He Who Walks Between Worlds

Time to Put on Your Big-Boy Pants

Beginning Notes

Content notes: descriptions of physical violence, lots of swearing

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

Harry

The Owlery was beautiful in the sunset. The windows gleamed red and cast pink and gold shadows of light on the floor. The owls were just waking up, and were hooting sleepily, as one might do if one was an owl waking from a nice dream. He spotted Hedwig on a high roost. Her white feathers were dappled pink and yellow. 

"Getdown here, I've got a letter for you."With a low hoot she stretched her great white wings and soared down on to his shoulder. He gave her the letter he had written to Sirius. His scar had been hurting, and he wanted to ask Sirius for advice. Plus Hagrid still wasn't back, and there was Umbridge and the DA. At the last moment, he decided to ask about Nico. Sirius was more likely to take him seriously than the other members of the Order. He took out his letter: 

Dear Snuffles, 

We've got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge. She's nearly as nice as your mum. I'm writing because that thing I wrote to you about last summer happened again last night when I was doing a detention with Umbridge. 

We're all missing our biggest friend, we hope he'll be back soon.  

Please write back quickly. 

Best,

Harry

and added a postscript:

P. S. I'm curious about our newest friend. He seems rather advanced for his age. He's been a bit secretive about his father.

Satisfied, he gave the letter to Hedwig. "Right, I know this says Snuffles on the outside," he told her, giving her the letter to clasp in her beak and, without knowing exactly why, whispering, "but it's for Sirius, okay?" 

She blinked her amber eyes once and he took that to mean that she understood. 

"Safe flight, then," said Harry and he carried her to one of the windows; with a moment'spressure on his arm, Hedwig took off. 

He watched her until shebecame a tiny black speck and vanished, then  let his gaze wander.The treetops of the Forbidden Forest swayed in a light breeze. Harry watched them, savoringthe fresh air on his face, thinking about Quidditch later... then he saw it. Nico di Angelo was exiting the Forbidden Forest with Luna Lovegood and Michael Corner, who was bleeding? What had happened in the forest? Harry headed down to see.

Nico

Nico should have noticed the hellhound before he did. Yes, he had been a bit busy digging, but that was no excuse to be careless. As it was, he barely had time to drop the shovel and draw his sword before it pounced. He ducked under it, rolling forward. He sprang to his feet as it wheeled around and slashed at its leg. It yelped in pain, but lunged at him again. He was already dodging. As it passed him, he stabbed it in the side. He was too late though, and just got a glancing blow near its tail. It fled into the brush, and he pursued it. Now that he wasn't fighting for his life, he could probably banish it back to the Underworld, but he hadn't had a good monster fight in a while.