We have a presentation of abilities
NICO: Hermione, Ron, and I sat around Harry's bed in concern. Madam Pomfrey said he should be awake by now.
"Maybe he's just tired," Hermione offered. "He's had a long couple of weeks. It's only natural that he'd stay unconscious a little longer than expected."
"What if the person struck a bad place and he has brain damage or something?" Ron worried. Hermione glared at him.
"Very reassuring, Ronald," Hermione shot.
"Or maybe," Harry coughed. "I've been kept up by my stupid ginger roommate's endless snoring and this is my recovery from it. You sound like a dying pig, Ron." Harry sat up with a tired smile. Relief flooded the room.
"You're okay!" Hermione announced. "Thank goodness."
"Bloody Hell, don't scare us like that again. Next time you decide to get the crap beaten out of you by someone, don't stay unconscious for so long!" Ron jokingly lectured. Harry glanced at me.
"Please, contain your excitement, Di Angelo."
I pumped a fist in the air and said, "yay" in a monotone voice. Harry laughed.
"Help me up, would you?" He asked.
Ron and I stood on either side of Harry, supporting his weight as he walked.
"You both realize that he can walk perfectly fine, right?" Hermione pointed out.
Ron as I both glared at Harry.
"What? I just wanted to see how far you two would take the whole nursing me back to health thing. I only got punched a couple of times! It's not like I was stabbed," he laughed.
"Harry, Pomfrey said you broke your nose, jaw, a few fingers, and that you had a severe concussion. That's more than a couple punches," Ron had a valid point.
"What can I say? Malfoy isn't as weak as he looks," Harry shrugged.
Hermione gasped.
"It was Draco? That little weasel!" She shouted.
"Who'd you think it was?" He asked. Harry recalled the story to us, how Piper had came in at the last second to save the day.
"I figured she would have ratted him out!" Harry exclaimed.
"She didn't," I said. They looked at me now. "Piper told me what happened. She didn't tell any professors...practically let him get away scot free. But after what happened at the black lake, she may finally be convinced that Draco is scum."
"What happened at the black lake?" The three of them asked me in unison. I summarized to them the events that had unfolded.
"They all know each other now," I explained. "Also, we found our last victim: Percy Jackson."
"He's a Gryffindor, isn't he?" Ron asked. "Never talked to him much, seemed a bit annoying."
"That describes most of the men in our house, unfortunately," Hermione mumbled.
"Wait, so Malfoy punched you in the nose too? You have no right to tease me!" Harry exclaimed.
"Anyway, they're all meeting in the room of requirement tonight. I wanted to see if you were up for it," I said. "Since you can make stupid comments like that, I'm assuming you're back to you're normal self."
"Good luck then," Hermione said. Her and Ron smiled, encouragingly.
"Yeah, I hope you two figure all of this out," Ron added. Him and Hermione started to leave the hospital wing.
"Wait!" Harry announced. "You two have been through everything with me! Don't think you're getting out of this. Nico and I are too stupid to figure this all out on our own! We need you, Hermione. Also, I don't know these people! They could be as boring as Di Angelo. I need you there, Ron, so I don't get bored to death!"
Ron and Hermione smiled with anticipation.
"We thought you'd never ask," said Hermione.
"It's about time," Ron added.
They both happily joined us on our way to the room of requirement. I'll admit that I partially envied the friendship these three had. They always seemed to know each other's thoughts. I longed to share that sense of understanding with somebody. They made me feel even lonelier and lost at Hogwarts than I already was.
"We're here," I announced.
"You can do the honors, Nico. Since my last room of requirement experience didn't go so well," Harry pointed out.
I paced for a few moments, imagining a place that only us, along with the others could access. We needed a place that would suit all of our needs and hopefully provide some new answers as well.
The door appeared and we piled inside. Hermione and Ron watched in awe at the door vanished behind us.
"Uh, hey," Piper McClean had beat us to it. She stood in the center of the room looking quite uncomfortable. Immediately, she approached Harry.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said. Her expression looked desperate, an expression I had never imagined to see on Piper's face. I knew she felt guilty, like had happened to Harry was her fault.
"Thanks," Harry shrugged. "I've faced a lot worse, believe me."
Piper then glanced to me.
"I'm surprised you showed up," I spoke in an undertone. It was true, I was sure she would blow us off for something better. I shouldn't have doubted Piper McClean.
"What can I say? I needed some time for self-discovery and all that. I was sick of people telling me what they thought I should want and who they thought I should be. I decided in the end that I would just do what I best at, making decisions for myself," Piper summarized. "I made the decision to approach Draco and tell him I no longer wished to go to the dance to him. But Leo Valdez saw me talking to him and he dragged me away before I could do it. After the Quidditch match, I was searching for Draco to deliver the news and I found him bullying our lot. That was enough to push me to speak to Snape about Draco's actions. After Snape didn't do anything about it, I went to McGonagall. Now Draco had a detention every night for the next three weeks and he isn't allowed to go to the ball."
Piper stuck her nose in the air.
"Care to comment against my actions now, Nico? Trust me, I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it," she finished. I couldn't help but smile.
"Took you long enough, McClean," I said. She rolled her eyes.
"Shut it, Di Angelo."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron helped us set up.
The hand on the clock hand was reaching, slowly but surely, towards the number eight. Leo would be the first to arrive. We had requested that the room appear to those we welcomed, so shortly the door would be opened.
After all of the chairs were set up, Hermione, Harry, and Ron took their seats. Piper sat beside Harry, expecting me to take a seat beside her Instead, I paced around the circle of chairs.
"Nervous?" I asked. He shot me a glare.
"We hardly know anything about these people other than the fact that like us, they don't belong at Hogwarts. How do we know whether we're all allies or enemies? What if none of them bother to show?" I was expressionless, as I often was. The only thing giving away my feelings were the way I continued to drum my fingers together; and of course, the pacing.
"We don't know," she admitted. "Think of it this way: if we never have this meeting, how are we going to find out? If we don't do this now, that means we'll only have a longer time to determine whether or not they're our friends or foes. Instead of asking, 'what if,' just save yourself the words; take initiative and find out for yourself."
I stared at her.
"You're simply overflowing with inspiration today aren't you, McClean?"
The door to the room of requirement reappeared. The handle turned and Leo Valdez entered the room. He glanced back and forth from Piper to me.
"We agreed that the Slytherins involved in this would show at 8:30," Leo said. "I assumed you two would already be here."
We waited for fifteen more minutes before the door opened again. Jason and Percy stepped in, taking a moment to catch their breath.
"We—nearly—got caught—by Filch," Percy explained. Both of them looked rather winded. I could only assume that they had sprinted here. Hermione and Ron invited them to sit. Harry brought out a notebook and I assumed he checked off their names, along with mine and Piper's.
"Who's coming next?" Harry asked.
Percy answered.
"When Annabeth gave us instructions, she requested that the Hufflepuffs show up at nine. That's Will, Frank, and Hazel."
Harry glanced at me.
"Will, huh?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow. I could feel Piper's smirk from across the room.
"Yes, Will." I recalled how this morning I had let slip to Harry when we were flying at the Quidditch pitch today that I had kissed Will. I knew he'd tease me endlessly.
"Excited for that, I'd imagine." Harry said. I rolled my eyes.
Piper laughed in the corner.
"Nico's got his first kiss and you haven't!" Piper teased. "Harry Potter, you're famous in these parts, yet Nico anti-social Di Angelo managed to snog before you!"
I felt my face reddening, though mine probably wasn't as bad as Harry's.
"We didn't snog!" I protested. Jason, Percy, and Leo watched this conversation with confusion in the background.
"How'd you know I haven't kissed anyone?" Harry asked.
"Please, desperation seeps from your pores, you hormonal teenage boy," Piper joked. Harry glanced at me for support.
"You don't think I'm desperate, do you?" Harry asked.
"Sounds like something a desperate person would ask," I pointed out, hoping to move the conversation away from me. It worked. Piper and Harry continued to tease each other until the door reappeared once more.
"Hello, all," Hazel was the first to step in, followed by Will. Frank was last. The door vanished once more.
Hazel and Will took their seats beside each other. Leo was beside Piper; Harry, beside Ron and Hermione; and Frank sat away from them all by himself. He looked quite uncomfortable. I couldn't help but notice Hazel shooting him an occasional glare.
Fifteen minutes of awkward silence later, the door opened for a last time and Annabeth stepped in.
"Hey," she greeted. Hazel and Will waved her over. She took a seat beside them.
There they all were. Jason, Percy, Piper, Annabeth, Will, Hazel, Frank, and Leo.
Jason beside Percy, Percy beside Leo, Leo beside Piper, Piper beside Frank, Frank beside Annabeth, Annabeth beside Hazel, and Hazel beside Will. Though they all sat together, they continued to talk away in their little groups. I couldn't help but notice Frank looked quite uncomfortable.
"Okay," I stepped forward into the center of the circle of chairs. All of their eyes were on me now and their conversations closed. Suddenly, I was nervous.
"Uh...so, we're all here because we're all a part of something. We're here to figure out what that something is. Most of us have either started having visions recently, have discovered a secret power, or both."
I paused.
"Well, all of us apart from Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Hermione and Ron are here for moral support." Ron and Hermione waved. "As for Harry, he's only had a few of the visions that I've had. Apart from that, him and I agree that he is in fact living his own life."
"Unfortunately," Harry mumbled. "I'd love to wake up in somebody else's life."
"Anyway," I continued. "Before we begin, I've noticed something. Some of you don't seem to get along, which is unfortunate, given the fact that we all are probably in great danger. We can't be fighting amongst ourselves."
Most of the eyes fell upon Will, Hazel, Annabeth, and Frank. Annabeth spoke up.
"Hazel is convinced that Frank spilled a secret about Will that he didn't exactly want to spread throughout the school. Hazel is angry with Frank because she's a loyal friend to Will. Will is annoyed with everybody, as usual. As for me," she glanced at Frank. "I believe Frank. I don't think he did it." She admitted. Hazel looked surprised.
"You're taking Frank's side?" Hazel asked. "Annabeth, Frank is the only person Will told."
"For the record," Will spoke up. "I told one other person apart from Frank at the time. That person was gave me a secret of her's in return...she could have been the one to let it slip."
Hazel glared at Will.
"Who was this girl? Also, you could have mentioned that before I went all anti-Frank!" She glanced at Frank apologetically. "Sorry, Will's an idiot."
"The girl was Susan Bones. And no, I will not tell you what secret she shared with me. Telling you guys wouldn't make me any better than her," Will explained. "Frank, I'm sorry I assumed it was you who had told."
Piper stood from her chair and rolled her eyes.
"You people are impossible. You, tall one, stand up!" She commanded. Frank immediately stood. "Tell the truth."
"I didn't tell your secret, Will." Frank spoke in an almost robotic tone.
"At ease." Piper spoke. Frank relaxed and sat down.
"That was—what?" Frank gaped.
I sighed. Harry and I had spent time conducting a plan on how this meeting would go. Piper seemed all too eager to put this plan into action.
"Like I said, a majority of you have discovered unique abilities. I was going to request that each of you take turns presenting your special skill. Piper seemed to have thought ahead." I glanced at her. Piper bowed with a smirk.
"Piper McClean," she introduced. "I can control people with my voice."
"Prove it," Will spoke up. "Frank would have told the truth no matter if you forced him to or not. That's hardly a presentation."
"Oh, really?" Piper got a wild look in her eye. She glanced from me to Will then back to me.
"Shall I demonstrate?" She asked.
I shot her a dark glare, the darkest I could muster. It was then I knew that she was wishing to embarrass me in front of Will. I should have never told her about the whole asking-to-the-ball incident. I knew she had connected the dots.
"Nico, chicken dance, now!"
I tried to resist the power in her voice. Alas, I couldn't.
Harry nearly fell out of his chair in laughter. The others watched in amusement. Will made a point to hide his laughter. Once I caught his eye, however, he burst into a fit of chuckles.
"Oh, you think it's so funny?" Piper glanced at Harry. "Join him."
Ron and Hermione laughed to themselves, gazing at Harry and I's humiliation. Harry and I continued dancing like fools until Piper commanded that we stop. We sat back down, red in the face.
"Thank you for that demonstration, Piper," I said bitterly.
"Because I went first, I think it's only fair that I choose who demonstrates their ability next. Nico, your turn." Piper sat down and crossed her arms with a smug expression. All eyes were on me.
Great.
"Okay, so...I can do a few things. For starters, I can do this." I teleported across the room, traveling through the shadows of those around me. I then teleported back to the spot I had been standing before.
"Ta-da," I mumbled. The group stared at me.
"So, you can--" I interrupted Annabeth before she could finish the thought.
"No, I cannot apparate. I can travel through people's shadows. There's a difference, you know?" I explained. Annabeth nodded with interest.
"I can also sense death. For example..." The girl in the corner gave me a strange feeling. "Hazel, you've died before. Correct?"
Annabeth and Will stared at Hazel in amazement.
"A while ago, Hazel, Will, and I came to the room of requirement to test out our abilities among other things. Hazel passed out, having had a vision. Will tried to heal her and he said the same thing. He sensed she had died before." Annabeth summarized. "Additionally, when Will tried to heal me after I tripped and sprained my ankle, he said I had broken it before. He also said I had been stabbed in the back, literally. I have the scar to prove it. Though, neither of those things have happened in this life."
Leo was the first to speak up.
"Okay, death and stab wounds are cool and all, but back up. You can heal people?" Leo asked.
As I looked at Leo, I realized something. He had died before as well. I chose to keep that tidbit of information to myself.
Will's face reddened.
"Yeah, sorta..."
"Our next demonstration! Will, step right up." Piper announced. She seemed all too eager for this, whatever she was planning. She dragged Harry and Will to the center of the circle.
"Harry, Will needs somebody to heal. I'd say I'm sorry for this, but I'm not a liar. It's been a dream of mine to punch somebody for years now. Everybody deserves to know what that feels like!" Piper brought her fist back and punched Harry in the nose. This resulted in some unpleasant words from Harry and Piper grabbing her hand; there was no doubt she was injured with the way she had punched. You're supposed to leave your thumb on the outside, Piper hadn't gotten the memo. Her thumb was definitely broken.
"Totally worth it," Piper declared through clenched teeth.
"Oh, dear." Will rushed to Harry's aid first.
"I've already broken my nose once today! Not cool, Piper." Harry said as Will healed him.
"Well, now I've broken my thumb once today! I'm all for new experiences. Lighten up, Potter." Piper joked. "I am sorry, though." She added.
Harry stepped away from Will. He was no longer in any pain.
"This feels even better from when I was healed in the hospital wing!" Harry exclaimed. Piper extended her newly healed thumb.
"Cool," she smirked. "Nicely done, Solace."
"Yeah." He locked eyes with me for a moment, as if searching for my approval. Both of our glances quickly darted away.
"Any volunteers to go next?" I asked. Will seemed grateful that the attention was off him now.
Of course, nobody raised their hand.
"Hazel," I advised. "Everyone's just been informed that you've died before. The attention is on you. Do you mind going?"
Hazel shrugged. She walked to the center of the circle and glanced around her nervously.
"Ron, promise you won't tell Ginny that I'm a part of all of this," Hazel said. "I've only just become good friends with her in divination this year. She probably thinks I'm strange enough with all of Trelawney's theories about me. I don't want to ruin the friendship I have with her."
Ron laughed.
"Ginny's had enough strange in her life. I highly doubt she'll be affected. But I respect your wishes." Ron smiled.
Annabeth momentarily locked eyes with Hermione, both thinking the same thing.
"I've just recently become friends with Annabeth before all of this," Hermione said. "I still see her as the same person she was before! I don't think Ginny will be affected. But like Ron said, we respect your wishes."
Piper pretended to snore.
"Enough with the friendship and respecting each other's wishes, let's get to the powers!" Piper exclaimed.
Hazel stepped forward.
"Well, like Nico, I have two abilities. For one, I can sort of summon cursed gems." Hazel focused. Closing her eyes, she extended her hand to the ground. A few scattered gems popped up. "That's why Robin, my niffler, was drawn to me. Creatures like him love precious metals; I can summon them."
A few pieces of metal popped up from the ground. Ron stood up in shock.
"Was it you who cursed my brothers?" Ron asked.
"I didn't know it then," Hazel admitted. "But yes, it was me. I can control it now! I'm so sorry, by the way."
Ron's eyes narrowed for a second before he spoke up.
"They're better now," he said. "Besides, what you did was unintentional. I can't hold that against you."
Hazel looked relieved.
"You mentioned a second ability?" I pointed out. Hazel's face reddened.
"Oh, right. I can make people see things that aren't there, as well as not seeing things right in front of them."
Again, Hazel extended her arm. But instead of extending it to the ground, the extended it towards me. Before me, a figure appeared.
"What the—" I gasped. Standing before me was another me. "That's impressive." I said.
"Indeed." The me before me agreed. My clone faded away.
Those who had never witnessed Hazel's gift before mumbled their awes amongst themselves. Hazel on the other hand didn't seem particularly amazed at her work. Her face paled. She stumbled back to her seat.
"You okay?" Will asked.
"She's used too much of her abilities in a short amount of time," Annabeth said. "I expect that can happen to any one of you. Overuse of power can result in a power down."
I recalled how every time I had attempted to travel through a person's shadow I felt lightheaded afterwards. Annabeth was right. I glanced at Hermione who immediately continued taking notes.
"I'll be okay," Hazel insisted. Will placed his hands on hers. Once he healed her, he was the only one who looked pale. He glanced at Annabeth who smirked to herself, then proceeded to slump over in his chair.
"Like I said, overuse of power," Annabeth said. "What an idiot."
"Should we check and make sure he's okay?" I asked.
"Of course," Piper snorted. "You'd want to."
I shot her a glare.
"Okay, fine! I'll tone down my sarcasm. Leo's got me covered. Right, Leo?" Piper asked. The two fist-bumped.
"Hey, since the spotlight is on me now, I may as well present my ability. Everyone cool with that?" Leo asked.
Percy and Jason applauded.
"Just you wait, guys," Percy said. "Leo's gift is blazing."
"It's got a spark to it, eh, Percy?" Jason added. They both burst into laughter.
"Leo if you don't go soon, you're going to make me hot-headed!" Frank exclaimed. Jason and Percy high-fived Frank.
"Why does half of the group know about Leo's ability?" Hazel asked.
"What can I say? I've just got the hot stuff that the other guys lack!" Leo laughed to himself. He posed, his arms extended in a Y-shape above his head. Flames danced in his hand and down his arms. He took a bow, nearly forgetting to stop the flames before taking a seat.
"I'm a modest guy, feel free to hold the applause." Leo said. Nobody was clapping.
"Next up," I said, hoping to break the awkward silence. "Percy, Frank, Jason, Annabeth. Who's next?"
Leo practically shoved Frank out of his chair.
"Frank's ability is awesome he has to go!" Leo announced. Frank's face reddened. I noticed his face reddened ever more when he noticed Hazel's eyes on him.
"Room. I need some room." Frank mumbled. The room expanded. Our chairs backed up on their own, extending the circle of chairs around Frank.
"He's a beast at this," Leo smirked. "Just you wait."
Frank took a deep breath. A second later, an elephant was standing in the center of our circle. Nobody said anything. We all just stared at the elephant in amazement.
"Okay, is nobody going to address the elephant in the room?" Annabeth spoke up. She glared at Jason and Percy who immediately began laughing. "That pun was not intentional."
Leo swore to himself.
"You stole a joke opportunity from me, Chase. Consider us enemies." Leo said bitterly.
Frank transformed back to himself.
"He can turn into almost any animal you ask! Though, we wouldn't want to wear him out," Leo gestured towards Will who was still collapsed in his chair. "I think Will would agree."
Will continued to remain unconscious.
"Who's next?" I asked. Percy pushed Jason forward. Jason reluctantly walked to the center of the circle.
"I guess I'm going." Jason mumbled. Closed his eyes for a long moment. Suddenly, his hand shot towards the sky. I bolt of lightning struck the ground around him, the force nearly tipping our chairs.
"Damn," Percy said. "Quite shocking, isn't it?"
"If somebody says one more goddamn pun I will force that person to lick the floor of Myrtle's stall." Piper mumbled. Nobody provided any more commentary.
"I have another ability," Jason continued. "Though, this one may upset some people." He glanced apologetically at Annabeth.
A wind began to blow around Jason, lifting him a few feet into the air. He exhaled and the wind gently put him down.
"YOU CAN CONTROL THE WIND?" Annabeth shouted, coming to a sudden realization. "That's how you caught the snitch! I was practically millimeters away from it. Ugh, you cheated! That match was Ravenclaw's for sure."
"Sorry, Chase." Jason's face reddened. "I really am."
"Whatever," she shrugged. "You're friends with Jackson, I should have suspected that your judgement was faulty."
"Hey!" Percy said, offended. "I'm sure if you had an an ability you would use it to torture me just as Jason had done to you! Not that what he did was torturing, by any means."
"You don't have an ability?" Leo asked.
Annabeth's face reddened. It was as though her pride had been damaged.
"No, I don't," she said, bitterly. I don't think she was envious of the other for their abilities, I believed she was a very capable individual. I feel as though she were simply annoyed by the fact that they could show off their skills and she had to sit here and watch them parade about.
"Yeah, she does," Hazel spoke up. "She's smarter than anybody I know. I reckon her and Hermione are neck and neck."
"She's brilliant on a broom," Percy added. "And Hazel's right, she's a quick thinker."
"Tell them your theory, Annabeth!" Hazel blurted out. "She has a theory as to where we're all from and why this is happening. She shared it with Will and I in the room of requirement not long ago."
"Maybe Percy can show us his ability first," Annabeth said. "After that, I'll share my thoughts on all of this."
I could practically hear the gears turning in Annabeth's brain. She was wrong, she definitely had an ability. Maybe it wasn't anything magical or supernatural-like, but it was something more than that.
Percy stepped forward. Everybody watched with anticipation.
"Room, help me out here." Percy said. Just as it had before, the circle of chairs extended. A small swimming pool appeared in the center. Percy hopped into it. A few seconds later, he shot out of it, lifted by a trail of water. It was as though the water was following his command, as the wind had done to Jason.
"I can also communicate with fish," Percy said. "I discovered that when Draco chucked me into the lake earlier today. Let me tell you, fish know how to swear."
Will sat up now. He seemed to be feeling better.
"Aqua-man," Will pointed to Percy. "I'm wolverine because of the self healing thing. Annabeth is like bat-man. She doesn't have powers but she could probably kick your butt."
Annabeth continued for him.
"Hazel reminds me a bit of scarlet witch," Annabeth stated. "Piper's obviously persuader."
Hazel continued for them.
"That makes Jason super-man, he can fly." Hazel said. Percy rolled his eyes.
"No fair, why are Jason and I DC? Marvel is obviously much better." Percy said. Jason glared at Percy.
"No way, DC beats Marvel in every way!" Jason continued.
"Whatever," Percy scoffed. "Leo's human torch. Frank's Loki, because of the shapeshifting thing. That leaves Nico and Annabeth."
I had absolutely no clue what they were talking about. Ron seemed just as confused as I was.
"Nico can be hulk," Harry spoke up. "He's easily angered and he has a sad backstory."
Those who had a clue what was going on nodded in agreement.
"What are you all even talking about?" I asked. Harry snorted.
"Christ, Nico. I've lived in a cupboard and even I know superheroes! Get with he times, Di Angelo." Harry said.
Percy spoke up.
"Black widow is perfect for Annabeth," Percy said. "She's hardcore. Much better than Batman."
Annabeth scoffed. Though, I could notice a hint of a blush. I sensed some tension between those two.
"Marvel still has nothing on D.C." Jason mumbled under his breath.
"If by nothing you mean more success then yes, you're correct. Marvel has much more success, along with better movies, far better casting, better plots..." Percy argued back. Will nodded in agreement.
"Marvel has spider-man! We win." Will added. Percy and Will fist-bumped.
"You're saying you win because of some insect?" Jason scoffed.
"Back on topic! I hate to interrupt whatever this is, but we need to start exchanging information. Harry has written down all that we know from our previous visions. Mind reading those out, Harry?" I said. I figured I'd stop this argument before it got too out of hand.
Harry read off various things that the two of us had dreamed about. The list was mostly filled with blurry faces and words that made no sense. Everybody gave us their full attention however as Harry read off the prophecy that we had dreamt about weeks ago.
"Mother has angered magic, she's gone back on her word.
Half-Bloods are welcomed to a new, magical world.
The man in black is a villain, gone weak
Immortality is what he will seek
Light and dark listen in; not part of the plan.
Extinguished to a new, foreign land.
Seven half-bloods shall appear at the sight.
To wood or metal, they shall fight.
An oath is broken, and minds are changed.
All that is certain, is that things will never be the same."
Nobody spoke.
"Any information you guys want to share with us before we elaborate on what any of that could mean?" Hermione asked.
Jason spoke up first.
"Yeah, uh...I have a little situation." Jason glanced from Percy to Leo.
"I don't know if I'd consider it an ability by any means. But this is past past summer, I was sort of--" Jason sighed. "I'm a halfbreed, okay? I was bit."
Nobody batted an eye, apart from Piper.
"Don't use that awful term, halfbreed. It means you're referring to yourself as less than human...and you aren't." She said. This caught Jason off guard.
"Uh...thanks."
"Anything else?" I asked.
I had a few things, actually.
I pulled the item out of my bag, the blue hat sat on the ground in front of me. Instantly, Annabeth seemed to grow tense.
"Familiar to you?" I asked. "I don't know where it came from, but I have it somehow."
Annabeth picked it up and hugged it to her chest.
"I know this is mine," she said. "I don't know how, I just know."
"Anyone come across any other strange items?" I asked. Percy raised his hand and brought a pen out of his pocket. He flicked off the cap. For a second, everything was normal. Then I blinked and the pen turned into a sword. Huh, what do you know?
"Weird," I said.
Frank brought out a small sack from his pocket. He explained how the room of requirement had made it appear to him. He didn't know why, he said, but it seemed important that this stick be protected.
Lastly, Hazel, Jason, Frank, and Percy showed their tattoos to the group. Hermione instantly recognized the symbol.
"SPQR," Hermione spoke. "That's a saying from Ancient Rome. It roughly translates to 'The Roman Senate and People.' The phrase mainly appears in Roman political, legal, and historical literature." She summarized.
"That's like your theory, Annabeth!" Hazel exclaimed.
All eyes were on Annabeth now. Her face reddened.
"Yeah, I suppose I mentioned a brief theory to Will and Hazel." Annabeth said.
"Please, go on," Hermione said. Her and Annabeth locked eyes. I could practically see the gears turning in their heads.
"Greek and Roman gods," Annabeth began. "In every one of our visions, Hazel, Will, and I didn't recall much. We did, however, recall a few words. All of the words we had remembered were things having to do with Greek and Roman mythology. For example, Will had remembered the word Apollo being mentioned more than once in a few of his visions. Will has the ability to heal. We concluded that Will has some connection to Apollo. Though these are only legends, it is only a theory." Annabeth's face was bright red. Nobody said anything. I'm afraid she feared that we would call her mental for thinking that some mythological gods and goddesses were the cause of this. However, none of us thought anything weird of it. Perhaps we had all just faced too much weirdness in a lifetime to question it.
"I believe that Hazel and possibly Nico have some sort of connection to Hades and or Pluto, the god of the underworld. Percy is obviously either Neptune or Poseidon. Leo's connection could be to Hephaestus, the god of fire; Roman form, Vulcan. Piper's could possibly be Aphrodite with her convincing nature, Roman form Venus. Jason's is obviously Jupiter or Zeus. As for Frank, I'm not sure. I'm not sure about myself either." Annabeth finished. Everybody looked impressed. She had impressed me as well.
"Is there some god or goddess of wisdom?" Percy offered. "I reckon that would be your connection, Annabeth."
A prideful look passed over Annabeth's expression. She quickly covered it up with a shrug.
"Maybe," she said. "Athena, Roman equivalent is Minerva. Goddess of wisdom among other things."
Frank raised his hand.
"Uh, could you maybe list off some names? If I find one familiar to me, I'll tell you." He suggested. Annabeth nodded.
"There's Demeter, aka Ceres; Dionysus, or Bacchus; Hermes, or Mercury; Nike, or Victoria; Ares, or Mars--"
Frank interrupted Annabeth.
"That one," he said. He sounded very sure of himself, something Frank didn't sound like often. "It's definitely Mars."
Annabeth looked skeptical.
"The god of war?" She shrugged. "If you're sure. No offense though, war just doesn't fit your personality."
He got a glazed over look that I often got when experiencing déjà vu.
"Just trust me on this one," Frank announced. "It's Mars."
Hermione paused for a moment taking a momentary break from rapidly scrolling down notes to stretch her fingers.
"Which leads us to the question, are we Roman or Greek?" Percy asked.
"I'd assume those of us without the tattoo are Greek," Annabeth looked at Hazel apologetically. "You're Roman. I'm Greek."
Hazel, Jason, and Frank grouped together.
Annabeth, Piper, and Leo grouped together on the other side of the circle. I sat with them.
Percy looked confused. He stood in the center of the circle looking back and forth between the two groups. He glared at his tattoo.
"This doesn't feel right," he looked at Jason apologetically. "I don't think I'm Roman."
"Why not?" Jason asked. "You have the tattoo."
"I know," Percy shrugged. "But I'm beginning to recall parts of my visions. I belong to a place other than yours. I wear an orange shirt, you three wear purple."
Jason looked confused by that statement. Annabeth on the other hand nodded in agreement.
"I've had those same dreams, Percy. I think you're with us. The tattoo could have an entirely different story of its own." Annabeth said.
Percy took a seat beside me.
"Anything else up for discussion before we call it a night?" Harry asked. I had almost completely forgotten about Ron, Hermione, and Harry being in here. They were part of a completely separate life from ours. Harry had made the occasional comment and Hermione had taken notes. Other than that, they weren't really part of this. As for Ron, he had sort of just been sat beside Harry in the corner looking confused. Honestly, same Ron.
Hazel raised her hand.
She described the dreams she had been having about a woman trapped in a cage, calling for her help. She said the woman was in great danger and with each vision she grew more desperate.
"Do you all recall the strange events this past summer?" Annabeth asked. "Random scenes of devastation. And at each scene, left two torches. In mythology, torches are a sign of Hecate, the goddess of magic. These scenes stopped around the time Nico's name started appearing in headlines, also around he time our powers appeared. I think that this woman trapped in the cage is Hecate. She is the goddess of magic, after all. She may have some connection with Harry's world."
Annabeth paused, taking a moment to think.
"I think that we were sent here by somebody, or something. Hecate found out and got mad because this magical world was affected. She attempted to stop it, but something caught her...perhaps she was caught by somebody who was seeking out her immortality? It's like the prophecy said: The man in black is a villain, gone weak. Immortality is what he will seek." Annabeth theorized.
Hermione, Harry, and Ron exchanged glances.
"That's why I've been having the visions," Harry mumbled. "Who do we know who would do anything to live together? Voldemort. I bet he's the one who's trapped Hecate!"
"It's a theory," Hermione began. "But we mustn't start pointing our fingers at you-know-who for every little thing. This could be a completely different villain for all we know."
Harry nodded grudgingly.
"If it's not you-know-who, then why has my scar been hurting?" He mumbled.
"YOUR SCAR HAS STILL BEEN HURTING?" Ron and Hermione exploded. The three of them erupted into their own separate argument while the rest of the group looked at me for a comment. I suppose I was their leader in a way, I had brought every one here together.
"Any other points to bring up?" I asked. Jason and Percy raised their hands.
"The new kids," Percy said. "I had a vision about a few of them. The rest just seem familiar."
Annabeth shrugged.
"I haven't met a majority of them, but Percy is right. A couple of them give me extreme déjà vu."
"We'll wait for them to approach us," I suggested. "I don't want to deal with that mess. They may be in their own situation right now. Remain cautious, but don't approach them."
Everybody nodded in agreement.
"Anything else?" I asked. Nobody said anything. I sighed.
"Truth be told, I don't know what to do. We only have half of the story and while Annabeth's theory is something, we can't be sure if it is the answer. Until we find that out, everybody remain vigilant. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious and if you find out anything report it back to me. The school dance is tomorrow. (A/N: yeah, I know. This time-line is fucked) Just don't worry about anything then, have a good time. We can meet up afterwards and exchange any new information. Sound like a plan?"
All of them replied with a thumb's up. Excellent.
"All right, you are all dismissed."
The groups dispersed. Frank walked with Hazel, Will, and Annabeth. Percy joined Jason, who joined Leo and Piper.
"We're going to go. Would you like to look through my notes, Nico?" Hermione asked. I nodded and took her notebook. Harry joined them.
***
I walked back to the Slytherin common room alone. I had so much to organize. Firstly, I had to go through Hermione's notes and see that she caught everything. Secondly, I'd probably be forced to socialize by Leo or Piper. Lastly, and worst of all, the ball was tomorrow and I still hadn't even gotten an outfit to wear. Maybe I could scratch the whole going-with-Will idea altogether. It would be easier that way. I didn't even know for sure if we were meant to be together in our true lives or not. Breaking things off would make everything less complicated.
Piper and Leo were in the common room. I tried to sneak away but they caught me before I could.
"Neeks!" Leo shouted. "You haven't heard the great news."
"Great news?" I asked.
Piper and Leo were absolutely beaming.
"Draco's got a detention every day for the next month! Even better, he's not allowed to go to the ball." Leo exclaimed. Him and Piper high-fived.
"I'm going with Piper!" Leo beamed. Piper looked hesitant, but she didn't say anything. I wondered why.
"Cool," I said. "Are you two a thing then?"
Piper and Leo both burst into laughter.
"No. That's incest, you see. Leo is like my brother." Piper explained.
"And drain pipe here is more like a sister to me." Leo smirked.
"What about you, Nico? Any romance in your life?" Leo asked. Him and Piper 'oohed' and 'awed.' Both of them knew very well by now that Will and I were going to the ball together. They just wanted to annoy me.
"What about you two?" I asked. "Any romance in your life?"
Surprisingly, Piper blushed. Leo, on the other hand, laughed aloud.
"I have my vision girl, Calypso. I hardly know anything about the two of us but I miss her." He sighed.
I raised an eyebrow at Piper. She blushed harder when Leo mentioned the word vision. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the romantic life of Piper McClean since she had dropped Draco. I could only assume she'd had a recent vision having to do with the subject of romance.
I could pester her, but in response she could make me do the chicken dance again. I decided not to push.
Today had been too long, I needed to sleep.
"Goodnight, guys." I said. Before I could go off to my room, Piper and Leo shouted.
"Wait!" Leo pleaded. "I command you to stop! Alas, I don't have that ability!" He smirked at Piper.
"Stop right there, Di Angelo!" I stopped, not that I had a choice.
"What?" I asked.
"You've done nothing but plot, plan, mope, theorize, stress, and isolate yourself during your time at Hogwarts!" Piper began. "Leo and I did some talking. We decided to have a sleepover."
I rolled my eyes.
"Boys and girls can't sleep in the same dorm, geniuses."
"We know that," Piper said. "That's why we've claimed the common room."
I now realized that they had set out sleeping bags in front of the fire. A big bowl of sweets, probably stolen from the kitchen, was set in front of the fire.
"Seriously?" I complained.
"There you go, complaining again! Forget about everything for tonight. Forget about the visions, the boy trouble, the everything!" Piper lectured. I wanted to mention that there really was no boy trouble in my life. Will and I were fine. I wanted to ask what boy trouble was going on in her life...but I'd rather not be forced to do the chicken dance again.
"You can move now," Piper said. My body relaxed, I could move again.
I glanced back and forth from those two to the stairs which would lead me to my dorm.
"I can easily sleep in my dorm, you know." I pointed out.
"Well, I could easily go to the beach! But the thing is, going to the beach with others is much more fun than going by your lonesome! Sleep with us, Nico." Leo said. He paused. "I could have worded that last statement a bit differently."
Piper sighed.
"We're your friends, Nico. At least, we want to be. Can't you let us?" She scoffed. "Honestly, have you ever even been to a sleepover before?"
"Fine," I sat between Leo and Piper. "Pass the snacks over."
I'd never tell Piper or Leo I said this, but that night was surprisingly fun. I slept a lot easier than I had any other night that week. Thankfully, no visions were included in that package.