He Who Walks Between Worlds

Pity Party for Nico

Beginning Notes

Warnings: Bullying

All characters are owned by J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan.

Nico

The moment Nico stepped out of Slytherin Common Room next morning, he was accosted by Ginny. "Good morning."

He glared at her. "Those two words should not be in the same sentence."

"Don't be such a grump. We're going to Hogsmeade tomorrow!"

"Yeah, what's that like?"

Ginny showered him with details and description of the village just off Hogwarts grounds as they walked to the Grand Hall and ate breakfast. Nico was pleasantly surprised to see Hermione with them instead of with Harry and Ron. He wondered if it had anything to do with the events of last night. 

"Hi, Hermione."

"Hi! You haven't spoken to Ron and Harry recently, have you?"

"Yeah, I have."

Hermione's face fell. "They didn't say anything impolite, did they?"

Nico shrugged. "They just wanted to know why I was seeing Dumbledore."

Hermione stared at him for a moment, before sighing. "Don't take anything they say to heart, kay? Harry's been going through a lot lately, and Ron's, well, Ron."

Nico wasn't sure that being yourself was an excuse for being mean, but he gave Hermione a half-smile and said. "Sure. I understand."

She smiled gratefully at him. "Great! Since I'm not talking to them until they stop being prats, do you mind if I join you guys for Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

"Why are you asking me?" Nico asked. "If I say something, Ginny will say the opposite just to bug me."

Ginny stuck her tongue out. "You can come, Hermione."

"I like how she's not even denying it," Michael said. 

"Hey Hermione," Nico said. "Can we talk after breakfast? I want to ask you something."

"Sure," Hermione said. "What about?"

"Oh, just some homework I was having trouble with."

Ginny, who had been taking an interest in the conversation up to this point snorted. "Honestly, you four. All you think about is school."

"And all you think about is quidditch," Michael said.

Nico ate his breakfast and listened to them bicker amiably. After breakfast, the friends went their separate ways. Nico pulled Hermione aside.

"What were you having trouble with?" Hermione asked.

"It's not actually about homework," Nico said. "It's about Harry. Last night, when I saw him, he had a cloak. It seemed a bit off to me. You don't happen to know what it is, do you?"

Hermione looked torn. "I'm not sure if he'd like me telling you," she said thoughtfully, "but you're in the Order. It can't hurt for you to know. It's an invisibility cloak."

"An invisibility cloak," Nico repeated. It didn't seem quite right. If he recalled correctly, and he was pretty sure that he did, invisibility cloaks were just normal cloaks with invisibility spells cast on them. This had had a definite air of death. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. They -- well, we -- use it all the time. It was Harry's father's."

"And it still works? I thought a lot of magic items became less magical over time."