The Ghosts of Millennia

Alecto Has a Stick Up Her Ass

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Nico, Thalia, and Rachel travel to the Lotus Hotel and Casino. Annabeth, Ron, Hermione, and Cho speak with the Bloody Baron.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence
Word Count: 4135

I will get to answering all the comments today; I've just been so busy.

We're going to finish either tomorrow or Wednesday. It depends how much time I have because I need to rewrite parts of the final chapter. Obviously you'll know tomorrow what's going to happen.

I also have a major announcement tomorrow, so stay tune!

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

Credits at the end.

____________________HERMIONE____________________

Hermione regretted it the moment Cho apparated them to Hogsmeade. Some other form of transport would delay the inevitable. She'd have time to prepare.

Hogsmeade didn't exist anymore. It was nothing but a battleground, full of the charred remains of buildings, some of them still smoldering. Stray wands cluttered the ground like fallen tree branches.

"Who do you think won?" Ron asked to break the morbid silence.

"No one," Cho said gently. "There's been riots all over the Wizarding World."

Hermione took a shaky breath, then grounded herself and said, "No, this was a battle, Cho, but not between Hecate and Hades. Ministry loyalists are fighting Percy's defendants. We're in the middle of a civil war." Hermione gave herself another moment before continuing. "It won't be long until both sides find leaders and organize into an army. You know muggle history, too--that's how this always goes. Hecate and Merlin knew it. We're their only hope."

"You can't think like that," Annabeth said. "You're this land's only hope, but not Hecate's. She'll see the other side of this no matter what. You can't finish a quest in any god's name; you have to do it for yourself."

Hermione looked at a pair of legs buried beneath the rubble of Honeyduke's. The ends of their robe fluttered in a sickening breeze.

"Let's find the Bloody Baron, then."

She barely felt the chill in the air as the three of them walked to the Hogwarts grounds. The only moment they stopped was when they reached a ridge with two cliffs, one slightly higher than the other, and a valley in the middle. Grass had grown over wand marks, and light snow covered any cracks in the earth. It could've been any other spot on the grounds.

"What is it?" Cho asked.

"You don't remember," Hermione realized. "I forgot, the Ministry wiped everyone's memories. This is where the battle was. Nico di Angelo killed Riddle right over there." She pointed to the far cliff, where Lord Voldemort once stood at the head of a grand army.

"Come on," Ron urged, steering Hermione away from all the bad memories. It was hard to turn her back on the valley.

Hogwarts was deserted. That was to be expected since Hogwarts was out for Christmas holiday.

Harry would've been here.

The thought was enough to bring tears to her eyes, but the time for grief was passed. She swallowed the lump in her throat and marched on with Annabeth, Ron, and Cho.