A/N enjoy
Chapter 4
Nico POV
As promised, the train left Kings Cross at exactly eleven o'clock. Before then we had got our cover story made up incase people came asking questions we didn't want to answer, so I got my phone out and out my earphones in and started listening to music. I shuffled my songs and Brain Damage by Pink Floyd was first up, I out my head back as the lyrics started.
the lunatic is on the grass, the lunatic is on the grass. Remembering games, daisy chains and laughs, got to keep the loonies on the path.
The lunatic is in the hall, the lunatics are in my hall the paper holds they're folded faces to the floor and every day the paper boy brings more
and if the dam breaks up many years too soon and if there is no room up on the hill. And if your head explodes without the bowlers tune, I'll see you on the dark side of the moon!
the lunatic is in my head, the lunatic is in my head-
damn, just as it was getting to the good bit some idiot decided to walk into our carriage, I looked up, expecting it to be some apologetic first year, shitting themselves about getting in the wrong compartment. Unfortunately, that was not the case, instead the boy from the platform was at our door, his look of utter bewilderment, replaced by an arrogant, smug face that I just wanted to punch until it really hurt.
"Can we help you?" I asked the boy dryly
"I was just wondering how the fuck you got onto the platform like that" He replied, "that was dark magic, appearing in the shadows out of nowhere, and neither of you are of age", I suppose he technically had a point
"Nico's father sent us" said Edwin, "we love in the states, see, he couldn't get away to see us off, he has an important job and an emergency arose, so he used a bit of dark magic to kind of apparate us here"
"My father has never seen such things before, and he knows about dark magic, and he's seen and used his fair share" returned the boy
"it's a secret taught only at the school he went to and where we went before he decided Hogwarts was a better bet that saved his pocket a bit, too"
there was silence for a few moments, I prayed that the boy would except this story. "And this... School, it reached dark magic?"
"Yes, but mr DiAngelo decided to teach us that himself, and send us to Hogwarts where my father went, Mycroft Campbell, you might know of him", gods, what would I have done without Edwin?
"Yes, a friend of my fathers, I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you", Edwin shook his hand
"I am Edwin Campbell and this is Nico DiAngelo, we're starting in second year after being at another school last year"
"well, welcome to Hogwarts" he gave us a half smile, "you'd better be in Slytherin, with your dark magic background you won't be trusted anywhere else, that's what everyone takes us for, evil little shit's who curse everyone close enough, but we're he survivors really. We have none of that brave stupidity of the Gryffindors, but get the job done just as well, better even because we have intelligence"
"pleasure to meet you, too", I added, "I hope we'll make a valuable addition to your house and that we can forget that mishap on the platform"
"sure", he replied, "see you in Slytherin," and he left the compartment and I breathed a sigh if relief that the questioning was over
"you know, these wizards aren't that bad after all", I said, plugging my earphones back in and pressing play once again to enjoy the English countryside flit past us.
I spent most of the rest of the journey listening to music, Draco came in again when his fellow Slytherins Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise fell asleep and he became bored of their snores. Needles to say he was quite skeptical but all the same fascinated by our iPhones, apparently magic compromises the use of electricity and wizards don't really need it while we made up some lie about American wizards having found a way round it. We then shared some life storied to the backing track of Black Veil Brides until the lady with the sweet trolley came round, waking Draco's friends and signalling lunch time.
The gods had given us a shit tonne of wizard money to keep up the appearance of two wealthy kids, so we had a pretty good feast of magical sweets and spent the rest of the journey trying not to act like three year-olds on red bull we were so hyper.
We went quite uninterrupted for the rest of this trip, only to be disturbed by a fellow second year with mousy hair asking us if we'd seen her friends who were apparently missing. We told her we hadn't (what did she think we were, a search team?) and she told us to get into our robes because we'd be arriving soon, at which point we managed to get rid of her, despite her obvious confusion about me being American.
The school robes were quite different to the casual ones that Hades had given me, they were just like school uniform really, except they had a black rope with a pocket inside for your wand. Unlike everyone else's robes, ours had a school badge on it, not house colours, but seeing as we weren't in houses yet that was to be expected - perhaps they would magically change when we were sorted, I mean it is a magic school after all.
Not too soon, we had to get off the train and head up to school. We walked off with Draco and his mates, who he introduced us to as Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Zabini Blaise. We were happily following the crowd to however we would get to the school (which was still quite a distance away - but still looked stunning) when a giant of a man came walking up with a lantern shouting
"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS THIS WAY"
"The first years get to school across the lake in boats," explained Blaise, "you might have to go with them"
wait - a lake, I really hoped we didn't have to go with the first years, I made to hide in the crowd with Edwin when a voice came from behind us
"Well, 'ello, you mus' be the transfer students startin' in secon' year", I turned to see the giant standing behind us with a warm smile on his face, despite his size he didn't look so intimidating up close
"err, yeah," I replied, hoping he wasn't going to insist we take the boats
"Great! welcome to Hogwarts, you'll be comin' in the boats wi' the firs' years" he gestured for us to follow him and we didn't have much choice, Draco mouthed 'good luck' to us before we were ushered to the shore to get in the boats.
When we got there there was a load of awe-struck kids sitting in boats, waiting to sail across the lake. But I wasn't looking at the boats, a bit further out some mermaids were looking at me, and they weren't pleased; as a son of Hades I'm not supposed to enter into Poseidon's domain. Before I could protest, he big man lifted be into the boat beside him and Edwin and we set sail, the mermaids in hot pursuit.
One close encounter later and a scared mermaid later, we moored in the boathouse and entered the castle for the first time, it was an amazing sight to behold, all the architecture, I couldn't help thinking how much Annabeth would love this place, I must send her pictures to make her jealous of her little cousin, although she'll probably be too busy snogging Percy to care about my magical adventures.
I sighed and focused on the present as we reached the top of the marble staircase, ready to enter the Great Hall. At the top of the stairs there was a severe looking woman in plain black robes, a witched hat and glasses. The giant told us to wait there and addressed her as 'Professor', she must be one of the teachers. Once we were all silent, the began to talk,
"Welcome to Hogwarts first years, I am Professor McGonagall, your deputy headmistress. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the great hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with them, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room.
"the four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has it's own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.
"The ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting", she finally finished talking and entered into the Great Hall behind the large doors, leaving us alone in the entrance hall. Edwin and myself checked our uniforms while we were waiting, I checked that my dagger was safely in my want pocket, a sword would be noticeable - particularly as the mist didn't work on wizards.
After a few minutes the woman returned and told us that they were ready for us, we filed into the hall in an orderly fashion. The hall was huge and very nicely decorated, there was five tables, four full of students (one for each house) and one at the head of the hall on a raised dais for the teachers, two seats were empty. All the students stopped talking and turned towards us, great, now we were the centre of attention.
A/N so I'm still managing to update regularly, it won't last but lets enjoy it while it does. every review, follow or favourite gets a free invisible cookie to enjoy ;)
- HermesCouncellor