Arrival of the Ghost King [PJO x HP]

XX: "Leo" Forges a Birth Certificate

"Er," Nico said, for the fourth time in five minutes. "I don't go to the boarding school," he said, referring to Hogwarts.

"So you're homeschooled? I've always been interested in how wizards decide how to educate their children," Hermione said. She would've inquired more, but then she remembered about Katie Bell, and felt guilty for focusing on some random stranger rather than Katie.

Harry, who was also worried about Katie and the necklace, cleared his throat. "We'd better get going."

Nico nodded. "Me too."

Hermione used her wand to carefully levitate the necklace into the air, since she was afraid to touch it, and the three made their way back to the castle, with the necklace bobbing behind them like some sort of evil jeweled pet.

In an ordinary world, that would've been the first and last time Harry, Ron and Hermione would have seen Nico, and the first and last time Nico would have seen Harry, Ron and Hermione.

But they didn't live in an ordinary world, and so they met again soon enough.

It was only a few days after the incident of Katie Bell. Rumors spread like wildfire, and Harry was forced to bring Dean Thomas (his unofficial but much hated enemy) onto the Quidditch team to replace Katie while she was in the hospital wing. Life went on, after all.

Harry and Hermione were walking to the Three Broomsticks. Ron refused to come because Ginny and Dean were certainly there too, and that meant lots of snogging, something that Ron didn't want to see. Harry didn't want to see Dean snogging Ginny either, but he wanted to support Hermione with having to deal with the whole Cormac McLaggen ordeal, and it would be easier to do that in a place that Ron avoided like the plague.

The two of them took a seat and ordered their drinks. Hermione ranted about a variety of topics like exams, McLaggen, Lavender's clinginess to Ron (Harry joined Hermione in her ranting for that one) and Harry did his best to pay attention and offer comfort while ignoring Dean and Ginny, who were at one of the back tables.

Hermione paused when she saw that their waiter was coming towards them.

"Sorry about the delay," the waiter apologized. "My coworker has your drinks- LEO, CAN YOU BRING 'EM OVER?"

"Coming!" yelled a slightly annoyed voice from the kitchens. Harry, Hermione, and the waiter watched as "Leo" exited the kitchens with the two butterbeers in his hands.

"Sorry, he's new. I'm tryin' to teach him the ropes," the waiter muttered to Harry and Hermione.

"Leo" stumbled towards his coworker, unaware that the butterbeers that he was holding belonged to Harry and Hermione. He didn't even notice them until he was right at their tables.

"There ya go," his coworker said. "Now give it to 'em."

"I know how to give someone a beer," "Leo" muttered angrily. "Here," he said to Harry and Hermione in a more civil tone, and slid the glasses in front of them.

"Thank you- hey, you aren't of age!" Hermione exclaimed. The dark-haired boy who served her drinks looked barely older than fourteen. You can't work at an establishment unless you are of age!" Hermione said, scandalized.

"I am of age," "Leo" said to her in a clipped tone.

"We met you the other day," Harry said, although he was thinking "met" was a strong word. He didn't even know the name of the guy (who he called "thin-jacket boy" in his head) until the waiter called him Leo. "You said that you're currently homeschooled. That means you're still of school-age, which isn't enough to be of age."

"I was homeschooled. I already finished my home education back in May," Leo (who was actually Nico) said. "I have a birth certificate." (Nico/Leo forged the birth certificate.)

"He does have one," the waiter confirmed. Both Harry and Hermione turned pink with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for assuming," Hermione said. "Thanks for the drinks."

"I'm mistaken for being younger than I really am all the time. You paying attention to drinking age makes our job a lot easier. I'm grateful for that," Nico/Leo said, giving her a small but charming smile.

"Thanks. 'S you around, I guess," Harry said awkwardly.

Nico/Leo and his coworker left, and Hermione smiled.

"Why're you smiling?" Harry asked. "You don't have a crush on him like Ron has on that barista?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Hermione blinked, surprised. "What? No, I'm just glad somebody's following the rules around here! Drinking underage is illegal for a reason, Harry. It can stunt brain growth, and adolescents can do stupid things while drunk."

1438 words.

I brought out my copy of the Half-Blood Prince for this chapter, but it doesn't follow the details very well. You probably know that Hermione didn't levitate the necklace back to the school: one of the teachers did. Also, I'm a bit fuzzy on the arguments going on between the golden trio at this time in cannon (Harry vs Hermione and Ron about the Half-Blood Prince, and Ron and Hermione's row).

why the hades is nico working as a bartender in the three broomsticks? stay tuned to find out.

psa about drinking underage is brought to you by hermione: just don't do it.