The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Raiders of the Lost Cup

"Well, then, how are we supposed to find the cup?!" Percy called back.

Annabeth turned the corner, sprinting to meet the other two. "Just stand still, and don't move. Don't touch anything. If you see something, point it out to me and I'll make sure it's the right one. We can't pick up every cup we see, or we'll end up dying."

"But, we can't see everything from where we're standing," Percy pointed out.

"Then-- then just walk around, but be careful! And call me over if you see anything!"

It was hard, slow work, but Nico finally found his way around the cavern, squinting in the dim light. He noticed a long shelf, with rows of treasure on top. They looked the right size, but he couldn't make it out.

"Percy!" Nico called. Percy inched towards Nico, the light growing until Nico could see the shelf clearly. "It's here! I can see it! Annabeth!"

Annabeth scampered to where Nico and Percy stood, creating a wide berth between her and all the gold. Her grey eyes followed Nico's pointed finger, then her face brightened. "That's it!"

"How are we supposed to get up there without touching anything?" Percy asked.

"Use your sword," Annabeth suggested. "I think the spells are only activated by human contact."

Percy nudged a stack of gold coins with Riptide. Nothing happened. He reached up, trying to hook one of the handles around Riptide's blade tip, but the shelf was too high.

Percy grunted in frustration, and lowered his sword. "What do we do now?" he asked.

With the precision only found in an architect child of Athena, Annabeth threw her drakon bone sword straight at the shelf above. It hit at a perfect angle, the impact causing the cup to fall to Earth, the blade tumbling after. Nico reached up and caught them both, grunting in pain at the boiling metal. More fake cups littered the floor, but Annabeth took the cup by the tip of her sword, holding it aloft.

"That, seaweed brain. We do that."

"Ow... thanks, Annabeth," Nico said. Now both of his hands were injured. "Let's get going before we're caught.

Percy and Annabeth grabbed Nico's shoulders, since both his hands were throbbing. Nico ran towards the nearest wall, then shadow traveled back to the entrance hall of Hogwarts. From the noise coming from the Great Hall, Nico assumed it was dinnertime.

"I'm starving," Percy said. "Let's get something to eat."

"Let's go quick," Nico agreed. "Then I'll get my hands checked by Madam Pomfrey."

"I'd better put the horcruxes in my trunk," Annabeth replied. "I'll meet you there." Then, she headed towards the staircase to the Ravenclaw common room. Percy and Nico walked into the Great Hall, just as Hedwig delivered a letter to her master.

____________________HARRY____________________

Harry read the message over and over again, anger boiling in his stomach. "What do you mean, you lost him?!" Harry muttered under his breath, so only Ron and Hermione could hear. "He's just a student, Tonks! You're an Auror, in the bloody Order of--"

"Harry, stop before someone hears you!" Hermione warned, her voice a whisper.

"I can't take this!" Harry whispered violently. "Every time we think we have di Angelo, he somehow gets off scot-free! It's--"

"Awful, mate, I know, but Hermione's right," Ron said.

At that moment, Jackson and di Angelo strolled into the Great Hall, greeting friends with grins and waves. It made Harry's blood boil and his hair stand on end. Who comes back from a dangerous mission for their master and jokes like nothing happened?! Why wouldn't di Angelo act suspiciously, like he had on the train, so everyone could see he was hiding something?! Why wouldn't he show his true colors?! He could tell Ron and Hermione felt the same way, but no one else seemed to even realize anything had happened. Harry even glanced at Umbridge; she was reading a piece of parchment and frowning, then glancing at Jackson and di Angelo. Harry hated himself for half-hoping she would get them expelled, for rooting for Umbridge... but di Angelo was the bigger threat.

"We have potions with him tomorrow, Harry. We'll get him then," Ron assured him.

Harry watched as Jackson sat beside the twins, who greeted him cheerfully. He listened as Jackson made up some bullshit story about going home for the weekend and visiting his mom in New York with the others, explaining various scratches and bruises to a skateboarding accident. Fred and George ate up every word, only asking what skateboarding was. Back at the Slytherin table, di Angelo chatted with his Slytherin friends, no doubt telling them the exact same lie.

"You're right," Harry whispered back to Ron. "We'll get him tomorrow."