CHAPTER SUMMARY
The demigods and wizards all deal with the aftermath of Nico's vision and summoning of the dead.
BEGINNING NOTES
Chapter Rating: Mature
Content Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence
Word Count: 5376
If it wasn't already clear, Blaise Zabini and Hestia Carrow, while they have names from actual characters from the Harry Potter series, aren't supposed to be written in character. Like, at all. I basically chose two blank-slate Slytherins to incorporate into my plot. This is more of an issue with Blaise than Hestia, since Hestia was a movie-only character with (I think) no lines. Point is, I know they're written out of character, they're supposed to be.
And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.
____________________PERCY____________________
When Percy got to Nico, dead bodies surrounded him completely. Each body looked healthy enough, but their ashen skin made it pretty obvious they were dead. Either that, or they were zombies. And something told Percy that Nico's reaction wasn't because he disliked The Walking Dead.
Percy couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Nico cry like this. Even the ten-year-old who'd lost his sister had maintained a sliver of composure. Well, not exactly composure, but he, at least, seemed aware of where he was and who surrounded him. This Nico looked like he was back in Tartarus.
Even though Nico had been fine just minutes ago, he already looked like he'd been through hell and back. He held a body in his arms--with a jolt, Percy realized it was Hazel's--and screamed. Percy couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, being too far away, but he got a general idea.
Nico's hair was beyond messy, like he'd run his hands through it a million times. There was mud all over his robes, especially by the knees, where he was kneeling in the dirt. His olive skin, though it always had that pale hue, looked downright vampirish. Tears poured from an endless river down his face, leaving noticeable tracks on his cheeks. He looked like a POW, one who'd just escaped to find all his brothers-in-arms dead. He looked like he'd been standing in that sea of corpses for days, instead of seconds.
Percy, who'd been staring at Nico in shock, got ahold of himself. He took a step forward, but that was as far as he got. Nico, his arms still holding his half-sister, snapped his head up. He searched for something for half a second, then stared into the distance, like he found it. Percy turned to look, but nothing was there. Was Nico... hallucinating?
When the son of Hades spoke again, Percy didn't have to know what he was saying. He screamed in anguish, louder than the River Cocytus. As he screamed, the ground in front of him cracked open, creating a jagged crack in the earth. Percy knew that fissure--it still existed in Camp Half-Blood's dining pavilion. Instead of swallowing skeletal warriors, like it had years ago, it did the opposite. At least half a dozen skeletons, straight from Hades, climbed out. Without a child of the Underworld to give them orders, they started attacking. They didn't fix their eyes on Nico, or even Percy. Instead of attacking someone who could fight back, they marched straight for the defenseless followers of Hecate.
"Nico, stop!" Percy cried, but he got the feeling that Nico couldn't hear a word he said. Traumatized, the son of Hades had stopped talking altogether. Instead, he chose to curl up in fetal position, among the wasteland of corpses. His broken gaze was still fixed on the distant horizon, unmoving and unblinking. Nico had given up; he was ready for Thanatos to take his soul.
"No!" Percy screamed. He sprinted towards his cousin, but a skeletal warrior zoomed into his path. Hoping for a lucky break, Percy uncapped Riptide and slashed. But of course, Percy was the opposite of lucky. The celestial bronze didn't affect his enemy in the least bit. The rules were clear: only a child of the Underworld could control them, or get rid of them. And the only child of the Underworld available was the one summoning them. Based on the way Nico was acting, he didn't even realize he was doing it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Annabeth walking in the hallway next to the courtyard. After gaping at the scene a moment, she got ahold of herself, drew her drakon bone sword, and ran to Percy's side. All the while, she surveyed her new battlefield; Percy could practically hear the gears turning in her brain. Not for the first time, he was grateful he had such a good tactician on his side.
"I was just coming back from Dumbledore's office... what's going on?! Is Nico all right?!" There was no concern in Annabeth's voice. She asked to assess the situation, not to check in with Nico's state of mind. He knew she cared about Nico, but that wasn't her priority, with mortals in danger.
"I don't know what happened. Nico ran off, and when I got here, the corpses showed up. I think he's summoning these skeletons by accident."
Annabeth let loose a frustrated sigh. "Of course this had to happen..." Her eyes shifted between Nico and the mortals. They were now attempting to ward off the skeletons with magic, with no luck. "One of us has to help those mortals; the other has to calm Nico down so he can get rid of the skeletal warriors."
Percy tightened his fingers around Riptide. "I'll help the mortals."
Annabeth shook her head. "Remember what you said at that motel after King's Cross? You want to protect Nico? Now's the time to do it!"
"I'm not Piper! I'm not good with people, not like this!"
"You can do it, seaweed brain. You know him better than I do. Just do it fast. And don't mess up." With those words of wisdom, Annabeth ran towards the mortals, already getting her sword in place for its first swoop.
"Annabeth!" Percy called after her. She didn't respond. So, Percy did the only thing he could do: he moved towards his cousin again. When he got close to the corpses around Nico, the scene changed. Instead of a battlefield, it became a scene from Percy's worst nightmares.
His mother's body laid dead on the ground in front of him. Blood covered her entirely, bruises all over her face. Her eyes were wide with fear; her mouth was open in her last scream. Paul's body lay beside her, mangled in the same way. Percy gasped, falling to his knees. It had to be the work of monsters, and he'd brought it to them...
"Oh god, a boggart. Don't believe what you see!" Those words broke Percy from his daze long enough to look for its source. Behind him stood one of Nico's Slytherin friends, Blaise. "I want to help." His eyes shone with determination. "You calm Nico down, I'll take care of the boggart."
Percy nodded to the other boy, then rushed over to Nico. It didn't help his concentration that the view of his parents' bodies appeared whenever he closed his eyes.
It was just a stupid vision, don't think about it.
He heard a crack, and the scene--the boggart, whatever it was--disappeared. Nico didn't seem to notice. He remained on the ground, his eyes fixed to the distance, tears streaming down his face.
How could he calm Nico down? Percy remembered the last time he'd seen Nico upset; last December, Hazel, Frank, and Reyna had been visiting. The anniversary of Bianca's death happened to fall during holiday break that year. Percy remembered walking into the Hades cabin to check on Nico, and seen Hazel there, holding her brother as he cried into her arms. Percy had left before either of the siblings noticed he'd seen them, but the image was still in the back of his mind.
Nico hated people touching him; Percy knew that. But maybe, just maybe, physical comfort would help him in this state. Not knowing what else to do, Percy dropped to the ground and threw his arms around his cousin. Nico fought back, but Percy held on. It felt like the right thing to do.
"Get away from me!" Nico screamed. His eyes were wild; he looked completely insane.
"Not a chance, cuz," Percy whispered. With Nico still fighting him, Percy helped his cousin up. He took Nico's left arm and slung it over his shoulder to support him. Now that Nico was standing, he seemed a little less resistant. Maybe. "Blaise!" Percy called. Blaise ran over to him, a skeleton close behind. "Show me the way to the infirmary. The skeletons will go away if we can calm Nico down."
"This way." They moved into the castle as fast as they could with Nico still fighting every step. The skeleton that had been chasing Blaise remained outside for some reason. Maybe the dark castle hallways reminded him of the Underworld too much? Nico switched from his normal screaming to mumbling in Italian. At least, it sounded like Italian to Percy. He had no idea what Nico was saying, beyond the occasional 'no'. At least that word existed in every language.
Luckily, no skeletal warrior was in the castle. At least, not in the part of the castle leading to the infirmary. Once they reached the hospital wing, Percy laid Nico on the first bed he saw. He knelt next to him, forcing Nico to look him in the eye. "Nico! Talk to me. Now."
Nico shouted in Italian again, but Percy had no idea what he was saying. Maybe it was just gibberish? He glanced at Blaise, who looked just as confused as Percy felt. Could Nico even understand himin this state?
"Tell me about something," Percy tried again. "Um... Mythomagic. Tell me about it."
"Mythomagic...?" Nico's voice was breathy, and his eyes were still full of a crazy kind of light.
"Mythomagic," Percy repeated. "Just pretend you're at Westover Hall again, talking to Grover and me by the tents."
"I asked if Annabeth was your girlfriend," Nico mumbled. "Called it."
Percy smiled. "Yeah, you did. Now tell me about Mythomagic."
Nico rolled his eyes, looking away. "Not... not in a million years..."
"Mythomagic. Tell me," Percy insisted.
Nico hesitated for a few moments, a blank look in his eyes. But then, he started to talk, the breathiness slipping out of his voice. He mentioned things like attack power, and other stuff Percy didn't understand. It seemed to do the trick, though, because that crazy light in Nico's eyes faded away. It took about a minute for Nico to stop talking; from his gaze, he'd only just realized what was going on. Again, tears fell from Nico's eyes, but, this time, it was from a mixture of relief and fear. More controlled, more normal, more like himself. Percy wrapped his arms around Nico again. This time, he didn't fight to pull away.
"Will," Nico hiccuped. "I want to see Will."
"Sure, cuz," Percy promised, and grabbed a drachma from his pocket.
Blaise paused, staring at the coin with curiosity. "What's that?"
"An enchanted coin," Percy explained, thinking on his feet. "It can send messages. Watch." There was a rainbow coming in from the window.
That's convenient. Iris must be on my side today.
He threw the coin, thinking the incantation as hard as he could.
Please work. Please, please, work.
Mist started to form, creating a scene in front of them. It looked like late morning. The entire Apollo cabin, enjoying one of their last days of summer, played volleyball in the sand pit. They were just about to start another round. "Will!" Percy called. "Nico needs your help!"
Will turned, staring at Percy, Nico, and Blaise in confusion. He took the scene in, his eyes searching for any clue to what was going on. His other cabin mates looked at the Iris message with a puzzled interest. "Nico?" Will asked. "What do you mean he needs my help? Why? What's going on?" Anxiety came off his face in waves; Percy could only imagine the hell Will was going through. He was a doctor at heart, and here was one of his closest friends, his crush, suffering, thousands of miles away.
"I don't-- Blaise, can you explain what happened? Will's sort of a doc-- um, a healer. He might be able to help." Percy went back to Nico, who was still shedding silent tears.
Blaise, who was still studying the Iris message curiously, stepped a little more forward. "I was in the courtyard, trying to study, and Nico came running. Malfoy was there, he said something to Nico, then summoned a boggart with his wand."
"What's a boggart?" Will asked. "We don't have those in America."
"It shows you your worst fear." At Blaise's words, Percy's blood began to boil.
"You mean that Malfoy kid attacked Nico?!"
"I think so," Blaise answered, describing the last hour's events in as much detail as he could.
As soon as Blaise finished, Will went into doctor mode. He trained his eyes on Nico; the sheer force of his gaze was enough to gain eye contact. "Nico? Can you hear me?" Nico gave a small nod, just enough so Will could make it out. He was no longer crying, but he still didn't look anywhere close to okay. "Did you hear what Blaise said? You don't have to worry. Malfoy was just being an idiot."
"And Harry." Nico lowered his gaze, staring down at an indiscernible spot on his lap. "He told me I'd get what's coming to me, and drew me to that spot. He was in on it."
"That's not important," Will reassured him. "You know none of that was real. You know you didn't kill anyone, and that you wouldn't. Right, Nico?" Silence. "Right, Nico?" There was more force in Will's voice that time.
"Right," Nico finally repeated, but Percy wasn't so sure he meant it. Will stared dubiously at Nico, just as skeptical. However, they both knew that was all they were going to get out of Nico for the moment. Nico heaved a ragged breath and wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. "I'm... I'm calm now, Will. The skeletons are gone. You can get back to your game."
"I don't want to leave you this distraught," Will insisted, biting his lower lip in concern.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Will clearly wanted to argue some more, but realized it was futile. He smiled at Nico, told him to get some rest, then waved the image away. A couple of minutes passed in silence, then Madam Pomfrey walked into the infirmary. Her hawk eyes fixed themselves on Nico. Assuming she could help a bit more, Percy told her about the boggart. Thankfully, she didn't ask about the skeletons. Percy didn't know how he'd be able to explain where those came from without giving away their identities.
"You poor dear! I'll have to talk with Professor Umbridge; she can't just leave boggarts lying around! You two, leave. I must tend to my patient."
"I want Percy to stay," Nico protested. "I want him here." Even somewhat calm, Nico's voice still carried a broken sadness. It was beyond something Percy had ever heard before.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head vehemently at Nico's words. "This is a recovery room. You need to rest. I cannot allow--"
"Please, ma'am. Let me stay," Percy interrupted. "My cousin and I are close; it might help him if I'm here."
She scoffed. "So you're a healer now." She turned to examine her patient, and then nodded reluctantly. "Stay off to the side, and please don't talk to Nico," she acquiesced. "He needs to get some sleep."
"Sure," Percy agreed. He gave an easy smile, and did as she asked, because even though he was a troublemaker, he knew when it was time to listen to the rules. Besides, that Madam Pomfrey was one heck of a scary lady.
____________________HARRY____________________
Harry and Ron entered the courtyard seconds before the skeletons arrived. There, Harry saw Nico di Angelo, curled in fetal position, his eyes focused on a spot on the horizon.
He got his wish. The ground began to shake as a large fissure split the ground open. Bony fingers crawled forth from the cracked earth, rising onto the grounds of Hogwarts. Soon, half a dozen skeletons stood, tall and cruel.
Out of nowhere, Chase sprinted into the courtyard. "Get behind me!" she shouted, drawing a sword of bone to fend off the skeletons. Darting forward, she stabbed at one of the skeletons. The point landed in its rib cage, but the sword did nothing but piss the skeleton off. She tried desperately twisting her blade in the skeleton's bones, yet, before she'd so much as made a dent, the skeleton lunged at her with its fingers poised like claws.
She jumped back, prying her sword from the rib cage. Again she swiped, severing hands from its arms. Her next slash produced a crack, and the skeleton's skull hit the grass. In the next second, though, the skeleton's skull and arm reconnected. Now knowing Chase could fight back, the skeleton turned to attack a young Hufflepuff girl. At best, she was in second year.
"Di Immortales!" Chase spat. The words didn't even sound like English...weird.
Harry joined the fight. Drawing his wand, he shouted "Stupefy!" The red light burst from his wand and the sparks shattered over the skeleton, but that just made it angrier. It cornered Harry. He cursed it again, but it didn't do any good, and it swiped at him, knocking him to the ground.
"Harry!" Ron shouted, raising his wand. "Over here-- ach!" Another skeleton started attacking him. Ron tried to curse it too, but his spells worked about as well as Harry's had.
"It won't do any good!" Chase yelled to them. "They can't die!"
"Then how do we stop them?!" Harry yelled back.
"Percy's working on it!" Chase answered, slicing a skeleton in half. It bought her a few seconds to catch her breath while the skeleton reformed.
"You act like you've done this before!" Ron yelled, shooting sparks at his attacker.
"Sort of!" Chase jumped in front of a skeleton cornering Draco Malfoy.
"You've fought them before?!" Ron asked, running to defend the Hufflepuff girl Chase left.
"Percy has." Chase clenched her teeth in frustration.
"And how did he kill them?" Harry asked.
"He didn't. Nico--" Chase stopped short, like the memory was an unpleasant one. Harry followed Chase's gaze back to Jackson. His fellow Gryffindor supported di Angelo, Blaise Zabini a few paces ahead. Di Angelo kicked and fought, a manic glow in his eyes.
"Look out!" Ron shouted, firing at a skeleton advancing on the distracted Harry. "Hey! Over here!" Ron waved his arms to grab its attention, trying to give Harry enough time to escape. He backed up with the twenty other students, surrounded by the skeletons. Harry's back hit Hogwarts's wall as bony fingers closed around his neck...
The pressure left Harry's throat. He gasped for air, vaguely registering a loud shattering sound all around him as the skeletons fell apart and bones clattered to the ground. Chase sighed in relief. "Thank the gods, Percy did it."
The courtyard was silent, except for the sound of heavy breathing. The Hufflepuff girl knelt to the ground, touching one of the bones with her finger gingerly, as though it might be poisoned. "That Nico kid... that was dark magic..." she exhaled, her voice a faint and disbelieving whisper.
Silence. One second. Two. After three seconds, another kid spoke. "Yeah, that was dark magic!" The entire crowd erupted into nervous mumbles, all voicing the same suspicion. Chase alone remained quiet.
Dumbledore and McGonagall came to assess the scene; Harry forced himself not to smile. The moment those two saw what di Angelo had done, he'd be out of Hogwarts for sure.
Chase took no time to fill the professors in on what happened. She also assured them that no one had sustained any major injuries, despite the skeletons' attack. McGonagall got more concerned the longer she listened, but Dumbledore's thoughts were a mystery. "You're not going to punish Nico, right?" Chase asked, widening her eyes nervously. "It wasn't his fault; it was that stupid vision he had..."
Dumbledore's eyes swept the courtyard, taking in the scene. He focused his gaze on each of the students in turn, growing more and more stern with each glance. Harry braced himself for the announcement of di Angelo's expulsion.
"I will not," Dumbledore replied. "Mr. di Angelo is in no trouble."
"But that was dark arts!" Malfoy blurted. Harry knew Malfoy didn't care about it being dark arts, simply that he was sleeping in the same dorm room as someone that dangerous. Someone with a sword on his person. Someone who'd just proved he was capable of murder.
"You merely saw a distraught student," Dumbledore continued; Harry heard Chase sigh in relief. "He is receiving care. Now, back to your studies!" He clapped his hands together and the crowd began to disperse. McGonagall looked uncomfortable with Dumbledore's decision, but remained silent nonetheless. Harry followed them after they left the courtyard. He knew McGonagall; she wouldn't, couldn't stay quiet for long.
The moment the professors were out of earshot of the students, McGonagall spoke. "Albus, I don't understand why Mr. di Angelo isn't facing any consequences. He used the dark arts, distraught or not."
"Minerva, how long have we been colleagues?" Dumbledore asked.
"Decades."
"Then I ask that you trust my judgment. Mr. di Angelo will face no punishment. What you saw was an... unfortunate display of his powers. He will not harm any student at Hogwarts, and he will not be a danger to the school. Quite the opposite, I think."
"I... if you're sure."
They turned the corner together, forcing Harry to sprint into a different corridor to avoid their sight. Once he was alone, he decided to check on di Angelo in the hospital wing.
The Slytherin was laying in one of the beds, a sleeping potion on the table beside it. Jackson was sitting next to his cousin, trying to get him to drink the potion, but it looked like di Angelo was too afraid.
"I can't," di Angelo insisted. "After everything that just happened--"
"I'm right here if you have nightmares," Jackson reassured him. "Both Will and Madam Pomfrey said you needed sleep. When are you going to start listening to your doctors, Nico?"
"I saw..." di Angelo's voice was weak, like he was on the brink of tears. "Bianca... my dad... he..." di Angelo took a shaky breath and looked up at Jackson with fear in his eyes. "He tried to kill me."
"That was just an illusion," Jackson promised him with certainty. "None of it was real."
"It's real for me. Dad, he-- he doesn't care about me."
"That's not true. He hid you in the Lotus for years, Nico. For your protection."
The Lotus? Sounds like some store in Hogsmeade or something.
"He did it to save his own skin." Di Angelo refused to meet his cousin's gaze.
"That's not true!"
"Why would you even defend him, Jackson? He tried to kill you! He kidnapped your mom! He's..." Nico racked his brain for the worst insult he could come up with. "He's like me."
Jackson gave di Angelo a hard look. "You're not evil, Nico, not at all. And neither is your father, he's just a bit... twisted, that's all. But that's not the worst thing an immortal can be."
Immortal?
Di Angelo didn't respond, staring off into the distance. Jackson's fingers brushed his shoulder, and di Angelo swatted them away.
"Nico, your dad's fairer than most. He returned my mom after my first quest, once he knew I was innocent. He was the only one not to break the oath, either. And how could you say he doesn't care about you when he gave you this quest? He's putting an incredible amount of faith in you, allowing you to do this for him!"
Di Angelo still didn't meet his cousin's eyes. "Some quest," he scoffed.
Harry had heard enough. He ran all the way back to the common room. By that time, it was near dinner, but Harry didn't feel like eating. Few Gryffindors sat in the common room, so Harry used the time to think about the whole di Angelo mess. Dumbledore was keeping secrets from McGonagall? Di Angelo's dad had tried to kill Jackson? And what was with the immortal comment?
Ron and Hermione got back to the common room early, looking around for Harry. He waved them over to tell him what he'd overheard. But as his friends approached, his eye caught something flickering in the fireplace. Harry went to inspect it, motioning for Ron and Hermione to follow. Was it a spark or a strange looking log? No, it was--
"Sirius!" Hermione gasped, looking at the fire.
"I was starting to think I'd never find you three alone." Sirius sounded a little frustrated. "I've been checking every hour."
"You've been popping into the fire every hour?" Harry asked, half laughing.
"Just for a few seconds to check if the coast was clear yet," Sirius explained.
"But what if you'd been seen?" Hermione cried.
"Well, I think a girl--first year by the looks of her--might've got a glimpse of me earlier but don't worry, I was gone the moment she looked back at me, and I'll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something."
Despite Sirius's assurances, Hermione looked worried. "But Sirius, this is taking an awful risk--"
"You sound like Molly," Sirius grumbled. "This was the only way I could come up with of answering Harry's letter without resorting to a code--and codes are breakable."
When Sirius mentioned Harry's letter, Ron and Hermione stared at Harry in shock.
"You didn't say you'd written to Sirius!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I forgot," Harry admitted, which was true. His talk with Cho in the Owlery had been more important in Harry's mind. "Don't look at me like that, Hermione. There was no way anyone would have got secret information out of it, was there, Sirius?"
"No, it was very good." Sirius smiled at him before continuing. "Anyway, we'd better be quick, in case we're disturbed--tell me more about this Nico di Angelo."
Harry described everything. Their encounter on the train, their fights at Hogwarts, the lares and ghosts and secrets. The more he talked, the more stony Sirius's face got.
"Harry, are you sure you're not remembering anything incorrectly?" Sirius asked. Was that... fear in his voice?
"Yes." Harry thought it best to tell Sirius the truth. Even if it was hard to hear.
"He definitely used the dark arts to summon the shadows? And again with the skeletons today?"
"Yeah. Without a wand."
"What I want to know is, why didn't Dumbledore expel him?" Ron put in. "After the way he attacked us, I expected something."
"Dumbledore must have his reasons," Hermione interjected. Everyone stared at her in disbelief. "I'm not defending di Angelo! I'm just saying that Dumbledore wouldn't keep him here if he didn't have a reason!"
"She's right," Sirius continued. "Dumbledore's no idiot. But, it's best to know who exactly these newcomers are. We need to know if they're working with Death Eaters, or are Death Eaters themselves. As far as the Order knows, Voldemort doesn't have contacts in America. But, there's a lot we don't know. He might have gotten Nico di Angelo's father to work for him, especially if he learned about Lares. I'll check with the rest of the order. We can send someone to America and find the di Angelo family; it shouldn't be too hard for us."
"What can we do to help?" Harry asked.
"Watch him. Track his every move, and keep us updated. But no more vigilante justice." Sirius directed that last comment to Harry. "As much good as it did, dark forces around innocent wizards isn't a good thing. And if di Angelo's as powerful as you say, I don't want you getting yourself killed."
"But--" Sirius's stern gaze stopped his protests. "All right, fine. But I'm not happy about it."
____________________NICO____________________
Nico laid down on his bed back at Westover Hall, turning a Mythomagic card over and over in his fingers. It was hard to believe that dumb little game had pulled him back into reality, but it was the reason he was still sane.
The door creaked open; he turned to see Teddy walk inside. He'd pushed the door open with his back, so he had to turn to face Nico. In both of his hands were a glass of Dr. Pepper, Nico's favorite soda. Teddy offered him a cup, and he took it with a tiny grateful smile. He drank.
"Thanks." Nico was still a little stunned how dead his voice sounded.
"No problem," Teddy replied, taking a swig of soda from his own glass. "I'm sorry about what happened with Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. That was horrible."
"How do you know about the boggart?" The strange word echoed off the walls of the small room.
"I'm with you always, Nico. Even if you refuse to accept my help."
Nico sat up, and took a sip of soda. "I don't want that ever to happen to me for real. I don't want to be a monster. I don't want to be a killer."
"You're not." The way Teddy said that... it almost made Nico believe it.
"No, I am. I just don't act like it all the time. But it's all there, in the back of my mind." Nico looked down, not wanting to meet his friend's gaze. "I am a killer. I am dangerous. And I don't know how to keep myself from killing." He spoke with appalling conviction; Teddy was taken aback by how serious Nico sounded.
"You're not a killer," Teddy repeated.
Nico gave Teddy a small smile, the kind only Will and Percy could get out of him. "You keep the nightmares away, which helps. But, I know who I am. Tar-- the pit, I mean--showed me that. Today proved it. I almost killed all those innocent mortals."
"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy are the evil ones!" Teddy sounded so desperate to convince Nico he was wrong, it was almost comforting. If only Nico believed it.
"I'm not saying that's not true; I'm just saying they're not the only ones. If I've learned anything, it's that life isn't just good versus evil. That would be too easy." Nico sat back on his bed, leaning against the white wall. He drained his glass before he spoke, the bubbles burning his throat. That small feeling comforted him; it reminded him of the past. "This whole thing... if any good has come from it, it's that it's given me a wake-up call. Maybe my father's twisted like Percy said, but so am I. The least I can do is make Father proud, and be a hero the best I can."
"I know." Teddy gave a small smile. "But you didn't need a boggart to come to that decision."
"Actually, I did. Because... what I'm saying is..." Nico took a deep breath. "What I'm saying is I need help. Your help. I need to be stronger. I need to make my father proud. It's been stupid, refusing you, like when I was in the labyrinth and hated Percy. It's my fatal flaw; I can't trust anyone. I hold grudges for no reason." Nico paused, letting silence hang a little longer. "That took everything from me--my sister, my childhood... I'm not letting it take my last chance at redemption too."
By the time Nico met his eye, Teddy's smiled had widened so much that Nico thought his face would fall off. He walked to where Nico sat, his semi-full Dr. Pepper forgotten on his dresser. "You're sure?" he asked. "Once we do this, you can't turn your back."
Nico stood to meet Teddy's gaze. He gave a curt nod. "What do I have to do?"
Teddy grabbed Nico's hands, and closed his eyes. He said a few words in Ancient Greek: "Goddess of magic, o Hecate, I beg your blessing. Put my soul in this soul, put my mind in this mind. Let our powers combine with the power of your magic, and let Nico di Angelo never be alone again."
An electric current pulsed in Nico's hands. It spread first to his arms, then his stomach; then it separated as the energy flowed through his entire body. His mind relaxed and calmed. His body felt stronger. Nico closed his eyes, drinking in the new feeling. He waited for the sensation to fade, but it didn't. This was the new him. This was the new and improved Nico di Angelo.