When Demigods Mix with Magic

8. Women Wearing Pink are More Evil than we Thought

{-} Hermione {-}

Hermione poured some coffee in her cup.

She was in a good mood this morning, the hats she knitted were gone, which meant the house-elves had taken them.

"What are you so happy about?" Ron asked her as he took a big bite from his toast.

"The hats have gone. Seems the house-elves do want freedom after all," she told them in a I-told-you-so way.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Ron told her cuttingly. "They might not count as clothes. They didn't look anything like hats to me. More like wooly bladders."

He glanced at Harry to check if he agreed with him but he was so deep in thought that he didn't even realise.

"Harry!" he said trying to get his friend's attention.

Harry faced them as if Ron didn't say anything at all. "Didn't Nico say something about the ghosts annoying him when we were spying on them?"

Here we go again, Hermione thought.

"Let go of the Americans, Harry," Hermione said. "They're not causing any trouble till now. Anyway, Dumbledore would know that they're up to something. Why would he let them in Hogwarts in the first place, if he knew that they were of danger to other students?"

Harry looked like that he was still not reassured with what Hermione just told him.

"I'm still going to check," he insisted. "Hey Nick, come over here for a moment!" he called to the Gryffindor ghost.

Nearly Headless Nick stopped chatting with Ginny when he heard Harry. He drifted towards them cheerfully.

"Nick, do you know about Nico di Angelo, he's in Slytherin," Harry asked him, glaring at Hermione who was about to protest.

The ghost froze, his cheerful look changed to a one of fear. "Y-yes I do know him," Nick stammered. "The princ- I mean the boy talked to me once."

Hermione frowned. Was he just going to call Nico a prince?

"What did he talk to you about?" Ron asked him, now curious.

"You should ask him yourself," Nick rushed, trying to find an opportunity to escape. "I should go now, goodbye!" The spectre vanished.

"Nick, wait!" Harry called. But Nearly-Headless Nick did not appear again.

Harry groaned. "Thanks for nothing."

"Actually he did help," Hermione pointed out. "Nick almost called Nico a prince."

Ron nodded. "That was weird."

"But that makes no sense at all!" Harry said. "Nico can't be the prince of ghosts, can he? That would be messed up."

Hermione tapped her teaspoon on the table in concentration, trying to think.

"If Nick said that Nico is a prince then his father might be a king, too."

Ron snapped his fingers. "And Percy and Jason's fathers must be something special, too, that's why they were both so secretive."

Hermione took a sip from her coffee, which had now turned quite cold.

"During Potions Nico and Piper looked like they neve did a potion before, although I'm pretty sure they learn how to make potions in Ilvermorny. Actually, thinking about it, the Americans are horrible in other classes too," she said.

Ron nodded. "Jason didn't even know what he had to do with his cauldron."

Harry frowned. "But unlike your partners Percy was a natural at Potions. He didn't even have to look at the instructions."