Nico Di Angelo and the Goblet of Fire •Book one of the Two Dark Lords series•

Chapter Two

"Nico, welcome to Diagon Alley!" Mrs. Weasley tells me just as the brick wall begins to rearrange itself. I watch in awe and wonder as it opens up, creating a doorway, a passage into a huge street or alley, if you must call it that. Not many people are here, Mrs. Weasley told me that school started a few weeks ago and that I will be arriving at the same time as the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. Anyways, normally these streets are supposed to be crowded, but I am obviously getting school supplies long after most wizards do. We stop at various book stores were I pick up all of the necessary text books, which by the way are a lot! The other things I buy are my robes and my broom. It is not an incredibly expensive one but fairly nice nevertheless. Hecate had apparently argued a lot to make this deal but Zeus finally agreed not to blast me out of the sky if I use my broom.

"The only thing I have to get now is a wand!" I say. I can't help but be a little bit excited, though I don't show it.

"Then follow me, dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaims. "Ollivander's is just a few stores down!" She leads me to an old looking shop and disappears through the door. I hesitate for a minute before stepping inside as well, Mr. Weasley following right behind me. The inside resembles the outside, old and cluttered. Rows upon rows of shelves stand before me, all of them equally crammed with small boxes. There must be at least a couple thousand! I think in awe as I look around. I can't imagine how long it would take to make one wand, let alone the amount in this store. After a minute of standing there, I hear a loud thud! and I look around to eventually see an old man, climbing down a ladder. When he reaches the bottom, he gives it a shove and the ladder slides across the bookshelf into somewhere else in the store.

"Hello! How can I help you?" He says to me with a smile and a kind look in his eyes. I'm about to respond but he speaks again before I get the chance.
"Would you happen to be Nico di Angelo by chance?" He asks and I can only nod, my eyebrows raised. How does he know my name? I do not know him, I don't think I've ever even seen him before! "Someone dropped this off a few hours ago, told me to give it to Nico di Angelo!" He explains and I nod, studying my package. It is a long, thin box, no different from any of the other ones in this store.. I cautiously lift off the lid and pull out a strip of paper, reading it in my head.

Nico,
In this box you will find your wand. I just finished it last night and you had already left, otherwise I would have given it to you myself! But alas, that is sadly not the case. So I sent Alecto to deliver it, knowing you would come here. The wood is black poplar, from the fields of Asphodel. The core is a griffin's feather and your wand is unlike any other. I hope you will find great use of it. Now you must remember, it is extremely important that you do not reveal your true identity! Remember your cover story.
Now, it has come to my attention that all students at Hogwarts need some kind of acquaintance, or pet. Yours is one from home, you will find it somewhere outside back at the Weasley's property. Good luck and make me proud!
-Your father, Hades

I slowly put down the note and look into the box. A sleek, black stick lays there, protected by silk and cotton and other fabrics from the palace of Hades. I gingerly pick it up and Ollivander looks at it in wonder.

"Well, give it a wave!" He says and I do. Immediately, a black beam shoots out of the tip and travels straight up. Just before it reaches the roof of the shop, it curves out wards in all directions, creating a pitch black dome. And as it reaches the floor, we are surrounded by darkness.

For a few seconds, nothing happens. But then my spell explodes.

A shockwave of black fog ripples out wards, until it gradually disappears. The four of us are left in Ollivander's shop, frozen in shock and awe. I seriously doubt any wand has ever done that before. Mrs. Weasley is slightly hunched over, looking quite frazzled. Her husband just stands still with his mouth open and Ollivander... Well he looks quite excited, dazed but excited nevertheless.

"Well! I think you're all set, Nico!" Says Ollivander, finally coming out of his trance. This causes Mrs. and Mr. Weasley to wake up too and after thanking the old wand maker, we head out of the shop.

Back at the burrow...

I'm super excited to see what my pet will be, though I don't dare show any emotion. An owl maybe, those are incredibly common pets at Hogwarts. I really don't know what to think, except for that my father had actually wished me luck and shown some kindness towards me in the letter. Make me proud it had said, and I intend to do so. The Weasleys have already gone inside, leaving me to look for my gift from my father. I run around, call out and even clap but nothing is appearing. In the end, I try whistling for a few minutes and then I wait. I am about to give up and go back inside when I feel something heavy slam into me.

Whoof!

I go crashing to the ground, something black and slightly bigger than me falling on top. I open my eyes to see a hellhound and instinctively push it off, drawing my sword. But the hound just sits there, staring at me, it doesn't try to attack or growl. This hellhound is smaller, just a pup, I notice. No bigger than a smart car, it tilts it's head to the side in confusion. Something from home I realize, I hold out my hand and it hesitantly walks over to me. As it approaches, I sit down cross legged and it sits in front of me, letting me pet it (even though it is bigger than I am) Hmm... What do you name a male hellhound? I wonder as I scratch it's neck affectionately. He leans in to my hand from the pleasure and I do something that I haven't done for a long time, I let my emotions show.

I smile.

Chapter two book talk-

What would be a good name for Nico's new pet?

Which shop at Diagon Alley would you most like to visit?

Given everything you know about Nico, both from Rick Riordan's books and fan fiction- how do you think Nico's personality and perspective could or should change throughout the novel?