nature and all that.
So...I have an important question to ask you guys- on a scale of one to ten, how good or bad are my OCs? I'm just asking, because I notice many stories suck if the OCs are too invovled/Mary-Sue-ish, and I'm asking so I can correct myself if my characters are any of the mentioned... Thanks!
RR.
Princess Of Flames: DOUBLE SHOUT OUT! You, my friend, are very talented in the area of insulting dark lords who have killed plenty of people- I congratulate you on this!
MarissaTodd: I have a question...are you related to Jason Todd- like, Red Hood? No? Okay...yeah, hope you got your answer!
HowlingRain: Oh, Nico's not going to use that cry in battle...even thought it's called a Battle-Cry, but whatever. I think Hot Sauce Valdez would have fit you more if you knew the plot. *cough* *cough* Mauna Loa is *cough* *cough* a *cough* *cough* a volcano. Although Leo running at someone with a flaming sledgehammer and yelling TEAM LEO is a pretty cool mental image...I think I'll squeeze that into my plot!
P. Percabeth Rules: Oh, don't worry! Year 6 and 7 will be up in my usual update time! I already have my plots set up, so you won't wait long!
Happybear: Indeed!
Matt: Well, the author said the fic. was supposed to be funny..and crack. It's kind of disturbing, though, really, because Voldy is seventy four and Nico is, what, a teen? So I can politely ask this author to please delete the story because I have a feeling him/her wouldn't respond well if I started insulting him/her.
DOD: Your welcome :). I always thought of Nico as a Gryffindor, too. People keep sorting him in Slytherin because he's a Son of Hades, and that's a prejudice. I'm not a Gryffindor myself, really, I'm a Ravenclaw (AND PROUD!), so it's not like I'm favoring the house of anything.
SenkoHasegawa: 7000 words chapter not long...Fine, then, I'll double my efforts! :D So, did you predict anything that happened in this chappie?
WinterLover: I have no idea why, but I always find your reviews amusing. Really- you're cool, WL.!